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Thread: What's messing with your Groove?

  1. #5371
    The sad part about major companies, is that usually, the mid-level managers who employ the floor guys, get bonuses based on how much of a margin the wholesale can provide. Usually the best way to gain own bonuses, is to be fiercely strict on employee salary. Money gets pushed upwards, while workloads gets pushed downwards. I literally had to take a 2200 USD pay cut to advance to a position with more responsibility. As they called it, a temporary sacrifice to take the stepping stone, to a better paid position. Utter bullshit, but I was desperate to change lines of work, and thereafter accepted it. But be certain, the company can afford it, and they can afford you. There is a bus strike going on at the moment, and they happily pay for transport by taxi to have us at work. Last Black Friday, they rescheduled and paid for an airline flight, so I could work instead. When the threat is "I can't bring you income, as I can't work", that's when the wallet finally opens. Be absolutely brutal in negotiations, and perfectly clear about your options.
    Tomorrow is like an empty canvas that extends endlessly, what should I sketch on it?

  2. #5372
    Quote Originally Posted by Flixy View Post
    So I'm not exactly happy at my job lately and need to decide by next month or so whether I'd like to stay or not. Been looking around for options, one is an agency who are pretty good in things like coaching and training which I value highly. They got me an interview for a pretty interesting project, and the director there already said he'd like to hire me for the job if I'm interested after one interview, so that went extremely well.

    Cue initial contract discussions, and three agency offers me significantly less money than I expected. Turns out that because i didn't finish my MSc I'm essentially a scale lower than the job I'd be actually doing, and they say it's market conform for my CV. That may be the case, but if they're happy to charge a client based on my work level but want to pay me on a lower level.. that doesn't seem fair to me. I compared with people I know working there and they also got significantly more (around the amount I'd expect).

    I know it's a luxury position to be in, especially these days, but I feel it is a bit unfair. Will try to negotiate, which I don't like, and am not so good at.
    Sounds like a too strict adherence to job role tickboxes, rather than the flexibility to fit each employee's particular skills and experience to their role. If you can do the same job without an MSc as well as someone with an MSc, you should be paid the same.
    Quote Originally Posted by Steely Glint View Post
    It's actually the original French billion, which is bi-million, which is a million to the power of 2. We adopted the word, and then they changed it, presumably as revenge for Crecy and Agincourt, and then the treasonous Americans adopted the new French usage and spread it all over the world. And now we have to use it.

    And that's Why I'm Voting Leave.

  3. #5373
    Quote Originally Posted by Flixy View Post
    So I'm not exactly happy at my job lately and need to decide by next month or so whether I'd like to stay or not. Been looking around for options, one is an agency who are pretty good in things like coaching and training which I value highly. They got me an interview for a pretty interesting project, and the director there already said he'd like to hire me for the job if I'm interested after one interview, so that went extremely well.

    Cue initial contract discussions, and three agency offers me significantly less money than I expected. Turns out that because i didn't finish my MSc I'm essentially a scale lower than the job I'd be actually doing, and they say it's market conform for my CV. That may be the case, but if they're happy to charge a client based on my work level but want to pay me on a lower level.. that doesn't seem fair to me. I compared with people I know working there and they also got significantly more (around the amount I'd expect).

    I know it's a luxury position to be in, especially these days, but I feel it is a bit unfair. Will try to negotiate, which I don't like, and am not so good at.
    I'm going to be mildly contrary just to provide an alternative view. (That being said, I think you should definitely push for what you think you're worth - there's no harm in asking, and you have the best chance of increasing things now. It does sound like they're being needlessly restrictive just to save a few bucks.)

    My wife shifted her focus a bit after her first job - she had a specific kind of engineering expertise and had developed a nice set of work experience in a certain part of medical device development. It overlapped at times with a different kind of engineering expertise, and she got interested in pursuing that more aggressively. She interviewed for an was offered a job at a competitor, in an engineering group that focused exclusively on this second kind of expertise. So far, so good. However, they started her at a lower title and salary than she was expecting given her years of experience in her previous job. She was pretty bummed, but decided to chance it anyways.

    8 years later, her salary has more than doubled and she is currently the manager of the manager of her former engineering group. She runs the entire medtech division at her company. Her boss who initially hired her (who is still her boss, just several levels higher) has told her that they initially started her a bit lower because she didn't have formal training in the role she was interviewing for, but she blew them out of the water with her performance (which, being my wife, was exemplary) and they keep on giving her more and more responsibility. Her first big promotion - to run the group she was in - came after an internal competition that everyone thought was sewn up by a colleague of hers, but when she presented her plans for the group, management was floored and gave her the job (her group is widely seen as the best in the company). With her current role, upper management was worried about having someone with comparatively little experience taking on this role, but her bosses and mentors went to bat for her and told them she was good for it.

