The Cadavers are Out!

The above sign is placed on the door entering the Anatomy lab  at Oregon State University anytime we will be working with the cadavers. The other morning I laughed to myself as I texted my husband telling him it was a typical morning for me-starting with coffee and cadavers! The sign in general makes me laugh. In my sarcastic brain I wonder, is that a warning or an invitation? I have just begun college. Again. The journey so far is interesting and difficult, but I am hoping the delayed gratification will kick in someday in ten-fold.

 I am (was) a teacher. I taught for 4 years, which I guess in the grand scheme of things was not very long. I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's in Education-college should be easy! I enjoyed being a teacher most of the time. The last two years I taught middle school and high school science, and I even taught an introductory anatomy class. All the while though, I felt like I wasn't quite doing the right thing for me. I would talk to high schoolers about career paths and realize I wasn't following mine. I had wanted to be a nurse for over 12 years. I had been married, had two young boys, divorced and remarried. Then I was handed the chance:

 "We can do this on one income for awhile if you want to go back to school," my husband said to me. I debated on and off (I mean I had a career already), but in the end I knew I would look back with regrets if I didn't take the chance. I was in a bookstore one day during this decision-making period, and I saw a magnet that said "What would you try if you knew you couldn't fail?" That has become my mantra for this journey.

So, back to the cadavers. Cadavers (If you didn't already know this) are basically dead bodies that have been donated to science. Most people are freaked out at the thought of cadavers, and those that aren't are usually still a bit spooked. I mean, it makes sense. Death is scary for many, and looking at a body that is so clearly lacking any essence of life can scare people to their core. It can actually be a very spiritual experience-bear with me, because looking at the body lacking any forms of life can really make a person start asking those big questions: What happens after death? Is there an afterlife? Even though my body can remain, where does the part that makes me-well, me, go? I obviously have my own beliefs about these things , as I am sure many of you do, but I will tell you that the cadavers will make you wonder. 

There are many things that can actually be done with a body that is donated to science. I was curious while I was talking to one of my past classes about it, so I read a book called Stiff: The Curious Life of  Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Good book. Very interesting. As it turns out, there are a multitude of uses for cadavers such as forensics research, crash testing and military testing to name a few. Being donated and actually used for aspiring healthcare professionals seems to be one of the more elite jobs a cadaver can do. But hey, I think they are all useful, and it's just a body. I already told my husband, when I go-donate everything, not just organs, but anything that can help others. Consider it something that can "live" on. 

I was fairly nonchalant about taking an Anatomy course this summer for my nursing prerequisites that I knew would utilize cadavers in lab. After-all, I had taught high school anatomy for 2 years, and the highlight of our studies was to go view a cadaver lab. Still, on that first day I was nervous. Cadavers are housed in these "tanks" that hook up to ventilation tubes to help with the smell (which is mostly a chemical smell, and OSU sweetens it with dryer sheets-no joke!). The tank also have drainage below them for early on in cadaver dissections when things well, need to be drained. They almost always have a towel over their head, because we are told that for many people it is the hardest part to view. I will agree, though in curiosity, a classmate and I have indeed viewed ours. After a month full of anatomy labs learning about muscles, I have to say there is no fear left in me of cadavers. No spookiness. No sadness. I have seen every fellow classmate and instructor handle them with the utmost care and respect. We are gentle when touching, quiet when speaking around them, and just generally appreciative. Yes, I appreciate the cadavers. We have two in my class right now. A 93 year-old woman, and an elderly man (I forget his age). Because of the cadavers I have a much better understanding of how our muscles and bones work together,where everything is located, and even how muscles and tendons feel. I could not have gotten that straight from the textbook. 

And yes...you do get so used to being around them that there is no gross factor whatsoever anymore. It is very common to hear a classmate whisper, "I'm hungry. Is that weird?" and for you to respond, "Nope, me too!"