I Experienced Life In A New Way

FOR OVER TWO YEARS, LEE MAYIMELE COULDN’T TASTE OR SMELL ANYTHING. SHE EXPLAINS HOW THIS GAVE HER A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE IN HER BOOK, MUSINGS: REFLECTIONS OF GRATITUDE (HOPSCOTCH CLASSICS)

Ten years ago, we travelled down to the coast for the Comrades Marathon. My husband’s a runner and has completed 10 marathons, so we make an annual trip out of it to support him. That year I was pregnant with our first-born, so it was an exciting time for us.

During the race, I was standing at the halfway mark waiting to cheer my husband on as he passed. I was feeling really well, happy and on top of the world. But that’s when life decided to throw me a curveball. I suddenly collapsed and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Luckily, the doctor confirmed that the baby and I were both healthy and said it had probably been a sudden dip in my blood pressure. After I was discharged, my cousin – whose husband was also running that year – drove me back to our hotel room so that I could lie down.

That fainting fit really came as a surprise to me, because I’d always enjoyed good health. In fact, I’d never had any operations or been in a hospital before. I’d never even taken antibiotics!

Back at the race, there was no way to inform my husband of what had happened, so he was very perturbed by not seeing me at the halfway mark or finish line. When he found out about the incident, he rushed to the hotel to be with me. Later that afternoon, my cousin made me a cup of tea. From the first sip, I realised I couldn’t taste it, nor could I smell anything at all.