Anatomy Trains Dissection, Day One

I knew it was going to be a good day the moment I keyed the ignition in my rental car. I expected a blast of hip hop from the always left-on car radio, instead it was Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper”.

I take these things as signs.

It’s a real privilege to given the task to document Tom Myers’ findings in video and pictures. It’s also real work and great fun. This is my third human dissection lab, the first was in 2003 and was totally overwhelming. The second was better because I understood so much more. This time I’m hoping I might actually see something, if you know what I mean.

While I’m now accustomed about what to expect in this environment, this was my first experience with a fresh tissue cadaver. When I walked into the lab I was stunned. Stunned because a first blush I couldn’t tell the embalmed bodies from the fresh one.

I once worked for 18 months on an embalming crew for a sizable funeral home chain in South Florida but I have never, ever seen such beautifully embalmed bodies as these two – Millie and Richard (yes we name them). I know their rosy glow comes from the embalming fluid, but embalming is a skill like any other and these were done by a master.

In short, these are the healthiest looking dead people I have ever seen. 

The fresh tissue cadaver, George, is a burly, hearty specimen and working on him is the domain of  Todd Garcia, Director of the Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment.  As the skin and fatty layers were removed to reveal the muscles and fascia I was fascinated by the size and thickness of both his latissimus and his lower trapezius. Looking for all the world like flank steak I found myself wondering: how is it that I believe that I actually can work through those in order to affect change in erector spinae beneath? 

Todd is quick to point out how even in this state the muscles and fascia  respond to the slightest push, pull and tug and how these forces are very visibly transmitted throughout the surrounding areas both in depth and breadth.

Tom Myers reminded everyone that Deane Juane said it best in his book Job’s Body: 

 “ To touch the surface is to stir the depths.”

For me much of the day is spent running sound and camera tests, procuring suitable photographic dropcloths –  I wonder what the folks at Joann Fabrics would have thought had they known what I was up to (as it was they wouldn’t cut the bolt into 2 yard lengths I needed due to liability issues *sigh*); and then getting the necessary hardware to build a makeshift platform over the fresh tissue cadaver so we could get shots from directly above when needed.

By the end of the day we got the first ever shots of a fully dissected Back Functional Line. The footage looks and sounds good, and Tom and I are pleased with the first day’s progress.

David Lesondak, CSI, KMI