Murphy’s Law is both a pop culture trope and a word of caution. The phrasing of the so-called law varies, but in most forms it basically holds that if something can happen, it will. Even when there’s a one-in-a-million chance. A 14-year-old on a trip to Arizona in 2013 learned just how true Murphy’s Law is. In the case of Cat (@cat_catz), the simple act of eating an Italian sub from Subway may have led to her losing her sense of smell for good.
Cat’s story begins with her father taking the family to see a meteor crater. In a TikTok about the ill-fated trip, she recalls a long, boring drive two hours into the Arizona desert.
“I was starved, starved by the time we got there. And the only thing to eat besides the snacks in the gift shop was a Subway,” Cat says.
She ordered an Italian sub and chowed down.
“From what I recall, it was delicious. I cannot knock Subway for the taste of their food,” she recounts.
Little did she know that her life would soon be permanently altered.
Why Did She Regret Ordering Subway?
Cat says she woke up in the middle of the night “s——- my brains out.”
There’s no way to be sure what caused her illness, as food poisoning has similar symptoms to certain viruses and conditions. It can also take a few days to manifest.
No matter the cause, the effect was undeniable. Cat’s symptoms were serious enough that they wound up changing rooms in the resort in the middle of the night.
As they switched rooms, things went from bad to worse for young Cat.
“I pass out and faint from the Arizona heat, coupled with having horrible food poisoning,” Cat recalls. “And I fell backwards and hit the back of my head.”
Now she had both food poisoning and a concussion, which she says was “terrible.”
“Eventually, I’m OK. We fly back home. Not a big deal. Everything’s fine,” she recalls.
How Did She Lose Her Sense of Smell?
Everything seemed normal at first. Then, a few weeks after they got back from the trip, Cat says she made herself rice. Like many teens, she was easily distracted and forgot about the rice on the stove. The rice started smoking, sending the high-pitched wail of fire alarms throughout the house.
Her mother was apoplectic.
“She’s like, ‘How can you not smell that? You’ve just ruined my pot,'” Cat says.
That’s when Cat says she realized something was wrong with her sense of smell.
At first, her mother didn’t believe her. But once Cat started “freaking out,” her mom began to wonder if she was speaking the truth. So she took her to a neurologist, who Cat says also didn’t believe her.
The doctor started “shoving things up my nose” to try to catch her in the lie. When she couldn’t detect smelling salts, the doctor also began to worry.
Next, Cat had an MRI with contrast. The results clearly showed that Cat wasn’t lying about her sense of smell.
“When my brain bounced when I hit the back of my head, my olfactory nerves snapped off, so my nose and my brain just essentially aren’t connected,” Cat explains.
Incredibly, this is the second time food has altered the course of her life. As BroBible previously reported, an avocado led her to catch her ex cheating.
The Subway incident was 12 years ago. Cat says she still can’t smell a thing. All thanks to Subway (maybe).
What Are The Effects Of Losing Your Sense Of Smell?
There are myriad ways to lose one’s sense of smell, which is called “anosmia.” The most common cause is respiratory illness. Other causes include certain medications, diseases like COVID or diabetes, and, as Cat can attest, traumatic brain injury.
Anosmia isn’t merely inconvenient. It can be dangerous.
Not being able to smell smoke means you could burn the house down or fail to flee a fire in time. Being unable to tell if food is rotting could lead you to eat things that get you sick or worse. And how would you know if the gas is off if you can’t smell it?
In later life, some people experience anosmia as an early warning sign of serious diseases. A Johns Hopkins University study of 2,000 older adults found that those with decreased senses of smell were at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Perhaps the best-known side effect of anosmia is a diminished or altered ability to taste. Many people who had COVID experienced both.
Numerous people expressed concern that Cat also lost her sense of taste. Happily, Cat says she did not lose a second sense from that concussion.
“Some [foods] are less ‘pungent,’ like garlic and vanilla,” she reassured a worried viewer. “But honestly I’m so used to it I don’t even really notice the difference.”
While Subway may have inadvertently played a role in her anosmia, Cat isn’t mad at the sandwich chain.
“Also, if you’re Subway, I wouldn’t mind doing a brand deal if you’re interested,” she says at the end of her post.
Cat didn’t respond to a direct message seeking comment.
@cat_catz how an italian sub took away my sense of smell 12 years ago 😂🫠