Hubby’s Christmas holiday has apparently been ruined. The reason for him lying on the sofa watching rubbish TV and James Bond Films this year has apparently changed. This year he is ill. This is not a man who takes time off from work without good reason but his company closes down for christmas so he was never going there this week any way. So there is no way of knowing if he would have gone to work suffering as he does. What is certain though is that in his mind I as a woman could never understand his suffering, after all, what he has now is worse than childbirth; I kid you not he said that just now!!

I do not deny that he is ill, he has a headache (apparently unrelated to the consumption of alcohol that he is still able to manage) he has a very runny nose (he is using lots of tissues) he has a cough and a sore throat for which I have bought him various remedies that he asked for but I am unconvinced that are any better than paracetamol. But if I am ill I generally still cook dinner and generally carry on for the sake of the family. I suffer in moderate silence while he needs to tell me of impending death every 5 minutes.

I am not the most sympathetic of wives (I am slightly better when in mum mode) but then in my nursing career I have looked after properly sick people. Of course according to hubby I might live to regret my attitude since today could be his last. It is lucky then that due to his illness and his nan being in hospital on Christmas Eve (she is still there by the way) I have not yet bought his Christmas present (nor he mine), mind you we were going to get them in the sales and the way things are going they will be over before he is well enough to step outside the door!