Is she all Hype or Munching?

Since 40 years ago, I have known my mother to exaggerate her ailments. My friends and I have actually caught her in the act of pretending a limp, then being "cured" when she thought she wasn't visible, only to return to the limp again once she "reappeared". Every illness she has had, either real or undiagnosed, is magnified tenfold and told in great, gory detail to any poor slob stuck in her attendance. She has always been obsessed with the medical field. She started as an office aid, then became a nurse's aid (until she was diagnosed to have "debilitating arthritis", debilitating only until knitting needles and gardens are considered), then studied to be an Emergency Medical Technician, only to end up owning the largest library of medical books outside of a library. She has a Physician's Desk Reference for drug information, the Mayo Clinic Complete Family medical series, anatomy of a human, yada yada yada.

My biggest problem is that she does have a few issues, although few are serious: she has prolapsed valves (as do I, and no big deal), psoriasis, borderline high blood pressure, and she takes a blood thinner. She has acid reflux and gets recurring bladder infections. She is allergic to gluten. She visits the doctor at least 3 times a week and is hospitalized for one thing or another at least twice a year. She is happiest when she is being seen by a doctor.

I am losing patience in dealing with her "ailments". I can deal with her ailments, just not her "ailments". Those are the ones when she goes up to a paramedic at a county fair and asks, "If my chest hurts, should I be concerned?" Whereupon they hauled her into the hospital and checked her out. Nothing found, as is so often the case with her. Her most recent visit to the hospital included an insistence that she couldn't breathe. Her pulse ox was normal, but they put her on oxygen, just in case. If she has Munch, how does one deal with it? She's in denial, of course!

Quite by accident, we determined she is NOT a hypochondriac. She has Munchausen's Syndrome, or is strongly suspected to have it. She was just brought in by ambulance again, complaining of chest pains. An EKG was run, showing normal rhythms, no damage. Pulse ox was normal. Color was normal. Breathing rates were normal.

Head is not. I was kind of rolling my eyes and being b1tchy, and her doctor pulled me aside. She asked me a few pointed questions about my attitude, and I told her about the ankle thing. Her physician then confirmed she had the same suspicions I had and said she has so many shifting ailments that never get detected that the medical staff was starting to wonder. Her doctor then consulted with a psychiatrist, who couldn't make a definite diagnosis without first seeing the patient and hearing some background information. I provided her with that information, and she now firmly believes it to be the situation but due to confidentiality she cannot tell me if she has spoken to my mother about it.

Based on Ma's expression, I'm betting she has.

OMG...you have outlined my mother to a tee!!!

Every illness she has had, either real or undiagnosed, is magnified tenfold and told in great, gory detail to any poor slob stuck in her attendance. She has always been obsessed with the medical field.

I feel your pain in that area. i, too,get where i lose my patience, but then they get mad that you are not being all sympathtic and feel the "wrath" from that is worse...haha. She, too, has TONS of medical books and it's so embarrasing when she tries to play doctor with a doctor

When my mother talks about her ails (which is all she talks about), my sister and i call them the "ail calls". We take turns on who will answer their phone that day, for if she does not get to talk about her ails EVERYDAY with us, for hours on end, then we get the 'wrath' that we don't care.

She, too has pulled crap - not too long ago she collapsed in a resturant...her legs gave out and she had no idea why. I'll tell you why - during dinner conversation she didn't get the attention during conversation we sensed she was craving so had to make a GRAND EXIT! She had to get the people that worked there to help her walk out since I was already out the door and had noidea she was not behind until I see har being carried out by the resurant people. Of course, within a day - a new ail took over.

As yours, she has a few real things going on...that are exaggerated to the hilt. And the ones she makes up are priceless. One time she scrubed her elbows raw in the shower and came out saying she needed to go to the emergency for she was bleeding to death. there was no blood - just very red elbows, but she insited she was very ill. The last emergency room visit was over canker sores and 2 days before that she saw a dentist about it who told her it was canker sores...so she waited till the weekend and went the the ER for the same thing. Of course - she calls everyday how it is something that might go down her throat to where she wont be able to breath and will talk about it for hours..and like you said...every detail of the ER visit....just unreal.

I feel for you, but is comforting when i know others can relate.

HAHA...I thought I would also share an email I just got from my sister. You can just feel the frustration. For reference, John is my moms husband. Too funny. And for those that have this disorder,maybe you should really know how others see you. Is this really the kind of attention you want, or how you want others to see you as and talk about you? Because this is exactly how others talk about you!

Hi Cindy,
Talked to mom she told me all about her mouth. The emergncy story. Her new doctor.The mouth med make her sick evan when she eats.How her body temp is below normal.lost lots of weight.On and on no stop in site started watching a bird building a nest out the window,once it flew away i was sad had to listen to mom again.Poor John poor John mabye he watches birds too, dont know. Thanks again for Letter send a few tonight.Call you tomorrow.

The bird watcher.