Work and radiotherapy

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1

Hi,

I’m looking for some advice on what I can expect during radiotherapy and how much time I should allow myself before either returning to work full-time and/or whether I could manage to work part-time during radiotherapy too. I am slightly confused because occupational health has recommended to my boss that I require 6 weeks off following the surgery (relatively minor, for a local recurrence, on a reconstruction) with additional time needed while going through radiotherapy to be discussed subsequently.

Don’t get me wrong, the idea of spending 6 weeks recovering is very appealing but I am very much of the view that the surgery is much the ‘easier’ part of my treatment this time and definitely think that 6 weeks off because of surgery is too generous. I suppose I am partly nervous about my sickness record, especially in the current economic climate, when no job is safe, but going in and out for surgery as if it was minor (however serious the reason) is my way of trying to accept the latest events.

I have discussed this with my line manager and have agreed that I will seek a view from the hospital as to how long I might need to be away from work after surgery but I’m more interested to hear from you on your experience of working/not working, full or part-time, while going through radiotherapy. The hospital is approximately 50 minutes on the tube (I live and work in London) from work and was thinking that I could do a bit of work in the morning, have my radiotherapy early afternoon and return to work afterwards. I realise now that I’m probably being a bit optimistic, especially when I know from experience just how time consuming the administration of chemotherapy could be.

Can anyone advise at all?

Naz

P.S. I should also say that, however much I am of the view that the surgery is going to be easier than the radiotherapy, I am also really anxious about the surgery too (on Thursday).

x

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I dont know how serious your surgery will be compared to my lumpectomy, but I was definately ready to have resumed normal activites after 4 weeks. Some people seem to bounce back quicker but general anesthics and probably the huge shot of antibiotics always knock me out. 6 seems completely over the top if they are not doing nodes.

I have been asking anyone and everyone about wether or not I can carry on drumming and performing during radiation, and have decided to assume I will by alright. But much to my horror they cannot give me a specific time slot. I have been given my first appintment–midday and told it will be at a different time each day and i will not know until the day before when it will be–how can I organise my life like that–how do people that work cope. I have also been warned that there could be delays and long waits and that i will not always been seen on time.

I do not know which hospital you are at–hopefully they are better organised.

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Hi Naz

Good luck for Thursday. I had 2 WLE in Sept & nov last year followed by 3 weeks rads in March this year.

Both Ops were day surgery. First 1 in September I was back at work full-time after 7 days (didn’t need a fit note as not over 7 days). No real problems didn’t drive until I felt comfy but hubby works in same office so he did all the driving for a couple of weeks.

2nd op I bruised more & surgeon gave me a note for 2 weeks. Again healed nicely without many problems. Took it easy.

As for rads I had all my session times given to me at my CT planning session. Lucky the hospital only a couple of miles from office & 40 mins from home. My days were Tuesday to Saturday.

First 2 weeks late pm appt which worked out really well as I went on way home (hubby drove). Normally late going in, which made it a long day but worked full-time. Except Sat as I work Monday/Friday.

Final week all appts at 13.00ish as again not normally on time. Hubby dropped me off & went back to work and my old dad bless him came & picked me up. I arranged to go part-time in last week which I’m glad I did. I didn’t get fatigue as such but did get a little tired at the end. Not enough to take anymore time off work. I did arrange to have a day off after just to chill a bit.

Don’t be too surprised if after all completed you feel a bit lost; I did for a while. One day at a time.

Take care
Lynne

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We have a small business, I was diagnosed on 17th March, had my operation on 18th April (WLE and SNB) and was released the next day and went straight back into work. I’ve worked every day since, got married on June 18th and started Rads beginning of July, 15 plus 8 boosters which I finish this Friday coming.
I will admit I have had bouts of extreme tiredness but have got through it all, just listen to your body, it will let you know what to do.
I’m expecting to feel a bit weird on Friday when all the active treatment is over and its just tablets for 5 years.

5

I had a couple of days off for sentinel node biopsy, 2 weeks off for WLEs, then 4 weeks off for rads, but was in and out of work in between. If my rads had not been in the middle of the day mostly I really could have been at work. I did some from home, then just got lazy.

Shame about not giving you set time slots OAL - I got my schedule weeks beforehand and they were very good at keeping to time. I also have to say we’re very lucky in our area as local cancer charity provide transport there and back.

