Category Archives: Health

21 December 2025

ChatGPT & My Health

By Rick Ladd

I posted recently about how I’m using AI to help me manage my understanding of the medical information I receive from my doctor visits and from my Apple watch. I have been sharing the sleep graphic my watch and the Health app provide me each morning. This morning, there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect between the awake time the graph showed and the analysis that ChatGPT provided me.

So I decided to add screenshots of both my sleeping heart rate and respiratory rate graphs as additional information for AI to analyze. What I got was a more thorough analysis and an explanation of what my Apple watch actually measures in determining my sleep pattern. I learned that it’s quite possible for the watch to assume I’m awake after I arise at, say, 0230, to urinate (a condition referred to as nocturia) and that I could actually be going in and out of light core sleep. This aligned well with how I felt during that period. As a result, I am now going to share all three graphs each morning.

For anyone who doesn’t follow this blog, it’s probably useful for me to point out that I am living (struggling might be a better word) with numerous comorbidities, the progress of which I’m keenly paying attention to. In no particular order of importance, these are: Bradycardia, for which I had a pacemaker implanted not quite three years ago; Atherosclerosis and Essential Hypertension, for which I take several daily medications; COPD, for which I have a daily inhaler and a rescue inhaler; Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease, for which I have quit drinking alcohol entirely and watch my diet, and; Type II Diabetes with Proteinuria, which has been well controlled with diet.

I had been carrying the Hepatitis C virus for somewhere between 30 and 35 years with no symptoms until a couple of years ago when everything went haywire. I recently completed and 12 week regimen of Epclusa and currently am considered cured.

All to say, as I reach the culmination of my life I’m careful to do things that help me put off the inevitable for as long as possible. I still have 22 year-old and a 24 year-old daughters living with me and my wife, and I’d like to be around for at least a little while after their prefrontal cortices mature. At the same time, I’m constantly balancing the virtues of quantity of life against those of quality of life. I tend to think I’d rather enjoy the time I have left than miss out on some things because I’m worried it will shorten my already substantial length of time on this planet.

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24 August 2025

How I’m Using AI

By Rick Ladd

I have been using ChatGPT as a sort of medical/lifestyle partner/advisor for several months now. I created a project specifically for the purpose of sharing my vitals and other health related data, e.g. sleep patterns from my Apple watch, BP info from my weekly visits for Epoetin injections, weight and blood sugar measurements, as well as the results of blood tests, which Kaiser gives me access to.

When I arise in the morning, I get a nice graphical display of how much time I spend awake, in REM, in Core Sleep, and in Deep Sleep. All I do is take a screenshot from my phone and upload it to the project and it recognizes exactly what it is and incorporates the data into my overall health assessment.

Yesterday, I received the results from a CAT scan of my lungs. There was a plethora of medical terminology I am hardly familiar with. However, when I copied and pasted the results into my project, ChatGPT not only recognized what it was, but provided me with a layman’s analysis of each finding, the most important of which was the absence of cancer (whew!).

Anybody else using AI in a personally helpful way?

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Artificial Intelligence, Education, Health, Personal, Technology

4 August 2025

My Brief Naval Career

By Rick Ladd

Fun fact about me. I was born with congenital talipes equinovarus, or club feet. I had my first cast put on my left foot (the worst one) when I was two days old. Since infants are growing at a somewhat accelerated pace, they generally have to put the casts on reasonably loose and they need to be changed frequently.

My First Cast

At some point in my early infancy I managed to kick this one off. My parents saved it and I still have it, I think in the garage. I believe the one inscription you can read from this photo says, “Don’t let this stop you, Ricky. Keep kicking,” from a couple who have disappeared into the mists of time.

I ultimately had surgery on my left foot—my right foot straightened out with casts and corrective shoes—when I was five. When I enlisted in the US Navy in the Spring of 1966, it was the scars from the surgery that caused me to fail my physical. However, I argued that marching was something they did in the Army, not the Navy, and I was inducted.

