Chapter 26
Appendix Q—Health Journal
PARTICIPANT DETAILS
SEX: M
Date of Entry
9/29/23
Current Weight (lbs.)
192
Lost to Date
Calculated BMI
BMI Category
131 Lbs.
26.8
Overweight
Please describe your physical, mental, and emotional state as pertains to this clinical trial.
Mental state not great. Definitely experiencing some memory issues and not sure if it’s from the trial??
At first it was just little things, like not being able to remember what I’d had for breakfast or completely forgetting a volunteer shift I was scheduled for—stuff that isn’t like me at all.
But recently I feel like it’s been getting worse, less like forgetfulness and more like short-term memory loss?
?? For example, waking up one morning not being able to remember where I’d been the night before.
Then I found a text conversation with my boyfriend, Aaron, like a full-on text conversation that I couldn’t remember having AT ALL.
Apparently I’d made plans to go to a show with him and didn’t realize it until he was blowing up my phone, asking where I was. I had to make up some story.
Then this week at work, something happened that really freaked me out.
One of our regular shoppers finished checking out and we noticed she’d left something at the register.
I ran out to give it to her and saw her rounding the corner toward her apartment across the street.
I remember going after her, calling her name…
and that’s where my memory goes dark. Like, I have a few images swimming around my head, but mostly stuff that doesn’t feel possible.
Why would I follow her back to her apartment? Why would she be screaming???
Next thing I remember, I’m walking back into the store and my coworker Jazz is like, “Where the hell have you been?” She says I’ve been gone for like two hours—and she’s right. I turn to look outside and it’s night. WTF?
“What’s that on your shirt?” she says. I look down and see something red and sticky. I tell her it’s cocktail sauce. My hands were covered in it earlier and I’d wiped them on my shirt.
But WAS it just sauce? I could’ve tasted it and been certain in a second, but part of me didn’t want to know. Why couldn’t I remember where I’d just been?
I’m still pretty freaked out about it, to be honest. Between the blackouts and my crazy hunger, all these weird cravings for raw meat… something’s not right. What’s happening to me???