After resection how long until return to work

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Future_Med
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Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby Future_Med » Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:36 pm

I'm similar to you String, stayed off as long as I could. I'm in Ontario as well, and management has been nothing but supportive. So I left December 8th, surgery ended up being on December 24th but surgeon was trying to get me in sooner, my Dad was visiting, and I had an awesome GI doc who basically told me to work 'if it'll keep your mind off things' but that he'd suggest not going back to work after the diagnosis on Nov 30th otherwise. Was off until my sick leave/EI ran out then back to work on May 9th, but only 3 shifts a week. But if the sick leave/EI hadn't run out I probably would have taken a little more time.

Aideen
Diagnosed colon cancer Stage 1 November 30, 2010 Age: 27
Collectomy December 24th, 2010
Genetic Testing back December 19th 2011. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis confirmed

String
Posts: 112
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:03 pm
Location: Canada

Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby String » Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:57 pm

Future_Med wrote:I'm similar to you String, stayed off as long as I could. I'm in Ontario as well, and management has been nothing but supportive. So I left December 8th, surgery ended up being on December 24th but surgeon was trying to get me in sooner, my Dad was visiting, and I had an awesome GI doc who basically told me to work 'if it'll keep your mind off things' but that he'd suggest not going back to work after the diagnosis on Nov 30th otherwise. Was off until my sick leave/EI ran out then back to work on May 9th, but only 3 shifts a week. But if the sick leave/EI hadn't run out I probably would have taken a little more time.

Aideen

Don't forget that Canada Pension also provides benefits if you are unable to work because of health reasons.

Although the amount is not great
Stage IV colon with mets to liver October 07
Stage II kidney cancer November 2007
4 surgeries 2 liver, kidney and colon
NED

Luna
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:10 pm

Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby Luna » Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:54 am

I think the other posters made some excellent points. It depends on what shape you're in going into the procedure, whether it's open or lap (mine was open), what other stuff you're facing like ileostomy, chemo etc., and also complications that come up, plus what kind of support you have from your employers/legislation.

Like I said, my surgery was July 5, my ileo reversal is Sept 30. I'm not expected to return until after I've recovered from the reversal. Luckily I get disability and my employer tops it up to full pay.

aliveandwell

Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby aliveandwell » Sat Aug 13, 2011 2:33 am

I was in the hospital for five days and only off work for a total of three weeks but I took on a four day work week for several months to ease back in and see how I was going to do with chemo. For me, my work was a saving grace as I love my job. Luckily, I was close to a bathroom and could go anytime. After nearly a year, and still on Imodium, I have more and more control.
Everyone is different. I think it best to have several plans to choose from as you move through the healing process. Needing to go to the bathroom more often and finding a balanced perspective on this illness have been my biggest challenges.
Good luck!

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Gaelen
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Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby Gaelen » Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:42 am

I agree - how long it will take you to come back from surgery depends in large part about what happens during and after surgery, whether you have an uneventful recovery, and whether post-op chemo is part of your mix. I agree less that it depends on your health going into surgery - I was in pretty good physical shape (I thought). OTOH, I had asymptomatic stage IV cancer with extensive liver involvement, and nobody knew a thing - not even me. After nine months of pre-op chemo, I had an anterior perineal resection, removal of the rectal tumor, (failed) open liver resection and placement of an HAI pump to deliver chemo to the liver. I had post-op chemo every two weeks.

I was in the hospital 10 days after the surgery, and got my first chemo one month after surgery. And I was out on short term disability for four months. I also had a desk job at the time - but it was anything but "low stress." I used to work 50-60 hours/week before my diagnosis. Post-dx, I was lucky to make it through 40 hours/week and I was totally exhausted by the weekend, so days off were a total loss.

If you have disability, I'd take as much of that time as you need to recover. This is about your health. It's not a contest to see how fast you can get back on the job.
Be in harmony with your expectations. - Life Out Loud
4/04: dx'd @48 StageIV RectalCA w/9 liver mets. 8 chemos, 4 surgeries, last remission 34 mos.
2/11 recurrence R lung, spinal bone mets - chemo, RFA lung mets
4/12 stopped treatment

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BrownBagger
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Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby BrownBagger » Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:23 am

There are as many different kinds of work situations as there are unique cancer cases. I work for a trade association with 4 other people. I'm the guy who produces the monthly magazine. I don't have an assistant and nobody else in the office would have a clue how to get the thing out the door every month. And of course, it provides the lion's share of our income. So I kind of had to get back to work, one way or another. I found it relatively easy to return to work after three weeks, as predicted by my surgeon, which was lucky for me.

Does this expose an alarming vulnerability in our operation? Of course. But that's not the issue.

I suspect people who own small businesses are faced with similar dilemmas. If you work for a big corporation with lots of redundancy and a nice disability plan, you probably view it differently.

I don't even want to get into the thought process behind the timing of some kind of succession plan should this disease eventually get the better of me. Call me a motivated patient and employee. I need the job and the job needs me. Let's keep it that way.
Eric, 58
Dx: 3/09, Stage 4 RC
Recurrences: (ongoing, lung, bronchial cavity, ribs)
Major Ops: 6/ RFA: 3 /bronchoscopies: 8
Pelvic radiation: 5 wks. Bronchial radiation—brachytheray: 3 treatments
Chemo Rounds (career):136
Current Chemo Cocktail: Xeloda & Erbitux & Irinotecan biweekly
Current Cocktail; On the Wagon (mostly)
Bicycle miles post-dx 10,477
Motto: Live your life like it's going to be a long one, because it just might, and then you'll be glad you did.

Future_Med
Posts: 138
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 7:15 pm

Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby Future_Med » Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:00 am

String wrote:Don't forget that Canada Pension also provides benefits if you are unable to work because of health reasons.

Although the amount is not great


Thanks for the reminder String. Not using it right now, as I'm able to work enough to make about what I made on sick leave, and am going back to school in September. But I will probably have some more surgery in my future and will definitely take advantage of it when the time comes.

Aideen
Diagnosed colon cancer Stage 1 November 30, 2010 Age: 27
Collectomy December 24th, 2010
Genetic Testing back December 19th 2011. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis confirmed

Mixtli
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 9:28 am

Re: After resection how long until return to work

Postby Mixtli » Mon May 08, 2017 10:37 am

Hi there,
I'm about to complete week 4 tomorrow. I'm back to work part time and will see if I have enough energy to finish the week part time or step up to full time in a couple of days.
Cad Hartmas's procedure after the J pouch didn't work on me. J pouch is the type of connection, anastomosis, they make to kind of make it work as buffer to store stool then pass it. It turns there was a contained leak, which was rubbing against my back bone, go figure!! and that was producing terrible terrible pain.
Anyways, I am happy now with my permanent colostomy and no pain at all, mind you I have some output from the little remaining colon (rectum) which is annoying.

It is hard to go back to the same level I was before, specially since I was bedridden for a month and a half before surgery due to the pain, but getting there...... looking forward to Squash, water ski, etc....

Cheers

M.

Quimio n radio= Jul-Ago 2013
Colon cancer removal: Oct 2013
Temp ileostomy: Oct 2013 to Oct 2014.
More Quimio: 1st Qtr 2014
Lots of pain: Oct 2014 - Apr 2017
Hartman's and permanent colostomy: Apr 2017


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