What if you are too tired to work during radiation trmts?

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lauren08
lauren08 Member Posts: 29
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Read some women have worked during their rad tmts, what if you are too tired to function properly at your job? Being in the field of medicine,very demanding,fast paced,stand all day,very stressful which I must be alert at All times so there is No room for Fatigue! What if I couldn't keep up? Since I'm NOT married,I NEED to work min of 32 hrs to keep my health insurance. I know that working outside the home helps to keep my MIND busy & not dwell on this but what if my BODY doesn't want to cooperate??

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  • Joycelouise
    Joycelouise Member Posts: 482
    #2
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    I did not feel fatique
    I did not feel fatique noticeably during rads and I had it at four sites for 6 weeks. My doc. explained that this much radiation is not as tiring as some of the other treatments with radiation that you hear about. All in all, except for the inconvenience, rads was doable. I got the first appt. in the morning and went right to work afterwards. Best wishes for you in your treatment, love, Joyce
  • EveningStar2
    EveningStar2 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #3
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    Tired too
    I'm having radiation right now and some days are fine but some days are not. I'm unemployed, so I'm living on unemployment (sorta, I'm the breadwinner for a family of three and it isn't quite working). I have stated a couple of times that it may be a good thing that I'm not working because I'm not sure that I could do it. Today was a bad one. I've told people that I feel like a puppy--go, go, go and then drop in my tracks. Other days are fine.

    Are there any programs in your area to help pay expenses during treatment? Can you take some sort of medical leave/reduced hours at work that would allow you to keep your benefits?

    Maureen
  • Derbygirl
    Derbygirl Member Posts: 198
    #4
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    We all react differently to
    We all react differently to radiation so don't expect to feel a certain way. You may be one of the lucky ones and not have a problem. Fatigue and the inconvenience of treatment every day were problems for me, but I continued to work throughout radiation. I had chemo prior to that so the cumulative effect of fatigue made it more of a challenge. I'm in an office environment so it's not as demanding as your job. I scheduled treatment in the middle of the day during lunch hour and it didn't disrupt my schedule too much. If you are unable to work can you take FMLA time off or disability? Good luck!
  • Cindy54
    Cindy54 Member Posts: 452
    #5
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    Ask
    Lauren...I went through radiatipon pretty good for the first 4 weeks. Then the fatigue hit me. I also worked on my feet a lot. Standing. We also did a lot of 12 hour days. And I was going to school two nights a week. I was just plain pooped. My company had short term disability insurance, which I paid for. But I did not get anything for 5 weeks...I was off for 7 weeks. I even did my paperwork on time. They did have a two week, no pay thing, but my 4 week check took it's time getting here. And I could not get welfare or food stamps either, I tried. They told me I was not eligible because the insurance was pending. But they did offer me $10 in food stamps. Being a single person also, I really could only wait things out. So, even though I was supposed to be resting and getting stronger, well, the stress did not help me. If you need to be off work during your treatments, see if your employer has a leave of absence you can take. Do they offer disability insurance? How are the publice assistance laws in your state, can you get some help there? Cover all your bases. If you have to work 32 hours, can you break that time up...4 hours at a time, or 8 hours one day, skip a day, 4 hours, etc. Is there anyone there at your place of business who can tell you the facts, not just what is good for the company? I wish you well, please let us know how things go....hugs, Cindy
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #6
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    it seems to me
    It seems to me that your employer in the medical field might be understanding if you are experiencing common side effects of cancer treatments. Maybe you could share jobs with someone who has a less demanding one for a while, till you get your strength back. Maybe you could do some office work some days and someone else could do the more physical stuff. It may take a while, but you will get stronger once the treatments are over. Maybe you could ask if there is some work you could do from home on the days you don't feel able to get to work. Talk to your Doctors and nurses if they know how other patients have handled such a situation, or contact the local branch of the American Cancer Society to see if they have advice.

    I hope you find a solution soon, seof
  • lauren08
    lauren08 Member Posts: 29
    #7
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    Thanks everyone
    Thanks for your suggestions...I guess after I discuss with the surgeon the next step if he mentions RADS I could ask him if it got to be too much to work full time is he can put me on Disability for short term. I know we have it b/c I had a hernia operation a few yrs ago & was out for 6 wks. I work in a high volume pharmacy. There is no office work, no sitting, no chairs allowed,so switching jobs with someone isn't an option either.

    Thanks again, will keep you posted. My appt is 3/17.
  • Derbygirl
    Derbygirl Member Posts: 198
    #8
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    lauren08 said:

    Thanks everyone
    Thanks for your suggestions...I guess after I discuss with the surgeon the next step if he mentions RADS I could ask him if it got to be too much to work full time is he can put me on Disability for short term. I know we have it b/c I had a hernia operation a few yrs ago & was out for 6 wks. I work in a high volume pharmacy. There is no office work, no sitting, no chairs allowed,so switching jobs with someone isn't an option either.

    Thanks again, will keep you posted. My appt is 3/17.

    Are you eligible for FMLA
    Are you eligible for FMLA (Family & Medical Leave Act) for employers of 50 or more? It's a federal law and worth the while to pursue...as well as disability. The disability waiting period is sometimes up to 30 days, but my plan begins after one day. Good luck!

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