How does anyone work with cancer and. All the appts and chemo?

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  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    #22
    Hoping I can work through chemo
    As a nurse, it would seem like you could be a valuable asset in an oncology unit??? I'd feel better if I was talking to a nurse who actually is going through the same thing facing me...

    I just received a clear to start part time work from home (desk job) after a colon resection surgery on 5/11. I literally worked about 5 hours today and felt tired from doing it as well. I will work part time tomorrow and Friday morning and then check in the hospital at noon for another surgery (lung resection). Then supposebly I'll be recovering for another one to two weeks. Then after this I will be starting chemo.

    My job is mostly a deep thinking job. The hardest part of doing this work is keeping my head in the game. Taking pane medication can interfere with thinking, but the bigger issue for me is when my thoughts drift back to cancer and chemo. This is a distraction and makes it hard for me to concentrate and do my job. till, I'm hoping to work through chemo.
  • tabbyfatgirl1
    tabbyfatgirl1 Member Posts: 17
    #23
    Cancer becomes your job with no paycheck
    Hi, sorry & understand your situation somewhat. My husband was diagnosed May 2011. This is now June 2012 & we are still not even half way through chemo. He worked up to April 2011 & was forced to retire because he simply could not work. It is REALLY hard. Up until about a month ago, there were 2-3 doctor appointments each week. I couldn't work much & sometimes not at all because of going to all appts. His posterior wound hasn't healed yet - so we were doing wound care clinic x3 per week as well. Some of our dr appts were 70 miles away. Besides just getting to appts - when you are the patient - there is no energy, you feel sick, you may have diarrhea - all those things.
    I work for a hospital as well, my bosses have been SO nice & have accommodated my schedule - or lack of, but I'm not a nurse. I agree with some of the other posts in that maybe you could do some other duty - paper work? At our hospital, we have education nurses, infection control, case managers, which I am sure you are already familiar with & perhaps you couldn't get into those areas, but it's a thought. Yes, lack of $ coming in is hard - hard? - no impossible. We were so blessed that I had taken out a cancer policy at work 3 years before. It's hard enough HAVING cancer besides worrying about bills, taking care of children, etc.

    Though I cannot help in any other way, will be praying for you & your family.

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