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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zeugma on September 21, 2003, at 13:09:26
Yestreday I worked a long day and things went fairly well. I came home feeling drained; not unusual as I'd worked about seven hours plus had substantial travel between workplaces. My IBS normally flares up on the weekend (which is better for me than it flaring up during the week) and is usually directly proprtional to the degree of stress I've had during the week. So the IBS was not EXTREMELY bad last night. But it wasn't plaeasant, and my mood was pretty lousy, when I noticed that my shower was filled with what looked sewage. This nauseating sight sent me over the edge. I began to worry if sewage was going to come out of all my faucets. I didn't want to wash my hands as I was afraid of getting them dirtier with this contaminated water. I needed to call my super, but I hate him coming in here and seeing my dirty apt. Besides he always complains whenever I have to ask him to fix anything. I knocked on his door this morning and he lectured me on how 'it wasn't an emergency' and he was only available for emergencies on off hours and weekends. Now I'm feeling rancid, obviously I haven't showered today and I haven't brushed my teeth either, because I am afraid the water may be contaminated. I wish I was the kind of person who did NOT go into anxiety overdrive when faced with these kinds of problems. That is what I really hate about mental illness: it magnifies the mundane problems of life and piles them up until you don't know what to do next.
Posted by octopusprime on September 21, 2003, at 14:38:40
In reply to sewage problem, posted by zeugma on September 21, 2003, at 13:09:26
if it makes you feel better, sewage probably did not come from the tap.
instead, it probably backed up from the drain.
while it's disgusting and gross and all of that (boy i hear ya!), it's probably safe to shower and do all of those things.
you might want to outline your concerns in a letter to your super or landlord. you're right, you don't need this when you're ill. however, supers and landlords, in general, are not known for their supportiveness. they're there to take your money, not help you.
i hope your problem clears up!
Posted by zeugma on September 21, 2003, at 15:08:24
In reply to Re: sewage problem, posted by octopusprime on September 21, 2003, at 14:38:40
Thanks Octopusprime for that practical advice. I have some kind of OCD that makes me dread 'contamination,' but counterproductively it makes me freak out and DO NOTHING when something sets it off, worsening the problem. I am going to take another look in the bathroom and see if the level's gone down at all, then maybe try to use the tap in the kitchen to brush my teeth, and maybe make some coffee.
Posted by noa on September 21, 2003, at 18:22:47
In reply to Re: sewage problem » octopusprime, posted by zeugma on September 21, 2003, at 15:08:24
Do you live in the area of the hurricane where the water was knocked out?
Posted by zeugma on September 21, 2003, at 20:23:23
In reply to Re: sewage problem, posted by noa on September 21, 2003, at 18:22:47
No, the hurricane was a big no-show in my parts :)
I think the problem was actually caused by the lack of a drain cover.
Posted by Susan J on September 22, 2003, at 10:33:07
In reply to sewage problem, posted by zeugma on September 21, 2003, at 13:09:26
I know I'm all late in jumping into this thread, but I think sewage back up into a tub or toilet or whatever *is* an emergency....
Hope it's resolved itself, or the super has fixed it for ya.
Susan
Posted by zeugma on September 22, 2003, at 13:13:40
In reply to Re: sewage problem » zeugma, posted by Susan J on September 22, 2003, at 10:33:07
Hi susan,
of course you're right. I don't have a good super in my building. And it started filling up again last night, indicating that liquid is coming from somewhere other than the shower. It IS an emergecy, so I doin't feel i overreacted when i knocked on his door yestaerday. If he doesnt come up here soon I am going to lodge a complaint with the managers of this bldg. This is not the first time he has delayed on urgent repairs, and it has had major consequences in the past. Thanks for the support!
Posted by zeugma on September 22, 2003, at 14:42:25
In reply to Re: sewage problem » Susan J, posted by zeugma on September 22, 2003, at 13:13:40
The super just came up, and snaked my drain, which has made the water level go down but he's going to have to come back tommorow morning with more equipment. Seems the people who fixed my shower the *last* time something went wrong installed a drain cover that is almost immovable! He said he is going to call the mangement to find out what to do.
WEll at least I am not in imminent danger of having a tidal pool of sewage overrun my apartment. I talked about this problem in CBT this morning and my therapist and I discussed probable outcomes vs. worst case scenarios (i.e., the tidal pool situation). You see I've destroyed apartments in my time, through the almost unbelievable absent-mindedness of severe ADHD: I've left not only sinks running, but i've also left SHOWERS running full blast as I left the apt. That was in my unmedicated times, though, and as my therapist pointed out, water damage is a lot more likely when it is actively coming out of a tap or shower, not merely welling up from a drain (however gross that truly is). I was a lot more confident around my super because I felt that I was so much less 'out of it' than I was the time I left the shower running. I guess you can all understand that.... Thanks again for the support!
Posted by noa on September 23, 2003, at 4:28:31
In reply to Re: sewage problem » Susan J, posted by zeugma on September 22, 2003, at 13:13:40
I agree with Susan--it is an emergency! If the managers of the building don't deal with it properly, tell them they must fix it or you will have to call the health department.
