One of the symptoms of LBD is the loss of smell, and taste. This occurs, typically, very early in the onset of the disease.
Now, with Mom, this was difficult to figure out, as she never was one to comment on smells, unless they were overwhelmingly pleasant, strong, or odious.
One memory was a hike we took, one day, over 20 years ago, from Deer Park to Obstruction Point in the Olympics. Now, this was not a rigorous hike, but one that required (for me) patience, and the ability to help Mom carry on. At several points she would sit down and tell me, "Just leave me here and let me die!" When I retorted with something about her being able to feed the mountain lions, she was vaguely amused, but it did help keep her going. Then, at one point, we walked into an open meadow of nothing but lupine. Wild lupine. Beautiful. We sat among some other hikers to take in the sight, and allow Mom to take a breather. Then it hit us - The fragrance from so many of the spiked blooms was like soft-scented soap, but it wasn't overpowering; rather, it was intoxicating, and unforgettable.
Another may have been when she caught my house on fire, but it was partly the smoke detectors and the thickness of the smoke. Looking back, she didn't really have much reaction to the smokey smell...just the incident. It makes me wonder....
Lately, I've been more aware of the lack of smell, as I know, now, that this is a symptom.
And the other day, I learnt that taste is another factor.
This I needed to consider.
Then, it hit me.
The foods Mom likes are those she used to appreciate.
The soda's fizz is something she can count on.
The perkiness of the tangerines
is another stimulation she gets from no other food.
Chocolate and almonds go together to provide endorphins.
But everything else gives her nothing, really, to relish as once they did. She seems rather indifferent to them all.
Perhaps the oversalting of the food gives her some stimulation in trying to find the taste, once again.
So, it's the texture and the stimuli that allow her to appreciate the foods - not the taste, any longer. How sad and bland that all must be.....
for further reading and information, please visit:
The Scientist: Smell and the Degeneration of the Brain
Academy of American Neurology: Taste and Smell Disorders
UCSF Age and Memory Center
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry: Asnomia and LBD
Now, with Mom, this was difficult to figure out, as she never was one to comment on smells, unless they were overwhelmingly pleasant, strong, or odious.
One memory was a hike we took, one day, over 20 years ago, from Deer Park to Obstruction Point in the Olympics. Now, this was not a rigorous hike, but one that required (for me) patience, and the ability to help Mom carry on. At several points she would sit down and tell me, "Just leave me here and let me die!" When I retorted with something about her being able to feed the mountain lions, she was vaguely amused, but it did help keep her going. Then, at one point, we walked into an open meadow of nothing but lupine. Wild lupine. Beautiful. We sat among some other hikers to take in the sight, and allow Mom to take a breather. Then it hit us - The fragrance from so many of the spiked blooms was like soft-scented soap, but it wasn't overpowering; rather, it was intoxicating, and unforgettable.
Another may have been when she caught my house on fire, but it was partly the smoke detectors and the thickness of the smoke. Looking back, she didn't really have much reaction to the smokey smell...just the incident. It makes me wonder....
Lately, I've been more aware of the lack of smell, as I know, now, that this is a symptom.
And the other day, I learnt that taste is another factor.
This I needed to consider.
Then, it hit me.
The foods Mom likes are those she used to appreciate.
The perkiness of the tangerines
is another stimulation she gets from no other food.
Chocolate and almonds go together to provide endorphins.
But everything else gives her nothing, really, to relish as once they did. She seems rather indifferent to them all.
Perhaps the oversalting of the food gives her some stimulation in trying to find the taste, once again.
So, it's the texture and the stimuli that allow her to appreciate the foods - not the taste, any longer. How sad and bland that all must be.....
for further reading and information, please visit:
The Scientist: Smell and the Degeneration of the Brain
Academy of American Neurology: Taste and Smell Disorders
UCSF Age and Memory Center
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry: Asnomia and LBD
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