Potty Mouth
Going to the bathroom is something most people don’t even think about.
It just happens. It’s natural.
If experts say “sucking” is a baby’s first instinct, then going potty has GOT to be a close second.
But to those of us with multiple sclerosis, doing our business is big business!
For many, the day revolves around the bathroom.
Careful not to stray too far. Monitoring how much liquid we drink. And when.
And any deviation, no matter how small, can be the difference between staying dry…and opening the floodgates!
My Odd Sock has discovered a couple other bathroom factors that are minute to most, but can be troublesome to MSers.
The first involves the lid to the toilet seat.
Do you keep the lid up?
Lid up means this commode is locked & loaded.
Ready for you anytime.
No waiting.
Or, do you prefer the lid to be down?
Lid down is the proper position, right?
If the lid wasn’t supposed to be down, American Standard wouldn’t have put one there.
Though the difference is small, the time & effort required to raise the lid can be huge to an MSer’s bladder brimming with urine.
Personally I prefer lid down.
One of my pet peeves is looking into a toilet. I don’t want to see that.
But there have been many times when the final, bend-over to raise the lid have caused the levee to break if you know what I mean!
The other factor up for discussion is the bathroom door.
Some folks would rather keep the bathroom door closed even when not in use.
I have never fully grasped this concept.
So that means I must knock & listen for a response before I enter. Man, those w/MS don’t have that kind of time or control!
On the other hand, many people leave the bathroom door open when unoccupied.
This is wise for three reasons. One, it’s easy to tell if the room is open for business. Two, ventilation/air quality control for the next user. And three, for those with MS, we need fast & easy access. Honestly, an MSer could live without doors OR lids!
In fact, when home alone, I’m not even bothered to close the door when duty calls.
Guess that explains my embarrassing, crab-like shuffle to close the door upon hearing someone returning home!
(Editors Note: This picture was not an easy capture. Quite the challenge pressing the camera button, shuffling back into place, turning & walking back, pants around ankles before the shutter click).
Enough potty talk from me.
Are you lid up or lid down? Door open or door closed?
Maybe you have other bathroom expertise you would like to share.
Spill it (your preferences, I mean) in a comment.
As Charmin says “Enjoy the go.” But when you have MS that can be easier said than done.
6 Replies to “Potty Mouth”
Where do you get these thoughts? I laugh, even though it’s a somewhat serious matter. I prefer door open and lid down. However, lid up is fine as long as seat is left down. During the day, I use the powder room, which is small and requires little walking.
Speaking of which, I love the accessible bathroom in my mother’s nursing home, but if I’m forced to use the public, non-accessible one, I cringe. I’m an accident waiting to happen. I mean REAL accident, not the double entendre. I’ve come so close to falling that I only use it if absolutely necessary.
I prefer lid down and door open. What is annoying to me, is when someone leaves the light on, leaves the faucet dripping, or the worst, leaving the toilet running, without trying to giggle the handle, etc.
Those pictures crack me up.
I’m a lid-down, door-open kind of gal, especially at work. I like to make more work for the cleaning lady AND freak out my coworkers.
Okay, okay, not really. I just wrote a whole post about the bathroom (great minds…) in which I discuss the disturbing people you often run into in there (NEVER a sock, though).
Yes, for any reader who hasn’t visited “The MSadventures of Ms. Crankypants,” please do so! VERY funny stuff about the bathroom, MS and much more!
Margaret,
I hear you. Maybe next time you should try to “jiggle” the handle. When you “giggle” it as you say you just make the toilet laugh!
I’m teasing you.
Thanks for your comment!!
Door open, lid up – anything and everything that expedites the process!
Pshaw, Odd Sock! Thanks! Sorry if my comment seemed like a post-jack (hmmmmm). Not my intention!