Cool, but extra stinky, cadaver lab today

Published

I don't know what the deal was today. The smell usually isn't that bad and I have a great charcoal mask anyway but today as soon as you opened the lab door the smell damn near knocked you over! On to the cool stuff...

Our male cadaver died of leukemia and he has a permanent chemo line in, which is cool because you can see where the tubing goes. His stomach has a HUGE diverticula. He must have had some epigastric issues with it being that big. His spleen was forced around to his back because his stomach and the outpouching were so big. Then there's the abdominal aorta stent. His abdominal aorta is gigantic. You can see where the tissue had been thinned and how stretched out it was compared to the stent they put in. The stent was really neat looking too.

We're supposed to be focusing on veins and arteries, but since I just had my gallbladder taken out, I spent a nice chunk of class today putting our female cadaver back together to see why my incisions are where they are. I still don't quite get why I have such a big incision about a finger below my sternum but I'm sure I'll irritate my surgeon at my follow up visit with all my questions. :lol2: I thought the incision would be farther down.

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.
Uh oh.....we've created a monster! :rotfl:

Next thing you know, you'll be buying whole chickens and explaining exactly what the parts are that are shoved up in it, and what their functions are. :chuckle

I have actually caught myself doing that while eating chicken... I'm taking apart the long bones and analyzing the joints and the ends.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have actually caught myself doing that while eating chicken... I'm taking apart the long bones and analyzing the joints and the ends.

You are into it. Good for you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room.
I have actually caught myself doing that while eating chicken... I'm taking apart the long bones and analyzing the joints and the ends.

:imbar Me too. :chuckle

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i took a class over the summer where we got to do some dissecting of the cadaver to show muscles and arteries. I thought that it was so stupid b/c the students was slaughtering this poor man. His parts was yucky from the mistakes and I couldn't tell what was what. Basically the group got a body region and had to dissect it and present it to the class before the class was over!! Needless to say, I dropped the class and went back to my oringinal school where the professional cut the cadaver and they taught the students. We did have cats, lambs, and fetal pigs to dissect on our own. 1 of our cats actually had 4 kittens in her stomach which freaked me out so bad. Can you imagine dissecting a cat and wondering whats the heck is in her stomach and then seeing a little baby kitty head pop out. I almost pissed on myself!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wonder if people who donate their bodies really understand what is going to happen to them...

That would completely freak me out getting a cat like that!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room.

I have an aunt and uncle who both donated their bodies to science. .....They know that their bodies will end up in pieces before it's all said and done.

As for the students mangling a cadaver, I believe cadavers should be left for upper levels.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have an aunt and uncle who both donated their bodies to science. .....They know that their bodies will end up in pieces before it's all said and done.

As for the students mangling a cadaver, I believe cadavers should be left for upper levels.

I agree! And to let some of the kids just out of highschool who dont really want to be there or really dont care about grades. Not all of them are that way, but most of them are.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.
I have actually caught myself doing that while eating chicken... I'm taking apart the long bones and analyzing the joints and the ends.

I thought I was the only one... If the meat I am eating is on a reconizable bone I'll take it apart first adn look for the landmarks and then do my best not to explain to everyone else at the dinner table what I'm looking at....

I'm so jealous to anyone who gets any where NEAR a cadaver to learn A&P. My A&P1 teacher use to bring in tons of autopsy photos, which REALLY helps. If I can see it and/or poke it, I'm more likely to learn it. My A&P2 teacher just uses models and diagrams. It takes all my stregnth not to write down "hunk of plastic" on lab tests. I still believe that the spleen is a round ball that lives by the stomach... I hate it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I agree! And to let some of the kids just out of highschool who dont really want to be there or really dont care about grades. Not all of them are that way, but most of them are.

:nono: It's not just young people that can get carried away with the cadaver, it's both. I don't know why older students have a problem with younger students but it is starting to get annoying. I think that all students take their grades seriously. Some just don't tend to get so stressed out about it. Others try to throw humor in it to get through the day. I went to a university straight out of high school with a newborn baby and took my studies seriously but not so serious to the point where I will try to kill myself or cry for a million hours just b/c I got a B in a course instead of an A. I am happy with my grades as long as I know that I did my best!!

Let me just say that I don't have a problem with older students, I admire the fact they want to go back to school to make their future better. Someday, I will be an older student going for my BSN. Maybe I will have to wait until then to figure out whats the beef is all about.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
:nono: It's not just young people that can get carried away with the cadaver, it's both. I don't know why older students have a problem with younger students but it is starting to get annoying. I think that all students take their grades seriously. Some just don't tend to get so stressed out about it. Others try to throw humor in it to get through the day. I went to a university straight out of high school with a newborn baby and took my studies seriously but not so serious to the point where I will try to kill myself or cry for a million hours just b/c I got a B in a course instead of an A. I am happy with my grades as long as I know that I did my best!!

Let me just say that I don't have a problem with older students, I admire the fact they want to go back to school to make their future better. Someday, I will be an older student going for my BSN. Maybe I will have to wait until then to figure out whats the beef is all about.

I just sent you a PMS. I dont have any problem with young students, but I do hate to see some of them not taking their education seriously. I know I didnt either when I was young, and I am making up for it now. There are several young people in my classes that do take things seriously, and I think they do try to really learn. I hope I said that better. I did explain in that post though about not all of them being that way. Sorry for offending you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I just sent you a PMS. I dont have any problem with young students, but I do hate to see some of them not taking their education seriously. I know I didnt either when I was young, and I am making up for it now. There are several young people in my classes that do take things seriously, and I think they do try to really learn. I hope I said that better. I did explain in that post though about not all of them being that way. Sorry for offending you.

It's ok. I didn't take it personal. I sent you a PM. I'm just stressed out about "the letter":angryfire

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion