This is a work-in-progress, so it will be updated periodically over the next few days.

It’s like this…

Due to two major factors, those being bad genes and bad habits over a lifetime, I need to take a multitude of medication every day to make sure I stay alive. I mean, fine, I’m older (just retired), not in the best of shape, and tend not to eat the best. At least now…

The bad genes, I can’t fix… I can only implement a series of workarounds… I tend to keep on more weight than some my brothers, and I tend to have a rather low level of overall fitness. By the time I was 40, even after having gone to the gym a lot during my 30s, and trying to eat better… I still managed to put on weight. The thing that really did me in… cigarettes. First starting to smoke when I was in high school (don’t tell my mom), and then, as a result of meeting my future wife (who made me want to become a better person, cliche as that may be), stopping smoking.

Smoking cigarettes altered my body chemistry (although I didn’t know it at the time), and it really didn’t become obvious to me until I quit. Before I quit, regardless of my university diet (not good, too much fast food), I managed to keep my weight to a just less than acceptable number. When I did quit, I started to gain quite a bit of weight over the following months, to the point where my weight was seriously unacceptable. But I lived with it anyway. Finally, my workaround to this body chemistry altered weight problem became starting and sticking to mostly a protein diet (Atkins, if you need to know).

And it worked! Within a year, I had lost 65 kilos, and started running, and was even able to compete in a half-marathon (I was not quite ambitious enough to go for the full marathon distance). But it was work. A lot of work, over a long time, and if I stopped, I slid back a lot farther than I wanted to and I had to work that much harder to catch up. If only there was a workaround that would allow me to not spend the time and the effort to get to the same place. And, with a bit of luck, take care of the genetic issues that my other workarounds couldn’t fix, but could be controlled, at least, with medicine.

I hate taking meds all the time, but with my genes, even when I was in great (relatively speaking…), I still needed to take them. Lots of them. It sucked. I could be almost at my goal weight and run a 1/2 marathon, but I still needed to take meds for blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. How do you fix that?

I’m hoping that advances in nanobot technology for healthcare can get up to speed before I run out of time. I really fancy the idea of having a bunch of microscopic bots running. around my body, monitoring my vitals, and fixing what can be fixed locally, without any other intervention but getting the latest software update for my home medical bay to take care of things. So the question becomes:

What will healthcare look like when we all have a body full of nanobots and access to a local, if not home, healthcare medical bay?

How cool would it be to walk in to a medical bay in your home, that communicates with all the nanobots in your body, and monitors, diagnoses and then instructs the nanobots to fix whatever problems might exist? I want that so bad.

If you have expertise in this area, I would love to have some input from you.

Enjoy.

And contribute to the discussion, please.

Thanks.

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Here’s a quick summary of nanobot technology in healthcare according to ChatGPT:

• Targeted Cancer Therapy: Nanorobots delivering chemotherapy directly to tumors, reducing side effects.
  (GlobeNewswire)
• AI-Powered Detection: Nanobots using reinforcement learning to identify and track cancer cells. (arXiv)
• Biohybrid Microrobots: Combining biological components like algae or jellyfish capsules with synthetic parts for drug delivery. (arXiv)
• Dental Applications: Nanobots targeting bacteria in root canals to improve treatment outcomes. (Wikipedia)
• Market Growth: The medical nanobot market is projected to grow from $5.2 billion in 2024 to $23.8 billion by 2034. (linkewire.com)

Here’s what Google’s AI had to say:

Nanobots, also known as nanorobots, are miniature robots that could revolutionize healthcare by performing functions like drug delivery, diagnostics, and even targeted surgery at the molecular level. These nanoscale devices, typically ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers, are designed to circulate within the body and interact with cells and tissues. 

Potential Applications:

• Drug Delivery:Nanobots can be programmed to carry and release drugs specifically at the site of a disease, minimizing side effects and improving treatment efficacy. 
• Diagnostics:They can be equipped with sensors to detect diseases early on, even at the molecular level, allowing for more accurate and timely diagnosis. 
• Surgery:Nanobots could be used for minimally invasive surgery, accessing areas inaccessible by conventional tools, and performing delicate procedures with high precision. 
• Cancer Treatment:Nanobots are being explored for their potential to target and destroy cancer cells, delivering drugs directly to tumors or even repairing damaged DNA. 
• Gene Therapy:Nanobots could be used to deliver genetic material to correct genetic defects, potentially offering cures for inherited diseases. 
• Monitoring and Treatment:They can monitor various parameters within the body, provide real-time data, and even assist with personalized treatment plans. 
• Infection Control:Nanobots can be designed to kill bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, helping to prevent and treat infections. 
• Regenerative Medicine:Nanobots can be used to stimulate cell growth and repair damaged tissues, potentially restoring function in damaged organs.