Monday Evening, December 30, 2013.....its windy and cold out there tonight, but after all it's the end of the year, so not unexpected
So I wanted to Blog about my Lady friend. This week's Therapeutic Harping has had some new challenges and on top of that, my Lady is sick with the upper respiratory flu. That alone is cause to worry as her Immune System is compromised to begin with and then you add this virus to it and she is a very sick Lady. Now, having said that, she is also a very strong-willed Lady and I think she will fight with everything she has to kick this.
I had to write about the Priest coming in today to give the Anointment of the Sick to my Lady. I am not Catholic, but I know a few things about the Catholic Faith since I have worked for the Catholic Church for several years, which includes 2 Priests. I am not one to hold back on the questions, so I asked many and got some pretty cool answers too! I had read some of the Prayers from the Prayer Book sitting around the Rectory and they are comforting and pretty straight forward. I was ready to witness this Rite that was about to be given.
When the Priest walked in, I was playing the Harp, to which he said, "how very nice". So I introduced myself and asked how he was to which he replied, "I'm good, I'll have what you're wearing". I cracked up because he was pointing to my Face Mask. He asked where he could get one and I told him I had one left and it would be the "right" thing to do by giving it to him. Ok...a good chuckle for sure. I asked if I should leave and he replied, "not unless it will make you uncomfortable". Ok, great I am staying. I told him my Lady could hear him and would understand he was there, so he moved closer and spoke so beautifully to her. I guess I expected something a bit more "somber" but instead he was upbeat and cheerful. When he was done and we closed with the Lord''s Prayer (her favorite) he was like, "ok you are good to go now!" I just smiled after he left, thinking how wonderful life is.....so I played "It's a Wonderful World" on the Harp.
I'm going to back up the afternoon a bit and write about when I first got there. I noticed her breathing was VERY slow and they had put her on Oxygen. Hummmm, this is where I have to go back and starting planning my tunes. Most of what I play for her is upbeat, familiar tunes with a Pulse Tempo of about 75-80, but it didn't seem right today so I started with Unfamiliar, 60 BPM and stayed with that for about 40 minutes. Most of this time she was sleeping, but when she woke, she engaged and smiled. She was very aware of my being there and slowly I changed my tunes to 75BPM and switched over to some of her favorite familiar tunes.
So here is a new challenge for Therapeutic Harping in a 2-Patient Room....her Roommate BLARES her TV at top volume....it's that simple. It is so annoying and she is fighting her own battles so you can't be angry with her. It is so distracting for me and I am sure most of the time she was in the room my Lady can not hear the Harp. The good news is the Roommate can hop in her power-chair and scoot herself out of the room....so as soon as she would leave, I would turn off her TV..10 min later she was back, louder than ever. I don't know what the solution is. I am not normally in that room with my Lady, I take her to the Dining Room or the Day Room but with her being so sick, she can't leave her room. I guess the Musician in me comes out when I change keys to the whatever is playing on her roommate's TV....in 10 minutes I played in 3 different keys, LOL So I think in order to get along in this wonderful world we live in, we must adapt and make adjustments which is exactly what I did!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Be good to Yourself, Listen to Music
Thursday Evening, December 26, 2013....cold night with a crisp wind...burrrr I'm gonna bundle up and take the Dogs for a walk...but first
Tonight is the first time in almost 3 weeks that I actually sat and not only played my Harp but enjoyed it. Last Friday, after a 2 week Flu I went to Long-term Nursing Facility and the following day I came down with either food poisoning or a stomach flu....5 days later I can say I feel pretty good and food is starting to look appetizing.
I have not seen my Lady in 3 weeks. I dare not have gone with the Upper Respiratory Flu which lasted 2 weeks and then, bam the other crud. I was thinking last night how much I miss her and how worried I have been that she might not understand that I've been sick. I worry that she may think I won't be back to see her and play music for her. Music is all she has. I am scheduled to be there Sunday and Monday but I got this gut-wrenching email from one of her Daughters this morning describing her decline since I haven't been there. The entire family has concerns, as she is mostly sleeping and once again, slipping away from them.
Not that Therapeutic Music needs validating, as it speaks for itself, but it is exactly as I feared. She has had no stimulation, no vibration, no memory recall. I am going tomorrow as well as Sunday and Monday and I am a little nervous because the Intestinal Flu has hit the Facility and they are in "lock-down" mode for each Unit. No one leaves, no programs, no walks, all meals are brought to the rooms. This is common procedure to help contain the Virus and keep it from spreading to other Residents.
