MY ANOSMATIC LIFE

Happy New Year, Folks! 2020 was crazy. So glad it’s gone. In this new year, I would like to try something new. Usually, I make personal goals to achieve something, but this year I am also making intentions to live by each day. One of my intentions is that I will release my fears of not being able to smell again. It’s daunting, and thinking about it never makes me feel good. Instead, I will focus on ways to regain my sense of smell and only give energy to the possibilities.

Starting tomorrow, I am making strides to get this sense of smell of mine back through smell training. According to AbScent, a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting those living with smell disorders to find a better quality of life, smell training is when you actively sniff the same four scents every day for at least 20 seconds each while concentrating on what you’re doing.

For the next 21 days (January 11 to January 31), I will participate in a 21-Day Jump Start Smell Training Program with Frauke Galia, founder of FALK Aromatherapy. Frauke is also a Level II Certified Aromatherapist, an ambassador with Fifth Sense, and a strong advocate for people living with anosmia. As a first-timer, I am excited to embark on this journey with her support through this program. There’s a whole world of smells I want to experience again.

As previously mentioned, I acquired anosmia, and my Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor told me my sense of smell could return. In 2019, I could smell for seven months, which was a record (and pure bliss) that started with two cortisone shots. Despite my Samter’s Triad diagnosis, I am still encouraged. If I can smell it when I get steroids, and for months, it’s there. I have to figure out how to keep it when it returns and without steroids. Some studies here and here have shown that smell training is effective, can possibly fix olfactory loss, and is very beneficial for those who have lost their sense of smell. So, this is a great start!

It will be a long-term commitment. I am committed to starting my day off with smell training and ending with another second round of smell training at night while completing a daily journal to keep track of my thoughts, and what I can and can’t smell. It’s going to be interesting.

To start smell training, I needed some items: four essential oils Rose Absolute, Clove Bud, Eucalyptus, and Lemon, cotton pads, jars, and labels. Thankfully, I already had some new, unused lemon and eucalyptus oil. I found some cheap Rose Absolute essential oil (usually expensive), Clove Bud essential oil, and amber jars online. There is a science to smell training, and why the four essential oils: lemon, rose, clove, and eucalyptus, are chosen. Luckily, I have smelled eucalyptus before. It’s one of my favorite essential oils for aromatherapy. I hope to catch a whiff of it along with the rest and can’t wait to put my kit together.

Smell training is not a substitute for clinical interventions, examinations, or treatment. There is no guarantee that smell training will restore my sense of smell, but I am willing to give it a try. I am making smell training part of my daily routine to make it a new habit, which is essential. I miss smelling. I want to smell it again. I know it’s possible to smell again. I will take the time and energy out of each day for smell training to try to get my sense of smell back. I am encouraged and hope you will follow me on this journey.

To learn more about smell training, check out UK-based charity Fifth Sense’s SmellAbility© Toolkit which tools to support people with a smell disorder. If you’re interested in participating in a program with daily inspiration and support to jumpstart smell training, check out the 21-Day Jump Start Smell Training Program.