I was diagnosed with prostate cancer (Gleason 7, for those in the know) earlier this year. I'm undergoing "robotic" surgery to remove my prostate on Monday at St Vincent's hospital in Sydney.
Obviously that's going to mean that, for a while at least, I'll be less productive on the Substack front. I'm sure you all understand why. I'll hopefully manage the podcasts with Phil, and I'll continue working as best I can while I recover, but for the next month I have to give my health priority.
I've also had a predictable SNAFU: I had hoped that my wife could join me, but since she's Thai, she needs a visa to Australia, and there's still no sign of it a month after we applied.
That means I'll be on my lonesome in the hotel I booked for our stay as I recover. I chose a hotel, rather than staying with the one Sydney-based relative who has the space to accommodate me, because her house was too far from Sydney itself, and my wife would have gone troppo due to the isolation (my sister lives in a beautiful bush setting 5km from the nearest train station, with daytime-only buses every 70 minutes, and just one shop nearby--if you don't mind a 500 metre walk).
I'll stick with the hotel booking anyway, since my sister is out of town for a couple of weeks, and if any complications arise at any point it's better to be near the hospital and in the heart of the city, rather than in a suburb which I lovingly satirise as "a northern suburb of Melbourne". So for at least the next two weeks (and possibly the next month), I'll be at the Kirketon in Darlinghurst Road, not far from William Street and Kings Cross station.
But for Covid, I'd happily encourage visits from any Sydney-based supporters who'd like to drop in and have a chat. With Covid, I'd still appreciate visitors, but of course I'd need Covid precautions taken.
That means masking, meeting outside my hotel room, or if it's possible (I check in on Sunday), opening the windows so that the air clears eventually. Given that I'll be wearing diapers, I'd prefer meeting in the hotel room if possible, but of course I don't want to therefore unintentionally accumulate virus particles in the air I'm breathing.
I've been wearing a personal HEPA filter mask ever since a nurse in an ICU ward in Florida recommended it on Twitter, and for numerous reasons I swear by it. It's 99.999% effective against 2.5 micron and above particles, the positive air pressure around the mask is a further bonus, and it's comfortable for extended periods since there's a flow of fresh, cool air into the mask at all times. It sure beats breathing your own exhaust.
I don't need visitors to buy one of these--just wear a N95 mask to cut down the odds of leaving an unwanted gift in case you have it. My mask will guarantee that I don't breathe any virus particles in while you're there: the only issue is clearing the air after you leave and I then want to take the mask off.
Thanks again for your support, all of you.
All the best wishes and prompt recovery proffesor!
That’s terrible Steve. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. You’re quite right to make your health your top priority. I’ll look forward to new stuff in the new year.