i feel lost in lit land and I am only 6 weeks in.

That sounds really good at least you know where you stand. My supervisor has not mentioned holidays at all.

Hi Neil
Did you take two wks off at christmas when you were in your first year? Is your supervisor ok with it?

Hi,

I was just wondering how much time everyone is taking off over christmas? I am funded by BBSRC but I am still not clear how many days holiday I am allowed. I don't want to take too much time off as I feel it may look bad but I love christmas and I would prefer to take my holidays around this time of year. What are everyones thoughts?

ewwwwwww

you have reminded me that I bough a mint choc bar from thorntons last wk and I haven't eaten it yet. I wonder were it could have disappeared to!?

yes i know!

but its still sad and I find it very hard.

no I didn't because I wasn't going to chop anything up that had been killed specificly for it. There are lots of other people in the same room dissecting things one person was cutting up dog elbows. Its not the goreyness that mainly concerns me its the fact that they are dead.

what is really wet about it? you think I should have no concern over it?

its not skin scrapping its cutting full thickness skin and who asked u anyway?

Thanks taupe I'm feeling a bit better now. No I didn't faint I cryed but was ok. Pistou is a cool name for a dog. :)

thanks H. I feel really awful now. This is the last thing I wanted to be percieved as. The whole time I was doing it I was crying and now today I have to process them and I feel like crying again.

hey,

Its not exploitation. I am a veggie and I believe in animal rights I would NEVER work on experimental animals I would rather die first. My PhD is on canine dermatitis. I am taking tiny biopsies of skin off ill dogs in order to help them. The dead dogs were not killed for the work I am doing. They come from the rspca they are the bodies of the dogs that put to sleep anyway. I disagree with the RSPCA putting dogs to sleep but at least this way maybe some small amount of good can come out of it. The dog would still be dead whether I took the skin or not. I work for a cat rescue and all my life I have wanted to help animals. So don't ever accuse me of exploiting animals because that is one thing I would never do. For the record taking the skin last night was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. So thanks for making me feel a whole lot crappy than I already did.

shes not proud anymore because I'm winning!!!:p

Hi later today I have to take skin biopsies from dead dogs. I am really worried about it. I really don't wanna pass out. Any advice?