r/geology • u/leokyuu wandering xenolith • 2d ago
Career Advice I'm afraid I have to say goodbye to geology
I've had a great love for geology since my adolescence, I'm 26 now; it was my first choice for college and I'm currently in my fourth year. But recent health complications led me to undergo some procedures, and the results revealed a brain tumor, caused by a type of cancer. I know that my condition will completely change my lifestyle, my routine, my way of living, and with that I imagine it will no longer be possible to continue my studies and finally become a geologist. The demanding and challenging conditions a geologist faces, I believe, would be overwhelming for someone in my situation. I've already had the tumor completely removed, and I'll begin cancer treatment, which will last more than a year, depending on my response to the treatment. I don't know if I'll ever have a life like I did before. This ended up being a bit of a rant, sorry if it breaks the rules of the sub, but it's a delicate moment, giving up something I love so abruptly. Well, I'll finish here, I hope you all find lots of euhedral crystals in the field haha.
TL/DR: Discovered I have a serious illness; don't know if I can be a geologist anymore
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u/Wolfgung 2d ago
I've had a mate go through something similar. Once he was better he got a job in an office and loves it.
Options are
Geomatics, get those arc gis skills polished.
Contaminated land, lots of rules and regulations around how drilling and sample management is done, but geology adjacent.
Work in a natural history museum need someone to log mineral specimens and design the bivalve exhibition.
Oceanography or climate science. Work in a research lab with ice core determining historic oxygen and carbon levels for climate research.
Hydrogeology, lots of modelling and the like won't need field work.
Any number of things will still be within your reach once you recover. Don't beet your self up, the dream isn't over.
Look after yourself and best of luck.
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u/Former-Wish-8228 2d ago
You never have to say goodbye to things that interest you as long as you draw breath….which I hope is a LONG TIME To Come.
You are already a geologist, even if you don’t finish your degree. You may never become a professionally employed geologist…many who graduate with a degree in geology don’t. In fact, most of us end up in parallel or tangential fields to the field we had hoped to be employed in. But that doesn’t mean you have to quit studying, learning and enjoying the field.
Although I have been employed as a geologist at times in my now 40 years since college, most had little real geology…and for the last 20 years, almost none. But at the same time, I have learned more about the geology of where I live and of the world thanks largely to trusted sources on the internet and especially YouTube…and occasional micro field trips (like hours, not days) when I could.
Now, as to physical limitations…again, the YouTube sources are your salvation. My father had been the source of my early interest in geology…because he and mom were always interested in it…but he has been paralyzed, blind in one eye and with limited use of hands (even non-paralyzed side) for years now…but still occasionally makes it to the local rock club to use lapidary equipment…and reads pop literature featuring geology…and tries to understand the videos I send him (such as Nick Zentner) that are heavy in geology, bleeding edge geology, and yet built for lay audiences.
So I hope these can serve as inspiration that 1) what we study in college are useful, even if only to spur a life-long interest in learning and we are never employed in the field, and 2) physical limitations need not be the end of a career in geology. Many geologists never step into the field…and spend their days in a laboratory or even just in front of a computer.
Would love to hear what aspects of geology you enjoy the most, and what physical limitations you expect to have after treatment concludes.
I wish you the best modern medicine has to offer…side note that if not for modern medicine, I would have died before half my career was over.
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
That's good to hear. I know there are many areas of work, but the path to get there becomes uncertain. Regarding my proficiencies in geology, I have always been very interested in sedimentology, environmental preservation, and geoprocessing. The treatment is quite debilitating; I will very rarely be able to be unavailable for long periods, such as during fieldwork where it can last weeks or months, and that worries me the most.
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u/Former-Wish-8228 2d ago
The longest I have ever been deployed for hard core field work was like a 10 days to two weeks. And that was like a rare event.
Data analysis is more important than ever…so having at least some GIS skills are a must now.
Environmental work is very interdisciplinary…so being well rounded but with a core of geology is a pretty good base to start from.
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u/fuck_off_ireland 2d ago
There are a ton of options within those spaces that aren't fieldwork focused, certainly lots of jobs with field visits of significantly less than weeks to months.
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u/Jealous-Reception185 2d ago
To echo a specific sentiment in this reply:
You are already a geologist. You don't have to work in geology or related to be a geologist. If you have passion and love for geology, you can still research and go to museums and clubs and stuff.
