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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My DHs friends drunk wife! (its long, very long, the longest thing ever but I do use paragraphs ) )

62 replies

HollyBayTree · 08/03/2018 09:37

It’s all in the title really. Grin

WWYD? DH has told me to do nothing , out of deference to his relationship with his friend (K).

Background situation: K’s wife, B, is a drunk, a nasty abusive, manipulative, weepy , waily, every-one-elses-fault-but-mine sort of drunk. She systematically falls out with her family, I think she’s been NC with one sister for about 7 years, and the relationship with her other sister and parents are fraught with tension. Her DH – K – for context is emotionally a bit of a cold fish.

I avoid B as I have been on the end of several of her drunken rants (I don’t drink) when we have been out as a social group. I sit very quietly on my own when she is around with my eyes on the floor, this apparently makes me ‘not fun’ and ‘boring’ and 'a bully'. This is to the point now that 4 couples will not invite K&P to any functions because of her aggressive behaviour towards me or her sister who is also part of our friendship group. So everyone else is polite enough if we are in the same place, but no longer include them when plans are being made. So that is the background.

My DH is very ill, its on going, he will die, it’s been a rollercoaster of three months, he had another hospital admission on Friday last week. Not particularly serious enough to warrant me calling all of our friends and family. B however works in the pathology lab of the hospital. Sunday Evening , B has text me to ask how DH is (and it’s a very passive aggressive text). I ignore at that point as I’m pondering what to say – DH doesn’t want anyone to know he is in hospital.

Within 15 minutes B has text a mutual friend, weepy waily, saying I ignore her. Mutual friend doesn’t reply to B for 18 hours, knowing DH doesn’t want visitors and is feeling vulnerable. So after 18 hours, thinking DH has been discharged, mutual friend thinks its safe to tell B that DH is admitted to hospital. B then goes scurrying off to visit DH, who is actually still on the ward waiting for pharmacy to deliver his drugs – DH is too polite tell her to go away – and of course her DH, K, is one of his long standing friends so he simply isn’t going to be rude to her, no matter how inappropriate she is. B also makes a big thing about this being her break and shes not visiting in work time. She does not enquire after me or the children.

I would point out in the past three months neither she nor K have text me or called round to see if I need any support. (K has been in direct contact with DH and visited him in hospital and at home) I have bumped into her once and she smiled and kept walking. Our extended group have been fantastic, they have picked me up when I was crying, sat with me all night through intensive care, ferried me to and from the hospital, put meals in front of me, done my shopping, and generally kept me sane.

I am absolutely furious that she has instigated a conversation to legitimately obtain information that she already knows using hospital privilege to wind me up – and this is about winding me up because I haven’t responded to her text, ergo I must ‘hate her’.

DH has told me to drop it as he and K are long standing friends and it would cause a seismic shift if I did tell her what I thought of her. –attention seeking needy drunk-- But I actually have a whole list of things I want to get off my chest – none of which she will take on board, this will be projected as me being nasty. I’m absolutely bloody furious she has taken it upon herself to visit DH when he’s vulnerable, pump him for information, whilst using the guise of ‘our friendship’ when she’s anything but a friend these days.

MN collective would you take the moral high ground and do nothing - I have tried once before to discuss her behaviour with her and all I got for my efforts was a snarl and the comment 'you make me want to hit you' and 'don't make this my fault' - this is when shes sober Shockor have you got a better idea?

OP posts:
PeerieBreeks · 08/03/2018 09:45

I don't think there is a moral high ground here. Just a do something or do nothing.

And as your dh is terminally ill, I would utterly respect his wishes as he clearly values his friendship.

You will have your chance to say something further down the line should you choose.

Laiste · 08/03/2018 09:47

My gut reaction is that your DH doesn't want or need a big falling out between his wife and his best mate's wife.

Very tricky to handle as she works in the hospital. If no one lets her know he's in there (mutual friend shouldn't have told her no matter how many hours had passed) then at least she wont be able to muscle in with visiting him.

Keep her at arm's length and rise above it.

Flowers and i wish strength to you and DH x

QuiteLikely5 · 08/03/2018 09:49

Do nothing focus upon your husband

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 08/03/2018 09:50

She is not your priority right now. The fall out would mar your time with your DH. She really really isn't your mental energy so don't waste your precious resources on her.
Flowers - look after yourself and focus on your DH and your supportive friends

CotswoldStrife · 08/03/2018 09:50

Don't do anything. How was she mining for information if she didn't even ask after you and your children?

If your DH doesn't want to do anything I would leave it there. You can keep a record of the times she has contacted you if you think she has used her job to access records without permission and contact the hospital/PALS later on.

Oysterbabe · 08/03/2018 09:52

I've seen longer.

Sarahlou63 · 08/03/2018 09:52

Write her a letter, as long and as detailed as you like, get it all out and then stick it at the back of a drawer. If you want, you can send it at a future date when the time is right.

