Tag: PD (Page 2 of 62)

While browsing through the November 2025 issue of Defense News, I came across an article on p 36 by Tom Mutch titled “Recover, Resilience and Returning From War In Ukraine.” The lead sentence was “I’m not disabled, I’m upgraded.” This struck me as particularly interesting because, in so many words, I know many of my service associates feel this way, even though they bear many scars from their time in service, some not all visible. Based on “having been there” and myself currently living with these scars, the following expands on this phrase on behalf of my fellow service members who are also living with these scars, both seen and unseen.

“I’m not disabled, I’m enhanced.” That simple shift in language captures the heart of military resilience: the ability to turn damage into capability, fear into perspective, and limitation into a new form of strength. For many service men and women living with serious medical challenges like kidney failure and dialysis, this mindset is not a slogan but a survival skill.warriorallegiance+2​

From battlefields to hospital rooms

Service members are trained from day one to adapt under pressure, improvise with limited resources, and keep moving toward the mission despite pain, fatigue, and uncertainty. That same training follows them home when the “enemy” is no longer an opposing force but chronic illness, toxic exposure, or the wear and tear of years in uniform.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+2​

Veterans are more likely than the general population to live with chronic conditions such as kidney disease, heart disease, and mental health challenges, partly due to the physical and psychological stress of service. Yet clinicians who care for veterans routinely describe them as unusually determined, grateful, and gritty in their approach to treatment.kidneyfund+2​

“Enhanced,” not “broken”

When a wounded or ill veteran says “I’m enhanced,” it reframes scars, prosthetics, mobility aids, and treatment schedules as upgrades to a warrior still in the fight. A prosthetic leg becomes specialized gear; a scar becomes a campaign ribbon written on skin. The question shifts from “What did I lose?” to “What did this experience give me—perspective, empathy, discipline, a new mission?”warriorallegiance+1​

This mindset does not deny pain, fatigue, or frustration; it acknowledges them and still chooses purpose. In resilience research with veterans, a stronger sense of psychological resilience is linked with better physical function and recovery after setbacks, reinforcing that how one thinks about challenges shapes how one moves through them.agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley​

Dialysis as a new kind of deployment

Kidney failure and dialysis bring their own demanding “operational tempo.” Many veterans on dialysis face multiple health issues, long travel distances, and frequent hospitalizations, yet they continue to show up, follow complex regimens, and thank their care teams. Currently, hundreds of thousands of veterans live with kidney disease, and tens of thousands live with kidney failure requiring ongoing treatment.va+3​

Dialysis can feel like a standing deployment: fixed schedules, strict protocols, and the ever-present possibility of complications. But for many veteran patients, the same mindset that got them through deployments—routine, teamwork, gallows humor, and mission focus—helps them see each treatment not as punishment, but as life-sustaining logistics that keep them “in the fight” for more days with family and friends.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+2​

Building resilience on the home front

Resilience is not just an individual trait; it is also a network. Veterans with strong social support, access to VA or community care, and clear information about their disease are better able to stick with complex treatment plans. Programs focused on veterans’ kidney health and patient engagement aim to strengthen that network, helping patients understand their options and advocate for themselves.aakp+2​

For service members and veterans facing dialysis—or any serious medical condition—several habits reinforce the “enhanced, not disabled” mindset:

• Treat appointments and treatments like mission-critical orders: non-negotiable, planned, and executed with discipline.sciencedirect+1​
• Lean on the unit: family, fellow veterans, dialysis staff, and support groups become your squad, not your audience.kidneyfund+1​
• Honor vulnerability as courage: asking for help, admitting fear, or talking about symptoms is not weakness; it is tactical honesty that keeps the mission going.agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley+1​
• Celebrate small wins: stable labs, a smoother session, or a good walk after treatment are quiet victories worth recognizing.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1​

A new mission, same warrior

Every veteran on dialysis or living with chronic illness carries a story of endurance that did not end when the uniform came off. Many have already faced events that would terrify the average person, giving them a sense of proportion that turns medical procedures into “just another operation,” not the end of the line.research.va+3​

To say “I’m not disabled, I’m enhanced” is to claim authorship over that story—to insist that the injury, the diagnosis, or the dialysis chair does not define the warrior sitting in it. The body may be altered, the schedule constrained, and the energy limited, but the core qualities that made them a service member—courage, discipline, loyalty, and a stubborn refusal to quit—are not diminished; in many ways, they are upgraded for a new kind of battlefield.warriorallegiance+2​

