Why does Meg have a Useless Sniffer??!??!

The science behind smell: The sense of smell arises from the stimulation of the olfactory receptors by activation from gas molecules that pass by the nose while breathing. The resulting electrical activity is transduced into the olfactory bulb which then transmits the electrical activity to other parts of the olfactory system and the rest of the central nervous system via the olfactory tract.

Damage to the olfactory system can cause anosmia, the loss of the ability to smell. There are quite a few conditions that can cause such damage to the olfactory system such as nasal polyps, cancer, inhalation of toxic fumes, or neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Some people are born without the sense of smell, this is termed congenital anosmia.

In my case, I suffered a severe brain injury. When I was 15 years old, I was hit by a car while riding on my bike. Although I don’t remember what happened, it was entirely my fault. I was not wearing a helmet and was crossing traffic illegally (not at an intersection). I landed on the windshield and fractured my skull. I was in intensive care for a few days, of which I don’t remember either. I stayed in the hospital for about a week or two after that (really is a blur to me). I did not realize I had lost my sense of smell for a month or two after the accident. It took me so long to realize I was missing the sense because I was too busy from getting a psychological evaluation on my mental processes regarding: structural brain condition, deficiencies caused by brain trauma such as pain, emotions, personality, strengths in cognitive and psychosocial skills, diagnostic understanding of the physiological, psychological, and cognitive impact of the injury, extent of the injury and prognosis for recovery, identifying barriers to assets for recovery, prognosis for return to school and sports, and other fun tedious tests! I was also on a good amount of codeine to control the pain.

When I did realize that something in life was missing, the procedure to diagNOSE was simple: “Can you smell this jar of cinnamon? No? You have Anosmia! Nothing we can do, goodbye!” No other testing was done. I have been led to believe that when my skull hit the windshield, my brain bounced around like a ping pong ball causing some part in the olfactory system to quit their job. Occasionally, I will experience phantom smells (phantosmia). The phantom smells are nothing I have ever smelled before though, so it is hard for me to describe; I am just happy they are pleasant smells.

In the end, the accident could have been a lot worse. My body was unharmed, except for a few slight unnoticeable scars around my elbows. I am grateful that the sense of smell is all I lost. I can still see, hear, feel, and taste. Also, these senses will soon compensate for the anosmia and I will become a super human. Yup, any day now.

Type for the Very First Time…

It’s up and running! I am hesitant in deciding what to write about in my first entry. These first few words are going to set the tone for the whole blog, so I feel there is a lot of pressure to at least sound mildly entertaining and interesting. Who am I kidding? I know it’s going to be “tots” awesome.

Originally, I had planned to use this site as a forum/website for people that live with anosmia (lack of olfaction; absence of ability to smell). I guess laziness has prevailed, because I have settled upon using it just as a platform to write about my own experiences in life. Or something.

(thank you JFQ!)