Stroke Risk and The Black Knight

Stroke Risk and The Black Knight

John Cleese’s Black Knight is the defining metaphor for how the male of our species deals with pain and disease. He continues to insist he’s fine and is winning the fight, even when he is limb-less and on the ground.

But there’s an unfortunate confluence of Black Knight Syndrome and stroke risk. Stroke is rightly called “the silent killer.” Very often, the first sign there is a problem is the stroke itself.

Stroke Risk as an Equation:
This is a very bad equation. When you take a Black Knight, who is always fine despite desperate conditions and add that to a symptom-less condition, the resulting sum is bad news for any women interested in protecting her husband from risk of stroke.

Of course, there are factors that affect stroke risk: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes. The classic Black Knight will say Ha! Ha! at these stroke risk factors and continue in risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking too much, not exercising, and feeding all vegetables to the dog under the table.

Stroke Risk, Black Knight and The Wife
As The Wife, it’s our job to prevent – to prevent the risky behaviors, to insist on preventative screenings, to prevent The Husband’s stroke risk from giving us nightmares – maybe watch that old movie with The Husband to kickstart the conversation….

Preventative Screening And Our Menfolk

Preventative Screening And Our Menfolk
No less an entity than the United States House of Representatives said no fewer than two weeks ago: Whereas women are 100 percent more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services than men ….

We women knew this instinctively about our menfolk – men are less likely to seek out preventative screening for their health. They are less likely to go to the doctor if they feel awful. They are less likely to go to the emergency room if their arm is wrenched loose from its socket and spurting blood.

Why Men Don’t Seek Preventative Screening…
The august US House has its ideas about the reasons for why men avoid preventative screening – their list includes: fear, lack of health insurance, lack of information, and cost factors.

We women know these are just rationalizations tacked on to try to make sense of the incomprehensible – the real reason men can’t be bothered with preventative screenings is simply, that’s the way men are. Preventative screening for heart attack, stroke, etc., is something that other guys should really do, but I’m going to be fine, dear.

Woman’s Work Is Never Done, including Preventative Screening
This is why preventative screening, like so many other hugely important items, falls to us as women. It’s our job to gently but consistently insist that our menfolk get preventative screenings for health problems they’re at risk for, as well as routine doctor visits. It’s important. It’s our house.