Men & Illness

Updated on October 23, 2011
J.L. asks from Hoffman Estates, IL
13 answers

Hi Moms,

Sorry for the rant this morning but I can't help it! My husband hasn't been sleeping well ...Well because he hasn't slept well his immune system is out of whack. Every year around this time he starts with the sinus infections which turns into bronchitis and then Pneumonia. He was hospitalized last year for it. There's been a virus going through our house with the kids so they haven't been feeling the greatest.

Well this last Sunday night of course my DH starts this I am not feeling well business...So Monday rolls around and again he doesn't feel good...The sinus and coughing gravely throat issues have started with him and so here we are Friday and he hasn't been to the doctor. I've encouraged him every day to go because we know his history and he is suseptable (sp) to these infections. I know it's a sinus infection and he won't do anything about it...I am all for picking up the slack if he needs downtime to get better but what's this business of men letting it linger on and on? ..I think my husband should know better since we've dealt with this pattern for the last 5 years. I've gone from encouraging him to address it to now having a very unsympathetic attitude. I really do want to have a good weekend..I have a ton of stuff to do....Any words of wisdom?

What can I do next?

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So What Happened?

I called my husband awhile ago to apologzie for my unsympathetic attitude....and found out that he made himself an appointment for today...Yippee....

He then says all you had to do was ask me to do it???/ I said what?????? I've been asking nicely all week for you to do it... LOL!

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Ugh. Men and illness. Also know as oil & water.

He's old enough to know that he needs an antibiotic for a sinus infection. Make an appt FOR him, especially of he's home & lying around.

And in the meantime, by popular demand, watch The Man Cold:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbmbMSrsZVQ

(poor bunny)

2 moms found this helpful

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L.C.

answers from Dover on

Him: Babe, I don't feel good. My head hurts.
Me: We have tylenol, advil, or excedrin pms. Take one.
Him: Ok (he says piteously with his eyes half shut)

10 minutes go by

Him: Man this headache won't go away.
Me: Whad didja take for it:
Him: Nothing yet (as he looks quickly to the side)
Me: That'll do it
Him: I think I'm gonna go lay down
Me: Are you gonna take the meds. You might need the excedrin.
Him: Ok, I'm going upstairs will you bring it to me?
Me: So when you were 10 feet from it you didn't want it, but now that you are going to another level of our home, you want me to BRING it to you.
Him: Yeah, if that's cool
Me: So, are you gonna need a drink with that
Him: You're the best babe.

O........M.........G.

The people that will do the least to keep themselves well are also the ones that are the biggest babies when they are sick.

God bless you, Lucky, and God help him. I absolutely agree that YOU should just save yourself the hoo-ha and make the appointment and drive him there if need be.

Hope everyone in your whole house feels better soon

3 moms found this helpful
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K.P.

answers from Dallas on

With my ex I had to trick him into going. Usually i made the appt figured out some way to get him in the car without telling him where we were going and took him there myself.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.F.

answers from Norfolk on

Since I've had kids I get sick maybe once a year where he would have to take over things. However I do get headaches often. My husband plays it to the top of the hill when he gets sick. I tell him to go to the doc and then he waits till he can barely move or breath to go, and there is a walk in clinic not far from here either. Uuugghhhh. He hates going to the doc. He had an abscess under his arm shortly after we started dating and took him about a week to get it checked out. Turned out to be a spider bite and the area was infected badly, where they had to "stuff" the hole w/ gauze. It was nasty. Then he had a spot on his leg for like a month that ended up being ring worm , when I told him to get checked out when we first noticed it! Men - can't live w/ 'em, can't live w/out 'em. haha. :P But gotta love 'em.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

AHH one of life's little mysteries. . .
It is such a man thing. My husband played rugby on a broken (Hairline fracture of the fibula) for three weeks before he finally got an Xray oh, and then a CAST!

Can you slip anything into his drink/food to knock him out and get him the rest he needs? Beyond that, I would try comming at it from a financial standpoint - hey, ifyou go to the doctor and get meds it is like $30 copay and at most $150 for meds (at most) vs. being hospitalized. Please, for the sake of our pocketbook - go to the doc.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.T.

answers from Chicago on

My husband's ear was stopped up and causing him pain for more than a year when we first got together. The man couldn't even hear out of that ear!!! He FINALLY went to the doctor and got it "blown out" or whatever. "Oh, I feel so much better . . . and I can hear again!" DUH!!!!! He's gotten better about going to the doctor when he is sick, but he's a bit of a baby when he's not feeling well.

Can you make your husband an appointment and tell him to go?

1 mom found this helpful
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A.L.

answers from Dallas on

Lisa C. --- That is so my husband!!! I have to deal with that everytime the hubby gets sick. He is a baby!.
"Honey, I don't feel good, I'm gonna stay home from work." ok, but you need to make an appt to get in to see the dr. so you can be back at work as soon as possible. "I'll be fine tomorrow." tomorrow rolls around and still sick and has to stay home again.... I usually call and make the appt for him and tell him to be there and what time. His complaint is that it costs money to go to the dr and get prescriptions. My rebuttal--- not as much as you being sick off work... Besides, I go to great lengths to not get sick!
Not sure why guys are like this....

1 mom found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Houston on

We have been married 25 years and I can count on one hand the number of times he has been sick! I on the other hand, have had several major illnesses. He has been terrific. When he is sick, I want to help him and do for him to repay all the kindness he has shown me!

You know its love when they bath you and help you go to the bathroom after your major back surgery!

1 mom found this helpful

K.L.

answers from Medford on

Men dont like to think there could be something wrong with them. They think they are tough and can take it or get over it on their own, which is funny since, when they do get sick they are the biggest babies about it. Last spring we both went thru the same series of bugs, and I went to the Dr. I had bronchitis and pneumonia and had developed asthma. He had the same symptoms and refused to go. One morning, as he coughed and wheezed his way out the door for work, I told him, either call and make an appointment or dont come home! Guess he took me seriously because he called later to say he had been to the Dr and had inhalers and meds and wondered if it was ok to come home...lol... silly man.

1 mom found this helpful

C.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

I HEAR ya sister!

Mine has learned the HARD way about taking care of himself. He developed type 2 diabetes, had gastric by-pass surgery and has FINALLY gotten the BIG PICTURE that his health is NO JOKE. You do what you can but its up to HIM.

Don't you just want to choke them when they act so stupid?

1 mom found this helpful
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B.

answers from Augusta on

if he won't go to the Dr,
Get him some Aleve D.
If he doesn't take it it's on him.
You've done all you can and I don't blame you for being fed up with it.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

I have to laugh, why do we have to ask our grown up men to go to the doctor?And my experience is that in addition to letting these things linger they whine and whine. Oh my gosh. They have colds and we had children. Go figure.

A.S.

answers from Detroit on

My husband is the one that won't complain unless it's REALLY BAD. And by that time, he's already made the appt.

I AM the one that lets things go forever and whine about how I feel... So, the only thing I can say is you won't make him do anything. I'd just simply say that if he doesn't want to see the Dr, then stop whining.

I'm very like your husband. I start with the sinus infections or strep throat, bronchitis, bronchial pneumonia..... That seems to linger all winter long.

I already had pinkeye, sinus infection, and tonsilitis this fall. I was ill most of September. Of course I got the pinkeye treated immediately, but the sinus infection was the one that lasted all month [even after the 1st antibiotic]. I waited 15 days after my 1st antibiotic was completed before I went back in and found out I had that sinus infection still PLUS tonsilitis. They put me on 875mg of Augmentin twice a day for 10 days. Oops.

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