Mandolin in the Hospital???

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Whoa you've got the deluxe special unicorn health plan! Everyone I know it's like in-and-out, no overnight and damn near no recovery room allowed for anything short of a heart/lung transplant!

I'm kind of hoping for 2 nights, which I was told is likely. This is supposed to be an amazing hospital with an amazing chef. Besides, my playing will be limited once I get home, as my husband feels neglected when I'm playing (among other things I do). Having said that, he'll take good care of me when I get home, so I'm not complaining (much LOL).

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Best of luck Sherry. Like John Soper mentioned follow your PT regimen to the letter. I had hip replacement surgery last September. I did all the PT sessions and daily home exercises and had great outcome. A friend who had a similar surgery barely did any rehab and now limps just as bad as before surgery.
I was in and out of surgery and back home in 24 hours so I didn't bring an instrument. Between the general anesthesia and the pain pills I was in a bit of a fog that day.
Stay healthy!

Bob, I learned the importance of PT when I broke my ankle a few years ago, so I'm sure I'll give it all I've got.

[Sherry Cadenhead]

I ripped/avulsed my quadriceps tendon (attached to the knee cap from the thigh) last summer.

That sounds really painful, John. My knee bothers me only off and on, but my entire leg hurts a lot of the time. The surgeon says he knows of pain radiating down the leg, but not up, so we'll see how it goes. The knee is bone on bone, so it's just a matter of time anyway.

[Rob Roy]

Best of luck on your knee surgery Sherry! The joint doctors do amazing things these days. I'll be surprised if they keep you three days (unless you're a blood clot risk). These days, they send people home the same day or straight to rehab. Speedy healing to you.

[anon-rickf]

I used to be a provider for the emergency department in a small rural hospital. I always kept my mandolin in my office and when ER was slow I would pick a few tunes. It was audible out on the ward where inpatients were at (as I said, a small hospital) and the patients seemed to like it. Best wishes for your surgery.

[catmandu2]

Take your music with you wherever you go. Others enjoy hearing and seeing a musical instrument - the sharing of it promotes healing and health. (Good luck with your procedure!)

[Isaac Revard]

As a nurse myself, I love the idea. I recently took care of a patient that was pretty awesome on the harmonica--said they took it everywhere since they were 10 years old. Also, I recall, long ago another patient had a banjo in their room...loved it, as did everyone else. If you're up to it, I say pick away...you'll likely be interrupted a lot by us pesky nurses, techs, PT/OT, drs, residents...all the people...but we'll all love it. Take care, may you have a speedy recovery!

[pops1]

I have taken instruments into the hospital to play for friends and it was much enjoyed. Decades ago the hospital actually paid me to play, they took money off my hospital bill. A friend of mine and I would come in and play and they would lower what I owed. It will be enjoyed by all I am sure. Here's to a speedy recovery.

[journeybear]

Not a hospital, or even technically a nursing home, but an assisted living facility, is where my dad spent the last several years of his life. As time wore on and it seemed progressively more clear that he was not going to be able to put into action oft-discussed plans for a visit here, which would have included attending at least one show by one of my bands, it became progressively more clear that I should bring the music to him. One of my oldest and best friends, and former member of a band up there, was supervisor in the maintenance department at the facility. A couple of years ago, I found a date and time when I would be up visiting, during my family's annual reunion, on which my friend would be at work, and asked him to bring his harmonicas into work. We met up at my dad's rooms, along with my brother and sister-in-law, and without much to-do and no rehearsal, launched into a performance of several of my songs. They were variations of the blues, common ground for us, with one exception - a bluegrass number, one of my friend's favorites and a request, which I performed solo. My dad was hard to read, and not effusive in compliments, but he did seem to enjoy the private concert. I recorded this on my cell phone, and sent CDs to all attendees. My dad was less than tech-savvy, so he had a hard time figuring out how to play it, though a friend helped him sort it out. At any rate, it was an opportunity to bring music into an environment that was not exactly conducive to it. My dad passed last year; the anniversary of his passing is coming up. I'm glad he was able to hear at least some of my music.

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Thanks for sharing that story, Steve. I believe I'll play this by ear. I used to work for an insurance sales organization. Its motto was "Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." Might apply here.

[Frankdolin]

Some 40 years ago, in a 2 year stretch, I spent a combined 7 months in the hospital from 2, " I didn't see the motorcycle" incidents. I had my mandolin with me always and it was huge in my recovery. But what I found I was best at was putting the floor asleep! And that was fine by me.

[NDO]

Good luck on your surgery Sherry!
It might be a good time to bring along a good mandolin book to read in case the logistics of playing don’t work out. Not all music practice involves playing!

[Randi Gormley]

best of luck with the surgery! Two of the people I play with are nurses -- and they both play accordion!