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I'm a cologne addict with mild anosmia

post #1 of 9
10/13/09 at 5:37pm
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About two years ago I had surgery for a deviated septum. The ENT specialist also removed most of my turbinates to allow be to breathe better at night. A very unfortunate side effect of the surgery was that I lost some of my sense of smell. (This is actually quite common.)

Recently I've gone on a cologne buying spree, and I think I know why. I so dearly miss the sense of smell I once had, that I'm trying to find a way to replace the loss I've endured, and the only way I know how right now is to buy as many scents as possible to try to "jump-start" my nose and enjoy life as I once knew it.

My wife sometimes complains that I put on way too much cologne, but I feel as if I've put on just enough to be able to enjoy it without offending others. Luckily I work from home, so the only ones I offend are my wife and kids.

Does anyone have a similar story? I'd be most interested to hear from those with a condition similar to mine.
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post #2 of 9
10/13/09 at 6:28pm
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sorry to hear that man, but hey just keep sprayin away!!!!
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post #3 of 9
10/13/09 at 6:51pm
You've done exactly what I figured I would have done if I had endured such a loss. I've actually thought about this before.

In short, I definitely think it will work for you.

Even if you had more olfactory real estate than you do now, it's quality that counts, not quality. Ever since I "got into" fragrances, the world has increasingly "blossomed" out to me in the sense of smell. I notice smells more, I pay more attention to them, I appreciate them more, and I acknowledge them more completely. This has happened as a by-product of my fragrance hobby.

If I were you, I'd start smelling all the scents you could find. Get small samples, and amass a giant collection of them. "Tour" them and get to know what particular notes smell like.

I don't know what your particular situation is, but I think there might even be potential to come out of this ahead of the game, so to speak.


---

Edit -
Oh, wait a minute - You've got 200 fragrances listed in your collection/tested list... I don't get it...
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post #4 of 9
10/13/09 at 8:11pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scentronic View Post

Edit -
Oh, wait a minute - You've got 200 fragrances listed in your collection/tested list... I don't get it...

What don't you get? As you say, I've "amass[ed] a giant collection of [scents]." That's exactly the point! Trying anything and everything I can get my hands on is what it's all about.

Why are you ?
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post #5 of 9
10/13/09 at 8:28pm
Oh, I just didn't know you were quite that far along! Rock on!
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post #6 of 9
10/13/09 at 9:30pm
I once had a sinus infection last about 6 months... then I overdid it with saline nasal spray. I ended up with anosmia to certain notes in fragrances for about 3 months, along with painful, bloody nasal tissue the whole time. As soon as summer came around though, my nose got more moisturized and my sense of smell slowly went back to normal.

In the end, my sense of smell is now no longer "super-human" but just about the same as everyone else (I used to have an innnnssaanne sense of smell before the infection). The strange thing though, is that now I can decipher notes better than I could before the infection. I guess I just appreciate my sense of smell more these days

I was addicted to fragrance long before the sinus infection, but now I definitely appreciate fragrance more than ever. I felt so incredibly disconnected from the world (even emotions, memories, places, etc) when I couldn't smell anything. I don't wish that experience on anyone.
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post #7 of 9
10/15/09 at 1:11am
I have unilateral anosmia... didn't even know such a thing was possible at one point. *heh*

In addition to messing with my sense of smell, it's done a number on my sense of taste. The fam has to constantly remind me to go easy on the cayenne.
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post #8 of 9
10/15/09 at 12:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Midiguru View Post

About two years ago I had surgery for a deviated septum. The ENT specialist also removed most of my turbinates to allow be to breathe better at night. A very unfortunate side effect of the surgery was that I lost some of my sense of smell. (This is actually quite common.)

Recently I've gone on a cologne buying spree, and I think I know why. I so dearly miss the sense of smell I once had, that I'm trying to find a way to replace the loss I've endured, and the only way I know how right now is to buy as many scents as possible to try to "jump-start" my nose and enjoy life as I once knew it.

My wife sometimes complains that I put on way too much cologne, but I feel as if I've put on just enough to be able to enjoy it without offending others. Luckily I work from home, so the only ones I offend are my wife and kids.

Does anyone have a similar story? I'd be most interested to hear from those with a condition similar to mine.

Fear not bro. You were one of the first 10 to sign up in that free samples thread for the upcoming holidays. I'll be sending you some and now that I know this, I will send the strongest juice I own....God help your family.
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post #9 of 9
10/15/09 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AromiErotici View Post

Fear not bro. You were one of the first 10 to sign up in that free samples thread for the upcoming holidays. I'll be sending you some and now that I know this, I will send the strongest juice I own....God help your family.

THAT'S what I want to hear! My kids will be running away in fear!

Thanks Aromi!
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