Rant: Dilation at work

[CaitJ]

Well, silly me, before I went off for surgery I confirmed with the Occupational Safety and Health rep that the sick room at work had a bed and a lock on the door.
Yes it has a bed.
Yes it has a lock on the door.
The lock is on the outside and cannot be accessed once you're in the room.

So yesterday my dilation did not happen as scheduled (like hell I was going to dilate where someone from work could just walk in) ended up being 4 hours late, hurt like buggery and I took 20 minutes to get to full depth.
I spoke to my boss about it (who I informed about my trans status just before going off for surgery) and explained that this arrangement is very Not Ideal. She doesn't have any grand ideas though - apparently the door can't be locked from the inside for health and safety reasons (i.e. someone really ill locks themselves in there and they cannot get to them).
So my plan is to put a very pointed message on the door while I dilate, saying something like "Medical Procedure in Progress: DO NOT DISTURB UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES"
What do you think? Adequate? Inviting curiousity? Totally inadequate?

[Jacquelyn]

I think that would be a good idea. Maybe get your boss to sign off on it? I can't see an adult individual being thick enough to ignore something like that being posted... Best of luck with that, Vexing.

[CaitJ]

I think that would be a good idea. Maybe get your boss to sign off on it?

Yeah, I was thinking of getting HR to back me on this one, so that I'm protected if someone does walk in and a scandal starts about me masturbating in the sick room.

I can't see an adult individual being thick enough to ignore something like that being posted... Best of luck with that, Vexing.

I'd hope not. My concern is that one or more of the men on that floor is using the sick room as a storage area - there are two pairs of trousers hanging up on a coat rack in there. If they're a big enough douche to use the sick room as their locker, they may ignore the sign. I'm hoping not though.

[Jacquelyn]

Yeah, I was thinking of getting HR to back me on this one, so that I'm protected if someone does walk in and a scandal starts about me masturbating in the sick room.

I'd hope not. My concern is that one or more of the men on that floor is using the sick room as a storage area - there are two pairs of trousers hanging up on a coat rack in there. If they're a big enough douche to use the sick room as their locker, they may ignore the sign. I'm hoping not though.

Having HR back you sounds like a good plan. Is the office you work in large/are you open about being trans at work (sorry I haven't read all of your posts)? If you are you could have HR designate an off limits time for the sick room for your medical necessities with or without letting your coworkers know it is you using it.

That person has to be thick- I never leave any of my personal items unattended at work.

[CaitJ]

It's a pretty big office and I'm not Out to anyone bar the two gay chaps at work, my boss and one person in HR.
I'd also thought about a timing lockout on the sick room; it a definite possibility, but I'm wary of being too much of a 'special case' and causing problems. I've already had a month of paid sick leave off work and feel a bit guilty about tying up more company resources.

[Jacquelyn]

I think that timing the sick room with a notice on the door is probably your best option. Obviously talk it over with HR. I don't see it as a 'special case'. If someone had asthma and needed nebulizer treatments at a certain time every day and they opted to do it in peace and away from prying eyes it wouldn't be an issue. It's medically necessary and they ought to provide you with the capacity to do what you need for your healing and physical health.

[CaitJ]

True that. Sometimes it's easy to get tied up in the 'trans people deserve less rights' paradigm and I start doing it to myself.

[Jacquelyn]

As best stated by the ever wise Dr. Seuss: "A person is a person..." no matter how big, small, or different in any capacity they might be.


Just saying. 

[CaitJ]

<3 Horton.

[pixiegirl]

Just a thought, but you could jam a doorstop under there, either instead of or in conjunction with the sign? That way nobody is getting in without a real deliberate effort after you yell at them to ->-bleeped-<- off, and gives the geniuses at your firm the time to come up with a longer term solution... like a 2 way lock or something.

Besides, this way is low tech AND cheap for them

[spacial]

Could you buy one of those rubber door wedges and wedge the door shut?

If anyone tries the door, after seeing the sign, a loud F*** off might just do the trick.



Addition. Snap Pixiegirl

[CaitJ]

Could you buy one of those rubber door wedges and wedge the door shut?

If anyone tries the door, after seeing the sign, a loud F*** off might just do the trick.

Lulz! Yes, I think it would do the trick. Failing that, they'd get confronted by an irate half naked woman threatening them with 9 inches of acrylic rod.

[bethanypahl]

any port in a storm  hahahaha  the sign and the wedge sounds like a good idea it will only be for a while and then 1 a day  hang in there and keep on schedule it does help  just my 2 cents

[VeryGnawty]

Yes it has a bed.
Yes it has a lock on the door.
The lock is on the outside and cannot be accessed once you're in the room.

The devil is in the details.

I agree with getting a doorstop.  In the event that someone did try to open the door, they should feel the resistance.  Hopefully, nobody will be dense enough to ignore a DND sign and a doorstop.

[pixiegirl]

Grrr.. idea thieves, they're lurking everywhere 

[CaitJ]

So a couple of hours ago I printed out my little sign, stuck it on the door, put a chair under the door handle and then did my business.
I heard several people go past the door and at one stage I heard someone stop outside the door. Of course I froze in anticipatory terror, dilator halfway up my growler, waiting for the handle to jiggle - but thankfully the footsteps moved on.
So all up: success. Still waiting for HR to get back to me so that I can make them aware of what I'm doing in there.
It was a MUCH better session than the Very Late session yesterday and I managed to get to my full depth back 

[aubrey]

The rubber door stop plus "please do not disturb" is a little more discreet?

[Jacquelyn]

So a couple of hours ago I printed out my little sign, stuck it on the door, put a chair under the door handle and then did my business.
I heard several people go past the door and at one stage I heard someone stop outside the door. Of course I froze in anticipatory terror, dilator halfway up my growler, waiting for the handle to jiggle - but thankfully the footsteps moved on.
So all up: success. Still waiting for HR to get back to me so that I can make them aware of what I'm doing in there.
It was a MUCH better session than the Very Late session yesterday and I managed to get to my full depth back 

I'm glad you didn't have to beat anyone with the rod. :p

[blackMamba]

The rubber door stop plus "please do not disturb" is a little more discreet?

Yep, problem solved.  The sign should stop 99.5% of folks, the door stop should get the other 0.5% illiterates.

[glendagladwitch]

I agree with a more discrete sign and a real doorstop.  However, if somoeone does try to enter and cannot, then maybe that would violate the supposed safety code and get you in trouble.  Can you clear it with the boss first?

Ideally, you would be able to drive to work in a van and then go out to the van, close the curtains, and dilate.  Or if you have a pickup truck with a rear window, a bed cover and a little mattress, plus window coverings and one of those things that runs the ac or heat back there through the rear window, should see you through.