    The point of this anecdote is that the starting salary and position in a company don't matter nearly as much as having a solid support network, mentors and superiors who will nurture you and give you opportunities for growth, and kicking ass and taking names (not to mention a thirst to learn and grow one's own capabilities). That kind of performance and initiative is rewarded - at least in a good organization. So you should really be asking yourself if you think you're going to get that kind of support and opportunities for advancement in your new role, not the specific initial salary.

    (My other point is that my wife is substantially more awesome than I am, and looks pretty fetching to boot.)
    "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." - Werner Heisenberg (maybe)

  4. #5374
    Senior Member Flixy's Avatar
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    Thanks for the replies, appreciate your views.

    Wiggin, I do in principle agree with your view. And I do realise that lacking the right papers or specific experience means you may start lower and have to prove yourself. I've even been there - especially my starter job straight after dropping out of my MSc. I started low, but performed well and quickly got additional tasks and responsibilities, and asked for opportunities and got them. And also got a salary increase to match my work. Side note, but that company was good at judging on performance - one of my team members had no formal educatiom, started as a cleaner, showed potential and ended up making heart valves.

    Even at my current job I started a little lower than coworkers, but again proved my worth and got a raise to match, and assigned to challenging tasks and projects. I appreciate the reasoning behind that.

    However this is an agency (consultancy I suppose). I know the rate they charge clients for me, which is essentially the same as coworkers with a MSc and a PDEng. If they a) think I can do the job, and b) charge clients accordingly.. it seems unfair to get paid significantly (10+%) less.

    Anyway, I'll get back to them and negotiate, and at the same time found another interesting opportunity with its own pros and cons, so we'll see.

    Anyway, more important question:
    (My other point is that my wife is substantially more awesome than I am, and looks pretty fetching to boot.)
    What is your magic, and can you teach me
    Keep on keepin' the beat alive!

  5. #5375
    Quote Originally Posted by Flixy View Post
    Thanks for the replies, appreciate your views.

    Wiggin, I do in principle agree with your view. And I do realise that lacking the right papers or specific experience means you may start lower and have to prove yourself. I've even been there - especially my starter job straight after dropping out of my MSc. I started low, but performed well and quickly got additional tasks and responsibilities, and asked for opportunities and got them. And also got a salary increase to match my work. Side note, but that company was good at judging on performance - one of my team members had no formal educatiom, started as a cleaner, showed potential and ended up making heart valves.

    Even at my current job I started a little lower than coworkers, but again proved my worth and got a raise to match, and assigned to challenging tasks and projects. I appreciate the reasoning behind that.

    However this is an agency (consultancy I suppose). I know the rate they charge clients for me, which is essentially the same as coworkers with a MSc and a PDEng. If they a) think I can do the job, and b) charge clients accordingly.. it seems unfair to get paid significantly (10+%) less.

    Anyway, I'll get back to them and negotiate, and at the same time found another interesting opportunity with its own pros and cons, so we'll see.
    Oh, I totally think you should get paid what you're worth. I just think that people sometimes think too much about where they start and don't think about how their employer will help them get to where they want to be.

    But in your case, get every penny.

    Anyway, more important question:

    What is your magic, and can you teach me
    Lock them down before they know any better.

    "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." - Werner Heisenberg (maybe)

  6. #5376
    Quote Originally Posted by Flixy View Post
    So I'm not exactly happy at my job lately and need to decide by next month or so whether I'd like to stay or not. Been looking around for options, one is an agency who are pretty good in things like coaching and training which I value highly. They got me an interview for a pretty interesting project, and the director there already said he'd like to hire me for the job if I'm interested after one interview, so that went extremely well.

    Cue initial contract discussions, and three agency offers me significantly less money than I expected. Turns out that because i didn't finish my MSc I'm essentially a scale lower than the job I'd be actually doing, and they say it's market conform for my CV. That may be the case, but if they're happy to charge a client based on my work level but want to pay me on a lower level.. that doesn't seem fair to me. I compared with people I know working there and they also got significantly more (around the amount I'd expect).

