The Man Cold

I am not sure that I will ever understand why illnesses affect men and women differently. I am always amazed at how my hubby becomes a complete baby when he's sick, and yet I'm expected to just truck on through it.

In the last 6 months or so, I have had 3 separate colds. On two of those occasions, including the one I'm currently fighting, Mr. Eloquence has caught the cold from me. The one he didn't, which I had about a month ago, I completely lost my voice for the better part of a week.

Same colds, same symptoms, same general length of illness. I work, take care of the Diva Kid, clean the house, do the laundry, keep up my PTA duties, etc, etc, ad nauseum. I try to take as much time as I can to rest and heal, and generally go to bed early when I'm sick, but that's about it for time off. These duties are generally don't get done to 100%, but they still get done, period.

My husband, on the other hand, begs off of EVERYTHING when he's sick. He lays in bed from the time he gets home from work until bedtime. He doesn't do anything else, and cancels all other commitments, even for a cold!

It just drives me bananas. He didn't grow up with a mother, he doesn't expect babying. He just shuts down. But I'm still going 24/7. Why is this the norm, and how is it fair??