We learned in elementary school that the human body has 5 senses: touch, smell, taste, vision, and hearing. In this ravaged ALS body of mine, I have lost the first three senses: ability to touch, smell, and taste. Allow me to explain.
When my body lost the ability to move any muscle, the arms, hands, and legs were the first to go. Accompanied by the loss of my ability to touch. Even if I wanted to, I could no longer touch something like a basketball, pet the dogs, or the typical things we do when we touch something. I took those things for granted, until I lost the ability to touch. Oh, I can still feel it when someone touches me. I can still feel pain. But what I really miss the most is my ability to show affection. Like holding hands with Carol. Like hugging Carol or kissing Carol. I can still feel all those things, but Carol must initiate it.
I got my feeding tube in 2020 because I could no longer swallow. I lost my sense of taste. Then I got my trach and had to breathe through a tube in my throat. One of the side effects from not being able to breathe through my nose is I lost my sense of smell.
Losing my sense of smell was a big loss for me. I don’t miss the bad smelling stuff. Like skunk smell, picking up dog poop (or even smelling my own poop), or taking out the garbage on a hot day. There are a lot of bad smells I don’t miss.
But I do miss the smell of Carol’s cooking. I miss the smell of a good hamburger or a juicy steak cooking on the grill. I miss the smell of movie popcorn or the smell of chocolate chip cookies or brownies baking. I miss the smell of barbecue. There are a lot of smells I do miss.
My ability to taste things was a HUGE loss for me. I can’t taste Hershey’s chocolate almond bar anymore. I miss the taste of Peanut M&M’s or a Payday Bar. I can’t eat a Chik Fil A sandwich (or their waffle fries) anymore. I miss tasting McDonald’s French fries, Quarter Pounder with cheese, or an Egg McMuffin. I miss the taste of a Wendy’s Baconator. I can’t eat a juicy 16oz ribeye at Ruth Chris or Little Alley Steak anymore. I miss tasting Jelly Bellies. Come to think of it, this is maybe why I ballooned up to 355 pounds!
The restaurant ads on TV are torture for someone who can’t taste! Have you seen the ad for Chili’s 3 for $10 deal, where you get chips & salsa, a hamburger, and a Diet Coke? It causes my mouth to water every time I see the commercial. What I wouldn’t give for just one taste of their chips & salsa or for the baby back ribs! Don’t get me started on the Papa John‘s commercials. I like Shaq, but come on, really!
But what I miss the most is the taste of an ice-cold beer! After all, I’m a Beer Man at heart! Oh, I can still drink beer. I just have to funnel it! Who would have ever thought that the funneling skills I learned at Auburn would come in so handy!
Now I’m stuck with eating Real Food Blends through my feeding tube. Many of the things I wouldn’t have eaten ever before my ALS diagnosis. Things like salmon, kale, broccoli, and others I would not have eaten. If it came out of the water, I didn’t eat it! Now I eat those things 4 times per day!
I don’t want to lose my other two senses, hearing, and vision. Losing 60% of my senses is ENOUGH! When I embarked on this ALS journey, I didn’t realize I would lose any of my senses, but here we are. Never take for granted your God given senses the human body provides. Once they are gone, they are gone! I didn’t understand that. Maybe I would have appreciated them more when I had the chance. Maybe I should have smelled the coffee a little more (even though I don’t like coffee)!
#maketodayyourbestday #EndALS #FaithoverFear
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