It was another rough night for Fi and that meant a near enough rough night for me, but there was no further vomiting and the back pain was better. She did however, have the restless legs that I too, had experienced and on direct questioning, it was the same left leg that was particularly troublesome. I wondered if this had been reported elsewhere.
She woke up feeling tired and nauseous but better, to be pernickety. But there was great news on the horizon. My usual morning taste test was successful. Sure, things remained a little bland but I could make out the flavours in squash, my tea no longer tasted like water though I did add sugar to distinguish it more. I could also taste the milk in my cereal. This was the resurrection of my tastebuds! Hello, world.
During the day, Fi felt less shivery and her temperatures had settled. She felt lethargic understandably but I was pleased to see a definite improvement in her clinical status. I continued to grow stronger and when I had a packet of skips in the afternoon – well it tasted as I remembered how the prawn cocktail shells had done on day one. Who would have thought, that my COVID- 19 experience would begin and end with prawn cocktail shells?
I started looking forward to dinner, although my optimism remained guarded. Once bitten, twice shy – or in my case, I had been bitten all week. So I gave it my all – had a curry and sure enough, the taste was coming back. Perhaps there was the slightest tint of smell but my confirmatory testing with the old hairspray was a failure.
This experience has been both interesting and frustrating and I’m sure one day in a decade’s time, when they make a film about the COVID pandemic, I will turn back to this and still recollect every moment. It has made me more grateful for the sensation of taste. It has made me realise that when people ask: ‘if you had to lose a sense, which would it be?’, the answer would definitely be ‘smell’.
I guess I should count my blessings; Fi was improving and I was now only down one-and-a-half senses. But hey, I had given the crucial day eight the middle finger and we’re both still alive… for now.
Every few days... 