Tonight I bought some Masks to wear and I will have my wipes to wipe down my Harp and anything else that comes into contact with the floor, walls or Residents. Not much else to be done, I am so hoping my Resistance is back up and strong.
I feel stronger after playing my Harp for 2 hours. I spent the first 30 minutes just playing one string at a time, allowing it to die out before playing another one. I had my ear on the wood and the vibrations go all through my body. Did you know that we have a wandering Nerve called the Vagus Nerve that meanders through our body to our abdominal cavity and it's job is to regulate all kinds of Organs? This is directly related to the ear....and sound...and vibrations......Vibrations affect the entire body.
Here is another interesting fact, did you know we can now look at cells that receive vibrations and a Healthy Cell will expand and contract when receiving vibrations, but a Cancerous Cell will explode. There is no elasticity in an unhealthy Cell.
So be good to yourself, listen to good music. Let your body relax and feel the vibrations. Try to expose yourself to live music as much as possible......better yet, learn to play an Instrument. It's good for your body and your brain.
Tonight is the first time in almost 3 weeks that I actually sat and not only played my Harp but enjoyed it. Last Friday, after a 2 week Flu I went to Long-term Nursing Facility and the following day I came down with either food poisoning or a stomach flu....5 days later I can say I feel pretty good and food is starting to look appetizing.
I have not seen my Lady in 3 weeks. I dare not have gone with the Upper Respiratory Flu which lasted 2 weeks and then, bam the other crud. I was thinking last night how much I miss her and how worried I have been that she might not understand that I've been sick. I worry that she may think I won't be back to see her and play music for her. Music is all she has. I am scheduled to be there Sunday and Monday but I got this gut-wrenching email from one of her Daughters this morning describing her decline since I haven't been there. The entire family has concerns, as she is mostly sleeping and once again, slipping away from them.
Not that Therapeutic Music needs validating, as it speaks for itself, but it is exactly as I feared. She has had no stimulation, no vibration, no memory recall. I am going tomorrow as well as Sunday and Monday and I am a little nervous because the Intestinal Flu has hit the Facility and they are in "lock-down" mode for each Unit. No one leaves, no programs, no walks, all meals are brought to the rooms. This is common procedure to help contain the Virus and keep it from spreading to other Residents.
Tonight I bought some Masks to wear and I will have my wipes to wipe down my Harp and anything else that comes into contact with the floor, walls or Residents. Not much else to be done, I am so hoping my Resistance is back up and strong.
I feel stronger after playing my Harp for 2 hours. I spent the first 30 minutes just playing one string at a time, allowing it to die out before playing another one. I had my ear on the wood and the vibrations go all through my body. Did you know that we have a wandering Nerve called the Vagus Nerve that meanders through our body to our abdominal cavity and it's job is to regulate all kinds of Organs? This is directly related to the ear....and sound...and vibrations......Vibrations affect the entire body.
Here is another interesting fact, did you know we can now look at cells that receive vibrations and a Healthy Cell will expand and contract when receiving vibrations, but a Cancerous Cell will explode. There is no elasticity in an unhealthy Cell.
So be good to yourself, listen to good music. Let your body relax and feel the vibrations. Try to expose yourself to live music as much as possible......better yet, learn to play an Instrument. It's good for your body and your brain.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Inner Peace
Friday evening, December 20, 2013....it's like a beautiful Spring Evening outside tonight. Tad and I sat under the Deck just enjoying the warmish breezes.....Hard to believe Christmas is 5 days away
After being down with the Flu for a week or more, today I ventured out to the Long-Term Nursing Home where I did many of my Internship Hours. I haven't been to see my Patients since right before Thanksgiving, so I was not surprised to be greeted with a new list of Patients, as 3 former Patients that I just loved had passed on.
It's very hard for me to explain just how comfortable I feel in this setting. There is no apprehension, no time needed to get comfortable and adjust...I just slip into my role as a Therapeutic Musician and enjoy the ride. The Staff was very happy to see me today, which always puts a little Sunshine in your day. Today was the Christmas Party for the Residents and the Office Staff was making and serving Lunch to all the Residents. I was chuckling at the Admissions Director, as this was clearly a learning experience for him!
