Working during chemo

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NJMom10
NJMom10 Member Posts: 176
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
My chemo treatments are on Tuesdays, Neulasta shots on Wednesday am, 8 rounds every 2 weeks. I went through the first round with few side effects. Although I didn't work the day of chemo I wasn't really that tired and probably could have worked. I'm a bookkeeper...a fairly sedentary work environment. I did work every day after, Wed, Thurs, Fri with little difficulty. Am I crazy to think I might be able to work the days of and after chemo treatments? As I read through these posts, it seems most people take off for 2-4 days of and after chemo. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

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  • cookie97
    cookie97 Member Posts: 200
    #2
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    Working
    I've been getting chemo every three weeks since June. I go on Friday's and get Neulasta shot on Monday. So I have been working all along. I have missed a few days just from sheer exhaustion, but for the most part it has been doable.
    Hope this helps.

    Edie
  • mwallace1325
    mwallace1325 Member Posts: 806
    #3
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    Bookkeeper too
    I'm a bookkeeper too. I had A/C four rounds every three weeks. Treatment was on friday, didn't do neulasta, so I'd take friday off. Then 12 weeks of taxol. I was able to work thru those, only taking off the morning of treatment. Then radiation 33 rounds, daily. I did those early in the morning and went to work right after.
    It gets harder as time goes on, at least it did for me. My job was really great and the few times I didn't feel like going in they were very understanding.
    It's possible to keep working, or even working part time. Whatever you feel like you can do. Just be good to yourself and listen to what your body is telling you.

    Good luck.

    marge
  • racergirl
    racergirl Member Posts: 50
    #4
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    Working through it too
    We bookeepers have a thing going here. I have treatments on Wednesdays every other week, and neulasta on Thursdays, fortunately that Friday is a day off for me. I am able to work from home on those days, and that is very handy. My off treatment weeks I am working until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, then I would go home and rest. I think that is a very important thing to do, if you can.
  • beetle25
    beetle25 Member Posts: 150 Member
    #5
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    racergirl said:

    Working through it too
    We bookeepers have a thing going here. I have treatments on Wednesdays every other week, and neulasta on Thursdays, fortunately that Friday is a day off for me. I am able to work from home on those days, and that is very handy. My off treatment weeks I am working until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, then I would go home and rest. I think that is a very important thing to do, if you can.

    I would take the day off of
    I would take the day off of treatment since it took about 5 hours for treatment and I have to drive an hour to work. Would leave work early on Wednesday for the neulasta shot. I was then able to work that week, however, the following week was very difficult for me to work due to fatigue and sometimes dehydration. So I would have to take a few days off until I felt better and then I could return to work. I had chemo every three weeks and the type of job that I have requires me to be extremely active, although I was able to rest at work during the early afternoons.
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #6
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    I would have my treatment Tuesday
    then go to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I just felt tired by Friday afternoon.

    I too have a desk job so it was possible to work.

    You are not crazy my dear, but quite blessed to feel so good. I say, work as much as you feel up to it.


    Hugs!

    Sylvia
  • Scotch Freckles
    Scotch Freckles Member Posts: 273 Member
    #7
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    Working through it all, almost
    I too had a desk job, had my chemo on Thurs. First one I didn't begin to feel bad until Sunday but managed to go to work on Monday. Just my legs let me know I wasn't in the best of shape. After each chemo though it did get more difficult to get around and feel half way decent. I would loose just a day or two of the follow week. My boss, who hired me knowing I would be doing chemo, hired me for my knowledge not my illness and worked with me on my sick days. I had a very understanding working environment. You will just have to wait till after each chemo to see how much your body fails you for a day or two. Hopefully you have a very understand boss. Oh, and don't forget chemo brain.

    Scotch Freckles
  • Hubby
    Hubby Member Posts: 325
    #8
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    My wife was off for most of them, but...
    she did work during the last two treatments;she called in sick a couple of days. The crashes were worse through the first floor treatments (AC) then it got a little easier during the next 4 (taxol). The only thing with the taxol was that it was given over a longer time; taking about 5 hours, so she really had to take off for chemo day. And as everyone on here says: everyone is different. Listen to your body.

    Bob
  • NJMom10
    NJMom10 Member Posts: 176
    #9
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    Hubby said:

    My wife was off for most of them, but...
    she did work during the last two treatments;she called in sick a couple of days. The crashes were worse through the first floor treatments (AC) then it got a little easier during the next 4 (taxol). The only thing with the taxol was that it was given over a longer time; taking about 5 hours, so she really had to take off for chemo day. And as everyone on here says: everyone is different. Listen to your body.

