Amazing rain and humming birds

Our first patient today was a nice, sweet old man who the MT had seen before, but I just met today. He sang along to the songs and loved loved loved to talk! Our new LVN was shadowing that morning, and sang right along with us as well. It was a lovely chorus of voices on this first Monday morning of April. (would've made for a better alliteration had it been May...)

Around 11:00, I went to go see Kiss from God with our company volunteer. There was lots of visitors and hub bub bustling around. Between all the talking, the caregivers making lunch, and news about the hurricane on the TV, the patient was horribly distracted. I wanted to relocate, but to where?

The patient's boyfriend was in attendance once again. He enjoys participating and is very friendly. The patient didn't seem quite like her usual self today. She seemed like she had been depressed, although she was able to speak or visit all four of her children for Easter.

We tried a song writing intervention, despite the crowds of people and the patient's lack of sincere focus. Since she sings Amazing Grace every night before she goes to bed, I thought it would be good for her to write her own verses for Amazing Grace (since there's already 25, might as well add a few more...) Well, the volunteer helped jot down some of her ideas, and I assembled them into lyrics as quick as I could.

Amazing rain and humming birds
outside my window be!
I thank thee for my nursing skills
that you have given me.

I love my children, 4 in all
2 boys and 2 girls
There's T** and J** and N** and K**
and thank you for my friend M**

Well, after we sang together the lyrics I had assembled for her, she began reciting more lyrics. It was all stream of conscious, right off the top of head. Allow me to share with you what she came up with right on the spot:

Amazing grace and numerous friends
are always at my side
Ev'ry time I turn around I find one coming near
to ask me for a guide.

Holy moly!! I couldn't believe it! The lyrics were not only incredible, but they even fit the music and rhymed!! Kiss from God, I am quite impressed :)

The afternoon consisted of another quite extraordinary experience. The MT and I went to see a new admit. She's only 71 years old. Her caretaker, the patient's cousin, was very warm and welcoming of us (as soon as we convinced her we weren't selling her magazines!) She told us the patient used to play 17 instruments! But, she's been sleeping the past two days. The patient was asleep when we arrived, her mouth gaped open, eyes shut, body limp. As the visit progressed and the patient heard more and more music, she went from dead sleep, to a twitch here and there, to slight movements, to fuller movements, to almost constant moving, to her eyes open, to direct eye contact! The response of the patient was absolutely phenomenal!