Clinical visits

OK so now I am in Vienna after a long and painful day. I will get to that later though. When I left off in my last blog I believe I was getting to the days spent visiting the clinics in Hannover at MHH and in Göttingen. On the 1st trip to the MHH we where givin a short history of the health insurance in Germany. Afterwards we where givin a tour of the Nephrology department, the labs in the hospital and the dialysis wing. In the dialysis wing we where able to feel the shunt of one of the patients, it vibrated due to the dialysis process that was going on. After we met back up with the vet students we where givin a tour of the Hannover zoo by the head veterinarian. Since we where with him, he gave us access to the 'backstage' areas of some of the exhibits. We visited the hippos (where I accidentally dropped my battery in the water), fed the rhinos some bananas, and watched some chimps freak out over seeing the veterinarian. There was one who I thought was going to throw a piece of cardboard straight at our heads! After visiting the animals we rode on the luge ride set up for the winter, then had some good laughs watching a few from our group skate. That evening we had a nice german dinner with the medical and vet students, at their frat house, who showed us aroung the TIHO and MHH.
The next day we where supposed to get a tour of the research facilities of the MHH. Unfortunately my kidney stone decided that it had enough of walking around and gave me severe pains soon after arriving at the facilities. Steffi was nice enough to get me back to the hotel so I could spend the rest of the day sleeping my pain off. That evening I was feeling a little better and was able to eat something for dinner, but I crashed into bed soon afterwards.
The last day of our second week in Germany was spent in Göttingen. In the morning we where givin a tour of the University clinics and the vet students where able to watch part of a bypass surgery. That afternoon was spent getting a medical history tour of Göttingen starting at the original university and university apotheke. I really enjoyed the walk throught he town, even though it was really cold and my stone was giving me pain, I was able to make it through without to much trouble though. My favorite part of that day was getting to travel to Hanau and visit with my Aunt Ingred.
The second free weekend I spent relaxing at my aunts house and getting to feel better. It was kind of funny because she was sick also, so we where quite a pair this past weekend. But other that her being sick, I really ejoyed my time with her. She gave me a short tour of the city, showing me the refugee camp that her and my grandmother lived after their escape from the DDR. I also saw the place where my grandfather was stationed and where my grandparents where married. Their civil cerimony was carried out at the palace in Hanau (I can't remember the name right now). As I left she told me I would have to come back to visit her in the summer and attend the Brothers Grimm festival held in the palace park. I fully intend to take her up on that offer the summer after my senior year. Overall my second week in Germany went pretty well.