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Well, I finished off the generous sample that beelicious sent me of this. I remember it smelling deliciously creamy, almost buttery. My nose didn’t give me that same enjoyment this time, but it was still very pleasant. Smooth and rich. When I order in the fall this is one I’ll add to the list.

I wanted something nice and easy to drink tonight, that wouldn’t keep me up or jittery (the prednisone does that quite well on its own. thank you very much) I wasn’t sure how I felt about honeybush. I’ve had only one besides this one, and I liked it, but I don’t care for many rooibos teas, and I thought honeybush might be the same way.

Maybe it’s a fluke, but I like this honeybush too, maybe even more than the Cinnamon Roll one I had last. (Also from 52Teas) I could sort of “feel” the mint in it, and the mouthfeel was smooth and silky. It brews up quite dark, almost as dark as the pathetically weak coffee they serve at work. I like what little flavor I get. Not the tea’s fault! My nose is mostly on the fritz again. But there is enough flavor here to make me a happy camper.

I heard from the ENT today. The MRI is scheduled for August 20, and if it is good then I’ll be at the Mayo Clinic on September 15-17 being de-sensitized to aspirin. Part of me is really excited. I can not wait to see how much this improves my quality of life. And part of me is terrified. Aspirin could literally kill me. Yes, I’ll be carefully monitored and reactions will be swiftly treated. But it’s still scary.

Meanwhile, I’ll see if a I can get a second steep out of this.

Very smooth. Almost sweet, without any additives like sugar or honey. Really tasty. Even though I can’t taste this (although I have hope! The prednisone is giving me a hint of the scent of my peppermint essential oil, so maybe in a few days I’ll be able to smell and taste) I’m enjoying it. There’s no sharp astringent after taste, no bitterness to take away my pleasure. I might try the remainder of this as an iced tea. We’re expecting more nasty hot weather, and I’d rather drink tea cold then.

I had this one today. My nose is at the point where nothing has any kind of flavor. It was fine, but I suspect this is one of those teas that is amazing when you can taste it. As it cooled it became a tad bitter.

But I’m not giving up on this one.

The ENT confirmed that surgery was a failure. (although she said “it wasn’t effective.”) So our next step is to try Aspirin Desensitization. I am one of those fairly rare, lucky individuals with AERD, also called aspirin Triad or Samter’s Triad. I have asthma, nasal polyps that grow back only weeks after being surgically removed, and aspirin sensitivity. I once took aspirin accidently when I didn’t read the label of the Alka Selzer Plus. I ended up in the ER with a very scary asthma attack. So the idea of purposely taking aspirin over a three day period is frightening. I’ll be at the Mayo Clinic under doctor supervision.

This won’t happen immediately. I only called the ENT to agree to it today. We’ll have to do an MRI here in Fargo, then the ENT will send it to Mayo with a referral. But it has to be before the end of the year, because I’ve met my deductible and I don’t want to start all over again next year with another $3200, plus the additional $6,000 I have to pay to meet my cap. The thing is, if this works (and the success rate is 70%) I’ll be able to breathe easily and maybe even regain my sense of smell on a permanent basis.

So I’m going to set this tea aside and hopefully be able to fully enjoy it in a few months.

Yay! I finally got to the post office to pick up my kickstarter package from 52 Teas. This sinus infection has me so wrung out and tired that as soon as I’m done with work I just pour myself into my recliner and stare at the wall. LOL

Anyway, I squeed over the different teas in my package and couldn’t decide which to try first. I settled on this one because it’s getting on in the day and I didn’t want to battle caffeine. I’ve never had a honeybush before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My sense of smell is gone so I don’t know what this one smells like, but I bet it’s marvelous. I brewed it overly long, since I forgot about it. Can I blame that on the sinus infection too? But 14 minutes didn’t ruin it at all. I didn’t get any particular flavor, but the tea was smooth. Not bitterness to make me squinch my eyes shut, no stinging astringency to make me pucker my mouth.

It’s a shame that I can’t smell, and to be honest I feel mighty sorry for myself. The few faint whiffs of scent I got in July make it even harder, now that I know what I’m missing. But it is what it is, and whining isn’t going to change it. At least I have tea that goes down smoothly. I can recommend this one .

Made a jug of this to battle the nasty hot weather we’ve been having. Don’t shoot me, anyone ,but I’m looking forward to fall so I can enjoy my hot teas again!

I guess I’ve been on a little bit of a DAVID’s kick lately. Tonight it’s Cold 911. This sinus infection is really miserable. I’m at the point where my back teeth ache when I blow my nose and touching my cheeks hurts. I don’t think this tea will cure my infection. Heck, the last three courses of antibiotic haven’t, and the fourth one doesn’t look much more successful so far. But it still feels nice to sip this. The steam helps hydrate my nose, and the warm liquid soothes my throat. And when I drink it I remember visiting friends up in Winnipeg, which always makes me feel happy. :)

Well, it’s done. No more sense of smell, even what little of it I had for a few weeks. Life isn’t fair and that’s just how it is. Luckily, you don’t have to have a sense of smell to be able to live. It’s nice, and it makes every thing taste better, but it doesn’t keep your heart pumping, so maybe I shouldn’t complain. I still enjoy this tea even if I can’t taste it.

I cold brewed this one today. It was nice. Not fantastic, but nice. My brother is here to stay for the weekend and he liked it better than I did. He added sugar to his, but I am not a fan of sugar. He knew right away from the smell that it is watermelon. I’ll be happy to drink the rest of the tin, but I don’t think I’ll buy it again.