rolfeb

Hi (2xBEP adjuvant, about 8 years ago),

Given the high survival rate for testicular cancer, it's easy to feel a bit guilty in the the chemo ward. Yes, most people there are going to be going through a tougher battle, but to offset that, you're going to feel like crap as well. Cisplatin in particular (the "P" in BEP) has a reputation for causing nausea and vomiting :-) As my oncologist told me beforehand, "it's not going to be a walk in the park".

So, you need to be concentrating on looking after yourself during the treatment. Make sure you drink tons of fluid, and try to exercise every day. You still need to eat, so try to find some things that you like - now is not the time to stick to your diet! You'll also need to watch out for infections and maintain a high degree of cleanliness during your treatment. Maintaining a positive mindset is really important too. Keep your mind busy when you can, and sleep when you need to.

Somewhat surprisingly, my overall experience was somewhat positive (this was my first experience of any serious medical issues). The staff and nurses in the chemo ward were super kind and supportive. Conversations with other patients were usually surprisingly positive.

Anyway, good luck with your treatment!

Oh yeah. My rule of thumb is that the first couple of months in a new job can feel miserable just as you describe above. Don't worry about it, you'll get through it and suddenly you'll find yourself being productive and happier.

I've been working for decades in multiple jobs, and it's always the same. Sure as you progress you know more, but you also lift your personal standards as well to compensate.

Stick to it and you'll get there!

I totally agree. With everyone work remotely (in my teams), there's huge scope for becoming isolated and disconnected. We have a daily status meeting, but it is specifically set up so that the 50% of the time is for talking shit.

When you check in with how you're going, you're allowed to say anything except "Good". "Good" means you didn't think about your answer...

This is great. I did a few work trips to Tokyo, and always stayed at Shinagawa, so that tune is very familiar to me. And yeah, I did the sightseeing loop of the city as well!

"A man's got to know his limitations"

copperfish cop·per·fish

    a dark seaweed with silvery-white fur, the male of which has plumes of cyanobacteria similar to those of the copperhead
    "copperfish will hunt bivalve mollusks"

This does not sound at all good...

One person can do very little (unless they do have billions of dollars at their disposal).

Why not seek out an activist group in your area and join them? It takes a lot of resources to mobilise people on the streets, carry out campaigns etc. Nearly always they will need support staff on back end processes and systems. Maybe they need your specific skillset, or maybe they just need other parts of the organisation. You won't be single-handedly saving the world, but you will be part of a team that maybe can achieve that.

This might take you out of your comfort zone, but hey, what have you got to lose?

Pretend it is 1990...

FTP.

If there is one thing I have learnt in my career, it's that you can't fix a social problem with a technical solution.

Fantastic... I wonder what all those surplus people will do?

Back when I used to work a second job in the evenings, I used to get home around 4-5pm in the afternoon and have a nap. No more than 20 mins (set the alarm clock!). Made a huge difference.

Read the comments on the blog posting :-)