My first Patient was "Mrs. Cranky" and believe me, she was hollering and crying when I got off the elevator. A Nurse grabbed me and said, boy we need you down here...which was where I was headed anyway, lol I started with Christmas Music as she continued to ask for help and told me she was a prisoner in her chair. This continued on for 15 minutes and I decided to change up my music to Hymns and it seemed to work for a few minutes....she just whispered help instead of screaming...but she allowed herself a second-wind and after another 5 minutes she was screaming for me to get out. Today was not a day that Therapeutic Music was helpful to her. My heart goes out to her, as annoying as she was, it was a real fear. She did feel trapped, scared and called for her Mum a couple times. After some Meds and 1 1/2 hrs later, as I passed her room she was still at it.....heartbreaking
My next sweet patient was "the clapper". She claps after each song, smiling and dozing off every couple minutes. She is Palliative and loved the Christmas Music today. I tried to keep everything at a slow, pulse tempo. At one point her eyes were closed and her little fingers were going up and down on her chest. Peaceful
As I was playing for my next Patient, again Palliative Care, I had the most wonderful interaction with the Director of the Facility. She apologized for interrupting and introduced herself as the New Director. She said she received my letter of thanks for allowing me to do Internship Hours at the Facility and I told her it was so good to finally meet her. She said, "actually we have already had an encounter, you just didn't know it" and then went on to tell me that a few weeks ago as she was walking down the hall she saw a few Staff Members standing in a doorway so she walked down to see what was happening in the room. She said she stood there with the Staff and they all cried, as I played for Miss Sue...who had not responded to anything or anyone in months and there she was with her eyes open, moving her little foot to the music. It was wonderful for the Director to share this with me, we both got a little choked up, lol Then she asked me how I got started in Therapeutic Harping and a host of other questions, trying to get to know me better. There is a new facility opening up in February and I have been hired as a Therapeutic Musician starting then, but she asked me if I would play for the Open House as a resource for the Facility. I loved her approach, as she understood exactly how I felt..."I don't perform, but I would be happy to be in the background playing music for the guests". Perfect
From there I went to the Dayroom where 3 Patients were in wheelchairs, staring at nothing. One was a very young girl who suffered from an accident, one a very old woman and very crippled and one an older man with obvious brain trauma. I brought my Harp in and asked if they wanted some Christmas Music, the 2 women smiled so off we gooooooooo......I was trying to use the most familiar Christmas Music I could think of for memory recall and at one point I looked over at the older woman who just smiled the sweetest smile at me...just to raise her head enough to see me was such an effort. When I was done I asked the young girl if she liked the music and did she remember any words...she just smiled so I played Silent Night again and sang it to her....just a sweet smile but no communication. As I was leaving the room I heard her start singing! I didn't understand the words but she was clearly singing. I looked at the Nurse's Station and the Nurse was just smiling. Compassion
My sweet Miss Sue was asleep when I got to her room. Her roommate was sitting up enjoying her lunch. Miss Sue is the patient that the Director was talking about. I started to play a Christmas Song and the roommate said, "oh I am so lucky, I have Music with my lunch"...such a simple joy. Miss Sue woke up right away and listened with her eyes open...she stayed engaged the entire 30 minutes. Her Son, who comes everyday to feed her lunch, sat the last few minutes and listened and when each song was over he would rub her arm and say, 'isn't that beautiful Mom?" Devotion
My last two patients are my heart's delight. Mr. A asks the entire time I am playing, "does my Wife come to see me?" "Does she love me?" and Mr. N who doesn't eat much without my Music. The Staff was so happy to see me and Mr. N ate every bite of his lunch. The Christmas Music was very effective for Mr. A and memory recall. Today he remembered most of the words to the songs and told me him and his Mom would sing together while his Dad drove them in the Car. I took this opportunity of clarity to ask him more questions about his parents and the kinds of songs they liked to sing and he said, "our favorite song in the world was Springtime in the Rockies". So I told him I didn't know that one and he said, "just listen to me sing it and you will learn it with me" Sure enough, he remembered every word and was so tickled that I caught on. If just for a short time, he was back in the current world. Joyful
I will volunteer once a week until I am employed on February 1st....it is impossible to walk away from these beautiful souls. They really give me inner peace.
After being down with the Flu for a week or more, today I ventured out to the Long-Term Nursing Home where I did many of my Internship Hours. I haven't been to see my Patients since right before Thanksgiving, so I was not surprised to be greeted with a new list of Patients, as 3 former Patients that I just loved had passed on.
