Sense-less

It all started a week ago.  Augustine had been sick for a few days, Luke was out of town, and I was getting no sleep!  It all caught up with me when I woke up in the middle of Tuesday night with swollen glands and full sinuses.  Awesome. 

And then Wednesday night happened--a very difficult night.  It was Luke's last night away.  Augustine woke up at 10 pm, just as I was headed to bed.  Not his typical "wake up to eat and go back to sleep" wake up.  Oh no, he stayed up for T.H.R.E.E. hours.  Believe me when I say he has never done that before.  After trying to get him back to sleep for awhile, I broke down and brought him downstairs in tears.  I had never felt so tired {the accumulation of Augustine being sick on and off for the past few months, Luke being out of town, and now me being sick}, and I didn't know how I was going to make it until Luke returned around 10 am the next morning.  So there we were, at midnight, watching kid tv, Augustine snacking on a bowl of dry Cheerios and a cup of milk.  Augustine did most of the watching--I did most of the crying.  In fact, I called Luke several times, as he was on a long, overnight bus ride home from Orlando, FL.  I told him things like, "I might die I am so tired," "I guess we will just stay awake until you get home in the morning," and "I think this is your last season playing soccer {i.e. traveling}."  Oh, yes, I was in rare form and not thinking very rationally.   

As you may have guessed, Augustine did go back to sleep that night and I did survive until Luke returned {barely...}.  As soon as Luke walked in the door, we exchanged a much needed hug and kiss, and then I left for the doctor.  It turns out I had a sinus infection, as well as self-diagnosed sleep deprivation. 

The doctor gave me an antibiotic, told me to take Mucinex D for the symptoms, and recommended Tylenol PM to help in the sleep department. 

I don't know what happened while I was asleep {if you can call it that} that night, but I haven't been able to taste or smell anything since early Friday.  When I say anything, I mean anything.  It's not one of those things where you can only taste your food if you blow your nose immediately before you eat.  It's not one of those things where you can smell and taste things but not very well.  I literally cannot smell or taste anything at all in any degree, even when I can breath perfectly fine through my nose.  And, yes, it's scaring me!

At first I just noticed it at meal times.  Do you know what it's like to go out to eat and order something new... and then to eat it all, never knowing what it tasted like?  And then half an hour later wondering why you have a stomach ache?  I do.  {I also know what it's like to spend $10 on a mimosa that tasted to me like pulpy, gassy water--grrrr!  I did not know the mimosa was going to cost $10, by the way, but I digress...} 

For the past few days, food has really lost its flair.  I can only gauge it by two things: temperature and texture.  Not even cough drops, coffee, or alcohol {I imagine that could get dangerous...} phase me. 

Once I realized I really couldn't taste anything, I started noticing how much I missed smelling the world around me.  It's very strange to wake up in the morning and not have any external motivation to brush one's teeth because one can not smell one's own breath.  It's equally strange to kiss one's husband not knowing the status of one's breath...or one's husbands' breath.  It's been really hot here lately, and when I go in to hug people, I wonder if I smell??  We had friends over for a Memorial Day barbecue and I wondered what my house smelled like...what my kitchen smelled like...what the food I was serving them smelled {let alone tasted} like??  I sprayed perfume on myself the other night and then, desperately, held the spritzer right under my nose and sniffed with all I had:  nothing {thank goodness it wasn't something toxic!}.  My poor little guy has sat in more poopy diapers in the past couple days than he has in his whole life because I just can't smell him {though it does make changing the diapers a bit more pleasant...}.  I miss smelling Augustine's sweaty, sun-screen face in the afternoons and his clean hair before bed. 

Who knew I would miss my nose so much?

Alas, I just ate a big bowl of ice cream.  It felt nice and cold, and I appreciated the gooey-ness of the cookie dough bits and the crunch of the peanut butter I shamelessly added, knowing full well I wouldn't be able to taste it...but it is just not the same without all its glorious flavors.  This condition could be good detachment for me and my sweet tooth!  But in all seriousness, has this ever happened to anyone?  How long did it last, and will I ever get my senses back??  It has been five whole days now, and although I am hopeful, it would help to hear if anyone has ever gone through this....and recovered! 

Thanks...and please enjoy all the tastes and smells the world offers you today!!