Wednesday, March 10, 2010

If you don't stop sniffling...drastic measures will be taken.

So my cold is better. And hubby's is somewhat better as well. Sean still has mystery rash but it's getting better. I was wondering today at the difference between my hubby and I when there's a sickness.

I mean, when I'm the one who's sick, I can be running a fever, red eyed, snot nosed and coughing and he'll still call me his "cootie girl" and want to snuggle. When he's sick? Especially when he's congested or coughing...I want to stand at least 3 feet from him and throw things at him. Like tissues (so he'll blow his damn nose instead of sniffling) and cold medicine (just take it already so we can both get some sleep!) and orange juice (my god, would you put something healthy in your body for a change?!). I feel kind of bad about it. I know it doesn't mean he loves me more.

I think it's because A. I use/used all my taking care of sick people patience and energy on the kids. I mean, I'm really good to them when their sick. And B. I just get annoyed because he won't take care of himself. No sick days for him. Nope he's got to be out there working. Without rest you don't get better. Plus he hates medicine and orange juice (or anything remotely resembling something healthy you might put into your body). Why is it so hard for men to take care of themselves?? And why am I not more sympathetic?

Don't get me wrong. I don't neglect him or anything. I mean, I'm the one who forced him to go get those suspicious moles looked at and removed. I rushed him to the hospital that summer he had the 105 fever. Tick bite, occupational hazard. I made the 3am trip to the ER with him when his gallbladder tried to explode. And then I was there all day every day the three days he was hospitalized. I've held his hand through stitches, metal shards in his eye, and finding out his heart valve will have to be replaced sometime in his fifties. I worry constantly about his health. And maybe that's the crux of my unsympatheticness (yeah, I made that word up. So what?) for the little things. It's his blatant refusal to take care of his health.

So men, my question for you is~ Do you take care of your health? If not, why???

And ladies~ how do you take care of your men? How do you get them to care about taking care of themselves?

Is every couple having this battle? Or is it unique to our situation? What say you?

shaking my head in consternation,
♥Spot

11 comments:

  1. Ok, here's the deal, men (at least the ones I know) are generally whiners when it comes to having simple things like colds, but act like the really big things are nothing. I cater at first, and threaten that the nurse (me) is gonna leave if he doesn't do his part. But usually I keep nurturing and tone out the whines.

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  2. I do take care of my health. The Air Force pretty much makes my husband take care of his. They'll make his check ups and such and he HAS to go or else he's in trouble.

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  3. I don't know why, but I tend to get annoyed at hubby when he's sick. maybe because he's so dang WHINY when he's sick? And maybe like you, I used all the patience up with the kids? LOL poor hubby!

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  4. "What say you?"....LOVE this line!

    No answers here, sweetie.

    Men are big babies who refuse to take care of themselves...maybe 'cause they know we'll do it for them.

    Hmmm....maybe that's the problem...

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  5. Our situation is mostly reversed, it's not that I'm terribly unhealthy, but I will wait forever before I see a doctor for anything. And my husband is always shoving vitamins and OJ at my face. Not that I'm opposed to oranges or healthfulness, I just never get around to it. Also, OJ gives me a bit of heartburn...

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  6. Ha, I think I'm just like you. When I'm sick if he wants to baby me. FINE. But when he is sick, I really just want to lock him in the bedroom and shut the door. So I don't have to hear it, or see it. Drives ME CRAZY. I don't know why.

    Maybe because my big strong man looks so pathetically sad with a cold while I work, take medicine and keep chugging along.

    I'm with ya! Irritating! Take the damn medicine and act normal!

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  7. Wow I feel kind of outnumbered here, but will speak anyways :^)

    I think your situation is about the same for us all, I truly love my wife with all my heart and when she is sick I do everything in my power to make her feel all better in spite of my own feelings---does it sound like I'm over exagerating a bit, well maybe just a little.

    Seriously in our relationship I do feel I have more patience with her than she does with me, fact being I have been through a lot of serious situations with diabetic complications, strokes, wheelchair confined for a while and Cindy has been there for me she may come off using her "unsympatheticness" but the care is always there because she does love me too.

    You ladies may come off as unsympathetic but I think you are just more to the point in taking care of the illness while we men want to snuggle and make you feel better even if we don't exactly know how to take care of the problem.

    Yes I work hard to take care of myself but with my situation I have no other options, if I didn't have this condition I can't say that I would be any different.

    Thank You Dr. Spot for making me think today.

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  8. Hmm. My husband is the single most independent person I have ever met. Not only does he rarely get sick (he takes pretty good care of himself) but he won't let anyone take care of him (including himself, rest is not an option) while he is. He once flew to another city to work on a plane (he's Air Force) after I had begged him not to go because he had spent two days on the couch with a temp of 104. So unlike him. I had to damn near sit on his chest to give him Tylenol in hopes of lowering the fever. Anyway, he went and saw the Doctor on the base there (I'm certain it was because I threatened divorce if he didn't) and he had Scarlet Fever for crying out loud!
    Me on the other hand? I will whine to anyone who will listen. I'm a suck, I know.

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  9. Dr. Spot .... hee hee ... I think Jimmy has coined a new moniker.

    Same at my house. My hubs seldom even eats more than once a day ... and that is only because I cook it, serve it onto a plate, cover it lovingly and leave it in the microwave for his return home ... 'course that's changing now ... as he is home.

    He is a baby when he gets sick - drives me batty. But - at the same time ... he needs to be dragged to a doctor (for things like ... ohhh ... a double hernia, say) by his short and curlies ... arrgghhh - MEN!

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  10. Suzicate~ I lose my patience and just glare at him.

    WW~ so true! My Dad was AF and he never got sick. Except every year when they made him get the dang flu shot. He'd be sick for two days after!

    peg~ You bet! My sentiments exactly.

    Kathryn~ I think that's the crux of 9/10 of our problems...lol.

    Mrs.Bear~ Hah! I snorted over the heartburn!! That sounds like an excuse my hubby would use. =]

    Angelia~ whew! At least I'm not alone. That's so how I feel!

    Jimmy~ hehe. Poor Jimmy the only male! Thank you for still speaking up! I had a good friend who was in your situation and he was the sweetest, most altruistic person I have ever known. Unfortunately he passed away two years ago. His loss is still felt. I made sure that I let his wife know (I didn't know her as well since I worked with him) how much her husband had made a difference in my life. She said she was hearing that from everyone. Even when his medical problems were giving him hell, he never lost his concern for everyone else. I get the feeling you're a lot like him.

    Eyvi~ well hubby rarely gets sick either. Maybe a cold once a year. But that's the problem, instead of taking meds and sleeping for a day or two, he keeps pushing and drags it out. Gah! Maybe some sleeping pills...(did I say that out loud??!)

    Dani~ arrgghhh- MEN! That pretty much sums it up!

    ♥Spot

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  11. I worry about my hubbies health all the time, but he thinks he will live forever no matter what ailment has hit him. He frustrates me all the time. I'm like..if you would only do this or that, then you would get better. I think he thrives on getting pampered.

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