HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - How has breast cancer affected your income?

Lori R · 03-01-2008, 10:07 AM

I am relatively newly diagnosed (October 2007) and am pleased to see the topic of finances on the current posts.

I am extremely anxious about the uncertainty of my ability to continue to work through potentially repeated courses of chemotherapy. (I have liver mets)

To date, my employer has been very supportive. They allowed me time off for recovery from surgery (6 weeks) and return to my original management position. I continued to work through the 6 cycles of Taxotere+Herceptin. But....the honeymoon is over and I can feel the expectations getting back to the pre-cancer levels.

I am not confident that I can continue to count on the same levels of support being there if I had to return into treatment.

I am also using my insurance. I haven't figured out what the insurance implications would be if I quit. (I do know I could use COBRA for a period of time)

Just one more uncertain, anxiety provoking aspect of this journey.

I keep trying to find the road map for this journey but I guess there just isn't one. Maybe that is the lesson I am to learn from this. I certainly focus on each and every day as a gift MUCH more than I used to!!! For the moment, things are going well.

03-01-2008, 10:07 AM	#2
Lori R Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Evergreen, Colorado Posts: 454	I am relatively newly diagnosed (October 2007) and am pleased to see the topic of finances on the current posts. I am extremely anxious about the uncertainty of my ability to continue to work through potentially repeated courses of chemotherapy. (I have liver mets) To date, my employer has been very supportive. They allowed me time off for recovery from surgery (6 weeks) and return to my original management position. I continued to work through the 6 cycles of Taxotere+Herceptin. But....the honeymoon is over and I can feel the expectations getting back to the pre-cancer levels. I am not confident that I can continue to count on the same levels of support being there if I had to return into treatment. I am also using my insurance. I haven't figured out what the insurance implications would be if I quit. (I do know I could use COBRA for a period of time) Just one more uncertain, anxiety provoking aspect of this journey. I keep trying to find the road map for this journey but I guess there just isn't one. Maybe that is the lesson I am to learn from this. I certainly focus on each and every day as a gift MUCH more than I used to!!! For the moment, things are going well. __________________ 2007 Oct - Diagnosed - Stage IV 5 c.m. IDC - Left Side er/pr- Her2+++ Node + 2/14 - Single Liver Met Double Mastectomy Nov - Begin T+H 2008 Feb-Complete 6 cycles- T&H- NED March - Continue - Herceptin Only April - Rads for 6 weeks 2009 Continue Herceptin - Continue NED April - Recurrance- 3 cm. Liver Met May - Cryosurgery June - November - Abraxane + Herceptin Aug - PET/CT - CTC = 0 Back to NED 2010 January - Continue NED July - Recurrance - 3 cm Liver Met CTC=1 August - Cryosurgery #2 August - November Navelbine November - Back to NED - End Navelbine 2011 Feb - Recur - 4 cm Liver Met - Same Left Lobe March Surgery it is -Couldn't get a clean margin July - Confirmed continued liver involvement August - Begin Herceptin + Tykerb October - Mixed results from H+T Add Abraxane + H + T - Nov - April 2012 January PET Scan - It's working!! April - Back to NED July - Recurrance August - Begin TDM-1 Trial (Taxol + TDM-1)