Hi Ed,

--- In anosmia@yahoogroups.com, "Ed Shardlow" <Ed.Shardlow@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi Jan,
>
>
>
> I think this is definitely a case of "you don't know what you're
missing
> out on". In some ways you're lucky never to have had a sense of
smell,
> rather than to have had one and lost it.


I agree. It's the big difference between congenital anosmia and
acquired anosmia.


> It's almost impossible to describe what olfaction adds, it's
certainly
> much more than us anosmics can imagine, or observe in the
reactions of
> others. It's another dimension to the world that we're completely
blind
> to. I realise now that people who are born blind probably don't
form an
> internal visual image of the world, they really do perceive things
> without a visual dimension, just as I now see the world without
smell,
> and can't recreate the olfactory picture in my mind.


I honestly don't worry about all that.
Life is beautiful as it is.

I'm not trying to put down the experience of those who acquire
anosmia, just relating to a fellow probably congenital anosmic.



> Osmics take for granted the depth, pleasure and insight they get
from
> olfaction. Congenital anosmics don't know what they're missing out
on.
> Viral/polyposis anosmics try to get it back. Headbangers resign
> themselves to the fact that there's no treatment available.
>


I really don't feel that I'm missing on out anything (other than a
load of marketing hype for something that doesn't exist;-)

I do however, sympathise deeply with those who lose a sense on which
they probably relied more than they ever realised.

I suspect that Skeeter/Blaze actually is a congenital anosmic, not a
head banger anosmic.
Most congenital anosmics are not diagnosed at birth or early
childhood. It's difficult to be aware as a child that we are not
aware of something that doesn't exist for us. The head blow could be
totally irrelevant. An MRI scan could confirm presence or absence
of olfactory bulbs. Skeeter/Blaze didn't say if the docs had run
that test.



>
> Ed

Cheers:-)
Jan

>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: anosmia@yahoogroups.com [mailto:anosmia@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf
> Of Jan
> Sent: 01 February 2007 20:50
> To: anosmia@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [anosmia] Re: I'm a new one to the group
>
>
>
> Hi Kevin,
>
> That one doesn't bother me at all :-)
> There are definitely times that I'm glad I don't have a sense of
> smell.
>
> Smoke alarms don't cost much.
> Mind you, I still don't have a smoke alarm and my house still
hasn't
> burned down :-DDDDDD
>
> Cheers:-)
> Jan
>
> --- In anosmia@yahoogroups.com <mailto:anosmia%40yahoogroups.com> ,
> "Kevin" <seltaeb@> wrote:
> >
> > And what about those who respond to your inability to smell by
> saying
> > "you're lucky". Right. I can't smell my house burning down.
Lucky
> me.
> >
> > --- In anosmia@yahoogroups.com <mailto:anosmia%
40yahoogroups.com> ,
> "Jan" <janpinf@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > I guess you never had an MRI scan to check for olfactory bulbs?
> > >
> > > Many people who were born without a sense of smell aren't
> actually
> > > diagnosed with anosmia until after they are 5 or 6 or older.
> It's
> > > not always a bump on the head in childhood. With anosmia
noticed
> in
> > > early childhood, it's often something we're born with.
> > >
> > > I would be willing to bet that your sense of taste is OK?
> > >
> > > I would guess that you find it curious or even mildly
irrtating
> when
> > > people insist that you can't possibly have a sense of taste if
> you
> > > have a sense of smell? ;-)
> > >
> > > Also that people refuse to believe that you have no sense of
> smell
> > > and want to test it? ;-)
> > >
> > > And that they constantly forget that you have no sense of
> smell? ;-)
> > >
> > > I would also bet that you don't find anosmia a major problem,
but
> > > you've had the occasional "osmic incident". Usually something
> you
> > > can look back on and laugh about?
> > >
> > > Cheers:-)
> > > Jan - born with anosmia 59 years ago.
> > > My anosmia is part of Kallmann Syndrome.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In anosmia@yahoogroups.com <mailto:anosmia%
40yahoogroups.com> ,
> "skeester63" <skeester63@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Greetings one and all! I just happened to somehow stumble
> across
> > > this
> > > > group, and joined it just cause....just cause I have
Anosmia.
> > > I've had
> > > > it my whole adult life. I believe I was about 5-6 when I was
> > > jumping
> > > > on the beds and missed the mattress and caught the footboard
> with
> > > my
> > > > eyebrow. It gashed and dented it pretty good, but it didn't
> > > bleed.
> > > > Since then, I remember about 5th grade where the teacher had
> > > oranges
> > > > and spices and such, and she was testing us to see if we
could
> > > smell
> > > > them. I took a wild stab at it, but I think she thought I
was
> > > playing
> > > > around. When I was about 21, I paid a doctor $75 for him to
> tell
> > > me
> > > > that I couldn't smell, cause I dented my left eyebrow. Gee,
> > > thanks
> > > > doc! Well, now I see there is a whole new chapter in the
> anosmia
> > > book
> > > > and some folks, well, it just starts to happen that they
can't
> > > smell.
> > > > I, on the other hand, never been able to.
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
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