Eww.

I have a feeling this next micro unit is going to make me not want to eat. I'm being a nerd and pre-reading (mostly cause I'm so anxious over the last exam I'm freaking out over the next unit). The bugs are nasty and so are some of the tests:

"c. String test. A gelatin capsule attached to a nylon string; the free end is secured at the mouth and the capsule is swallowed. Capsule dissolves in the stomach and the string continues through the duodenum to the jejunum. After 4 to 6 hours or overnight incubation while fasting , the string is removed, the bile stained mucus is squeezed onto a microscope slide and the preparation examined microscopically for trophozoites."

Another reason to watch what you eat when traveling, cause you do not want to get tested for Giardia. Sick... The whole swallowing thing sounds painful, as does retrieving said string. And I feel sorry for the person who has to squeeze the "bile stained mucus" onto a slide.

Hmm... I think I'm skipping lunch today.