How do you all do it?

stacyRuss

I am just beginning my journey. Waiting for my path report.15 or 16th of this month.  I had one Lymph removed. and tumor removed.

 Sooooooo, My question is. how do you go to work everyday, after you have had rad or chemo? Can you drive to your own app? Maybe not with Chemo but rad Yes?

What stresses me out is I have to drive myself to the hospital everyday, get on a shuttle that will take me to  another hospital an hour away. Do treatment , get back on the bus and drive to work or home which is and could be another hour and 45 minutes. .totaling 3 hoours and 45 minutes.  Geeze this is  more stressful than the treatment.. is going to be.

So how have you all managed this? working and doing treatment. If I dont work I loose my job. If I loose my job I loose my house. Man I am just freaking out over this. I have a hmo they only have 2 places for rad. One that is over an hour and 45 min away and the other an hour and 15 min away from me. So I am screwed no matter what I do.. Arrrhhhhhh.

 SR

JaniceRH

Dear Stacy, you find friends and solace, you cry and you pick yourself up, you have good days and you have crappy days, but every day, you get up and you move forward.  It's what brought you to the place you're in right now and it's what will see you through. 

I've gone through an awful lot over the years and I finally learned to give up control and hand myself over to people who cared and loved me; this may be friends, may be family, but it worked for me.

Make sure you find out about FMLA so you're not stressed about your job; prioritize those things in life that are a priority so you'll know where to focus your energies.

You'll get through this...

Janice

pj12

Hi Again Stacy,

I had traditional radiation, 28 regular, 8 boosts, but I do know some people have shortened courses of treatment.  I don't know the details but you might ask if your facility offers that possibility.  You might be able to take some sick time or vacation days and if you were doing the condensed treatment maybe you could squeeze it all in during time off.  Just a thought.  Also, ask at your hospital... The American Cancer Society has programs to help people with transportation, etc.  

This is all so hard... my heart goes out to you.

Pam 

stacyRuss

Thanks Girls.

You know I am kind of mad. I don't want to sit back and let my insurance tell me that I have to go to this only place for my Rad. I am going to fight it. I Have Kaiser and I really do love them. I have had no problems with them at all. You just have to be a little more assertive about your health care and treatments. I remember I had to have a colonosscopy and they were so busy that they had to contract it out to a private hospital. Same thing with my fathers open heart surgery years ago. So I am gonna fight it. To me the stress will be overwhelming. If I have to do that. More than the treatment.  Ok thanks guys for the support.

Stacy