Breast Cancer and Your Job

Scripture of the Day:

Job 29:3

            By His light I walked through the darkness

Breast Cancer and Your Job

Breast cancer can and will effect your job. I was diagnosed on March 3 and in that month following the diagnosis, I had 2 doctor's appointments or MRIs or blood work per week. I had my mastectomy on March 28th. After that surgery, I was out for 6 weeks. When I came back to work, I had my chemo therapy treatments. Fortunately, I was a school teacher and school ended and I could finish those treatments without effecting my job. I was also very fortunate in the high school where I worked, Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach. They bent over backwards for me. It effect my position non what-so-ever. Not all are so fortunate. 

How will you balance your disease and your job? The following article should give you some insight.

The impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on work life can vary from person to person. For some people, the effect is minimal. You may have an understanding supervisor, a flexible schedule, and an encouraging team to support you through treatment. For others, there might be some questions about how to manage work and treatment: What do I tell my boss? Should I take time off from work for treatment? How will I pay the bills?

This section offers ways to manage the emotional, physical, and legal aspects of balancing your job and your treatment:

• Telling Your Boss and Co-Workers About Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
• The first question you may want to ask yourself when thinking about talking to your boss or coworkers about your breast cancer diagnosis is “Should I tell?” You don’t have to tell anyone at work, unless it is apparent that your diagnosis or treatment will interfere with your ability to work or your work schedule. Keep in mind that if you decide not to discuss your health at work, some questions may be raised if your productivity level is affected, or if you miss a lot of time at work due to treatment appointments.
  You might decide to just tell some people — your supervisor, your closest colleagues, or someone with whom you share responsibilities. Or, you could decide to tell everything to everyone, depending on how comfortable you feel. So how do you tell them, and what do you tell them? Keep in mind that people may react differently; you may receive great amounts of support from some coworkers, while others might not be as comfortable with the conversation.
  Your comfort is the most important, so do what feels right for you. Here are some things you might want to try to make the discussion a little easier:
  • Have the conversation in a comfortable, yet private area.
  • Talk to your co-workers in smaller groups of one to three people, to make conversation easier.
  • Assure your team of your commitment to your job. Explain that you will do everything in your power to do the best job you can. For example, you can ask someone to handle your duties when you’re not at work and you’ll follow up when you return.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask your co-workers for help and understanding.Explain that you may need some flexibility in your schedule and support in some projects.
  • Explain that you will keep everyone posted on your health as needed.Allow coworkers to ask some questions about your situation — most likely, they care and want to help. At the same time, if they seem to be asking too many questions, let them know that you appreciate their concern, but that you’d like to focus on work.
  • Discuss a possible change in your appearance. You may experiencehair loss, for example, if you’ll be having chemotherapy treatments.
• Working During Treatment
• While some people choose to take some time off from work during treatment for breast cancer, others decide to work through treatment. If you’ve chosen to work during your treatment, let your doctor know. Your doctor may be able to scheduletreatments around your working hours or give you suggestions on dealing with work stress while in treatment. Also, you can ask your doctor if any of your treatments have side effects that could affect your daily routine. Side effects such as nausea and fatigue may have an influence on daily work routines. Learn how to manage side effects associated with some breast cancer treatments.
  Sometimes, people undergoing breast cancer treatment experience thinking and memory problems, or “cognitive” effects. Cognitive effects such as memory lossand lack of concentration can have an impact on work. If you’re finding that it’s hard to stay focused, or you’re forgetting important things, it may be helpful to keep a work journal. In your journal, you may want to:
  • Record meetings and appointments on paper with time and date, who the appointment was with, and what was discussed. You can keep track of work meetings and doctor’s appointments.
  • Jot down important conversations. Make notes that include ideas you want to remember and decisions made during the conversation. If you have regular meetings at work, bring your journal for note-taking.
  • Track deadlines. List when things are due, and keep a timeline of goals met along the way.
  • Make a to-do list and add to it each time you think of something new. Check off items as you accomplish them.
  • Set realistic goals for tasks to be completed. Try to stick to your goals if you can, but don’t push yourself too hard.
  • Keep a written schedule to help you remember your work days and days off.
  If you have health insurance, it’s also a good idea to keep track of certain medical information. You may want to write down the dates of doctor’s visits and any hospitalizations, as well as names and dosages of medications. Keep copies of insurance claims and correspondence, in case any questions come up about what’s covered. Keep all of this information in a safe place, along with the rest of your medical records and any financial or legal information. If you don’t have health insurance, you can learn about other ways to manage treatment costs in our section on Paying for Your Care.
• Taking Time Off Work for Treatment
• Self-Employed and In Treatment
• Looking for a New Job
• Recognizing and Responding to Discrimination at Work

The last four bullets can be found at the following website:
Your Job

I just wanted to put a few things on this site and encourage to look at the website for yourself. I hope that you are as fortunate as I am when it came to my work environment.

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you,.