Leaving people is often hard. It suprised me that leaving a dead person is, in a way, hard too. After each round of tests in anatomy (one lecture exam and one lab exam based on the cadavers and identifying muscles, nerves, arteries, etc), one's lab group must rotate from its current cadaver to another cadaver. A stranger. Someone with a different body, a different feel, and a different story.
Our first cadaver was a 92 year old man who was quite healthy. He died in 2005 because of a random hemorrhage, or bleeding, into his brain and spinal cord.
His muscles rivaled those of a 20 year old. He had taken great
care of himself in life and could easily have lived another 8 years
if not for the fluke incident of cerebral hemorrhaging.
Our Grandpappy Netter (named after the late artist and physician Frank Netter who authored our anatomy atlas) was good to us too: when
a structure on his body was pinned with a miniature flag like those on your steak signifying medium rare or well done, the structure was easily identified as the ligamentum flavum. Believe it or not, that was probably the easiest question on the lab test.
So, now we have moved to the table on our left in the downstairs dungeon that is the anatomy lab. We might as well have moved across the state, as this new woman is completely different. She was in her late 80s, and she died of myeloma.
Her body is neither strong nor powerful. Hers is a weak body that tells of the long struggle she must have had with this bone-stealing cancer.
We dissected her chest wall, snipping the ribs along the way, and reflecting the chest
back almost like removing a shining knight's armored chest plate.
Inside rested her two lungs, finally at peace from 87 years of everyday breathing.
The dissection also called for us to remove those lungs. At this point, the professor who rotates around the lab visiting tables happened to stop at our body. He leaned in, took out his personal scalpel, and carefully made an incision where her lung was attached to the trachea.
"Watch very closely," he said. As he cut, bubbles began to rise out from the inside bronchiole tubes of her lung.
"Those air bubbles are from the last breath she ever took"
Our anatomy group stood there in silent awe for a moment, trying to take it all in; the fugaciousness of life.
Birthday!
Happy Birthday Heather!
You are much loved today and every day.
I can't wait to see you after school!
You are much loved today and every day.
I can't wait to see you after school!
Back in the saddle
During orientation for med school last week, they told us that we would benefit tremendously by writing down our thoughts and stories from school. I really don't think people want to read stories about me cutting on dead people during Anatomy or listening to crazy stories about gunshot wounds from patients in the hospital....
Wait a minute. Tons of people will be interested in that stuff!
So, with Heather's motivation I'll begin writing more often. Hang around and read my blog, and I'll try to get UASOM to mail you a diploma in 4 years too.
Off to study the Extensor muscles of the arm.
Wait a minute. Tons of people will be interested in that stuff!
So, with Heather's motivation I'll begin writing more often. Hang around and read my blog, and I'll try to get UASOM to mail you a diploma in 4 years too.
Off to study the Extensor muscles of the arm.