Later, I found out marching was actually a very large part of Naval boot camp (it’s one way they build unit cohesiveness) and there also was a position our company commander would put us in called five and dive that put a great deal of strain on my ankle and shortened Achilles tendon.

When I went to sick bay to see if they could help me deal with the pain I was enduring, an x-ray discovered arthritis. I was offered a discharge, which I originally refused. However, the pain made it extremely difficult to keep up with my company and, to a man, my fellow recruits and several officers convinced me to take the discharge.

Two days later I accepted the offer and within a week I was on my way home. My DD214 says I was in the Navy for 1 month and 23 days and that I was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. Although I believe I could have made a ruckus and gotten at least some veteran’s benefits, I chose not to, believing there were others who needed it far more than I did. Because I was in for so short a period of time, I hardly refer to myself a veteran. I’ve never regretted my decision, though my foot has hindered me my entire life.

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8 June 2025

My 78th & Fuck Zuck

By Rick Ladd

Even though I was unfairly booted from all Meta products I was using (FB, Insta, and Threads), I’ve managed to create another persona and have re-connected with many of the people I was “friends” with previously. As a result, I received a lot of birthday wishes this past Wednesday (06/04). I did my best to individually recognize everyone who sent me a greeting (and yes, I’m aware that FB makes it exceedingly easy to do so, but it doesn’t force one to do it). I also wanted to post a general “thank you” and felt the need to explain why this birthday had so much meaning for me.

Believe it or not, aelizabeth_mehyh3821 isn’t me!

A bit less than two and a half years ago, I started having trouble walking from my bedroom to the kitchen. I was serially exhausted and couldn’t figure out what was happening. My doctor had me fitted with a Holter Monitor, which records your heart rate 24/7 for seven days.

The results were sobering. On one night my heart rate fell to 26 BPM; distressingly slow. I was referred to a cardiologist and, after some consultation and discussion about the alternatives, I decided to undergo pacemaker implant surgery. That was two years ago last March 8 (but who’s counting?).

Six months before that I was working in a warehouse, driving a forklift, lifting lots and lots of fairly heavy boxes, and climbing both ladders and storage racks (when I was in a hurry and only needed one box). While working there, I was playing twilight golf with a bunch of former colleagues from Rocketdyne. One of the guys I played with was a Manager of Manufacturing Engineering and he suggested I apply for a position, which I did.

I had an interview and was offered a position. Unfortunately, although I had passed the drug test five previous times, I had always been smoking and had only been using edibles for a while. I didn’t realize the cannabis from them stayed in your system longer than smoking does. I failed and the job was rescinded. I was heartbroken and humiliated. My younger daughter berated me mercilessly and I felt shame; not because I was using Cannabis, but because I wasn’t careful enough to pass the test.

I can’t say for sure that my bradycardia was caused by the weight of that loss (I would have been paid a lot of money for my efforts) and the humiliation I felt over having to tell the guys who I was going to be working with that I wouldn’t be there because I failed a drug test. Regardless, although the implant surgery was a success and I had more energy than I’d had for a while, over the next two years my health deteriorated to the point I honestly didn’t think I had much longer to live.

I was experiencing horrible, arthritic-like pain in nearly every joint in my body. I underwent a battery of tests for a couple of months. Eventually, my doctors (there were several by now) all suggested that the root cause of all this was the Hepatitis C virus I had been carrying asymptomatically for close to forty years. I was first offered treatment in early 2017, when I had just had to leave a two-year stint at Aerojet Rocketdyne. The co-pay was $30,000 and, since I was experiencing no symptoms, I didn’t bother.

This year I decided to take the 12-week regimen of Epclusa, and the co-pay was only $2,000. Still not cheap, but I was really suffering. There were times when I had to shuffle along rather than walk. I had fallen a couple of times and the joint pain was frequently excruciating.

