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1. What would your family value more? Having you alive and well or the money you might be able to earn in 2012?
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It's not a valid question as it's not a black and white situation. My family needs the money. If they had to choose between money and having me alive, than they would choose me alive. But, so far, they can have both, but at physical cost to myself. But, as far as I know, not DANGEROUS physical cost. I'll just be in pain more and be more tired.
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2. If decide not to return to work would your school continue to exist and serve the needs of the students and teachers?
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Of course! I don't think I'm indispensable by any means - after all, I've been off since October and everybody is doing fine. Whether the school "continues to exist" is not a consideration - it's a 50 year old school, they've had secretaries before me and will have some after me. The consideration is whether I can do my job now. I have to go back in two weeks, no matter what. Can I? Will I become unreliable? Will I give up my sub (who has another job she wants to do) and then not be able to function and have to give it up?
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3. Could you find another position if you stop working now and feel well enough to go back to work later?
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I can choose a leave year of absence, which means I can come back to the district in a year. (I think that's what it means). But, not to my job. My job is five minutes away from home at the school my son attends. I wouldn't get any say where they put me when I went back and I could be placed at a school across the district, with an hour commute. I could be put where folks hate each other, rather than where they like each other like my school now. I kind of have my dream job and I'd so hate to give that up.
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4. Can you with your doctor's or employer's help apply for some kind of temporary or permanent disability payments?
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I can get on SSI Disability but it takes six months. I can only backdate it 49 days, so I would have to wait quite a while for money. As far as I know, there isn't anything else. I've used up whatever I was entitled to via the district.
I was off for a time October '09 too, when I had the mastectomy and started chemo. I came back during chemo when it turned out to be a non-event. Now I've been off since October 11. I've used everything up and I have to go back or give up my job.
Very tough decision.
__________________
http://butdoctorihatepink.com
08/17/09 Dx'd.
Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS
HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative
10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE
12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy
03/31/2010: Finished chemo
05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever
11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed
12/02/2010: Finished herceptin
05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen
06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin
10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure!
11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years"
03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa
10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa.
01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa
03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta.
04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success!
05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo.
06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT
07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone
07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins
08/01/2013: SBRT completed
08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa
06/18/2014: ***** NED!!!!***** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa
01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly.
11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted.
5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean.
I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.