Hi ladies
I am due to start radio 23rd Aug for 15 sessions finishing 12th Sept.
I wondered how ypu coped with side effects and returning to work?
I have been signed off since Nov and begining to get abit bored thinking of returning several days a week doing short hours (nursery nurse) wondering if i am being abit optimistic.
I coped well with little side effects from 12 weeks of chemo.
Any advise would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Hi Mel
For me it was the fatigue from radiotherapy thats hit me like a ton of bricks about 2 weeks after finishing g rads… it still continues to this day ( 28 months later) but to a lesser degree…I went back on a 2 month phased return…working from home …without that I would have struggled…have you got the option to take any more sick leave? Or do a phased return…I hope you have…I’m a specialist nurse in the community and was really well supported…but I know friends who have been expected to hit the ground running on their return…but everyone will have a different experience of fatigue so you may well be ok…I wish you well…I would just say take things as easy as you can at first
hey hi thought I’d reply as I too have Been signed off since Nov, op December. Chemo till 22 June and now on no 5 of 15 radiotherapy sessions so we are on similar path …I say signed off well I asked around Feb time if I could have a fit to work but on reduced hours note which they did.,.I think its says adjustable hours…so I have just been doing 4 hours instead of 8 and I have been working from home instead of going into work. work have given me 3 weeks off as disability leave for the whole of radiotherapy. I didn’t ask, they said we don’t want you worrying and it has been a godsend as my usual hospital…hour away…its machine has broken down and I have had to travel hour and half each way to a different one.
working reduced hours has kept me in the loop in work and also bought me some structure.
I think its an individual thing, if you could maybe do reduced hours as I have it may ease you in gently. this also stopped me worrying they would cut my pay in half after 6 months if I didn’t work at all. xx
Hi
I just started radiotherapy today. I also started back at work today! Having been through four surgeries since February, I would be going onto half pay if I hadn’t returned to work. I have missed work and have a very supportive manager so I’m taking it easy.
Although I knew there would be side effects, I wasn’t expecting the burning, etc on Day 1 of 5. So not sure how work will go or if I will eventually have to take time off work again,
How are you getting on now @mel1989 ?