Okay, this is stupid. Some of you will have realised from some of my posts that I have no sense of smell or taste. It's gradually deteriated over the last 2 years since I developed asthma.

I've just heated a bowl of soup for tea and now sniffling into it. (And 'no', it hasn't improved the flavour!! ) It tastes like hot water! I've sprinkled in a bit of salt so i at least know it's savoury!

Do you know what I miss most? Being able to smell my girls girly smells And mens aftershave

And I miss eating for eatings sake. I'm a bloody good cook usually but I've started burning stuff cos i forget about things if i can't smell them. I love inventing new dishes, that's out of the window now, as i can't taste as I'm going along.

Sorry for the whinge, just gets to me now and again.

awww that must be awful especially if your a great cook what about a really strong curry tracey like vindaloo .. would you be able to taste that ??

I'm sorry to hear that Tracy, it must be bloody awful, whish I could say something that would make things better but I know it won't/can't

What about a strong Haggis can't you taste that i feel sorry for you

can you taste salty things ??? sorry couldnt resist it

Have a crispy bacon and egg sarnie. You will get some saltiness from the bacon and some difference in texture at least. Realy nice in a bit of fresh french bread too.

justup addition: edited cause I dropped the l from salt. Doh!!!

hello Redoctober...i'm sure other people you cook for apprciate it, and enjoy it even if you can't, must be awful tho...

i suffer from the same thing a little myself, but one thing that i enjoy is texture and heat when it comes to food. I know its not a patch on the real thing in terms of taste and smell, but its one way i've found of enjoying food again. Just concentrate on the new sensations your feeling when you eat something chewy, or crispy, or tough, or soft and wobbly. Also heighten awareness of the level of food in your stomach. the gradual fill up is quite pleasant. I know its a bit actory and hippy in terms of advice, but just be more aware of your body next time you eat, and you'll find that there are other and new sensations you can appreciate that will compensate a little

Gosh thanks everyone for the replies

First things first, Bernard, I can't enjoy spicey stuff in the way I used to. It's amazing how much flavour can mask the heat. I used to be able to manage really hot curries, but as all I get now is the heat, it's now too hot!! As for the bacon sarny, when the problem first started, it was lovely but now even the basic tastes are fading ie salt, sweet, sour, bitter (tho' anything with artificial sweetener in is now foul!)

Texture can be a good thing Chief. It's amazing the things I will eat now that i didn't used to when i could taste it, but there are also things I can't eat now. Chocolate can be foul now as it's just greasy, yet a fried egg that's gone crispy round the edges is great! And I never realised that creaminess isn't just a taste

I'm not sure an op. would do it Trace as its the daily inhaler I use that's effecting it. If I were to stop using it, my sense of taste/smell would return... temporarily!! (I say temporarily, cos when you're dead you tend to lose all your senses anyway! )