Sunday, March 15, 2009

DING DONG

We have had a right ding dong this morning. He is coughing badly. I tell him he has to see the Doc tomorrow and he goes into one. I tell him that our holiday trip is booked and paid for(the hotels and the Chunnel) and is not refundable(the deals we took were no cancellation) and the way it looks right now is that we will not be able to go because he will still be coughing. He refuses to accept he has a serious health problem. He thinks the doctor has told him he has a mild problem and will be okay if he takes care.

The trouble is he has the beginnings of serious problems and the Doctor actually told him that if he takes care he could last many years yet but ONLY if he takes care. John seems to think that he gets a cough which is a minor inconvenience every now and then. He doesn't seem to realise that it could kill him, that it isn't minor, that it isn't slightly more than a cold! Between these bouts (and this is the first for this winter) he takes two different types of inhaler and two different drugs for his lungs. Why does he still think it's minor?

Yes, I know he is scared of it but really sticking his head in the sand will not make it go away. Then he makes out I am unreasonable and a nag. He'd be dead if I didn't tell when he needs to see the Doctor and didn't insist that he did. yes, last Monday he would have gone to work had I not refused to take him to the station. I have to play this game every time. And every time the doctor puts him on steroids and antibiotics and tells him he should have come sooner and the very next time John still tells me I am overreacting.


(Oh and his breathing is down to 230 again. Not that he told me that it had been up to 520 which is excellent, but I didn't know that cos he didn't think it was important!)


ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know what you can do to make him take his health problems seriously! This is a smart and educated man. Why in the world he can't follow a doctor's instructions and/or use common sense is beyond me. But then, I have one of those at this house.

Good luck, Colin.

anachronist said...

Ohhh, I really hope he learns before he has the view of the flowers from underneath.
Why does he not take it seroius?

With respiratory problems each slight cough which does not go away should be followed up.

I will give him the lecture, if you like, maybe from a "fellow sufferer" he gets the idea how important that is.

Did his doc not give him a sort of traffic light list on what peak flow is ok and what needs caution and med adjustment?

I really hope he listens to his body more closely before all goes wahoonie shaped.

picperfic said...

JOHN!! Get to the doctors now!!

Unknown said...

Boy, this hit close to home! As you know, my love died last summer after a massive heart attack which could have been prevented. He had high blood pressure and very high cholesterol and, while he did take his medication, he refused to tell me or anyone how bad it really was and he avoided thinking about the surgery the doctor recommended. After he died when I heard what the doctor had been telling him I was so angry at him for ignoring the doctor's advice.

John is lucky to have you, Colin. we can only hope he wises up.

knitwych said...

Colin, I can certainly understand your fear and your frustration. We've gone through a similar problem with my dad. He was diagnosed w/diabetes a couple years ago, but didn't immediately take it seriously. I worried about him so much! He's taking it seriously now, thank goodness. I hope that John will quickly come to his senses and get his butt to the doctor!

fairy godmother said...

I hope that John feels better soon. And I am very glad that he has you to look after him!

P. Harper said...

Colin, my hubby was having a lot of trouble with gout and waited until he saw it wasn't getting any better to go to the dr. Cortizone shot fixed him up and he had been prescribed pain killers. Now it's flared up again and he wasted no time in getting to the doc!

Once John realizes that medication will help him greatly, he'll change his tune! The problem is in getting him to the doc for a scrip.

Nan said...

oh dear. That's just dreadful. Doesn't he realize that you want him around for a very long time? But then, some folks have real blind spots about doctors and such. Hope the treatment kicks in soon.

Sheila said...

It's very difficult when the man you love decides not to take care of himself. My father did that for years. He had elevated lipid levels, was overweight, no exercise, ate what he wanted and let his asthma go out of control. In January, he had a massive heart attack with 4 of his coronary arteries blocked. He barely survived the heart attack and surgery. Now he is taking his medication because he had that terrible wake up call. I hope John comes to a better decision.

FuguesStateKnits said...

Jayzus, Colin! Yer hubby sounds like mine!
SUch a freakin guy!
OY! Smack 'im one for me!
Joan