This turned out to be long.....

I had a conference today where a large group of women were split into groups. I knew my only time to use the restroom to empty was lunchtime. I was lucky (so I thought) that my group broke early, so I went into the the restroom before the other people transitioned out of their class to lunch.Great so far...emptying went fast so I thought I would have plenty of time to chew chew chew . By the time I got to lunch the line was incredibly long and I saw that I had 15 minutes to make it through the line AND eat. A real trick for me.
A kindhearted friend took me from the back (way back) of the line and tried to push me into line where another coworker was, telling her I didn't feel well. I got an earful from two people on how cutting wasn't fair and everybody is waiting blah blah blah! (just like the preschoolers I teach ) So I left the line...waited for it to end and then went for lunch with 10 minutes to eat. I was still hungry and wished I had the time to have eaten more....but you can't chew foood to mush in a hurry...
they don't know my plumbing is different and I wasn't about to start giving them an anatomy lesson.

While I was waiting I could have eaten salad, whole pears and apples with skins and banana that would have made emptying slow as molasses.
So I opted for the chocolate chip cookies while waiting.Which were delicious

AND...the coworker is not talking to me ( I think)....

I don't mind having an ostomy, certainly not a kock...but somedays.....

You know - it would probably do those people good if you were to write an 'apology' about trying to cut into line and the reason for it. It might make people think before they open their mouths.

Once, as a friend and I were driving through a shopping center parking lot there was a person in a van stopped right smack dab in the middle of the drive lane. Of course, I was incensed and couldn't understand how someone could be so insensitive to all the other people in the parking lot. My friend said: "maybe she has a daughter in a wheelchair trying to get out." Well, that brought me right on back to reality and to the realization that getting through that parking lot was NOT the most important thing on the planet. Just like getting through the food line isn't all that important when a person has to spend a long time chewing her food and can only eat certain things. All it takes is someone yanking some of us back so we can see what's important. So go tell them.

kathy

Reminds me of the time I was scolded for being young and using the electric shopping cart at the grocery store after one of my surgeries.

After the elderly man finished lecturing me about how it's for people who really needed it, I simply lifted up my shirt enough for him to see my bag, gauze, staples, and all.

It can get annoying to have to tell every single person you meet about your condition, but to get accommodations, sometimes you just have to.

I had a similar experience at the security check at an aiport. The TSA (not too bright) guy became overly interested in my catheter/syringe/lube bag and I stopped short of lifting my shirt to show him where that tube goes when I realized they in their heightened state of alert might think I was exposing something more deadly. He ended up stealing my lube (last summer's liquid-on-airplanes scare) and my scissors.

Chris had that happen at the airport also.
When you check in if you tell the counter supervisor, they will transport it through security and let a crew member hold it for you, maybe not the scissors but at least a packet of lube!