Let meeee educate you!

I joined a few blogging Facebook groups to improve my skills on here, (hopefully), and asked for some feedback from them about this blog. Most of it was "I've never heard of it before", or "This is new to me" etc. In fact it was a real eye opener for them!
It prompted me to add a few new bits of info on here, as I've never really gone into much detail about it apart from at the very beginning when I first started writing this blog. I'm not going to bore you so don't run away, and apologies to any Anosmics/Parosmics who've heard it all before!

Really what I want to tell you about is the different forms of this condition that there are. If you've been reading my blog from the start you'll know about Anosmia and Parosmia, but there are also some more out there unfortunately.
Phantosmia - "smell perception with no external stimulus". This is easily confused with Parosmia as they are quite similar. There is one main difference however. Parosmia is distortion of a smell that is present. Whereas, Phantosmia is a smell hallucination, there is no smell actually there but the person concerned thinks they can smell something which is usually very unpleasant to them.
Hyposmia - this is a partial loss of smell.
Hyperosmia - this is when a person has a greater than average ability to smell and also taste.
Dysosmia - is thought to be Parosmia and Phantosmia combined as a general distortion in odour perception.
These are just a few lines about the condition, but I'll probably start adding the odd snippet to future blog posts as well, so if there is anything you would like to know please leave a comment. I am not saying I'm an expert on any of this but I want to educate myself more, and if there is something you want to know and I don't, I'll find out for you.

You may remember me saying in my last post that I intended to get into the real me mode so that's what I am trying to do now. It doesn't mean I'm not allowed to moan now and then though so be prepared for that occasionally!
However things are starting to look up, and what I'm about to tell you has certainly pointed me in the right direction. My friend Caroline came over yesterday afternoon and we had Nespresso coffee, which oddly enough is pleasant for me.  We also had some of those tiny amaretto biscuits, one of which I decided to try.  All I got was sweetness at first, then all of a sudden an almond like taste came through just at the end of eating it! I thought I'd imagined it so had another one and it was definitely there.....wow how good is that?  I haven't even told my Mum yet, so you guys are the privileged few, (well hopefully there's more than a few of you reading this!), who get to find out first!!
This is so exciting for me that I'm smiling as I write it, but I wanted to save the best for last which is why I've told you at the end of this post.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that this is the start of good things to come, rest assured you will be kept up to date!

Anosmic Anniversary

Well here it is. One year ago today, I passed out, banged my head and came round with no sense of smell or taste. I can't believe it's been that long. I thought at first that I would get better, now I'm not so sure.

Things have changed though, for example:

Quite early on, I discovered that I couldn't eat anything with onions, onion powder, or garlic in as it set off my parosmia, and discovering this has helped me to eat a bit better as I now know what to avoid.

I can now smell vanilla candles, not actual vanilla but sweet and pleasant.

I have put 3lbs on, said I'd let you know remember. My doctor was very pleased!

I have discovered that I really enjoy writing even though it's a shame this is the way I had to find out.

(If you are into writing you can join my Facebook writing group using this link) www.facebook.com/groups/allwritedj

I don't know how I'm feeling at the moment though, sad yes, but I was at work today and I suppose that helped focus my mind on other things. However now I'm sitting here writing this and my head is so confused.
I thought I'd be in a crumpled heap crying my eyes out by this point but I'm not. I do think I'm coping better, well I must be or I'd be doing the 'crumpled heap' thing by now! I also know I'll be up and down emotionally, there will be a trigger that will set me off at some point, that is what happens now. It's not the constant painful loss anymore, but it's still there in the background.
I suppose this should be the year when I pick myself up and get back into living mode, instead of managing mode, because for me this is more my New Year than the official New Year. I've even changed my template for the occasion.

My sister, Mandy said to me don't let your Anosmia define you and it has.....so this is the tricky part where I become officially me again. Deborah Ann Jinks, not Deborah Ann-osmic Jinks, yesss I did a funny!  That's a good start. Speak to you all soon in real me mode, you can tell me off if I'm not.

Actually I've not quite finished after all. It is Anosmia Awareness Day on the 27th of February, so if you want to show your support please wear something red on that day. I certainly will be. You can also find out more about it on Facebook. www.facebook.com/AnosmiaAwarenessDay
Thanks in advance for that one.