Biking to Cape May - Getting Home

Photo by Dr. Haus

The big part of the trip felt done when I arrived in Cape May and I spent four days enjoying Cape May in the off season.  I spent a lot of time enjoying a mostly empty beach, enjoying some delicious seafood, and generally trying to rest and relax after the long ride down south.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

I can happily report that I, for once in my life, concluded that just because I could do something didn't mean I should do something.  In this case, I decided it would be within my best interests to decrease the number of miles I was riding to get back home as it was supposed to rain the upcoming weekend (and my bike does not tolerate rain riding) and that the place where my leg meets my butt cheek would appreciate a break.  I guess what they say is true, age allows a person to decide when it makes sense to be stubborn and when you just need to let it go.  I figured I wanted a restful and fun vacation prior to returning to work as opposed to the inevitable stress and tiredness I would feel if I decided to bike the entire way back home.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

The plan came together quickly, I would ride the ~50 miles back to Atlantic City and take the NJ Transit train to Philadelphia for the weekend.  From Philadelphia, I would be able to take the train back to my town which would decrease the amount I would need to ride to get home from ~200 miles to ~60 miles in total.  That sounded great to me and I left Cape May with a renewed energy and excitement in getting to enjoy some train time versus destroying my rear end.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

The ride back to Atlantic City was my favorite day of riding.  Maybe it was because of the quiet roads, perfect weather, and beautiful views, or it was knowing that I only had 50 miles to ride until I was done with the major riding on this trip.  I stopped many more times to enjoy the views and take in the sea air as I retraced my route from earlier in the week.  The shore towns were still deserted and I wanted to cherish the quiet and solitude before I entered city mode and the noise of life in the modern world.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Very quickly I was back in Atlantic City (after dealing with two bridges from hell) and I had some time to eat at a local establishment recommended by a friend:  Whitehouse Subs.  I got a Philly Cheese sub which I DESTROYED - I did not realize how hungry I was until I inhaled this sandwich.  Maybe it was the riding or maybe it was how good the sandwich was but I devoured that thing in seconds.  I worked my way to the Atlantic City NJ Transit train station (and got lost, because...me...) and made my train with about 4 minutes to spare.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Unsurprising I am sure, I have a lot of opinions about public transit and trains in the United States - it is about time we start funding better public transit and create a society that is for everyone.  But alas, I am sure I will find another time to discuss my thoughts on urban planning and public transit.  It was with a heavy heart I entered the city that many consider the birthplace of America.  Considering what the next four years have in store, I was surprised to find both sadness and hope when visiting the liberty bell (the expectation was only sadness).  The photo above states:  

 

"The Liberty Bell is a symbol of the American Revolution.  It is a symbol of the liberties gained and a reminder of liberties denied.  It is a relic of a nation's beginning.  It has inspired and challenged visitors, especially in times of crisis.  Its outline, familiar throughout the world, conveys the idea of the continuing expansion of liberty to new peoples and into new aspects of life."

Photo by Dr. Haus

I had spent the days in Cape May pondering my options to try to protect the liberties that are now in jeopardy due to recent political changes occurring in the United States.  It felt particularly timely to be visiting the birthplace of the country to reflect upon its history, its future, and to brainstorm how I want to be an activist combating the loss of rights.  I do not want this country to move backwards, I want it to move forward to a better future for everyone, regardless of who they are.  Above is another impactful quote in the Liberty Bell Center:

"Why do people from around the world choose to visit the Liberty Bell?  Why does this now silenced bell resonate so directly with visitors from so many varied cultures?  Perhaps the greatest strength of the Liberty Bell is the way it symbolizes the never-ending quest for freedom and the need to remain forever vigilant, for liberties gained can also be lost.  This is the enduring message that the Liberty Bell embodies for all American and for our fellow citizens of the world."

Photo by Dr. Haus

The Liberty Bell may be silenced but I am not.

