Day 8 - Death at the start and dark revelation to end it.

The day began with death and ended with a dark revelation.

Well I arose, slightly earlier so had time to chat with Hannah here.  However I dozed on so up later at 7.31, time for a shower before departing, shows how important a shower can be.

Now things took a different turn, I checked echo for train times, to find out all cancelled.  This mystery led me to call taxi as no way could be in later when we were getting inspected.

Then race to work, on taxi pricey and chat to driver.  Here I discovered reason for the train cancellation, someone had been hit by a train, very sad.

Now arrived in the laboratory and today I was on the microtomy, so I was the person who the UKAS team spoke with about it.  I got the usual quizzing about the processes involved here.

Later on more work on sorting out everything here.

Afterwards I departed on my journey home.  Here I listened to simon sinek talk as got back home after collected stuff morrisons.

After got home, I got sorted while we awaited vikky visit.

Then vikky arrived and discovered that my best friend had gone into rehab after near overdose, totally horrified here but work to comfort and see what can do to help.

After that I went bed and did work to sort out journal etc here,

Experiments and things I learnt

• Sleep improved but need motivator in morning here - Set target get up at alarm
• Learn importance of not complaining as people can have things much worse
• Importance of calmness in face of interrogation here
• Discovery of horror of addiction more important than ever to overcome my own dark urges

Day 7 The penultimate day, calm before the lab storm or just a storm in the teacup.

Day 7, bit of a scramble to get up and prepare for the final countdown for tomorrow.

Struggling to arise as tiredness, so going to take time to adjust body to wake earlier.  Then did the usual washing etc before departing at 7.30.

Then I head off then on train to work - listening to Top of the world by imagine dragons which put me in good mood here.

In work - Laboratory busy as needed to get work done in time for UKAS visit tomorrow.  Also suprise Renal biopsy to do today, so went along to the ward and organised with the pathologist who was on holiday about what to do with it.

Now got myself prepared to embed tissue - where put tissue into wax, sounds strange but it need this before it can be cut later on.

Later on, went to go and motivate self with tony robbins and using fingers together to resist.

After that went to go and cut for a while, blocks chopped away before finishing up by helping with clearing up for tomorrow UKAS visit.

Then train listening to tony robbins video here before walked home.

Home went to chat hannah who was rather quiet before sorting through all plans

Experiments and things I learnt

• Sleep early = going to take time to get the up early but working on it
• Using motivation video to replace chocolate, along with holding fingers together which worked good trick for other areas
• Well organised for the unexpected here as renal appeared but got it done fine
• Plan organising working well but just need to systemise it now
• Pizza a bit of a waste of money more a freedom link to explore here

Day 6 - Break then back into it.

Well Day 6, keep on the good work

Bit  late up as  I woke up 7.30...., not a great start with only 20 mins to leave so a bit of a rush here.  However I made it somehow.

Now walked along and got train then chilled here listening to a bit of Jet pack blues from fallout boy bit of a downer mood here still.

Afterwards in work, then got sorted moved to embedding as nobody available.  Then went to work on that before break at 10.  After chillout break, got self motivated while reading ramit sethi - I will teach you to be rich, felt better and ideas to improve self

So then got back before fire lecture, not fun but done now.  Then back for lunch after chat with Lynn P and Joe here.

Then had lunch, as a change permission to feast on chocolate for today only.  After this went to work on evernote and got some good ideas here as well as keeping motivation going and ideas about hannah flowers.

Finally on front bench, where did another assessment as UKAS date closing in, all done though. 

After finish went to head on back, rain battering down but managed to read up some ramit sethi before listening to a video of his as walked on back.

I also sent hannah message about surprise happening soon, as went to morrisons and got flowers, sweets etc here.

Once back, discovered Hannah not back yet.  Then did some sorting and changed then showered.  Afterwards I went to go and sort Msc stuff before going to work on the website here.  Then Hannah arrived home, chat before vanished to the gym.

Gym did workout felt stronger here as well which was nice.

Home, decided after ate dinner Hannah made to go be nice to her and bed same time.

Here did work on website - Auramine Rhodamine on www.histologicaltechniques.com


Experiments and things I learnt

Sleep Plan a keystone one, once get it right will be major results

Work - Better using Motivational sites to get self in right place

Being nice helps with Hannah, so will see how can change life doing this here

Gym - Keep at it = Keystone if keep it up successfully

Bed early - Working out fine here, just need to integrate it into life fine and that will be me

Day 5 - Dark mood but some light in the experiment day fight

Abstract

Well Day 5, better late than never.

