Men never ask for directions

There have been plenty of jokes and stories about men being too proud to stop and ask for directions. I guess I am the exception, because it never bothered me to ask someone for help. Perhaps it is because I was in sales before cell phones, GPS and OnStar.

Now allow me to switch gears a little. About 9 of every 10 inquiries I receive are from spouses, caregivers and daughters.

• They often start out by saying something like … “my husband (or father) has Kennedy’s Disease …”
• And, they almost always express their concern for the uncertainty that accompanies living with a progressive disorder. “He just sits there” … or, “He won’t talk about what he is going through” … or, “He refuses to …”
• Then, the writer, after expressing their concern, almost always asks, “How do I get my husband (or father) to …”

I call this the proactive approach to coping with a neuromuscular disorder. The person feels she/he needs to take some responsibility for helping the person they love better deal with their health issue.
The difficulty lies not with the disease. Instead, it is associated with the way their loved one is dealing with the disease. And, being that some men are a little stubborn, they feel they need to reach out to anyone that might be able to help. Asking for help from others is not something many men find easy to do. It is especially difficult when the help we need is for something that we ‘should’ be able to do. The difficulty comes from dealing with something that we have no control over.

Because of this innate attribute of man, I once again say …

Thank God for our loved ones!