Advice about bathroom "accidents"

[TinkerbellMama]

Hi,
I posted here a few other times about my dad and brother having mobility issues and possibly sharing a wheelchair. Since then, my brother has decided not to come to WDW with us because he has extreme pain in his feet (botched surgery and he can hardly walk, and feels he would not even be able to transfer all day without extreme pain). My dad is still game, BUT, he has had several surgeries for colon cancer, had a temporary colostomy, and now has "control" issues, if you know what I mean. The surgeon/other specialists believe it is nerve damage and are not sure if it will ever improve. Another surgery is scheduled but that won't happen until after WDW. So my question is, does anyone else out there have any experience with bathroom accidents while at WDW? He uses Depends or something similar at home, but he is embarrassed about the possibility of the smell if something were to happen. I tried to make light of it by saying we ARE traveling with a baby he could blame it on (my dad has a great sense of humor and he thought that was funny and I think it made him relax about it *a little), but seriously...any tips? My sister lives with him, and tells me that what he usually does is not eat any solid food for several days before an outing. He will just drink Ensure so that he is less likely to have any accidents. I REALLY REALLY don't want him to feel bad about this if something does happen, or to spend his whole time worrying that it will. All advice welcomed. TY!

 

[LuckySadie]

Hi! I just went to DW last May and will be going again in January. I have Crohn's Disease and also have control issues. What I do is take 2 immodium tablets every night before bed, and sometimes 1 each morning depending on how I feel. This has saved me. I also avoid high fiber foods and dairy, both of which trigger intestinal contractions for me. I am attempting to locate a hotel room with two bathrooms so I will not be embarrassed in our room with my family (thanks again to all who posted on the resort thread!!). I wear dark navy blue or black pants/shorts just in case and bring along extra undies. I have not had to use Depends but he should not be embarrassed to do so if he needs them. I was worried about the longer rides and lines, but I was so mesmerized by my surroundings that it was not an issue. For me, if I worry that it will happen, it ALWAYS does! So keeping him relaxed would be the best. I also went to the rest room often, "just in case". And there are A LOT of rest rooms! You won't need to worry about finding them when the need arises. I sure hope this helps! Have a great time!

 

[SueM in MN]

Besides what Sadie posted:

• The park maps have the bathrooms listed (as Sadie mentioned, there are quiet a few). As he gets into an area of the park, he can figure out where all the restrooms are. Also, most of the full service restaurants have restrooms.
• Fastpass helps a lot to limit your time in line. You can send one member of your party to get Fastpasses for everyone (they just need to take everyone's park passes). Once your return time has come, the wait in line is generally going to be 10-15 minutes or less.
• Know what rides/attractions you can't leave once you start. You can leave the theater shows at any point, but not rides. That might not be a concern for the short rides (like some in Fantasyland are less than 5 minutes, including loading and unloading). Some attractions are long and can't be left once you enter until the end(Ellen's Energy Adventure, for example).
• If you can get to the parks early, your waits will be much shorterr than later in the day.
• As Sadie mentioned, if he needs to use Depends, he shouldn't feel bad about it. I'm sure there are many people using them where no one is aware of it.

 

[Ali]

Jumping in here

If it is indeed nerve damage causing the bowel problems, there are support groups out there with lots of advice. I'm also a nerve damaged person with bathroom issues, not bowel incontinence, but I have read of many things that people use to camoflage the smell (charcoal type pads), anal plugs to stop leakage, and always bringing other clothes with them everywhere.


The group is the Caudal Equina Syndrome support group, and if you want you can email me for more info.

Alicia
Alitig1@aol.com

 

[spotdog]

If the worst should happen... remember that the staff at the First Aid centers have seen it all and have a place where you can clean yourself up in privacy and retain your dignity. You will be then be welcome to finish your day enjoying the parks.