I saw a tissue harvest yesterday

[missjennmb]

Has anyone ever seen this? This was a decreased patient who's bone, skin, tendons and corneas were harvested. I am having difficulty processing the event. It was a very laid back atmosphere and people were talking about lunch and joking and laughing and learning during the event. If you had asked me during the procedure how I felt about it, I would have said that I wanted to join the team. But once I got home and it really sunk in, I've been having trouble coming to terms with it all.

If you have not experienced this or been aware of it, its basically where they strip the back skin, upper arm bones, all the leg bones, hip bones, and many tendons in the legs, as well as slicing the corneas off of the eyes.

Last night I couldn't even look at my family without seeing body parts inside out. It really shook me to my core and I couldn't shake the feeling that we are a pile of tissue no different than those that we eat. I'm ok this morning but still not sure how I feel about the whole process. I think its a great cause and I will still donate my body when I die but I'm regardless really changed as a person because of this. It really sent home the separation of body and mind that happens at death.

[NurseBettyICU, ADN, BSN]

Wow!! I've never witnessed a tissue harvest - never really given it much thought either, I guess. But I would assume I'd have the same type of feelings about it that you described.