Coping at work while on rectal cancer treatments

[Jolene]

Hi all,

Just want to discuss and find out how does everyone cope with life at work while on the various rectal cancer treatment ?

I've just completed a 28 session chemoradiation which fortunately wasn't too disruptive to my work routine. I'm now dreading the surgery bit, the post surgery recovery time and the final chemo mop-up which I suspect is gonna create some huge disruption to my work situation. My doctors aren't too specific about the disruption as yet as I'm still awaiting for the chemoradiation to subside.

I like to be mentally prepared about how it could dramatically affect my livelihood rather than getting caught out in due time. This could help me be responsible towards my work place and also help me in making some future plans. So some of my questions are as below - but if you have more to add please feel free to contribute !

1) How long were you off work in order to recover for the surgery ?
2) Did you continue going to work while on the mop-up chemo ?
3) And if you did continue going to work, how did you cope with the fatigue and all ?
4) Were you able to resume work as per normal after the chemo ended ?

[e_enyedy]

please do keep in mind that individual responses vary greatly, so whatever I went trough is pretty much meaningless for you. (Though a positive frame of mind does help a lot!)
My surgery was a laparoscopic sigmoid resection. Ten days after surgery had a follow=up visit with the surgeon. He found everything OK, sop next day I went back to work.( I teach at a college, 32 hours per week)
Chemo: ha 8 sessions of Xelox, every third Friday. Took off the Friday, spent the weekend home, vent back to work on Monday.
For the last two and a half years have been on "maintenance chemo": Avastin every 3rd Friday, plus two-weekly Capecitabine (Xelox) treatments. Did not schedule any classes for those Friday.Since April this year, the Avastin has been discontinued, I have the two-weekly treatments with the pills ( 2 weeks on, 1 week off). No problems whatsoever.
The fatigue? Well, I do get more easily tired that before the illness;
When this whole show started I decided that the main issue is to treat the cancer, regardless of side effects- aalso decided to live the most normaal life as possible, as long as possible.

Your own experience will be different - all the best

E

[Pyro]

I was a pilot and forced to retire, at 40.

[CF_69]

I was a seafarer until 3 months ago. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back to my job. I don’t know if my company will even take me back.

I was a contract employee, so limited sick benefits. They run out next month.

So in all likelihood I will need to find another job, but I have surgery coming up, maybe twice, and probably mop up chemo as well.

Tough sell to a potential employer.

[heiders33]

1) How long were you off work in order to recover for the surgery ?
2) Did you continue going to work while on the mop-up chemo ?
3) And if you did continue going to work, how did you cope with the fatigue and all ?
4) Were you able to resume work as per normal after the chemo ended ?

1) I took two weeks off work for my low anterior resection. It was my first major surgery ever and I needed a week to recover physically and another week to recover mentally. I then worked from home for two weeks, then started chemo in week five so I worked from home that week as well. I took the infusion day off. I was not prepared for all the side effects that first time, so I’m not sure how much work I actually got done.
2) After that I would get my infusions on Mondays (taking that day off) and then work from home the rest of the infusion week. On round four I changed to Wednesdays so I could go back to the office the following Monday. Round five I was so tired that I took two days off instead of one. My last round was a half dose of Oxi so I was fine.
3) Working from home was my way of dealing with the fatigue. When I got back to the office I was mostly fine. Most of my coworkers and my boss knew I was on chemo so there was grace there as well.
4) Yes I was able to resume working normally after chemo, although I did have my reversal surgery which put me out for another week.

Some factors to remember: I’m pretty young and strong, I work in an office job, my boss gave me flexibility to work from home, I had some vacation days saved up, and my company has extended sick leave days that I used. Not everyone has these benefits, or the type of job that can be done while on chemo. I was doing grant writing, mostly managing a grant writer actually, so for me it was no problem. I did have to ask for an extension on a major grant deadline once.

[Jolene]

Dear all - thanks for sharing your work situation while coping with the treatment ! It gave me an idea of how best to manage my expectations and work place responsibilities over the next few months !

I'm sorry to hear that some of you are in an employment situation that is less than ideal, it sucks ! However, I'm also encouraged to know that those who are in a position to be flexible about your work arrangement are ploughing on !

Also surprised to hear that you guys took only 2 weeks off after the surgery before going back to work. I was thinking it might require a month or so for complete recovery both physically and mentally but then I'm guessing just as you are about to recover from the surgery, the chemo fatigue strikes isn't it ?

