Work and chemotherapy

Hi Gez60 welcome to the forum and sorry to hear about the mixed messages that you are getting it is not easy. Sadly there is not an easy answer to your query either.  It depends a lot on the type of work that you do if for example you work in a busy place with lots of people the  Chemo will both tire you and also make you more susceptible to infection due to your lowered immune system during Chemo. Set that beside current Covid worries and that makes for a bad combination in respect of your own well being having undergone Chemo 

The other side of that coin is that lots of folks continue to work throughout if they felt well enough after treatment and between treatments. This helped them with their Mental well being. Im so sorry not to be of more help I think it has to be a personal choice and one that can be changed if and when required if that makes sense?

Maybe the best thing to do is to post your query in the Ask a Nurse part of this site and see if they can offer any details for you that would help you to make your decision.

As Granny59 says, it will depend on what you do. I worked throughout all treatment but I work from home and I'm self-employed so I needed to work and I could do it safely.

I was put on the official covid shielding list when I started chemo and I am still on it now(finished chemo in January).

You are extremely vulnerable to infection when you're on chemo so if you need to see people, then that seems very risky, especially with covid cases rising so fast again and restrictions easing.

I'm sill very careful of who I see and am lucky that I can still work from home - but government advice for me is to still work from home even at the lowest levels of covid restrictions when everything is opening up. I didn't see anyone at all during chemo and my husband did cilck and collect at the shops to avoid people.

Of course, it's your own choice but make sure you know the risks if you have a job where you need to interact with people.

I found the working itself tough at times but doable. I had the first few days off after chemo and was actually grateful to keep my brain going when my body felt rough.

Hope you can come to a decision, but maybe you could also just see how you feel?

Hi ,

im having EC CHEMO HAD 4 lots and working.I have chemo week off .then 2wks at work before next one . Depends how you feel 

Hi Gez60

I worked throughout my chemo and radiotherapy treatment, had the chemo wk off. I worked from home as critically vulnerable. I am now taking time off to recover as my body feels battered. Do what you feel is right for you and assess how you feel. Working sometimes is a good distraction. Good luck.

I work from home and have continued throughout chemo with a few hours off here and there each cycle when I have felt too tired.  I think we are all different and whilst my oncologist suggests I should take a week off each time, I know that wouldn’t¡t be good for me as I need to keep busy and focussed.  I'd suggest doing what you feel works for you xx