Realised this week that this is his main issues - he just cannot cope with being ill.
This week he swore blind he was really ill, wasn't sleeping etc etc. Of course, when I get there he's got a minor cold - not even that bad! Not the first time.
In the last few years, he's called ambulance many times, called his GP to his house many times. Both of which now refuses to come.
He's feigned chest pains/can't breath more than once to both me and the professionals. He argues with doctors who say they can't do any more - usually re: his knees (which at 84 aren't going to get better). (In all honestly, he's not too bad for 84).
He once had a chest infection that doctors told him about 10 times he needed to just rest. He was convinced he needed to be in hospital - they refused. Next day he "hit his head" on the cupboard and ended up in hospital (Where he wanted to be all along). 99.9% sure this was self-inflicted to get his way.
He gets into a state too because he's ill. Makes it 100x worse. He had an issue with swallowing. Doctor told him it was a stress related thing. He wouldn't listen - he always says theres no such thing as mental illness, depressions, stress etc- its all made up by people who are attention seeking. (yeh right Dad!)
Part of the problem is he's got an idea in his head that if you're ill you go to the doctor they give you a pill or something and you're cured. Simple as that! Obviously, its more complicated than that.
As he gets older I worry about how he's going to be. He has a cold now and he tells me how ill he is, how he's not got long left, and how down he is.
In all honesty, I hope he goes when his time is right and I'd hate to see him have a long period of actually being properly ill because he wouldn't cope at all. Is that awful of me?
Have you spoken to his GP about a cognitive evaluation, as was suggested?