Why can't men handle illness?

[twaflooers]

As usual at this time of year the cold virus seems to be doing the rounds. Everywhere you go there's someone coughing and sneezing.
My daughter's boyfriend for example has used up box after box of my Kleenex over the last couple of weeks whilst he whinges on about feeling tired and unwell. My medicine cabinet is now somewhat depleted and although I have suggested that he stay home, tucked up in bed with a hot drink instead of coming round to our house and spreading his germs this has alas been to no avail.

Perhaps I need to change my brand of tissue to something rough and scratchy, do you still get 'Izal' shiny loo roll I wonder?
To make matters worse my hubby has spent the entire weekend telling me "Oh I don't feel well" in a most pathetic and whiny voice. Followed by *cough cough* "I think I need a Lemsip, but it's ok I'll get it myself" as he tries (not very hard) to drag his disease weakened body off the couch. "I could maybe manage a wee drop soup while you're in the kitchen" (making his Lemsip) he croaks wearily. GRRR!!!

I wouldn't mind so much but usually he's like man mountain, all rough and tough and macho. Give him a runny nose and he reverts to being a 4 year old.

Why is it that men can't cope with being unwell? As a woman with the cold / flu I just blow my nose and get on with the cooking, cleaning, ironing, looking after the children etc etc. Give a man a bit of a sniffle and the world as we know it is coming to an end, WHY?

Bl**dy Wimps!

=0/ twaflooers

[kate1976]

So very true twaflooers!! I had a cold the other week, I got on with everything though with minimal whining, my male friend then got a cold, not even a full blown cold I may add and he was dying, it's called man flu, shame it doesn't affect their voice so we don't have to put up with the constant whinging and insistance that they're going to die any second!!

[eyeshade]

Yes I agree with you there! Mine sleeps in the other room and avoids me completely when I have a cold but if he gets one first then that is different, I have to play Nursie!

I think we should what the Japanese do and wear face masks when we have a cold, that seems a very polite thing to do to me?

[boro1986]

You have obviously never had man flu!!!!

[dot.hawkes]

It is all part of an inherited gene that tells them they are not going to be able to club that sabre toothed tiger or skin that Mammoth and so the whole tribe is going to starve to death this winter, ergo, their ailment may cause the extinction of mankind as we know it and so they have to let everyone know the dire straits we would all be in if we did not aid their speedy recovery in every way known to medical science, Boots the Chemist and Guiness.

[arburgirl]

eyeshade - perhaps we should put a few drops of morphine on the face masks, then it would shut out the wingeing altogether !

[Athley]

A few years ago both myself and hubby had the flu (the real one and not the pretend cold one) and were completed flattened by it. We couldn't get out of bed - no I will re-phrase that - we couldn't get out of bed but one of us needed to get us water etc - guess who!!!!!!!!!

Why is it that us women have this inner strength and can do things men just can't. Even with the flu I was still concerned about HIM and looking after him but I could hardly lift my head off the pillow. Very wierd!!!

[ummmm]

It never ceases to amaze me how a man can take a punch in the face but can't handle a runny nose!!!

[Homer55]

Leave us alone lady's Man Flu is real..

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1 240705,00.html

[gleaveyweave]

LMAO at this thread!!! Sooooooo true, my hubby is just the same, it's so annoying. It's not just colds though, a couple of weeks ago I had a terrible tummy bug, awful stomach pain for 3 days then the 4th and 5th day spent on the loo (sorry if anyone's eating!). Got no sympathy from my husband because he had a "tumbly tummy"! He could still eat, drink beer and do everything as normal whilst I couldn't even lie down and yet he constantly moaned that he felt terrible and spent the week after I was better saying how horrible it had been for him!!!! Ruddy men!

[RATTER15]

Its called Man Flu, coz no Woman could survive it, being the weaker sex!!

[RATTER15]

But dont tell carakeel I said that!!!!!!!

[missjef]

this is soo true, my boyfriend if he ever knocks his arm or anything its always "is it broken?!? is it bleeding?!?" and they just whinges on about it for ever!!!

[MrBen5]

Hmmm, i cant really comment as i never get ill...

[robbo82]

I disagree completely. My Dad has taken two days off ill in the last 25 years or so, I have never taken a day off work ill. If anything, I think women make a much bigger deal of being ill than men.

[curlyfilm]

after eczema on me nether region and a spot on me bum, i'm ready for any illness life can throw at me,,,,,,,,,,

[SarCaustic]

Don't go tarring us all with the same brush - I've never seen such shameful stereotyping (ok I have, but for melodrama's sake...). I had a weak immune system as a child and was ill very often, but I rarely moaned or complained - in fact my mum says I deal with being ill better than anyone else in the family. So there :-P

[H0merSimpson]

Ooooo Dot! You're right, as always. I have such primitive instincts for you!

Dot, with you, the world is my Lobster!

[H0merSimpson]

Hey, why aren't you at work today Dot? This is Christmas. Or hadn't you noticed? Your shoppers need you, Dot.

[johnlambert]

I broke my ankle when I came back from Afghanistan in Feb 2003 playing rugby, I only knew i'd broken it when my wife's father, (a Dr) looked at it, Xrayed it, and diagnosed it, by that time, 2 1/2 months had gone by before the Army decided to put a cast on it, and I missed the invasion of Iraq.
Who you caling a Bl**dy Wimp?

[Carakeel]

RATTER!!!! Naughty boy!!! We women are perhaps a bit weaker physically. However my sweet Love, what we lack in brawn we make up for in brain power!!!! XXX :o)