1. https://warriorallegiance.com/veteran-resilience-overcoming-adversity-and-achieving-greatness/
2. https://www.kidneyfund.org/article/insights-two-nephrologists-caring-veterans-kidney-health
3. https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/updates/impact/Support_for_Veterans_with_kidney_disease.asp
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7755975/
5. https://www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/screening-managing-sequelae-toxic-exposures-veterans/
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10378995/
7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6032569/
8. https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jgs.19422
9. https://www.kidney.org/news-stories/kidney-transplant-challenges-u-s-veterans
10. https://aakp.org/center-for-patient-engagement-and-advocacy/veterans-health-initiative/
11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059524000438
12. https://www.research.va.gov/currents/0120-Health-ranks-as-top-concern-for-Veterans.cfm
13. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2812082
14. https://www.va.gov/health/services/renal/benefits.asp
15. https://www.refuelagency.com/blog/inspirational-veterans-quotes/
16. https://unexpectedvirtualtours.com/resources/veterans-day-quotes/
17. https://www.heroesmile.com/20-veteran-quotes-to-uplift-veterans/
18. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0315302
19. https://www.facebook.com/flytheamericanflag/posts/every-veteran-is-a-reminder-of-resilience-they-endured-what-most-cannot-imagine-/1202636991890543/
20. https://home.hellodriven.com/articles/the-50-best-resilience-quotes/

“

As a retired US Navy Commander, I spent far too many holidays away from my loved ones. Been there, done that. Today, on Thanksgiving 2025, this blog is dedicated to those away from home.

Thanksgiving Far From Home

Upon distant waves, across foreign land,
Service and duty called, still you stand.
While loved ones gather near hearth’s warm embrace,
You keep the watch for freedom’s place.

Thanksgiving echoes across the miles,
In letters, in prayers, in grateful smiles.
Though holidays find you far from home,
Your courage ensures we’re never alone.

At mess hall tables beneath foreign skies,
A moment’s pause, reflection in eyes—
We honor your sacrifice, steady and true,
America’s heart beats always with you.

For those who serve—this holiday anew,
Thanksgiving’s meaning deepens for you.
With hope, with gratitude, across the sea,
Your country remembers—thank you, from me.

My new Oncologist’s office came through for me, and I have an appointment to assess if this treatment is for me on 1 December 2025 at 0900. I have filled out the patient data online, which was monumental – it took over an hour, so check-in should be short. I have browsed their website and conducted further Perplexity research on the subject. Below is the most concise information I have found to date and is included herein for your information:

The following is quoted from https://jsstd.org/immunotherapy-in-skin-cancers-a-narrative-review/#S2_2

“The immune system has inbuilt checkpoints to prevent destruction of ‘self’ antigens. Cancer cells sometimes make use of these checkpoints to protect themselves from the immune response. Checkpoint inhibitors, as the name suggests, target the checkpoint proteins and enable the immune system to more effectively recognize and act on the cancer cells.

CART: T cells are taken from the patient, and genes for receptors related to the cancer (chimeric antigen receptor) are added to these cells. When reinfused into the patient’s blood, these modified T cells bind to the cancer cells and kill them.

Immunotherapy has been used in virtually all types of skin cancers, both melanoma, and non-melanoma.^[1–12]

Usually, immunotherapy starts showing response within a few weeks. Candidate selection for immunotherapy depends on various factors like type of cancer, stage of cancer, biomarkers expressed by cancer cells, and evolving treatment guidelines. Programmed cell death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, high microsatellite instability or high tumor mutational burden and advanced cancers unfit for other treatment options are all regarded as candidates for immunotherapy. Though immunotherapy is mainly indicated for the treatment of advanced cancers, many trials have been conducted in the treatment of non-metastatic, early-stage cancers for the achievement of prolonged outcome without the long-term side effects associated with chemotherapy. There is no exact cut-off point for stoppage of these drugs. Duration depends on the response to each drug and the development of side effects that require temporary cessation. Besides this, the high cost (running into lakhs) is a major limiting factor for continuing treatment.^[13]+”

One of the goals of my input to our stock portfolio is to have sufficient cash flow from interest and dividends alone to support my wife when I punch out. I use this term not as in an injection from an aircraft, but as leaving life as it’s known on earth. Recently, I went to work, rationalizing several stocks and reinvesting them in HRZN, which currently has an over 20% return. This blog takes you through how I checked HRZN out before pushing the go button on the investment, which currently stands at 3000 shares.

