Teaching and radiotherapy

Hi Juzeus, can I ask if you’ve had chemotherapy and when it stopped if you did? Because that would further raise your risk. As I understand it radiotherapy does affect the immune system and it’s still a time to be cautious, you are still mid treatment but being self employed is really worrying and understandable you’re keen to get back. I was tired when undergoing radiotherapy but I had a young child and wasn’t working, I think from a practical point of view you may cope with a reduced workload but everyone reacts differently. I really think discuss it with your specialist team because there in a risk of infection, I work on a primary ( not atm!) so I know they are germ spreaders!! Good luck xx

Hi Anna 12345 , thank you for your reply to my first ever post. No, l didn't have chemo first just the surgery. Tbh, l just want to get organized but although I am English l live in Malta and the team won't discuss any possibilities before results. I guess l just have to be patient. Thank you xx

Ah that’s awkward. In which case I’d really recommend you call the Macmillan advice line, they are excellent and may be able to guide you a bit x good luck x

Hi, it might get worth followingbthe radiotherapy post I've had loads of helpful information from the ladies there. 

P.S I love Malta x 

Hi  and another warm welcome to the forum. Sorry you find yourself here but I’ve found it a great place for support and shared experiences. 

I was a special needs teacher when I was diagnosed and initially thought I’d have a couple of weeks off after the same op that you had. I’d also been told that my likely treatment would be radiotherapy and hormone blocking tablets. I thought I’d probably go back to school between my op and rads, then possibly work through rads depending on the timing. How wrong I was!! I ended up being off for 4 months! This covered me for 4 weeks after rads finished, which was advised by the consultant radiologist whom I saw in my last week of radiotherapy. My school were very supportive and encouraged me to take the time I needed. I realise how lucky I was to have great employers and also sick pay. 

Obviously we’re all different in how we respond and cope with treatment but I definitely could not have gone back sooner. Age may also play a part; I was 59 when diagnosed.

Good luck with your decision and further treatment. Wishing you well and sending love and a big virtual hug, HFxx

Thank you, l will have a look. Yes, Malta is nice but l'm also desperate to get back to UK to see my elderly parents- haven't seen them since just before Covid hit and finally planned to go this week- and then this happened!  Hopefully in the not too distant future. Thanks for your advice

Thank you HappyFeet1 . It's a big help to hear other people s experiences. I hope you are through it now. I am 53 so not far off. I'm thinking it's better to stop my kids sessions to give myself space and also not to let then down by stopping midway through a term. The fact that they won't give me an indicator of even like when rads would start after the post op consultation means l have no idea of a timeline. I guess I have to be a bit more patient until l know for sure. I'm so pleased I found this group- it's a godsend to talk to people who have been through it. Thank you xx

Thank you for your advice. I will try it

Hi , yes it's frustrating not to know when things will happen. But although they gave me some rough timelines they were inaccurate (I waited much longer for rads than expected because I had to wait till after my oncology appointment, which seemed to take ages to come through). In some ways I think it's better not to have a timescale in mind as it's then disappointing when things don't happen! There were 10 weeks between my op and start of rads. I'd expected 6 weeks but in the end I was glad for the delay as I was more healed by then. Unfortunately you are in that horrible 'limbo' stage where the waiting feels endless, but somehow the time passes! Sounds sensible to stop the sessions, at this time you have to try to put yourself first - goes against the grain as a teacher but a useful skill to learn! HFxx