Hi,
Thanks for adding me to the group. I was diagnosed with bone mets 2 weeks, following a primary diagnosis in 2014. I’m a teacher and intend to carry on working- I would love to hear the experiences of people who are living with secondaries and working full time. I have a meeting with my oncologist on Wednesday to find out if it had spread elsewhere.
Thanks,
Lyndsey
Hi Lindsey
I’ve only just joined too as only diagnosed last week, first BC was 2013. I have liver mets mainly but one bone met on ct so having a bone scan to check for more. Chemo starting again next week. Hope you’re ok x
Hi Lyndsey,
I was diagnosed initially with BC almost 11 years ago and it returned in my bones in July 2015 and then in my liver in Dec 2015… Until I went on IV chemo I had no problems coping with work . If you have bone mets make sure you get effective pain control. I use gabapentin which, for me anyway, works very well. I worked full time until cut backs.at work. I now work 25 hrs per week but since I’ve been on IV chemo rather than tablet chemo I tend miss one week out of three. This is due to chemo side effects rather than bone mets. Just do what is right for you. Don’t try to prove anything to anyone and don’t struggle along on paracetamol when you need something more substantial. Besy wishes Waffles xxx
Hi, I was diagnosed as stage 4 in January 2014 and at that time had a very busy role involving global travel. I have extensive mets in all long bones, both shoulders and hips and spine. I went back to work full time but with reduced (almost no) travel. My firm have been great allowing me to take time off for treatments etc.
i take Wednesday afternoon off each third week for chemo (Herceptin, pertusamab, zoladtonuc acid) and 3 monthly heart and CT scans. The two biggest issues fir me are bone pain and fatigue. I’m using paracetamol, codeine and oramorph to control the pain, I try not to take too much because it makes the fatigue worse.
when I developed really bad left hip pain my oncologist arranged for me to have a single shot of radiotherapy and that really helped.
In terms of the fatigue, I do nit have it under control at all, and sometimes find myself just sitting and being too exhausted to walk to the kitchen to get water.
Like you, I don’t want to stop work but some days it’s a really bug mountain just to climb out of bed. On those days, I try not to do anything That isn’t necessary.
hoping you don’t get hit by the fatigue and my advice is to get pain medication that works for you
Liz x
I’m working full time - most of the time it’s fine but sometimes I’m getting a little fed up that everything is so hard.
diagnosis came as a shock back in April this year, expected to have time off work (like with my primary bc back in 2005), however being treated with hormones only so no need for months off work. It’s good in a way and my employer is fine about me taking time for hospital appts and other related stuff (I class the local SBC meetings & reflexology as medical) - however some days (like today) I’m just fed up inexplicably. It annoys me when I can’t get everything done because various bits of me hurt too much, the person hired to help me has gone off sick with a bad back caused by the work we were asking her to do. (I never had any problems with it myself before the cancer but then I’ve always been fit & healthy). Before my diagnosis I was looking for another job, glad in a way now that I stayed at me current place because it’s easy to take time off, and it might have been a bit more awkward if I’d only just started a new job, however the problems that made me want to leave are still there. Anyway just wanted to rant a bit because I’m so fed up, take a couple of co-codamol & a cup of tea then back to work.