The Heartburn Battle

          GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), also known as acid reflux or heartburn, is the result of acid from your stomach washing up into your esophagus.  It is a chronic condition that can cause a burning sensation that is uncomfortable - heartburn - and it can actually erode the lining of your esophagus.  Unfortunately, the most serious complication that can result from this disease is the development of Barrett's esophagus, which is the precursor condition to esophageal cancer.  Cancer of the esophagus is an incredibly deadly form of cancer, with a mortality rate of 87%.  Christopher Hitchens, the writer, recently died of complications arising from this kind of cancer.

          I just painted a pretty bleak picture, and I did that because there can be serious consequences from this disease.  However, in most cases, cancer does not arise.  In fact, this condition can be treated pretty effectively by prescription drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (prilosec, protonix, nexium, etc).  When taken, these can block the secretion of up to 90% of the acid in the stomach.  With the acidity reduced, the fluid that refluxes up into the esophagus is much less likely to burn the esophagus as much, reducing symptoms and the odds of developing more serious complications.

Anatomy 101

And then you make the first incision....

          A critical part of medical school for first year students is anatomy lab. Although the specifics of how the course is constructed may vary from school to school, one thing is the same: this is where medical students must dissect a cadaver. That's a dead human being.

          I cannot describe how excited I am for medical school. I will finally get to study the things I have been interested in for years. The waiting game will be over. I won't have to force myself to memorize the intricacies of general chemistry. Instead, I will finally learn human biochemistry, disease, and diagnosis. As excited as I am, though, I have to admit to having a lot of apprehension about dissecting a cadaver.  While I have to admit they make it look really cool - and somehow weirdly sexy - on NCIS, I don't think that's quite how it's going to be.

Vitamin D - Gotta Have It

I am planning to write a post on a supplement every week or two.  I'm actually not a huge fan of large scale supplementation, but I do think there are a few things that are helpful and should be taken, particularly in certain situations.  I also think there are a few that should definitely not be taken, and I'm equally excited to write about those.

The first on the list is vitamin D, which might be my favorite supplement.  It's a close fight between Vitamin D and fish oil, but I think I have to give vitamin D the edge.  The funny thing about Vitamin D is that it technically isn't - or shouldn't be - a supplement.  We actually produce vitamin D - vitamin D3, cholecalciferol - in our skin.  The precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light - specifically UVB light - to form vitamin D (for the biochemists among us, there is a step in between, as precholecalciferol is formed first) (1).  Basically, we produce vitamin D from sunlight.

Cornell's Exam Week

It is the tail end of the semester at Cornell right now, and that means exam week.  Obviously this doesn't affect me much, because I am no longer a student.  I do still live in Ithaca for work, so I can see the effects exams are having on students.  As I write this, I am thinking of my girlfriend in particular.  At the moment she is working on a 10+ page research paper and studying for a biochemistry exam.  Unfortunately for her, they are both due tomorrow.  I can't prove it, but I bet frequently co-morbid classes are built to have their exams or final papers/projects close to each other at the end of the year to raise the bar just a little higher.

You hear people talk a lot about Cornell, saying it is an extremely competitive school, that there's no grade inflation, that everything is graded on a curve.  Basically, that it is incredibly tough.  Well, that's partially true.  Partially.  Here's the truth.