Do you or anyone you know “enjoy” poor health?

I know several people like this Anne, have always got a health issue,and like to share with me.
I am 2weeks post hip surgery,and even then not excused from hearing other peoples issues.
They really have no self awareness.
Like you I give doctors a wide berth if I can

She may have an illness phobia

It sounds like munchausen syndrome. I did know someone years ago who was the same. It's sad isn't it.

If your dear friend keeps attending her G.P. and is frequently referred to Consultants and Private Hospitals, she'll very soon find that her health insurance premiums will be increased to the point where she's priced out of the market... unless she's very, very rich.
DH and I are at the other end of the scale, and if left to our own devices probably wouldn't get checked out as often as we should. Fortunately for us, in a way, our state of health means that we are on an automatic 6 monthly review.

It is sad and unfortunately much more prevalent in our age group than among younger people. True, they may not have the age-related issues many of us have, but there are many hypochondriacs among them too.
I remember an awful lot of younger teachers (not exclusively male, but frequently) who seemed to have gastric problems or even “flu” with monotonous regularity on Monday mornings.
But the “organ recital” you hear from some old people or insistence that whatever they have “is the worst the doctor has ever seen” -well you just have to feel sorry for them
It gives them a sense of importance, fills possibly empty lives and gives them something to talk about.
And yes, we are prey to the temptation on GN too 😳
I do try not to fall into that trap!
Recently when complaining about my plantar fasciitis and breathlessness to eldest D, instead of sympathy all I got was a lecture about losing weight!
That stopped me! 🤣🤣🤣

Yes I do, our elderly neighbour who is very sprightly at 98 years old! His main conversation is about himself and his bad leg. His deteriorating hearing although refuses to wear a hearing aid. If you dare to change the subject he brings it back to himself again, he still drives, I think it’s a health anxiety thing.

I have several friends who, when they are asked to walk anywhere, do anything, say “Ooh, my fibro !” ( Fibromyalgia)

Actually with my friend (who is lovely and very generous)
I think it is her H who is very selfish and if she gets no attention from him needs to offload on her friends.
Even so it is very wearing listening all the time.

I used to know someone who ‘enjoyed’ it. He used to regale virtual strangers, poor things, with the most gruesome details. A dd was once acutely embarrassed when he ear-bashed some poor woman outside the village church with his willy problems!
All sympathy/attention seeking - he didn’t like it a bit if his wife was ever ill and getting the attention.

I have a neighbour like that, seems to enjoy a visit to the doctor especially if there are follow up blood tests or X-rays, whatever she has wrong is always rare, worse than the norm or is an unknown condition.

It made me smile when I saw her out in our local park and she told me that she now has agoraphobia so a nurse will be visiting her at home to take bloods.

It’s a very ageing habit, regaling all and sundry with your ailments. I keep it zipped, and frequently have to tell my husband not to mention minor health matters to younger visitors! Doctors must be fed up with their ‘frequent visitors’ with very minor complaints - and of course they stop the rest of us from getting seen. Very self-centred and selfish.

When my dear old dad was 90 and moved in to sheltered accommodation he refused to use the communal sitting room other than for essential meetings. He said it was full of moaning faced old b**gers who were trying to outdo each other with their medical complaints and who had the longest repeat prescription list. He was older than most of them 🤣

My SiL. Even when I was mid chemo for an aggressive cancer, she would regale us all with her health problems. I let her get on with it. It didn't benefit me to focus on the cancer.

My brother is the worst,yes he has health issues,but I am subjected chapter and verse and update,it is all about him.
He dosent live alone,he has a wife,and children and a wider family circle of inlaws.
He just likes to have full attention focused on him and his needs 24/7.
I love him,but somedays I just dont want same conversation,that always turns to him.
Is he aware of this,many people remark on it,so it isnt just me,I genuinely dont think he has any self awareness at all.

My best friend, who is younger than me has either hypochondria or Munchausens.
I’ve written about her before and her insistence on all manner of tests which all come back as ‘unremarkable’, but she’s never convinced. When she moved house, I hoped her new GP would treat the anxiety, but like her former GP, he seems happy to go along with her demands.
She also attends funerals of people she barely knows - again I think to gain the sympathy of others for her loss.
Having said this, I love her to bits, but it can be frustrating!

Yes my lovely sister in law, who I love like a sister.
We go from one thing to another.
Has test after test with no diagnosis.
She knows , herself, that a lot of it is psychosomatic but it doesn’t make her feel any better.
She has a very good lady doctor who gives her lots of time, but last time dsil attended the surgery she said ‘the doctor wasn’t so friendly with her’. I wonder why! 🙄

I recommend reading ‘A 17th Century Nun’s Prayer’, source unknown. A few observations on growing old. I will quote a relevant part;

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of other’s pains, but help me to endure them with patience.

Calendargirl

I recommend reading ‘A 17th Century Nun’s Prayer’, source unknown. A few observations on growing old. I will quote a relevant part;

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of other’s pains, but help me to endure them with patience.

Very apt!

A few GNers could benefit from reading that!

Susynan 😂

These “worried well” who attend the doctor regularly seem to treat it as part of there social life. I think doctors should be actively discouraging them because people who really need to see a doctor can’t get an appointment.

Having worked as a GP receptionist for a few years , I can say we used to have numerous patients who came to the Surgery daily/weekly you knew their whole medical history as they would tell you every time and in great detail. I remember my DH saying when he dropped my off one morning at 8.00 am and they were already waiting outside on a bitterly cold morning for you to open the doors at 8.30am, there can't be much wrong with them.!

My late mother certainly "enjoyed" ill health, especially if it was her own, though I had a fight on my hands as a teenager and young adult to get her to stop trying to enjoy any ailment I happened to have too.

I have a young friend, young enough to be my daughter, who is never so talkative as when there is something wrong, Admittedly, she is genuinely concerned if we are poorly, but it is uphill work convincing her that I have fully recovered from having a wisdom tooth extracted over a month ago!
And she does consult her doctor if she or her son is ill.

The people I have no patience with at all, and I know this is wrong of me, are those who incessantly complain about an ailment, but never try to do anything about it.

I think they are known as ‘Heart Sinks’ in the trade.
It’s what the GP feels when they review their patient list for the day and the name is there yet again.

Yes , a friend of mine and her husband are always going to the gp and the hospital and love to regale everyone with their ailments . It’s got to the point where I daren’t ask them how they are . Because I’ll be stuck for ages !!!