Biking to Cape May Day 3 - Made It

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

The last leg of my ride to Cape May was the shortest miles-wise though still tough as my body was sore and there were two particularly awful bridges to ride over.  The first of these offensive bridges was the bridge connecting the Atlantic City area to Ocean City.  There was a nice shoulder over this bridge (mostly unheard of during my trip) but the steepness of the bridge outshined the much needed shoulder.

Photo by Dr. Haus

Day 3 of the ride was especially quiet since I was riding through the abandoned shore towns and marshes to the tip of New Jersey.  The emptiness of the ride made for fast riding and scenic views.  Along the way, I was able to see views of the ocean, marsh land, and lot of birds.  I realized what great luck I had with the perfect riding weather because I had to cross a few small bridges to get to Cape May.  These narrow bridges could easily become flooded and inaccessible in the rain.  This was a reminder of why more planning may have been good for the trip but honestly, would it be a "me" trip if it was over-planned?

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Given the perfect riding weather, I quickly entered the city of Wildwood.  The boardwalk in this town made for some nice riding in the off season as there were very few people around and all the shops were boarded up until next summer.  The amusement park was closed as well which added to the ghost town aesthetic of the ride.  At this point in the ride, I realized I was only a short 5 or so miles from Cape May proper and my final goal - the Cape May lighthouse.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Before I knew it I was finally at my goal, the Cape May lighthouse.  I could not have asked for a better first bike packing trip.  This trip consisted of mostly flat riding, a lot of quiet, and the most perfect weather.  I rode into Cape May sore but pleased with my ride and reaching my goal.  The way back would come later, now was the time to enjoy and explore Cape May over the next few days.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Photo by Dr. Haus

Photo by Dr. Haus

Biking to Cape May Day 2 - Day of Closures

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Day 2 of the trip began with the realization that I would have to crank out a large number of miles due to a large hotel desert in the Pine Barrens region of New Jersey.  I knew I would have to make it to Atlantic City before dark in order to ensure I had somewhere to stay for the night.  The start of they day was spent riding down Route 9 which was quite pleasant as the road had a large shoulder and there were essentially no hills.  I was flying during the start of this trip and was happy with my quick progress.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

This second day of riding was less enjoyable as I knew I had to move quickly and ride over 65 miles to make it to Atlantic City and a hotel.  Forested areas are my favorite and I do wish I had a more leisurely ride to truly enjoy this part of the state.  My general rushed feeling only intensified when I hit my first roadblock which was a bridge being out that I needed according to the route that was kindly created for me to follow.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Now, this was unideal given my tight timeline for the day coupled with me not knowing the area well.  Loved the GPS and detour signs which led me the long way around the bridge.  This added more miles to my trip and made my ride focused more on speed rather than enjoying the landscape of this region of New Jersey.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Shortly after bypassing the closed bridge I hit another detour where a road was closed - this really was the day of closures and detours.  Once again, I was not happy as I already had to add more miles to my ride and did not want to deal with another lengthy detour to get to Atlantic City.  Thankfully, this detour was not too bad and I got myself back on track.  I also had the pleasure of seeing other road cyclists during this part of my ride which is always a pleasant experience.

Photo by Dr. Haus

I continued riding quickly as I came closer and closer to Atlantic City.  Finally, I rode around a bend and was able to see Atlantic City in the distance.  The last stretch of my ride to Atlantic City was down Route 30 and included a dreaded bridge from hell (did I already mention I hate steep bridges?).  This part of the ride was not fun but I made it over the stupid bridge and the rest of the ride into Atlantic City was relatively flat through the marshes of the outskirts of the city.

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

One of the big surprises I found in Atlantic City was a relatively bike-friendly city.  The roads had bike lanes (well bike gutters, but in America you take what you can get regarding reasonable transportation without a car).  Atlantic City is also a beautiful place which I did not expect as it is known as a gambling town.  This is quite a shame because the ocean and general area is beautiful - I am not sure why it was decided to turn this area into a casino town.  The boardwalk area is lovely and this could easily be a tourist shore town, which it was prior to the late 70's.