    I know it's a luxury position to be in, especially these days, but I feel it is a bit unfair. Will try to negotiate, which I don't like, and am not so good at.
    An employer will typically try to pay you as little as they can get away with. You're in a negotiation; they have a decent argument for opening with a lowball offer—and you have a decent argument for asking for a higher salary. In some places/situations, you might be outta luck (eg. extremely rigid pay scale, negotiations only with HR rather than your boss, rules established through union negotiations at company or sectoral level, many similarly or more qualified candidates, etc). Sometimes, you can negotiate a promise of renegotiation after a few months, once they've seen how you perform on the job. The type of company you're describing might not be the kind of place where accepting a substantially lower starting salary might translate to substantial benefits down the line at that same company; you'd be taking a cut for other reasons, eg. valuable new training, networking opportunities on the job, etc.

    I think you have every opportunity to negotiate for a higher starting salary, and, if it's not quite high enough, to negotiate for other benefits and concessions, If it doesn't work out, well, you have another offer—and will line up others as time passes. You're good at what you do and you have a lot of highly specialized knowledge & experience, so there's really no need to sell yourself short. Unless you're truly being tortured at your current job—but, even then, probably not.
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  7. #5377
    Quote Originally Posted by wiggin View Post

    Lock them down before they know any better.

    Sexist humor is NOT funny. Seriously.

  8. #5378
    Quote Originally Posted by Timbuk2 View Post
    Sorry to hear this.

    I assume there is no state-enforcement or rules currently preventing such large gatherings?

    Max number of people allowed for funerals here currently is 30, and no wake allowed afterward.

    Though I expect 30 to be significantly reduced in the coming days.
    I don't know much about Alabama's rules, but the south has fewer restrictions than PA, and it's all pretty much voluntary or "self-regulating" anyway.

    It was just a couple of weeks ago that PA lifted travel restrictions for people coming *from* high-infection rate states, where people were supposed to "self-quarantine" for 14 days. I was glad to hear my son moving from NC to PA wouldn't have to "self-quarantine", but it's pretty much confusing BS at this point. No idea if or how it works the other way, or both ways. Funerals notwithstanding.



    It's like a bad joke. Man dies in one state, wants to be buried in another. Family and friends want to have a funeral and church service. Q: Where should it be held and how many can attend? A: In the state with the lowest standards for public health....and the fewest regulations about transporting human remains across state borders....
    Last edited by GGT; 09-24-2020 at 10:26 PM.

  9. #5379
    Quote Originally Posted by GGT View Post
    Sexist humor is NOT funny. Seriously.
    I'm genuinely confused. The song is about men who won't commit, a fairly reasonable illustration of my mildly amusing contention that I was able to find someone as fantastic as my wife by committing to her in a timely fashion. The song is generally seen as one that celebrates female empowerment. I really don't get you.
    "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." - Werner Heisenberg (maybe)

  10. #5380
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    Quote Originally Posted by wiggin View Post
    I'm genuinely confused. The song is about men who won't commit, a fairly reasonable illustration of my mildly amusing contention that I was able to find someone as fantastic as my wife by committing to her in a timely fashion. The song is generally seen as one that celebrates female empowerment. I really don't get you.
    I think you missed the point; it's not the song that's overtly sexist, it's your quip that is.

    Whether the song is about empowerment of women or just another sign of how many women have internalized patriarchal norms,is a discussion I won't burn my fingers with.
    Congratulations America

  11. #5381
    Accomplished women have to be tricked and locked down with marriage before they figure out you're not good enough, or they'll leave you for someone more accomplished. It was obv. intended as a completely frivolous joke, but, if you put your serious hat on, it's difficult to deny the sexist underpinnings of the joke itself (irrespective of the intentions of the person making the joke). Kinda have to choose which hat to put on.

    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  12. #5382
    Quote Originally Posted by Hazir View Post
    I think you missed the point; it's not the song that's overtly sexist, it's your quip that is.

    Whether the song is about empowerment of women or just another sign of how many women have internalized patriarchal norms,is a discussion I won't burn my fingers with.
    Hazir, I have zero interest in litigating what was obviously a stupid joke, so I'll just leave it at this:

    Humor is often transgressive, playing on perceived stereotypes and unacceptable attitudes to get a laugh. And obviously my statement was playing to old conceptions of gender roles and marriage that are patently absurd now (if they ever really had any traction) - marrying someone is hardly 'locking them down' with the advent of widespread divorce and economic emancipation for women, nor are women (especially capable professionals) so sheltered from the rest of the world that they wouldn't know a scrub when they saw one. Taken on its own, it might be faintly offensive even if obviously just for a cheap laugh.

