t0ri

I'm very appreciative, of course. I'm very lucky! It went pretty well! Our cadaver was a 63 year old who died of a brain tumor. He had a tracheotomy and brain shunt, among other things. We have a 93 year old woman also, but have not seen her. We aren't studying the cadavers yet, but our instructor gave us a "sneak peek" yesterday. He exposed the man entirely (which was a little shocking to me), except the face. He opened the chest up and allowed us to see the lungs, and heart. I stepped out after that to finish my other lab work while others stayed to see a little more. I will admit that I did feel a little uncomfortable for some reason, but I'm sure I'll get past that quickly. It was very neat, despite my feeling uncomfortable. It almost didn't look real! I didn't pass out, and didn't feel nauseous! The human body will never cease to amaze me! Everything he took apart fit back together like a puzzle! I'm sure I'll grow to like cadaver work more, the more I learn to dissociate myself! Thanks for all the replies :)

I'm taking the A&P I lab this semester. My community college provides human cadavers, which has been made clear by my instructor that it is a very big privilege that most colleges do not offer. I know it will be a great learning experience, and the cadavers were people who wanted their bodies to be studied, but I'm feeling very uneasy. They keep the faces covered, which I appreciate, but I'm honestly afraid that I may faint or vomit! I'm not normally squeamish, but the anxiety of seeing a cadaver for the first time is REALLY getting to me! Is this a common feeling? Any tips to overcome my fear? I just need some reassurance that it's not all that scary or bad, or that I'll get used to it! Thanks.