Originally Posted on Jan. 26, 2022

Today, I smelled coffee, cologne, a permanent marker, chicken, and engine exhaust.

I never knew how much I experienced the world through my sense of smell until I lost it in October 2020.

The night before my COVID-19 test in Norman, Okla., I ate an ice cream cookie sandwich from The Baked Bear—but I couldn’t taste or smell it.

For months, ketchup was all I could taste, so I ate it with nearly everything, from rice to pizza. Overtime, I regained my taste. But my smell just wouldn’t come back.

I became frustrated and did more research. Even today, scientists have no “one answer” as to why COVID-19 affects a person’s sense of smell. There are theories.

My preferred theory is that sustentacular cells are damaged; these cells “support and assist the olfactory neurons, which identify smells,” according to an ABC News article that cited a Harvard Medical School study published in July 2020.

These cells can, however, regenerate and regain their function over a period of time, the article indicates.

Mine took about 460 days to regenerate.

During that time, I accidently cleansed my face with fingernail polish remover instead of makeup remover—and I nearly burned my bare skin with a heating pad that was melting through its plastic and fabric cover. I couldn’t smell anything.

The day I could finally smell a candle was miraculous. On Jan. 3, 2022, Mama and I made a trip to Dollar General, where I picked up a salted caramel candle.

I stuck my nose up to the wax and breathed in the sweet scent. Mama ended up buying the candle, and we lit it on the coffee table beside the Christmas tree at home.

I’m only one of countless people who have lost their sense of smell over the past two years. The data on the number of people varies.

Within my own family, Makayla also lost her ability to smell for a few months.

On the second floor of Mary and Matt’s house, Makayla was locked away reading Percy Jackson, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and listening to the rain during the week of Thanksgiving 2020. She was in quarantine with COVID-19.

She said without her sense of smell, the world was dull. I agree that there is a real sadness connected to the inability to share in the joy and disgust of scents with others.

Many times, I walked down the marina at The Pearl in Doha, Qatar, and could not smell the aroma of the rows of restaurants with outdoor patios where people sipped on lattes and ate pancakes dripping in butter and syrup.

I realize that losing my sense of smell was not a “tragedy” because I could still fully function and embrace life, and I still can. I can hear. I can see. I can feel. I can speak. I can run. I can dance. I can swim. I can read. I can hike. I can write.

Now, I thank God I can. It’s valuable to experience the world without limitations. I know that not everyone can.

These are photos of my favorite people. In each photo, you can see a moment in time but may only imagine the smells and sounds.