I grew up in a family of 5 with one bathroom. I learned early the value of respecting others' need for the facilities.

That having been said, I have a very messed up digestive system, similar to IBS. There are days when I have to go. And that means right now. And sometimes there are weeks. And it happens with some frequency, and/or regularity. Unfortunately it's not predicated on the time I've spent awake or anything as convenient as that. It's dependant entirely upon my body's decision that it's "time to go." And not going isn't an option. Neither is finishing quickly if I've missed something that I know upsets my system. Or if I've just decided that I'm tired of eating a piece of meat with some very generic, bland carbs and the occasional vegetable.

There is no indication, from the letter writer that she has a definite idea of WHY he is in there, and my guess would be that she doesn't have children (most of the women I've know who have kids know that sometimes the system just goes wonky) or at least has had minimal if non-existant digestive issues in her lifetime. Congratulations to her, but that doesn't mean that he is intentionally being inconsiderate.

I don't tell my boss, right off the bat, that I have IBS, because I haven't had insurance for the past several years, and don't have a doctor's "note" explaining that I have the condition. If asked about my absences, I will explain I was in the restroom. If there is concern expressed, I will explain why.

A local radio show has a drop that they play "When you say your IBS is acting up, nobody wants the details on that." This statement is unfortunately all too true. It's not a comfortable topic for many people.