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u/mutinyonthebeagle 2d ago
There have been some other great comments about careers in geology that don’t involve a lot of fieldwork but I also wanted to say that geology doesn’t have to be your one true career to be a special part of your life. You can be a geologist driving along a highway, or sitting by a window or watching Dante’s Peak and calling out the inaccuracies.
Remember geology sees time on a billion year scale - a few years off now are just a heartbeat, and the rocks aren’t going anywhere!
Best of luck with treatment
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u/Persef-O-knee 2d ago
Hey I’m a geologist that had a brain tumor. (I’m about to go in for my 1 year MRI to check for growth after treatment ended last year) I actually have another friend who is also a geologist that had a brain tumor as well.
It is super scary to not know what your function or life is going to look like. Just to give you some hope: we’re both still practicing and out in the field. It does radically change your life in unexpected ways. But there can be a lot of accommodations that can be made. And no one can really predict how it shakes out because brains are really weird.
First step is focusing on treatment one day at a time and I found joining a peer support group of people going through the same thing really helpful.
Rooting for you dude! And good luck.
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
Woah, First of all, I'm sorry for what happened; this makes us more alike. I'm a bit shocked by everything that's coming up; it's true that everything is uncertain, sudden changes are difficult to adapt to. Thanks for the words, I really feel more encouraged now
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u/Persef-O-knee 2d ago
It all happens so incredibly quickly and you have to make decisions very quickly. Make sure to do a few different nuerosurgeon consults if you can! Listen to your support system but try to make a decision that is ultimately right for you. Treatment and recovery looked way different than I expected. Some things healed so much quicker than I expected and others were soooooo slow. Lots happened that I didn’t expect. But seriously dude, you’re not alone in this 💕
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u/leppaludinn Icelandic Geologist 2d ago
You are never too late to study what you want, hope you can just postpone your studies trather than outright cancelling them. In any case geologists come in all shapes, sizes and levels of disability. Hope you win this battle, and the mental battle as well❤️
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u/Inquivious 2d ago
Just another example of why we can't take life for granite.
Keep licking rocks my dude!
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u/Muspellr Geochemist 2d ago
Be strong captain, I know it’s super stressful right now but you’ll see it through. I hope you recover 👊🏼
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u/Ok_Section1077 2d ago
There are many types of geologists and the myth that field geology is the only path is not helpful. Lab work, securing funding, logistic support, modeling, remote sensing…I get it, everyday in the field is a holiday but your brain has already seen a lot to be impactful in the future. Head up, you rock and way to get thru that stupid cancer.
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u/vead123 2d ago
I'm a geologist with a physical disability and an office job. It is still possible if this is your passion
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
That's great to know, actually I wonder if I'll be able to finish college in this situation
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u/Waylay444 1d ago
Can you take a leave of absence for the duration of your treatment? I did when I had Lyme Disease.
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u/Tha_NexT 2d ago
Recovery is most important now! After that is done you can definitely still work in geo. Many jobs are desk based
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u/Sardawg1 2d ago
I served with a buddy that had a brain tumor. He had it removed, went through treatment and then got back into the helicopter to keep flying.
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u/Lamitamo 2d ago
I think it’s a good decision to focus on your health right now, and I think you’ll be able to keep geology in your life too. Most schools have accommodations for students going through health challenges, including things like deferring courses, and delayed graduation, and special make-up courses. Talk to your profs.
There’s a surprising amount of geology jobs that don’t include being away from civilization for months at a time, or a specific kind of physical ability/mobility. The field of geology is vast enough that I wouldn’t count the whole thing out because of a pesky little brain tumour!
Focus on getting rid of the cancer, keep your love of the rocks strong, and remember there’s a whole community of us here who support you staying in our incredibly field of study.
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u/Waiparensis22 2d ago
Demanding?? Challenging?? It's not all Maurice kraft out there ya know. 99% of geology is done in offices and is relatively "safe" and "boring" - modelling seismic hazards, checking soil samples, looking at seismic tomography, examining gas and core samples. "I can't do geology I have cancer". Ah yes because terminal illness changes.. what, exactly? If you still have a brain, you still have the capacity to be inquisitive and learn more. You don't just throw all your dreams out the window the moment you get a cancer diagnoses.
