Christina Applegate graphically details bout of both COVID and sapovirus, wearing diapers for MS side effects
"Having MS at 3 o'clock in the morning and trying to change your sheets, it's not fun," the "Dead to Me" star lamented of her recent string of illnesses while also living with multiple sclerosis.
Life has been pretty s---ty for Christina Applegate lately.
The Dead to Me star opened up about a series of (graphic) illness side effects she's been experiencing over the last month on an episode of her MeSsy podcast, cohosted with Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Applegate revealed that she recently had COVID for the first time, after someone "real close" to her "dropped the ball" and brought the disease home from a bowling alley.
Applegate, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, commonly referred to as MS, in 2021, hoped the worst of it would be a headache and chills, but she ended up contracting long COVID, experiencing a chest infection and racing heart rate.
After that, she was hit with sapovirus, which she colorfully described as a stomach bug so intense that she was "pissing out of [her] ass for a few days."
"I was so dizzy," she told Sigler. "I was so sick. I couldn't eat. I couldn't anything. And finally I had to do one of those samples — [a stool test], which is fun, and that's sarcasm, as you know — because you poop into a receptacle and then you have to scoop your own poop into vials. And it was so gross I started vomiting while doing this. Anywho, [test] came back [and] I had something called sapovirus. It is when you ingest the fecal matter of someone else from your food. Someone else's poop went into my mouth and I ate it."
Applegate explained she's been experiencing symptoms from the virus for nearly three weeks. She believes she contracted the virus from a takeout salad from a restaurant she's visited for years that's about to close due to losing their lease.
She said the illness has disrupted her life, preventing her from visiting her brother's new baby because of her inability to make it through a car ride in her present condition. She described another terrible night to Sigler. "I'm gonna be gross," she detailed. "I woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning in a pool of s---. Didn't know it happened, and having MS at 3 o'clock in the morning and trying to change your sheets, it's not fun."
From there, Applegate and Sigler segued into discussing adult diapers. Sigler also suffers from MS; she revealed in 2016 that she had been diagnosed at only 20 years old. The two have previously talked about wearing adult diapers in a joint interview with PEOPLE, explaining that the effects of MS make it difficult to control your bladder resulting in accidents.
"We have a bone to pick with the makers of these adult diapers," Sigler chimed in. Applegate pointed out that a big issue is that the diapers are not accessible for those who might have mobility challenges. "Wouldn't it be great if they had velcro on the sides?" she added. "You have to take all your clothing off. We need the velcro on the side."
Then, they both went off on manufacturers' tendency to decorate the adult diapers for women with floral designs and sell them in a blush pink color. "Putting on an adult diaper, you're not going to feel sexy," said Sigler. "It's something you've gotta wear because your body is malfunctioning, you're having an MS flare, you ate somebody else's poop, somebody didn't wash their hands. Whatever the reason why you're having to throw on this adult diaper, there's nothing enjoyable about it."
"You're f---ing pissed off when you have to pull that s--- on," she continued. "I think it would be very nice if you can give me an adult diaper that fully supported my mood when I looked at it, which would be something along the words of 'F-- me' across my pelvis. 'F--- you, f--- me,' something like that."
Note: The podcast episode includes a disclaimer that parts of it were recorded in 2023, but it is unclear which sections.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Related content:
Christina Applegate details painful MS relapse, hasn't slept for 24 hours or showered for 3 weeks
Christina Applegate receives standing ovation for Emmys 2023 appearance
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.