Returning to work

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Hi everyone,

I was wondering what people's experiences are in relation to returning to work post treatment.

I'm 46 and was diagnosed in January 2021 and since then have completed 4 courses of chemo, a Stem Cell Transplant in January 2022 and 2 more courses of chemo ending in April this year. I'm now on numerous tablets for various reasons including Lenalidomide more specifically for Myeloma.

Despite feeling really good in general, I'm certainly not fit enough to work at the moment as I have severe Neuropathy in my feet which affects my mobility plus I still get tired pretty quickly when undertaking physical activities. Getting through a days work seems a million miles away at the moment.

I guess I'm in a place where I just don't know what to expect now all my treatment and STC are out of the way.

Any help is appreciated.

Paulo

Thehighlander over 1 year ago

Hi Paulo Paulo S. I don’t have Myeloma but have had two Allo (donor) Stem Cell Transplants (SCT) for my rare incurable type of NHL Stage 4a diagnosed back in 1999.

After working trough my many treatment for the first 13 years it took early retirement from teaching due to my condition getting worse then 2 years later I had my two Allo SCTs. Had I still been working I honestly could have went straight back to teaching a month after my first Allo as I was physically ok (this was due to the conditioning that was used pre SCT - hit my name community name for my story) but obviously the infection risks would have stopped me doing this for a good 6 months.

I was very ill following my second Allo with my recovery lasting a few years….. If I had still been teaching I would have had to give up my job as the system would not have supported me that amount of time.

We do actually have a dedicated Stem cell transplant group so you may want to post your questioning there as well.

You may find this thread in the SCT group helpful Life after a SCT - A Survivor's Guide

Mike (Thehighlander)

It always seems impossible until its done - Nelson Mandela

My cancer story

JoR over 1 year ago

Hi Paulo, You have had a tough time with all your treatment and it does change you. With me on returning to work I sort of lost my confidence and felt I had missed a whole chunk of what was going on and was a fish out of water. Part of me wanted to go back and part of me didn’t. It was weird being free of hospital appts! It has taken some time to adjust but luckily my boss and colleagues have been understanding.
If I was you when you feel ready have a conversation with your boss to see if you can get a gradual return to work plan agreed. I had a conversation with my boss and it was agreed that I could reduce my hours for a term and also if necessary do a bit of work from home to avoid travelling etc. and have a rest. That was a great help and now I just try to pace myself and take rest when needed. Some people change their lifestyles and work completely and maybe that’s something you might feel the need to do. You are strong and I am sure you will make the right decisions for yourself. Good luck.

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