www.incontinentsupport.org

I have been reading through the old messages and am very much impressed with the scope and depth of the content. There is some really invaluable information there. I even have searched by key words to find the older messages most of interest to me.

However, despite the incredible variety of topics in the archives, I think I have one which has not been covered.

Have any of you have gone through TSA airport security checkpoints with an enema bag in your carry-on luggage?

As I use traditional bag enemas to control my bowel incontinence, the enema bag is critical to my health and must stay in my carry-on baggage. I can’t afford to risk having it in lost luggage, particularly when I am leaving for lengthy international travel.

However, what makes it really bad is that, damage to my sphincter nerves caused me to loose much of my sphincter control. As a result, I have found it virtually impossible to retain a normal nozzle in the anus in order to infuse the enema solution and hold it long enough to do its work. For me, an ineffective enema means an unacceptably high risk of having a later fecal accident at the worse time, such as while on the airplane.

Accordingly, I have to use an oversized black nozzle with a large bulbous tip, which makes it much easier to retain. My gastroenterologist inspected it and approved it, because he thought it to be more reliable and less risky than nozzles with inflatable cuffs. However, it is sizable - and solid. I cannot imagine what the x-ray scanner would show. Worse, it looks like a sex toy (which it probably was intended to be, as I had to purchase it from an online enema specialty store).

So, my big fear is some TSA agent suddenly pulling it out of my backpack and waving it around in front of everybody before I get a chance to demand a private inspection. That could lead to a really embarrassing situation, even though, of necessity, I am becoming more hardened to such matters.

My next worse fear is having the nozzle confiscated by customs in some Middle Eastern country by an inspector who does not understand what it is for and cannot understand the English explanation in my doctor’s letter.

If my health (and pride) were not at stake I would admit that it’s funny.

--JD

Hey JD, I would like to think that the inspection staff would be a bit more professional then to put someone in that sort of position to embarass them with a medical device, but you just never know now, do ya? Same goes for diapers etc. Do you travel to Foreign countries often? I would like to think that they would have staff at Airports and such places (Border Crossings etc) to be able to read and speak other languages, I know we have it available at the local hospital, as they often get patients in that only speak their Homeland language, which makes for some difficult communication, thus the Interpreter call out list. All in all, with incon issues, flying would make me nervous any way you slice it, good thing I am grounded most all the time, last flight I took was over 10 years ago, Puffy

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Puffy
BC, Canada
Fighting the "Bladder Battle" since 1995