Anatomy Lab

I had my first Anatomy Lab today (well, we did meet on Monday, but only to vaseline and wrap our cadaver-to make sure it didn't dry out). It's weird. They don't really look human. They are very gray, and kind of shriveled. But I couldn't help but think how this was someone's mother or grandmother (my group has an older female). And she let us use her body so we could learn. It seems so cruel to be cutting her open like we are, but at the same time it seems so amazingly generous on her part that she signed off before death to let us do this. I don't know that I would want someone to cut into me or one of my loved ones like this. Because we're not just cutting. We're digging and tearing to find the different muscle groups and various nerves and arteries that run to them. There is nothing gentle about what we do.

We will be having a ceremony to honor those who have given their bodies for our education later in the year. I will definitely be going.