It's very hard for me to explain just how comfortable I feel in this setting. There is no apprehension, no time needed to get comfortable and adjust...I just slip into my role as a Therapeutic Musician and enjoy the ride. The Staff was very happy to see me today, which always puts a little Sunshine in your day. Today was the Christmas Party for the Residents and the Office Staff was making and serving Lunch to all the Residents. I was chuckling at the Admissions Director, as this was clearly a learning experience for him!
My first Patient was "Mrs. Cranky" and believe me, she was hollering and crying when I got off the elevator. A Nurse grabbed me and said, boy we need you down here...which was where I was headed anyway, lol I started with Christmas Music as she continued to ask for help and told me she was a prisoner in her chair. This continued on for 15 minutes and I decided to change up my music to Hymns and it seemed to work for a few minutes....she just whispered help instead of screaming...but she allowed herself a second-wind and after another 5 minutes she was screaming for me to get out. Today was not a day that Therapeutic Music was helpful to her. My heart goes out to her, as annoying as she was, it was a real fear. She did feel trapped, scared and called for her Mum a couple times. After some Meds and 1 1/2 hrs later, as I passed her room she was still at it.....heartbreaking
My next sweet patient was "the clapper". She claps after each song, smiling and dozing off every couple minutes. She is Palliative and loved the Christmas Music today. I tried to keep everything at a slow, pulse tempo. At one point her eyes were closed and her little fingers were going up and down on her chest. Peaceful
As I was playing for my next Patient, again Palliative Care, I had the most wonderful interaction with the Director of the Facility. She apologized for interrupting and introduced herself as the New Director. She said she received my letter of thanks for allowing me to do Internship Hours at the Facility and I told her it was so good to finally meet her. She said, "actually we have already had an encounter, you just didn't know it" and then went on to tell me that a few weeks ago as she was walking down the hall she saw a few Staff Members standing in a doorway so she walked down to see what was happening in the room. She said she stood there with the Staff and they all cried, as I played for Miss Sue...who had not responded to anything or anyone in months and there she was with her eyes open, moving her little foot to the music. It was wonderful for the Director to share this with me, we both got a little choked up, lol Then she asked me how I got started in Therapeutic Harping and a host of other questions, trying to get to know me better. There is a new facility opening up in February and I have been hired as a Therapeutic Musician starting then, but she asked me if I would play for the Open House as a resource for the Facility. I loved her approach, as she understood exactly how I felt..."I don't perform, but I would be happy to be in the background playing music for the guests". Perfect
From there I went to the Dayroom where 3 Patients were in wheelchairs, staring at nothing. One was a very young girl who suffered from an accident, one a very old woman and very crippled and one an older man with obvious brain trauma. I brought my Harp in and asked if they wanted some Christmas Music, the 2 women smiled so off we gooooooooo......I was trying to use the most familiar Christmas Music I could think of for memory recall and at one point I looked over at the older woman who just smiled the sweetest smile at me...just to raise her head enough to see me was such an effort. When I was done I asked the young girl if she liked the music and did she remember any words...she just smiled so I played Silent Night again and sang it to her....just a sweet smile but no communication. As I was leaving the room I heard her start singing! I didn't understand the words but she was clearly singing. I looked at the Nurse's Station and the Nurse was just smiling. Compassion
My sweet Miss Sue was asleep when I got to her room. Her roommate was sitting up enjoying her lunch. Miss Sue is the patient that the Director was talking about. I started to play a Christmas Song and the roommate said, "oh I am so lucky, I have Music with my lunch"...such a simple joy. Miss Sue woke up right away and listened with her eyes open...she stayed engaged the entire 30 minutes. Her Son, who comes everyday to feed her lunch, sat the last few minutes and listened and when each song was over he would rub her arm and say, 'isn't that beautiful Mom?" Devotion
My last two patients are my heart's delight. Mr. A asks the entire time I am playing, "does my Wife come to see me?" "Does she love me?" and Mr. N who doesn't eat much without my Music. The Staff was so happy to see me and Mr. N ate every bite of his lunch. The Christmas Music was very effective for Mr. A and memory recall. Today he remembered most of the words to the songs and told me him and his Mom would sing together while his Dad drove them in the Car. I took this opportunity of clarity to ask him more questions about his parents and the kinds of songs they liked to sing and he said, "our favorite song in the world was Springtime in the Rockies". So I told him I didn't know that one and he said, "just listen to me sing it and you will learn it with me" Sure enough, he remembered every word and was so tickled that I caught on. If just for a short time, he was back in the current world. Joyful
I will volunteer once a week until I am employed on February 1st....it is impossible to walk away from these beautiful souls. They really give me inner peace.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
She is a Friend like no other
Wednesday, December 11, 2013...it's really cold tonight and Tad is sick with the Flu....bummer
I haven't blogged much about my Lady Companion lately so I will put some thoughts down while they are fresh in my mind.
