Having not worked since Oct I am now thinking about going back once rads are done and after my holiday,but every time I mention it to any one all I get is oh don’t be rushing back your health is more important.I fully know the state of my health and it is ok for them to say it, although I know it is out of love and concern.But aside from the financial struggle I need to get back to the real world.I am a department manager in a leading supermarket and they have been fantastic,they have agreed a phased return, when I am ready and even a move of department to a less physical job, and a move closer to home,but as I say in my time ,no rush.I am prepared for it to be hard at first and tiring,but Ialso miss working.
I feel the time is right so how do I convince those who tell me not to rush ,how did others cope?
I was jobhunting when diagnosed and was signed off from Oct 2006 until January of this year, when I went to a new job. However, the employer I went to did not have the training package in place for me as agreed when I accepted the job and it completely went for my confidence. I had to leave after a month as I felt like an idiot, I had not worked in this particular sector before and they allocated me to a guy who was totally disorganised which didn’t help.
My OH felt I took a new job on before I was ready, but as I was not far off the end of Herceptin I thought it would be OK (I had tried to find a p/t position, but as I’m a graduate I’m pretty much overqualified for everything in my area. Commuting to the nearest city would knacker me as I did it in London for 20 years and don’t want to have that stress again)
However, it’s had a positive outcome as I’m now self employed, retraining and working in OH’s web design business. I see the experience as giving me the push I needed to get out of senior level administration and to try something else.
Thanks, but your last comment is what everyone says and that is the frustrating thing for me- what is too soon? I have worked for the same company for 18 years and as I say they are being great.I have done chemo, had op, just about to do rads.Will be on Herceptin fro the next year,but can work around that,now want to get on with my life,in whatever form it will take,I can’t continue to stay at home it is driving me mad looking at four walls.
I was told about 6 weeks after rads was ok. I went back on a phased return which was agreed with occupational health. I decided after a while to stay on 3 days a week rather than return to full time as I do get tired. I think I had had 2 Herceptin when I went back and I am having the 10th this week. I do sometimes feel absolutely shattered and certainly do today, but other days I am fine. I am trying hard not to get too stressed which is sometimes really difficult as I have a very demanding job. But I would be so bored if I was still at home.
Why don’t you ask your oncologist for his/her opinion and if you have an occupational health service, you could speak to them about a suitable phased return.
Good luck
Anne
I think its a personal choice - you know how you feel and what you can manage, you can only try. Im just 2 weeks into chemo and done a few hours from home today and going in for a few hours for the next week - if dont like it they have been great and I dont need to do it - totally up to me, no pressure but I miss it and when I went in after DX and surgery it got me back to feeling the old me and stops the brain thinking too much.
Do what’s best for you and if it isnt right then they are good to you and wont mind - phased return means you can set your pace.
I went back to teaching in a nursery class six weeks after rads following a mastectomy, I didn’t have chemo,
I teach three days a week as part of a job share.
It was too early and I was shattered so a quick review. The following week I went in as an extra person to do admin and to get to know the children and stayed for half a day ,then it was the two week Spring break
After that I started a phased return.
By now it was 11 weeks since the end of rads, I worked my 3 day week until 1 p.m. the first week, then 2 p.m. and now 3.30 although I tend to stay until 4. The first week back I was really tired and went to bed for about half an hour on my return. I am still tired but now its probably got more to do with the 23 little people I work with, reports to do, trips to plan and travelling by tube into London. I would say that strength wise I am probably about 90% there now.
I have had a lot of support from Occupational health and wished that I had listened a little more to them. They suggested that I went into work at 10 in order to get a seat on the tube and leave at 4 but I prefer to get into the classroom early so leave home at 7.30 and stand but do get a seat on the way home.
All I would suggest is that you start with a few hours and gradually work up rather than straight in for a full day then have to cut back. I think 8 weeks after rads would have been ideal for me rather than 6 but a lot depends on the job and the person. Being at home is not like being at work and although I thought I had loads of energy the demands at work are more and relentless
All the best as you plan your return, there is another thread from a couple of months ago which I’ll try to find for you. It may be helpful.
Magsi x
Mary
Just found the thread in the same section called - Scared to go back to work -started by Andrea I have brought it up.
I found it really useful, hope you will as well.
Thank you all for your comments
Can I ask as sit here I feel ‘healthy and wanting to go’ am I misleading myself in wanting to return 2 weeks after rads and a good hol
From my experience that probably is a bit soon. I finished rads at the end of November and went on holiday a week later. I felt ok at that stage but I wasn’t doing much compared to being at work. Officially I started back to work on 1st Jan but used nearly a months leave that was owing, had a second holiday and actually returned at the end of January. After feeling that my energy levels were quite good, it was a bit of a shock to feel really tired by going back to work. But we all vary and you may feel quite different to me. A colleague has just returned to work and on my advice decided to give it a bit longer than she had anticipated and I think she has been glad that she did.
Good luck
Anne
I am not the only one who has worked all the way through (mast/chemo/rads/herceptin). I had two weeks off for the mastectomy, and three or four days off with each chemo. I have a part time desk job, which helps, as I am sure I would not have been able to work full time or if I had been on my feet all day.
The message is - do what feels right for you. If you feel up to going back to work, then go. Having something else to concentrate on does wonders for your mental wellbeing.
I think I am getting ready to go back to work as I am so bored now. Before I was just too tired to be bored and spent lots of time asleep. I have a two hour commute each way and am running around all the time I am at work with very few breaks, so I am very wary of jumping in too soon and finding myself back at square one. It is difficult, but I think if I had an office job where I could have the odd break if needed, I would be sorely tempted now. I agree about the mental well being and concentration.
I returned to work 14 days after surgery (WLE and node sampling) - was starting to get bored at home and as I know no-one in this area outside of work I was spending way too much time alone.
On returning to work I was still expecting to have chemo so came back for the interim preiod… then they ruled out chemo and we went straight to rads, I asked for late afternoon appointments so I could work bet part of the day, which I did, just left 2 hours early. I returned to normal hours the day after my rads finished.
I’m in an office job so nothing very physical - I did have to get them to move my desk round to face the other way so my files are to my left now as opposed to my right (dodgy) side.
I worked through radiotherapy but it was easier for me as I could walk from my office to barts hospital in around 10 minutes. I used to have my sessions around 3.45 so I could leave early. I did take a week or so off at the end as I felt exhausted. Then I worked reduced hours from May to early June. Then I went on a short holiday to Italy and went back to work full time.
I’ve got a mainly office / home based job which could make it easier