I finished the regimen a couple of months ago. If I test negative for the virus six months after completion, I will be considered cured. I am, however, gaining strength, recovering my balance, and feeling much better. So much so that I’ve begun working for a lawyer and am seeking a few more clients. Turns out my law degree, knowledge of AI, and my KM experience are a unique combination, and I am presenting myself to attorneys as one who can help them keep track of their knowledge, use AI to enhance their practice, and help as a legal assistant when necessary.

I welcome the challenge and am excited for what the future holds, despite my many chronic conditions and fairly advanced age. Keeping busy doing things I love and am good at should keep me going for at least a few more years. Who knows? Maybe a decade. My pacemaker’s battery still has about twelve years of life remaining … and it can be replaced.

Back to my 78th birthday. I’m truly feeling energized by the recovery I’ve made and the road I’ve put myself on. Although it was a bit devastating to lose my Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts at the beginning of the year (according to Meta, it was because I broke the rules on an Instagram account that wasn’t me and trying to straighten it out was both impossible and infuriating) I’m thankful for those friends I’ve managed to re-connect with, as well as the new friends I’ve made recently. I’m thankful for all of them. Life would be less sweet without their presence.

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28 April 2024

An Historical Note

By Rick Ladd

I can’t remember if I began writing and posting these diary entries on Facebook each day, or if I wrote it here on WordPress and just forgot about it. Regardless, I know I wrote these short updates of my bout with COVID-19 beginning at the very tail end of 2020. Actually, the results came in on my brother’s birthday. I was more than halfway through my 74th year on this planet and I was somewhat riddled with the dreaded comorbidities.

Since most everyone seems to have forgotten (or understandably repressed the memories of) just how difficult things were during the pandemic, I’m posting this now to memorialize my struggle with the disease.

12/24/20 at 14:37:
Out of an abundance of caution, I initiated an e-visit with Kaiser to determine if I’ve got COVID. I don’t have any of the worst symptoms, but I definitely have some of them. I’m scheduled for a test this coming Monday.

12/28/20 at 09:48:
Getting my COVID-19 test in the parking lot.

12/29/20 at 09:12:
Well … Now if someone asks if I personally know anyone who’s tested positive for COVID-19,I can answer “Yes.”

Me!

So … the illness I really didn’t want to test my immune system and my overall health on finally got me. Now I have to isolate for 10 days. I think I’ve already been through the worst over the weekend.I’m taking MucinexDM once every 12 hours, an occasional Aleve, and vitamin C. I can’t taste a damned thing and I wasn’t terribly hungry for the past four or five days; I’ve lost eight pounds in the last six days. I’m feeling good today. No fever this morning and SpO2 is staying around 95%. No congestion, hardly a cough. I know this thing can offer some surprises, so I’m monitoring myself carefully, but it looks like I won’t suffer as much as I thought I might, which is a pleasant surprise. Still, being cautious seems prudent.

12/29/20 at 20:08:
Have I mentioned I feel like shit. I have a mid-grade fever and I’m sweating under the blanket, but I get the chills if I get out. Typing this is difficult. Stomach is sour and SpO2 has dropped as low as 91%. I’m dizzy, weak, tire easily, and can’t take a deep breath without bronchial pain. Other than that, I’m feeling just peachy.

12/30/20 at 10:02:
Sitrep: As of this morning, I am feeling better. No fever, but that’s how yesterday started. SpO2 is 96. I think the low reading I got yesterday was an anomaly. I have never felt as though I was having trouble getting enough oxygen. Still taking MucinexDM every 12 hours, which seems to be working quite well as a cough suppressant and expectorant. Also taking vitamin C. Still hurts to take too deep a breath, but doesn’t cause spasmodic coughing. Kaiser and many, many people have sent me lots of instructions, many of which I will choose to ignore, because that’s the kind of asshole I am. Haven’t left the bedroom.

Bottom line. This sucks, but I don’t think it’s going to kill me. Then again, this virus has proven to be trecherous and I have waaay too many comorbidities to let my guard down. Stay safe y’all. At least try … that’s what I did.

