Taking Care of Sick!

Hypochondriac: a person who is abnormally anxious about their health.

So I have to admit, getting sick is something that I am very foreign to experiencing. I mean, I usually don’t catch anything other than the common cough and sniffles barely once a year. You’ll never find me with bronchitis or a sinus infection. Laid up in bed for days surrounded by bottles of medication and used up tissue paper (Yuck!!). To doctors, I’m the poster child for the perfect bill of health and for those of you who know me, even if I was sick, you’d never know it and that it would never keep me down. I have always managed to soar above all of the plight and have self proclaimed myself as “Mr. Untouchable”.

Until, the other day…..Bam! The Flu. It was as if I had sold my soul to the devil many years ago and he finally came a knockin’ to collect. And, oh boy, did he ever. The infamous flu struck me out of no where and knocked my ever unbreakable spirit right out of the sky. Putting me down into an unfamiliar abyss that I couldn’t just get up and walk away from. (Talk about Icarus flying too close to the sun)

Now, I’ve seen and been around a lot of sick people and each person handles their sickness, to a certain degree, differently. Some fit into the Type-A “I got this, leave me alone” category. While others fit into the “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” classification. Wherever you fit along this spectrum, how does your significant other measure up to the task of taking care of you? Or, better yet, how do you find yourself taking care of sick?

So, admittedly, I am probably one of the worst empathizers around when someone is sick. Mostly because I just don’t understand being sick. But that doesn’t excuse my stand-offish behavior to my significant other when she’s laying there reaching out to me like William Dafoe in the final scenes of the movie Platoon. Now, don’t get me wrong, just because I don’t empathize very well, I do make up for it in other ways (which I’ll explain below), I know there are a lot of you out there who put on that caregivers cap and do it very well (I have total admiration for you), but for those of you who might be a little more like myself, take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves and be in the moment for your ailing partner.

With that being said, here are some of my tips that can help you take care of sick.

1. Ask them what they need. Instead of running around with your head cut off, asking your sick partner what they need is the obvious choice. This way you can cut through all of the red tape and know exactly how to take care of them. Like I said earlier, everyone handles being sick differently, and you don’t want to be caught hovering over someone too much who just might want to be left alone. Where as, the one who always needs constant attention doesn’t need you ghosting them either.
2. Make a supply run. No matter what type of illness your partner has come down with hitting the store is essential to caring for them. Gatorade, ibuprofen, tissues, Nyquil, and chicken soup, just for starters, should be in everyone’s go to bag of remedies. Remembering these key supplies will at least get you started off on the right foot and if you have to modify along the way, it’s much easier than bringing nothing at all. Oh, and also be prepared to pick up any other weird requests that they might have to get them through this rough patch.
3. Make them a care package. Not only will making a supply run help get your partner through being sick, including a care package will lift their spirits and give them a little more comfort. I personally like adding wellness shots, magazines, a rose and a note to let them know that I’m thinking about them. And whether you personally hand deliver it, mail it or leave it at their door step, they will appreciate the effort and know that you truly care about them.
4. Good massage. Yikes! Okay, okay, gentlemen, I know what you’re thinking, not on your top five list of favorite things to do, right?!. Trust me, I get it. I have used the “My hands are tired from teaching tennis all day bit” more than enough times in my lifetime. But listen, your partners down and if it will help them feel better and recover quickly (before they even ask) suck it up and give them a massage. By doing this, you’re helping them to relax and ease some of the aches and pains that they may be feeling. Plus, once you get over the facial twitching and body seizures, giving the massage is the only kind of physical contact you will be getting until your partner is back to full strength, Holla!!
5. Making yourself available for them. Make sure that you’re checking in with your partner by asking them how they’re feeling. And I’m not just talking about doing a fire drill, coming into the room, kicking them out of bed and spraying the sheets down with Lysol. By making yourself available, you’re showing them that you are willing to help them when they need you the most. No, that doesn’t mean coming over, sitting around, eating snacks and watching television all day (raising my hand), guilty! Be proactive by taking them to the doctors, cooking for them, or most importantly, when you see them trying to get up, ask them what they need and follow through.

Alright, there you have it. These are just a few tips to help you get through your partner’s sick days. Hopefully you will figure out what they need the most when the time comes. One of the biggest things to remember out of all of this, is to make sure that you give them some space to rest in between all of your helpfulness. Oh, and if there ever is a time when there is that knock on the door, you answer and lo and behold, standing there is dear old mom. Hallelujah! You get a free pass. Go get yourself a much deserved drink and peace out!