Photo by Dr. Haus

The day ended with more soreness than the previous day, but extreme happiness that I was able to meet my goal (and eat a huge pasta-based dinner).

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Biking To Cape May Day 1 - Correlation Does Sometimes Imply Causation

 

 Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Well, I decided to do something crazy and take a week off work to bike around 200 miles to Cape May.  As with most of my ingenious plans, I decided to do this on a whim and thought to myself, I am sure I can make it.

Photo by Dr. Haus

Day 1 consisted of getting myself out of the "city" area and to the coast.  For this trip, I wanted to follow the ocean as much as possible for the views and honestly mostly for the flatness/emptiness I would find there.  That experience would come more the second and third days as I worked my way down the Jersey coast.

Photo by Dr. Haus

For this first leg of the journey, I used my GPS until I caught up with my coastal route.  A friend of mine's friend created a route for me that started in Sandy Hook and went all the way down to Cape May.  I didn't want to ride my bike to Sandy Hook to start the ride there out of sheer laziness.  I wanted to decrease the amount of miles so decided to cut diagonally to the coast to pick up the route further south.  It was about 42 miles of some nice trails and road riding to get to the coast.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

I was able to take the Henry Hudson Trail for part of the journey which is a trail I absolutely want to get back to on a day that I am not grinding out a huge amount of miles.  I would have enjoyed taking more time on this trail and enjoying all the sights and sounds.  Thankfully my road bike did okay on the trail given that it had minimum gravel.  I did have to cut through an orchard prior to the Henry Hudson trail which was tough because my road bike wasn't made for that.  At one point I had to walk my bike a few yards due to sandy conditions and my bike sliding around like my Corolla on ice.

 

 Photo by Dr. Haus

The other highlight of this first day was riding on the Capital to Coast Trail which was a beautiful ride where I got to see an old fashioned train slowly moving down the train tracks.  This part of the journey was one of my favorites and I want to do this trail again when I am not on a crazy mission.

Photo by Dr. Haus

I stopped for lunch in Manasquan (lovely diner with lovely staff) and then hopped on my bike to get another 20-30 miles completed before the end of the day.  This is where I realized that correlation does sometimes imply causation as my mood on the ride was directly correlated to whether I was climbing or riding on a flat road.  I can now say with absolute certainty I made the correct choice in taking a slightly longer route to Cape May by taking the shore due to the general flat nature of the ride (minus the bridges from hell but don't worry, I will be complaining about them in every subsequent post as well).  Let's just say the bridge into Tom's River from Seaside Heights is offensive and it can fall into the ocean and I wouldn't even care (of course with no one on the bridge, obviously).

 

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The most interest aspect of the final part of this first leg was that once I got to the coast I entered the Jersey Shore ghost towns of the Fall/Winter season.  It was a combination of amazing (for my introvert soul coupled with not wanting to get hit by a car) and eerie (for the part of me that watches too many crime-based shows).  Being in a tourist town is not new to me, I lived in one for 1.5 years straight out of school and I was reminded of how much I love these towns in the off-season (and some of the annoyances that come with being in a tourist town off-season).  This made for an excellently solitary ride to end my day that started in the bustle of the city and city drivers (aka, gross).  I completed the night in Tom's River, quite a bit sore but very proud as I made it significantly further than I thought I would on Day 1 of the Biking to Cape May adventure.  Catch you in the next one!

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Liver Anatomy

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Liver Anatomy

The anatomy of the liver must be understood to truly understand the functioning of this vital organ.  Of course this is required for all organs but, as usual, I digress...  

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The liver sits in the upper-abdominal region of most mammalian organisms situated beneath the diaphragm.  The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the thoracic (chest) cavity from the abdominal (belly) cavity as well as assisting an organism with breathing.  

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Thought provoking question (based on the above paragraph) - what might happen in a patient whose liver is severely enlarged?  I saw this in my clinical rotations and this patient stumped the docs for a brief time as this clinical sign/symptom is not immediately thought of as being caused from liver enlargement. 

