RE: Assistance for Anosmia

["Phil Harris" <phil@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jen [mailto:jenni@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 07 January 2005 21:46
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Assistance for Anosmia
>
> The number of times I have had someone stick something under
> my nose and say "But you must be able to smell this" is just
> not funny.

Nope - it isn't funny - I have a similar problem but I used to have a sense
of smell, now I don't. Lost it somewhere around 8 or 9 years old and it's
never come back. :-(

> I don't have a sense of smell, its not something that comes
> and goes, I have never been able to smell anything, ever. You
> get some funny looks I can tell you. Bet blind people don't
> get things stuck in front of them and told they must be able
> to see it... *sigh*

Yes ... I've lost count of the times that people have said to me "Go
on ...
Smell that ... It's lovely ... You *MUST* be able to smell that!"
obviously
making the assumption that I'm having a laugh and not being serious.
Thankfully I can still *TASTE* and what I take as being my remaining sense
of smell is actually what I taste at the back of my mouth as I breathe.
"Fortunately" I had my tonsils removed when I was 19 and since
then I
haven't been able to breathe through my nose anyway so I breathe through my
mouth and sound like Darth Vader!

But yes ... It's not easy when you can't smell stuff. Great for coping with
attacks of flatulence or when the kid's been puking but a real git the rest
of the time.

Phil