- I felt like a part of life disappeared and it was very boring and empty. When you are lacking the sense of smell and taste, you lose a part of the essential everyday goods, and life becomes sad, says Else Pedersen from Stavanger. We meet her in her home, in the living room of the old house, where she has lived almost her entire life. On the table are lefsas (a Norwegian specialty) and lemonade, and soon the living room is filled with the smell of fresh coffee. Else pours us a cup, and takes a good sip of her coffee. After several years without taste and smell, she can finally enjoy coffee again.
- It started about ten years ago when I noticed that the smell and taste senses began to diminish. After four years they were gone, and the last six years I have not been able to smell or taste the food, she says.
Else also has a large flower garden with various flowers and raspberries. Flowers is one of her hobbies and great pleasures in life, but now she suddenly could not experience the fragrance of flowers any more.
- The whole garden was filled with nice scents, but I smelled nothing. It was very distressing. I could not smell the food. It also caused the sense of taste to disappear. I did not discern what kind of food I ate or how salt and sweet it was. Food was dead and boring. Shrimp, which I liked so much, tasted nothing, and I was so disappointed. The same applied to dinner or spreads. I might as well pour salt on the slice of bread, she says.
Said nothing
When Else was going to spice up dinner, it was difficult to know the right amount. She had to take a chance that the flavor was okay. It was especially challenging when she had dinner guests. Then she often needed help and the guests had to taste the food for her.
- It took a while before I admitted to the family how bad it was. Sometimes they brought me dinner, but I dared not say that I could not taste the food. In the beginning I almost had to lie. When I first told them this, they were very horrified.
The reason for the sense of taste and smell disappearing, Else does not know. She never mentioned it to the doctor because she thought it had to do with old age, since she was over 80 years of age.
Almost started to cry
Over the years Else had become familiar with Jesus Heals Ministries and Svein-Magne Pedersen. She had been in touch with him sometimes and receives the magazine «Healing» regularly. Sometimes she would call the devotional phone, which she thought was very nice. One day in September, she decided to call the intercession phone.
- I told Svein-Magne about the problem, and he prayed for me. In the evening I ate a slice of bread with honey. Then I discovered that I could taste. It tasted so incredibly good, and I was so happy, I almost started to cry. After such a long time suddenly the senses are back instantly, she says and smiles.
The day after she went out to pick some red roses in the garden. Then Else could smell fragrance of flowers for the first time in many years. The joy was great that day. Later she made stew for dinner, and you can believe it was a feast. The sense of taste had finally returned.
- My kids think it's amazing what has happened. Now I can enjoy the flavor of all foods. I rejoice in the smallest of things. The other day I ate rice porridge, and it was absolutely beautiful. I could taste the sugar and cinnamon. Over the years I have probably become a little thin, but now I'll probably gain weight. There is no age limit for healing. God can heal older people today also!