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Check out the image of the liver, gallbladder, stomach, spleen, pancreas, and small intestines of a human with its associated blood vessels/biliary ducts:

   

Photo from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-/media/images/health/1_-conditions/liver-gallbladder-and-pancreas/liver-anatomy.png 

 

Liver Lobes

Liver lobes are macroscopic (visible with the naked eye) sections of the liver that can be seen when looking at a liver.  The number and names of the liver lobes is dependent on species.  Some examples are below:

Dogs - 6 lobes

Cats- 6 lobes

Horses - 5 lobes

Cattle - 4 lobes

Whales - 2 lobes

Pigs - 5 lobes

Humans - 4 lobes

Image of a Pig Liver with 5 Liver Lobes:

 

Photo from:  https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Anatomic-features-of-pig-liver-a-Pig-liver-showing-relative-position-of-each-of-the_fig4_23803968

 

Liver Lobules

The liver is often discussed in microscopic (cannot be seen with the naked eye) terms as liver lobules.  A liver lobule is a small grouping of liver tissues that make up the functional unit of the liver.  A functional unit of an organ is the smallest categorization of an organ that can perform all of the organ's function.  The liver lobule is the smallest categorization of the liver that can perform every basic function the liver needs to keep an organism healthy. 

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There are three (3) major parts of a liver lobule: 

 

1. Portal Triad (five (5) parts)

    1. Proper hepatic artery (portal arteriole) - Supplies oxygen to the liver, this vessel is an arteriole off the hepatic artery

    2. Hepatic portal vein (portal venule) - High in nutrients and low in oxygen, this vessel is a venule off the portal vein

    3. Bile ductules (bile duct) - Branches of the biliary system, these ducts move bile through the liver

    4. Lymphatic vessels - Vessels which move lymph through the liver (not pictured in image below)

    5. Branch of the vagus nerve - Nerve innervation from the vagus nerve, autonomic nervous system (not pictured in image below)

2. Central vein - Venule that drains deoxygenated hepatic blood into the hepatic vein

3. Hepatocytes - Liver cells

 

Photo from:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/2423_Microscopic_Anatomy_of_Liver.jpg

 

Portal Vein Anatomy

The portal vein is arguably the most important vessel to understand within the liver because it collects all of the blood that comes from the gastrointestinal system (large intestines, small intestines, stomach, etc.), gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.  Now, think about what the previous statement means - what does the portal vein carry?

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You guessed it - the portal vein carries EVERYTHING the gastrointestinal tract absorbs and brings it to the liver.  This means the portal vein carries a HUGE amount of nutrients from food, water, microorganisms, toxins, bile salts, etc.  The large amount of microscopic materials present in the portal vein explains the major functions of the liver due to its need to process all of the different contents of the portal vein upon its arrival to the liver.  

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*In a normal, healthy organism, the portal vein will arrive to the liver and the blood will be processed by the liver PRIOR TO returning to the right side of the heart.* (thought provoking question - why is this important?)

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Below is an image that illustrates how all the blood from the gastrointestinal tract flows into the portal vein.  This blood then arrives to and is processed by the liver prior to returning to the heart.

 

 

Photo from:  https://projects.cos.ncsu.edu/bio370/wrap/TopicsFolder/circulatory3/text_images/portal_vein.jpg 

 

Now that we understand the basic anatomy of the liver, we will continue to explore the different functions of the liver to allow us to work through some upcoming liver-related cases.  Keep up the great work and catch you all in the next post (which will hopefully happen in a quicker time frame)!

 

The Liver

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

The Liver

The liver is an organ that always fascinated me but was never a large focus in any of the courses I taught as there was never enough time.  This bothered me as as the liver affects every other organ in the body and affects the ability of an organism to function and survive.  The liver is an often neglected organ in the study of body systems, especially for undergraduate students.  The liver only took up about one-third of a lecture in my Pathophysiology course though it was not nearly enough time to dive into the amazing world of the liver.  I always dreamed of offering a course that was entirely based on the liver and this is what I am going to try to do here in this blog through this post and many more.

