My wife spent several days in the ER/hospital recently. I love her very much and did my best to take care of her, but I just suck as a nurse. I can’t anticipate her needs, I don’t seem to know when I need to push a nurse to do more, and every time I think I’ve solved a problem, I somehow make things worse. I’ve always felt this way. I think it comes from the fact that when I’m sick, I just want to be left alone and so I don’t know what she, as a sick person, would want or expect. Now, I know to make a fuss when my wife is being ignored or the staff isn’t taking her claims seriously (I’ve been kicked out of a hospital once because my wife was throwing up from pain and no one would come check on her for over 30 minutes, which caused me to go from politely asking for help to demanding the nurse stop looking at a computer screen and come look at my wife). But in general, I feel like I frustrate my wife more than help because she doesn’t like having to tell me to do everything she needs. So am curious if this is generally a male thing or if I’m just terrible when it comes to medical situations. And if it’s the latter, if anyone has any tips on how to be a better caretaker, I would greatly appreciate it. submitted by /u/crimsonlaw
Originally posted by u/crimsonlaw on r/AskMen