Have you ever walked into a public toilet and thought, “Nope, that’s not happening. I barely want to stand in here, let alone sit on anything”? Broken locks, no toilet paper, filth and grime everywhere — for people living with IBD, a J-pouch, or ulcerative colitis, this is more than an inconvenience. It can trigger real toilet anxiety and make simple outings stressful.
For me, living with a J-pouch, and with my eldest daughter also battling ulcerative colitis, this has been a problem we’ve faced far too many times. We found a solution that’s completely changed the way our family operates. A solution that gave us freedom to go out without the constant worry of finding — or avoiding — public toilets.
I’m Elliston, and I’ve lived with a J-pouch for over 15 years. Today I want to share how we’ve overcome this challenge as a family. Along with the steps we’ve taken to remove the stress of hunting for a toilet every time we leave the house.
For a while, I tried to get used to public toilets. But more often than not, they were just too rough to deal with. I’d plan trips using Google Maps, marking down the nearest toilets, only to arrive and find them locked, out of action, or in such poor condition I couldn’t use them. With me managing life with a J-pouch, and my daughter living with UC, it turned every outing into a source of stress and anxiety.
There had to be a better way — a way for us to enjoy long days out as a family without the constant worry of bathroom access.
The Solution That Changed Everything
Then one day, the solution came to us. We were on our way to the seaside for a family day out, having the same conversation my wife and I always had on journeys: “Where are the toilets when we get there?”
This time, she said something that completely shifted our thinking: “Why don’t we just get a camping toilet — and always take a toilet with us?”
That idea changed everything. We ended up trading in our car for a secondhand VW van. I carpet-lined it and made it comfortable inside. But most importantly, we invested in a Thetford Porta Potti — a simple portable camping toilet that sits in the back of the van.
How a Portable Camping Toilet Works
And that was it. Instant freedom. No more worrying about where the nearest toilet was, what condition it might be in, or whether it would even be open. With a portable toilet in the van, we finally had peace of mind — and the freedom to go wherever we wanted.
👉 You can see the exact model we use, along with other helpful items, on my Resources page.
A lot of people ask us how these toilets actually work. Rather than cram all the details here, I’ve put together a step-by-step demo in my YouTube video below.
👉 Watch the full guide on how a camping toilet works
It shows exactly how we set it up, how the tanks work, and the little tips we’ve learned that make life with a portable toilet much easier.
A Game-Changer for Our Family
Suddenly, we were doing full days out — starting at 7:00 in the morning and lasting until 9 or 10 at night. It no longer mattered what we’d eaten the night before, or how late we had dinner. We’ve never had to worry about finding a clean, working toilet again.
And it’s not just me who benefits from this setup. My eldest daughter, who lives with ulcerative colitis, uses it too. In fact, all three of my children make use of the van toilet when we’re out and about. It’s become such a valuable part of our life that we even changed our second car for another van — so now we have two vans, both fitted with portable toilets.
For us as a family living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and for me personally with a J-pouch, this has been an absolute game-changer. This has given us a level of peace of mind that’s completely invaluable.
We can’t control the fact that IBD is part of our lives. But what we can do is adapt, and find ways to live fully — enjoying long days out as a family without being held back by the constant worry of where the nearest toilet might be.
Want to dive deeper into what living with ulcerative colitis and J-Pouch really feels like?
My book Ulcerative Colitis: Generations Apart shares the journey across two generations — raw, honest, and full of hope.
Find out more HERE
Takeaway: You Don’t Have to Live With Toilet Anxiety
If you live with ulcerative colitis, a J-pouch, or any form of IBD, you’ll know how much toilet access can dominate your thoughts. The fear of dirty, broken, or unavailable public toilets can stop you from enjoying life the way you want to.
But there are solutions. For us, investing in a simple portable camping toilet has been the single biggest change we’ve made as a family. It’s given us the freedom to take long trips, spontaneous days out, and most importantly — peace of mind.
If toilet anxiety is something that holds you back, I’d encourage you to explore what options might work for you. On my Resources page, I’ve listed the exact camping toilet we use, along with other helpful items that make life with IBD a little easier.
If you’d like to see how it works in practice, I’ve made a YouTube video guide where I show the setup and share our family’s experience.
Living with IBD isn’t easy. But with the right adaptations, you can take back control and enjoy life without constantly worrying about where the nearest toilet is.
To read about my #1 tip on improving my J Pouch health read this blog article HERE