nk15

Good suggestions by others for the OP, and sorry to hear about the event. A couple of more suggestions, consider modifying the return trip diet, if relevant and appropriate to your condition. For example, white rice, crackers/white bread, and water on the plane, i.e., diarrhea diet. It wont be fun at all, but what can you do, I had to do it a few times following traveler's diarrhea. Also, in case of a similar issue/encounter with crew, I would immediately say something like "intense diarrhea, soiling my pants, need to go right now, sorry" or similarly authoritative and intense equivalent.

PS. Good to hear the positive result.

martin102

Great to hear this result. Hidden disabilities is becoming more talked and written about but it still remains something that the general public need to be informed on. Anything that BA can do in this area can only be helpful in making flying accessible and less stress free.

Tiger_lily

navylad Wow. It shouldn’t have needed you to go pretty much to the top, but hopefully this results in more training and awareness into hidden disabilities and prevents someone else from being on the receiving end of such awful treatment.

ToGo21

This thread should be a contender for Thread Award of the year.

OP and other posters have contributed already so I won’t re-iterate.

Fantastic Thread ... Factual and to the point. Well Done OP (I have a feeling we met on the A380 LHR-FRA-LHR training flights a few years ago in the JAL First Lounge Meet-up. ) FT handle was different then.

Safe Flight back in J

NoY

This is a very welcome & thoroughly deserved outcome but what a shame that nobody at BA, except at the highest level, was empowered/able to do this before it came to this. I am so pleased for you

T8191

Hello Sailor! I’ve been following the thread from the outset, and I’m delighted you have finally (after much effort and inevitable stress) obtained a proper resolution. Just a shame you had to go so far up the BA ladder to get there! Enjoy the rest of your trip, and safe travels.

On the broader issue of hidden disabilities, the OH notes our Channel Island CoOp has a similar lanyard scheme.
https://www.channelislands.coop/je/c...flower-scheme/

God, I realise how lucky I am to have avoided major medical issues for 75 years. Even my prostate cancer was a ‘quick fix’.

RockyRobin

Well if only the winners went then no-one could win!

i just pray to the rugby gods that England get out of their group this time xx


Happy to hear about the OP's success with BA - deserved

rockflyertalk

It’s great to hear a good ending to an otherwise quite awful and distressing scenario.

I would also suggest that there must a neat efficient way of communicating to gate and c-crew staff that a passenger has a disability hidden or not. This could be done via MMB at time of booking. I’m sure no one would abuse such a box to fill in if it’s labelled as ‘tell us if you have a medical condition’

I’d say if there is 200-300 passengers on board this could be managed well enough without more workload but at least it could be visible via the crew iPad and then addressed. Dealing with passengers with medical conditions isn’t new but the way it’s managed can and could clearly be better. Technology could play a vital role here.

leaveamessage

My sympathies OP. I am hazarding a guess that this is UC/Chron's? Shortly before I was formally diagnosed I was on an F flight to SFO where I must have had to visit the bathroom maybe 30 times. Horrendous, but the crew were amazing and understanding, as they were on other flights with similar issues, which were thankfully rare. An Air Canada crew were also amazing when I had an issue once as well.

I have also found in similar situations it is far easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. The fact that one may look young & completely able bodied - as opposed to having an obvious physical condition - makes this sadly necessary on occasion.

Please don't let it prevent you from travelling - I did hundreds of flights a year with the condition, so don't let it dictate your life...you will adapt.

IkarosBOS

thanks
I cant nor won’t get into details of your diagnosis, which i can only presume, and you have to right to confidentiality even when you share your experiences online. My reference to electrolyte imbalance, safety etc was a worst-case scenario one. But the severity of your symptoms (10+ bowel movements, urgency, discomfort during a flight seem quite severe symptoms to me) is such that doesnt even need consideration of a worse case scenario. As a specialist myself, if facing a question on long-haul flight from i patient i JUST (5 days earlier) diagnosed with a significant condition leading to the severe symptoms you have, I would advise against flying until at least some symptom stabilization is reached. Whether or not your flying to a first or fifth world country. I do not ever blame colleagues, at least while talking to patients, but if your symptoms were signifncant at disgnosis he should not have advised you to fly. It is common sense for a physician even before test results discussion and scientific data. Taking a question on travel lightly means being careless, sorry. And certainly if BA in any ways encouraged you to do so without meeting any expectation they are also to blame.
sorry again you have to go through this.

navylad

Firstly thanks for expressing your opinion and also copying it into DM to me, whilst I appreciate the intent and accepting that may well be the advice that you give, this is probably not the forum irrespective of background to be questioning the clinical judgement of others who obviously do have greater facts at their disposal (like through the thorough knowledge of the full history, examination and investigation findings) and also discussed the case with colleagues including the head of the specialist tertiary referral Service. You may of course have made a different clinical judgement which is totally your progrative to your patients.

In any case, whilst the flight was of course distressing, I have not suffered from any medical complications as of yet.

Barnaby100

And don't forget the importance of the old Blighty spirit.

Having a positive attitude and getting up each day, even when in pain and fighting it is a massive part of overcoming UC.

T8191

PUTI, but it’s a good job it’s not his turn in the barrel this week.

Unfurl the topsails and truck on, matey!

krispy84

Uncle T, We ditched sails a couple of decades before you lot were but a twinkle in Trenchard’s eye 😉

RB211

While I haven't read every post, I have been following this thread for a couple of days. I am sorry that you had to experience this, navylad! I am glad that BA are following up with you, but it is unfortunate that you had to push it somewhat to get some actions. Hopefully this incident can forge some good in that BA can have better and more consistent on-board responses in future.

I too was awarded an IBD without being consulted, and whether it's an IBD, IBS or something else similar, they are all $hi##y! (Pun intended.)

You have my deepest sympathies. I won't duplicate all of the comments that I agree with - you seem to be able to pick out the good from the crap (pun intended) very well on your own. However, I will make/remake the following few points:

1) Keep going on your travels, if that's what you want to do. Plan ahead, foresee emergencies, but keep on doing what ever makes you happy.
2) Never be afraid to be assertive when you have to go!
3) The other thing for me that can make travelling miserable is pain, so make sure you have that one covered if you are able. (But be careful with the opiates!)

rb211.