Hi,
I was diagnosed with high grade DCiS in March and had a single mastectomy and slnb at the beginning of April. I was signed off work until the 1st June and after speaking with my BCN she advised me to take an extra two weeks as I was getting sore when doing 10 minute drives - about the distance to work.
So with the extra two weeks i will have about 10 weeks off post op. I worked all through the diagnosing, biopsies etc and even went back into work after my MRI.
Even after speaking with my nurse and Macmillan I still feel guilty and anxious about work. I feel that because I’m not having any further treatment that I should suck it up and get back to it. Just feeling anxious about going back. I work in a busy pharmacy, so lots of rushing about and standing for long periods. Plus dealing with the general public. I’m worried I won’t keep up. Plus with covid as well.
Does 10 weeks sound ok for the mastectomy and biospy? Everyone at work is super understanding, it’s just me putting pressure on myself! I know I’ve still got some emotional healing to do as well, as I’ve been feeling quite lost the last few weeks. But I also can’t remember how I used to feel about work before all this. It’s so hard to know what decision to make! I guess I’m a bit worried that the more time I take the more anxious about it il become.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Becky x
Hi Becky
I’m so happy your treatment is completed and you are contemplating returning to work. I’m sorry I can’t answer your questions, having no experience myself. But what I can do is say that I believe the emotional toll of a breast cancer diagnosis and everything that follows is much greater than we give it credit (?) for. I had the whole cancer package and I consider emotional and mental wellbeing to have been well over half of my experience. It sounds like you have a wise b-c care nurse (as most of us do) and she’s clearly saying go at your own pace. There simply are no rules in any aspect of the cancer experience - one person carries on working during chemo, another feels like a zombie; one person bounces back after surgery and does all her exercises religiously, another is wiped out by the general anaesthetic for weeks and can bare pronounce ‘exercise’ let alone do it more than twice daily!
You also have to factor in the current worries around the pandemic and whether your workplace is fitted to social distancing (I suspect not) when you have had little contact with the world for 3 months and might be extra vulnerable. Could you consider a gentle phased return, assuming the working conditions are all in place? It’s impossible right now to consider alternative therapies to help you with your emotional healing but I found regular listening to Progressive Hypnosis’s Manifest Healing (YouTube) saw me through my 9 months of treatment and beyond. You might also find something in this article you can identify with. It was posted by a nurse in one of the forums but gets lost so here’s the link: workingwithcancer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf
The writer really understands the ‘then what???’ And you may find it helps you come to terms with some of the less practical issues you raised. I hope so anyway - I read it regularly.
I wish you all the best as you find your own way to move forward after such a difficult time (understatement but everything else sounded like hyperbole lol). Take care,
Jan x
Hi Becky,
I was diagnosed in feb 19, followed by a sentinel node op in March & had a single mastectomy in April 2019, just Letrozole after but was supposed to have immediate recon but it couldn’t be completed in the op due to previous surgery.
My treatment was completed in 11 weeks and to be honest didn’t have time to comprehend what had happened to me. I was numb before surgery and completely fell apart after. I’m still no where near getting myself together now but slow improvements are being made.
I was signed off during my treatment but after I was no where near ready to go back. I saw my GP regularly and she extended my sick leave which at the time I felt terrible I wasnt coping and going back to work as I should be. To be honest it just made everything I was feeling so much worse.
My advice would be, only if you’re able, give yourself the time to recover but please take the pressure off worrying about work, it won’t help you. During the time I was off I realised I didn’t want to go back, i no longer enjoyed it and I finally resigned. I’m not 100% sure Ive done the right thing but at the same time I don’t miss it and I’m happier at home.
I’m still waiting on what recon I can have which obviously has been delayed further so the emotional recovery continues. Only now I’m beginning to realise how unwell I’ve been and as everyone has told me, give yourself time and be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself lovely xx
Hi Becky
I had WLE and SNB Jan 7th, 15 sessions of radiotherapy and went back to work 1st April as I wanted some normality back in my life. I did a 6 week phased return as per my doctors instructions. Going back to work is very tiring, even during a phased return, and everything has completely changed due to Covid and Social Distancing. Don’t stress about how long you have been off, take all the time you need physically and mentally. You have been through a lot and need to process things, you will have good and bad days with your emotions, hopefully more good than bad. I still don’t think I have processed everything yet and have days at work when I feel I should have stayed off longer as the slightest thing iritates me. Just go with your true feelings and don’t feel presurised into going back or guilty about staying off. You need some you time to heal properly
Take care and stay safe xx