For those working age but out on disability..

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finallyoverit
finallyoverit Member Posts: 382
edited June 2019 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

How did you decide when it was time? Physically I feel fine but I’m struggling mentally. I have a super stressful job and am starting to wonder if it’s worth continuing. No spouse so if I do it, it will be on my own. Could make the finances, with the exception of health insurance, work. But if I let the house be foreclosed on, I might qualify for state assistance. I can’t seem to figure this out. What I don’t want is to live out whatever time I have left, that with a stage iv diagnosis is anyone’s guess, in a soul sucking job day after day. Don’t we have enough stress in our lives? All of this job stress can’t be helping my mets

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  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited June 2019

    I worked through chemo, after surgery and during rads, the I was diagnosed with brain mets and continued another 8 or so months. When I couldn’t remember how I got the raw data for a big budget spreadsheet (chemo brain not the mets), I decided it was time. It was a 100 million dollar budget that I tracked and advised on for the State and it was too important to fail on my watch. The first 6 months were difficult, the boredom was agonizing but I began going to the gym daily, traveling and taking better care of myself in general. Now it great. SSDI and long term disability will cover what I was bringing in and now I won’t work myself to death. Plus, I sooooo love sleeping in. Good luck.

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  • Sadiesservant
    Sadiesservant Member Posts: 1,995
    edited June 2019

    Finally, if you figure it out let me know! It seems we are in similar situations. I’m also single and trying to figure out the how and when part of this equation without much luck. I’m in a management level position - also tends to be stressful as expectations are high (and truth be told, expectations are higher for me than my male colleagues but that’s another story). I do have access to long term disability through my job so, although it will be a bit tight, I could probably make do. But I find this so darn hard!

    Part of the problem is that I have been so career driven for so long. I have a hard time switching gears to give up on ideas of advancing and find it difficult to walk away after putting in the required shift. I have always been one to work hard. It’s tough turning that off.

    The other issue is the uncertainty. Like you, I will be really irritated if I start going downhill before I’ve had a chance to relax a little. But the tricky bit is, I’m doing pretty well at the moment making it hard to justify to myself.

    I so admire those who made a firm decision either to step away or to go out at their desk. Me? I keep vacillating, hoping that I know when the time is right before it’s too late.

    Wishing you all the best while you mull it all over.

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