Our broker, Schwab, offers many research-oriented pathways. This is the first area I explored upon the start of my initial due diligence. One such report on HRZN in PDF format is presented below for information. I gleaned from this type of info that, in general, the purchase of HRZN was not recommended, but being a contrarian, I noted that the price appeared to be bottoming out. This, in and of itself, presents an opportunity. I also observed that HRZN was a consistent payer of its monthly dividend, without any reductions. To me, this was an opportunity to buy at or near the dip and maximize potential returns.

I then turned to Perplexity.ai with numerous prompts.

I am attempting to maximize short-term dividend returns. Would you buy HRZN, all risks aside

Suppose the sole objective is to maximize dividend return in the short term, and all risks are ignored. In that case, HRZN is an unusually strong candidate based on its current forward yield (about 20% at $0.11/month and ~$6.68/share) and its consistent history of monthly payouts. This high yield is well above that of most dividend stocks or funds, and monthly compounding via DRIP further enhances short-term income.

However, such high yields are rarely sustainable and often signal underlying risk, such as the potential for dividend cuts, portfolio losses, or share price erosion. But with risk disregarded, HRZN offers unusually rapid dividend accumulation and cash yield, making it one of the best vehicles for short-term dividend maximization among widely available equities.

I am OK with the risks involved, having owned HRZN several times previously and having bought 3000 shares at various prices, as low as $6.44. Given the investment of slightly over $18,000, I then turned back to Perplexity with additional queries. One is shown in the PDF below:

At the point I had accumulated 1000 shares, I did another query about accumulation as shown in the PDF below;

Of interest to me is how long it will take my investment to double? See PDf below.

I invested most of my money in HRZN before its ex-dividend date in November, so I should receive the first dividend payment shortly. The price has eroded somewhat to the point I’m currently down a couple of grand, but ups and downs are part of the game. I am in this for dividends, which are independent of price fluctuations once purchased.

As a fifteen-year-old in 1955, a song titled “The Wallflower” started playing on the radio. Soon, a title “Roll With Me Henry” was announced, followed by “Dance With Me Henry.” Predating these renditions was an often-banned song by The Midnighters named “Work With Me Annie.” The two had similar sounds and messages. I’ve embedded the original version below, followed by Perplexity’s take on what was happening in the original song. Keep in mind that my first name is Henry, so I had more than a passing interest in this song at 15.

“Dance With Me Henry” is a song originally recorded in 1955 by Etta James and her vocal group, The Peaches, under the title “The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry)”. The song was written by Etta James, Johnny Otis, and Hank Ballard as a response—a so-called “answer song”—to Ballard’s earlier hit “Work With Me Annie”. The name “Henry” in the lyrics is not a specific person but rather a stand-in for a male dance partner. The song uses playful call-and-response and flirtatious lyrics, which, for the time, were considered suggestive.wikipedia+6​

Song Origins and History

• The original was recorded by Etta James and The Peaches, with uncredited responses by R&B singer Richard Berry.udiscovermusic​
• It was released on Modern Records and became a No. 1 R&B hit for several weeks in 1955.udiscovermusic​
• The song’s bold sexual innuendo led to its title being changed from “Roll With Me Henry” to “The Wallflower” to avoid FCC censorship.culturesonar+2​

Covers and Popularity

• Pop singer Georgia Gibbs covered the track as “Dance With Me Henry” (sometimes listed as “Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower)”), sanitizing the lyrics for the pop market.facebook+1​
• Gibbs’ cover became a No. 1 hit on the mainstream charts, eclipsing James’ original in crossover reach. youtube​facebook​
• Etta James later covered the pop version herself.culturesonar​

Musical Style and Legacy

• The song bridged blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, influencing later artists and genres.culturesonar+1​
• James’s assertive vocals signaled a breakthrough for female empowerment in R&B and rock.culturesonar​
• It was later featured in the movie “Back to the Future” and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.udiscovermusic+1​

The “Henry” Character

• “Henry” is not a real person but represents the desired male partner—or foil—addressed by the narrator in call-and-response fashion.songfacts+2​
• In the original, Richard Berry plays Henry in vocal interchanges with James.udiscovermusic​

