My heart stops, my lungs gasp

sevyllyn.blogspot.com

Week 4 in Human Structure, Function and Development
The ribs had been cracked open before we arrived, and the wall of the thorax loosely sat on top of his old body. We were so anxious to move on from the legs, back and arms that we had just been tested on, so we eagerly began working. Today we we're exposing the heart and lungs- the HUMAN heart and lungs! We slowly and carefully peeled off the cut ribs and sliced through the diaphragm and various muscles to pull it free. Ther we set eyes upon the contents of the thoracic cavity- the lungs easily stoof out and it was certainly a pleasant sight, because it was a change from looking at mostly pink muscles and white bones and tendons in the arms and legs. They had a marble or snake skin type appearance with pink as a dominate color and speckles and swirls of black scattered throughout. But comparing all the different cadaver's lungs offered much more diversity. Some lungs were much more black and abnormally shaped, some were pinker, some darker purple, and some had more splotches of black while still maintaining their pink color. The heart was located close to the center and for now it was covered in a thick durable white tissue. We could see hints of the liver and abdominal organs, but we wouldn't be exposing these until later.

Touching the lungs was incredible. They were enormous taking up most of the space enclosed by the ribs and encircling the heart. They felt like a Tempurpedic mattreess- when I pushed on them, they slowly and smoothly returned to their original shape. When we handled them roughly, it took longer to fluff out again, but they did. The heart, on the other hand, was much harder, after all it's a powerhouse of muscle- constantly pumping blood throughout. It was even more rigid, because blood had coagulated within its 4 chambers. The blood clots were dark and looked like dirt- some were as hard as rocks. Our cadaver's heart was enormous (much bigger than the average size of a fist). It had obviously become enlarged to compensate for his plaqued arteries. Vessels branched in all different directions and it was a puzzle, we would have to figure out and master. I was anxious to begin the challenge!

It was a nice break spending those three hours in the lab- exploring. It offered a sense of rejuvenation and confirmation, because the past few days had been extremely busy as we spent countless hours studying for our first exam. Many of us were feeling down, nervous, and stressed out. We had all spent our entire weekend in the cadaver lab, in the study rooms and in the library exerting every last bit of energy into learning every aspect of the past three weeks. Not only was I physically exhausted, but also emotionall and mentally fatigued. But cutting into the chest felt amazing and reminded me why I am doing this, why we all just need to push through.

Week 5 in Human Structure, Function and Development
It gets tougher and tougher each day. We are constantly being challenged, quizzed and presented with new information. We just began the abdominal contents- intestines, liver, pancreas, stomach, and the list goes on and on. We have so much to cover this week, but fortunately we have a three day weekend to look forward to- or better yet we have a three day weekend to study.

Today we dissected through the abdominal cavity. Our cadaver, a relatively slender man had extremely small muscles making it difficult to identify and preserve. Anotehr cadaver, about 6 tables away from mine, offered a unique sight. It was an elderly man who had died of cancer. A brtual cancer that had spread throughout the entire abdominal cavity. It was a sobering experience as I stared into his belly and watched the cancer polyps adhere to the walls of the intesting, the walls surrounding the abdominal cavity and anywhere offering a free space to anchor on. They kind of looke like vines of small blackish yellow grapes, deadly grapes. We also saw various hernias. It's amazing to visualize these pathologies, so we can better understand their origin and treatment. I love learning about this- about pathologies, treatments, the complexity of the human body, and so much more, but I must admit it's exhausting and forces me to spend less and less times with friends and family. I've also neglected unpacking the boxes in my house. I can only hope that things will get better as I adjust and learn to efficiently study.

Randomness
-I drink coffee and Mountain Dew almost regularly.
-My knee isn't getting much better, so I am scheduled to have a knee manipulation and scar tissue removal next Friday (September 10). It's not a very invasive surgical procedure, but it will leave me in crtuches for 2-3 days. I'm bitter, but what can I do about it now...
-I joined the medical school yearbook club- can't wait to have another creative outlet!
-I make dinner about twice a week and forgot how much I love to cook!

"When we longs for a life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." -Peter Marshall