10 Easy, cheap, and manly things you can do to make the life of your chronically ill guy friend a bit better.

First of all we are guys and don’t seem to want your help, can’t ask for it and wouldn’t know how to if we did, but we do need it, just look at us.
Just like the girls we don’t need a lot of money spent on us and would probably only feel guilty if you did, after all we are or were the breadwinners. Christine at BYDLS wrote about being thoughtful, we’re guys we don’t do thoughtful; at least not in public still help and company are appreciated.
Being a guy and being chronically ill is a double whammy, when asking for help it’s hard for us to inconvenience you and even harder for us to look like we need help.
I stole this next part from Christine Miserandino at butyoudontlooksick.com just copied it and outright stole it thanks Christine you are an inspiration to us all.
The hardest thing about chronic disease is that it is chronic. I had a friend who had a really bad flu and she received flowers that very week. With me – since I am sick all the time… I get nothing. Am I any less sick, sad, frustrated, lonely, or bored. NO, I need your love and support now more than ever. When everyone else forgets that I am still in this struggle with my illness….. please remember. It didn’t go away, I didn’t forget. I need you to be my friend.
So like they say at Nike:

Just Do It!

So here is my list enjoy and add to it in the comment section.

1. Come spend time with us you don’t have to do anything just sit there, we are guys we don’t need to talk about “It” or anything else for that matter if we want to we will, otherwise just be with us.

2. Take us somewhere not something big just to Lunch some of us can no longer drive and are prisoners in our own homes. You know us, you know our restrictions so maybe rock climbing is out of the questions but all you can eat wings at Wings R Us would be awesome.

3. We had big plans to fix the drippy faucet or repaint that wall covered with dark blue paint and can’t do these things anymore so come over and Sneaky Pete help us to do it. Remember we are fragile beasts and have to think we are still capable of doing things so at least let us think we are. Oh and don’t just show up with the supplies and expect to get to work we will let that unintended insult fester. Hint: we must shop for our own supplies at the Hardware Store.

4. We already have the gadgets surprise us with a season of one of our favorite series or movies, software, etc.

5. E-Gift Cards to I-store (blech) or Amazon Digital our gadgets need filling this is where we do it.

6. Guys don’t do Sudoku we do math problems and Crosswords keep that in mind and pick us up some Puzzle books, we don’t have the attention span for the ones with one kind of puzzle so get the mixed ones. We like our puzzle books like we like our nuts easy to chew mixed and with the answers at the back.

7. Magazines don’t let us fool you most of us don’t give a darn about car magazines we look at them to look cool in waiting rooms, secretly we would appreciate People, US Weekly, or other pop culture mags.

8. Lotion, lotion, lotion, this is one of those things we don’t get for ourselves and to tell you the truth most of us will go around looking like a lizard before we even think to moisturize. As a guy buying lotion has a certain connotation, so going to the store to pick it up can be embarrassing.

9. FOOD not the hospital stuff, but real good American junk food, even just an order of McDonald’s fries will make us swoon, especially if we have been inpatient for awhile. Check with our doctor and the hospital to make sure this fits in to their dietary plan then ignores it and get us some fries.

10. Just ask, we are not likely to ask for any kind of help be it physical or psychological so just ask if we need anything we are likely to say no but ask anyway.
You Never Know

Mayo Clinic Jacksonville

Good morning children,

I've done my inpatient time at Mayo, and let me tell you first it is an entirely different level of care patient oriented and comfortable.
Room Service you don't order your meals with a stubby mini-golf pencil on a card with one or two options you have a full menu with great and worldly selections. There are Perkins all over the world right.

Well anyway after two days of sleep deprivation and food restriction (only allowed 2 meals), together we pulled multiple nasty syncopes out of me which showed nothing on the EEG.
My Neuro case managing Doc Dr. Shih sent my files over to the Neuro Oncology guys who found some lesions on my brain.
I am going back on the 12th, 13th, and 20th for more autonomic testing and Doc chats.

Sir Ladle duLaq

A brave knight defending his family and aiding the helpless once carried a shining silver ladle of peace. With his mighty ladle he protected the land and all its inhabitants. He protected the children of the land from bullies and their own bad decisions with the aid of his mighty bat and glove. The knight protected his family and friends with his steely will, never ending strength and superior wit and wisdom coming to their aid in their times of need. He protected the world with acts of kindness and strength asking nothing in return.

Now the knight has been dishonored stripped of his ladle and left with naught but an ever decreasing handful of plastic spoons and the occasional spork (for jabbing at stuff). With his world left undefended and his manhood and lust for life gone the once mighty knight has struck out upon his trusty malamute Chewie to right the wronged and help the helpless, that is as long as he has a spoon left, otherwise he is bedridden and napping.

To be continued.....