We are two months into this pandemic and suddenly I needed to be tested for COVID- 19. Not because I was symptomatic but because of where I work.

On the day I was having a really bad allergic rhinitis day. I mean no amount of nose blowing antihistamines or decongestants were helping. It was absolutely horrible. I really didn’t want anyone messing with my nose much less shoving a flexible stick up it.

I arrived at the testing site, signed in and sat down. To make a long story short I sat down, removed my mask, and tilted my head back. The guy said “it will be uncomfortable.”

That was an understatement. He started with the left side. He guided that flexible swab up my left nare and it wasn’t so bad until he touched the back wall of my nasal pharynx. It was like having my brain pierced. (although it would have probably hurt less if he had actually poked my brain because the brain itself has no pain receptors – however the meninges around the brain do.) Tears sprang to my eyes and I ended up coughing on the poor guy. He was covered from head to toe in PPE including a face shield.

The right nare was uncomfortable but not painful. I coughed and sneezed this time.I was very thankful when it was over. My nose continued to run like crazy for the rest of the day.

I turned out to be negative when I got my results a day and a half later. A couple of days later I read an article about Bill Gates wanting to microchip everybody and I joked with my husband and fellow nurses that was why the left nare hurt so much because I got stuck with a microchip. It was good for a few laughs that day.