I know what you're thinking:
Why, why, why did she become a band director who deals in spit all day?
The answer? I don't know. For the money? (teehee)
When kids bring me their instruments to look at, and I get a whiff of their spit, I dry heave. Every time. The worst are trumpet players. You don't even want to KNOW what they're blowing into their horns. Yuck and yuck.
A couple of years ago, the regional honor band festival was held at Prescott High School. They have a tile floor in their band room. By the end of a long day of rehearsal, the floor was coated. You could have swam in it. (Well, not really...but it makes for a better visual.) I couldn't enter the room. I dry heave a little right now to think of it.
I'm a childhood cancer survivor who received treatment at the Children's Hospital of Orange County. As a result of this, I have the option of participating in St. Jude's Long Term Follow-Up Study. (LTFU for short.) I'm honored to do this--I hope that someday someone can learn something that will help.
Anyhoo...I've answered questionnaires, mostly about my current health and mental well-being. Yesterday I got a package from them asking for a saliva sample.
Now I'm not talking about a cheek swab--they wanted SPIT! I had to spit into this container to fill it to a certain line. It must have taken me 30 minutes, because I couldn't eat or drink anything to aid the process. My mouth was instantly dry. I had to fill this container half way up.
I hope my spit will help someone, because it made me ill! :)
2 comments:
I still have a hard time connecting what comes out of the end of the horn and what comes out of my mouth as the same substance. I mean, logically I know it is. But it seems that most of the stuff in my horn is condensed breath as opposed to actual "spit" - which I know amounts to the same thing, but somehow spit is gross and the condensed breath is less so. Or something. I agree with the idea about the tile floor - what genius thought THAT up?!? The architect should be fired... Think of the accoustics too! Like playing in the bottom of a well...
Finally one that made me laugh instead of CRY! Spit is pretty gross. I think that's why I quit band--must be it. How funny that they wanted a large quantity saliva sample--not just a swab. You crack. me. up!
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