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lisa_moon

Listed below are comments made by lisa_moon between Wednesday, 8th October 2008 and Wednesday, 8th October 2008.

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Toilets, farts, hair and what 'must be done' 09:04am on 08 Oct 2008 THANK YOU for saying this bluntly, clearly and with a little humour. Indeed there are many things which 'must be done' and many AB folk have no idea - hence the change tables in the 'accessible' lavatory. And in Victoria, where we live (smile) how many restaurants can you think of which are fun and funky but, since are often in heritage buildings, feature tiny and/or awkward restrooms, barely accessible by AB folk, let alone someone with a cane. No way a wheelchair would fit.
Something I didn't notice you mention (but perhaps I missed it) was menstruation for us female folks who do (menstruate). Perhaps this is a little graphic, but isn't that the point? Anyway, because I am concerned about the amount of waste generated by disposable 'feminine hygiene' products (because we are so dirty) and because I like to save money, I use a combination of solutions.
The Diva Cup is made from silicone and fits inside, but does not absorb. Thus, it requires emptying (into toilet) and a rinse in the sink before re-use. It's simple and takes a short time, but you do need a sink with some privacy, unless you're comfortable waving it around in the communal sink area.
While this is not a strict disability issue, I believe that many women have experienced montly mishaps which require some... cleaning detail. This monthly (as in OFTEN) occurance does require attention and sometimes immediately!
If your mobility is impaired, or perhaps you have limited use of your hands, how the heck are you to tend to Mother Nature in a quick and clean manner? Especially, as you said, when that darned doorhandle keeps rattling?!
Yep, I've lost a good chunk of my hair - and right on top of my head, close to the hairline, where I just can't seem to conceal it. Opiate-induced severe constipation the likes of which you've never imagined?! Check. Boo, check again.
For me, due to the severe nerve pain in my leg, sitting down on anything can be excruciating, including a toilet. In fact, most chairs and toilets, too, hit a real 'trigger point' for me. Couple that with the needing to spend an hour on the loo and can you guess what that spells? Sheesh, I never imagined needing to take extra pain meds because I had to... uh... do a #2. And everyone close to me ends up hearing about it when I've gone to the toilet and been gone too long... people get worried. How do you explain what people really don't tend to want to hear about? "I'm ok, I'm just having trouble with my impacted stool!"
Yeah, really great social conversation!
Great post, Elizabeth. I enjoyed reading your gentle and thought provoking post.

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