Crohn’s Disease- humiliated by receptionist at doctors

[KnittingMania]

I’m at doc surgery rn waiting for my appt. I have Crohn’s Disease and have to access toilet unexpectedly up to 12 times a day or more. So Sod’s Law it happened while waiting here. Immediately after I exited the toilet, having tried my best to mitigate odours by cleaning etc, the receptionist bustled out and went straight into toilet, huffed loudly, went elsewhere with lots of door banging and came back with air freshener. She then sprayed it not just in toilet but throughout the reception kind of passageway that is in clear view of the waiting area.

I cannot help being ill. I avoid so many things bc of this miserable and embarrassing illness. I thought I could feel safe at doc’s. They could provide air freshener in the toilet. But my point is wider- no one should be shamed by their illness in a doc surgery.

I would like to complain. Should I? It’s kind of embarrassing doing this. But I feel she should learn and raise her levels of understanding.

Yes complain definitely! Our Doctors lock the toilets.. they buzz you into the normal loos .. but the disabled loo you have to ask for a key.. l can't remember how many times I've been asked by the receptionist why l need a disabled loo.. ( even though l have a stick and she can see it and the disabled loo is higher up so l don't have to sit low due to my disability) l also have hidden bowel problems and need the sink to sometimes wash my bottom.. I've wrote an e mail complaining.. they should not ask and just give the key.. or make it into a radar key

The facilities at a GP surgery should have a well designed odour extractor system, not some cheap small fan that wouldn't remove a serious odour if left on all day - assuming there is some mechanical ventilation at all! It's the surgery's problem, not its patients. Certainly complain.

And this is why I barely leave the house anymore. Not so much due to the Crohn's Disease, but attitudes like this.

It makes you wonder how someone like this got a job in a doctors surgery in the first place.

I agree with PP that you need to either tell the doctor during your appointment or copy her into the email when you let the surgery manager know.

This is beyond unacceptable.

Should of just said to her “ oooo you dont wanna go in there luv, unless you want a face peel “ 🙂.

I'm sorry that happened to you OP, in a place where staff should be expected to have more awareness. On a practical note, if you carry matches and strike one afterwards (over the sink or toilet in case you drop it) it does get rid of the smell pretty well.

Oh @KnittingMania I really feel for you, last year I had Chemo, Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy.
Whilst I'm nowhere near as bad as you,
I've been left with Radiotherapy Enteritis, basically when I've got to go I've got to go, I'm hoping this will improve over time.
I'm raging on your behalf, as you said upthread you will complain, please do.
Not only for us dealing with something like this, but as PP said who knows what breathing problems other patients had.
My friend has lung cancer and has had lung removed, the air freshener would have affected her pretty badly.

This!

Complain. Firmly and ask for an apology. If she can't deal with people who have chronic illness she should find another job.

Her manner wasn't great but I think you're over reacting. There was a bad smell. How was she to know it was due to an illness? Most people pull a face when they smell sewage. It's not personal. She's probably fed up cleaning and sorting out the practice loo all day.

Sadly doctors receptionists tend to be the people with the least compassion. Definitely complain.

There was a bad smell. How was she to know it was due to an illness?

When you work in a GPs' surgery, surely it's a reasonable bet?

1. it’s a doctors- lots of ill people there. Not rocket science.

2. people are capable of not pulling a face and huffing and puffing.

3. if it’s part of her job to clean the loo then she has no business shaming disabled patients for their disability.

4. if it isn’t her job she should take it up with her manager and it still doesn’t make it ok to shame a disabled patient for her disability.

Of course it's incredibly rude to sigh and make a performance when you are in a public-facing role in a medical setting and the person who has used the toilet is RIGHT THERE. It's baffling anyone thinks otherwise. She could have discreetly opened a window somewhere or sprayed whatever chemical shit she has around the interior of the toilet outside of view, but the huffing and puffing and making a scene of it was not necessary.

Sorry, OP, no wonder you were upset. I think it would be worth feeding back to the practice manager in an email or letter so that staff can be more mindful about how their actions can affect people with medical conditions (shouldn't have to do this given the receptionist is working in a GP's office, but you know).

Of course no one likes to smell poo, but we all shit and it's not going to kill you. Maybe try having empathy instead of worrying about smelling someone's poo for 30 seconds.

Everyone's poo smells, even her's. So sorry you were embarrassed. She needs to be pulled up about her appalling attitude. Please make a formal complaint.

I am so sorry about your health issues, it sounds horrendous but do people really wash their backsides in the sink where people wash their hands? I have never even thought that this was a thing?

The same sink where other people wash their pooey hands, would that be?

I think the difference between poo and sewage is pretty obvious.

There is a massive difference between washing hands after wiping and actually washing a bum. Handwashing sinks are not for that, I'm surprised folk need telling.

I'm surprised "folk" can't summon the imagination required to work out why people might need personal washing facilities, or what their lives would look like if they refrained from washing shit off themselves in facilities provided for the purposes of washing shit off yourself.

Do you think your sensibilities about exactly which bits of skin some shit particles have been washed off are more important than another person being able to leave the house to visit the bloody doctor?

I have imagination and if I needed to use a sink for bum washing while out I would ensure I had baby wipes with me at all times. You just cannot use handwashing sinks for such personal hygiene.

Are you licking the sinks or something? Other people's needs come before your unusual predilections, I'm afraid.

It doesn't matter whether the smell was because of illness or not. It doesn't even matter that it was a GP surgery, or that the receptionist was at work. Toilets are for pooing in, and poo smells. Anyone who has reached adulthood should be able to deal with that with discretion.

That fact that OP was at a medical facility makes it worse but the woman would still have been in the wrong if OP was dealing with a hangover in McDonald's.

You still cant explain what the difference is between someone washing poo off their hands or their bum is though