Body Worlds Vital in Auckland

Can you see the different muscles?

The man here is carrying his skin

The guy/girl holding his/her heart

Plastination is one of the most controversial things when it comes to medicine and the healthcare field. However, it is also an innovation that helps healthcare professionals understand the human body. I found myself wondering that if back in college while studying Anatomy and Physiology I would get better grades if I was given a chance to see Body Worlds Vital. Learning Anatomy and Physiology is hard since you only visualize things by means of looking in your black and white book. Internet is not yet popular and only rich people can have access with it. Aside from that, it is hard to grasp what the book is saying. I am always a mixed learner. I learn things from experiencing, seeing and hearing things. Anatomy and Physiology is hard to learn because everything is so familiar (its your body!) but so alien because you cannot see its complexities. When your professor would tell you that the heart is comprised of arteries that supply oxygen to itself and the rest of the body, would you be able to see it in your mind the wonderful passages that looks like a maze. I have not actually visualized it even if I have seen a Coronary Angiogram being done to a patient in Cath Lab. I was able to fully grasp its beauty after coming to this exhibit and see what the inside of a human heart is.

The arteries of the heart

Plastination is a process that stop the body to decompose. It makes the body last forever. I thought that I would be smelling formalin upon entry to the exhibit but I did not. Plastination involves Embalming, Dehydration, Forced Polymer Impregnation, Positioning and Curing. All this process will take about a year. Because of that, I feel a deep admiration to the people who are doing these steps. Their patience was so good.

Mr. Skeleton

They said we got 206 bones (adult)

Body World Vital was created by Dr.  von Hagens who invented the process called "Plastination" when he was working in the University of Heidelberg. It is an exhibit featuring real human bodies who agreed to donate their body after death in the name of education. This made me reflect on the idea that if I die would I be doing the same. Personally, I would be scared to expose my body in front of many people. Surely, I would donate my body parts to others if I die but displaying it for others to learn is a new idea and I kind of feel indifferent about it. That is why I found it heroic for those people who donated themselves for the sake of education and learning. 

The consent/declaration of people who provided their YES to show their body once they left the world!

I can actually hear Kuya John saying the different arteries  of the heart!

This is like I'm watching a Horror/Gruesome Movie!

Like he was running

The Gastrointestinal System

Body Worlds Vital was a moving exhibit that was on display in different countries. Actually, I will not go in this exhibition if not a doctor has encouraged me to do so. Thank you Dr. Alec... He said that he was able to see this exhibit in Amsterdam and that it is worth it. And tada... Ronald and I visited the place in Hilton, Auckland. The place was filled with people. Students, parents, lovers  tourists, young people, young at heart, etc. were all in awe just seeing the exhibit. Knowing that your body is like that in the exhibit just makes you question of how well you look after your body. As a nurse, I think it is also important that I came here and see this exhibit so I can provide good health teachings to my patients because I can witness first hand what is happening with the body if you smoke, if you are obese, etc. Although as a Catholic, I have this weird feeling if displaying the body of a dead person is ethically correct. Though, I don't want to talk about it because that topic is very controversial.

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The exhibit also got an interactive area where you can see what is inside of you while you are moving or dancing

One part of the exhibit is also how much and what kind of food a normal family in different parts of the world consumes in a week. It got examples of family in Mexico, USA, Japan, etc. In this part of the exhibit you'll realize that different families in different places eat differently. It is also a wake up call for people that they can choose what to place in their dining table so that their children will have the necessary nutrients that they needed so they won't get malnourished or obese.

Can you see that he is carrying all his organs 

REACTION:

Come to think of it, one of the sponsors of this exhibit is our insurance! Haha! I just realized it when I am doing this blog!

At the end of the exhibit, it provides people advices on how to properly look after their body. It also gives you a paper coin where you can put your pledge . If I remember it correctly I put mine in eating less sweet and Ronald put his in working less (Oh Ronald... I thought you are going to put it in more exercise!) 

Examples of the advices the exhibit gives are:

1. Sleep more
2. Do not smoke
3. Exercise More... Well why can I not lose weight?!?
4. Limit Alcohol Intake
5. Do not eat too much sweet - well I'm guilty!
6. Have a support group! Need to have a stress reliever!
7. Work Less?!? (Paging Chris, Li and Linda.. can we have lots of AL and STIL?

We try our best to do what we learn in this exhibit but it is really hard but we will be trying  to keep our pledges!!!
No more chocolates and sweet for the meantime. Although I still have lots of cheat days. I want to be like my co-worker Brenda who is really good in eating healthy! She is my idol :)

I am trying to keep working on my blogs so hopefully I get more time experiencing new stuff and more time in writing them. However, I still have some paper to do and my portfolio to write. To more blogs to come! Cheers!