Here had an early wake up to go get Hannah trip to Edinbrugh for big Temple spa work meeting she had.  Bit of silly argument here but got her there fine.

Then back, chill watching tv - Netflix - The Ozarks, still feeling really down here and not myself - Stress is getting to me here and mood not itself.   Then got sorted before departing for glasgow.

Drove to station then train and meditation music to get out mood.

Then in Glasgow - Here met up pub chat for a while here, bit of socialising after overcame dark mood.  Then departed later on after a bit of fun chat.

Train back home then a good sleep afterwards all needed.

Experiments and things I learnt

Arguments very bad for me in general = Evade if possible

Depression can be triggered by anything whether bad day, ominous future cloud or silly argument just need to find way around them

Fun with friends provided brief respite at least

Day 4 - Lab party and strange situation

Today Day 4 all is well for now.

An improvement in my struggle...., I awoke at 7.17, improved so had time to get shower and all the rest of things needed done today, just need to keep at it to awake at 6.50.  Also noticed dreaming which I had not been doing for quite some time from what I recall.  After this I used new facegel which felt nice before going to depart for work.

Now walked along listening to entertaining TED talk on failure and what can learn.

Now I got train then chilled here listening to a bit of Killers, put me in the right mood here.

Afterwards in work, then got sorted more quality checking and helping Lynn who had injured arm here too.

Then we had a leaving speech and meal as a secretery who been with us for years, Margaret was retiring now.

Later on got Joe organised to sort out the staining machine here before heading off home.

Then on way back, speaking with Sarah Mucktar, suprise but nice that someone wanting to talk to you on train.

Then the usual walk back, listening to Ramit sethi social skill talk here, stopped at morrisons where got a few things after a mixup at the end but all sorted out.

Home then in and changed to chill as Hannah left to do a Temple spa party.  Decided to chill and had pizza while watching Netflix series The ozarks 

Experiments and things I learnt

Sleep battle is being won slowly but surely

Found time for TED talk on failiure overcoming, rather interesting in timing

Developed empathy at work with my social skills here with Lynn arm etc

Unexpected social connections develop, learning to take advantage of oppertunities

Unexpected situation at morrisons got me thinking about how I should change life

Finding ways to recover from shocks important and will need plan for that in future

Day 3 - Made it past and now enjoying the food

Today Day 3 still going strong.

Bit of a disaster after an early night 11ish, I woke up 7.40...., not a great start with only 10 mins to leave so a bit of a rush here.  However I made it somehow.

Now walked along and got train then chilled here listening to a bit of kodaline brand new day, put me in a nice relaxed mood here.

Afterwards in work, then got sorted more quality checking with a few mysteries to get sorted out as well.  Then I took over the Renal biopsy watch - This involves assisting renal biopsy tissue in ward operations.

So after I got the call I departed downstairs and did 2x renal biopsies.  Here I organised microscope as well as got prepared then 1st person a guy got done ok, after all set up.  Then 2nd lady bit tougher as needed more samples taken but got her done too 3rd time lucky.

Then up and got it all sorted out and frozen.  Then later on went to go and QC as well as competency work getting prepared for UKAS.

After finish went to head on back, listening top 10 tony robbins - ideas about discipline and retooling self to succeed.

Once back, discovered Hannah dozing in bed after a busy day in school.  I went to go and shower after that changed.  Then downstairs, here organised self and got prepared for tonight.

Then left nice trip to the city centre for Hannah birthday meal for last week.  The restraunt was a nice steakhouse - Miller and Carter which did some nice food that she liked.  Then we chatted before we headed on back again.

Back here got organised for next day, after a quick family call to mum and dad to see how they were getting on.

Experiments and things I learnt

Sleep organisation tougher than thought as still near sleep in today

Music can be inspirational, especially in the morning

Importance of work, sometimes I forget how important it is, until see patients getting operated on and work done thanks to what I did right

Tony robbins videos - inspiration been beneficial here

Exercise is actually something good to get me motivated and just need to get it planned in advance

Pay more attention = Hannah hates nights out on school nights as she is teaching next day, figure way around this important

Day 2 - The experimental adventure continues

Well back again for day 2.  Here had a mishap last night, ended up watching power on netflix when ended up dozing off till 5.45am - Not good.  Escape to bed but know wife will not be happy falling asleep downstairs.

