Lumpectomy + radiation- going back to work in between?

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Jenga60
Jenga60 Member Posts: 24
edited February 2015 in Just Diagnosed

for those that went the lumpectomy + radiation treatment, between the surgery and radiation, did you go back to work?

If so, how did you cope. Working and waiting for the pathology report and knowing you would be heading into rad treatment and depending on results of report still may require more surgery.

I'm trying to make the decision lumpectomy vs mastectomy.



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  • Larkspur
    Larkspur Member Posts: 88
    edited February 2015

    Jenga, I've found that my job is a welcome distraction from "real life." A few years ago, it helped me get through a period of deep grief after the death of a sibling, and it's helped me more recently as I've waited to hear the findings of several biopsies and a lumpectomy. Having a workplace to go to, colleagues to interact with, and tasks to focus on all took my mind off of a scary situation and made the waiting seem to go a little faster.

    If you basically like your job and you feel physically up to it after your surgery, my recommendation is to go back to it!

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited February 2015


    Jenga,

    I worked through five months of chemo. I was back at work the day after my lumpectomy, and I'm working through rads. BUT, not everyone has my job and not everyone would want to work like I do. I am a college professor who essentially has to be on campus only a few days a week. I teach my classes and hold my office hours, but I do a lot of work at home, like grading. Everyone at the office understands why I'm not around much, but I do stay in constant email touch with my colleagues and my students. Like Larkspur, I think that working has been positive for me. I'm so busy with stuff that I don't have time for worry in my life. BUT everyone is different! It depends on their job and whether their colleagues can live without their daily presence. Best wishes to you!

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited February 2015

    I worked through 6+ months of chemo and 6 weeks of radiation. As Larkspur said work was a good distraction. I adjusted my schedule and avoided any work after hours. Looking back I think working through chemo and rads was a good decision for me.

    My MO said that in her experience, workaholics like me are likely to become depressed if they stop working during treatment.

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited February 2015

    I am in sales and continued to work during 3 lumpies, in between and then during the 6 weeks or so of rads. I chose my MO and RO and center as it was about 1 mile from my office but 36 miles from my home.  Course it also was a hugely bigger  hospital than the local one I started out with for surgery  

    I ended rads the Fri before Xmas, took the week off and crashed~~boy was I tired 

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  • Allmodestyisgone
    Allmodestyisgone Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2015

    I work from home so I'm in a different position than most but I agree with everyone that work helped me feel that I had a life outside of cancer. It was good to get back to work after surgery and keep busy while waiting for results.

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  • lynnmiller
    lynnmiller Member Posts: 12
    edited February 2015

    My doctor said I could go right back to work right after my lumpectomy even though I told him I was a caregiver and my job was very labor intensive. I only work part time so my next scheduled work day was 6 days later. I decided to take more time off and realized I started back to work too soon since my work is so physically demanding and I use my right arm constantly which is where my lumpectomy was. My breast hurt for 10 days. I also ended up with an infection in my breast. Part of the breast was not closed on the way. They put me on antibiotics. So I guess it depends on what kind of work you do and if your comfortable with it or not. I do agree staying busy is a good things. So if you can work I would. I personally am happier when I'm working.

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  • lynnmiller
    lynnmiller Member Posts: 12
    edited February 2015

    I'm having another lumpectomy in a couple of weeks. Taking out more tissue and a lymph node. I know there going to want me to have at least some radiation. If my chances are low of recurring cancer with no radiation then I will opt out to having radiation. What do you ladies think? Any experiences with this? I also have to go onto a estrogen blocker.

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited February 2015

    lynn, what is your team of docs recommending?  I did 3 lumpies and then into the rads as that is what my docs wanted me to do.  No regrets on that as still clear of junk 6 years later

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited February 2015

    With a lumpectomy you need radiation. It is part of the deal. I teach at the middle school level. I took a week off when I had the lumpectomy and taught through 4 rounds of chemo. With the timing, my radiation was in the summer, but I could have definitely worked during it (several of my teacher friends did with no problems). After chemo, for me radiation was a walk in the park, and I could actually feel my energy returning during it. As others have said, work forced me to get out of the house and think about other things. Otherwise I would have just sat home being depressed about all this crap all day long. Of course, everyone's experience is different & there is no way to predict how your body, or mind, will react to any given treatment. But you will want to do what is recommended to do NOW so that you lower your chances as much as possible of ever having to go through this (and worse) ever again!

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