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

My daughter is a GP (now working in New Zealand) and has regularly mentioned that many people ‘enjoy’ poor health and demand appointments when they don’t need them.
She enjoys her job far more when she has ‘real’ illness to treat and feels she can do something to help. So today during our video chat she told that she had a seriously ill baby in her surgery yesterday and she detailed to me what she had done including giving oxygen, stripping the baby off, and getting the ambulance. She also reassured the distraught mother. I’m so proud of her when she does these things even though it’s just part of her job, but I feel sorry for her when she talks of the time wasters. Mind you, there are fewer time wasters in NZ because everyone has to pay a charge to visit their GP except children up to age 14.

Why oh dear? Genuine enquiry. We have one retired GP here and fp’s husband is/was a GP as far as I know. No other source of direct information that I know of. I don’t know any GPs other than my own.

Germanshepherdsmum

What does your GP husband say about this fp?

Oh dear

What does your GP husband say about this fp?

maddyone

Jennajim

I wish I could get to see a doctor,, by the time I get an appointment I have cured the problem myself,,,,so saved NHS a few bob.

You didn’t need an appointment then!

This!

Jennajim

I wish I could get to see a doctor,, by the time I get an appointment I have cured the problem myself,,,,so saved NHS a few bob.

You didn’t need an appointment then!

PS I try hard not to talk about any medical conditions, as a child I had to be almost dead before Mum would allow me to stay at home (& I was the same with my kids haha) and I definitely saw a link with those school friends whose parents made a big fuss and “pampered” them when they stubbed their tie it had a headache and when adults these seemed to be grow up to be a bit hypochondriac !

Cossy, 💐

I felt the same as you, but this time about an earlier comment about RA, which just doesn't cause pain, it is systemic and attacks the organs, causing all sorts of life limiting problems.

I've just been advised my GP wants to speak to me, because I have NOT been bothering him and I should have been!

Parlorgames, my grandmother was the same. Anything anyone had, she or a family member would have had far worse. One day, my dad told her of a work colleague who had had an illness so badly that he had died of it. Without drawing breath, Grandma chipped in with: “Well he can’t have had it as badly as our so and so.” My dad’s immediate reply was:
“Mum, the poor man died of it. How much worse does it have to get?”

My Mum used to complain about her back pain but would never do anything about it. This is because she knew she'd be told to lose weight and didn't want to hear it! Morbidly obese, she was very sensitive about it and it could never be mentioned.

annsixty
Thank you so much for your lovely words.

I know a couple of people like this. One, has been having various “operations” for as long as I can remember, including lots of face work. It becomes quite boring trying to carry on a conversation; fortunately I do not see them very often. The other person is a close friend, and their medical problems seem to be imaginary a lot of the time. But I just empathise with her, it seems the easiest path to take.

The last time I visited the doc, about 5 years ago, she said “we don’t see much of you”. That’s how I like it said I.

I wish I could get to see a doctor,, by the time I get an appointment I have cured the problem myself,,,,so saved NHS a few bob.

joannapiano

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

Find your comment quite insulting - I developed Fibromyalgia and ME following the birth of my youngest child (now nearly 21) I underwent years and years of tests, whilst in pain and fatigued and worked full time until October last year. Some days I struggle to walk far. Some days I struggle even to get out of bed. Please do not tar everyone with the same brush.

Crikey annsixty, you sure we haven’t got the same friend!? She calls me EVERY day without fail…. She talks continuously about minor problems ….earache ….headache….toe ache….in fact ,anything. All of which she also calls her surgery about !! She gets immediate attention from the surgery and quite often an app within 2 days.It’s 2-3 weeks here!! She actual never stops to ask how I am. Once, I interrupted her ‘flow’ and said “ I broke my leg yesterday”….. she stopped and considered for about 3 seconds, then she said “ oh, that must be painful”….. then STRAIGHT back to her sore throat ! I kid you not ! She’s a nightmare! She’s never married …got no kids…. so no grandkids! I once said to her that she needed something real to worry about ( I’ve had three strokes….a hubby with Alzheimer’s and my daughter with extreme asthma!) ….but she just said ….” Well my throat is VERY sore”…. and hung up …. but had forgotten it next day!
Give up …. you cannot reach theses selfish people!

I avoid my doctor at all costs. I have a phobia about telephone consultations. I get very nervous.

Yes, I have a couple of acquaintances who revel in feeling even slightly under the weather.

Not quite as annoying as the one who, when she hears about someone having an illness or sickness, has had the same thing before and MUCH worse than anyone she knows............I just yawn and zone out now.

Gundy

Yes, my mother was a professional hypochondriac 🤭. I always told my family/friends if I ever turn out to be like that - just shoot me. 😆
USA Gundy

Oh, your mum was my mil.

I have a friend who suffers from potentially severe depression, although it is usually managed with medication. One of the biggest symptoms of her depression and a warning sign for the rest of us to her hypochondria, which worsens as the severity of her depression worsens. She will build up relatively mild ailments into major ones and we have lost count of the number of specialists she has seen for different things. She will also scrutinise the leaflet that comes with medication.
Another friend is older and stereotypically American, unlike the American friends who post on GN. Not only has she seen countless specialists for minor ailments but will call out in supposed pain at every little twinge, no pain threshold and making a fuss. She will also bore, sorry, tell people for what seems like hours about her symptoms and it is impossible to get in a word edgewise. A favourite topic of hers for quite a while was her bowels. Strangely enough, it was not a favourite subject of mine.

Yes, my mother was a professional hypochondriac 🤭. I always told my family/friends if I ever turn out to be like that - just shoot me. 😆
USA Gundy

Old age doesn’t come on its own!!

I have an ex work colleague who was a hypochondriac. Had every ailment under the sun, for years and years but was always “borderline” or “suspect”!,! For example, he had borderline Bowel cancer (no treatment at this stage, wait and see what develops!!!!) suspect diabetic, borderline angina, suspect Parkinsons, possible early onset dementia etc etc! His wife on the other hand, never visited the doctor. The very sad situation now is that his wife is totally bedridden and has advanced Alzheimers and Vascular dementia, and his only daughter died recently of Cancer! Since he has had all this to cope with, his own health has improved dramatically and he never complains of even a headache these days!!! Very sad situation.

one of my neighbours is like this, she goes to the doctor all the time and if she can't get an appointment goes to a&e, i am the opposite, i had stomach problems about 5 years ago, the hospital doctor said i was fine and probably just overeating, (big girl), my doctor wrote to the hospital doctor and said if she is seeing a doctor then take it seriously as i only go to the doctor when things get really bad, it turned out i had bowel cancer. my doctor is a last resort as i try to sort little things myself by going to the chemist rather than take up an appointment for something minor. now i just let my neighbour chat away and say how sorry i am to hear she is so unwell, i think some people just need a bit of sympathy and being ill usually gets that.

Indeed! One lady I know said, when told about my breast cancer 'Oh you poor thing.' and then proceeded to explain how debilitating her migraine medication was. I was invited to give her a call so I could go round for a coffee, probably to hear further details of her sufferings.