Last week was a hectic week for me. When a slight stomachache plagued me in the middle of the night, I assumed it was just from the strange concoction of dip Hubby had whipped up in the kitchen for our nightly chip and dip television viewing marathon. Although it was just a little discomfort, it was still there when I woke up off and on throughout the night. In the morning, the feeling affected my breakfast eating ability. Just looking at food made me nauseous. A cup of herbal tea graced my morning moose mug instead of my usual hearty Lipton brand. Even though the tea was weakened and bland, my stomach could only “stomach” a quarter of a cup.

I went in to work and tried to do my best, but the stomachache grew and worsened. When the lure of lunch was not enticing, it was obvious that something was medically wrong, perhaps a stomach virus. Feeling clammy, sweaty and somewhat disoriented, I dragged my body home early. Hubby went out of his way to find items I might eat for supper, soup, toast, and noodles. Always a couple to eat together, I sipped on my cup of broth, while he ate a lovely prime rib dinner from Dave’s Bar and Grill. Usually a favorite meal of mine, just the sight of it made me nauseous, and I had to divert my eyes while enjoying my own nutrition.

During the night, the diarrhea started, exploding everywhere as I clumsily tried to run to the bathroom. It was NOT a pretty sight …

Still feeling sick and not wanting to be too far from the bathroom, the next day became a sick day from work while I laid on the couch to binge watch “90 Day Fiancé” on television. Achy and exhausted, I barely moved off the couch and had great difficulty focusing on TV. The queasiness stayed with me as I took morbid satisfaction in the fact that I was finally losing weight!

At some point, after four days of illness and inability to move from the couch, it dawned on me that a COVID-19 test should be in my future. I had innocently attributed the malaise and gastrointestinal issues to a stomach virus, not to the raging pandemic going on all around me. Dragging myself out of bed, Hubby drove me to the Warwick walk-in test center, located in the RI Blood Center, where a rapid COVID test awaited me. The first thing that struck me about this facility was that it was wonderfully staff by military personnel, AND that it was devoid of patients (customers?). It was hard to understand how COVID-19 can be such a pandemic yet no one was there to see if they have it. The process was so easy! A quick, self-inflicted nasal swab was sent to wait for 15 minutes for the test results, which were fortunately determined to be negative.

Test or no test, I still felt ill and had no other explanation. That is, until I talked to the medication management physician at my primary care doctor’s office. Just the week before I had started to take Trulicity, a shot designed to lower my “sugar” for Type 2 diabetes. It seems that the side effects of this medication were the exact same symptoms I had been experiencing, exhaustion and gastrointestinal issues. One other touted advantage of Trulicity is weight loss, which was clearly understandable because I could not eat anything without getting sick!

I am still dealing with the side effects and must decide whether to stay on this medication or not. The weight loss is very tempting but eating is one of my favorite activities. Of one thing I am sure, at least it is not COVID-19!