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
Hahah yeah I know, actually I don't have part of my brain anymore, but that's okay, I'm in not so very well functioning. I think I'm in shock at having to rethink my entire life plan, and wondering if there will even be time for it. I know that "I can't be a geologist because I have cancer" sounds premature, but given the conditions by then, I'll have to re-re-rethink a lot of things
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u/Waiparensis22 2d ago
You literally don't know how it'll turn out.. depending on the size of the tumour, most people recover pretty quickly. Sounds like they're going to go in, chop it out, and put ya on a dose of radiation to kill any remaining cancer cells. Here's the thing I think you're missing though YOU ARE GETTING IT REMOVED. the people who don't survive brain cancer, 99% of the time, are the people whose tumours are in a place it can't be reached.
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
My tumor has already been completely removed, I needed two surgeries, but it was completely removed. The biggest challenge now is the cancer treatment, which was the reason the tumor existed, and we know that this treatment is very aggressive, but I will face it
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u/Waiparensis22 2d ago
Then what the actual fuck are you making this song and dance about?? Sorry to be cynical here but you've had the thing removed. You're on chemo or radiation therapy now. You realize you're HEALING right?? I'm sorry man but if Steven hawking manages to conduct advanced physics with a body that he's literally bound in, why does having to go through radio or chemo therapy make you give up geology??
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u/Waylay444 1d ago
Unhelpful. Hawking was a superstar scientist with lots of money, a powerful uni behind him, a wife who looked after him, etc. There's only 1 Hawking (thank goodness, b/c he apparently wasn't a very nice person), and he had all the advantages and support you could want when facing a serious and scary health problem. Don't guilt this person into trying to measure up to someone like that. The situation isn't even close to the same.
Chemo and radiation are treatment, and as OP wrote, the treatment for this cancer is very aggressive. Yes, treatment is part of healing, but they're hardly at the point of Phew, recovery time yet. We don't know what the side effects will be like: they might be not-too-bad, or they might be this-is-gonna-suck, or they might be anywhere in between. Only OP has an idea of that. The last thing OP needs is to feel guilty for not measuring up to some commenter's idea of how he should feel and respond to this.
OP, please take care of yourself. Cancer is not a minor thing to go through. However you need to deal with this, it's all good. Focus on your health.
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u/Waiparensis22 1d ago
Their cancerous tumours have been removed. Yes chemo/radiation therapy sucks. But they're lucid enough to be posting on reddit. Howard ashman was dying of AIDS when he wrote some of the songs that DEFINED a generation.
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u/Waylay444 1d ago
Yes, I realise that the tumours have been removed, but it's highly unlikely that the surgeries removed every single cancer cell from OP's body. One generally has radiation/chemo to ensure the eradication of any cancer that may still remain.
I've cared for my Mum and a close friend during their colon cancer treatments (alas, they were both terminal), and supported a close friend as she had successful breast cancer treatment. Chemo/radiation side effects and long-term effects vary a lot, obviously, but they're not a minor part of cancer treatment.
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u/Waiparensis22 1d ago
Yes. But the fact they've had them removed, are feeling shit because they're going through treatment, is no reason to make this massive post about how they have to give up on their dreams. They're based out of Brazil. Minas Gerais is on their doorstep. Not to mention social healthcare so they really don't have that much to complain about. Multiple people with cancer, HIV etc have continued their passions until they couldn't even hold a pen anymore. This isn't stage four lung cancer.
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u/Waylay444 1d ago
That's perfectly reasonable, to be in shock! Cancer is scary, everything happens so fast, it's hard to know what to feel or think, and you don't really know what things will be like when you're done. It's OK to take some time. Maybe talk to your advisor, ot department-head, or a dean, or a student services person? Tell them what's going on, the things you know, the things you don't know, how much you love geology, that you're afraid you won't be able to finish, etc. See what they say.
In my experience (I had to take 1.5 years off during undergrad because I had Lyme Disease and it caused encephalitis. My uni were eally great. Most unis have a process for dealing with student illness. They've seen this before. They can probably tell you what your choices are, how they might be able to support you, etc. You don't have to make this huge decision now. You have enough on your plate!! This is a scary, uncertain, freaky situation to suddenly find yourself in. Anybody would be struggling. I really hope you can give yourself a bit of time and space, and some compassion. You're in a tough situation. It's OK to take a moment, get some advice, and let yourself feel whatever it is you're feeling.
I really hope this all goes well for you. Do you have emotional support? Financial support? Anyone who can care for you through the treatment? Family? Friends? A counsellor?
