My husband is
killing himself!

Dear Tita,

My husband Tony is forty-eight years old and he is overweight. Late last year he was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. His doctor told him to go on a strict diet, stop smoking, and to exercise. I tried to see that he follows his doctor’s orders. At first, he did. But now he says he feels fine and has been eating all the forbidden food. He seldom exercises as he feels too lazy. He just sits and watches TV. He also smokes a lot. I try to hide his cigarets but he always manages to find them. When we go to parties, he gorges on lechon, oil-rich dishes and desserts.

We keep having arguments about this as he says I am a nagger and I should leave him alone to enjoy life. I keep telling him at the rate he is going, he won’t have a life to enjoy. I’m worried because the husband of my friend had a stroke and had to undergo dialysis because he refused to follow his doctor’s orders. All their savings are gone and she has to pawn all her jewelry to pay for his medical expenses.

Worse, they had to mortgage their house. I don’t want that to happen to us. I keep threatening my husband that I’ll leave him if he doesn’t listen, but he just laughs at me as he knows I could never do that. What should I do? Our children are still very young. I feel sorry for them as their father doesn’t listen to me.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE

Dear Desperate Housewife,

I feel sorry for you. Your husband probably thinks he is invincible thus he keeps tempting fate. I know the type; I see them all around. I pity the poor wives who have to put up with their incorrigible husbands.

He will wake up only when his body breaks down. Then it will be too late. Try to convince him by pointing out what happened to your friend’s husband. Hopefully, it will jolt him to listen to his doctor.

TITA