stage IV news and working

Hi,

 First, I am so sorry to hear about your progression.  I am not Stage IV, but I am sure some Stage IV ladies will chime in.  If they don't, you might want to post this question on the Stage IV board.  However, here is my take - people live a long, long, looooooooooong time with bone mets.  Especially one bone met. There is a woman here who had one bone met on her sternum so she had a resection procedure and it was removed.  So she is now NED.  I don't know if that is a possibility for you, but it might be.  Even if it isn't, you have lots of treatment options available to you that can keep you feeling well for a really long time, hopefully until there are new and better treatments. 

So if you like working and it keeps you going, then keep doing it.  If you don't, then maybe rethink how you spend your time and find something more rewarding.  But lots of Stage IV women on this board are living incredibly full lives here many, many years after their Stage IV diagnosis, so don't feel like you have to pack it all in.  My physical therapist told me she has several clients who have been Stage IV for more than 20 years.  Twenty! 

Anyway, big hugs and prayers to you....

Bumping with the hope that someone who has experience with this longer than I have can help out.

Lee,

sorry for your news - but it sounds like you are seeing this as an opportunity for taking a new direction in your life. You have every reason to believe that you can still go on working in your demanding business, but maybe now is a time for a chance to do other things. You are an entrepreneur and closing down your business will not be like someone resigning from a job and worrying about losing that pension, seniority, vacation time - or not being able to get rehired somewhere. It also sounds like if as you try the activities you have always wanted to experience, but couldn't because you were working and you find that you miss the challenge of creating and running a business, then you can start one up again!!

good luck and good health in whatever you decide to do. 

Julie E

best of luck leemarberg. I have continued to work, teaching piano, playing and accompanying since my 2009 stage 4 diagnosis.. i am a bit tired now.. the drugs seem to be getting to me and i just quit my long term job.. but have another that pays better (a ha!) and is less tiring.. Playing the organ can be a workout... 

it is a difficult time and knowing that ours is limited gives us the opportunity to decide how we really want to spend our time.. For me a daily nap has entered my life... less practicing too. 

There is no reason you can't keep working if that's what you want to do.  You should be fine for quite a long time.  I have mets to the liver and had a resection.  I was off for six weeks and was going back, then got a serious infection.  I have had trouble recovering from that but am going back half-time starting again this Friday.  We'll see how long I can do it (or how long they'll let me do half time)

I find that working helps take your mind off yourself.

Good luck. 

I have been back at work for almost 5 weeks and am thrilled. Like Irish, I need the money and insurance but more importantly I love my job and it really is therapeutic. Teaching is my passion and first grade rocks! I intend to work as long as I am able.

Caryn

Brenda69,

Thanks for your "applause". I do want to point out that I doing quite well right now but this is a stage IV thread and for many sisters, passion or not, working can be a complicated issue that is very different than early stage bc.

Caryn