Anyone worked through chemo?

[Fatcrab]

Starting chemo in a few weeks and I really want to say the bare minimum to my work. My boss is nice and I am allowed to wfh so it will be pretty flexible. Obvs I dont know how il reapond to the treatment, but I do know there will be some up and down days, so hoping to manage work around rhis.

Can I hear your experiences?

Does your business use The Bradford Factor to measure sickness record? If so, bite the bullet and take sick leave with KIT days when you feel better.
There will be days, up to weeks, when you really aren't up to working.
If you work for a smaller company and have more flexibility then see how you go as you will have many good days, especially in the early stages.

My experience is skewed because I had 4 months off after surgery and chemo when I was already taking it easy.
I hope you have the best possible experience.

I had chemo 4 years ago. I didn't work through it. I was off work from the day of diagnosis for approximately 18 months (had surgery, chemo and then maintenance therapy).

I was quite poorly before and after surgery. I found chemo relatively easy with minimal side effects but I wouldn't have liked to have worked at the same time. I had 6 cycles and the last 3 were the worst.

I guess it depends what cancer you have, the effect of any surgery, and the type of chemo.

But honestly, you have cancer. Take the time for treatment and focus on your recovery. You will regret prioritising work and it will still be there when you finish treatment.

Worked through it as in went to work on the non chemo days. My chemo was 7 hours long though so didn't go in that day.

Cancer is now a protected characteristic.

I’m currently having chemo and have not worked during it. This is a challenge as I’m self employed and do not have sick pay. I wouldn’t have been able to work on chemo days, sessions for me could be four hours long as I am cold capping to preserve some hair. I have to attend for blood tests the day before too.

Through the first drug (paclitaxel) I had some days where I felt very grotty or was sick but in general could keep to routines.

The second set of drugs (EC) has more of an impact, along with bone marrow stimulant injections which give me back and leg pain. Days 4-7 I find it hard to walk more than 50 yards and need to sleep. The steroids also have an impact on sleep. The second week I have been ok so far.

it really depends on the regime you’re in and your reaction.

I’m sorry you’re in this situation. There has been good advice from other posters.

I was given loads of steroids before starting chemo (I was very weak after surgery). I went into my first chemo session in a wheelchair and afterwards I left walking because the pre chemo dose of steroids had given me a huge boost. I crashed a few days later. After 4 years I've probably forgotten a lot of the side effects, but I remember really bad constipation, insomnia from the steroids, changes to taste, neuropathy in my hands and feet, tingling in my mouth. Compared to some people I got off lightly.

I also think the whole trauma of the diagnosis and treatment side effects had a major impact on my ability to concentrate. I'm an avid reader, but for the first year or so I really struggled to concentrate and absorb information. Any books or tv shows I read or watched during my time off sick I have little recollection of. I was also very emotional and not sure I could have coped with the demands of work.

Also although you may think, it's only, for example, 6 chemo sessions there may be lots of appointments for scans, pre chemo blood tests etc that you need to attend. My chemo session took 6 - 7 hours too.

I worked through chemo, but I'm self employed and working from home.
Financially I needed to work, but it also gave me a focus throughout the brain fog and fuzziness of chemo.
However, I worked at a much slower rate, and with each chemo I suffered more and more with fatigue.
The fatigue carried on through radiation afterwards and for a good year afterwards too, which you need to be prepared for.

My friend is, she's freelance and has no income otherwise.

We're all really worried about her, if I'm being honest. If you do work for a company and you have decent sick leave/pay then i think you really should make use of them. It's what they're for.

I couldn’t work, I was so sick. Chemo brain, fatigue ( I could sleep 22 hours and still be exhausted). I lost so much weight from the vomiting I got bed sores. I was only in my 20’s. Constipation-which was agony. Mouth ulcers. Bone aches.
Although I didn’t have a dedicated nurse asking how I was (I had to travel a few hours for treatment and the treatment was long, over 24 weekly, I was admitted to the ward so never really saw the same nurse). I know this has changed and if someone had asked about my symptoms, there were medications that could have eased them.

Look after yourself and be honest with how you are feeling. I also tried to hide symptoms to stop family worrying (there had been a recent death from cancer in the family).

I finished chemo in December, I was on a 3 week regime for 6 rounds. There are lots of variables to chemotherapy, how often you will be having it, which drugs you will be given and for how long.

It’s very common to have a treatment delayed by a week or even two because your blood count needs a little longer to recover or if you’re unwell with a cold so not feeling great.

Chemotherapy is gruelling mentally as well as physically and your side effects can vary from one treatment to the next.

I started chemotherapy with a mind set of ‘You will not pull me down, I will carry on with my life as much as possible’ 😊 I quickly realised I would have to accept I wasn’t in charge and would have to go with the flow and there would be days I slept away, days I simply felt horrible and days I would ride the emotional rollercoaster.

It’s tough but you will get through it. Be kind to yourself xx

I settled into a routine of chemo on a Thursday, taking the Thursday as sick leave and then the Friday & Monday as either sick or holiday leave.
Agree it sends your Bradford score haywire to have lots of short absences so if your company sets store by that, have a conversation with them. Mine use it as a guide only so my boss was completely sympathetic and just disregarded it entirely.

I work part time only & got permission to work entirely from home. I was extremely lucky and did not get any colds or illnesses the whole time, which also helped.

I had EC followed by Docetaxel and I'm 42, if that's helpful. My kids were just about old enough to be sympathetic and my DH was reliably picking up all the essential chores- all this stuff makes a difference. Felt like I got off easy compared to many.

Also factor in that it might get harder as you go (sorry)- my first few rounds I felt pretty much back to normal by the time the next one rolled around. By the end, not so much.

Good luck

Not personally but I've seen patients and colleagues work through chemo.

Every chemo is different- your team can advise you if they are giving you something known to be tough.

And every person is different so you can't predict whether you are going to be floored or fly through it.

Your employer can only make reasonable adjustments if you tell them. If your boss is nice why not tell them but make it clear you aren't sharing beyond your line management.

I worked throughout my chemo, which lasted 4 months. Only my boss knew. I’d go for treatment on a Thursday so would be awol most of the day depending on appointment time, catch up with some work on Friday. I don’t work Fridays but couldn’t go out due to infection risks so happy to catch up with work missed on the Thursday. I’d go downhill Saturday Sunday and Monday so again would not work, maybe check a few emails then I’d be back to normal Tuesday like nothing had happened. I wasn’t self employed and my treatment was never recorded as sick leave. If you are well enough to work why not? Keeps your mind busy.

One of my team has. She has only told me and gave me permission to tell my own line manager. Our scheduling team know there is an underlying problem, but know they have to absolutely accept my word for what she s & isn't available to do.

I would suggest that you consider telling someone who will also be able to do a risk assessment, depending upon the nature of your role and ensure that reasonable adjustments are made. For example, my team member should be available for last minute cover, but I removd her from the on call list. It's never been queried.

Yes. I had my chemo at three weekly intervals on Thursday afternoons. I knew I would want to sleep the day after, so I warned my boss that I would be off sick for those Fridays. I had each Saturday and Sunday to get back up to speed.

I wfh four days a week which made losing my hair easier to manage. Travelled into London on the 5th day.

It was hard work but I was the only person doing my job in the company and I didn't want to let them down. Plus as a single mum, I needed my job and didn't want to give them an excuse to get rid of me.

I'm starting chemo next Wednesday. Doxorubicin for a leiomysarcoma. 6 cycles, 3 weeks apart.

I'm a TA in an SEN school. No idea how I'm going to cope. I've already had 8 months off for a Hysterectomy and cancer diagnosis. Only returned last July! Now the cancer is back and I'm facing it all again!

If they sack me, so me, so be it!

@Enigma52 Im so sorry to hear that. Esp being a TA you need to be in school obviously. Are you going to speak to them or just see how you go? What was last years experience of treatment like?

@Enigma52 I’m sorry to hear that too. Cancer is a protected characteristic and classed as a disability. Do you have a union who could set your mind at rest?

@Fatcrab I'm on half term this week, but will speak to the Head beginning of next.

My first chemo is Wednesday 26th. I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, late 23 and started chemo drugs in January 24. It took me until May 24 to feel okay and I returned to work in July. All was well, until December 24, when a sarcoma was discovered, hence the need for chemo.

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic yes I spoke to a union advisor, yesterday. He recommended I get fit note for the first two cycles, to see how I tolerate treatment. So that is what I have done.

There's no flexibility with my job obviously. No WFH or admin. You are either in and well, or you are off sick, unwell.

Good luck @Fatcrab Let's hope we get on okay.

Ive also got an hours travel to the hospital and back, for the first two cycles. Hopefully, if I tolerate it, I can have treatment closer to home, at the local hospice. That will help.

OP, there were lots of little things that no-one warned me about. My chemo was docetaxel. I suspect reactions are very individual.

I found that I kept dropping things because my finger tips weren't registering how tightly I was holding on to things, or the feeling in my fingertips had changed. Writing with a pen, and accurate typing took concentration.

I found my perception of speed/distance was off, not by much but enough to make driving a bit hair raising for a few hours until I realised and adjusted.

My feet swelled, too little to be visible but enough to mean none of my shoes fit for a few weeks.

I lost fine control of my vocal cords for a week or so, and I sounded like a teenage boy, a bit wavery.

All things that added to the challenge of working through chemo. Be ready to adjust and allow yourself time to adapt. Be kind to yourself. Good luck. xx

Employers are not allowed to use the Bradford factor against someone off sick from work with cancer. It's a disability and has to be recorded separately

I'm not sure if you mean you're planning on not telling them but I'd highly encourage you do disclose it, even if it's just the basics.
Cancer is a protected characteristic so without disclosing it you'd leave yourself open to sickness/ capability procedures which is something you don't want to be worrying about during chemo.

@coralsky We have redundancies coming up, i know its a protected characteristic....but we all know discrimination takes place.

You are putting yourself at higher risk of redundancy by not telling them and then (likely) needing a fair few random sick days etc. Cancer is a protected characteristic, and you might want to use this wording when you inform them.

There's a great charity called Working with Cancer that I recommend you speak to. They can help you with anything from wording to disclosure decisions.

I did work through chemo, but patchily. In chemo weeks I only usually managed 2 days of work. On non chemo weeks, I worked 5 days, but often shorter days. And by the end of treatment, I was so exhausted that I called in sick for the last cycle in it's entirety. I had nothing left.

My situation was a bit unique in that I'm fairly senior and my CEO had cared for her sister during cancer treatment, so she knew the drill, and I could be sure that she'd have my back.