Skittles No More

I've been somewhat nocturnal in my study habits - I prefer the 7pm to 3am shift. I tend to just get it all done and then sleep in till class or not sleep much if I have a lab. To keep my energy up and have a little snack, I have been using the medical student swear by method of skittles. Their little brightly colored sweet goodness can really add to my late night mental capacity. Yet, as I am, for some reason lately, fodder for the local flora, my skittles were the last thing I ate before I became insanely ill the following morning. Not so good coming back up. Now, just the thought of them is permanently imbedded in my cerebral cortex as "TOXIC!" Thus, I am on the search for another little treat to take the edge off late at night. Maybe I'll just stick to tea.

So, after a 2 day knockout punch from the latest intestinal bug, I am once more trying to catch up. I did learn something really cool, yet again, about the liver. In my old days as an Epidemiologist in Baltimore, I could rattle off insane amounts of data from my hepatitis cases in terms of symptoms, duration, AST, ALT, total bili, etc, sounding all official, but not really aware of all the goings on down there. Now I finally know what AST and ALT liver enzymes do. They synthesize and degrade amino acids which help the liver make glucose from non-sugar sources and help rid the body of ammonia, which is toxic. Without the help of ALT and AST, patients have tremors, slurring of speech, cerebral edema, and blurry vision in mild cases and convulsions, coma, and death in serious cases. The liver is just amazing but those enzymes are life savers.

Hmmm? Life Savers? Life Savers is a candy!! Could this be the answer to my skittles nightmare?? Do they even have Life Savers in Grenada? All these important questions!!!!