IC/airplanes/FAA rules/JILL HELP!!!!!

[Teri]

An IC friend of mine (I HOPE SHE POSTS ON THIS ONE wink.gif ) just got home from vacation. When her plane landed at metro they had to sit on the runway for an hour. Welp, she's got IC right? She even has the ICA "I Can't Wait" card, right?
She had to get up and use the bathroom while being threatened by an attendant that she could be arrested when the exited the plane. Sorry but the is bull s**t!!!!!! What if she had Krohn's disease or diverticulosis (sp on that one <img src="graemlins/eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" /> )
What if she had prostate cancer? What if, what if, what if???? She's got a husband that was able to pull her away from the attendent so the arguement ended. I'D HAVE BEEN ARRESTED CUZ MY HUSBAND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL ME AWAY.

She e-mailed me about this yesterday and I've been soooooooooooooooooooo angry since I got the e-mail that I can't believe it!!!!!!!!! Does ANYONE, ANYBODY know what handicap hardship should be shared with these attendants to help us when we are stranded in a case like that? I can not for a second believe that we are expected to soil ourselves when it's the airline fault that we are setting idle for that amount of time, especially at detroit metro airport which is famous for hold ups like these.

I'm angry, I'm p*ssed off AND I'm still without my voice from surgery last week so I can't get on the phone and scream and hollar and yell to try to find out what we can do to protect ourselves in situations like this. A couple years ago metro had a plane on the landing strip for HOURS and it ended up being settled in court with payments made to the people who were stuck on that plane. Well, I'm sorry but NO money would EVERY be enough money for me to be told I could NOT use a restroom mad.gif mad.gif

Maybe I should have put this on the vent board???

[lisa35]

I want an "I can't wait card". I have to fly to Orlando in January with 4 male co-workers for a seminar, a 4 hour and 20 minute flight. If something like this were to happen around my co-workers I would be mortified. They know that something is broken with my bladder but if I had urine running down my legs on the airplane, I highly doubt they would be much comfort. I want a card! Where do I get one?

The more I write the more angry I become so, I am going to shut-up right now. Live just one day in our shoes, just one day and then tell me that I can't use the restroom. I think I would have been arrested.

I want the card!!!!

Lisa <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[cussing]" /> <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[banghead]" />

[darlene]

Teri,
I have Crohn's disease and IC. I can, and usually do, have diarrhea several times a day. At this time I am too ill to travel. Crohn's message board users have complained of the same problem. They fear the humiliation of going in their pants. Peeing in a diaper isn't pleasant, but just imagine diarrhea, with the odor involved. Since 9/11, the airlines have no mercy on us. Crohnies fly with great anxiety. They have more to worry about than healthy travelers. My daughter was on a flight, where a flyer needed to use the rest room. she begged the flight attendant, to permit her to relieve herself. The attendant screamed " What part of sit down don't you understand?" I don't know what happened to that poor woman, but I sure can understand her pain.

[Teri]

Darlene~my step-daugher has Crohn's and I know what she goes thru. I know that she has the same anxieties that I have. We ARE NOT close but we have had occasions where we have allowed ourselves the enjoyment and freedom to share and I am amazed at how alike our stories are.

My husband has diverticulosis and we did have to go thru the embarrassment of him not making it to a bathroom on time. The humilation is unexplainable. And, it's something that doesn't go away. Ever. And, it was only him and I so I can't imagine what it would be like if it happened in public.

What have you learned Darlene from you support group? Has anyone found anything of value we can use? I know that I've asked for seating as close to the bathroom as possible and the request always goes over the head of the person I'm talking to. It's funny that people refuse to help but now with the e-tickets, if you fly northwestern you can go on line the day before your flight and see if there are empty seats on the plane, you can move yourself closer to the bathroom. I don't know about other airlines. when you book for your tickets, they fill from the back of the airplane to the front. I was amazed and how much closer I was able to move our seats mad.gif

Lisa~you can get the card from the ICA.....now I'm checking out cuz I'm getting madder too mad.gif

[MelanieJ]

All I can say is....let 'em try to stop me. Seriously. I would gladly face arrest to be able to relieve myself when in pain with a full bladder or spasming IBS colon. I suspect this is going to have to happen...someone getting arrested for demanding bathroom privledges for a medical condition and then an airline getting sued by the person. In the mean time, my heart aches for the people like us who have to worry about and deal with this kind of situation.

