New member intro and questions

Hi sorry you find yourself here but you will find lots of answers to your questions. I was diagnosed in May and had chemo in Sept to jan I was able to work throughout. I was very fortunate that I could work from home and do things at my pace, no pressure from my manager. My normal role would be very different working with families in the community but because of the risk if infection I couldn't do this so I was lucky to join another team temporarily working virtually.

I have recently had a mastectomy and was given a note for 4 weeks but am planning on going back on Thursday as I have had two appointments this week. 

I think it has done me good to work, it's kept me in touch with  people at work, I have attended virtual training and if not been impacted financially.

During chemo I did what I could some days were harder than others but I learnt to recognise a pattern. 

Good luck xxx

Thank you for your response lfc74.  That is encouraging.  I am happy now to have moved my business home, it means I have no pressures with overheads if the business and my long-term regular clients will follow. I will do the same, planning on resting completely for 5 to 7 days after each cycle then just a few hours work to try and have some normality in life for tge following 2 begore next cycle.  I work one to one and yes infection is probably an increased risk but my clients will have no problem wearing a mask and I have good ventilation in the room.

Will take it a day at a time though.

Hope all goes well for you back at work after your mastectomy xxxx

Hi Olivia,

Last July I was diagnosed with grade 3, stage 2, triple negative bc with 2 nodes involved at 35. I also had pain in the breast too which got stronger over time - my lump had a unique presence, I could feel it without needing to touch it! I did 5 months of chemo: 4xEC every 2 weeks and 12 x weekly Taxol and worked throughout everything. Like you, I'm self employed and work from home, and after seeing what support I would get, I thought that even if I only did a few hours a week, I would be better off financially. I spoke to my clients and they were very understanding to adjust work flow as needed.

As it happens, I felt largely very good during chemo and I worked almost full time (apart from the time when I would be at the hospital). Everyone is completely different, but personally I found that working helped me to stay focused and motivated and was a really important part of my daily routine (I'm not sure I ever viewed work in such a positive way before lol). It really helped me to feel more like myself. In the beginning I had no clue what to expect and how I would feel from the chemo, but happily it worked out ok for me. 

It's definitely possible to continue working during chemo, but I guess the important part is to listen to your body, do what feels right for you and maintain a level of flexibility to adjust your schedule if things get too much.

Best of luck with everything x