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.

feeling sick is unpleasant but not dangerous. Spraying aerosolised chemicals into the air in a doctor’s waiting room where people could be there with asthma flares, copd, respiratory infections and problems of all kinds is dangerous and irresponsible.

Agree with others that it is perfevtly natural and there was no need for you to feel shamed for your bowels. Just wanted to add that Aesop sell "post-poo drops" which could be an option for urgent times, it's a big bottle so maybe better for keeping at home.

Oh be quiet if you’re not going to read the OP properly.

It wasn’t the fact she whipped out air freshener that humiliated the OP. It was the fact she was passive aggressive about it and made a big theatrical song and dance about it in front of everyone. She could’ve done it discreetly, she chose not to.

Living with a bowel disease daily is bad enough, without having to read stupid comments like this.

def no excuse for the receptionist to do this. She could've been discreet and not made a show (oust gets rid of odours rather than just smelling artificial btw - had to use it copiously once to get rid of an awful smell - not poo). I hope you complained.

Sorry to hear this OP.

my OH has colitis, at some points in his life he was toileting 30+ times a day, often just pure blood. He has some (now hilarious, though at the time less so) stories of times he was caught short!

Thankfully he now has infliximab, which has so far been amazing at bringing him back to “normal”. I hope your doc will find you the best treatment for your condition.

Please complain. Please. Make sure no one else needs to be so humiliated.

please.

She's in the wrong job. No issue with her spraying in the toilet etc., one might expect that, but to make such a song and dance about it was clearly deliberate.

You just need to read some of the unkind comments on this thread to know that not only do some people not know how some medical conditions can affect a person both physically and mentally, they really do not care one bit.

I massively sympathise.

I have IBS and diverticulitis and it's bloody hard day in day out!

Doctor's Receptionists are the worst it seems. I had to be incredibly graphic the other month about a problem I was having because I was being blocked by a Receptionist, after having spoken to a doctor and told to get in to make a face-to-face appointment ASAP. The Receptionist said it was URGENT appointments only and I said this was (I won't go into details, but there was blood involved and it did end up in a hospital visit) but the Receptionist was steadfast and sullen in a waiting room full of people. She kept looking me up and down and tutting. In the end I had to give her an incredibly graphic explanation and say that the doctor had expressly ask that I go straight to the surgery. Two people in the queue actually spoke up for me in the end and one grabbed me a chair as I nearly passed out by the time I'd finished pleading my case! I think they were all as furious as I were - and not just for holding up the queue!!

You MUST report her. It's bad enough having problems but to be made to feel uncomfortable or inferior in any way, in an environment that is supposed to be caring/nurturing is just not on. She's clearly in the wrong job!

It's ok saying carry around VIPoo, essential oils, etc. When you're really ill nothing but a full on toilet clean will do. At the very least there should be air freshener and bits and pieces provided in loos like these so that patients can clean themselves up and clean up after themselves.

I hope you're ok and I really hope that this Receptionist gets a 'ticking off' and personally gets a wake up call! There definitely needs to be more understanding.

My mother had Crohn's disease so badly that I once saw her actually crawl to the loo as the pain was so awful. This disease is no joke and at one time the 'needing to go' problem was so bad that she didn't leave the house for 2 years. She always carried a box of matches everywhere as lighting up two, one after the other, cancelled out any odour. I now carry them for just such a scenario as you faced, OP.
Meanwhile, the receptionist needs to be educated on appropriate behaviour.

How embarrassing and upsetting for you. I think her behaviour was completely out of order and, if it were me, I would complain.