Is the chemo fatigue usually felt on the same day and day after ? When is the most "fatal" period of your journey ? Was it the surgery recovery or the chemo fatigue ?

Stay strong everyone !

[Freddy18]

I'm new to this but support is what gets people through things.

[Maggie Nell]

Found this in an archived thread.....
There can be a-holes who will play your cancer card. Forewarned is forearmed.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41613


and a nice quote from this thread viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42844&p=302554#p302554

When I'm having a bad day, I read this poem to myself...

Normal day, let me be aware of
the treasure you are.
Let me learn from you, love you,
bless you before you depart.
Let me not pass you by in quest
of some rare and perfect
tomorrow.

[heiders33]

Dear all - thanks for sharing your work situation while coping with the treatment ! It gave me an idea of how best to manage my expectations and work place responsibilities over the next few months !

I'm sorry to hear that some of you are in an employment situation that is less than ideal, it sucks ! However, I'm also encouraged to know that those who are in a position to be flexible about your work arrangement are ploughing on !

Also surprised to hear that you guys took only 2 weeks off after the surgery before going back to work. I was thinking it might require a month or so for complete recovery both physically and mentally but then I'm guessing just as you are about to recover from the surgery, the chemo fatigue strikes isn't it ?

Is the chemo fatigue usually felt on the same day and day after ? When is the most "fatal" period of your journey ? Was it the surgery recovery or the chemo fatigue ?

Stay strong everyone !

It definitely takes at least a month to completely recover from the surgery. It's just that I work in an office job and was ready to go back to working remotely after two weeks. No way was I going to continue sitting around doing nothing. It helped me mentally to have something to do. But I realize this is different for everyone.

It's hard to say whether the surgery recovery or the chemo is harder. It depends on the person. What type of chemo are you getting? I had XELOX for six rounds and I took infusion days off. However I would say I was most fatigued when coming down off the steroids, which was day 3 and 4 after infusion. The steroids the first couple of days actually made me a little more energized and gave me an appetite. The surgery recovery wasn't easy, but it was a little easier to predict how much time I would need off. With chemo fatigue you kind of have to see how you do the first couple of rounds before you can predict how the next ones will go. I know now with the 5FU pump that the couple of days after disconnect are the most tiring (I took Xeloda before).

[SteveNZ]

For myself I just couldn't even go back to the job I had. Was a 'maintenance person' at McDonalds.
I cannot bend or even stand/well especially for longish periods. Handling 'boiling hot oils', handling deliveries and balancing around cook areas is just too dangerous. And embarrassingly slow.
I am sure things will improve over time. I am exercising as I can.

I do have skills in land survey, land planning and land management so am trying hard for mostly sit down jobs which I should be fine.
If McDonalds had such a need for land management staff I would be ideal.

Note: Here in New Zealand when sick for long periods you get assistance the same as unemployed. Boy it is hard to live on it though BUT I am glad it exists in this country.

[Caat55]

Dear all - thanks for sharing your work situation while coping with the treatment ! It gave me an idea of how best to manage my expectations and work place responsibilities over the next few months !


Also surprised to hear that you guys took only 2 weeks off after the surgery before going back to work. I was thinking it might require a month or so for complete recovery both physically and mentally but then I'm guessing just as you are about to recover from the surgery, the chemo fatigue strikes isn't it ?

Is the chemo fatigue usually felt on the same day and day after ? When is the most "fatal" period of your journey ? Was it the surgery recovery or the chemo fatigue ?

Stay strong everyone !

Jolene,

I am a therapist and spend many of my days on the floor with my kiddos doing exercise, teaching to crawl, etc. . I took about a month off post surgery. I started walking right away. Initially, cautioned not to do any lifting as surgery is much like a hernia repair. When I went back it was not so bad until chemo. I did chemo on Thursdays, worked in the early am and did chemo from 11:30 to 4:30. The next several days were hard. Initially the cold sensitivity is relatively minor, as is the nerve pain but it builds. By the final treatment, I was pooped and happy that I only had to work two days a week as it was summer break. When I returned to work again full time two weeks after last chemo, I was exhausted. I could go to work but didn't have energy for exercise, fun afterwards. I am six months out now. I work full time, can exercise after work. I still notice I tire more than I like. I am having my port removed soon, my first colonoscopy(might as well get it done before reversal) and reversal in April. My doctor's are telling me pretty much the same thing, give yourself a year from last procedure to get back to normal.
Susan