Working during Radiation Therapy

It's doable if you are being treated close to your workplace or home. I worked through 28 sessions of rads. The hospital is close to work and I scheduled all sessions at the end of the work day, i.e. 5PM or later. I would then apply aquaphor right after while changing and head straight home to relax.

Depending on the work environment, you will need to think about what you are going to wear. I work in a place where business attire is required, so I wore scarves that would hide the neck area (I had rads to supraclavicular too) and any spots from aquaphor that I would apply at least once during the work day.

Best of luck!

Also, you probably won't start noticing too much fatigue until the end, so you may want to consider having the option of half days or something

I worked through rads. I have a flexible schedule/job and work right across the street from where I had my treatments, so that helped. I'd go to work for a couple hours, go to treatment, then come back. No one at work cared that I came and went. My boss said to do whatever I needed to do. I couldn't wear a bra after awhile, but I wear scrub tops (and am small chested) so no one noticed. I think I wore a zip sweatshirt over that too. That's something to consider though.

Physically it was ok. You get tired by the end of the week. I had a scratchy throat and nausea for most of the 6 weeks, but I was still able to work. I realized I wouldn't feel better by sitting at home, so it was at least nice to be around my friends at work and get out and about a bit. I toyed with taking FMLA because I had a terrible time with dermatitis, but right when I was thinking of announcing I was taking time off I was able to get an emergency dermatology appointment and a cortisone shot that worked like magic. That helped quickly so I was good.

CMary,


Rads wiped me out. I teach eighth grade English, and it's not the easiest job around, but I still continued to work. One afternoon I was so tired I fell asleep at the back table in my classroom during my free period. Two of my students came in to hand me an assignment, and they had the most frightened looks when they saw me passed out! Good luck to you as you navigate through treatment.

I have worse case scenario. I have an hour drive to get to the hospital and an hour drive to get to work. I have first appt. in morning and hit every school bus in town. I have rads all on chest area, under arms and collar bone area. 33 in all. Good news is I am able to work my job without fatigue. Only had one really bad day after eating carbs in the morning and crashing HARD. I have two weeks left.