work and cancer

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Gabe N Abby Mom
Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
in Breast Cancer #1
So my first time around with this I took medical leave and didn't work for a year. Four months after my last treatment I went back to work for a new company. (I love the company and the people.) But a couple of things have happened recently that I'm feeling the need to share...

I work in a bank and I was covering a teller station recently. A very nice gentleman came and asked to withdraw some money from his wife's account. While I was confirming that he was on the account and the funds were available, he shared that he does the banking now because his wife has been battling breast cancer for a year and half...then he told me about the rash on her breast. I immediately knew it was IBC. I was so thrown by encountering this at work, that I barely heard the rest of what he said and made stooopid (but correctable) errors on the next four or five transactions. I was completely unprepared for my cancer world and my work world to collide, and am still shocked that it affected me so strongly...especially since my coworkers know about the cancer and I have somewhat frequent conversations with them about it.

The other thing I find funny...I hope you do too. I was confirming some scheduling with my boss (a man) and the conversation goes like this..."I have an appointment on Tuesday to get my stitches removed." "Oh, I can do that for you..." Then he remembered where the stitches are located...

Hugs,

Linda

Comments

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #2
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    wow , sorry you had this
    wow , sorry you had this experience with customer-I hate WHEN I AM caught so off guard.
    (I was bank teller for many years) At the time of my BC 2008 a coworker and I both went through same surgery almost same time. So we chatted..but she was much more jittery about it then me..(just how we each handled it) I since have changed buildings but keep in contact via email>

    I wish you the best..

    Denise
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #3
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    haha
    Stitches out-appt...lol hehe
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #4
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    When you least expect it is
    When you least expect it is when it hits you the worse. Because you aren't prepared for it.

    Would you really want not-a-doctor/nurse to remove stitches no matter where they were located? I had a female neighbor (ex-nurse) who offered to remove stitches on my leg once and I declined because it would have made me very nervous. Not comfortable with that.

    But yours is funny.
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #5
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    work
    Linda,
    I am sorry it hit you so hard. Maybe because her battle is keeping her from the outside world? Or if she had been telling it? I don't know. It should get easier.
    I hope I am more compassionate now at work since diagnosis considering what I do!
    Hope your day goes better today,
    Cindy
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #6
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    Unexpected
    Linda I find I am more emotional when I am unprepared and do not see the conversation of breast cancer coming my way. You know what this woman is going through and you obviously empathy for her having gone down a similar road. I know when things of that nature have happened to me even years after dx I can find myself in tears. Now in regards to your boss...HAHAHHAHA! I bet he was embarrassed!

    Big Hugs To You!!!

    RE
  • dbhadra
    dbhadra Member Posts: 344 Member
    #7
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    RE said:

    Unexpected
    Linda I find I am more emotional when I am unprepared and do not see the conversation of breast cancer coming my way. You know what this woman is going through and you obviously empathy for her having gone down a similar road. I know when things of that nature have happened to me even years after dx I can find myself in tears. Now in regards to your boss...HAHAHHAHA! I bet he was embarrassed!

    Big Hugs To You!!!

    RE

    That must have caught you unprepared
    Especially since she has ibc . My work and cancer have always collided since there are three other women in my department
    Who've had treatment for breast cancer... One of them fairly recently and we all take about it. But I would nit be comfortable taking about it with my students.

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