ce. I won’t go into graphic detail, but it is rather unpleasant the way we have to kill the guys (just to clarify, it is not unpleasant at all for them, just for us). It is definitely my least favorite thing I have to do in the lab. I suppose that is a good thing though because I don't want it to ever become easy to take a life, however small it may be. Thankfully, the lives of my mice have served their purpose. Our study seems to be successful (further analysis will confirm) and will hopefully help to save many lives (both human and mice) in the future. But, I have officially decided this week as a result of my experiences to make a goal that throughout my career as a scientist I will never waste a life, no matter how small.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
My Mice
My heart broke a bit this week because I had to sacrifice my cute little mice. Their tumors were getting too big so it was time, but I realized that I had gotten somewhat attached to the little guys. When we first started the study I thought that nude mice were the ugliest things I had ever seen. After spending time with them though (I had to image their tumors twice a week for the past six weeks) they began to grow on me. They remind me of cute, wrinkly old men. My favorite one even had a few white whiskers growing on his adorable little naked fa
ce. I won’t go into graphic detail, but it is rather unpleasant the way we have to kill the guys (just to clarify, it is not unpleasant at all for them, just for us). It is definitely my least favorite thing I have to do in the lab. I suppose that is a good thing though because I don't want it to ever become easy to take a life, however small it may be. Thankfully, the lives of my mice have served their purpose. Our study seems to be successful (further analysis will confirm) and will hopefully help to save many lives (both human and mice) in the future. But, I have officially decided this week as a result of my experiences to make a goal that throughout my career as a scientist I will never waste a life, no matter how small.
ce. I won’t go into graphic detail, but it is rather unpleasant the way we have to kill the guys (just to clarify, it is not unpleasant at all for them, just for us). It is definitely my least favorite thing I have to do in the lab. I suppose that is a good thing though because I don't want it to ever become easy to take a life, however small it may be. Thankfully, the lives of my mice have served their purpose. Our study seems to be successful (further analysis will confirm) and will hopefully help to save many lives (both human and mice) in the future. But, I have officially decided this week as a result of my experiences to make a goal that throughout my career as a scientist I will never waste a life, no matter how small.
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3 comments:
Soo...this comment is three fold.
1. Sorry, I'm not really commenting about your mice story...but I did verbally comment about it tonight...so can it count?
2. I'm showing you that YES someone DOES read your blog. ;-)
3. I wanted to tell you that tonight was WONDERFUL and this should become a more oftener thing, because you're amazing. And going to change the world. And...yeah!
Yeah. So, K., you totally rock, and this post proves it.
Also, I second Pinto's omments. (Except for #1.)
Aww...I love you girls! All I can say is...likewise. Ya'll are the greatest and I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate you and your insights. They provided needed food for my thoughts.
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