Anxiety over the bathroom?

My BMs never smell, they go right in the water and I dont smell anything. And even though I've been dealing with an incredible amount of gas, that doesn't smell either. As for the sounds, I don't care at home- my family knows I have no colon, and know its not something I can really control. out and about. In retail store I try to take the mind that I will never really see anyone else in that bathroom again, plus I have no colon, so what am I going to do about it?

At work is a different story, I try to push out slowly if I think someone is around. I've also been trying gas-x to see if that helps the amount of gas I've been having.

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I tend to get really anxious when I think someone might hear me or have to go in the bathroom after me

As well you should, you're certainly not the first person to bring this subject up around here. I sympathize for you. I understand the feeling 110% and I hate it just as much as you do if not more. It's just 1 more sad compromise of living with a J Pouch or minus 5 feet of your intestine. Believe it or not 5 feet is the length of a average size colon. And they expect us to get by with out that?

It used to bother me at first but now two years later I really don't care anymore. Hey, everyone poops, right? We're not all that special!

There is no reason to worry about it. Most people fart out loud on a regular basis so who cares if someone heres you fart in the bathroom? As long as you feel good WHO CARES??? If people are going to call foul on you because you used the restroom too loudly then you should make new friends that aren't so uptight!!! If they hear you or mention it just laugh it off and say "yeah ever since my surgery I fart louder but I feel fantastic!"

If you let things bother you then it will bother other people. For instance, even without a j pouch if you are down and have a negative attitude it will likely rub off on whoever you are with and they aren't going to want to hang out with you because you simple because you have a bad attitude.. But if you are happy and positive around other people then they are going to want to spend time with you no matter what. Fart loud and be proud and if they can't handle you they don't deserve you!

agree with new2thisstuff !

we ALL have to do "our business" in the bathroom, and really..... when is it EVER pleasant? I had way more anxiety with UC when I would wobble into the bathroom with poop dribbling uncontrollably down my legs....

initially the first few weeks it felt so weird and i was VERY conscious about it. because it was also so new to me, the sounds and feelings. now i'm just happy when my pouch is cleaned out. that's what the bathroom is for - sounds, smells and poops!

i'd probably get some anxiety if i had to share a room with someone, but i think people don't care as much as we think they do.... and if they do... they kinda need something better to do with their time

Muffle the exit with a wad of TP while courtesy flushing? That's what I would do. If possible, sometimes I could lay on my back with knees up and release a bunch of gas first, followed by method above. Once I really started thickenning the stool with meds, my sounds were less explosive. I had to share a hotel with a friend I didn't know well, and felt it best to just confess that I'd had my colon removed and I was really loud in the BR. And guess what...she didn't care one bit! My anxiety about it all was way overblown. Best of luck!

Thanks everyone

Your poops most likely smelled and you probably made noises when you had your colon, so what's different about it now? I think this is a woman thing, my wife feels the same way, except around me. I guess its because she's seen me in the bathroom so many times. I never really worry about this, just do what you gotta do and be happy!

I make no apologies for the things that come out of my butt.

Have you forgot what colons sound like? OMG I hear people blow up toilets all the time. I just giggle at that stuff now. Who cares we all make noise.

Amen Vanessa, seriously if anything it probably makes other people feel more comfortable around you because they don't have to worry about noises they might make. We are all human here!

I poop out of a tube so if I have gas come out it sounds like nothing else anyone has heard. So I sometimes hope I get gas in public stalls, so the person next to me can think "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT"?! I sometimes just laugh when I am going to the bathroom now. I turned into a 4 year old.

I had a lot of anxiety when I had a colon though. The smell mainly but I guess that is a normal girl thing. I don't have smell anymore so some anxiety is gone over that.

There is a lot worse that can happen in life is how I see it lately and we all went through hell with these surgeries so just try to relax and carry on It is a 5 minute thing that happens, wash up and get out.

but if it helps and you have an iphone or android there is an app that makes water noises, etc. It is for IBD suffers actually that you can play in the bathroom to help with the anxiety.

