Has anyone got an feedback on the general views of GPs on signing people off work with secondary breast cancer? I am working full-time at present and it’s OK, but I do find I get a bit tired from time to time. Thinking ahead, my job isn’t really one you can do part time so when it all gets to be a bit much I may have to give up - but will a GP sign me off while I’m to all intents and purposes looking and feeling quite well. Is it generally enough to say that I have secondary breast cancer, get rather tired and have aches and pains from Arimidex…
I have a very good sickness insurance from work so giving up isn’t a problem financially as long as I’ve been signed off.
All comments very welcome
I am currently signed off by my GP for another 6 months. Not sure what I will be doing about work at the moment. She was amazingly supportive - it’s not just about how you feel physically, it’s the emotional rubbish too. You could go and see them and get their take on it?
If you have no joy there, I was initially signed off for 6 months by my hospital so they may be able to help you out.
Hope that helps
xK
Hi Barbara
I was dx with 2ndaries (boney mets) just 2 days after having my baby - my GP was also on Maternity Leave at the time.
When my Maternity Leave ended, I used 4 weeks of annual leave - during which time my GP was back.
I saw her and she said that no way was she going to let me go back to work!!! Although I can do the physical bit, I just dont think that I could concentrate on the mental side of things.
I have now been signed off since the end of June and am currently going through Occupational Health to be medically retired - this suits me down to the ground. Although I have been in my job for 23 years, my importances in life just do not include my job (as long as I get my pension!! I am 42 btw)
I saw my GP last week and she commented that if she didnt know better, I look so well and healthy. (From anyone else, this would really wind me up, but she is sooooooooo lovely)
I have had 2 sick notes for 2 months and have now got one for 3 months - she would’ve issued them for longer periods without any problems. (I always thought that they had rules and regulations to follow eg 2 weeks to start, then maybe a month, before they could issue longer term ones - but maybe its different with C)
Good Luck
Love Anne xx
My GPs have always been very accommodating. When I had primary breast acncer I returned to a full time job I didn’t like or want any more and decided I wanted to apply for early retirement on sickness grounds…but obviously had to be ‘off sick’ for that to happen. My GP was very helful…I was signed off with fatigue…chemotherapy related for ages.
My current GP would I think do anything I asked her…though I’m not working full time so its not an issue about work. My GP has a good balance of sense about the horrible place I’m in…but utterly realistic about how I really am on a daily basis. I feel well ‘looked after’ neither tretaed as though I’m dead, nor as though breast cancer isn’t a real problem.
I’d say take a few weeks and see how you feel before making a decision about giving up work…it was the right one for me…but I didn’t like the job!
Jane x
My GP has signed me off for another 2 months and won’t let me near the surgery - it is full of germs! I tlak to her on the phone or she calls.
I am self employed for very little money in benifits but there it is.
Hi All…Barbara would job share be an option? As you are covered by the disability act? I gave up work ( through choice) a while ago and got my pension on the grounds of my permanent illness but before this I was able to choose my hours of work etc…x
Hi Barbara
I tend to fudge the issue, I haven’t been signed off as such but have agreed with my business partners that for now I will do what hours I can, I am due to start Taxol and Avastin so will be out one day a week and have all the appointments to fit in. They are trying to get part time locum cover for me . I can take 6 months sick leave and then have a critical illness policy but really want to save it for whaen things are worse (can they get worse I tend to wonder!) . I find still working gives some structure and I would miss the people I work with. I would describe it as an uneasy truce at the moment particularly in the current financial climate! Hope you are well otherwise
Best Wishes Kathryn
yes - I am with you on the uneasy truce - thats exactly what it is for me…its really difficult isn’t it? i would miss it but maybe its all too much, on other hand I have primary responsibility etc etc,I would say one thing is - don’t worry about GP they will accomodate you unless your GP is a complete idiot, and if thats the case you can get a new one anyway!
cathy
HI Barbara,
I think you will have no problems of being signed off sick - both my GP and onc are amazed that I am back at work. Have you heard anymore regarding DLA? I think I may need to take time off if my eyesight gets any worse and this will help if I get over my full pay sick leave allowance.
It might be best to have a chat with your employer about your options to see if you can cut back hours etc without resorting to sick leave. I currently do unofficial compressed hours as I’m at hospital/getting treatment most weeks.
Kate
Hello all - thanks very much for all the input. It’s such a minefield isn’t it! It’s not urgent for me at present but I’m looking ahead. I could probably swing early retirement but because I started my pension late and my company has a really good long term sickness insurance I’m much better off being off sick than taking early retirement. also, although I could take six months here and there I know what chaos that creates for my colleagues and I just don’t want to do that to them.
I suppose my worry is that I could say iIm no longer capable of doing a job which demands 60 hours a week, total concentration, half a dozen short haul flights a week - but that doesn’t mean I can’t work if they came up with something less stressful (and less well paid).
Add to this the fact that my husband is now seriously ill and seems likely to have a prognosis worse than mine - I could probably claim stress if nothing else!
Hi Barbara,
What n interesting thread you’ve started. Lots of stimulating thoughts from everyone.
I’m gllad you’re feeling well and enjoying your job at the moment, but it’s probably a good idea to look ahead a bit and get the ‘lie of the land’ in your head, and start to plan a bit.
