I must have been tired and slept like a log; the drenching night sweat did not even cause a stir. Aside from damp pyjamas, I also woke with a shrivelled tongue inside a parched mouth and a very greasy block of hair. The glass of water by the bed proved useful and my tongue absorbed the fluids like a sponge. I could actually feel it expanding as I drank. Lethargic would have been an understatement, I was antihistamine-level drowsy.
At last, a call came through offering me a test slot. I got dressed then drove in for it. I didn’t eat breakfast as I could not risk the disappointment. After all, I couldn’t taste the toothpaste let alone food.
The test itself took three minutes. When I got home, I noticed a small aphthous ulcer on my lower lip. I then ate some leftover pizza and chicken which confirmed the nightmare of having no smell or taste still. But I was hungry and had to eat something. What was strange, was that I continued to peck and nibble at things I knew tasted nice even if in reality, I couldn’t tell sweet from savoury. I think I was hoping that my taste sensation would suddenly re-appear as quickly as I had discovered it gone.
We had shopping done for us, given that Fi and I were now in self-isolation. One item was a smoothie. We did a taste test to see if I could name any of the fruits therein. I would have guessed banana as it was a smoothie, but that wasn’t even one of them….
The next taste test would surely be a packet of Revels – I never liked the coffee ones but now I would be immune in some sense, like one day I should be immune to this virus – be it COVID or not. Then again, what else could it realistically be?
During the day, I felt generally fine. Sad that my aspiration to be a food-critic was all but over, but not unwell. I had a single episode of loose stool, again, it was a matter of tossing a coin whether something was a true symptom or not.
For dinner, I had a roast chicken with vegetables. On the plate, it looked delicious. The seconds before consuming that crispy chicken skin, roasted and marinated delightfully, I was looking forward to nothing else. The seconds after… the crumbling disappointment of receiving no gratification was all that I could sense.
Tomorrow, I should find out several things – whether I have it or not, and whether the test is any good…
Every few days... 