I was
working with fellow intern Ryoko,
who had brought her cello last
Wednesday. It was a real treat
to hear her play at bedside for
all who listened. In particular
when we entered MP's room, the
patient told me that she had played
violin and that strings were her
favorite instrument. She was lying
in bed in a pool of perspiration,
looking very uncomfortable. She
said she was in a great deal of
pain, and it was one of the first
times I could pull out the pain
chart and have her rate her pain.
She chose level eight (on a scale
of one to ten) and agreed to some
music played softly.
We began with the Canon in
D and played for some time.
As we played, MP's face softened
and she closed her eyes. Every
once in a while she would jump
from what I assumed to be stabs
of pain. As we played, I suggested
that she allow the music into
the pain and breathe in the music,
let it soften her from the inside.
After our first piece she said,
"I think I'm at level six
now." We then introduced
the top 30 song titles and asked
if she preferred instrumental
or sung music. She chose several
songs, and two nurses stopped
by to listen. It was obvious that
MP was enjoying the music and
was focused on listening. After
a few selections, MP began to
talk about her family and plans
they had for when she went home.
The music had distracted her from
her pain. She now rated her pain
level at 2.5.
I felt as if it was a real music
therapy intervention. It was measurable,
meaningful and moving. It was
art and science all rolled up
together. I was very grateful
that the music could provide relief
for her discomfort. It was an
encouraging and uplifting experience.
View
the other five Patient
Highlights A
B
C
E
F
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