Melanie J. frown.gif

[Tina Nacho]

Amen MelanieJ! I realize that we must all be more mindful of terrorism, but not to the point of inprisonment on an airplane. I remember being stuck on the tarmac in Detroit due to thunderstorms. This was in the summer of 2000, so terrorism hadn't become a reality yet. It was an hour and a half before we were in the air and I can't imagine not being able to use the bathroom while sitting for that long!

Is there anything in the American's with Disabilities Act that would prevent this type of thing? If carrying a medical card or wearing a medical bracelet won't help, what good are they? I agree that people with Crohn's have a more difficult time when they are having an episode..it couldn't possibly be avoided and it's a shame. We ICers can at least where Depends if it were absolutely necessary, but anyone with a serious and chronic disease that requires the use of a bathroom should be given access to one!

Yep, this ****** me off (no pun intended).&gt;Tina

[ICNDonna]

The only thing I can think of is writing letters to the airlines and congressmen. This kind of humiliation should not occur. I wonder if it would be possible to make arrangements for bathroom access ahead of time?

Donna

[Jo]

Tina: I don't believe IC itself is considered a disability by the American's Disability Act, not at this time anyway. If is ever made one, it would help us all by just being able to say we have a disability and have to have bathroom access as needed. Don't know if this would work in the plane issue, unless as Donna said, notice and arrangements were made ahead of time. Writing our congressmen and representatives is an excellent idea. Jo Ellen

[dyno]

HI All,
I don't fly often but when I do it has been on American between Dallas and Des Moinies. I did fly in May of this year. I have never had a problem picking our seats close to the bathroom. I also had a horrilbe day flare wise and was up every 10-15 minutes on this 2 hour flight. On one of my first trips up I told the flight attendant what was going on. I didn't want them to think anything was going on. She was very understanding and said they would have been more concerned if I had been close to the front using the front bathrooms. She even came and checked on me before our decent to see if I wanted to use the bathroom one more time before I shouldn't be out of my seat for about 10 minutes or so. I know I always stress about this but have never had problems yet flying with American.
Jolene

[wornout]

hi:

I had the same thing happen at metro a couple of years ago..on a trip to vegas..it held up the plane,and I got the a similiar lecture, i showed my care to i didn't make one lick of difference. I told another friend who works for that particular airline that your friend works on, and she was surprised, somewhat, but not since all the cutoffs, are leading to extremely unprofessional behavior...I am not going to mention the airline..you know...she said she should file some type of complaint. My friend worked for that particular airline for 15 years....and has never heard of such horrible behavior.

[TGArtist]

Sorry to hear about this problem. Precisely why I have not flown anywhere since I got this disease. But I thought that IC was covered by the American Disabilities Act. I thought I learned it from the ICA but possibly I misunderstood. It should be if it isn't. IC is definitely disabling as we are all well aware!!!
SusanTg
confused.gif

[Julie B]

I have flown several times since diagnosed with IC with good and bad stories to tell. When I was trying to get the the little room on a flight from California a few years ago and we were "too near" landing.....I told the attendent I had bleeding ulcers in my bladder........(ok so a "big" white lie)

Guess it grossed her out........she let me use.....OXOXO

[ICNLesa]

Teri,

I remember that hold up at Detroit Metro a few years ago. The snow was so bad that people were forced to sit on planes for hours with NO restroom facilities. The restrooms on the plane weren't functional at some point or overflowing.