Groups and Notable Artists

• Original: Etta James and The Peaches (with Richard Berry responding as Henry).udiscovermusic​
• Songwriters: Etta James, Johnny Otis, Hank Ballard.backtothefuture.fandom+2​
• Notable cover: Georgia Gibbs on Mercury Records.youtube​facebook​

The song’s story is a classic example of how rhythm & blues tracks crossed over to pop audiences—with altered lyrics and broader appeal—while the originals often paved the way for significant musical and cultural shifts.culturesonar+1​

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wallflower_(Dance_with_Me,_Henry)
2. https://www.culturesonar.com/etta-james-and-roll-with-me-henry/
3. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DoYouRememberThe60sFanClub/posts/2226004974458790/
4. https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/etta-james-the-wallflower-song/
5. https://backtothefuture.fandom.com/wiki/The_Wallflower_(Dance_with_Me,_Henry)
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSJTWUo-WWQ
7. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Wallflower
8. https://www.facebook.com/groups/824194430969202/posts/9367835869938306/
9. https://www.facebook.com/groups/824194430969202/posts/on-june-23-1955-we-were-hearing-dance-with-me-henry-by-georgia-gibbs-sanitizing/9848441101877778/
10. https://www.reddit.com/r/78rpm/comments/1osh51e/ronnie_stevens_dance_with_me_henry_jack_arthur/
11. https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/etta-james/the-wallflower
12. https://open.spotify.com/track/5neyzFjnykdFbcmMmTGSzZ
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_with_Me,_Henry
14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta5400IjRQA

Today, I’m going to provide more information on something I am experiencing, Viral Warts. Tomorrow I have a real go-around with my new dermatologist, where we should start to have some of the numerous cancers on and around my head treated. If I’m still alive (grin), I will relate the experience. Friday, I have, IMHO, a really great Financial Friday in mind for you. As in the past, it will be based on my actual investment activity, how I decided what to invest in, and what the investment’s future may yield. Wednesday and Thursday are open at this point, and on Sunday, when I’m writing this blog. I just picked up on the Grammarly AI writing assistant with Black Friday half-price deal, so standby.

During last week’s meeting with my dialysis team, we (my wife and I) brought up the subject of Viral Warts and didn’t get anywhere or any satisfaction. We don’t know if they had not encountered them previously or if it was just a lack of empathy. At times, they can be stoic at best, probably hardened by their experiences, which is understandable to a degree.

So, aside from being diagnosed with this new affliction, I wanted to know more about the population of dialysis patients “blessed” with viral warts. I turned to Perplexity.ai with the following prompt and results. Along the way in researching this topic, I learned that I fit just about all of the If then -> warts criteria: age, sex, time on dialysis, etc.

Prompt: What are the characteristics of ESRD patients who develop renal warts?

Most descriptions of “who gets warts” in kidney disease are about transplant recipients, so the data for ESRD itself are thinner; however, a pattern emerges from dialysis and CKD skin‑series and from HPV‑cancer data. In ESRD, warts seem to occur in patients who share the general ESRD risk profile (uremic immune dysfunction, long disease duration) plus the usual HPV risk factors seen in the general population.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+3​

Demographic tendencies

• Middle‑aged and older adults: HPV‑related cancers in ESRD peak around ages 50–64, implying that persistent HPV infection (and thus warts) is most relevant in this age band.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih​
• Both sexes are affected, with some signals by sex: For HPV‑related cancers in ESRD, female sex is a risk factor (IRR ≈ 2.1 vs ESRD men). For cutaneous warts specifically, one CKD skin‑disease review notes common warts among ESRD patients without a strong sex skew. Still, detailed sex‑stratified wart data are rarely reported.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+2​

Renal and dialysis‑related characteristics

• Advanced, long‑standing renal failure: Reviews of cutaneous disease in CKD/ESRD emphasize that viral infections including common warts are a recognized problem mainly in patients with advanced uremia and on long‑term renal replacement therapy.actasdermo+1​
• Dialysis, any modality: Hemodialysis cohorts show low but definite wart prevalence (a few percent in series of 100–200 patients), and authors note that “human papillomavirus–induced warts are common in kidney disease,” reflecting the background uremic immune defect rather than a specific dialysis type. Peritoneal dialysis appears similar or slightly less studied rather than clearly different.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1​
• Heavy comorbidity burden: ESRD patients with higher overall comorbidity have more infection‑related complications in general. However, for HPV‑related cancers specifically, comorbidity level was not a clear additional risk factor once ESRD status itself was accounted for.karger+1​