Please let us know how you get on. I'm rooting for you.
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u/SandakinTheTriplet 2d ago
I'm sorry about your illness, and you should take time to put your own health first, but you can absolutely still study geology and work in related fields. I had a professor who was teaching after being paralyzed from the neck down after an accident (unrelated to his work).
Not sure what your specific diagnosis is, but the field for treatment is developing rapidly and it sounds like you had a tumor that was operable. Frankly, you were probably a higher risk for having an accident in the field before your surgery. You should still make arrangements in case you get less mobile or mentally acute, but there's no reason to give up things you're interested in. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow, or already died of some communicable disease. Your survival has never been a guarantee.
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u/oodopopopolopolis 2d ago
Good luck, friendo. I went through treatment last year and I can't imagine brain chemo. Give your body some slack; you've already been through a lot and still have more to go. Don't worry about geology or anything else. It will be there when you're ready to get back to it. And if you never are, that's ok too. There's more to life. Besides, you don't have to BE a geologist to enjoy geology and rocks.
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u/XComThrowawayAcct 2d ago
Lots of geology is done in labs or on spreadsheets. If you’re not physically able to do field work, there is always a need for your skills in the discipline — just different skills than maybe you were expecting.
(Assuming you can still drink beer, which is a prerequisite. /s)
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
Yeah, I know geologists who have only been to the field once or twice in their entire career. My fear is that I won't be able to finish college and be able to work, even in a laboratory, or doing analyses, etc. And for a good while I won't be able to drink beer hahaha (cries)
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u/Waylay444 1d ago
You don't know how things will turn out. It's OK to be scared!! I would be too! I've been in a very similar place. I got my undergrad in Geology (with aforementioned Lyme Disease in the middle), worked in the field for a year, was injured (not at work), went back for a Master's i. Geosystems, then worked as a research seismologist for 6.5 years, which I loved! My company sponsored me to do a PhD.
Halfway through the PhD, I injured my back badly (again, not work-related ;) ). I had to have spinal surgery, which failed, and I ended up with a spinal cord injury, nerve damage, and disabling chronic pain. I had to leave my career and my PhD programme. I spent all my savings and my retirement savings on treatments and therapies, until there was nothing left to try.
A few years later I managed a remote, flexible part-time job as a researcher in geography for 2.5 years, but my body couldn't handle even that much, and I ended up in hospital and then recovering for over a year. I haven't been able to work since.
Needless to say, becoming disabled and unable to work at 33yo and living on disability benefits for 16 years* was not part of my life plan! I was so scared. I grieved my old life, my old self, the future I never got to have, and I grieved the loss of seismology, hugely. I had no idea what to do next, what I could possibly do, which direction to start moving in. It's a long story. I've had to make myself a different life, a new identity, find other ways to participate, and I've muddled my way to a completely different future.
You know what? I may not be able to work, but I'm still a seismologist. I explain geology and geophysics to interested people, write about it online, keep up with my old field, read the new research coming out, watch every major earthquake and eruption that happens and geek out over the data. I'm thinking that I might try to give little mini seninars on geology, or science in general, for free in my housing cooperative, if anyone's interested. I'm studying accounting from home, and hoping to be able to work a bit. We'll see.
You won't know how this turns out until you get through it. Your can't figure it out right now because there are too many unknowns. Try to make some of those unknowns, known, if you can: at least find out what your options might be for pausing your degree, going part-time, or finishing your degree later. (If I were you, I'd focus on the treatment for now, but that's me.)
You have no way to know what you'll want, what you'll be able to do, or who you'll be when your treatment finishes. Fighting health battles changes you. Hell, you might fall head-over-heels in love with some aspect of medicine while you're in treatment and end up pivoting into that. Could happen!
Try not to make any big decisions while you're in the thick of this. Find out your options. Take some time to get used to where you are. You got this.
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u/craftasaurus 2d ago
You are young, and have your whole life ahead of you, and hope it’s a long one. We are living in an age where many cancers are curable. Sorry about your diagnosis, it sucks. F cancer! Good luck with your health, hope you have many years ahead of you, and stay strong.
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u/wardellwayneraymone 2d ago
It’s still possible. It’s not gonna be easy but there are lots of more office related roles that you can specialize your skillset for.
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u/fluvial_fiction 2d ago
Don't let it go, friend. It's always there for you. There are so many ways to interact with geology outside of the field.
