It was not part of my profession, but happened while seeing homes. I was driving with my wife, in-laws, and realtor, when the I felt the old bubble in my tummy. I was driving, and after 20 surgeries and living at that time, on a NJ feeding pump/tube for 5 years, I knew any attempt to put off the inevitable was hopeless. My pump was going 24/7, and flushed with water, every hour. That just happened to flush right after the bubble burst, and so I whipped across 3 lanes and into the nearest gas station, which just happened to be a Sinclair.
The older Sinclair have their bathrooms outside, as part of the car wash, and you have to get a key. (Info a veteran Crohnie knows ahead of time). I pulled right up to the space between the carwash and building, when I saw the dreaded sign on the mens,” Closed for maintenance”. I then saw a woman leaving from the counter, with a ridiculously large green keychain attached, to what I knew was the women’s bathroom key. Without even thinking, I grabbed it from her hand, yelling,” I am sorry!! I have Crohn’s and am about to explode in my suit”. Yes, we had gone to the temple before meeting up with our realtor, to see homes.
I ran for the door, literally tearing the buttons off my suit pants, and unlocked the door like David Blaine. I didn’t care, as I was in a cold sweat and did things that I know that woman could hear through the door. I made it, though, and then the reality hit me, I had to face that woman when I was done. 🤦‍♂️
As I finished, I opened the door and there she was, red face from laughing, and neither of us wanting to make eye contact. I just said, as I walked by,”Thank you, but you might want to give that one a minute to calm down.” As I got in my car, I could see that they had all been in tears, laughing, and were trying hide it. I just told them to let it out, they weren’t fooling anyone. My wife asked if we should be worried about the police coming from the robbery and near assault I had committed in getting that key? I haven’t been to that gas station since.