Medical

The size of pills and pillboxes

by

Why are some pills so damn big? (A quick AI overview says for 3 reasons: higher dose of active ingredients, inactive ingredients (excipients), and targeted delivery.)

Yes, seniors are easily entertained. I was tickled when I refilled my Amlodipine prescription and the pill size had decreased:

This makes them fit better in my small pillbox:

I really don’t want to have to move to a bigger pillbox, which I actually own:

Complete aside: We will not be able to use this particular “included for size comparison” object with the next generation.

And lastly, Bob and I can never think about pills and pillboxes without remembering that time on a cruise…

The average number of surgeries a person has

by

In my recent reading of The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, I came across the statistic that the average person will have 7 surgeries in their lifetime.

That, of course, made me want to count mine, and lo and behold:

Surgery #
 Date Age Type
6
 07/13/2023 65 lumbar posterior fusion and lateral lumbar fusion surgery
5
 10/13/2021 64 total left knee replacement
4
 02/11/2020 62 dental implant surgery
3
 03/15/2012 54 left knee torn meniscus arthroscopic surgery re-do
2
 12/11/2008 51 left knee torn meniscus arthroscopic surgery
1
 1986 29 vasectomy

I’m thinking I’m going to exceed the average — eventually.

🍌 🌞 🪑

by

I had my annual Medicare Wellness Visit, which “is not a physical exam, but rather a planning session that includes a health risk assessment, a review of your medical history, medications, lifestyle, and a discussion of recommended screenings.”

This visit starts with getting 3 words to remember, and to recall later in the visit. My three words for today were:

  1. banana
  2. sunrise
  3. chair

To help me remember them, I pictured myself sitting in a beach chair, watching the sunrise, with a banana in my drink and wondering where the rum is.

Next in the visit is to draw an (analog) clock with the hands set to a particular time, which this time was 11:10.

As I do each year now during this part, I wonder what “these kids today” who don’t know how to tell time on an analog clock do for this simple Alzheimer’s detection test.

The rest of the visit is spent on one of the several variations of the SAGE (Self-Administered Geocognitive Examination) assessment, of which this is one example:





Other formats of the SAGE assessment forms are available on this Ohio State University website.

AI turns brain scans into full sentences and it’s eerie to say the least (8-minute read)

by

‘Mind captioning’ is a method developed at NTT Communication Science Laboratories in Japan that uses a blend of brain images and AI to generate text descriptions of what people are seeing (or even visualizing) based only on their neural patterns. In tests, the system was able to correctly describe scenes viewed by participants about half the time, even when presented with a hundred possibilities — and even when participants were just visualizing the scenes in their mind.

The technology is still far from being a mind-reading device, but it could have serious ethical implications when it becomes more capable.

Read the article on ZME Science.

Sources:
•  TLDR. (2025, November 7). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=84c5e47a-bbbc-11f0-8862-cd15a38dd90c&pt=campaign&t=1762516721&s=fe0c4ab202cbf1eee99bef73a8587f9a8fef8f2698d09a15f5bd93f204f0c732
•  Puiu, T. (2025, November 6). AI turns brain scans into full sentences And it’s eerie to say the least. ZME Science. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://www.zmescience.com/future/ai-turns-brain-scans-into-full-sentences-and-its-eerie-to-say-the-least/

Amazon launches prescription vending machines at One Medical clinics in Los Angeles (6-minute read)

by

Amazon is launching prescription drug kiosks at some One Medical offices in Los Angeles. They will work similarly to a vending machine and distribute prescriptions for patients within minutes of their doctor visit. Each machine can stock hundreds of prescriptions.

By bringing the pharmacy directly to the point of care, Amazon is allowing patients to start treatments right away. Amazon plans to also deploy its prescription vending kiosks at pharmacy chains like Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens.

Read the article on CNBC.

Sources:
•  TLDR. (2025, October 9). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=f875c716-a4ef-11f0-a1d9-79665b474eca&pt=campaign&t=1760007541&s=570f6385d83a11e762f8f5e3c055bbfc2ed6875c7b3ff7cc531334a2b4106282
•  Palmer, A. (2025, October 8). Amazon launches prescription vending machines at One Medical clinics in Los Angeles. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/08/amazon-debuts-prescription-kiosks-at-los-angeles-one-medical-clinics.html

It’s just irrRASHonal…

by

… to keep creams and ointments this far beyond their expiration date.

This picture is of the ones we’ve saved over the years. The baggie we’ve stored them in is so greasy, you can hardly see through the bag any more.

I’ve been treating a rash with the hydrocortisone ointment, which is highlighted in green.

I mentioned to Bob that maybe we should go ahead and let a few go — if not most or all of them, and he agreed.

Just for the heck of it, before we threw them out, he did an inventory of their expiration dates:

March 1997 (28 years ago) July 2000 (25 years ago)
September 2003 (22 years ago) May 2004 (21 years ago)
May 2009 (16 years ago) March 2011 (14 years ago)
March 2012 (13 years ago) April 2013 (12 years ago)
February 2018 (7 years ago) February 2020 (5 years ago)

The highlighted one was the 14-year-old ointment I was using. I don’t know why it wasn’t healing my rash. 😂 😂 😂

AI designs antibiotics for gonorrhoea and MRSA superbugs (5-minute read)

by

A team at MIT has used generative AI to design antibiotics that could kill drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA. The leading designs were tested on bacteria in the lab and on infected mice. They still need to go through a process of refinement before human studies can begin.

