Job offers after breast cancer

andreamia

I just graduated with my masters degree in Speech-Language therapy and have been interviewing for jobs. So far, I have not disclosed that I have had breast cancer at my interviews. I completed treatment in May (surgery, chemo, radiation, and herceptin). However, I will continue to have many follow up appts for a while. It really is never ending it seems. I am very certain that I will be receiving some job offers soon. When do I disclose my breast cancer history and need for a semi flexible schedule? Do I wait until after they make me an offer or do I forgoe mentioning it all together? I am nervous that if I mention my breast cancer hx, they will go running to other potential candidates. I do not want to with hold important information and end up in a pickle, but I really have no idea how much my future appts will affect my schedule (if at all) and that makes it hard... 

One of my interview questions at a school was if I will be working with kids this summer. I was honest and told her no, I would be taking it easy this summer. I did not tell her it was because I went through treatment in addition to grad school this past year and need a short break. I feel like that would have helped clarify WHY I wasn't working with kids this summer rather than making it seem like I'm lazy or something. I was just afraid to mention it.

Any advice?

LittleFlower

andreamia,

I don't think you ever have to disclose your personal history. 

You're qualified for these jobs, you've worked hard to attain your degrees.  Your health history is yours. It sounds like our treatments were very similar.  I think you might be surprised at how little your follow ups will interfere with life.  Is your follow up schedule every 3 months?  Compared to being at your treatments like every week, that's nothing.  Getting a job after treatment is going to be an awesome way to move on.  Sorry if this post seems disjointed, I'm just wanted to reach out to you, but the moment have a preschooler In need of a bath, and hanging off of me:)

Congratulations on finishing treatment honey!  

BrooksideVT

You have completed treatment and expect only the normal followup appointments?  Right?  So, schedule-wise,  you are exactly in the same place as anyone who broke a leg, has diabetes, or needs to see a doc to renew depression or anxiety meds, or to monitor heart meds, or has to schlep an asthmatic kid to the ER.   Right?  Not only do you not need to disclose your personal health information, nor does your potential employer want to know the details.  As a speech therapist, you will work by appointment and it will be easy to arrange any medical appointments around your patient schedule.  Relax.  Enjoy your time off, and, once you have found exactly the right job, dive right in!

 

NancyHB

Congratulations on completing treatment, graduating, and now job-hunting!  It's an exciting time, to be sure, but I can also appreciate the anxiety.  I was dx just after starting grad school.  Just as treatment was ending (and I still didn't have any hair) I needed to find an internship; luckily my director was able to connect me with someone who didn't ask questions during the interview.  By the time I started the internship a couple months later I had enough hair to rock a pixie cut, and no one ever asked.  I was doing 3-month MO follow-ups and was able to easily work them into my schedule.  

I graduated last spring and started my dream job in August.  My first year is probationary; as long as nothing goes wrong I'll become a permanent employee in two months.  All was well until four months ago when something suspicious came up during a routine exam.  I have spent time with a cardiologist, internist, GYN, radiologist, MO and RO, and am now having an exicisional biopsy next Thursday (for heaven's sakes, I'm having it done with a local so I can go to work in the afternoon).  I've taken at least an hour off each week for the last three months (I commute so squeezing an appointment in during my lunch hour is impossible), including a couple of whole days (when I was able to squeeze in three or four appointments on one day).  Like you, I wondered how much I should disclose.  Personally, I was worried; I could tell that other employees were questioning my absence (haters gonna hate, right?)  For my own piece of mind I shared some information with my immediate supervisor - had cancer, sometimes have follow-up appointments, will try to keep sick time to a minimum, etc.  I *have* the time in my "bank", but it becomes obvious to others when I'm not around.  

My supervisor has been supportive and kind.  I do try to keep my time off to a minimum, but it's become impossible lately.  Had all of this mess not happened recently, I never would have disclosed to my supervisor.  My personal life is just that - personal.  Everyone has "appointments" - dentist, OB/GYN, yearly medicals, etc.  Taking time off for your appointments should be just like any other routine doctor's appointment.  

Good luck in your job search - hope the perfect job comes along soon!

Nancy

andreamia

Thanks everyone! My predicament is more like yours NancyHB… I do not know that it will be just the normal follow ups. I am seeing a gynecologist, cardiologist, urologist in addition to the oncologist. I have many undesirable side effects from treatment that I am still dealing with (cysts, heart problems, etc.)… I have to get two ultrasounds and an MRI in July alone. So far I have had an appt almost every week. I am hoping it calms down after July, because I wouldn't start until mid August at the earliest anyway, but there is just no way of knowing how everything is going to work out or if they find something else wrong (that seems to be what keeps happening). 

Moderators

Hi Andreamia!

There's a helpful page in the main Breastcancer.org site's section on Breast Cancer and Your Job called Looking for a New Job that might be useful.

We hope this helps!

--The Mods

andreamia

I was offered a job after my very first interview! I'm excited and nervous. Did not disclose my breast cancer hx but I did mention to HR that I have a couple of health issues that will need appts sometimes. They said that it's perfectly fine and I can take time off for appts unpaid since I won't have PTO time yet, which is ok with me. Thank goodness.  

BTW I was very nervous about my pre employment drug screen because I did not know if chemo would have affected it in some way, but it did not. Just in case anyone wondered about that like I did. Ha.

SpecialK

Congrats!