Immune and virologic factors

• Uremic immune dysfunction: Reviews of skin disease in CKD highlight that ESRD patients have impaired cellular immunity, altered T‑cell and antigen‑presenting cell function, and chronic inflammation, which collectively predispose to chronic viral skin infections such as warts.actasdermo+2​
• Difficulty clearing HPV: The same immune defects that raise cancer risk also make HPV infections more persistent, which is why ESRD cohorts show a 2–2.5‑fold higher incidence of HPV‑related cancers compared with the general population. Persistent high‑risk HPV infection is biologically linked to both genital warts (from certain types) and HPV‑related dysplasia and cancer.frontiersin+1​
• General HPV risk factors still matter: Systematic reviews of cutaneous warts (in mixed populations) note that smoking, close personal contact, communal environments, and atopy increase wart risk. For HPV‑associated cancers (which track high‑risk HPV exposure), smoking, alcohol, and HIV infection are important cofactors. These same factors likely identify the subgroup of ESRD patients more prone to clinically evident or persistent warts.onlinelibrary.wiley+2​

Clinical wart pattern in ESRD

• Low absolute prevalence, but higher than normal: Skin‑series in hemodialysis show warts in only a few percent of patients, yet this is still more frequent than in matched healthy controls, and authors explicitly list viral warts among the “most frequent viral infections” in CKD skin disease.healthcare-bulletin+2​
• Stubborn, chronic lesions: When warts appear in ESRD, clinicians describe them as more persistent and sometimes refractory, mirroring the broader experience of infections in ESRD patients.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1​
• Association with other skin problems of CKD: Patients with xerosis, pruritus, pigment changes, and other CKD skin abnormalities are the same broad group in which warts are reported; warts are one item in this constellation rather than a distinct phenotype.ijdvl+2​

Putting this together for “who gets warts” in ESRD

ESRD patients who develop warts typically have:

• Long‑standing, advanced renal failure on dialysis with uremic immune dysfunction.actasdermo+1​
• Usual HPV exposure/risk factors (sexual exposure, close skin contact, sometimes smoking or other co‑morbid risks).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih+2​
• Age in mid‑ to later adulthood, where persistent HPV infection and HPV‑related disease are most evident.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih​

Unlike the transplant setting, there is no sharply defined “wart phenotype” (for example, specific drugs), but rather a background of modest immune fragility in ESRD that makes the usual HPV exposures more likely to result in chronic, slow‑to‑clear warts.

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3710213/
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.16002
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8061480/
4. http://www.actasdermo.org/en-skin-manifestations-chronic-kidney-disease-articulo-S0001731015002720
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4299702/
6. https://karger.com/bpu/article/47/1-3/259/329355/Recognizing-Common-Skin-and-Soft-Tissue-Infections
7. https://www.actasdermo.org/en-skin-manifestations-chronic-kidney-disease-articulo-S1578219015002346
8. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2022.1057454/full
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32503931/
10. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1136/jim-2019-001262
11. https://www.healthcare-bulletin.co.uk/article/volume-14-issue-3-pages870-878-ra/
12. https://ijdvl.com/cutaneous-manifestations-in-patients-with-chronic-renal-failure-on-hemodialysis/
13. https://www.ijord.com/index.php/ijord/article/view/1234
14. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1600613522089079
15. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2772021
16. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1094846-overview
17. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Incidence-and-risk-factors-for-HPV-associated-in-Han-Waller/fe6a798835199fa86e050e34bcdb696514e80486
18. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajt.14181
19. https://nigjdermatology.com/index.php/NJD/article/download/31/6/121
20. https://www.ectrx.org/detail/archive/2019/17/1/0/31/0
21. https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article/32/1/132/2931147

I recently read in a WSJ article that companies in the nascent industry involving quantum computing are of great interest to investors. Several companies were listed as competing in the space, including QBTS. I then went to Perplexity and instructed it to accomplish Deep Research on this company. The embedded PDF below is the resultant report. Very well done and in great depth that directly and specifically addresses the questions posed in my prompt, as you may ascertain.

Prompt: Do deep research into the quantum stock QBTS: should I buy into it or not? If I buy, how many shares?