Dissection & an amazing whining fest - you have been warned

Patrick and I had the opportunity to go to the medical school here to look at several cadavers in various stages of dissection, as part of his A & P class. We went on Friday night after dinner. We bought some vapo rub to cover the smell, but were surprised that we didn't need it. The rooms were well ventilated and so the smell wasn't too bad.
The U of M med school has changed their way of teaching Gross Anatomy so that the students focus on systems rather than regions of the body to study at one time. They were focusing on the cardiovascular system and so we were able to look at the lungs and heart as they were pretty much the only things really exposed.
After observing some of these cadavers, most of whom had died with cancer or emphysema, I will say this - if you smoke, quit. Looking at these lungs you would have thought that they had just been severely burned. It was really sad.
We were able to pick up the hearts and lungs to examine them a little more thoroughly, which was interesting. There was one cadaver that had had breast implants that had been removed and were just sitting on the dissecting table. I picked it up and was surprised that it felt the way it did. Smooth is probably the best way to describe it. It was pretty incredible.
One of the instructors from the A & P classes started cutting on one of the cadavers to show the students the testicles and cut the tip of the penis off in order to show how the blood infuses the tissues to cause it to become erect. She also cut out one of the eyes to show the optic nerve and how thick it is. It was all pretty amazing stuff.
Sunday Patrick got fed up with my squinting at the television and computer so he dragged me (kicking and screaming) to the optometrist. Because I hadn't had my eyes examined since I was about 12, I figured I should get all the testing done that is possible. So they tested for glaucoma, field distance test, peripheral vision test, and they dilated my eyes (which was an interesting experience). It turns out that I'm a little near sighted. Bloody hell. I have to wear glasses when I am working on the computer (all day at work), watching TV, or driving at night. Yay. So Patrick helps me to pick out frames for my new glasses (if he weren't there I might have bought some frames that make me look like my mother - no offense Mom) and he drives me home and since I can't drive anywhere, he takes Zoom Zoom home with him. It was a somewhat depressing day to tell you the truth. I had had "perfect" vision, and that is now shot to hell. Damn it.
To add insult to injury, my knee (the one I had surgery on in 1997) has decided that it is now the perfect time to cause me pain. People here think that it is because of the weather. Yet another reason to hate this place. So I am doing all I can to ease the pain (mostly because Patrick is shoving ibuprophen down my throat). Today I went to buy a knee brace and some Icy Hot and am sitting in my office with a heating pad on my knee.
Hey, you can't say I didn't warn you that this posting was almost all about me whining. =0)
On a positive note (there has to be at least one more to end with!). Patrick and I have a place to have Thanksgiving dinner at! We had hoped to go back to The Capital Grille, but they are closed. So we made reservations at a place here in Ann Arbor called The Gandy Dancer, which is supposed to be very good. Yay for Thanksgiving break!
Another good note to end on- Gemma got a job with a firm that will pay her excellent money and will hopefully allow her and Josh to get married! Yay!!!