The Fear of Having Diarrhea at a Dinner Party

Do you know of the famous bathroom scene from the movie: Dumb and Dumber? Everyone with IBS can relate to a moment like this. It is our absolute nightmare: having explosive diarrhea while being a guest at someone’s home. AH! Just the thought of this is mortifying. And in the movie, the character named Harry goes through this ordeal and actually ends up clogging the toilet! A double whammy. Funny when it isn’t you, but soul-destroying if it is!

I hope you never have to deal with this embarrassing situation. Because in real life, this can turn traumatic real fast. And although I have never clogged a toilet while at someone else’s home, I have had diarrhea while attending someone’s dinner party.

Here’s how I handled it:

First, to set the scene it probably is fair to say it was a large dinner party; about 30 people. So this is helpful because if it were a more intimate party it would be more obvious to the hosts and those attending, and for this, I am thankful. However, what I was thankful for also complicated things, as the bathrooms were being used more often due to the number of people involved.

Diarrhea urgency hit before dinner

As I was socializing and snacking on appetizers, the urgency hit, and I knew I needed to go. So I casually made my way to the guest bathroom.  Of course, just my luck, it was in use but the angels had me in their favor. I only waited a minute and the person exited the bathroom so I made a b-line for the toilet.

I locked the door behind me and proceeded to do my business and with shock I had diarrhea. I was feeling fine and had no idea this was going to happen. I must have eaten something prior that didn’t sit well or it could have been a supplement I was taking that was emptying something out of me. Whatever the case, it was happening and I was not happy.

Thankfully I wasn’t locked in the washroom for long to make others notice. I would say I was in the bathroom for a total of 10 minutes. And thankfully there was an air freshener and I was prepared with wipes in my purse. Things could have been much worse.

Prepared to deal with nature

So if this ever happens to you, just know there are in your face some things you can do to make it less traumatic. One tip I have is to always curtesy flush. Meaning anytime you evacuate your bowels flush because you don’t know if they have weak water pressure. You never want to put yourself in a position where clogging a toilet becomes a real situation. So to prevent clogging, always courtesy flushes when you can.

Also, in my case, the homeowners had an air freshener handy, but always, always bring freshener with you in case the homeowner doesn’t have one. There is nothing more embarrassing than creating a stench and everyone knowing it came from you.

How about you? Have you ever been in a situation at a dinner party where you have urgency and have to make a b-line to the washroom? If so, share your experience below and any tips you have. We love to hear from you.