Man who got surgery because he could never smell has the wildest reactions to everyday scents

Imagine never being able to smell freshly baked cookies, blooming flowers, or the rain. For 22-year-old James Odgers, known as @JamesChewbonic on YouTube, this was his reality. Living with anosmia, a condition that robs individuals of their sense of smell, Odgers didn’t fully grasp what he was missing until adulthood. Last year, he underwent a life-changing surgery to restore his sense of smell, despite being told there was only a 15% chance it would work. He decided to take the gamble, as reported by LADBible.

"The doctor told me, 'We're not sure why you can't smell, but we think we can try to fix it,'" Odgers said. "After two years on the waiting list, I finally got the call and I thought, why not?" The surgery itself was not easy, and recovery was even tougher. Once it was over, Odgers woke up groggy, with a sore throat and completely blocked sinuses. "For the first two weeks, I couldn't even breathe properly, let alone smell," he explained in his video. Every day without progress made him doubt if the procedure had worked. By day 13, something finally changed. "I woke up with this weird sensation in my nose," Odgers said. "I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I decided to test it out."

He sprayed some cologne on his wrist and gave it a sniff. To his amazement, he could smell it. "It wasn't super strong, but it was there. I couldn't believe it!" What followed was a mix of excitement and hilarity as he began testing different scents he'd always been curious about. Blue cheese, petrol, chlorine, and even his friends' breath were on his list. "Blue cheese? Absolutely terrible. I used to love eating it, but now I'm questioning my life choices," he laughed. Petrol, on the other hand, left him feeling conflicted. "It's awful but also kind of… unique? I get why people like it, but I'm not sure I do," he admitted. Chlorine was another unexpected favorite. "It smells warm and salty, like something comforting. I think I love it," he said, per his video.

His biggest relief came when he finally tested his long-time cologne. For years, Odgers had been using the same scent as his dad because he couldn't choose one for himself. “Thank god it smells good,” he joked. “I was worried I’d been walking around stinking for years.” Also, he tested his ability to describe smells, but it didn’t always go smoothly. “I said chocolate smelled like bike tracks and mosquito repellent smelled like dessert. Clearly, my brain has some catching up to do,” he shared with a grin. Although he didn’t think being able to smell had drastically changed his life, it had definitely made it more interesting. “There’s something cool about realizing everything has its own scent. Even if most of them are awful, the good ones make it all worth it,” he said.

The YouTube video documenting his journey received plenty of love from viewers, who left heartfelt comments about how special the experience was. @Kevin_Rhodes said, "This might be the most adorable thing I have ever watched on YouTube. Wonderful, that the surgery worked!" @graffitiwomen wrote, "This was lovely to watch! I'm so glad you can smell, go forth and be happy!" @milegmez added, "It made my eyes watery when he smiled after noticing the perfume smell with his eyes closed. So happy for him."

You can follow James Odgers (@JamesChewbonic) on YouTube for more lifestyle content.