on death

Last night I went to the morgue as part of my A&P2 class to get to view a body. Yep. There are certain things that one you see them, they cannot be unseen. When it comes to a morgue visit, that includes smell and feel. I picked up a human brain, held a cross section of cancer-ridden liver and put my hand inside of the chest cavity of a cadaver.

The coroner explained that it was a female (obvious) about the age of 54. She had fallen and hit her head, causing a brain injury from which she died. She had no children or insurance, so the family couldn't afford to bury her, and there she was, a donated body on a slab. He said he'll keep her about another year before she get cremated. I felt bad for her in a way, but she is there so that people like me might learn. A pre-med student could learn basic anatomy off her body, and later use that to save who knows how many lives. Her life may have been sad, and ended even worse, but her contribution to society on that cold slab may be incredible. Makes me wish there was an afterlife where they kept a tally of the footprint you leave.

Yeah? The guy that cured cancer? I was his med-school cadaver! How cool is that?