    But the joke wasn't alone, it was accompanied by a song that intentionally undermines the patriarchal conceptions of women's place in society and the overarching value of marriage. It doesn't just lampoon men who won't commit to a relationship, but also celebrates the woman who chooses to be single for whatever reason - up to an including looking for a better mate.

    It should be self evident from the pairing the the intention was to suggest that my basic advice for finding someone nice to settle down with is to approach a relationship with commitment, albeit phrased in a mildly amusing manner.

    If you or GGT really want to be offended, be my guest.
    "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." - Werner Heisenberg (maybe)

  13. #5383
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    Quote Originally Posted by wiggin View Post
    Hazir, I have zero interest in litigating what was obviously a stupid joke, so I'll just leave it at this:

    Humor is often transgressive, playing on perceived stereotypes and unacceptable attitudes to get a laugh. And obviously my statement was playing to old conceptions of gender roles and marriage that are patently absurd now (if they ever really had any traction) - marrying someone is hardly 'locking them down' with the advent of widespread divorce and economic emancipation for women, nor are women (especially capable professionals) so sheltered from the rest of the world that they wouldn't know a scrub when they saw one. Taken on its own, it might be faintly offensive even if obviously just for a cheap laugh.

    But the joke wasn't alone, it was accompanied by a song that intentionally undermines the patriarchal conceptions of women's place in society and the overarching value of marriage. It doesn't just lampoon men who won't commit to a relationship, but also celebrates the woman who chooses to be single for whatever reason - up to an including looking for a better mate.

    It should be self evident from the pairing the the intention was to suggest that my basic advice for finding someone nice to settle down with is to approach a relationship with commitment, albeit phrased in a mildly amusing manner.

    If you or GGT really want to be offended, be my guest.
    I'm not offended, just commented. Forgive me if I came accross too harsh.

    But I definitely don't think that song is empowering in any way. It pretty much teaches that your relationship doesn't count if you're not married and that a woman should walk away from a man who doesn't marry her fast enough. It doesn't undermine anything, it re-inforces patriarchical ways of looking at what women should want.

    Have a nice Yom Kippur by they way.
    Last edited by Hazir; 09-27-2020 at 12:32 PM.
    Congratulations America

  14. #5384
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    I'll lose my turkish residency because of a shortage of pink file covers in the Turkish bureaucracy. The normal procedure is that they give you an appointment for an interview, where you have to go to in person. The 'interview' consists of you handing in your paperwork, them checking if your documents are complete and putting them in a pink file cover and basically tell you to fuck off and wait for the outcome. Because of Covid-19 the 'interview' was replaced with 'send your documents by mail (not courier) and wait. I obliged and recently recieved an SMS telling me my application wasn't complete. Missing was; a pink file cover. I was told to come to the office and hand deliver one for my application to be considered. Problem is that I am in Amsterdam, and that reciprocal quarantine rules apply. So there's no way I am going to that office in time to hand over the coveted pink file cover. And that means my application for renewal will not even be considered, and I lost my residency. That's not exactly the end of the world, but it makes it difficult to do some things that I might like to do. Amongst which, ending my relationship with HSBC Turkey (their limited network is the base of the desire, their behavior in Hong Kong pushed me over the line).
    Congratulations America

  15. #5385
    It's been a few months since my last update. I've realised I didn't thank you for responding to my last update - so thanks. I don't tend to explore this forum much.

    I'm still here. I didn't think I would be but there we go. I'm 39 this month and I'm starting to wonder whether I'll hit 40. Quite possibly not but I'm going to keep on fighting.

    I'm still having chemotherapy every 2 weeks and I've just completed cycle 27. There's no end in sight. I continue until the drugs stop working or the side effects become too unbearable.

    I've finally found a reasonable regime that seems to be keeping the cancer stable but also giving me a reasonable week in between cycles. I've been on that now for a few months and haven't had a break for 8 cycles, which is good going.

    The last scan, as with the others, shows that the cancer is stable. It's neither growing or shrinking. That's good.

    Further surgery continues to be ruled out at the moment. My oncologist is keen to keep things as they are and not risk "waking the beast", which is a possibility with any kind of significant change to the treatment. Data shows that there's a high chance or re-occurrence anyway with the type of cancer I have.

