Some read. Others watch TV. There's knitting, chatting, snacking and dozing.
For me: it's tunes. The process of chemo is a lot of process. Each step is necessary and an important part of making sure the right level of meds are being dispensed. Draw blood, wait for the results, make sure my Onc is on board with the prescribed dosage (for that day), confirm with the pharmacy, await their preparation of the medications, double check that my cocktail is in fact the one for me – and then the dispensing can begin. I have no issues with any of the necessary precautions and bureaucracy of the aforementioned (take no chances), but it all takes time.
So, I pass the time listening to music. The sweet siren call of Wendy Waldman, the smoky sultry blues of Bonnie Raitt, or the searing guitar licks of Eric Clapton (to merely scratch the surface). As a multi-faceted escape it offers both the relaxing pleasure of soothing or rocking tones, and as a catalog of my musical heritage it brings back fond memories of the moments when a song was either first discovered or enjoyed over and over again (until it wore out the groove in the vinyl - ask an old person if that vinyl reference doesn't make any sense to you).
It's not longing for days gone by. It's not melancholy from the circumstances of the moment. It's just a great way - for me - to justifiably "waste" a little time while I wait my turn. And it offers a bit of isometric exercise as I strain to avoid breaking out in song or dance during the more moving melodies (my “chemo chair dancing” skills are inching toward a near NOT Dancing with the Stars worthy level).
