The five senses

I was talking with a friend and she asked me "Which of the five senses would you miss the most?" A strange but thought provoking question, I pondered a while. Having Parkinson's I've already lost my sense of smell. Sometimes this can be a good thing, especially when living in the country, cow sheds and chicken coops, become rather pungent in hot weather, or when our large dog sitting right next to us, passes gas and has the cheek to look slyly out of the corner of one eye as if to say "it wasn't me!" But there are many wonderful smells I miss, such as a cake baking in the oven, a good aged wine, the smell of flowers, or the unforgettable smell of a new born baby.

I can't even begin to imagine losing my voice, but if I lost the ability to speak, my long suffering husband would probably heave a huge sigh of relief for generally I don't stop talking! But seriously the loss of communication bares huge ramifications and a particularly frightening one, if hospitalized.

To lose one's sense of taste would be very upsetting and no doubt lead to weight loss as having a huge effect on one's appetite reducing the incentive and desire to eat. The only up-side would be resulting in a great slender figure, but this is too high a price to pay for vanity.

Losing one's sense of hearing I should imagine would impede one's social abilities, feeling isolation as one is cut off from the world. One could learn to lip read; most films and television programmes have subtitles, but to lose one's hearing would without doubt be a serious loss effecting one's life substantially.

However, to me personally, the loss of sight would without doubt be the most devastating and life changing. The thought of not seeing the faces of those I love and hold dear, without having independence of going places alone, unsure of every step even in my own home, no films or books, missing out on all the beauty that nature bestows on this world we often take for granted; I shudder to think how dark and insular life would become. 

So maybe living with Gaucher and Parkinson's isn't so bad. It could be a lot worse that's for sure. Be grateful for what you have and count your blessings. Take a look at this astounding clip about Brain-Computer Interface, showing how technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. Maybe a cure for Parkinson's is closer than we think!