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Liver = Love

A previous student once spoke to me after the liver lecture and mentioned that in their culture the liver is the organ representing love.  They explained to me that you tell someone they are your liver as the strongest way to express your love for another person.  This fascinated me as it was new information and I have an odd interest in the history of language, the root of different words, and understanding other cultures.  As I have read more and more, I see that the liver is used in numerous languages and phrases from African nations to Middle Eastern nations to Eastern nations to express unconditional love and emotion.  

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From a completely scientific standpoint, it makes sense that the liver is associated with love in many cultures as the liver is a vital organ in the body that processes all of the blood flowing throughout the body.  After diving into this information more deeply, I learned most Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures view the liver as the organ of love, not the heart like the Western world.  In the spirit of creating a liver-focused post, I knew I needed to do some digging into the history of the liver in different cultures, and its focus on symbolizing love.

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Liver Etymology

Etymology is the study of words, their history, and how words change over time.  This is a great starting point for the word liver because historically it was considered the organ of love, life, emotions, pleasure, and passion.  In Western languages, the liver's historical origins are that it is the organ of emotions, the organ of life, and the organ of courage.  It is interesting that even during ancient times the recognition of the liver's importance for survival was well understood.  To learn more about the etymology of the liver check out the sources links below [1].

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Digging deeper into the history of the liver further increases my fascination with this organ as multiple different ancient cultures viewed the liver as central to the functioning of humans.  Hepatocentrism was the focus of medicine in most ancient populations of humans.  The ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia considered the liver central in the functioning of a human body and the Western world did not move away from this mindset until the 1600s.  The liver was thought to be where a human's soul was housed with some even believing there was a fire (soul) burning in each person's liver [2].

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Ancient religious texts, pieces of famous literary works, Greek mythology, and medical writings all focus on the liver being the center of human life in ancient times.  Some of the famous works that demonstrate the reverence felt for the liver are listed below [2]:

• The Quran
• Moby Dick
• The myth of Prometheus
  
• The Bible
• The Tale of Hind bint ‘Utbah
  
• Snow White
• The Torah
• The God of death in ancient Aztec mythology
• The myth of Tityus
• The Iliad
• Ancient Chinese, Persian, and Urdu medical texts
• The crucifixion of Jesus Christ
  

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It is interesting to note that the ancient Egyptians did NOT see the liver as the location the soul - the ancient Egyptians saw the heart as the location a soul resides.  This is the reason why the heart was left in a mummified corpse while the liver was not.  The heart remaining in the corpse was thought to allow the person to move into the afterlife to live on forever [2].

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In the 1600s, medical knowledge started to change and scientists of that time discovered that many of the functions they associated with the liver were actually associated with the heart.  It was during this time Western culture started moving away from its reverence for the liver.  There is a work of art in the Museo Storico Nazionale dell'Arte Sanitaria in Rome, Italy called "Il Fegato" that depicts the heart and liver fighting over being the king of organs through the production of blood (interestingly enough, the heart does not produce blood as you all know, but I guess talking about the bone marrow isn't as cute as the heart).  Moral of this story?  I need to get to Rome to check out this painting [2]! 

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Above is a very brief outline of the history of the liver and helps explain common phrases related to the liver in many cultures.  What is most interesting is the strong correlation of the liver and love in most non-Western cultures that seems to have been lost to the Western world in the seventeenth century.  I highly encourage you all to check out the two sources below [1 and 2] as they are good reads and can jump start you on the fun nerd journey of entomology and the intersection of science, medicine, the arts, and language.  To end, I must say, I love my two little livers (my cats).

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Liver Education (To be updated as I complete blog posts)

Anatomy

Liver Lobules

 

Basic Liver Functions

Accessory Organ of Digestion

Organ of Metabolism

Organ of Hematology

Organ of Endocrinology

Organ of Detoxification

Organ of Storage

Organ of Immunity

Organ of Synthesis

 

Liver Dysfunction

Icterus/Jaundice

 

 Sources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3747976/pdf/nihms493154.pdf
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6078213/