Someone asked me to tell him more about my anosmia... Considering this is probably the weirdest thing about me, I decided to devote a blog entry to it, I hope you don't mind
In fact my testimony about anosmia was recently published in a magazine, so I'll use that article (translated from Dutch) as a starting point with some additions:

I don't exactly remember when I first realised that there was something weird about me, I think the feeling just gradually grew. In high school I had a school doctor do a routine check-up. I mentioned to him that I couldn't smell, and that was the beginning of a whole series of tests and exams. Very unpleasant too, my body is my own, and I don't enjoy being poked and prodded and being made to walk up and down a doctor's room in my underwear for example Anyway, it turned out, after an MRI, that I have an un/underdeveloped olfactory nerve. So my anosmia (not being to smell) was congenital. (Some people only become anosmic later on is life, for example after an accident or illness)

The fact that my anosmia is congenital means that the chance of healing or being cured is extremely unlikely. When thinking about not being able to smell, a lot of people think about when they have a severe cold. The ressembalance is only partial, because, as far as I know, the only thing that happens is that you have trouble tasting your food. Being permanently anosmic come with more problems though.

But first more about the taste issue, since that is usually the first thing people ask about, or some even claim with absolute certainty "you can't smell? Then you can't taste!". I'll let you in on a little secret... That soooooooooo gets on my nerves!So here is my view...
There are a lot of discussions about the link between anosmia and tasting. It is said that the flavor of food (yes, I said flavor, not taste) is 90% smell, and the other 10% is taste and texture. BUT... It doesn't feel like that to me. I often make a comparison to blind people. Their lack of sight is compensated by sharper hearing etc. I firmly believe that because smell is absent, my taste buds are more sensitive than most poeple, and that texture also plays a greater role. (Might I add, I've discovered that their are 5 elemental tastes, the fifth one being "umami" Of course, this is just my view, some agree with me, others don't. It usually boils down to the difference between congenital anosmics and those who acquire anosmia later in life. In any case, I don't feel like I'm missing much... Exceptions are herbs, which I find hard to distinguish in dishes (tasting them pure is different) Also flavored tea just tastes like warm water to me. On the other hand, I can distinguish different brands of mineral water. Also, which is weird, when someone smokes close to me, I don't smell it, but I TASTE it!

In itself it doesn't bother me much that I can't smell. It's hard to miss what you never had... But there are inconveniences... Smoke alarms are a must, because I would notice smoke way too late. Gas detectors are also necessary (I have a gas stove). (Although I must say, I have actually experienced any dangerous situations) Another danger seems to be food that has gone bad, although I haven't had personal experiences with that. Apparently you normal people smell food to know if it's still good? I've never understood why anosmics are in danger of eating spoiled food, I've always considered it normal to LOOK at my food and just use some common sense too (how long has it been open, what's the eat-by date etc.). I don't even feel like I have to be really careful, and I've never had food poisoning.

Other tricky issue is hygiene and clean clothes... I have to admit that I really have to remind myself to wash myself regularly. To me dirt is purely visual, I look at something to know if it is dirty or not. I know that something can be dirty without looking dirty (sweat for example), but because I don't know what stench is, it's hard to imagine. Clothes also require special attention. T-shirts I wear twice before washing, or once if I was really sweaty. Pants I wear longer. I can't just smell clothes to know if I can still wear them, so I ask my mom or bf to smell them. This is an exception though, because I have a "system"... Freshly washed clothes: in the wardrobe; clothes worn but suitable for wearing again: on my chair; T-shirts worn twice, or anything else dirty: in the hamper.

This is an area where I have had a nasty experience though... A few classmates who knew of my anosmia wanted to hurt me... So they decided to tell me that I smaell bad, on several occasions... Telling me I needed to see a specialist because it wasn't normal etc. Undoubtedly there were times when I didn't smell of roses, so to speak, ust like anybody else, but I was of course an easy target, because I couldn't verify what they were saying... To this day I'm still paranoid about how I smell, that's how much they got to me... And I sure as hell don't tell just anyone about my anosmia anymore...

So in general it doesn't bother me that much that I can't smell... But I am still very curious about it, and I find it a pity so so few people do research on it, especially congenital anosmia. I am a firm believer in being positive about it. If there is one thing that REALLY annoys me, it's people being negative about it, people who insist on mentioning everything I'm missing, even after I tell how I compensate and how I'm still a happy person. Always going "but you can't smell your boyfriend", "but you can't taste your food", etc. I just want to punch those Really, I don't need you to feel sorry for me.

One of the things that apparently is missing in my life is memory, because memories are most linked to smells. New flash! I've compensated with other senses... I have songs that bring me back years, objects to feel and look at, and a few tastes too... Like I said, I look on the bright side. It can be an interesting way to start a conversation with someone. And it can be very handy too, and funny...

I was sitting in a movie theatre once, when some boys decided to play with some stink bombs. Every one in the theatre stuck their faces in their sweaters except... yours truly of course. I didn't know what the hell was going on! Boy, did those boys ever wonder what was wrong with me... They looked at me like I was an alien

So anosmia is not a curse to me... Just something that makes me different, and I think it's valuable too because it makes me see the world in a different light...

In Egyptian mythology, Seshat (also spelt Sesat, Sesheta, and Seshata) was originally the deification of the concept of wisdom, and so became a goddess of writing, libraries, astronomy/astrology, architecture, mathematics, creative thought and knowledge. As goddess of writing, she was seen as a scribe, and record keeper, and her name itself means (she who) scrivens (i.e. she who is a scribe).

Considering my heart lies both with literature and science, creativity and analytical thought, this is a perfect choice of nickname...