Job and treatment, how to work it out?

yuelin

I just found out that I have breast cancer (IDC, Grade 2). I will meet with my docotrs soon to find out how the treatment plan will be.

However, I am facing another issue. I just get a new job offer. This is a full time job and  it is one hour driving away from my home. The company is asking me when I can start to work. With the breast cancer comes in, I have no idea when I can be able to work.

Assume I need surgery, radiation, chem. Based on your experience, how do you think I am able to have energy to work ---- Is it possible that I am able to work at the end of August? How the radiation.chemo treatment will play on our body (will I be very tired when I get those treatments?)

I have another option, which is staying in my current job (but this is a temp part time job.I need to find another job after one year. the new job I found is my dream job ---- I have hoped to work in this position until someday I will retire. I get it, but now I am afraid if I have the energy to keep it at all when I am dealing with the breast cancer.

If you are me, which way you will choose?

Your inputs are highly appreciated! Thank you.

aimee4

Hi, 

 I was in a similar situation about 3 years ago. I had built up a repor with the hiring manager and told him from the get go that I had some medical concerns. The manager agreed to hire me anyway and made sure that I had the capabilities to work from home when needed. 

 That being said - the treatment varies but I had surgery, chemo, then radiation and HER2 treatments that lasted a year. I worked full time and finished my master while this was going on.  What took my energy the most was the pain killers and chemo treatments 3-6. I took 2 days off and worked from home 2 days for Surgery (had surgery Thursday...was physically back in work Wednesday because that is when I could live without the pain killers).

My chemo treatments were every 3 weeks. I always had to have my treatment on Thursday. So I would work from home Thursday and Friday during treatment weeks. This gave me Saturday and Sunday to recoup. My saving grace was that I had a brilliant Oncologist in Chandler, AZ. He told me to get up and walk everyday, whether I wanted to or not. The days I didn't take a walk were way worse than the days I did.  Also, to take the antinaseau pills as soon as I felt woozy. That way I could avoid the overly drowsy meds. 

 Radiation was not that bad. I could schedule it around my work schedule and all I had to do was keep the area well protected and moisturized. 

 All that being said...my husband refers to this time period as my Zombie stage. I was able to get everything I needed done, but it wasn't fun doing it. I slept 8-9 hours a day (my norm is 6), and was still dragging through out. I don't really remember the material from my masters program, as those were evening classes and by 8pm at night, I was zapped. I went from being an extremely active individual (running 2+ miles per day), to walking half mile a day.

Long post short Its doable, but your doctors should know what they are expecting to put you through and the norm of other patients doing the same treatment. Goodluck!  

stcc

Thank you for suggestions. I will talk to my doctors and see if we can plan things out so that I can take care of myself and the job. Thank you.