S

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Hi Naz
I was asked to give a preferred time for my rads treatment, which I chose as 10.30am to avoid traffic, and all my appts were from 5 mins to half an hour either side of that. Like OAL, I was only told the exact time of each appt the day before, which was annoying. I’d been signed off from work from surgery onwards until I was ready to go back long term, so didn’t have to worry about fitting in with work.

I had to drive 45 to 50 mins each way to get to the hospital, then hang around every time they were running late, which was more often than not. The actual treatment time was 5 to 10 mins which made it even more irritating that it took so long to get there and then be kept waiting. My hold on sanity was to go for a good long walk each afternoon, following advice I’d read on these forums, and that helped enormously. I didn’t feel excessive tiredness and managed to emerge from rads fitter and healthier than I started (apart from a tender boob!).

When I eventually returned to work some while later, 3 months after a 2nd operation, I was amazed at how tired I was. My GP had said to do half days for the first two weeks and build up gradually from there and I’m so glad she insisted on that.

Sarah x

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HI Naz

We seem to be on a similar path - but I’m a little ahead. I had my WLE on my recon on 20/7. It was day surgery. I was fine by the next day, running in the park on Saturday and Sunday.(I do this every weekend). Great thing about WLE on the recon is that there is no feeling! I had my results last Friday - margins clear - and met the clinical oncologist. I have my readiotherapy planning session tomorrow. I discussed working with the onc who felt that that would be fine during radiotherapy. I am going at his suggestion to ask for appointments c 5.30 so that I can go on the way home. Last week and this week I am on annual leave and planning to be back at work on 9/8.

Good luck with your surgery and please keep in touch

K x

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My experience…I took 2 days off after my surgery (bi-lateral so 1 x MX & ANC and 1 x WLE/SNB), worked at home for 2 days, then back to the office. I worked throughout 8 rounds of chemo … had first appt in morning and then onto work after. Days 5 & 6 were my “bad” days so did block those out and stayed home. I also worked full time throughout rads which I did for 6 weeks. Office/meetings in morning, early pm rad appts and then back home to work for a couple of hrs after.

I did go back to my GP after the rads (to pick up my tam perscription) and did get her to do a fit note for reduced hrs for a couple of months (thought I deserved at least that) - but to be honest I’ve only really left a bit early on a couple of days!!

Keeping everything as normal as poss was my personal way of dealing with the treatment and working kept my mind occupied. Not everyone’s cup of tea and will depend on work role but it is possible!

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Re working and rads, my situation is the logistics of it as i work 20 miles from home and the hosp is 20 miles in other direction! i am lucky i can do a certain amount of work from home but i am still so tired after chemo, the last sess wiped me out though emotionally i am getting back to being myself again! I was appaled to read one persons plight tht they would not know what time rads is until day before! i am at shrewsbury hosp and on my day of planning i was given all my 23 appts so that way i can plan my work.
had 7 rads so far just tired def better than chemo and am doing normal things as i did thru chemo mainly to try maintain me being me!was advised to carry on with exercises i had after surgery, i had a lumpectomy as rds can make u a bit stiff.
Shar xxx

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yes that was me. just started a thread about it. I am now wondering if they schedule people that they think have a life, but leave the pensioners picking up the leftovers. Sorry that sounds maudling, not me at all. Just a bit frustrated that i have to put a whole month on hold keeping myself available for the sessions

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OMG OAL! - That bruising is really starting to come out. Glad it hasn’t stopped you drumming tho! lol

Seriously - hope you’re still improving!
Dx

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Thanks, guys, as always, mixed experiences! Surgery on Thursday was fine - go back on Friday to discuss the results - and am planning to go back to work full-time on Monday. I still feel a bit odd after the general anaesthetic - have felt incredibly emotional - but don’t feel bad at all. I think I understand, now, why Oc Health suggested 6 weeks off following surgery - I’d explained that the hospital likes to allow 6 weeks after surgery before radiotherapy is commenced in order to give the patient time to recover. I think she’d misunderstood me as saying that I needed 6 weeks off. To be honest, I just want to get on with it so that I can begin to return to my ‘normal’ again - already I can feel my confidence draining away from me and I have had to work so hard over the last 2 years since the original diagnosis to regain it. I can’t let myself return to the position I was in psychologically then, so the sooner this can be over the very much the better!

Thanks again, everybody, and best of luck in the next stage of your treatment.

x

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Hi Naz

I’m back at work on Monday too - treatment starts on 16/8

Hope all goes well for you

K x

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Hi K, here’s hoping that the next stage all goes very smoothly for you. Are you likely to need any follow up treatment after the radiotherapy? Best of luck for Monday week. naz, x

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Hi,
I worked all the way through radiotherapy, my sessions were at lunchtime, so I used to take 2hrs out each day to allow for getting to the hospital, parking, treatment and getting back (the hospital was only 30 mins from work). Most of the time they were on time, and sometimes early, a couple of times there was a wait due to problems with the machine. The sessions themselves took less than 10 mins.

