However, over the next few months I started to experience a series of mostly unpleasant, sometimes noxious, phantom smells and tastes. Fearing my condition would never improve I became depressed. The phantom smells changed again in the months that followed, though at least they were no longer noxious. Then eventually there was nothing at all. Taste-wise, I couldn’t discern any flavours, though I could still detect sour, sweet or saltiness. On researching the condition we now know to be anosmia, we discovered that this is the usual experience among those affected.

I returned to my work as a self-employed builder. My problems at that time focussed on the extremely severe headaches I was getting, together with fluid leaking from my nose. A second scan showed a small hole in my cribriform plate, prompting an emergency referral to a neurological consultant. A potential cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) leakage was diagnosed and I was referred to Kings College Hospital London. I was advised not to work until the outcome was known due to the potential risk of infection/meningitis. It took around nine months before I was finally admitted to Kings College Hospital for a repair operation, after which it was decided I no longer had a CSF leak! All this time I was unable to work and getting more depressed and frustrated. What made matters worse was my continued inability to smell or taste anything, and the fact that nobody in the medical profession was concerned or particularly interested in this aspect of my case. Attitudes ranged from “that’s quite common with head injuries, you’ll just have to learn to live with it as it’s not likely to return at all after 6 months or so” to “at least you’re still alive and healthy and people can learn to live without a sense of smell or taste”.

My neurological Consultant had already explained about the nerve receptors in the injury site and how damage to these could affect smell and taste; also that nerves very rarely regenerated unless they were just compressed rather than severed. After discharge from Kings, I was referred to an ENT Consultant where I presented a document detailing the history and treatment since the accident. The consultant was quite dismissive. I also told him about Fifth Sense and the help we had found there – he would not even read my notes. Nor was he interested in the cranial osteopathy I had sought, his only comment being that many people considered this as“quackery.” I stressed that this was the only treatment which had helped my severe headaches up to that point. Needless to say, I was very depressed after this visit.

After several treatments, the cranial osteopathy sessions seemed to offer some relief from pain.I appeared to pick up the odd smell too. Meanwhile, through Fifth Sense, life took on a whole new meaning for both myself and my wife Christine. We both read one of the charity’s recommended books – Season to Taste by Molly Birnbaum. We were inspired– what a wonderful story and book. I immediately started the smell training described in the book using essential oils and I appeared to pick up on certain scents. Some days were better than others and I found that after exercise or heightened emotions for example, I could discern smells more easily; whether this was due to my airways being more open or receptive, I don’t know. I did not always know the specific smell – occasionally I could recognise lemon, and a menthol aroma in eucalyptus for example – but at least there was ‘something’. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing.

In the weeks after the accident, I was just pleased when the injury healed and I could return to work. I had no idea though of the long-term impact. Losing your sense of smell or taste doesn’t sound that serious until it happens to you or a loved one. However, it has had a devastating effect on both our lives. Fortunately, I still enjoy my food and I eat well; my wife tries to consider colours and texture as well as ‘spicing’ food up a bit. Though she has to be careful using too much hot spicy seasoning as I have previously suffered with stomach ulcers!

It was losing my sense of smell which upset me most. My love of nature; the scents of flowers, new mown grass, woods in autumn. Those wonderful cooking smells; things to tempt the appetite. Not being able to smell exposes us to hazards too; the dangers of fire, gas, smoke, or noxious chemicals – a real risk in my work at that time as a builder. My wife worried for months about leaving me alone in the house in case I did something stupid without realising; for instance, cleaning our windows with the usual ammonia solution – I couldn’t smell it at all and when she came home one day she was nearly choking with the fumes. I also worry constantly about personal hygiene and my clothing; I was always fastidious before but now I am paranoid and will always ask my wife to check for me – something I find really embarrassing and hate doing. I think we were lucky up to a point, in that I was at home for most of the time following the accident, and my wife retired from work soon after, so we have both had time to devote to researching and trying different treatments. I only wish though that we had found Fifth Sense earlier to start the ball rolling sooner.

Following the initial relief I got from cranial osteopathy, the head pain returned with a vengeance. I was referred to a Pain Clinic and after a six month wait, I received some sessions of acupuncture which appeared to stop the headaches. Unfortunately, the regular headaches have returned, though not quite so severe. I have learned to live with them now.

Looking back to those early days, my memories are of a dark and depressing time, with continual feelings of isolation from my emotions. I felt more distant from my wife. Communication became difficult and there was much time spent in silence when I would shut myself away from her and my friends and former colleagues. If I hadn’t had the support of my wife – trying to make my meals more interesting, getting me to all the medical appointments, making doctors and consultants listen, encouraging me to try smell training, reading all the Fifth Sense articles – I don’t know where I would be today.

I have to say that in the last few months, something has definitely changed. After 7 years, I feel it has helped me to finally accept that I will always be anosmic. I believe I have somehow developed an enhanced awareness of everything which had become dull and stagnant to me since the accident. All my life I think I must have been a ‘super’ smeller and taster – to the extent that these things have stayed well rooted in my memory. I have a great memory of all the smells from my childhood and youth in particular – the smell of woods, trees, damp leaves when crunching on them during walks. I was an avid gardener and can vividly remember the smell of all the plants and flowers I grew in my parents’ garden. I remember the smell of wood preservative when helping my Dad paint the fence, the smell of his car engine when he got a new car, the smell of burning rubbish in the garden. Other newly acquired perceptions have extended to my meals, providing different experiences. Now when I eat, I look more thoughtfully at my food. I feel its texture – whether chewy, crunchy or smooth. I notice the different sensations on my tongue – sweet, salty, sour, bitter. I can even describe these ‘tastes’ which I didn’t focus on before. When I drink my ginger and honey tea, I get the heat and sweetness as well as pepper. I really appreciate my food more now and have a great appetite.

I truly believe that this increased awareness, coupled with my excellent memory, has helped me come to terms with my condition and enjoy so much about life that I thought was lost to me. Although the smell training with essential oils had only limited direct benefit, it was nevertheless a useful exercise. The mental processing inherent within smell training led to the recognition that for me, ‘memory training’ was the most important and beneficial factor.

Joining Fifth Sense and reading about all the other people who suffer from anosmia, I don’t feel so alone. We are overwhelmed with gratitude to Duncan Boak for starting this organisation, and for his dedication, enthusiasm and hard work. And to Professor Carl Philpott for the amazing work he has been doing in his Smell and Taste Clinic. We hope that soon there will be more of these clinics around the country to help those who may have a chance of recovering their sense of smell. We appreciate this may not be possible for everybody, but if you don’t even try…