12/31/20 at 17:31:
The battle continues. My normal temperature is 97.6. This morning it was 98.7. Since then it’s been as high as 102.5 and everywhere in-between. Currently, it’s 101.1. Linda went out and got me some vitamin D, Zinc, & NAC, all of which are said to be efficacious in combating this fucking virus. Happy God damned New Year, reprobates.

01/01/21 at 12:21:
Happy New Year everybody. Well, these last few days have been trying and difficult, to say the least. I can finally taste again; not completely but it’s getting there. I no longer have to pay as close attention to my breathing as I have for the last couple days, as my bronchial tubes are opening up and taking deep breaths is far easier than it’s been up till now.

I still have another five full days before I can even leave the bedroom really, at least without wearing a mask and worrying about what I touch. I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s daylight, not a train coming for me. I’m very grateful.

Temperature continues to be normal. Still dizzy and weak, but a bit more aware. Onward and upward.

 01/01/21 at 15:47
Man! This virus doesn’t give up. Temp is back to 102.3° F.

01/02/21 at 10:26
OK – Health update. I can’t recall the last time I had the flu, or anything for that matter, that caused me to have a fever, so I’m not sure if what’s been happening to me is the normal progression of dealing with a virus. As noted over the past few days, I wake up feeling reasonably well, with no fever, and by mid-afternoon I’m burning up.

Last night it got up to 102.5, the highest it’s been since last weekend. I feel as though my fever broke last night. I finally had to take my t-shirt off. It was soaking wet. I put another one on and it was pretty soaked by 9pm, so I took it off as well and, for the first time since this started, I was comfortable sleeping without a t-shirt, which is how I normally sleep.I had taken two Aleve, since my fever seemed to be climbing and within about an hour it was down to 98.3, which is still nearly a degree above my normal temperature of 97.6, but a good sign.

So . . . the signs are all good, but I’ve heard too many stories of people seeming to be on the mend then, boom, they’re in the hospital being intubated. No victory lap for me yet. Eight more days of quarantine. Hopefully, by next weekend I’ll be chomping at the bit to leave the bedroom. I haven’t really cared this past week.

ADDENDUM – I should add my breathing has improved considerably. I can take pretty deep breaths without pain or the need to cough and I have no congestion at all. I almost didn’t take a MucinexDM this morning, but decided not to tempt fate.

01/02/21 at 15:58
Yesterday at almost exactly the same time, my temperature was 102.3. Just now it was 99.1. I would call that an improvement. So there.

01/03/21 at 19:12:
FYI – No news is good news.

01/04/21 at 13:14:
Update: While I believe I’m pretty much out-of-the-woods wrt the possibility of being hospitalized, recovery is clearly going to take some time. I just took a shower for the first time in a week and I almost couldn’t finish. I had to stop and rest halfway thru drying myself. This virus really takes a lot out of you. I can only imagine how much more difficult it might be for people who are really overweight. I feel so much better being clean (I was too sick to care for a week) but I’m beat from the effort.

Be careful out there, folks. There’s a far-too-large contingent of obstinate assholes whose selfishness is making it harder to avoid becoming infected.

 

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18 January 2024

A Health Update

By Rick Ladd

Last year, around about this time, I began having difficulty with my stamina. After numerous tests, it became obvious I was struggling with Bradycardia (slow heart rhythm). I wore a Holter monitor for a week and on one night my heart rate dropped to 26 bpm. I could barely walk from the bedroom to the kitchen without getting winded, tired, and feeling a strong urge to just sit or lay down.

After several conversations with a cardiologist (who is now MY cardiologist) I decided the best path forward was to have a pacemaker implanted in my chest. On March 8 of last year, the surgery was performed and the difference was striking. However, along with the auto-immune skin condition I’ve been dealing with for over two years, I found it difficult to come anywhere close to returning to a relatively normal life. I still tired fairly easily and, to make things worse, in the past four or five months I’ve been experiencing arthritic like conditions in my ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, and (worst of all) fingers. Try opening a bottle or tying your shoes when both your index and middle fingers are excruciatingly painful when any pressure is applied.