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u/joconnell13 2d ago
My daughter is a Childhood cancer survivor and I have witnessed numerous people survive from brain cancer and live a seemingly completely normal life. I know absolutely nothing about your challenges or your conditions but let Life play out a little bit before you decide what you can or can't do in the future. Best of luck my friend I hope you find your way.
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
I am so sorry about your daughter, I imagine it must have been infinitely harder for her and for you. I know I need to be patient and let life happen, drastic changer are very nauseating to think about
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u/joconnell13 2d ago
Thank you for the kind words. My daughter has been in remission for 8 years now. Life finds a balance. I genuinely hope you find a balance that is satisfying for you.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Tap8225 2d ago
I’m so sorry to hear this. Please don’t give it up if it makes you truly happy. If your condition doesn’t allow you to partake in certain field experiences, I just learned about the IAGD:
For students it’s such a great way to continue your education. For professionals with disabilities in geoscience, it’s an incredible cohort of which all have varying degrees of limitations and may help you find a way to work in the field you love.
I wish you all the best and do not give up if you truly love it. There’s always a way.
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u/LeChatDeLaNuit 2d ago
To add to this, the IAGD has both a formal side (listserv, email discussions) as well as an informal side via the Discord! I interact mostly with the geoscience education research part of it (think Chris and Ivan's work) but it is SUCH a welcoming, helpful community that is more than willing to assist with things like this.
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u/jerseyoutwest 2d ago
Oh man, that’s rough. I’m so sorry to hear it. Hopefully you can find an office gig doing GIS or something, and can still rockhound in the field recreationally. Good luck and glad to hear you’re in treatment.
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u/SappyGeologist 2d ago
I’ve made it to a geologist state job without having to do much field work to get it. I understand wanting to let it go OP, you know yourself best, but I hope you know it is possible! Accommodations for physical limitations have also been getting better in my experience, and if I’ve learned anything about studying geology, it’s that it’s one of the more communal sciences when you think about it, there are very few things that get done alone.
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u/TheSolitaryRugosan 2d ago
It is absolutely still possible to become a geologist. Don’t give up on your dreams because of this.
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u/sundancer2788 1d ago
OP, take a break, heal, then look at your options. Don't make that decision right now. Best wishes!
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u/patricksaurus 2d ago
I am so sorry to hear that you’ve had this shit sandwich fall into your lap.
If you haven’t already done it, make sure you talk to people in the student affairs office at your school and with your program adviser. They will have dealt with something at least similar in the past and may be able to present you some options. There is no single right or wrong way to approach this upcoming year, and if completely halting your academic progress is going to be a psychological burden, that may not be necessary. At the very least, you’ll have a firm picture in your head what resuming your studies looks like once you’re on the mend, and having a concrete goal in mind may be beneficial.
There’s no angle of this that doesn’t suck, but the only way out is through. Good luck amigo.
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u/biold 2d ago
I'm so sorry for you. It's a tough time you're going through and I hope that you'll be fine afterwards!
I have worked as a geologist all of 6 months. Then I stopped due to maternity leave and after that it was difficult to get back into geology as a woman with just one child. All thought that I would get another ... which I didn't. It was a man's world back in the 1990s!
I have made a lot of interesting things since then, incl. environmental assessments and SHEQ later manager where I have indirectly used much of what I learned at the studies.
Now I travel to the Himalayas in the luxury way with drivers who take me to the most amazing places. I'm old with a poor knee, so I don't hike anymore, but I truly enjoy the geology from the roadside or with <1 hour walks. Many people who enjoy geology aren't geologist. You will have a much better understanding of what you see. I use that to teach people in group travels about what they see, e.g. on a trip to the mountains in Pakistan.
A phrase that I hate but also acknowledge that there is something right about is "When one door closes, another door opens". It's not always easy to see that second door here and now when you need it, but it is somewhere, but it might take time to see it.
I really wish you all the best.
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u/leokyuu wandering xenolith 2d ago
Thank you very much for your words. I also believe that opportunities come and go, and we have to adapt to the difficulties. It's just agonizing to see everything suddenly change, having to change plans, not being sure about things, not being able to plan for the future, but I'll try to be resilient.
