Working vs. Leave of Absence

aaklwalker · 04-11-2007, 11:55 AM

I would like input from those of you who were in high stress jobs during treatment. Did you continue to work? Did you take a leave of absence? If you took a leave of absence was it difficult to adjust? Do you feel it helped your recovery to take a leave?

Esther · 04-11-2007, 12:05 PM

Are you asking about the time period when you are diagnosed and treated for primary BC?

I was in a very people oriented field, in a 6 figure career. I took a year off to go through chemo, surgery and reconstruction. I never regretted it, it would have been difficult to deal with it and continue to work.

Belinda · 04-11-2007, 12:13 PM

Hi there

I have a 6-figure high stress job, managing people with a lot of political exposure. I have tried to work on 'good' days but find it hard to restrict the effort required so I don't get tired, feel the pressure of deadlines and the pressure to reschedule appointments...it's an impossible job to do within normal working hours, let alone on a part-time or flexible basis. My boss has been great, willing to try and work hours etc around me but it just isn't working out for me. Last chemo cycle, as soon as I felt like I was having a good week I came down with a debilitating cold - didn't go in that cycle at all. So I am about to put the forms in to claim income protection insurance (glad I have it - for up to 2 yrs) and to let work know they are going to need to let me have leave for at least 1 year and fin d a replaceemnt for that time. Breaks my heart because I have worked Soooo hard to learn the skills and gain the experiences I have. But I need the time to rest and recover, and focus on m family and making the best of this unwelcome journey...

Bx

04-11-2007, 12:18 PM

You might consider working parttime, if you can get your employer to agree, with you making the decision when you work and when you stay home. I know for sure there were days when I could barely get out of bed, so work would have been impossible. However, I work from home and have often thought I would have been better off if I had somewhere to go on the days I was well. Otherwise, one gets rather consumed by the whole thing. But for sure you'll need some time at home, unless you have one of those miracle constitutions. I hope you do.

MichelleMoon · 04-11-2007, 12:20 PM

I kept working full time plus during my first episode of BC. I only missed time for chemo every 3 weeks and daily radiation. I scheduled all this to be as minimally invasive to my job/family as possible. I NEEDED this outlet! Feeling some sense of normalcy kept me sane.

Now, for my current Stage IV situation I have taken more time off. The fatigue with radiation really took it's toll on me. It was very hard to admit that the treatment got me down, nonetheless the extra rest is what my body needs. Listen to your body!

Best of luck with your decision.

ExpectAMiracle · 04-11-2007, 12:59 PM

I am currently on medical leave from my job. Started my leave the day of my lumpectomy and I just started chemo this week. I have worked for 23+ years for my employer and truly missing being there. But I have a job that requires lots of concentration and right now, I just don't have it. I plan to see how I feel as chemo continues and then decide when to go back. Currently, I will stay out until I complete chemo, at the end of June unless it's a "piece of cake". I'll be having rads and continuing Herceptin once I return to work.

It's a tough decision - I just feel that since I am able to be off, right now I need to concentrate on getting well so I will be 100% when I am able to return.

God bless you in your decision making process.

Mary Jo · 04-11-2007, 04:36 PM

Surgery, chemo, rads affect each of us differently. I chose to work throughout it all and thankfully my body cooperated with my decision. I work in a 4 year old kindergarten. I serve approximately 125 - 4 year olds breakfast and about 130 - 4 year olds lunch. I deliver all meals to each individual classroom. That is a trip to 18 different classrooms to bring the food - then bring the milk and then pick up at the end. It makes for about 5 miles a day just at work. I work 5 hours a day, 4 days a week. No 4 year old kindergarten on Weds., so that is my day off. My job and being able to continue working it throughout treatment was definitely a gift from God to me . God knew sitting around the house thinking would NOT have done me any good at all.

I had chemo every other Wed. (dose dense regimen) so that couldn't have worked out better for me with that being my day off. I would take off the Thurs., and Fri. after a chemo treatment though and was USUALLY ready for work on that following Monday. Also, I exercised throughout most of my chemo (usually a 2 mile powerwalk each day) and I must say I believe that benefited me tremendously.

But, as I said earlier, we all respond differently to it all. Whatever you decide will be what's best for you and will work out well for you also.

Hugs and love,

Mary Jo

gumoore · 04-11-2007, 06:15 PM

I am much like Michelle, I have kept working full-time. My only time off was chemo week (every 3rd week) to deal with side effects, and I went to work each morning after my radiation treatments.

Part of me has wanted "normal", but mostly I NEEDED work to help me through, provide a distraction. It has given me the opportunity to cope with the diagnosis and treatments without getting overwhelmed or too depressed.

After surgery, however, I will be taking time for me.

I do agree that it's the individual, and not the job that should dictate what you do or don't for work.

Good luck!
God bless.

Becky · 04-11-2007, 06:33 PM

I work a high powered 6 figure job too. I worked through it all but worked from home some days. Of course most of you know I travel alot in my job but I didn't then so I had clipped wings for about 7 months. This helped as it is the trying and tiring part of my job. My boss was great with me to let me work from home and even encouraged it (as it was the year where there was no flu shots readily available and I had chemo in the fall and winter).

Many times I was hunkered in bed with my trusty computer but I really felt it gave me something to do that was important to my family's well being (because at the time, my husband was a stay at home parent) so I felt very responsible at being able to ensure keeping my job (even though that never would have been an issue).

In the end, this is a very indivual decision.

Sheila · 04-12-2007, 04:45 AM

I was forced to give up a 6 figure job to have continuity with 1 oncologist. My job involved traveling and working in other states, sometimes for a period of months even a year...the job would pay for me to fly home once a month, but the fact that I am on Herceptin and on and off Xeloda, I had to make a decision as to staying with one oncologist, or job shopping each time....I decided my health came first, and being that I was stage IV, I received SSD with no problem.

janet11 · 04-12-2007, 06:05 AM

I worked, but have a job where I could work from home with my manager's support, and that worked fine. BUT, I will admit: I wasn't as effective as normal. But my boss was so delighted that I got as much done as I did, it really helped. And it gave me a good distraction from treatment.

However, I'm lucky that my job is 100% sitting down at a computer. I work with many people, but they are in several countries/states, so I NORMALLY work with them online or via phone. Working at home doesn't change that. And I'll admit I missed more days than I wanted to (or expected to). I probably was off a total of 6 weeks during my 6 cycles of TCH.

Janet