Finally, things are beginning to look up, though I still have to deal with a 90-day regimen of a drug I will be starting soon, which I hope will help relieve the joint stiffness and pain. Tonight I went to the gym for the first time in I can’t actually remember. I worked my biceps, triceps, and a teeny bit of pecs. I then did a 15 minute hydro-massage. It felt really good. Looking forward to building my strength and stamina before my 77th birthday this June.

This is what the Holter monitor I wore looks like. This is NOT what I look like and, given my age and disposition, likely never will look like, but I wore one like this for a full week. Showering was fun!

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18 December 2023

Shopping During the Apocalypse

By Rick Ladd 
While looking for something else, I stumbled upon this piece I wrote going on four years ago. It holds together, so I thought I would share it even though its current relevance is questionable. It was written in April of 2020. Consider it an historical document. :0)

I admit it. I’ve gone shopping during our state’s (California) lockdown. For groceries; only groceries. It’s difficult to lay in a month or so’s supply of perishables like bananas (which my youngest thrives on), eggs, and milk. Things like that.

In the past, B.C.V., before Corona Virus, shopping for us was pretty ad hoc. Although we made lists, we had separate ones for Trader Joe’s, Vons, and Smart & Final. We also shopped occasionally at Sprout’s, Stater Brothers, Ralph’s, and a local mom and pop called Green Acres. We would go at least three, sometimes four times a week to pick up fresh produce, dairy, and re-stock our cupboard and freezer. Actually, I forgot to mention Costco which, last time I went (just before the State was locked down) was a freaking nightmare.

So, I’m now basically shopping only once a week, but there are some things we’d like to have available that generally aren’t carried by all of the stores, which is why we normally go to more than one during any given week. This is making it a bit difficult to hold down the trips to only one. In the past week, I went three times.

Inasmuch as I’m nearly 73 years old and have numerous comorbidities (none of which are acute, but they’re active and I take meds for two of them) I’m reluctant to leave the house. However, I’m even more reluctant to expose my wife or daughters to the danger of infection. My oldest has had lung issues when she was a toddler and my understanding is the disease can leave survivors with impaired lung function. I would rather risk my health than hers . . . or my other daughter’s . . . I’ve had a wonderfully rich, often exciting life and they’ve got a long way to go. My wife’s lungs are worse than mine, so I don’t have to balance anything with the decision for her to stay indoors.

I was pleased last week to find that Trader Joe’s, like most local markets, was reserving one hour each morning for those considered more vulnerable. The way they have approached it is to form two lines; one for the elderly, immuno-compromised, and pregnant women (they say nothing about pregnant men; guess that would be another story!) and one for everyone else. They only allow twenty shoppers at a time in the store so, each time the 20 who were shopping are finished, a worker sends in 10 from each line. Last week I was handed a disinfectant wipe upon entry, which I used to clean the cart handle and my hands.

The store was stocked to the gills. I had never seen it so full of just about everything they normally carry. Lots of fresh veggies and fruits, frozen food almost spilling out of the cases, eggs fully loaded, and plenty of dairy, meat, etc. Lots of alcohol as well. I was in and out in about 15 minutes. The lack of crowding means it’s easy to maintain distance from other shoppers. It also makes checking out go quickly and smoothly.

This past Monday, when I returned for my weekly trip, I wasn’t handed a wipe, though I’ve become adept at not touching my face until I return home, unpack and put away the groceries, and ever so thoroughly wash my hands . . . after which I can scratch every damned phantom itch that was plaguing me from the moment I entered the store! I also wore a mask this time, which I found in the garage. It’s an N95, which I purchased about a year ago, when I was doing some woodworking and needed to ensure I wasn’t inhaling sawdust as I was sanding my project. I did feel a wee tad guilty about having the kind of mask that HCWs are having a hard time finding these days, but I got over it.

