Sheffield Village woman finds relief

Effective treatment for gout restores activity levels and involvement with grandchildren

A Sheffield Village woman is sharing her story of recovery and treatment after suffering from uncontrolled gout attacks for decades.

Lex Leonard, 67, believes she has suffered from the debilitating condition since 1973 when she was in her 20s.

A retired teacher, Leonard, said she has suffered from intense pain in her feet and hands, making it difficult to get around.

At times, she said she would schedule all of her appointments in one day to ease the burden.

In the middle of a flare, Leonard stressed simply getting up and walking to the kitchen would become too much.

“It has been painful for 40 some years,” she said. “It reached a point where I was sure I had broken bones in my feet.”

After pressing her podiatrist to perform X-rays and no broken bones were found, a blood test revealed gout.

After years of ineffective treatments and searching for answers, Leonard said she received a diagnosis while in her late 30s.

A perplexing diagnosis and a condition traditionally associated with a rich diet and eccentric English monarchs left her concerned.

“People would say there has to be something you’re doing,” Leonard said. “I’ve never been able to figure out a food or drink trigger. I put up with it.”

She said she struggled with walking for 30 years due to sharp pain in her feet, and eventually her hands due to elevated levels of uric acid built up in her body.

Leonard said she finally found relief after undergoing treatment with a nephrologist through Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain.

She said treatment has her feeling fabulous and is encouraged with her progress and renewed capacity to do things she only dreamed of doing a few years ago, such as being more involved with her four active grandchildren.

“They are amazed that grandma can walk and grandma can do things and take them places,” Leonard said.

In her journey to finding relief, she expressed support for others who also are suffering and seeking support.

“There is a lot more out there than I knew there was,” Leonard said. “There are organizations that will help you, and there are doctors who will listen.”

Uncontrolled gout is defined as chronic gout, refractory to traditional therapies where symptoms continue despite the use of oral therapies.

Patients with uncontrolled gout continue to live with the repetitive flares and high uric acid levels despite oral medicine and diet modifications.

Gout affects about 8.3 million Americans and Ohio alone has an estimated 2.5 million adults suffering from some form of arthritis, according to recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gout can progress to the point where it becomes an uncontrolled and debilitating condition that can affect a person’s quality of life.

Despite efforts to spread awareness, gout continues to be a condition that is misunderstood with only 10 percent of sufferers receiving effective treatment, according to the Gout and Uric Acid Education Society.

Leonard said she finally found relief after undergoing treatment with a nephrologist through Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEX LEONARD Sheffield Village resident Lex Leonard has been living with uncontrolled gout for the past 40 years. After years of dealing with chronic gout attacks and ineffective treatment, Leonard is sharing her journey and seeks to spread awareness about the...