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.

@IridescentRainbird I can’t stand people who are “passionate about positivity” when it comes to chronic illness. Laughing and singing and loving yourself? Just go away. It’s patronising and annoying. It’s also disingenuous to claim that one person is single handedly responsible for reminding people that not all disabilities are visible. Thousands of people have been saying it for years. I don’t do toxic positivity.

very uncalled for. I would complain. I have coeliac and it’s not even a fraction of the suffering of crohns

@Leavesofautumn gosh, was that really necessary?

Sounds like another jobs worth doctors receptionist, who like to think they are something when they aren't.
Yes report her, no need to huff & puff.

@Iwantcakeeveryday Absolutely necessary. I don’t need to be patronised by people telling me to smile and laugh when we’re dealing with some very real discrimination here. Inspirational chronic illness stuff really pisses me off.

The receptionist was a bastard who reacted in a childish way. Complain. I would. Cheeky fuck should be sacked

Definitely complain OP! She should NOT be spraying air freshener anyway. I’d have had to leave the waiting room if she did to avoid an asthma attack. She is a moron! Sorry you’re dealing with Chrohns. Some real morons on this thread who obviously have zero idea so ignore them and try to focus on the people who are being supportive. I wouldn’t wish IBD on my worst enemy!

@WickedWitchoftheDesk What a terrible way to describe an old man, or, in fact, anyone who is a patient at your Surgery.

Sorry this has happened to you, OP.

You definitely need to ask the manager to have a word with the staff to ensure this doesn't happen to you or anyone else in the future.

Some people are idiots. Just because something doesn't affect them directly they just cannot grasp that it happens to others.

The receptionist should be aware that many people have medical issues and act accordingly. Would she have made a song and dance if a young child had been sick in the waiting area? One of our receptionists did. She got firmly put in her place by the mother, other staff and the cleaner.

Dear God all these people shaming the OP for not carrying an arsenal of sprays and cleaning products with her to the GP's. Just sod the lot of you.

OP Just mention it to the doctor. I'm sure they'll then have a word. It's not worth your time writing a complaint. But I feel for you, my mum had Crohn's and it's a horrible disease. Luckily for her she had literally zero shame - her response would have been to wait until she felt a good fart coming and then go and casually stand with her back to the reception desk! That'd give the nasty woman something to think about :)

Hope your flare settles soon and that you can start a treatment program that helps keep them at bay.

The best thing to carry with you is a simple box of matches. It quickly eliminates the methane and therefore any odours, without leaving any sickly air fresheners smell. It’s the old fashioned way, but it works!!

Oh, yes. I forgot about the air freshener bit.

Can you suggest the surgery leave a non-toxic air freshener in the toilets? I have chemical allergies that cause a severe asthma attack if I'm exposed.

Allergy UK has a list of them.

She definitely should not be spraying chemicals to mask any smells in a surgery.

I don't think they should've spraying air freshener in the doctor's surgery at all. Lots of people have allergies to fragrance and air fresheners and it can also be problematic for people with COPD or asthma eg can trigger a life threatening asthma attack.

The smell of poo while unpleasant isn't going to kill anyone.

And I agree OP she shouldn't have made an embarrassing song and dance about it. Many people have bowel conditions or infections that can cause smelling wind or poo.

I agree with @JammyThing , it's just poo, it smells she didn't need to humiliate you
If I'd witnessed this I'd put in a complaint too
I'm so sorry that she did this to you @KnittingMania vile behaviour on her part

You are being absurd noone would have known it was you, and she was just making the environment more pleasant fir everyone else who incidentally are also there because they are ill.If someone had vomited on the floor would you expect to have tk sit next to it in a confined space?

I'm not sure lighting matches in public loos that likely have smoke detectors is such a good plan.

Plus OP left the toilet smelling of toilet smells. It's hardly unexpected . I would have thought a medical receptionist would come across a lot worse than a toilet that smells of someone having used it.

@curaçao 1) it wouldn’t have made it more pleasant for anyone else- it would have given me an asthma attack and made me dizzy and sick (I’m allergic to a lot of fake scents). The same would be true for many people with heart/lung conditions or even a cold!

2. if a waiting room full of people saw the op leave the loo then saw the receptionist putting on her performance then of course they would know it was about the op.

@curaçao do you normally make such a fuss just to make people more comfortable?
Or would you do it an discret way?

Because if this was happening at home, I wouldn’t be huffing, banging door and make a huge show out if putting some air freshener - which might well nit be authorised in a medical setting anyway.

A quick wave with a lit match will not set off a smoke detector.

I’d also complain.

This isn’t the first nor last time a GP receptionist will have embarrassed someone in the waiting area.

If it’s not barging in after you with air freshener it’ll be loudly asking why you need an appointment so everyone 3 miles away can hear you’re depressed or have an infection.

Wtf?!

I don’t have a bowel condition but if I did I sure as hell wouldn’t be carrying around a can of spray to give myself an asthma attack and destroy the environment just because other people don’t understand that bathrooms are where poo happens.

If you can’t stand smells, how about you carry around Vicks for under your nose before you go in the loo?!

People are really trying to convince everyone that smelling strong poo smell is normal in toilets, its not.

In my small flat its only when someone ate something dodgy that we would smell their poo after entering the toilet.

At work there is only one person who stinks the toilet out, everyone else ranges from nothing to a minor whiff.

I do not expect to smell shit in the toilets, if everyone's poo stank it would be normal and accepted.

The fact that it isn't means that not everyone bombs the toilet out.

The receptionist was out of order, and I agree she shouldn’t be spraying stuff around in a medical setting. A bit of bleach down the toilet would be more effective anyway.

"I would discuss it with the practice manager, and maybe suggest they get some form of automatic air freshener fitted in their toilet to avoid this in future."

Can you please not do this. These air fresheners have caused me all sorts of issues at a previous place of work and to colleagues. I have a fragrance allergy it would mean I couldn't use the toilet at all.

This is really reassuring to hear.