Posted by zeugma on September 23, 2003, at 21:13:36
In reply to Re: sewage problem, posted by noa on September 23, 2003, at 4:28:31
My super finally admitted it was an emergency when he arrived this morning to 'finish' the job he started yesterday- and found himself staring at another pond of impenetrable muck in my shower :) He dialed management from my apt. to call in reinforcements ;)
I just mopped and scrubbed out my shower with Clorox. I had a very stressful couple of days over this, but I am so happy to have a shower again. It turns out my boss had a similar experience recently, I guess drains can get backed up in first-floor apartments.
Posted by noa on September 25, 2003, at 19:29:07
In reply to moment of vindication » noa, posted by zeugma on September 23, 2003, at 21:13:36
Don't I know it! For me it wasn't the drain from the tub, it was the washing machine drainage. It backed up anytime I or anyone above me used their washing machine! Lint gets into the drains and then when it clogs, it finds the first place it can to spill out and that's us first floor people.
Make sure the landlord doesn't just use a short term approach to this problem but keeps the common drain system clear on an ongoing basis.
Your story reminds me to get our pipes checked again--thanks.
I had a lot of water which caused damage, but no muck. Yuck--I'm sorry you had to deal with that. It certainly was stressful.
Posted by Ilene on September 29, 2003, at 23:29:30
In reply to Re: moment of vindication, posted by noa on September 25, 2003, at 19:29:07
My daughter found a rat swimming in the toilet. Apparently it's common. They're good swimmers.
I used to find slugs in the bathroom when I lived in a damp and drippy area. Stepping on a slug is one of the most disgusting sensations in the world.
Ilene
Posted by jinglebts on October 2, 2003, at 1:46:57
In reply to Things coming out of the plumbing » noa, posted by Ilene on September 29, 2003, at 23:29:30
yes, i can see how stepping on a slug would be a disgusting thing to do, and i would make every attempt not to do it, including moving, but A RAT SWIMMING IN THE TOILET??? not *dead* yet??
AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (me running as far away as i can get)
and yes, zeugma, (she said jumping in *much* too late), a drain backing up in the bathtub is a serious emergency, altho' my husband has IBS and i can see why you might not have wanted to report it) ...
jb
Posted by Ilene on October 2, 2003, at 8:18:40
In reply to Re: Things coming out of the plumbing » Ilene, posted by jinglebts on October 2, 2003, at 1:46:57
> yes, i can see how stepping on a slug would be a disgusting thing to do, and i would make every attempt not to do it, including moving, but A RAT SWIMMING IN THE TOILET??? not *dead* yet??
>
> AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (me running as far away as i can get)
>
> jbI sort of slept through it. My daughter knocked on the bedroom door at an hour way too early for me to function, so I didn't know what was going on until my husband told me later. They got a pair of tongs and took the creature outside, where we thought one of the cats might get it. (Unlikely. Most cats stick to mice and small birds.)
I made my daughter fetch the dead bird from under her bed, though. That was in a different house. First we found piles of feathers, then pieces of bird, then entire live birds. The cats loved it. We didn't. Turns out there was a hole somewhere in the attic.
The cats were also happy with the mice in the basement except after the first one or two they refused to eat them. We locked them in the basement overnight, collected the mice in the morning. It was more humane and efficient than poison, traps, or those sadistic sticky strips. Mice in the basement, birds in the attic. Glad we don't live there anymore.
I don't have anything against rats, but I would prefer that the only rodents in my house are ones I have invited. People who keep rats say they are nice pets.
When we investigated the rat-in-the-toilet situation, we found it is not uncommon if your plumbing is low to the ground, because rats are good swimmers. Our house is built on the side of a little valley, and that bathroom is just above grade. This area is densely wooded and there are lots of beasties out there. I never thought that when I moved to Washington DC I would get so close to nature.
Overall, I prefer the occasional rat-in-the-toilet to uninvited slugs, mice, birds, or bees. (Had those in the attic, too.)
Ilene
Posted by jinglebts on October 2, 2003, at 12:09:09
In reply to Re: Things coming out of the plumbing » jinglebts, posted by Ilene on October 2, 2003, at 8:18:40
the worst our cats do is "present" us with the odd mouse, and when we can we interfere to let the poor creatures get away ... i recall an instance in which our daughter went to the door to let one of our cats in, she (the cat) zoomed up all three stories of our house and into my husband's office (you don't want to go there), and it turned out she had a live bird in her mouth -- it was chirping away madly, and i guess in a bit of a frenzy; needless to say, our daughter freaked out and ran around in circles ("it's a bird! it's alive! oh, the poor bird!"), i was oblivious to what was going on being in the shower, and my husband rescued the bird -- tossed it outside where it fluttered away ... he's a cat guy, knows how to deal with them ...
i've never stepped on a slug tho' -- were you barefoot?? gah!
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