Throughout my medical career and now as a patient myself, I have seen them hundreds of times: husbands unable to speak for themselves. Of course, I am not referring to those who are demented or severely handicapped; rather, I speak of husbands who stand by as they are registered by their wife and, later, as she provides his history.
Many might blame the domineering wife, allowing her husband to speak only when given clearance to do so. But I blame the husbands, having become totally dependent on their wives for what is surely most aspects of their marriage. One rarely encounters the opposite scenario; in my experience, women are far less likely to give up control.
As a physician, I would often have to intervene, explaining the importance of hearing directly from the individual with the symptoms. Now, I can only shake my head in quiet disgust, knowing what will soon unfold in the exam room.
