Pearl Jam's Mike McCready lobbies for restroom access

Thanks for posting this, Ides. I was impressed by his willingness to speak so candidly about his illness... and then horrified when I read some of the comments other readers had posted. Shocking.

I was saddened to read some of those comments. Some of us DO wear "diapers", but they are not a cure-all nor are them comfortable OR easy to disguise. Restaurants have bathrooms for the public, those should be fine...but buildings with "no public restroom", but you know they MUST have a restroom for their employees, like the banks, clothing stores, basically any building the public comes in to do business in, should allow sufferers to use their restrooms.
I shop in many stores, and luckily I have not been denied or had an accident that couldn't be hidden/cleaned up from.

Some of the people making those comments need to wear our disease and have to walk a mile to a bathroom to understand.
Heidi

I think it's awesome that he got up there and told his story, in hopes to help us all.

The comments made me sick though. Just shows that there too many clueless heartless people.

I think business should be fined a high amount then $100.00 fine. I think it should be more like a thousand.

Those comments really make me sick. I'm sure if any of those people had IBD, they'd be first in line to support restroom access; but since they don't, it's just a joke to them. Disgusting.

upon reading this article i was tearing up from reading about someone who has more public influence than someone like me and is advocating for something i have felt so passionately about every since being diagnosed. I guess I understand why some people are disputing it because of privately owned buildings needing to open their doors, but I would even settle for just all businesses open to the public being required to have public restroom access. That's where most if not all of my problems and accidents occur is when i run into a shop store or such and am told, sorry no "public" restrooms. Even once in a Shaw's grocery store! So by the end of reading this I was as well tearing up because how offended I felt and how upset it was making me feel how people were in a sense mocking me and everyone else who suffers with these unmentionable, painful, embarrassing experiences. Obviously, if they think an adult diaper is the savior and answer to all of our problems, they have no idea what they are talking about!!!! I know when I have an accident, which happens quite often lately, unfortunately, an adult diaper can not silence the sounds or mask the smells (which no one wants to mention in public) but it's so much more than just crapping your pants! (excuse my french) but on one hand I am so happy and honored that I have a person like Mike from Pearl Jam speaking on my behalf but at the same time so hurt and infuriated that some people are so cynical and heartless that they can mock and make fun of a situation that, thank god, they don't have to deal with! UUGHHH sorry, but I had to vent, I hate people sometimes!

... and it's not just the smell, it's the pain. Retaining d when your entire anus and rectum are ulcerated is horribly painful. A nappy / diaper can't help us control the pain.

I

The comments don't surprise me at all. There will always be those who jump from "must allow access to restrooms in public buildings" to "they're going to make me let perfect strangers take a dump in my home!" And there will also be those who over-estimate the usefulness and practicality of adult diapers. It's something they've never had to think about before. I do admit the "special class of citizen" comment irritated me. We're asking for BATHROOM ACCESS. It's not like we're eating up your tax dollars or getting special treatment from traffic cops. We just need to take a crap, and would prefer not to do it in the middle of a store.

I agree with bektold. And there is a difference between letting a person use the restroom in a private business and allowing perfect strangers to enter private LIVING QUARTERS. Generally, businesses you know, want people to come in. Hence, the business. Like Mike McCready, I would stop shopping at a place who refused emergency access to me or anyone else until they started doing the humane thing.

You know Celey...sometimes I would say toilet paper is worth more than gold haha...so maybe!!

to lighten the mood though, the cave-man reference made me think: either they let us go inside like civilized humans or they can make public defecation legal! hahaha one way or another, we're gonna have to go somewhere!

Not to mention the fact here that sitting in aload of sh.. would do to a person's privates but is that what it takes to live in a world that looks down on people, when did we become less human, and health is health .Washrooms are an important part of living a healthy and stressfree life not only for us but for everyone..what would happen if there were no washrooms for even the people that do not have body content issues... would they just hold it all day.. no they would sh.. there pants ..lol gail

Thanks for posting this Ides.
What a great guy to come out and tell it how it is, kudos to him for all the honesty, especially mentioning his accidents. Its hard enough to mention we have accidents to non crohnies let alone be famous and publisize this to everyone.
As for the rude comments, everyone else summed those type of people for what they are.
Jo