My Lady has Benson's Disease...a rare form of Alzheimer's. Very little is known about it so I joined a Group so I could learn more about it's progression and perhaps help the Family. This past week we all had quite a scare, as she developed Seizures. I knew when I went in on Monday that the Family was aware of them and she was having them often, but I was not prepared for what I saw. She was having them every 2 or 3 minutes, lasting about a minute. After they were over she would let out a sound, like she was exhausted and terrified. I just held her and told her I was there....I hate that she can't see and rarely can communicate. I think loosing those functions must be so scary for her and then to have these on top of all that....bummer for sure. I did contact the Family after about an hour and they came over to the Facility and scheduled tests and she is on new Medication.
Before the Family got there I took her back to her room where my Harp was and decided to try playing to calm her, thinking that may help reduce the Seizures. As soon as I started playing she had another one and after that....NONE...no more until the Family got there and I quit playing. It was about an hour with no Seizures. I wanted to do something different this time when I played for her. I started with just Open 5ths...up and down the Harp very slowly and softly. I did this for quite a long time and then I slowly added some melody notes and improvised a soft and gentle tune. I kept this at about 65BPM and slowly transitioned to Christmas Music.
What I love about the Harp is it's ability to calm...no matter what you decide to play. Some things are more effective, but if your Intention is correct, it works every time. It was a beautiful thing to watch the fear, tension and pain just leave her entire body. It was like I wrapped her up in a blanket. I guess it was the Blanket of Sound.
From what I have read, these Seizures are to be expected as the disease progresses. Hopefully the new Medication will keep them at bay...I did not see any today. She was alert and said "yes" and "ok" today, which is wonderful. I played my Harp in the Lobby and put her right in front of me so I could keep a good eye on her. She loves her Hymns and Christmas Carols and I think the Staff really appreciated the distraction. After my fingers tired out, I went to the Piano and played for another hour before taking her to her room for the evening. A full day of Music is what she deserves and I am happy to be the one to give her that Service.
It's an interesting friendship that I have with my Lady. She has never seen me...she knows my voice, my touch and my smell. We have built this love and trust relationship around Music and I have grown to love her so much. Her family is so grateful that Music has allowed her to say their names, respond to their questions and say I love you again, as they feared they had lost her forever. They thank me all the time and I appreciate their gratitude, but they have no idea what joy, laughter and love she gives me in return. She is a Friend like no other.
I haven't blogged much about my Lady Companion lately so I will put some thoughts down while they are fresh in my mind.
My Lady has Benson's Disease...a rare form of Alzheimer's. Very little is known about it so I joined a Group so I could learn more about it's progression and perhaps help the Family. This past week we all had quite a scare, as she developed Seizures. I knew when I went in on Monday that the Family was aware of them and she was having them often, but I was not prepared for what I saw. She was having them every 2 or 3 minutes, lasting about a minute. After they were over she would let out a sound, like she was exhausted and terrified. I just held her and told her I was there....I hate that she can't see and rarely can communicate. I think loosing those functions must be so scary for her and then to have these on top of all that....bummer for sure. I did contact the Family after about an hour and they came over to the Facility and scheduled tests and she is on new Medication.
Before the Family got there I took her back to her room where my Harp was and decided to try playing to calm her, thinking that may help reduce the Seizures. As soon as I started playing she had another one and after that....NONE...no more until the Family got there and I quit playing. It was about an hour with no Seizures. I wanted to do something different this time when I played for her. I started with just Open 5ths...up and down the Harp very slowly and softly. I did this for quite a long time and then I slowly added some melody notes and improvised a soft and gentle tune. I kept this at about 65BPM and slowly transitioned to Christmas Music.
What I love about the Harp is it's ability to calm...no matter what you decide to play. Some things are more effective, but if your Intention is correct, it works every time. It was a beautiful thing to watch the fear, tension and pain just leave her entire body. It was like I wrapped her up in a blanket. I guess it was the Blanket of Sound.
