ANOSMIA: THE FORGOTTEN AILMENT

I’ll admit it; I love trash television! It is one of my worse vices. One of my latest obsessions is Bravo’s Most Eligible Dallas. It follows the romantic escapades of six young, wealthy, purportedly attractive Dallas residents. So what does this have to do with anosmia? Last night’s episode included a situation that I really related to.

One of the characters, Drew Ginsburg, is a recovering alcoholic. Last night, frienenemy Matt Nordgren offered Drew a drink. He knows Drew’s history with alcohol, but he either didn’t remember (I think not) or couldn’t resist the dig (the more likely scenario). In any case, what struck me about the scene was how quickly friends and family forget my anosmia. The scene plays out something like this:

The server places the plates on the table. The food looks delicious; my companion leans forward and inhales the fragrant aroma, then looks at me and says, “doesn’t it smell wonderful?” I give the now standard blank stare or shrugged shoulders which inevitably invokes the “oh sorry, I totally forgot” response.

It really is the forgotten ailment. It is odd how quickly people forget. You can tell them once and they don’t remember the next time they see you.

On the flip side, it is never forgotten for me. Though it is my current reality, there is not a moment or day that I do not remember that I can’t smell. There is an odd sterility in the air; something that is impossible to explain to others. And what’s worse, I have strings of days where I do “smell,” but these days everything seems to smell like a rancid chemical (not necessarily a scent one wants to smell all the time)…yuck!

And on those rare occasions when I “smell” something good, I question whether it is real or a memory. A few months ago in Denver, I swore I smelled fresh basil. A few days ago, I thought I smelled the garlic I was cooking. But I never know what is real and what is phantom.

If someone had asked me a year ago which sense I’d give up if I had a choice, I don’t know that smell would have come to mind. Why? Because we take it for granted. Smell is the sense that truly requires no proactive activity on our part; it just happens! But not for me, not any more…

So, I know how Drew felt last night when Matt “forgot” about his sobriety; but I also know how easily loved ones can forget things that are simply absent. It’s not like we wear a badge. But we never forget and so if we become frustrated, don’t hold it against us.

As always…I am the Tasteless Gourmand!