The work demonstrates a novel approach with enormous potential for identifying new antibiotics. While AI promises to dramatically improve drug discovery and development, safety and efficacy testing processes are still required.

Read the article on bbc.com.

Sources:
•  TLDR. (2025, August 15). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=81967550-79b1-11f0-ae77-9139b37c7b13&pt=campaign&t=1755255481&s=93521216100ed1993a93dd0695c560142c4251bee6e14eb0d59ab0f73db00a1a
•  Gallagher, J. (2025, August 14). AI designs new superbug-killing antibiotics for gonorrhoea and MRSA. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr94xxye2lo

The Next Parenting Trend Starts Before Conception (32-minute read)

by

Orchid is a company that lets parents genetically test embryos before pregnancy. Parents can choose their future baby for as little as $2,500.

This article features a transcript of an interview with the company’s founder, where they debate the scientific, moral, and ethical implications of designing a ‘healthy’ child and what we lose in separating reproduction from sex.

With Orchid’s technology, parents in the future will not have to roll the dice with their child’s health.

Read the article on The New York Times.

Sources:
•  TLDR. (2025, August 8). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=1b4e088c-743c-11f0-9e65-d99e8b99940d&pt=campaign&t=1754650745&s=d0b01ae16af233e938426cbe83f939094b3074b1cb098dbfd465732dfcff98a9
•  The next parenting trend starts before conception. (2025, August 7). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/opinion/genetics-children-noor-siddiqui.html

A Pill for Sleep Apnea Could Be on the Horizon (6-minute read)

by

Apnimed achieved positive results for its first oral pill for treating sleep apnea in a Phase 3 clinical trial. The pill is taken just before bedtime to help keep a person’s airway open.

It could be a game-changer for those with sleep apnea – the current treatment involves putting on a face mask connected to a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine, which keeps airways open by forcing air into them. The machines are effective, but they are noisy and can be uncomfortable, so many end up abandoning them, leaving them feeling exhausted, irritable, and unfocused during the day.

Read The New York Times article.

Sources:
•  TLDR. (2025, July 30). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=54cdb09e-6d20-11f0-9655-8f67710f0c83&pt=campaign&t=1753873069&s=4f69e8b3c2f01f0fac9092a03cbbb87e01ad896cb1c4887f0a66736d75e7a290
•  Hopkins Legaspi, C. (2025, July 23). A pill for sleep apnea could be on the horizon. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/well/apnimed-sleep-apnea-clinical-trial-ad109.html

The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is approved and going global (4-minute read)

by

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved lenacapavir, a drug that offers 100% protection against HIV with twice-yearly injections. Sold under the brand name Yeztugo, lenacapavir is a capsid inhibitor. It stops the virus from entering cells and copying itself.

Gilead has made moves to ensure the drug is affordable — eligible uninsured individuals will likely be able to access the drug free of cost through its Advancing Access medication assistance program.

Read the article on New Atlas.

Sources:
•  TLDR. (2025, July 28). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=0c8d1bfa-6b7a-11f0-b570-1bc256a52ca6&pt=campaign&t=1753700258&s=5186faf8c30198787abbfe20d57e76d057fd2225c63ef5c50360b501b72650da
•  Thompson, B. (2025, July 26). The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is approved and going global. New Atlas. https://newatlas.com/infectious-diseases/hiv-prevention-fda-lenacapavir/

It’s confirmed — I do not have a screw loose.

by

Three days ago on July 13, it was my two-year anniversary of having back surgery, and today I had my final, annual check-up to make sure everything’s still copacetic.

Today’s x-rays:

And the doctor’s reading:

AP and lateral plain films of the lumbar spine done today are reviewed by me. They show well-healed interbody fusions at both L2-3 and L3-4. Posterolateral fusion at L4-5 is also well-healed with no evidence of substantial halo formation at any level.

My doctor, Conor Regan, was — and still is — incredible. I recommend him without reservation.

Gendered eyeglasses

by

The Costco optical department person is ringing up a new pair of glasses that I’ve chosen.

Her, pointing to that dotted design along the temples: “You like these?”

Me: Yeah, they’re fine.

Her: Hmmm.

Me: You don’t like them, I take it?

Her: Well, they’re usually on girls’ glasses.

Me: Oh. I don’t care about that. Besides, I can’t see them when I’m wearing them. They’re fine.

Pet peeve: Asking for information that I’ve already provided

by

About a month ago, I booked an eye appointment for my annual check-up. As a new patient, I filled out a 10-page form with all the usual medical history questions.

At my appointment this morning:

Person checking me in: “Would you sign that form on the clip board for me?”

Me: Just sign it?

Her: No. Fill it out and sign it.

Me: Is this the same information I provided on the 10-page form I filled out and submitted when I made this appointment?

Her: I’ll check, but sometimes those things don’t take.

Me: I don’t love doing a lot of work that doesn’t matter.

Her: Okay, you don’t have to fill it out then.