Human Gross Anatomy Workshop at the University of Hawaii was held in Hawaii this March! Here we have report from our therapist, Makiko 😀 Thanks Makiko!
I’d been waiting for this opportunity to join this workshop for years and it finally came!
I have to admit that I was not that ready for the workshop when taking a flight to Honolulu both mentally (sorry I didn’t review my anatomy textbook) and physically (yes I was yet recovering from acute sickness with empty stomach for 2 days). But after all, once I sniffed the hot humid air in Honolulu, my body started to feel much better with a happy excitement of “I’m finally here!”.
The workshop lasted for three days. We divided up into three groups, each group had a donated body. Our donator was 64 years old woman who used to be a school teacher with lots of medical issues (e.g. history of colon cancer, diabetes, hysterectomy, knee surgery and skin cancer). We started from the backside of the body, removed the skin and studied the muscles and bones inside, then to the front and internal organs. I was amazed to find its tremendous amount of adipose tissues underneath the skin, how the muscles were layered and organized beautifully, and how those internal organs work perfectly yet precisely as a system. For one living human body, these systems do amazing jobs at daily basis.
It was a very rare opportunity to see and touch real human body from inside, that gives me more visualized idea of how thick and strong those Achilles tendons and Sciatic nerves are, how these muscles are layered and attached, how organs can be enlarged when affected by disease. These are only a few of many things I learned from the workshop.
The instructors are full of knowledge and enthusiasm, they have so many information to share with us. The workshop really inspired me to learn more about human body, and I know it’s a long way to go.
On the last day of workshop, my brain was full of human body information (and yet more to learn), and my empty stomach brought from home grew more than the original size, thanks to the big bento boxes offered at lunch during the workshop. I was fulfilled both mentally and physically.
Makiko Nakahara
