Crohn's Disease and Mall of America

Last week I had the dubious privilege of spending the better part of five days at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. It's the largest shopping center in the country, and when it finishes the new construction, will once again be the largest shopping center in the world. It has a theme park in the center, and an aquarium with an intense shark exhibit beneath the Mall. It has three levels of shops, with an additional level of entertainment. The distance around each level is 0.57 miles. Why am I calling it a dubious privilege, when it's clearly shopper heaven? Because I have Crohn's disease, and for me, it's more like Hell of America (if you'll forgive my language).

This temple of commerce is one of my sisters' (yes, both of them) favorite places. We get together there annually, about the time of my birthday, which is preceded by that of one of my sisters. Although they both know how much I hate the mall, and how much I'd rather be almost anywhere else, that's still where we go. I am, after all, the youngest, and let's face it, July in Minneapolis-St.Paul (the Twin Cities to those of us who live within 500 miles or so) is pretty darn hot, too hot for me to want to visit the Renaissance Fair at Valley Fair, or any other outdoor venue.

One of the problems for Crohn's patients is the availability of public bathrooms. As near as I could tell, there is one large bathroom on each level, and the four major department stores that "anchor" the corners (Nordstroms, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Sears) each have at least one bathroom for each gender, as do the actual restaurants, although restrooms are notably lacking near the food courts. The chairs and tables of the food courts and outside some of the food stands, like the Magic Pan Creperie, are not terribly comfortable, and are not restful for Crohn's patients like me. The only refuge I found was the ladies' lounge in Nordstrom's.

Another issue for Crohn's patients is the profusion of people, noise, motion and color. We tend to become overwhelmed by over-stimulation, and it dramatically increases our stress level. And that dramatically increases the likelihood of a flare. And once you flare, trying to find a restroom in the chaos only makes it worse.

I'll give them this; they provide free wheelchairs and scooters for those who need them, and that sometimes includes us Crohn's patients. There are plenty of places to get water, and a variety of foods so that if you're careful, you can find something that won't upset your stomach or intestines. There are maps of the mall in several locations on each level, which makes finding a restroom a little easier.

I used to enjoy shopping, although never to the degree my oldest sister does. I don't know if it's age, chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, Crohn's disease, or a combination of all those things, but it's just not as fun to shop as it used to be.

If you have Crohn's and plan to visit this shopping mecca, I have a little advice. Take it a little at a time; that is, don't try to spend an entire day there. Take a scooter or wheelchair; they're free, after all. Make sure you have all your medications with you, and get a referral to a Bloomington area doctor from your own doctor, just in case. Rest often, and check out that lounge in Nordstroms. It has real couches and comfortable chairs in the room before the toilet area. Drink plenty of non-caffeinated beverages to stay hydrated; you can find water, tea blends, and juice drinks throughout the mall. Eat carefully; avoid the temptations of cookies, ice cream, cinnamon rolls, and so on. And if at all possible, try to enjoy it. Remember, more people go to Mall of America each year than to Disney World, so it must have something going for it!