Almost three months ago, when I traveled to Marylebone Station in London in the middle of May, at the time I had my colostomy bag (I am now carrying an ileostomy since June).
As I am in need of urgent access to disabled toilets which provide water to clean the device, after coffee with friends, I went to the Marylebone Station toilets and found the disabled toilets locked. I spoke to the attendant, a black lady, and asked her if I might use the toilet. She replied very unhelpfully and rudely, "What for?" I explained that I had a colostomy. Again, she was unhelpful and rude, "What's that?" I then produced a card supplied with the device by Ostomart Ltd, which clearly explains my condition and states in bold and capitalized writing, "The holder of this card is wearing a special medical appliance... Please allow them to use your facilities URGENTLY and without causing any fuss or embarrassment." I was shocked and dismayed that the attendant still did not adjust her attitude and completely disregarded the card, saying, "What is this? Anyone can have it." In the end, it took a lady behind me to interrupt and argue with the attendant that the condition was serious before she was eventually motivated to open the toilet door.
This was a most embarrassing and tiring experience for me and is something that I am keen no one else should have to endure. I can understand members of staff not being aware of specific medical conditions and also wanting to ensure that only disabled people use this toilet, but to seemingly deliberately obstruct a disabled person from using it is wholly unacceptable and really distressing...
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Hollister
Your stoma doesn't have to get in the way of sampling local cuisine and activities when you're on vacation.
Check out our travel tips on diet and fitness.
Check out our travel tips on diet and fitness.
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When traveling, you need to pay special attention to your unique needs, issues, and potential hazards.
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Learn about special travel considerations for your ostomy type, so you can be worry-free.