The Dreaded Manflu

[catherinem]

I’ve escaped! Well, for a short while, whilst we enjoy a lovely Christmas dinner with the in-laws. Yesterday was my 37th birthday which the walking manflu didn’t realise until 3.15, no card, no present, (no Christmas present either) this has been an on-going problem since 2003 not just a manflu hic-up.

Life carries on for me as a woman despite suffering the same aliment; a heavy cold/flu that has turned into a chest infection.. I think that whoever said that men are from Mars and women are from Venus were so right. I’m sure I’m not the first female ticcer to notice that behind every man with Tourette’s is a loving, doting fully supportive wife or girlfriend who has undergone intensive research and spent many an hour reading through internet forums trying to gain a better understanding of her man’s condition. However if you look at your typical woman with TS where’s the supportive man? Is he in the kitchen? Nope. Is he in the shed? Nope. Is he down the pub? Nope. He’s nowhere to be found; yes you’ve guessed it, HE DOESN’T EXIST! Or have I just drawn the short straw? To put myself in the shoes of my male friends with TS it must be so nice to have someone who comes to appointments to see your specialist with you to support you rather than to see if it’s “all in your head” or to see if there is actually such person as a consultant who specialises in the treatment of Tourette’s syndrome. ( the sickly one has now met two, he can pinch himself twice!) and also to find out if the same consultant knows as much about Tourette’s as him (which can be written on the back of a dust mite). However much I have tried and encouraged him to find out more about TS his response is “I know all about Tourette’s already” I’m quite surprised that he hasn’t signed me up for the Deep Brain Stimulation trial yet. It must be nice (and helpful) for the male ticcers to have someone who remembers to remind them of what meds they take ( have you taken your amoxicillin dear ?) and when, to give them encouragement and be pretty clued up about their man’s tics, watching out for any side effects and being acutely aware of how things may affect him. Bollocks to that crap (sorry about the profanities). I expose my self to every tic trigger known to woman, every stress that would cause a man to scarper, I’m there and then I face a barrage of criticism for ticcing away and causing an embarrassment. Dolly Parton eat your heart out, I’m a woman hear me roar.

My MALE consultant told me I “cope well” but of course, I am a woman, I cope with Manflu, coping with Tourette’s is a walk in the park in comparison. Many of my friends think I should trade him in for a younger model with whom I have a shared work ethic, I’m just wondering about some of the old sayings…”out of the frying pan and into the fire”.....”the grass is always greener”…”better the devil you know” etc?