Ok, So this one deserves a lighter side too:
A lady goes to her doctor and says, " doctor, I have a terrible problem. I fart all of the time but it doesn't smell and it doesn't make a sound. No one ever know, I fart everywhere all of the time and no one notices, I have just farted 5xs and you couldn't even tell!" The doctor gives her a presciption and asks her to come back in 1 week. The next week she walks into the office and says, " Doctor, what have you and your pills done to me? Since I started taking those pills my farts smell like holy hell and sound like a concert of 6 trumpets!!!."
The doctor answers, "Now that we have cured your ears and nose we can start working on your guts!"
Com'on now guys...it has got to come out somehow or we would all explode....since having had full blown occlusions where nothing could come out, every time it manages to work I celebrate!
Sharon

You should hear my hubby in the bathroom with his healthy colon. The walls shake! Lol

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I had a lot of anxiety when I had a colon though. The smell mainly but I guess that is a normal girl thing.

What makes it worse is it's been scientifically proven that women have a better sense of smell than men Women nose ahead in smell tests So even if us guys can't smell anything we still have to hear complaints about it.

Megals -- everyone feels that way. You've received some great advice. I always carry a powerful pocketbook size of tea tree spray. It's powerful and really takes care of any odor. Honestly, don't let things like this bother you. You're human...we all sh*t and there is nobody who smells like roses.

Dog Day -- you can rest assured that women are turned off from you long before they get a wiff. I'm quite sure any 'complaints' you hear are a direct correlation to your constant complaining.

Thanks Laurie

I'll have to try to find a good spray, I'm sure that will help a lot. I tried Febreze, but felt like it was just adding another scent to the air without really helping the smell. I remember when I had my ileostomoy there was a spray by Hollister (I think) that really neutralized the odor, I'll have to try to find that again.

Thanks everyone for the advice

Dog Day, you can just do what I do. Block a user if they bother you. I blocked a few ladies that felt the need to attack me every time I mentioned the BCIR.

Again, please let's be civil and polite to each other, even if we disagree.

FYI, I am leaving these posts for Bill J to see. I am not going to get into editing individual posts on a large scale. You are not children and I am not a playground monitor.

Jan

It's not the smell and sound I worry about, it's the fact that it's explosive and ends up pebbledashed all up the back of the toilet bowl and boy is it sticky, doesn't flush away (actually some of it goes above the flush line and onto the underside of the seat). Don't mind scrubbing my own toilet every time, but really hate it in public loos which never have brushes, so end up using toilet paper......sorry, just remembered the "t" word is not polite in America, no offence meant. It's what we all call it here in NZ.

Smell tip learnt from years of UC.....light a match, it really works.

It's fine to say the word toilet. That's what we call them in the US.

An

I also find the pebbledash effect the greater problem. I have a packet of wipes for the toilet bowel in my drawer at work. I did however get them muddled with the moist tiolet tissues one day - wondered why I was feeling a bit sore down at the bottom end! I just do not worry about noise at all- that is what the bathroom is for.

You all crack me up. Maybe I should prepare my father-in-law that he may have some competition now. That man has no shame; knows how to stink up a house, and is loud enough to make it rattle, too. I adore him though, so we all just accept his bowel habits, and he has a colon! At the very least I hope my loved ones will be understanding of my new bowel habits.

I am English and we have a saying "Even the Queen farts!". I love her and an a Royalist. Glad I didn't offend anyone with the word toilet, that's obviously just a wrong rumour circulating the globe.

KiwiPoucher,

In North America, toilet itself isn't a rude word; it's more when/how it's used. For example, in North America, it's not considered proper etiquette to ask, "where is the toilet?" or (such as for a student) "May I please go to the toilet?" You would normally say, "where is the..." or "may I please go to the washroom/bathroom/restroom." (Or you may even say, "I need to use the ladies' room or little boys' room." *LOL*). I've spent some time in the UK and I admit it took me a week or two not to be a little surprised when somebody told me they were just running off to use the toilet, not to mention all the signs out in public that said toilet instead of washroom. *LOL*

As for me, I don't really have bathroom anxiety. I'm lucky that my BMs typically do not smell, but my gas can be very loud and I am sometimes annoyed/embarrassed when I have to pass gas in a public bathroom.

Thanks for that explanation! Expect you came across the most commonly used name when you were in England...."Just popping to the loo!" Now I am wondering where on earth "loo" came from, will have to do some research.

Oh yes, loo was quite common while I was in the UK. But "loo" is a term we use a lot in Canada as well, at least I do. Still, I've also always wondered the origin of the term; but I guess it's the same reason why many people in North America call it "the John"!