House of the Rising Sun

Tuesday, July 9th....Yesterday I played at the Infusion Center at AAMC.  It was surprisingly slow for a Monday, usually it's bustling with Patients and Staff.  Where I play is along the Wall in a Hallway, across from the Nurse's Station....it's a tight squeeze, especially when a Patient is moving around with the IV Pole, to and from the Restroom....or just stretching their muscles.

In the Room next to me was an older woman, accompanied by her Son.  She looked just exhausted...you can read the stress and weariness in her face.  They had their TV on, so I introduced myself and told them I was going to play the Harp for a while so they could turn up the TV if they didn't want to listen.  They both smiled and said ok....but I heard the TV go off before I sat down.  In the next room was a man who was really sick from the Chemo.  My heart ached for him and I had to force myself not to feel sick in sympathy.  There was a really young man across from me who was thrilled to have live Music...we chatted a bit and I told him I hoped he would relax and doze off while I played.

I played for 1 1/2 hours.....When the older woman was done her treatment, she came out and said, "I have NEVER heard "House of the Rising Sun" on a Harp....it was Beautiful and all your Music was so relaxing...even my Son loved it.  Before I left, the young man said ...."All those great Tunes on the Harp are awesome....especially "House of the Rising Sun"!

I asked the Nurse about the man that had been so sick.  She said he had finished his treatment and had fallen asleep to my Music....because they were so slow in the Unit...she was leaving him to rest until he woke on his own.  So much Kindness...so much Compassion and so much appreciation for a little bit of my time.

There are groundbreaking studies of what's called "Chemo Brain".  Patients experience confusion and cognitive changes during and after Chemo.  The Studies have done Imaging on Patients BEFORE any Chemo is given.....during Chemo without a Live Harpist and AFTER Chemo...the Imaging shows areas of the Brain that are effected by Chemo.  Imaging is done on Patients in the same way but WITH a Live Harpist and the Imaging shows little or NO signs of any changes.  Amazing.....