For the Sake of Science....

So, over the summer I am taking Anatomy & Physiology I & II, I was prepared to put my feelings aside and have to dissect things but....not a cat. :(

In the first course, we dissected a rat which I was happy went a little better than I thought. I have NO problem at all seeing the guts and such but the dead animal does bother me. I really do ask my lab partner if we can put something over it's face.

But I'm in the second course now, and we've been learning off of a cat all week and I must say, its been difficult. I was expecting to cry, vomit, or faint and I hoped I wouldn't get a cat that looked like Weaver. Thankfully, it went swimmingly! Yes, I was a little upset when I first saw a dead cat (obviously) but with my experience at the shelter of the euthanasias and such, I guess my emotions were prepared.

After the initial shock and hanging at the back of the room until the insides were revealed (cutting is the hardest part) I actually learned a lot. We studied the heart, arterial system, veins, digestive track, respiratory, and reproductive. We are being quizzed on it on Monday & our group definitely did the best job. The worst part of the whole experience, is probably the smell.

This is an experience I will never forget. In a few different ways. Many people I tell this to will say "Well you don't have to do it, right? The school can't force you to do this!" But this is vital to my education and an excellent learning experience & I know that what I learned in the lab all this week will make me even better in my work with animals at the shelter. I will be able to detect if they're sick faster and maybe even know why, now that I know how a cat works. Inside & out. :)

I'm going home today and when I get home, I'm going to do my usual hugs & kisses to Weaver but this time they will mean so much more. 

The moral of the story is...

Get out of your comfort zone!

You will accomplish so much more in life if you try new things and take everything you can from them. I don't mean go out & dissect a cat. I mean...

1. Try a foreign food! As long as it doesn't have something you're allergic too, you have no idea how it will taste!

2. Take up running. Which is normally out of everyone's comfort zone (& was out of mine up until a few weeks ago!)

3. FACE YOUR FEARS (unless your fear is a grizzly bear or something that could seriously kill you.)

I recently overcame a HUGE fear in my life that I will probably save for another text-only post that no one will read. :)

Have a fabulous day & go learn something new!

**Sorry this post has no pictures, I figured you'd want to be spared of them!**