We all understand that it's important to remain in our seats for safety reasons....we realize that opening the door of a 747 on the runway and bailing out will probably get us into trouble...we know that flight personnel have many, many reasons for strict rules and firm requests.... BUT an airplane is NOT a jail cell and our basic human rights should not be violated. No one should be yelled at or humiliated for needing to use the restroom with or without IC. If a plane is stuck sitting on the runway with no where to park (which happens frequently in our lovely city of Detroit) then why shouldn't someone be allowed to use the restroom??? Would a flight attendant yell at the pilot if he/she had to take an emergency pee break?? I would think not!

I suspect that situations like these will result in further lawsuits against airlines. Perhaps we need a Flyer's Bill of Rights on the back of our airline tickets?

I'm with ya! mad.gif

ICNLesa

[Carla Lyn]

Julie, I did the same thing, only I was holding my stomach, so everyone assumed I was sick, and I just let them think it... No one wanted to get thrown up on, or clean up a mess, so they were all VERY nice! Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

[SheriG]

I am wondering that the flight attendants would think if after being told we couldn't go to the restroom, we simply stood in place and used our travel john??? When does it end? mad.gif <img src="graemlins/eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

[Alleycat]

BAD BAD Flight Attendants ! Ahhhhh <img src="graemlins/scream.gif" border="0" alt="[scream]" />


I can't believe that they would do that...well actually I can, Im always hearing about negative stories about airplanes..which scares me cause hubby is in the military and we might be living over seas. <img src="graemlins/eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" /> That means long hours in a plane ! Yes I agree...stand in the way and whip out your travel john. biggrin.gif But I can understand how you feel about your friend being treated like that <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[banghead]" /> Can they refuse her IC card...I thought if they had a card or braclet they could have access to a bathroom whenever they had to go ?! mad.gif Grrrrr some peoples kids ! mad.gif We should do something to stop this madness !
Take care ((HUGS))

~Alison~ <img src="graemlins/bunny.gif" border="0" alt="[bunny]" />

[Alleycat]

BAD BAD Flight Attendants ! Ahhhhh <img src="graemlins/scream.gif" border="0" alt="[scream]" />


I can't believe that they would do that...well actually I can, Im always hearing about negative stories about airplanes..which scares me cause hubby is in the military and we might be living over seas. <img src="graemlins/eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" /> That means long hours in a plane ! Yes I agree...stand in the way and whip out your travel john. biggrin.gif But I can understand how you feel about your friend being treated like that <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[banghead]" /> Can they refuse her IC card...I thought if they had a card or braclet they could have access to a bathroom whenever they had to go ?! mad.gif Grrrrr some peoples kids ! mad.gif We should do something to stop this madness !
Take care ((HUGS))

~Alison~ <img src="graemlins/bunny.gif" border="0" alt="[bunny]" />

[JBX2]

I have not flown since I got IC but I'll tell you what I would do. I got this thing called "Lady J". I got it for backpacking so at night I could pee without getting out of the tent. (Probably had IC then.) Anyway, I carried a bottle with a screw lid, one of the backpacking drinking bottles and it is marked "Pee Bottle" . I would carry the Lady J and bottle with me on a plane. I would have a blanket. If I had to go and couldn't get up, I would use the blanket as a privacy screen and go in my bottle and then seal it up. If they won't let you get up, I don't think they could stop you. To heck with modesty when you are in pain. This wouldn't be hard for me. I'm a nurse so I look at things differently than most people. I'm not using a diaper yet. Hopefully we can get some attention if everyone started peeing in bottles on planes!! I will not suffer in pain if I have to go.

[darlene]

JBX2,
In this post 9-11 climate, the flight attendant might be distressed with you taking a bottle of fluid, from under your blanket. They might think it is flammable. My brother in law wasn't allowed to bring bottled water onto his plane. security, made him drink it, in their presence, before allowing him to enter the plane. New times, new rules, they aren't making it any easier for us.

[liz2]

Not only do I carry "the card," but I also have a doctor's note on letterhead stationery that very briefly states my medical needs, especially the bathroom part. With the doctor's note, I was able to carry on bottled water. I book flights through a travel agent who also directly contacts the airlines on my behalf. The agent requests a wheel chair for me, too, and that helps my entire situation.