Nice people thread part 8 - worth the wait

Generali

I heard a fascinating interview on the radio today with a bloke who had a malaria bout and a stroke in 2007 and as a result lost his sense of smell.

He could still taste the basic tastes: sweet, sour, umami, salt, bitter, metallic, sour but couldn't taste 'stew', 'curry' or 'salad'.

He could still pretty much taste individual things so a banana was similar to how a banana had tasted, meat was similar to meat-ante, ginger to ginger-ante.

The funny thing for me was that it wasn't the loss of the sophisticated tastes that he seemed not to like, it was the constant requirement to lie to everyone including his wife. "Yes this complex dish is delicious" when what a complex dish meant to him was, "I can taste the single dominant flavour, which is quite boring. If you had presented 4 distinct flavours on the plate that were separate then that would have been more fun for me".

I read a while ago that the highest suicide rate among people who have lost a sense in adulthood is for those that have lost their sense of smell.

michaels

UKIP put a 'jacket'/outside 4 page spread round are local paper as other advertisers often do but this was a surprise for me as I thought newspapers and TV were not allowed to carry political advertising?

Beyond that I have to admit not having read any of the other leaflets. I think we are a libdem/labour marginal but I'm not sure how it works as we seem to have 3 councillors who cover the one area so all that changes is whether we have 2 lib dems and 1 labour or 1 libdem and 2 labour. I can't see it being fertile UK territory although I was looking at local school performance reports and almost all had more than 10% pupils where English was not spoken at home, perhaps it is a goldilocks situation where there are enough for them not to be a scary unknown but not so many that 'English' culture feels like it is being lost.

Spirit_2

Generali wrote: »

I heard a fascinating interview on the radio today with a bloke who had a malaria bout and a stroke in 2007 and as a result lost his sense of smell.

He could still taste the basic tastes: sweet, sour, umami, salt, bitter, metallic, sour but couldn't taste 'stew', 'curry' or 'salad'.

He could still pretty much taste individual things so a banana was similar to how a banana had tasted, meat was similar to meat-ante, ginger to ginger-ante.

The funny thing for me was that it wasn't the loss of the sophisticated tastes that he seemed not to like, it was the constant requirement to lie to everyone including his wife. "Yes this complex dish is delicious" when what a complex dish meant to him was, "I can taste the single dominant flavour, which is quite boring. If you had presented 4 distinct flavours on the plate that were separate then that would have been more fun for me".

I read a while ago that the highest suicide rate among people who have lost a sense in adulthood is for those that have lost their sense of smell.

My brother has had radiotherapy for a head and neck cancer. He has entirely lost his sense of smell and taste. This seemed bad but he expected to be able to regain his ability to eat some solid food. Unfortunately this has not been recovered and now his entire menu is a high calorie milkshake, which of course tastes of nothing to him although it is allegedly in different flavours.

I do not think that he will do as you describe as his wife killed herself when she was 25 and he knows the aftermath which he would not want for his children. I cannot imagine waking up each day and knowing you will never eat 'food' again and that you must at frequent intervals drink milk shake just to survive. He has become very frail.

Spirit_2

michaels wrote: »

Beyond that I have to admit not having read any of the other leaflets. I think we are a libdem/labour marginal but I'm not sure how it works as we seem to have 3 councillors who cover the one area so all that changes is whether we have 2 lib dems and 1 labour or 1 libdem and 2 labour. I can't see it being fertile UK territory although I was looking at local school performance reports and almost all had more than 10% pupils where English was not spoken at home, perhaps it is a goldilocks situation where there are enough for them not to be a scary unknown but not so many that 'English' culture feels like it is being lost.

I think there have only ever been Conservative local councillors here but a nearby resident is an active Senior Lib Dem so I think that accounts for their show of leaflets here. At the present level of multiculturalism this would not be fertile UKIP territory either although they might do better than labour.

Nikkster

Spirit wrote: »

I cannot imagine waking up each day and knowing you will never eat 'food' again and that you must at frequent intervals drink milk shake just to survive. He has become very frail.

Oh wow - I can't imagine how difficult that is. On my 'fasting' days, I notice just how many adverts/ tv programmes are about food, or even show food/ cooking/ eating - and that is with eating less being completely my choice (and I can still pick things that need chewing).

GDB2222

Spirit wrote: »

When DD was small and out on "Spirit" we used to go past a lovely field...but sometimes it was full of Ostriches.

It was then a nightmare as pony exercised her right to be scared witless. She could go backwards very fast, snort like a dragon, make herself grow or shrink, go sideways into hedges.

What a sensible pony is all I can say. Ostriches are really dangerous, and listed as such. http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-an-Encounter-with-an-Ostrich

This, from the book of Numbers, seems apposite:

22 Then God's anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam's anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!" 30 So the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?" And he said, "No." 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. 32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live." 34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, "I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back." 35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

vivatifosi

Nikkster wrote: »

Oh wow - I can't imagine how difficult that is. On my 'fasting' days, I notice just how many adverts/ tv programmes are about food, or even show food/ cooking/ eating - and that is with eating less being completely my choice (and I can still pick things that need chewing).

My husband has terrible trouble eating. He can taste everything but is having real issues keeping stuff down. He's been under a gastric specialist for a long time and the bad stuff like cancer has thankfully been ruled out, nevertheless it is very debilitating. Simple stuff, like we can't now go out for a meal, or go round friends for dinner. It's quite socially isolating as well as taking the joy out of one of the basic senses. He was due to have a very big op, but we've heard that there's a less invasive alternative coming through so will probably hang on for that. Not nice.

Please don't quote as I'll probably take down later.

GDB2222

The daughter of friends has Crohn's, which flares up. A cousin's wife had a section of intestine removed. There's probably more of this around than one realises.

Another friend comes to us for dinner, but brings her own food. That seems to work all right.

PasturesNew

Although I don't eat well, I enjoy dreaming of food I could cook/eat .... before reaching for a bag of crisps.

So far today I've had one doughnut .... had the other 4 (pack of 5) for tea/supper last night. I was looking for something to eat in Mr S and they didn't have many pizzas left (at £2.50, which is a real treat price anyway) .... so I was looking in other aisles for a good food fix and spotted these doughnuts reduced to 30p. So that was "sold to the fat bird with sweaty palms"

Upon diagnosis of C, my dad was given some super strong tablets to take. Immediately everything tasted vile .... and from that day to the end (3 months) he rarely ate more than a teaspoon of food a day

Nikkster

vivatifosi wrote: »

Not nice.

No, not nice at all. I hope the less invasive alternative is suitable, and comes along quickly.