Another eventful couple of weeks. I went to a hospice to pick up an old lady. Her husband decided to put her there for her last days, and when paramedics took her into the elevator of their apartment complex, she died. They called the husband to tell him the news and asked if he wanted her back inside their home. He declined, so they brought her to the hospice already dead. When I arrived, they didn't even get to admit her, not even an ID tag ready.
They told me what happened, and the nurses were talking about a strange voice they heard earlier in the evening. Two of them heard the same thing and they were unnerved a bit. So we talked about that and how I've yet to hear anything in the mortuary late at night when I'm there by myself. They seemed intrigued with my job.
Another case from the ME: A taxi driver was shot in the head point blank. When I saw two large bullet holes in the skull of the man I expected to see larger exit wounds but I saw none. Next time at ME I asked about this case and one of the autopsy assistant said he remembered that one, and that what happened was that the bullet entered the head and exited out on the same side. The bullet took a U-turn. Strange but true, and why he got shot is anyone's guess.
Two Marine pilots who crashed in their aircrafts while training came in. The embalmer said the bodies were unrecognizable, totally mangled. Yet they were embalmed and casketed for ship out with an escort.
First one I took early in the morning with a very tall Marine escort. The soldier was rather stiff and dull, a little too serious compared to other escorts I've had ride along. Once on the tarmac at the airport, the family of the pilot walked down and witnessed their loved one being loaded onto the plane. It was sad to see in the side view mirror the teenage daughter crying. Otherwise it was really cool to drive under and around 737s on the tarmac, chatting with the airline crew.
Second one I took around noon a week later, and this time the escort met me at the airport. A Major, the escort was a very sweet guy, super humble and courteous. I really enjoyed talking with him while waiting out the delayed flight. He said to me, "I couldn't do what you do." I said I couldn't do what you do. There was no family on the tarmac this time, but as always, the escort saluted the casket as it was loaded onto the plane. We shook hands and parted ways.
Yesterday I saw a green decomposing baby in a body bag. I wondered how the baby was left or lost for days. This morning I picked up a one and a half year old baby from the children's hospital. The kid was heavy, I'd guess about 30 lbs. The histologist released the body to me, a young guy who looks through microscopes all day.
Today a body of an old lady was leaking severely from her orifices. Another embalmer brought out a clear plastic screw about three inches long and literally screwed it into the anus. Then another one for the vagina. She explained to me that the reasons for the problem is that: 1) pressure from the innards and 2) she was not prepped thoroughly by the old geezer embalmer whom no one likes. Whatever the case, it was absolutely disgusting and hard to watch, but very interesting at the same time.
We are expected to become more and more busy in the coming weeks, as more people die in wintertime. It's been getting busier, especially at night.
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