    I'm still off work and have been since March 2019. I really miss it. The people. The meetings. Analysis. Design. My team. Cycling each day. Earning my income. All of it.

    When I'm not recovering from the chemo (which tends to involve days in bed, feeling sick, constipated and mega fatigued) I generally feel OK and my energy levels are reasonable. Some side effects have definitely taken their toll on my body, which is probably expected about 27 rounds. My bowels are a inconsistent and irregular nuisance. My hair is a mess. And I often find it difficult to concentrate properly on things. This is frustrating as I sometimes fuck up the most basic things. My fingers are suffer from neuropathy and I find it tricky to play guitar. That kinda sucks.

    I keep myself busy with World of Warcraft, Twitter, Imgur and of course arguing with RB about Brexit and Bojo (you're keeping me sane, RB!) I also like to walk, when I can, and play a lot of Pokemon Go. I've only been playing 3 months but it's definitely motivating me to get out more. I've obviously got my family to keep me busy and help me through things.

    There's no real change to things in sight. There's little chance now that the drugs will kill the cancer. If they were going to they probably would have done so by now; when I was on much higher doses and brutal regimes. Some people go on like this for a few years. I hope that's me, although I'm not looking forward to years more of chemo. There is a small chance that some of the cancer cells are dead (i.e. scar tissue). Unfortunately CT scans don't differentiate between living and dead cells; only the presence of them. A PET scan would confirm this, but I need a break from treatment before I can have another one of those so it's out of the question at the moment. If/when the cancer starts spreading again I'll be faced with some more options. My oncologist hasn't really gone into details but he says we'll have some joker cards to play. I'm hoping one of those is surgery. If I hit that point, regardless of the risks and the chance of re-occurrence, I want as much as possible removed.

    Some advice for those in the UK: get private healthcare insurance with decent cancer cover. Just do it. I was fit and healthy before this and nothing in my lifestyle or diet would indicate a risk of bowel cancer (so my oncologist tells me). It wasn't genetic (I've been tested). It was just shitty luck, it seems. The private treatment I've had has meant two key things. The first is access to drugs you can't get on the NHS. Good, expensive drugs that improve the efficacy of bowel cancer related chemo. The second is having treatment at home.

    So I'm still here and doing OK. The cancer is stable, which is the main thing, so I've got some time left to enjoy things!

    Hugs
    Last edited by gogobongopop; 10-06-2020 at 03:54 PM.

  16. #5386


    hugs
    Quote Originally Posted by Steely Glint View Post
    It's actually the original French billion, which is bi-million, which is a million to the power of 2. We adopted the word, and then they changed it, presumably as revenge for Crecy and Agincourt, and then the treasonous Americans adopted the new French usage and spread it all over the world. And now we have to use it.

    And that's Why I'm Voting Leave.

  17. #5387
    Big hugs mate

    Who'da thunk Brexit and BoJo would be useful for something
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  18. #5388
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    Quote Originally Posted by gogobongopop View Post
    It's been a few months since my last update. I've realised I didn't thank you for responding to my last update - so thanks. I don't tend to explore this forum much.


    Hugs
    First of all, happy birthday. If I read what you wrote correctly, you are doing as good as you could in your situation. Live rather than survive. I hope with you that there are ways to improve things and am happy for you having the best healthcare available in the UK. And that in the very least your good days will outnumber your bad days.
    Congratulations America

  19. #5389
    Senior Member Flixy's Avatar
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    Hugs, and take care.
    Keep on keepin' the beat alive!

  20. #5390
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    Good luck fighting that dragon for as long as you want to!

    Coincidentally, a colleague of mine (and an all-around great guy) recently vanished from school due to being diagnosed with prostate cancer which already has metastasized. I only know because I'm his "second in command" at school performances, managing our light&sound appliances.
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  21. #5391
    Sorry to hear about the fingers. I got the same experiance but with other regims of cyt;
    it’s harder than people think to recover from. I have been sweating recently and it freaks
    me out a bit even though I strongly suspect it’s nothing and I recently took tests.

    Is there any kind of possibility to try newer form of immunotherapy?


    Edit: and I will be 39 in a couple of days.
    Just some years ago I never thought I would get this old and have to
    worry about smaller things in life again. But I got lucky and also had a ’nice’ cancer.

  22. #5392
    Quote Originally Posted by gogobongopop View Post

    Hugs
    Big hugs
    We're stuck in a bloody snowglobe.

