Gallstones from REAL people

This is a gallbladder and gallstones picture I found on Google. Our cadaver's gallstones were similar to this in color, shpae and size, only brighter and more 'jewel-like.'

My instructor's gallstones from her collection. Notice how these look like grimy rocks...

...and notice how these look like pretty stones.
(And notice how I differentiated 'rock' from 'stone.' Hmm, are they the same or are they different??)

I ran across this picture in my iPhoto and I realized i forgot to share it with you last semester!

These are REAL gallstones that came from REAL people. We saw some in anatomy lab, and of course I could not take a photo as that action would get me in a ton of trouble, but one of my instructors COLLECTS gallstones (don't ask why, she just like them). She said I could take a photo and post it on my blog. It's interesting to me how gallstones look different depending on the person from which they came.

I wanted to share this because gallstones are very painful (a few people in my family have had them removed). But it's amazing because when you look at them they are often very pretty! Like stones you may find on some rocky beach somewhere. The stones found in one of our cadavers were a very pretty bright green, I'm talking VERY PRETTY. And they were sparkly and hit the light just right. It was weird. Like opening up a pouch and finding some hidden gems.

It reminded me of the movie 'The Goonies." If you're younger than 30 then that name probably sounds like something I just made up. But if you remember that movie then you'll remember the very end when all the kids were reunited with their parents outside on the beach and the father was about to sign the paperwork to foreclose his house or something and at that moment the spanish speaking housekeeper opens this green pouch and out fell all this beautiful jewels!

THAT'S what seeing those gallstones was like. We cut her gallbladder and BAM! Out fell all these beautiful 'jewels.' Odd analogy but I'll bet you have a great visual right about now and you get what I'm saying!