Has anyone with a k-pouch or BCIR been stopped and patted down by TSA airport agent--because of their pouch??

I have been thru TSA screening three times since getting my BCIR and have never been frisked or asked anything after going through the scanner.  There is no logical reason a K pouch or BCIR should raise any concern since it is made entirely of small intestine and has no metal components.  If this happens again to you, I would ask the agent to give you an explanation and then post it on this forum.  By the way, I was frisked several times by TSA before I got my BCIR.

I travel a lot, have been frisked often but I don't think that it has anything to do with the pouch...just random and the fact that I have bracelets that ring bells but that I never take off.

Ps. Bras can make the bells ring too and cause an uproar...especially if they have underwire, I've had more problems with that than my pouch.

Sharon

Had to strip twice due to irregular abdomen. Otherwise ok & I fly a lot.

Was patted down in airport and then taken to a side room where two women made me expose my stoma.  My artificial joints show up on the x-ray, which is ok to pat down.  Why other body parts are necessary is beyond me, but perhaps they are.  I started out saying it was an ileostomy but the first woman didn't know that word, nor 'bag', nor additional more graphic explanation.  Why I then tried to explain a K pouch is beyond me.  After another ten minutes her super arrived.  Neither of the two women would listen to my explanation, especially that the soft feeling was because the pouch was full.  Another ten minutes of talk on their part, including "it's fine, it's fine..", but no acknowledgment that it was not fine with me.  If not needing to catch a flight--really, why else was I there at 05:30 with no spare time--I would have lodged a complaint as none of this was necessary, had either had decency to listen.  No time for toilet stop, nor coffee, prior to flight!!  Sure hope other K-pouchers don't experience this.  Greatly appreciate ability to share and others' compassion.  Janet

Hi Janet, 

I have had lots of pat downs, a couple of funny looks, a few pointed questions but the only 'uncomfortable' stuff have been the idiots pulling my kit apart, holding up high the tube, syringe etc to the world asking 'what the hell is this' and why I was carrying a 60cc syringe on me...(I have 3 kits on me at all times, usually 1 on my body like a fanny pack or cross body bag, in my backpack and one in my carry on).

I told the idiot that it was sterile, personal and if he touched it again I would shove the tube up his nose...he did not appreciate that...But couldn't say a thing....so he closed it all up and handed it back. (that was London Gatwick)

I have never been taken aside or asked to strip...I would call the police if they even tried it in North America. I carry a handicapped card which sort of helps.

I have refused for a specific person to frisk me (looked like a prison guard) or a particular type of person (angry and aggressive) and pointed to the 'good looking guy with the smile' and said that if I had to be frisked I wanted him to do it

That stopped everyone in their tracks!

I take it with a smile most times....the pains of travelling...

On the other hand, If I had been you, I would have asked for a cup and emptied into it in front of them!!!!!! or onto their desk!

Keep smiling 

Sharon

Thanks Sharon.  Yes, the thought of insisting they watch me demo how to evacuate did cross my mind.  Had it not been so close to take off time I might have at least gotten their cards.  I always get patted down due to three artificial joints and occasionally asked to turn down my jeans a bit.  But never have I been asked to expose my stoma--not even when traveling with a leg bag and catheter taped to my body--and I felt violated, that they had crossed the line.  Never have I had people not listen to my explanation in lieu of them not knowing what a bag is.  Afterwards they blamed it on the folded over tissue!!  Mind you, I'm in my 70s and this was Madison Wisc!!

Yes I concur normally it's post 9/11 traveling, being out and about and trying to live normal lives.  No prob.

I am always prepared with remarks about the catheter being exposed, but have never needed to use them.  Up your nose buddy is a good one and will keep it in mind.  Please add, afterwards, that it had just been in the poop hole. Thanks as always, Janet

Could you print a medical diagram off the Internet when you travel?  When the friskers don't know what a stoma, ostomy bag, etc, is, you show them the picture. Some people need visuals! I had to do that when a healthcare person had no clue what a j pouch is; she kept thinking it was an ostomy bag just because I said "j pouch". Mind you, if the friskers looked right at your stoma and still were slow-thinkers, a diagram be beyond them.

At that level I do not think that much would help...if the do not care to listen to the person's explianation they would probably draw a gun if they tried to pull a diagram out of a bag or show it to them on the phone...

TSA took my catheter, gel and empty 60 cc enema container out of a plastic bag.  Tried a one sentence explanation and then just let guy and two supers examine it for well over five minutes and test for explosives.  I am reporting this to the group as usually not flustered or angry with much.  It was upsetting and want others to know that if such inspections happen, or the one I reported in 2017, I'm with you on any complaints and irritations.

What upset me most is one of my sisters happened to go through TSA at same time.  It would have been comforting to hear her say: I'm sorry you need to go through that on top of everything else.  However, she, who has no sense of humor, said: you should get a tattoo.  Stupid beyond my imagination, which didn't merit my snark response of: my ass-hole is on my stomach.  So ended a sister reunion!!!

I think a diagram might suggest a bomb.  A on-site demo would certainly mean a bomb!  We ought not be frightened by these folks.  Don't know of any of us who has been banned from airport or plane.  They are merely don't their job. Peace, Jan

I was stripped searched travelling to England because my abdomen was uneven!

I would have had the police and a lawyer in the room with me before they said drop your drawers!

That is violating all limits!

We can’t expect TSA inspectors to know what  a catheter is. Nor why we carry around an empty extra large enema container. Let alone two or three duplicate kits.  Consider how different we are and how small our Kpouch tribe is.  In hindsight I respect their lack of profiling. I doubt any of us look like a terrorist or a bomb thrower.  

Peace, Jan

They actually do get training (supposedly) about ileostomies, titanium hip joints, pacemakers, and an assortment of other prosthetics...what they do with that training is up to them but I have read that there are people who wear fake ostomy bags to pass drugs in...why not, if they also shove it up their....?

I pity the TSA guys who walk a typerope between really ill people and fakes who try to smuggle drugs...

I agree with their difficult situation. Continent ileostomies unlikely in training manual. Upon thinking about the problem there isn’t any way around it other than providing a one sentence explanation and letting them inspect.  It’s up to me to get to airport earlier. Then I won’t get flustered if they need to inspect or see stoma. Honestly that’s worse for them!