Hi ladies
I could not go to this session as i was recovering from chemo. But i am very keen to learn how to adjust and adapt after BC.
I was working full time before BC but now i could only manage to work from home sometimes. Lack of energy is the problem + many side effects
The idea of going back the ’ normal ’ me is good but a bit daunting as i am not sure if i could be me again…
Desperately need some infor on how to adjust and adapt…
Hi Avonlea,
I did a 6 weeks course on stress management organised by the Maggie Centre in Oxford. There were 10 of us, all affected by various cancers. The purpose of the course was to teach different relaxation techniques. It was great. I practice them regularly.
Like you, I worked full time before BC and part time during chemo. I never thought I would be able to get back to “norma”. And yes I am. I finished Chemo mid July (I took me two months to recover). Then it was the turn of radiotherapy in September. I now “only” have Herceptin every three weeks.
Since December I feel that I am able to achieve almost as much as I used to. I have started the business travel again.
What I find, is that I don’t get stressed as easily as I used to. There are more important things in life than a little glitch at work.
Do not rush yourself back to work. Make sure that you are up to it, fully rested and confident that you can do it.
Good luck
Sophie
Hi there all of you. I was dx on 3rd October, had a lumpectomy and WLE with 10lymph nodes removed and were all clear. I did not need any chemo thankfully but had 20 sessions of radiotherapy which ended on 23rd of December. I’m now back to work on reduced hours but every night I’m really tired out and ready for bed at 9 then in the morning cant get up. Has anyone else had this exhaution after rads? Gillian
Hi Gillian,
Remember you only finished radiotherapy one month ago. If you have any holidays left, shall I suggest you take a week off, just resting. Not catching up with the house work, the garden etc, just looking after yourself.
Take care
Sophie
I was really tired after radiotherapy and took about two weeks off. Then I went back to work on reduced hours. this lasted for six weeks until I had another week’s holiday, then I found I was OK to go back to full time work.
My rads lasted from 26 March to 19 April 2004. I went back to full time work on around 10 June.
I still occasionally go to bed at 9 pm if I feel tired but I found after a while I could run for buses, I have also done 30 mile cycle rides and I think I am much fitter than most people I work with now, so you do return to normal eventually. I have definitely eased up on pushing myself so hard though and in some ways I think I achieve more.
Mole
Hi Sophia and Mole thanks a lot fot the replying… I now have a better idea on how to plan my working hours in the next few month…
thanks and hope you are doing well
xxx
I see they have a session in Portsmouth on 20th Feb and i will definately be going to it. Anyone else going to this session?
Hi everyone
I found the best thing about the session was meeting you all and hearing your views. Afterwards I could hardly remember much of what the speaker said, but I did think there could’ve more practical advice.
Rosalie
Hi Rosalie,
I agree with you and said a little of that on the feed back form. I find ‘handouts’ quite useful as they act as a prompt afterwards and as you say more practical suggestions. but it was good to meet others.
I went to a session on stress fitness at breast cancer haven and that was so practical, quite intense. We were made to think through lots of things and write them dowm, which really crystalises where one is at. Also received printed sheets of what we had covered.
Hi rachy
Hope you can get to the one in portsmouth, as Rosalie says it was good to meet others and hear their views. Let us know how you get on if you go.
m x
Interestingly, a week on I can’t remember that much that the speaker said, but I can remember what other women said. And I’m not sure a 2 hour session is sufficient, even as a starter - there are many different reasons for each of us having problems adapting, and I think we only started to get there at the end (and mainly in the informal chat session)
I emailed BCC after to suggest that it would be good if they could build in a chat session at the end, and apparently they had others people saying the same on the feedback form. However, doesn’t mean that they will, and there can be room booking etc reasons why it isn’t feasible - so it might be worth asking at the start of the session if there would be time for this, or if anyone fancies meeting for coffee afterwards.
Lyn