I am apparently a terrible wife. My husband has jokingly been telling friends and family that I tired to kill him. Well, maybe my inaction could have killed him, but it was not intentional.
Last Friday, my husband was apparently going into anaphylactic shock. Fortunately due to unrelated sinus issues, he had taken Benadryl prior to the onset of the severe allergic reaction causing it to slow the process. I am a bad wife because when Donnie first mentioned that he may be in anaphylactic shock, I shrugged him off. “You would know if you were going into anaphylactic shock,” I sniped considering that he had once been rushed to the ER because of it. He him-hawed for at least 30 minutes about whether or not he should go to the emergency room or if he in fact was having a severe allergic reaction. “If we go to the hospital and you just have a sinus pressure, I am never letting you live this down,” I sniped again.
Well, he was suffering from a severe allergic reaction and was given more Benadryl and steroids at the ER in order to combat it. According to the physician’s assistant on call (no one sees a real doctor anymore), the at-home Benadryl really helped calm the situation. Rather than closing off his windpipe all together, his throat was only a little swollen and his face slightly puffy. Two hours later, he was able to leave breathing clearly.
I know anyone not knowing my husband well would think I am an all out bitch for not taking his medical concerns seriously. However those who do know my husband well know he overreacts to everything. I have been scared many times thinking he was having a heart attack only for him to state (long after he writhed in pain for a while) that he had a leg cramp. Not only does he over dramatize the pain (which he seems to have a low threshold for anyway), he also does not respond to multiple requests of “What’s wrong?”. No, he just hopes around groaning in pain and not responding or being vague about what is happening. I don’t want to call 911 because he stepped on a tack.
My favorite is when he “gets” whatever you just had. I once complained about horrible cramps (which were caused by menstruation) for him to come to me a day later with the same symptoms and indicating he caught what I had. And, I am not the only one to witness this behavior. It is an on running joke with his best friend. Good thing Donnie is a good sport about this.
So when he started with his “I can’t breathe, I think I am going into anaphylactic shock” Friday night, it was hard for me to accept that it was not trumped up. I know Donnie is the sickly kid and is very susceptible to colds and such (which I do feel bad for him), but I am sometimes cynical about his condition (plus I am just cynical in general) due to the drama. Because he cries wolf, I know I will not take him seriously when it matters (i.e. Friday night). I had joked with a friend recently that his epitaph will note how he died because no one took his illness seriously.
I would like to think that after Friday’s shocker, I would listen more closely the next time he has an ailment. But I probably won’t. I most likely will dismiss him choking for burning his tongue. Like I said I am a terrible wife.
Last Friday, my husband was apparently going into anaphylactic shock. Fortunately due to unrelated sinus issues, he had taken Benadryl prior to the onset of the severe allergic reaction causing it to slow the process. I am a bad wife because when Donnie first mentioned that he may be in anaphylactic shock, I shrugged him off. “You would know if you were going into anaphylactic shock,” I sniped considering that he had once been rushed to the ER because of it. He him-hawed for at least 30 minutes about whether or not he should go to the emergency room or if he in fact was having a severe allergic reaction. “If we go to the hospital and you just have a sinus pressure, I am never letting you live this down,” I sniped again.
Well, he was suffering from a severe allergic reaction and was given more Benadryl and steroids at the ER in order to combat it. According to the physician’s assistant on call (no one sees a real doctor anymore), the at-home Benadryl really helped calm the situation. Rather than closing off his windpipe all together, his throat was only a little swollen and his face slightly puffy. Two hours later, he was able to leave breathing clearly.
I know anyone not knowing my husband well would think I am an all out bitch for not taking his medical concerns seriously. However those who do know my husband well know he overreacts to everything. I have been scared many times thinking he was having a heart attack only for him to state (long after he writhed in pain for a while) that he had a leg cramp. Not only does he over dramatize the pain (which he seems to have a low threshold for anyway), he also does not respond to multiple requests of “What’s wrong?”. No, he just hopes around groaning in pain and not responding or being vague about what is happening. I don’t want to call 911 because he stepped on a tack.
My favorite is when he “gets” whatever you just had. I once complained about horrible cramps (which were caused by menstruation) for him to come to me a day later with the same symptoms and indicating he caught what I had. And, I am not the only one to witness this behavior. It is an on running joke with his best friend. Good thing Donnie is a good sport about this.
So when he started with his “I can’t breathe, I think I am going into anaphylactic shock” Friday night, it was hard for me to accept that it was not trumped up. I know Donnie is the sickly kid and is very susceptible to colds and such (which I do feel bad for him), but I am sometimes cynical about his condition (plus I am just cynical in general) due to the drama. Because he cries wolf, I know I will not take him seriously when it matters (i.e. Friday night). I had joked with a friend recently that his epitaph will note how he died because no one took his illness seriously.
I would like to think that after Friday’s shocker, I would listen more closely the next time he has an ailment. But I probably won’t. I most likely will dismiss him choking for burning his tongue. Like I said I am a terrible wife.