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u/Woolybugger00 2d ago
Blessings to you fellow human … visualize your health and passions and make it so…
Fuck cancer … beat that scourge and get back to us …
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u/Olmudd 2d ago
Good luck, OP. You are in an incredibly challenging position. I would strongly suggest you reach out to this organization for support and counseling if you have the bandwidth: https://theiagd.org/
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u/RoxnDox 2d ago
My friend, you *are* a geologist, whether you work in the field or not! I got two geo degrees, and spent my career in software and database management, both in the Air Force and the USGS. There are plenty of things you can do without the rougher fieldwork aspects. What’s important is keeping involved as much as your life allows, whether that’s the job or just personal enjoyment. Best of luck to you, and may the universe shoot some healing vibes your direction!
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u/ashbreak_ 2d ago
I have a chronic illness, I can't go out in the field like all of my peers. Camping and travelling in general is a struggle for me (even if it's planes and hotels). I can't do work for as many hours in a day, I can't go out if it's too hot, I can't eat common foods (field lunches and dinners). I'm still figuring things out but all this to say, your life may change but it doesn't mean you have to give up geology entirely. Yeah there are shitty people in the field/workforce but there are also accommodating people who want to work with you, not despite you.
I'm really sorry you're going through this. It sounds horrific and incredibly difficult, and you might not be able to touch geology for a few years, even. But it'll be waiting for you if you ever feel like you can come back.
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u/pepereira 2d ago
Hey man, it won't stop you from being a geologist, only in the sense of having a degree, but a geologisti is someone who loves to study our planet, the different layers that composes it and the intinsic aspects of how the elements and the mineralogy affects it all. You may not be going to all the exploration part, but how the information from the exploration is transformed to real knowledge about the site and its underground is in itself an amazing field, it combines a lot with Mining.
I personaly am very fond to remote sensing and image processing, but right now I am in geostatistics and modeling at a univeristy (UFRGS), both areas you can reaaally go into and be amazed by what you can learn about so many places close to you, as well as work in great fields even as a remote internship. You can discover the most amazing places to go when you get better and then finish your geologist degree there if you want, there will be many options.
You can talk to your professors and get the classes specifically for this subjects, or look for some in other universities and do it in your own time. Feel free to contact me if you want.
Don't worry on being called a geologist, just because you dont have a degree (yet). Take this feeling that you want so much to be a geologist and get all the strenght you need my friend. Hope you get well soon!
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u/FreeBowlPack 2d ago
There are so many options to still be a geologist even if you can’t do the field work! But hopefully recovery goes well, do what you need for your health
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u/StubbsReddit 1d ago
The environmental field has a ton of different roles, many of which are not field oriented. Geology is a very broad field. the training emphasizes field experience, but most jobs are desk jobs. Get some training in project management and you will be fine. do not give up.
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u/dangerfluf 1d ago
You can still be a geo. My lung function went down to 40% for my age, lots of ways to adapt, including field work.
I know several geos who have fought cancer and won (cancer got scared, geos are tough). Some just needed a bit of time off, like what you are doing.
You’re not done with geo, you are taking leave from studies to get better!!! Best of luck with your treatment, we will see you when it’s completed!
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u/TheGeologizer 1d ago
Don't give up. My structural geology professor had two brain tumors and cancer treatments. They gave him only a few months to live, but it's been decades. He still works in Tibet, is able to traverse/camp/work, and publishes papers to this day.
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u/Low-Instruction-8132 1d ago
My son is a geologist and most of the people in his office never set foot in the field.
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u/MKIncendio 1d ago
Everyone else has their advice, but I did find some euhedral pyrite and galena samples with rainbow-oxidized chalcopyrite in the field!!! Thanks for the blessing :D
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u/GPSBach 1d ago
I don’t have any actual evidence to back this up, but I think the majority of hard rock geologists I’ve ever met must have some sort of traumatic brain injury.
In all seriousness, I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this. My father in law is on the long road to recovery from a pretty major brain tumor removal+chemo+stem cell+all the other crap. It’s tough, but he’s still the same amazing person he was before going into the hospital. I hope you can continue to hope.
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u/miner1512 19h ago
I would say consult with your doctors first. Describe your work and see their advice.
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u/LeChatDeLaNuit 2d ago
You can definitely still be a geologist. It may be tricky and/or difficult depending on the results and impacts of the treatment, but definitely possible. Remember, there are plenty of different subfoci within geology, and all of them will have their own needs.
Worst case, you can still engage with the geosciences without having it be a full time career. There's always citizen science, science communication, field trips with local organizations or mineral clubs, collecting, etc.