Jen

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I’m working through rads, though I have two part-time jobs and can work from home for some of the time, but as neither job knows about the other it’s the equivalent of one full-time job, more or less.

It very much depends on the sort of work you do, and how well you recover. After WLE and SNB I was back up and about and driving two days after surgery, same after re-excision. I wasn’t working at the time but I’m confident I would have felt able to after just a few days. If you’ve had more major surgery than that, or if you respond badly to anaesthetics, you may well need a lot longer than just a couple of days.

The important thing is to listen to what your body’s telling you, so that you don’t end up completely flattened because you’ve been trying to do too much (and yes, I know, I really should listen to my own advice sometimes!)

17

Hi Naz

Thanks

Just a change of medication from Exemestane to Letrozole - and much crossing of fingers!!

Kx

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Hiya There,

Sorry I’ve possibly come a bit late to the discussion, My Occ health kept me off after surgery (WLE,SNB & mamoplasty) for about 6 weeks, I then worked thro Chemo and was emphatically told not able to work during Rads.

Being honest, we’re all different and it’s going to depend how you are with the rads. I was knocked for six by mine and only just feeling normal now (finished 1st Aug) and revert to zombie if I get tired/ stressed! I ended up sleeping for about 15 hours a day by the end of rads. As my job is quite physical there is no way I could have done it thro rads.

My hospital was 45mins drive away on a good day!

Good luck with your rads and listen to your body, you can always get a fit to work certificate which allows for you doing reduced hours/ different “duties” for occy health people.

Take care

xxHelenxx

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Hi Naz,
I’m probably too late to talk to you about work and radiation, not that I’m really in a position to do so as am just about to have radiotherapy myself!But it’s been really interesting reading everyone’s experiences and thoughts.I think when to go back to work is a very personal thing depending on what you do for a living, and we’re all such different bunnies in the way our bodies react to things, so I think I’ll just listen to my body.But it does help to have sympathetic employers!!Fortunately mine are great, they just told me post surgery not to hurry back, which is just as well as I’m nearly 4 weeks post mammoplasty and still have cellulitus in both breasts and have been on antibiotics for ever,so needless to say work has been a little out of the question (as I don’t have a desk job),especially with leaking boobs!!!You’ll have to let me know how you got on with your radiotherapy, I’m due to see my oncologist for the first time on weds so await my plan of action with trepidation!!!Keep in touch it would be great to share stuff together.
Best wishes for an uneventful journey through all this stuff!!!
From one scared bunny to another!!!
Love Katexx
Best wishes for

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I like the idea of that, Kate - an uneventful journey!

Thought I would just provide an update (if only to help me understand the next steps myself!).

I had surgery to remove the tumour on Thursday week and returned to work after the weekend on the Monday. In retrospect, I think I should probably have taken a few more days off, perhaps the week, because I felt incredibly tired most of the week. Still, in terms of helping me to get over the first stage of my treatment, I think it was the best decision.

I collected my results on Friday; it seemed to have trebled in size since the biopsy (from 4mm to 13 mm) but it was apparently less aggressive (grade 2) than the original tumours (grade 3) and is still ER positive, which technically, should mean that there are still some options for me, even if I appear to be Tamoxifen resistant.

Next, is a meeting with the oncologist to discuss my treatment plan, including, I think, the treatment options post radiotherapy. I think it comes down to either zoladex injections every 3 weeks plus Tamoxifen or an oopherectomy and an AI. I have, though, also just discovered an article that seems to suggest that tamoxifen resistance is genetic so it may very well be that I will also want to discuss the possibility of genetic testing and prophylactic surgery on my other breast to reduce the chances of further recurrence/new primary/spread.

That’s enough. Sorry. I just had to write down my thoughts - it is so difficult keeping up with everything, never mind how I feel about it all (I am on anti-depressants after it dawned on me - a year later - that I was just not coping and needed help).

To return to the initial question, though, I very much suspect that I will work significantly less hours not least because of the travelling to and fro on the tube trains. And I need to remember my priorities, which, as much as I need a job, also need my good health if I am going to keep it!

Sorry to have rambled!

I hope you are all getting along with your treatment as smoothly as is possible.

love, Naz