Karl Wuensech was tested by his doctor and learned that he had become anosmic. What does that mean? Simply, he lost his sense of smell. This section of the book really sparked my interest because I have a family member who has also lost their sense of smell. I never really took much thought into it until I read this book from another person's perspective.
Luckily, Wuensech's anosmia can get treated for some periods of time and he can lose and regain his smell over and over again. On the other hand, my family member cannot. This occurred to my family member based on some sinus issues similar to Wuensech. In the book, Wuensech explains that he misses the smell of people. My family member also misses that smell, as well as being able to smell and eat their food. Reading this section really made me think about the sense of smell. At one point in my life, my sense of smell was decreased but I have not been tested for anosmic because, for me, it was just some nasal blockage and congestion.
Thank you for this piece of information, but I'm not surprised that we can lose some of our senses over time. I'm surprised that you can get anosmia from a cold or infection. It can be permanent or temporary, just like when some people lost their sense of smell to Covid.
ReplyDeleteI was unaware of the connection between anosmic and the loss of sense of smell until reading this book. Like the other comment it is very similar to the idea of loosing ones sense of smell to covid wether that be long term or short. Sense of smell plays a huge role on a lot of decisions in our lives like if something does not smell right we know not to eat/drink it or evacuate a certain location.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on the importance of the sense of smell and how it can be affected resonates deeply. Sometimes, we may take our senses for granted until we encounter stories or experiences that bring them into focus. Thank you for sharing your perspective, and I hope that your family member finds ways to navigate their anosmia with resilience and discover alternative avenues of sensory pleasure.
ReplyDelete