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14 September 2023

An Aging Update

By Rick Ladd

So, I think I owe it to at least some of my friends to report on the results of all this doctor shit I’ve been doing. Here ’tis.

I have been dealing with an autoimmune skin condition known as Granuloma Annulare (GA) for at least a year and a half, more likely two years. I have been treating it with phototherapy for the past five months and it seems to be somewhat efficacious. Just when I thought the raised, sometimes itchy, sometimes painful lesions were the best it had to offer, a new “side-effect”, possibly a “companion” condition began to emerge about a month or so ago. I’m now experiencing joint swelling, stiffness, and pain in my knees, my ankles, my wrists and occasionally, at least one elbow. Did I mention my fingers?

I can’t definitively make a correlation between the GA and the joint pains which, by the way, generally appear and disappear fairly suddenly.

So Kaiser wanted me to see my GP for possible referral to a rheumatologist. That’s what I was up to yesterday at the Simi Valley office. Stay tuned.

Today I went to see my cardiologist, now a routine part of my overall health regimen given he implanted a pacemaker in me six months ago and he likes to keep track of his work. Pacemaker’s working as expected. Heart is working on its own more than I expected.

Saturday I’m having my first echocardiogram and I’m giddy with excitement and anticipation. Hope I don’t embarrass myself. 🤪

Bottom line, I have issues (who doesn’t at 76?) but I’m still enjoying life, especially as my girls are really beginning to spread their wings. I’m hoping the future holds a few more years of “adulting” in store for me.

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22 July 2023

On The Rebound

By Rick Ladd

I’ve finally recovered from my almost year-long downward spiral of both physical and emotional uncertainty and difficulty. My pacemaker is working as it should, the incision has healed completely, and I’ve pretty much recovered from the shock of being disqualified from what would have been somewhat of a dream job. The amount of prospective income lost from the incident would have made a huge difference in my and my family’s life. C’est la vie!

I’ve been keeping my FB friends up-to-date on my weekly activities regarding my physical/emotional recovery with short check-ins from either my return to golf or my return to the gym. Below are those posts for all but the last week of July.

The First Hole at Simi Hill G.C.

July 2 – Steve and I both hit some balls today, then putted for a while. For someone who’s barely touched a club since last August, I’m heartened by what I was able to do today. I don’t think I’ll be able to play a full round though, until later this year; maybe not until next year.

July 9 – I hit the ball a little better today. Not as far as I’d like, but mostly straight – which is very important. I once played the second hole (a par 5) with only a pitching wedge. I almost bogeyed it. I didn’t hit anything below my eight iron today.

Looking Out Toward The 10th Hole & The Practice Green

July 16 – Continuing to improve, but must remain patient. The last 10 months have really taken a toll on me – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I shared a large bucket of balls with Steve and his son, Jake. I’m beginning to recall swing thoughts and each week I’m hitting the ball better and more consistently. I’m sure I would benefit greatly from a few lessons, but I can’t afford them now. I’m beginning to look for work again.

July 17 – I went to the gym and actually worked out for the first time in nearly seven months, since my heart started acting up. It’s been four and a half months since pacemaker implant surgery, and my energy level continues to improve. I also sent my resume and a list of my writing/editing/proofreading experience to a headhunter who specializes in lawyers who want to change careers, accompanied with an introductory email. It’s a longshot but, as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’m ready for my next incarnation.

Inside Planet Fitness

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19 June 2023

My Slow Comeback

By Rick Ladd
It’s Draining

I went to Simi Hills Golf Course this past Saturday and, after putting with a friend for a while, got a small bucket of balls and hit my pitching wedge. These were the first full swings my doctors allowed me to take since my pacemaker implant surgery last March 8. Actually, I haven’t swung a golf club in a little over 10 months, but only the last three months of idleness were mandated. Those 25 balls wore my old ass out. I’m looking forward to getting in shape enough to play nine holes, but it’s not really golf to me unless it’s 18. Right now my goal is to play nine in under 50 without having a heart attack. 18 will be next; maybe even walking some day.

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