And we're back on track!

More normal class, as is to be expected. I would've appreciated more recovery time from Vienna, but I guess one weekend will have to be enough.

The big highlight of the week was a visit to the Bonn University Hospital. And when I say we visited the hospital, I don't mean that we just bothered a few off-duty orderlies. We walked in, changed into scrubs and Crocs, and watched actual, honest-to-god surgeries taking place.

Well, I say 'we'. I went in myself, about an hour late, because I am an idiot. I won't bore anyone with the details, but essentially, I misread the schedule and managed to set my alarm for about 10 minutes before I was supposed to be present and ready to go at Bonn Central Station. After some considerable time frantically texting back and forth, I eventually managed to get where I needed to be and got myself suited up and mixed back in with the rest of the group.

The surgery I got to watch was a double bypass and aortic valve replacement. Let me tell you, if you've never seen a man's chest cranked open by a massive clamp, with everything still going inside, it's really something. And the heart, oh man, the heart. When it's inside your chest like it's supposed to be, you don't really think about it. It feels calm, and gentle. But when I saw it, it was beating at about half a normal waking heart rate, and it still seemed to be trying to twist itself up and out of the patient's chest. When it beat, the whole heart moved, twisting up and crushing and forcing blood through the rest of the body.

When they stopped the heart, I couldn't help but be worried, even though I knew that was what was supposed to happen. The two surgeons working on the patient were great, managing to buck the stereotype of being quiet grumps. They encouraged us to ask them questions, and even had some pretty normal conversation with us. Well, as normal as a conversation can be when a man with his rib cage opened up is lying on the table in front of you.

It was an absolutely amazing experience, and I am more sure than ever that working here, in this field, with these people, is where I need to be.

Also, we presented our super-basic project concept on Friday, and I think our ideas went over really well!

Don't Hold My Breath, Benjamin Briggs