I thought it would be interesting to read about how the coranavirus is affecting the individual lives of our TMV group. In my own case it has been a busy and interesting couple weeks of events. First, as many of you know I have been having a number of health problems lately, particularly heart related. It started a couple weeks ago as I was meeting my cardiologist at Morristown Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey for a routine follow-up visit. In the exam he noticed an irregular heartbeat as my pulse would get real slow and then real fast.

In the middle of the exam I had a heart attack. Off to the Operating room I went where two stents were implanted to clear blockages in two arteries. After a spell in the Recovery room, I was wheeled into a regular Semi- Private room, less than a hour later, I was wheeled into a different semi-private room. For the next two days I was in 8 different rooms as the Hospital tried to clear space and floors for coronavirus patients. After 6 days in the Hospital we were told to go home and complete my recovery there. It was weird to see everyone in the hospital wearing masks, even the janitors.

The was one more upsetting situation occurred in the hospital. I use a ventilator every night to support my weakened diaphragm from polio. I have been instructed to bring my home ventilator when ever I go to the hospital because it has been set up for my needs in terms of volume, rate of infusion etc. The hospital tried to confiscate the ventilator to be used elsewhere. It took my lawyer to convince them they had no legal way to do this.

My cardiologist made a big fuss and insisted I stay in the hospital long enough for a Pacemaker to be installed. The Hospital insisted that the regular Operating Rooms were too dangerous after being used on Coronairus patients so the Pacemaker was installed in an ad hoc temporary operating room. A day’s recovery in the hospital and I was sent home in an ambulance to finish my recovery.

At home, I was looking forward to resuming my piano lessons with my students. No sooner than when I finished writing emails to my students about lessons resuming when than the doorbell rang. There on the front step was the town Council President who handed me a copy of a letter to all towns in New Jersey closing all NON-ESSENTIAL businesses. I tried to argue but it was hard to make a case for piano teaching as essential like pharmacies, food stores etc. so I told him okay we are closing because the memo stated to continue was a criminal offense.

Through the efforts of a family with a husband and wife team as doctors where we teach 3 of their kids, my wife and I have tested negatively for the virus,

Now lessons are proceeding but being done via Facetime or Skype from the student homes. It is less than satisfactory but we have no alternative.