Why I’m proud to be working at Vinehealth
For most people there comes a point in their late 20s when they start to reflect on their careers so far and ask themselves whether they’ve made the right decisions, whether they would have done things differently given the chance, and crucially, whether they’re heading along the path that’s right for them. I certainly found myself asking those questions in the past couple of years.
Ultimately I decided that what was most important to me was to make a positive impact on people around me, both those that I know and those that I don’t. It’s easy to say, but more difficult to act on. For me, it definitely wasn’t enough to volunteer in my spare time or donate to charity, having a positive impact needed to be central to my life.
That’s why I wanted to work at Vinehealth.
At Vinehealth I’ve found a team of people that are so passionate about making a difference that it’s difficult not to be inspired. There is an endless commitment to doing whatever we can to support cancer patients through their treatment. As a team we strive to build an app that includes the features they want, that gives them a positive experience and helps them lead a more normal life. We talk to cancer patients every day about what would make the biggest difference to them.
The value of a “normal life” cannot be underestimated. A cancer diagnosis has an enormous impact. It affects what you can and can’t do, how you’re treated and how you think. You can often become very good at reassuring those around you that you’re completely fine, that you’re a superhero who can handle anything life throws at them. In your head you’re feeling isolated, scared and feel unable to communicate with even those that are closest to you. It can all seem overwhelming and impossible to manage.
I should know. That was my experience of being a cancer patient.
One thing I wish I had all those years ago was more support. That’s not a criticism of my care team, my family, friends or anyone else that tried to help me stay positive and get through it all, but more the kind of support that would help me understand what I could do to help myself. That’s why I care so much about the Vinehealth app and what the team’s trying to achieve. If I had access to an app like Vinehealth it would be invaluable. Just being able to record how I was feeling would have helped me better communicate with my oncologist (I was definitely one of those that would say “I’m fine” in response to any question in the hope that my appointments would be over sooner rather than later). Understanding how my symptoms related to my medication would have helped me realise what’s normal and stop myself from feeling so frustrated on days when I was too tired to do anything. Having such easy access to supportive content would have helped me manage so much better.
What Vinehealth is doing would have had such a positive impact on me.
I’m proud to be part of a team that’s having that impact on people like me.
Ravi was featured in the Vinehealth’s team spotlight, you can read it here.