Phantosmia

Phantosmia -- phantom smells.

I'm smelling cigarette smoke all the time.  At first I thought it was Lisa at the office, who smokes, and I just thought I was extra sensitive to the smell (since Mom smoked). 

Then I started smelling it at home, and so I thought, "Mom's come to visit from way up yonder!"  Even made a joke about it a few times at the dinner table because I'd smell smoke.

I smelled it at Aunt Peggy's and joked that Mom was jealous and just had to tag along on my trip up there.  I began smelling cigarette smoke everywhere, and more often.

Monday night, as I sat on my couch that seemed more like a smokey dive bar, I Googled "smelling things that aren't there".  Up pops "Phantosmia" and all the very scary things that go along with it.

Brain tumors; schizophrenia; alzheimers....all of the websites and blogs encourage anyone experiencing these phantom smells to see a neurologist immediately.

Great.

When I called to get an appointment with the neurologist, the scheduler said they couldn't get me in until late September...until I said I was smelling things...."oh, here's an appointment for Thursday!"

So, today I saw a neurologist who promptly ordered an MRI, an EEG and tons of blood work.  Oh, and he did some really strange baseline tests on me; finger to nose, reflexes, looked into my eyes with his little light thingy.  He got stuck on my left eye.   Looked at it for a while.

Tuesday is the EEG.  The following Tuesday is the MRI.  Had the blood work done before I left the building.

Temporary diagnosis:  partial epilepsy.

Wow.