NordRhein Westphalia

Yesterday we went to the heart and diabetes center of North Rhein Westphalia, in Bad Oeynhausen. It was a long trip up, and the bus was absolutely silent about an hour and a half into the trip. We arrived at the hospital under a gray sky, and started with a mass trip to the WC. After that, we headed inside to watch a video about the hospital and have an introduction by one of the doctors. After that, we split up into surgery and ICU/research groups. I went with the ICU/research group, and we started in the laboratory with a scientist there. They were studying congenital heart disease and arrythmias. It was pretty cool to learn that they were doing PCR and electrophoresis; stuff I'm familiar with; here! After that, we headed into ICU and got to see a man that had just had a total artificial heart implanted just five days earlier! He was walking around, and was attached to this big machine that pumped his blood for him! Then we checked out what the artificial hearts looked like before they were implanted. The engineers really got a kick out of that! After that, we breaked for lunch at the cafeteria. Then we split up again, and checked out the MRI machine and the PET/accelerator and the lab where they make radioactive isotopes. For the isotopes, they only have a half life of 2 hours, so they make them, check them for purity, then ship them out in 45 pound carriers to the hospitals/research centers for medical use. After that, we took the bus back to the Hauptbahnhof.

Several of us took the bus back to the AIB to plan our trip to Amsterdam this weekend. I had no idea how difficult it would be to coordinate so many different schedules! After three hours work and a few flared tempers, we finally got hotels and train tickets. I guess I was under the impression that the AIB might be a little more helpful in planning trips, but I suppose we needed to learn! Lesson for next time: plan early!!!

Today we have class, then we are off to the cathedral at Koln, which as a remember, is quite a climb. We are touring the city, then the cathedral roof. Then most of us are leaving this evening for Amsterdam. I hope to see the Anne Frank house and maybe the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, so hopefully I'll have time for that. Should be fun.

Hope all is well in the states. Miss you all!