  23. #5393
    Quote Originally Posted by rille View Post
    Sorry to hear about the fingers. I got the same experiance but with other regims of cyt;
    it’s harder than people think to recover from. I have been sweating recently and it freaks
    me out a bit even though I strongly suspect it’s nothing and I recently took tests.

    Is there any kind of possibility to try newer form of immunotherapy?


    Edit: and I will be 39 in a couple of days.
    Just some years ago I never thought I would get this old and have to
    worry about smaller things in life again. But I got lucky and also had a ’nice’ cancer.
    Sorry to hear you got the big C too. Sucks, but really glad it's a nice one!

    As for you question, I don't think so. My understanding is that immunotherapy is only a better option than chemo when it's genetic. Mine isn't. That being said I will ask, so thanks for asking.

    Thanks everyone.

  24. #5394
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gogobongopop View Post
    As for you question, I don't think so. My understanding is that immunotherapy is only a better option than chemo when it's genetic. Mine isn't.
    No, immunotherapy is actually independent of the cause of the cancer - it's "merely" allowing your immune system to finally fight the cancer. Because that's the big problem of cancer - cancer cells would normally be hunted down with a vengeance but they aren't.

    And it would actually be suited for your case because, like chemo, it's a systemic approach - i.e. it attacks all the cancer cells all over the body and not only at specific sites.

    But, as there's still quite a lot of mystery to the inner workings of our immune system, it's very much based on trial and error (and sometimes those errors send the immune system into overdrive so you cannot simply throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks).
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  25. #5395
    I legit love those books and I hate the thought of someone shitting on them but I'm gonna wait to see the show before passing judgement. Hopefully it will be more like Dirk Gently than like... *shudder*... The Seeker
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  26. #5396
    Quote Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro View Post
    No, immunotherapy is actually independent of the cause of the cancer - it's "merely" allowing your immune system to finally fight the cancer. Because that's the big problem of cancer - cancer cells would normally be hunted down with a vengeance but they aren't.

    And it would actually be suited for your case because, like chemo, it's a systemic approach - i.e. it attacks all the cancer cells all over the body and not only at specific sites.

    But, as there's still quite a lot of mystery to the inner workings of our immune system, it's very much based on trial and error (and sometimes those errors send the immune system into overdrive so you cannot simply throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks).
    There's a good deal of complexity here. Generally immunotherapies are useful against specific genetic subtype of a cancer (typically based on their expression of specific surface proteins or sugars), so it's entirely possible that the type of cancer gogo is discussing does not in fact have a solid immunotherapy developed yet - and it's possible that his class of cancer only has immunotherapies developed for more common hereditary forms of the cancer. So while you're right that the ability of immunotherapy as a concept to work may not be limited by whether it is based on a common heritable mutation or not, it is entirely possible that at the moment those heritable tumor types are the ones for which effective immunotherapies have been developed.

    I am not an oncologist, nor do I know anything about gogo's type of neoplasia, so I will refrain from further speculation. I would assume that he is being provided with expert medical care and advice and any attempt by us to provide additional ideas is unlikely to be useful.
    "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." - Werner Heisenberg (maybe)

  27. #5397
    Thanks folks. You may all be right. All I know is that my oncologist has told us that, currently, chemo is a better option than immunotherapy. He did mention that if the genetics tests come back positive then immunotherapy would be worth considering.

    I might mention it again though next time we see him. Ta.

  28. #5398
    It may not sound like much during your arduous ordeal, gogo, but at least you don't have to declare Medical Bankruptcy or be deemed Indigent in order to get the care you need, like you'd have to do in the US.

  29. #5399
    Plasti Dip is some of the most fussy, sensitive and annoying paints I've ever worked with.

    Took all day, but I finally got the first car piece painted with it, as well as my phone case. Starting to question my plans with it before I move forward.
    "In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."

  30. #5400
    Our HOA switched ISP and now the only internet access I have is through my phone. My daughter's been sad about not being able to watch Puppy Dog Pals, and I have time-sensitive research & digital meetings this week that I have no idea how I'll be able to sort out. Probably the least effective customer support I've ever encountered, wasting my entire day due to an inability to communicate with one another in a clear and timely manner. My guess is it has something to do with a MAC conflict or lock, which can usually be sorted out manually on the phone if they have reasonably competent tech support. This company appears to have suckered a lot of HOAs into thinking they have the best CS in Sweden, but afaict, from my own experience and from stories from friends & acquaintances, they've mostly just invested in uncommonly smarmy CS scripts.
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

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