Losing My Sense Of Smell And Taste

We do take our sense of smell for granted, but for me it was a major challenge as I had a flourishing career in the perfume industry. For over 13 years I was a trainer, brand manager always surrounded by fragrances and luxury brands like Givenchy, Versace, Dior to name a few and was known as a sniffer dog, who could easily identify the fragrance you were wearing from a distance.

View from an airplane window at the wings and flying over a scenic landscape of green hills and rivers

I never struggled at networking events, talking about the perfume someone is wearing is always a great conversation starter. Now I would not know if one had not showered for days.

The fragrance you wear, tells your story. Fragrance is intrinsically connected to emotions and memory. Experts say we are more likely to remember a smell, than what we see or hear. It can transport you back in time when you first encountered that smell. We have all had these experiences. Who does not remember the taste of mum’s cooking, that favourite aftershave, the fruity floral or woody musky whiff of your first love

I was a top-performing perfume seller and an engaging storyteller. I shared the story, the dream before selling a perfume. I could identify a personality and suggest a perfume based on that. Every perfume reacts differently to your body chemistry. You will choose a perfume based on your psychological type! All personality types follow their own style journey and unique nuances through perfumes.

Our olfactory nerves are interconnected, so along with your sense of smell, you lose your taste too. Earlier I lived to eat and now I do not really care, as long as my food is appealing and colourful.

After meeting nearly seven top neurosurgeons and researching about the condition, I have said a final goodbye to these senses. Now I dream of combining my olfactory knowledge with career coaching, how cool would that be!

For now, I miss being able to smell my baby. I have a gas alarm in case there is a leak, functional smoke alarms and my husband and friends explain to me the fragrances I wear. I depend on these descriptions. I love these conversations, but they also make me sad.

My Learnings:

Do not judge people by the clothes and perfumes they wear

I felt the happiest when I volunteered cleaning puppy kennels every morning. I could not smell the poop; all I could focus on was the puppy eyes. I was eager to finish cleaning so that I could play with the young ones.

I felt accomplished when one of my ex- students was often ignored by other teachers because he did not smell very good. I did not blame him. He was asked to wear a 3-piece uniform and walk in the heat to get to class. When my colleagues alerted me, I decided to give my student a makeover. He today works on the concierge desk at a 5 star hotel looking dapper and wearing the right perfume. I am glad I did not treat him the way his other tutors did and helped him to become a confident young man.

You can excel at things you were never good at, give it a try

Cooking without being able to smell or taste can be challenging. I took this challenge seriously and I now cook with my heart. No matter what I cook it is always delicious (my friends and family can vouch for it)

Do not live to eat

Earlier I lived to eat, now that taste does not matter, I only eat nutritious food. I do not really care as long as my food is appealing and colourful. I lost heaps of weight and feel way fitter than I was in my 20s

Have friends that embrace your imperfections

My husband describes the new perfumes to me. We were in the same fragrance industry for years – that is how we met. I close my eyes and go back to my knowledge from so many years back of different perfumes and through that try to understand the new. My close friends describe the freshness from the trees and flowers when we go for walks. I loved the smell of first rain, who does not. I close my eyes and think of it with a smile. I am glad to be alive.

I have many examples that have changed my perceptions. I will share my stories here. Do come back to read more.

How do we draw strength from major challenges and how can we use crisis as a springboard to succeed? Stay tuned to find out how I did it?