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Should I start new job now, or wait? Cancer related.

5 replies

Decapitatedsausage · 07/01/2025 15:57

Please can you advise me on what to do as I keep going round in circles! Sorry it’s long, the short version is, am I being stupid starting a new job now after cancer with some more treatment still to come?

In May last year I was running my own company but we made the decision (for various reasons!) that I would close this and go back to work for someone else. We decided to use savings to top up husbands income and I wouldn’t get another job until September so I could be at home with kids over holidays to save us childcare issues. We were comfortable doing this, and I closed business with the plan of looking for a new job end of August.

Over the summer however, I became unwell and was diagnosed with cancer. It’s a ‘good’ cancer and I’m going to be fine, but I’ve had 2 surgeries since then, one of which had complications leading to 6 weeks bed bound and needing regular hospital admissions. I now need one further block of treatment, which won’t make me poorly, but will mean I’m going to be in isolation for a few weeks. I also am currently having weekly blood tests due to complications, and we are tweaking medication levels which is causing me some side affects, including exhaustion and brain fog.

Basically, it’s been a massive curve ball at a vulnerable time and it’s decimated our savings. We were expecting to have my income by September, and are now struggling as my husband has needed a lot of unpaid time off too to care for me and our kids. We were incredibly naive, and in hindsight I could kick myself many times over, but we thought we had a good plan with safety margins built in,

I have recently been approached by 2 different companies to work for them - both jobs are quite hardcore with full time hours, but would solve all our financial problems. However, I can usually do 1-3 days normal life before I crash and need to spend a day in bed with utter exhaustion, but I’m wondering if I could push through this if my husband supported everything else at home.

DH initially said it was too soon, but now financial implications are hitting us, he’s swayed more towards me trying, though he would support any decision I made. If money were no object I’d definitely say it was too soon too, but given that I’m so worried about money, I don’t know what to do now.

Sorry this is so long, can anyone help me decide what to do? I have 2 interviews lined up for next week and as the times getting closer I just feel panicked!

OP posts:
Putyourshoesonnownownow · 07/01/2025 15:59

Can you be open with the companies and ask for a staggered start? They'd rather you were paid for, and worked, 3-4 days a week, rather than paid for 5 and went off sick 1 or 2 days a week.
Sorry you've been unwell though, I hope recovery continues and you're back to full health soon.

Decapitatedsausage · 07/01/2025 16:04

Putyourshoesonnownownow · 07/01/2025 15:59

Can you be open with the companies and ask for a staggered start? They'd rather you were paid for, and worked, 3-4 days a week, rather than paid for 5 and went off sick 1 or 2 days a week.
Sorry you've been unwell though, I hope recovery continues and you're back to full health soon.

Thank you for replying, one of them couldn’t facilitate this, but the other possibly could. I need to buy a car in order to go back to work as we sold mine to bolster savings as I was unable to drive anyway. I’m aware that this might mean working for “nothing” in the short term if I went back part time. The mental sums I’m doing hurt my head!

OP posts:
Vinvertebrate · 07/01/2025 16:13

I wouldn’t if it could possibly be avoided. I had cancer treatment nearly 20 years ago, and my initially very accommodating employer was less so when I finished treatment and still couldn’t do FT. My neutrophils were so low that I got every virus going, the brain fog took months to lift, I was still being checked/scanned for recurrence so frequently at the hospital, periods/hormones all over the shop, and even psychologically I found it harder than expected to “get back to normal”.

Just my experience ofc. I think you are very brave to consider this though. 💐

Decapitatedsausage · 07/01/2025 16:51

Vinvertebrate · 07/01/2025 16:13

I wouldn’t if it could possibly be avoided. I had cancer treatment nearly 20 years ago, and my initially very accommodating employer was less so when I finished treatment and still couldn’t do FT. My neutrophils were so low that I got every virus going, the brain fog took months to lift, I was still being checked/scanned for recurrence so frequently at the hospital, periods/hormones all over the shop, and even psychologically I found it harder than expected to “get back to normal”.

Just my experience ofc. I think you are very brave to consider this though. 💐

Thank you for replying, can I ask how long you think you needed to recover? I hope you are in good health now Flowers

Everything you have described is my reality right now, I feel like if I could just shift the brain fog I could think clearly enough to figure this out! My consultant has said he thinks it’s too soon, there’s still another 2 months left on my recent sick note.

Im not sure I’m brave so much as desperate, but I’m really grateful for your reply. Thank you x

OP posts:
Decapitatedsausage · 07/01/2025 19:44

I’m just bumping incase any one else who’s been through similar can post. I’d love to have an idea of expected time scales before others felt able to go back? Thank you x

OP posts:
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