Theres a reason why flip-flops are Kevin ‘Bono” Manions favorite shoes. Theres a reason why the crew chief of Jamie McMurrays #1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet would cut holes in the toes of his work shoes before venturing into the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage. Manion, 40, has suffered from gout for the past 10 years, and lately hes also been fighting the mistaken perception that gout afflicts elderly persons who drink too much alcohol. At age 30, Manion began to suffer the symptoms of gout, a severe form of arthritis caused by high uric acid levels. At times, the pain was unbearable. ‘Ive broken some bones, Ive stubbed my toe, Ive cut myself wide open and had plenty of stitches’ Manion told the NASCAR Wire Service during an interview in the #1 teams transporter on Friday. ‘Ive had my front teeth replaced, but (gout) is the most painful. You know when youve got it. Theres no question. Literally trying to sleep at night, youre fine unless you have to put a cover on, because a bed sheet will make you scream like a baby. Thats how painful it is. Theres no thought of putting a sock on. I basically have cut the big toe out of my shoe so my toe wouldnt touch anything at a track over a weekend.” Manion may have known he had goutdespite one early misdiagnosis as turf toebut he was reluctant to acknowledge it because of the stigma associated with a disease that afflicts eight million Americans. ‘For two years, I was just stubborn more than anything, a guy that (said), ‘Surely it wasnt goutit couldnt be, being my age of around 30’ Manion said. ‘I always heard (gout afflicts) old people that drink a lot of liquor, and I dont do that. Occasionally, Ill have a beer or two, but Im not the guy that drank too much or ate too much red meat. Im not that old guy&You always hear, and Ive heard it before, ‘Oh, hes got the gouthes a drunk. By no means did I ever think that was what it was. I just thought I had sprained my toe. I heard it was turf toe from one doctor. Finally, it hurt so badand I honestly thought it was broken, thats how bad it hurtand the doctor said, ‘No, if you broke your foot, it wouldnt hurt that bad; what you have is gout.'” At this point, Manion has done more than just accept the reality of the disease. He is working with Takeda Pharmaceuticals to heighten awareness of the disorder and to alter the conventional wisdom about its nature and causes. ‘Simply, its just a severe form of arthritis’ Manion said. ‘If you say you have arthritis, people dont look at you funny. When you say you have the gout, people kind of look at you funny. Its the same thing. Its just a form of arthritis. The only thing I can recommend is to go to your local physician and get on a plan to manage it.” Manion also encourages gout sufferers, and those who think they might have it, to visit www.gout.com , a web site that provides comprehensive information about the condition.( NASCAR Wire Service )(5-19-2013) News from May 18, 2013