From what I have read, these Seizures are to be expected as the disease progresses. Hopefully the new Medication will keep them at bay...I did not see any today. She was alert and said "yes" and "ok" today, which is wonderful. I played my Harp in the Lobby and put her right in front of me so I could keep a good eye on her. She loves her Hymns and Christmas Carols and I think the Staff really appreciated the distraction. After my fingers tired out, I went to the Piano and played for another hour before taking her to her room for the evening. A full day of Music is what she deserves and I am happy to be the one to give her that Service.
It's an interesting friendship that I have with my Lady. She has never seen me...she knows my voice, my touch and my smell. We have built this love and trust relationship around Music and I have grown to love her so much. Her family is so grateful that Music has allowed her to say their names, respond to their questions and say I love you again, as they feared they had lost her forever. They thank me all the time and I appreciate their gratitude, but they have no idea what joy, laughter and love she gives me in return. She is a Friend like no other.
Monday, December 9, 2013
The Magic of Christmas
Monday, December 9, 2013....a cold evening and Snow tomorrow all day...I love snow
Oh where to start??? Today I decided to "volunteer" my time at my Lady's Facility where I have been doing Internship Hours. Since my Hours are complete and the Facility is "hiring me" I have not played for my Patients for 3 weeks. I couldn't stand it any longer, so many of them are so thrilled to have Bedside Music and the idea of them having nothing was more than I could bear.....so off I went early this morning.
First stop...in a previous blog posting I talked about a Patient that screamed profanities then entire time I played for her roommate. Well the Roommate was not there today, but the screaming patient was. So I came in and she said she didn't feel up to Music, to which her Daughter said, "We are leaving and this nice lady is here with her Harp, please listen to some Music". So "OK, just for a minute". 30 Minutes later and after she belted out most of the Christmas Carols, she asked me when I would be back and tole me I had a beautiful "Organ". ok...Harp/Organ....whatever......We are friends.
On to my Patient that loves her music and puts her bed in the reclining position as soon as I start to play. This Patient started crying and told me her roommate told her I wasn't coming back, but she new I would because I told her I would. Talk about feeling terrible....just terrible, but I am so glad I saw her today. She relaxed and told the Aide she needed Music more than Food, she would eat later. She loves her hymns and Christmas Music. She asked if I could come back tomorrow...oh how I wish I could.
Next is a beautiful lady, her roommate is never in her bed when I play for her, but today she was! After 15 minutes she asked me to stop playing, to leave and that I gave her a headache. I am trying to hold it together and my beautiful patient says, "oh no, I love having the Harp, don't go" to which the roommate says, "just get out". So what a dilemma .....I pulled the curtain around and moved my Harp next to the bedside of the beautiful patient and told her we needed to play ever so quiet...she giggled and said ok....another 15 minutes and not a peep out of her neighbor....when I left I thanked them both for listening to the Harp....hilarious
As I am leaving this Unit, I see 4 Patients in the Dayroom with their Lunch Trays. I decided to stop in and asked if they liked music. One Patient clapped his hands and one smiled. One was very interested in my Harp, one did not wake up. As I played, the patient that clapped his hands got very sad and started crying, talking about his "Daddy". I changed songs and played "God Bless America"...yep that was it...he started singing and clapping and one of the other Patients started laughing and clapping....amazing how the Memory works. From then on it was Patriotic. It was interesting to watch the memory recall...it kicked in near the end of the song and the second time around, they had the words. While I was playing a woman in her wheelchair came into the room and wheeled herself right up against the Harp. I stopped and said hello and she said "beautiful". She put her hand on my leg and rubbed my leg the entire time I played. Very touching and kind....it was like my Grandma sitting there listening, I loved it.
My last patients are 2 of the most lovely ladies and I get such a kick out of them. One is young and Terminal and one is Palliative Care and elderly. The young patient asked for hymns and Christmas songs to which she sang. She has a beautiful voice and when I was done she told me when she is sad and worried, Music lifts her up and could I please come more often. I choked on that one. The older patient can't usually remember the words but that doesn't stop her from singing.....she cracks me up and she closes her eyes and waves her hands all over the place. She clapped as I was leaving and told me she was so happy I was back from vacation.....gulp
So, the employment wheels turn slowly, but I know the effort is there, especially at this Facility. The Activities Director really does understand the value for the Patients....just lots of approvals etc. But until then, how can I ignore these people that so desperately need the Therapeutic Music and a warm body in their room to laugh with them. I am glad I went and of course I will go back...either as a Volunteer or Paid Therapeutic Musician....after all, it's the Magic of Christmas!
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