DragonsAndCakes · 08/03/2018 09:53

I would find it quite hard not to tell her to leave you both alone or you’ll report her to the hospital for accessing information she shouldn’t be.

piratequeenio · 08/03/2018 09:54

Chin up, be brave and do nothing.

She is NOT worth your time, thoughts or energy .

Pidlan · 08/03/2018 09:54

In the kindest and gentlest way, I think this is displacement. You're focusing on a slightly annoying person because it's so hard to focus on all the other crap. Ignore her. She visited your H and he didn't seem to mind, so you have to leave it really.
Flowers and hugs to you though- what a shitty time x

KochabRising · 08/03/2018 09:55

God what an awful situation.

Rise above it, concentrate solely on spending time with your husband and don’t let this take that time away or spoil it.

user1andonly · 08/03/2018 09:55

And as your dh is terminally ill, I would utterly respect his wishes as he clearly values his friendship.

You will have your chance to say something further down the line should you choose.

This 100%

Continue to ignore her as you have been doing (block her number?) and remind mutual friends not to tell her anything without checking with you first.

HollyBayTree · 08/03/2018 09:55

The reason Im furious is that she has sorted his blood results, knows he’s in hospital, and sought to legitimise that information from other sources. I, of course, cannot prove that, because she will have a text exchange totally separate from the hospital.

The very sad thing is, the next time I officially see her will be at her BILS funeral, again part of our wider friendship group and he has stage 4 cancer. BIL being the DH of the sister she does talk to, if strained.

Quite right, I wont be saying anything at present. If I did point out she was inappropriate, she would immediately contact DH to enthusiastically apologise, which would means DH and I would be having words about me raising the issue with her.

I object to being the one who has to 'suck it up'.

it's a shame because she was a very good friend before the drink took hold and started playing with her mind.

OP posts:
mynameismrbloom · 08/03/2018 09:57

You will get your say one day. Just not now.

Flowers
HollyBayTree · 08/03/2018 09:57

How was she mining for information if she didn't even ask after you and your children? She just wanted all the gorey details about his time in ICU, on life support, prognosis etc. Inappropriate really.

OP posts:
MadMags · 08/03/2018 09:58

I think you need to respect your dh’s wishes not to cause any sort of confrontation.

I will also say that while she sounds utterly horrendous, neither she nor K are obliged to “look after you”. People don’t, for a plethora of reasons. K is in touch with DH and that’s what’s important.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic that your other friends are doing it, and I myself have done it for five years now for a friend. But I know that others haven’t/wouldn’t, and that’s ok too!

Pikued · 08/03/2018 09:59

Op there is no such thing as hospital privilege. No one is allowed to access anyone's records unless involved in that patients care.
I hope you aren't worrying about b accessing your DH's medical records with everything else you've got going on.
I hope I'm wrong but just really to reassure you she cannot legally access anything.

MadMags · 08/03/2018 09:59

You’re not sucking it up for her, but for your DH.

I think you quite rightly don’t like her, so everything she does will piss you off!

Theresasmayshoes11 · 08/03/2018 10:00

Agree with all the above op and you take care of yourself and your dh Flowers

Karma will bite the bitch in the arse

Torvi · 08/03/2018 10:02

Holly, I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's ill health. I would be furious if in your shoes as she seems to be abusing her position at the hospital and it's entirely inappropriate for her to act on it. But like pp's have said, your husband comes first. Focus on your time with him. You can deal with her later if you still want to.

HollyBayTree · 08/03/2018 10:03

Op there is no such thing as hospital privilege. No one is allowed to access anyone's records unless involved in that patients care.

I have electronic access to everyones records and I'm not medical let alone involved in care ...... but that's irrelevent ....... shes in pathology and his bloods would have crossed her desk - this is a side issue - she has access to information about him. She would know when he is admitted.

OP posts:
JaneEyre70 · 08/03/2018 10:03

I agree with the others, but I'd quietly text all of your mutual friends to say that you don't want your DH stressed by her and that can they please not tell her what is going on, as you don't want her around either of you at this precious time. Let them deal with her on your behalf.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. The last thing you need is a whiny attention seeker on your back, so just ignore. It's always going to be about her, let's face it Flowers.

Goodfood1 · 08/03/2018 10:04

Hugs to you Holly Flowers

ohfortuna · 08/03/2018 10:04

you make me want to hit you' and 'don't make this my fault
How about 'come on then if you think you're 'ard enough' and then lamp her one.
Seriously though...adopt an attitude of mildly contemptuous pity towards her and try and ignore her
you've got enough on your plate as it is without her taking up your head space
She sounds kind of attention seeking
Great paragraphs by the way 👍

HollyBayTree · 08/03/2018 10:04

Anyway, thank you all for indulging my vent!

Flowers to you all

OP posts: