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?

I am midway through chemoimmunotherapy, and working part time as a secondary school teacher. I know everyone's experience is different and chemo regimes also vary considerably, but I am weirdly excited to see others describing their stories here. So far I have missed some work because of appointments, chemo days and illness (asthma probs worsened by the low immunity). I do feel tired at times and have been warned that that will get worse. However, I am privileged to have choices and working is helping me psychologically and also to support my respiratory fitness (lots of walking and stairs). Everyone has their own story and mine may not be helpful.

My employers are supportive but a little wary and looking to get the risk assessment right, for example.

@Enigma52 I work in a school too, when waiting for chemo to start I had a fit to work note stating part-time restricted duties. Now I am signed off until chemo finishes, my consultant was v clear I needed to be and tbh I don't think I would cope if I was, some days I also tired sitting up is a challenge. I've just accepted I will be lucky to back before the summer - it is v weird that school just goes on, makes me very aware that I'm actually not that important!

I know what you mean about not feeling that important. I was off 8 months in total, for my hysterectomy and secondary BC diagnosis. So much happened over the year school wise and I just rocked up at the end for the last 3 weeks!!

No idea how chemo will be. It's not even " 6 cycles then finished" I don't even know if it will work! If not, it's a new treatment and back to the start again. Bloody scary!

My brother worked for his GP surgery in the office so he had an understanding boss. He went in when he felt up to it, but only on light duties.

My sister worked through her 6 months of chemo. Her work knew about her diagnosis and she was allowed to work fully at home and not required to go in the office. She was allowed time off for medical appointments and I think she had a reduced work load too. She took time off to recover from her surgery post chemo

Yes , I really wish I had a WFH job right now. As much as I love my TA role, it most definitely isn't chemo compatible!

@Fatcrab even more reason to disclose it then, if they are making redundancies. It will give you extra protections. Good luck!

@coralsky Thanks. I think its just because my job isnt very demanding and is very flexible atm and I sort of feel like it could continue this way as its always been without raising suspicion. My boss and i speak maybe once a week briefly. I have on average one meeting per day with other clients. Im project based and can easily pop out for appointments....I was just thinking/hoping to keep it this way.🙏🏼

I worked in numerous schools and was told by my oncologist that the risk of infection was too high, so I had 7 months off - that included 5 weeks of radiotherapy. I wouldn’t have been able to work as it turned out, the side effects were bad. I hope your treatment goes well.

I worked through in the sense that i wasn’t signed off but i had weekly chemo and by the end was working maybe one day a week. My employer was very supportive though and we reorganized my role so that I was doing more standalone tasks so it had less impact on clients and colleagues. I had every side effect going and was very unwell. Another colleague having different chemo at the same time wasn’t so badly affected. It’s personal and unpredictable. Your employer is more likely to be supportive if you are upfront though.

Absolutely! I also work in a school- definitely not chemo compatible at all- it would be exhausting and you would pick up every bug going. I hope you’re coping ok with your chemo.

@Iwishiwasapolarbear thanks. It was meant to start yesterday, but moved back to next Wednesday instead. I'm dreading the whole experience! Second time around for me, 4th bloody cancer! Unbelievable! ☹️

Thank you any more experiences?

Op do you have a mortgage? When my friend was having chemo she asked her bank for a mortgage break... Unknown to her she had protection via her mortgage /bank that paid off her entire mortgage! She was quite bemused as she had no idea there was such a thing!! What a relief!.

Sorry to hear you're about to start chemo - your treatment plan and reaction will be very individual.

I have a 3 weekly infusion and daily tablets over 6 cycles. I always have a lull a few days after the infusion which coincides with the weekend. There is absolutely no way I would be able to concentrate to work - some days I sleep alot and just feel generally rubbish - like a bad flu. I can get up, shower, cook for myself and stay on the sofa most of the day but wouldn't feel up to working.

As time has gone on the "lull" has increased and extends into the first part of the following week, then I start to pick up towards the middle of week 2. I have days when I feel able to go out and do things and week 3, I feel pretty okay - but it's taken up with blood tests, clinic reviews and then chemo again.

I'm self employed, I managed to work some shorter days in the 1st 3 cycles, but have found fatigue and tiredness to be a problem (even with dose tweaks) as treatment has progressed.

I would definitely speak to your medical team and employer - treatment can be unpredictable and I can have days that ! expect to feel okay but I just feel wiped out. It's possible you may need to take days off when you're not expecting to.

Good luck with your treatment.