I am just sorry to hear your husband is so ill - is this a recent thing? What a rotten situation to be in. As if you hadn’t got enough to contend with…
Love Jacquie x
Hi Barbara,
Sorry to hear about your husband. Sending you warmest wishes.
Kate
Hi Manon
If you are in a union you might find that you could have a chat with your regional official to see what is possible. My regional official was brilliant and helped my to negotiate a solution that suited me. I am pretty sure that, under DDA, your employer has to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to your work (such as not having to travel, some working from home etc) so that you can continue in employment should you wish to. I am sure that between you, a ‘reasonable’ employer and with union help (or you may find that your home insurance policy can get you legal advice) you should come up with a compromise that suits all concerned.
Best of luck
blondie
Hello all
This is all part of the rich tapestry that cancer introduces us to! I am lucky in that my employers are very responsible and caring. They will do what they can - but they aren’t saints so I have to look after myself too. I know that my boss is ‘crafting’ me a new job which involves less travel and less stress but I suppose the crux is what exactly constitutes inability to work.
Barbara - anyone who has met you is amazed by how much you work and the stress of your job. You are an amazing woman and I didn’t know ‘your drak’ side till iread your thread so that makes you even more amazing to me.
As you know you are covered under the DDA so if you till want to work but not have all that travelling you do, your employers need to make reasonable adjustment and find you a role that suits your needs and abilities.
My last sick certificate was for 1 year so it can be done but then you have met me and know my current state of health.
You are in a difficult position and you need to think carefully what is the best option regarding your children - and yes i know they are grown up- and more importantly what you can live with emotionally long term if your hubby does worsen and dies before you. Perhaps Relate or seeing a counsellor might help get your thoughts in order.
Just a thought - you are aware that this is a public site and although you use manon, you have signed yourself as Barbara somewhere in this thread. Do you think you are identifiable from your posts?
Hope to meet up with you again soon - you are so dynamic I’m in awe of you.
Kate
Hi Barbara
I thought you were such an interesting woman when I met you and intersting women always have intersting dark sides. Agree with Kate maybe be careful on www.
And yes a Relate or other counsellor might help. What a hard situation to be in.
Jane x
Barbara
you are in a difficult position, its really complicated isn’t it ? The things that life throws at us are so ridiculous aren’t they? My own situation is very complictated but in a completely different way, A counsellor might well help you explore all your options but really I think the main thing is you need to consider your peace of mind and then to a much lesser extent your grown up children’s peace of mind…from what you have written they sound really well adjusted and lovely women who want to support you -
CathyX
Hi Barbara
We didn’t really get to talk at any length at the last meet but I was impressed by your flying in and how good you looked! I think we are probably very good at putting on an appearance when required, my work sees me in a suit, heels (beloved shoes), hair and makeup and no one realises how ill I actually am. I als think that there are huge complications often lurking behind the outwardly cheerful disposition that we present. As to complications I think certainly it’s true for me that we rarely present the darker side. I even edit what I tell the counsellor who I see at our cancer centre , abou tmy family background, not husband, as otherwise I think she might think I am trying out a script for a soap!
Seriously though the counselling has been a help and my experience with Relate in a professional capacity has been positive. Deciding to separate also doesn’t necessarily mean a battle through the courts, there is a process called collaborative law which is much more civilised.
I do hope things work out for you , we have enough to deal with and you need support and care from those close to you
Love Kathryn
Manon, sounds to me you could do with a short while off work just to have some thinking time? When I first ‘went sick’ I was signed off for a month then discussed it further with the docs and others after that.
There is a lot of stress having to deal with secondaries. I had ten years from my original primary diagnosis during which I had gradual spread and re-occurrence. During this time I worked through 2 lots of chemo, only had minimum time off for surgery. About 2 or 3 years in to that time my husband got ME, chronic fatigue. There were times when we went through ‘who is the ill one round here?’ competition, it is not easy. Fortunately he made a partial recovery though had to give up work on ill health grounds.
I got my secondaries diagnosis 18 months ago and went off sick about half way through the docetaxol chemo that followed diagnosis, to which I had severe side-effects. I found giving up work just freed up large portions of my brain! and gave me much more mental energy. I thought if I have limited time let’s concentrate on what I want to do. For me that wasn’t going to work, managing a team, meeting deadlines. It does mean the two of us are both at home now, fortunately we get on well and I have a 16 year old daughter and 2 older university returnees hanging around as well - a full house again!
Initially I was just signed off for a month, then another month, then a longer period (3 months I seem to remember)… after a while I had conversation with docs about going for ill health retirement and given the ‘terminal’ dx this seemed to be ok’d by occ health doc in a fairly routine way.
Maybe you could have a short break off sick and take it from there? Not sure you really want to have your job re-defined yet as this may not have advantages for you and if you do need to have sick leave it is a bit of a waste of time for your employer?
Anyway, best wishes, thinking of you…
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for sharing that with us, and i hope you don’t regret being so open now the wine’s worn off! What a b*stard he’s been. Can’t bear to think of you having to contend with all this at once. And his last comment! But I understand your thoughts about upsetting the status quo just at this time. It really is complicated isn’t it?
Think the others’ idea of talking it through with someone would help if it was me, but we’re all different.
Big hug coming your way…
love Jacquie