Hi there i am new here so thankyou in advance for your advise.
I was diagnosed in June with stage 3 cervical cancer. Since that diagnosis I have been on sick leave from work. I finished treatment 8 weeks ago.
At first I was extremely fatigued but that is getting better, my sick note runs out tomorrow and I am really unsure if I am ready both physically and mentally to return to work. I have an MRI booked end of December to check progress but I am finding the wait and uncertainty is starting to affect me just not sure what to do.
Hi Sue1025ce1211 and welcome to our group.
I was hoping that someone in a similar situation might have replied, and hopefully they will as my reply will put your post to the top of the page again.
Treatment for stage 3 cervical cancer is tough, and intense, so try not to be too hard on yourself about where you think you “should” be in your feelings and recovery. We are all different.
I went through chemoradiation for my stage 2b cervical cancer, and found it very tiring. I was lucky in that I was already retired at the time of my diagnosis, and to be honest was very glad not to have the worry of work along with the cancer to deal with.
My fatigue got worse through treatment, and it was a side effect that I found very difficult to deal with. It lasted longer than any other side effect after treatment finished.
It’s good to read that you are feeling less fatigued now, but I think the fact that you are questioning whether you feel ready to go back to work indicates that you are doubting yourself and perhaps still need some further time off, and some help maybe in dealing with the emotional effects of your cancer and treatment.
In your position, I’d make an appointment with your gp to talk through how you’re feeling, and see what help he/she can offer. As your fit note runs out tomorrow, you would need to have the gp provide another one and maybe you could explore having some type of therapy to help deal with the emotional and psychological effects of everything. Personally, I don’t think these can be underestimated!
Your upcoming post treatment scan is always a time of increased anxiety, so perhaps it would be beneficial all round to return to work after you have the results for this? I had a few weeks wait for my consultant appointment for my scan results and remember how stressful this period of waiting was.
I’d also recommend calling your manager to keep them in the loop, and tell them that you are waiting to see your gp again to discuss your fitness to return to work.
I think it’s important not to compare yourself to others. Some ladies work all through treatment, and return to work soon after, but I know I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Please don’t beat yourself up if you feel you need longer to recover-the treatment is a lot to deal with and can have huge effects on us. You need to take care of yourself first and foremost and put your feelings as a priority.
I hope it might have helped a little to see another person’s perspective and that you’ll let us know how you get on. You are very welcome to be part of our group.
Sarah xx
The mental struggle can be almost as much as the physical one, so definitely reach out for help. I hope all goes well with chatting to your manager.
Sarah xx
Hi Sue
I’m so glad to read this, and I hope that will take a weight off your shoulders for a time. Your manager sounds very supportive which is just what you need right now.
I know you’ll have the worry about your scan somewhere in your mind, and the uncertainty leading up to scans can be really difficult. But at least you know that work doesn’t need to be a concern immediately, so I hope that helps make things more bearable.
Sarah xx