    Bob

    Thanks
    Thanks everyone. You are all so helpful. Hope everyone is doing well and feeling great!
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #10
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    NJMom10 said:

    Thanks
    Thanks everyone. You are all so helpful. Hope everyone is doing well and feeling great!

    working kept me sane.....
    I"m a 5th gr teacher and when i walked into my classroom each day the cancer stayed outside the door. I loved it and wish i could do it now, but i'm way too weak. So i sit home watching stupid daytime tv and thinking about it all day long...... YES CANCER SUCKS
  • dabicknell
    dabicknell Member Posts: 11
    #11
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    working
    hi, I finished chemo, 4 treatments, and worked everyday, not saying it wasn't hard sometimes, but it kept me going. But try to remember everyone is different and if you need the time take it. I'm sure you will do fine.
  • mrs gadget
    mrs gadget Member Posts: 118
    #12
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    working during chemo
    For the good or bad of it, I am a substitute teacher and just finished TC treatment #4 of 6. The first couple, would just slow me down a bit and I could keep going. Now that I am getting towards the end of treatment, I am finding that I need more time at home just to rest and recuperate...It takes a lot out of you so don't be afraid to lay down when you need it.
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #13
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    Scotch Freckles said:

    Working through it all, almost
    I too had a desk job, had my chemo on Thurs. First one I didn't begin to feel bad until Sunday but managed to go to work on Monday. Just my legs let me know I wasn't in the best of shape. After each chemo though it did get more difficult to get around and feel half way decent. I would loose just a day or two of the follow week. My boss, who hired me knowing I would be doing chemo, hired me for my knowledge not my illness and worked with me on my sick days. I had a very understanding working environment. You will just have to wait till after each chemo to see how much your body fails you for a day or two. Hopefully you have a very understand boss. Oh, and don't forget chemo brain.

    Scotch Freckles

    No chemo for me, but, just
    No chemo for me, but, just wanted to say that I admire all of you that take chemo and still work. I know it can't be easy for any of you.

    Jan
  • TP123
    TP123 Member Posts: 53
    #14
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    mrs gadget said:

    working during chemo
    For the good or bad of it, I am a substitute teacher and just finished TC treatment #4 of 6. The first couple, would just slow me down a bit and I could keep going. Now that I am getting towards the end of treatment, I am finding that I need more time at home just to rest and recuperate...It takes a lot out of you so don't be afraid to lay down when you need it.

    Working but wearing down
    I have worked since dx in May but I am finally getting too tired. I had 4 rounds of A & C with some side effects but could work through and only need 1 day off a week. I am working through taxol and will have tx 8 of 12 tomorrow. I have gotten more tired each week and finally told my boss not to expect me in more than a few hours here and there. (She has been a wonderful boss!)Personally for me Taxol has been harder in many ways because of the fatigue and weakness I get. But I hear most people don't feel that way. I just need a little time off to build up before surgery in Dec. and then I will have rads. I really wonder if the rads will make me as tired as Taxol because the A & C didn't. Anyone go through it like this? Teresa
  • carriesoup
    carriesoup Member Posts: 144
    #15
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    my plan of attack had been,
    my plan of attack had been, chemo (a/c) on friday, rest all weekend, neulasta on monday, go to work and crash on monday night! i had my first call off last tuesday. (2 months in) i had the worst migraine ever! i[m a vet tech, so unfortunately, i never sit down! so, i've been trying my best to keep the same pace i normally do! i'm starting taxol next week, so i really hope it doesn't destroy me!!

    i guess the hardest part for me, is that i[m used to being on my feet 8-9 hours a day, and now i'm being such a bum! i don't like it :(

    *hugs*

    carrie :)
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #16
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    I had 4 rounds of AC every 3
    I had 4 rounds of AC every 3 weeks with neulasta and 12 weeks of Taxol and Herceptin. I had my treatments on Friday. For the AC I took the day off work, I felt dreadful after the AC regardless of how much premed they gave me. However I worked the rest of the time. The Taxol and Herceptin I had it on Friday afternoons, just took the afternoon off and worked the rest of the week. I did take a medical leave of absence for the last 2 weeks of chemo and am relieved I did. I did feel rather worn out by the end of it and it was great just to be able to rest and take it easy. The side effects of Taxol did get worse towards the end and were the worst the week afterwards when the steroids wore off.

    It is a little of a balancing act, to keep working is also good but to know when to step back and take time off if you need it.
  • new2me
    new2me Member Posts: 177 Member
    #17
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    I did and didn't
    My treatments were on Friday and I felt great on that week-end but I had to take Mon-Wed off from work. Monday and Tuesday I was very weak but Wednesday was my recovery day. Some wondered why I didn't have my treatment of Wednesday but I couldn't give up my week-end. We were always doing something with the family. So I chose to use my sick leave.
    But if you can work, then work if you want - if you can't don't worry about it and just rest.
    Everyone is different. :)

    Love, Kelly

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