So a rushed start as tired so up later at 7.35, missing time for a shower before departing, shows how important a shower can be.

Then race to work, day improved slightly as on the train got my tunes out and got pumped up with some fall out boy = Champions here which helped.

Now arrived in the laboratory and today I was on the Quality Checking bench, so I am like the teacher marking the good or bad quality of the tissue and see if diagnosis is possible here.

Later on at lunch time used willpower trick of pushing thumb against finger to help resist temptation to get chocolate in shop.

After my triumphant return the laboratory was deserted as the preparations begin for the UKAS visit in two weeks time.

Afterwards I departed on my journey home.  Here I used Tony Robbins talk on youtube to inspire discipline and overcame urge to buy chocolate here.

After got home, I faced the fire of unhappy wife about my sleeping downstairs.  Future going to have to fix that, better planning is required here.

After that I had a quick tea before going to organise self for the gym - trying to keep up fitness and strength here to improve self which has been a good motivator.

Then got self to the gym and went to go do workout and felt better after doing so.

Then headed on home, cheered up wife by backrubs, always does the trick this.  

After that I went to do research for project getting my gleason scoring sorted and prepared for tomorrrow to try and grade the prostate cancers.

Experiments and things I learnt

• Need to organise my sleep = Seems easy but just need to organise self and do it
• Poor sleep affects everything - Keystone problem here to fix (Keystone = Animal in zoology that has effects disproportionate to its actual role eg Beavers, Elephants etc)
• Power of music can get mood back on track, will be remembering just how good the right song can be
• Use seeming minor tricks like push finger against thumb to overcome urges to do daft stuff, amazingly it works
• Will be planning more ahead to avoid issues eg being daft and late to bed, using motivation videos to prevent self buying junk food
• Exercise is actually something good to get me motivated and just need to get it planned in advance
• Not same for everyone but a minor thing can have massive results eg giving my wife a backrub keeps her happy and brings us closer
• Notice how taking on a challenge eg complete masters = Learning new knowledge see where this leads but giving me some good ideas eg website etc for it

Day 1 - The adventure and premiere to my scientific Life

Abstract
Journey to work involves the usual 7.30 scramble way too late up so skipping shaving or showering not ideal.

Then I head off, listening to interesting TED talk - Covering the seeming tragedy of children foraging for scrap metal in rubbish dumps and how this is actually a entrepreneurial activity.  Inspiring myself to think of way to improve my own life = Including turning my journal into a blog to hopefully inspire others or at least myself so I count 1 as a success so far.

Later I doze on train to work - trying meditation to chill self, still bit downer over marriage being a bit stale and exam work stress but have now inspiration to fix this in future now calmer and more focused going to change attitude to this in future.

In work - Laboratory for those intrigued, It has the usual challenges of being deserted but I got in.
Here had a seeming disaster, doing work on Masters project for Prostate cancer antibody testing and slides I put on automated stainer appeared to have failed totally, not grand start to the day.   However I discovered that the Haematoxylin stain on slides was overdone, but the ICC (Immunocytochemistry, for those interested) was fine.  A little jiggery pokery by myself and I got it sorted out and voila = Success got the staining sorted and it worked, no repeating 28 slides cutting tissue or anything else = sparkle added to my day.

Also with the Laboratory being assessed in 2 weeks, everyone in panic and I myself got competancy assessment for special staining techniques, all 25+ at least of them.  All of which were successful from Alcian blue to Ziehl nielson.

Later on after a busy day, I departed home and fed myself chocolate for energy, always a weakness for Giant chocolate buttons, which I enjoy, although I have reduced it to on occasion now.

Home then oppertunity to use the gym with my wife Hannah, although she did a alternative gym of facial with massage, while I used this to do first taught gym class on Cx works - 30mins of stomach and hip/leg work tiring but good.

Then later on after homeward bound, I organised journal and decided to inspire others with my daily experimental rumblings, I am a scientist after all.  Hope all enjoy this and many more to come.

Experiments and things I learnt

• Sleep early = Up early (Amazing I know, the miracles you find here)
• Don't let preconceptions eg children on rubbish dumps tragedy, dominate thinking, be open to new ideas and let it inspire yourself
• Confront problems and use them to inspire to fix, not moan and bring self down
• Use obstacles eg seeming experimental disaster to gain new insight eg found new way to resolve this disaster for future
• Take advantage of unexpected oppertunities, wife facial trip = used to get self to gym and workout while spent brief but more time with her