To work or not?

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Amm6187
Amm6187 Member Posts: 19
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I had my surgery on 5/5 and feel great.  Im back to doing everything I was before and I was wondering if you guys thought it would be unwise to return to work.  I'm stage 4 SCC and will be doing rads and chemo soon but I would only be working 2 days a wise.  I'm a manager at a hotel and will only be checking behind housekeepers to make sure the rooms are done right.   Do you think I realistically could do this through out treatment?  I would like to if possible just to have a since of normalcy if possible but I don't want to do anything to make things harder on myself. 

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  • Kapital
    Kapital Member Posts: 52 Member
    #2
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    work vs no work

    My husband flew through his surgery (tonsillectomy) and did work a modified schedule throughout his chemo and radiation. He felt it gave him some normalcy, as well as a good distraction. He worked half days, in the morning, left at lunch time, and went to radiation every afternoon. He had 3 chemo treatments and did not work on those 3 days. It worked out for him. Everyone is different, with variations in treatment planned by their doctors. He had 33 radiation treatments and 3 rounds of Carboplatin for stage IV tonsil cancer. So, it can be done, but it is a very personal choice and certainly based on how you feel. Can you try it out and decide if it's just too much later? Best of luck with treatment. 

  • Engelsa
    Engelsa Member Posts: 50
    #3
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    Can you try and change direction if necessary

    I think the work would be possible in the first few weeks. It may even be possible throughout the entire treatment. Just as was previously mentioned; is it possible to give it a try? My husband worked a modified schedule as a nurse up until he had to begin taking narcotic pain medication. He is currently in his fifth week of chemo/radiation for Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Remaining active and keeping a positive outlook are paramount during this treatment. Above all else - hydrate, hydrate, and more hydration.

    My very best to you and keep pressing forward to your recovery.

    Sara

  • Ferg61
    Ferg61 Member Posts: 12
    #4
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    Nasophargeal Stage III

    Hi, 7 year cancer survivor here.  I had 65 rads. Treatment was twice a day and Chemo once a week for seven weeks. 

    You need to see how you feel to make the determination if you work or not.  Because I did it twice a day it just didn't fit in schedule so I didn't work.

    Wish you the best.

     

     

  • SuzJ
    SuzJ Member Posts: 427 Member
    #5
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    See how you feel. Ask anyone,

    See how you feel. Ask anyone, I came here with the Superwoman complex and have been severely humbled.

    Take it one day at a time ~ Good Luck!

  • hlrowe
    hlrowe Member Posts: 80
    #6
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    That sounds very doable

    The rads and chemo will cause a lot of fatigue and some weeks you will feel better than others. I had 35 rads at 6/week and one day of chemo/wk. I managed working ~20 hrs/week working at a PC remoting into the hospital I work for.

  • Amm6187
    Amm6187 Member Posts: 19
    #7
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    Thanks everyone.  My boss and

    Thanks everyone.  My boss and I talked and we are gonna take it week by week and if I feel its becoming too much then I can stop.  I found out im doing a larger dose of cisplatian every 3 weeks versus a smaller one every week.  Waiting now for the official number of rads I will have. 

  • Amm6187
    Amm6187 Member Posts: 19
    #8
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    SuzJ said:

    See how you feel. Ask anyone,

    See how you feel. Ask anyone, I came here with the Superwoman complex and have been severely humbled.

    Take it one day at a time ~ Good Luck!

    That's my biggest fear.  I

    That's my biggest fear.  I want to stay positive and with the additude that it won't be as bad but everyone seems to be on the same page that its pretty rough. 

  • Amm6187
    Amm6187 Member Posts: 19
    #9
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    SuzJ said:

    See how you feel. Ask anyone,

    See how you feel. Ask anyone, I came here with the Superwoman complex and have been severely humbled.

    Take it one day at a time ~ Good Luck!

    Im getting treatment at vcu

    Im getting treatment at vcu Massey too!  My ENT is Dr Reiter 

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 383 Member
    #10
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    Have a Plan B in case the

    Have a Plan B in case the side effects get heavy.  Working in a relatively unclean environment like a hotel is going to expose you to lots of respiratory bugs.  Cisplaten is going to take out a good part of your immune system.

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