When One of Us is Ill, Both of Us Are in Danger! Senior Citizens

or Spouses Mirror Each Other Health.

Are retired women more knowledgeable than retired men when it comes to everyday health issues?  Because I am a retired woman living 6 month of the year in a 55+ RV resort and am in close contact with retired men, I think I have the answer.  But let me give you some facts first.

Every woman's magazine, be it Glamour or More, has an article on health issues.  For example, the latest More (a magazine for women of style and substance, i.e. older women) magazine has a lengthy article on hearing loss and Glamour has a whole section called health and fitness.  The hits you will get for health articles in women's magazines using a google search will come up at more than 9,000,000...yes that is right.  On the other hand when I changed the word women's to men's the google hits fell to 800,000.  When I looked at men's magazines alone they were 80,000,000 hits.  It was 90,000,000 for women.  The ratio just didn't line up.

The fact that women are, it seems to me, more obsessed with health, weight gain, and the look of their body may account for this.  But that is not what I am asking.  The question was "are woman more knowledgeable?"  I have listened to women talk about health issues and I have listened to men.  The women are quick to give answers but are kind of bored with the whole subject.  What they will talk about though, is their husband's reluctance to take their advice, go to a doctor or even eat and drink smartly!  Men on the other hand are blown away when they discover that dark green leafy vegetables are good for them and that they may have a health issue if their stool is black!  It is all so new to them.  They just do not know!  They are so fascinated with their new knowledge their gathering can be dominated by "organ recitals".  Sigh!

Now the question is what difference does it make...that is why we have doctors and yearly exams, right?  Well, here is a thought...if my husbands has symptoms and I know something is really wrong,  I will call the doctor and make an appointment using my strength to overcome his resistance.  Unlike many women I do take some responsibility for my husband's health and he for mine.  Why?  My best answer is that my vision of how his health effects mine and vice versa is very clear to me.  What makes him ill will change my life forever one day if my health does not change his first.

I truly believe that when one of us is ill, both of us are in danger.  If your spouse doesn't understand this, you need to work on his/her awareness.  Think about it.

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