Hi i had a lumpetomy for two areas of intermediate DCIS last thursday and im unsure when to return to work as i keep getting waves of anxiety worrying about my results day. Is one week to return too early or should i be kind to myself and give myself another week ?
Can anyone advise me
Thanks
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Hi there. After my lumpectomy I felt physically well within two weeks, however the anxiety about results was all encompassing. I spoke to my boss who told me she didnt want me to return if I couldn’t fully focus and she asked me to see dr. I was rather flippant about it all but when I saw the gp I just cried and she signed me off until the results. I’m in the same situation now as I had to have a second surgery. I’d say going to work might take your mind off things but equally it might be harder to concentrate. Try chatting to the gp or a nurse. It really helped me to make the correct decision. Good luck. X
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Thank you 
I’ll have a good think over the next day or two.
Good Luck with your next surgery x
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Hi @bluesatsuma
Really sorry to hear that you have had to have two lumpectomy surgeries, I have been through the same procedure earlier having a lumpectomy in Jan followed by a re-excision in Feb, this the year, and both times went back to work after a week. I would say I like being busy and was able to work from home, at my own pace which did help and didn’t go into the office for a further 6 weeks. I found working helped me by distracting me, but it does to a large extent depend on your working environment and boss, but also, how you feel.
I would say don’t rush it and if you are feeling delicate maybe a phased return would help, there are often options available if you have a good workplace.
All the best and look after yourself x
Hi Martha
I would wait until you get your results , I must admit I wanted to keep busy to take my mind of results day think depends on your work as well the most important thing is to look after yourself and do what’s best for you x
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I would say don’t be tempted to rush it and a lot depends on what you do and whether you can work at home some or part of the time. I care for people which is a physical job, since my retire and return there’s no admin work for me to do at home and you have to be able to concentrate and keep your mind on the job - and I didn’t feel I was safe to go back. I also was a bit impatient trying to get back to my previous level of fitness and fell over and damaged my rotator cuff which 2 years on is still not quite right and that was because I was rushing myself when I can see now I wasn’t ready to rush. You can feel fine at home going at your own pace but in many work environments you’re going at everyone else’s pace or a pace that has been set for all of you. Think about the movements you will have to do / tasks you will need to perform with your hands and arms and whether you can do those .
You can feel guilty I know for being off sick but I’ve learned that sometimes it causes more inconvenience if someone goes back before they are ready . I should at least give it until your dressings are off and you know that your wounds have healed properly and you can do all of the post- operative exercises without pain . I was lucky in that I got my results and plan the same day my dressings came off but I know that isn’t the case for everyone and you will know better than me whether you can cope with the anxiety at work If you don’t get your plan soon , also sometimes people can make insensitive comments ( a few threads on here about this this ) so be wary of that. If you are really missing your colleagues and feel like you want a dose of normality why not contact your manager and arrange a time to pop in and have a chat and a cuppa with them in the next couple of weeks. Whatever you decide to do just make sure that you keep them informed . Xx
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