Applying for New Jobs Advice

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
CancerBum21
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:27 am

Applying for New Jobs Advice

Postby CancerBum21 » Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:45 pm

Hi Y'all!

I'm recently Dx with rectal cancer and finishing up an eMBA program right now and looking to start a new job. I'm trying to figure out how to manage applying for new jobs and starting FOLFOX pretty much at the same time. I'm in the final rounds of interviews right now with a few companies and I'm trying to figure out how to bring up that fact that I'll need time off for treatment 2 times a month as well as the side effects or if I should delay starting a new job until the treatments are over.

I'm also nervous about the side effects and my energy level while starting a new job. Would love to hear about other's experience and any advice around careers and stage IIIa/IIIb rectal cancer. At this point I really don't know how many lymph nodes are involved. At least one...
34/M
DX:(Rectal Cancer) 2/15/21
Stage: T1N0M0
TAMIS Surgery 3/10/21
Pathology: T1NxM0 - LIV positive, 1/1 lymph positive Stage IIIA
FOLFOX 6 rounds
Radation & Xelota 5 weeks

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Applying for New Jobs Advice

Postby NHMike » Sat Apr 03, 2021 5:34 pm

Chemo hits people differently. I've read about people that wind up sleeping most of the day to those that run half-marathons. If you're young and fit, then you may do quite well.

I worked normally while on chemo except that i worked in the office early in the morning and then worked from home the rest of the day to avoid catching anything from others in the office. My management was fine with this. There were times on chemo days that I had to take a nap in the afternoon as I was pretty wiped out. But this was a job that I had been doing for a long time so I could do it without thinking too much.

Starting a new job is considerably different - where you need to meet the people that you're working with and get up to speed on projects and maybe attend meetings.

There's also the issue of health insurance if you are in the United States. I do not know whether or not employers can discriminate based on illnesses but it would probably be a negative overall. I suspect that the US job market will be booming the next two quarters (the February unemployment rate in my state was 3.3%) so it will be a good time to look for work. Perhaps you have health coverage through another means (spouse, parent) so this isn't an issue.

I've been unemployed since last summer as my position went away. There were others that I could have taken but I decided I needed a break. It might be one-year or a permanent break. Diving back into 80-hour weeks after chemo also took a toll on my health and I've been working to get it back.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

User avatar
horizon
Posts: 1668
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:10 pm

Re: Applying for New Jobs Advice

Postby horizon » Sat Apr 03, 2021 6:29 pm

I did XELOX and handled the side effects pretty well. I kept working and going to the gym (not several days after an infusion though). If you've got the ability to wait I would. Everyone has a different experience with side effects. Starting a new job is the last thing I would have wanted to do when I was in the middle of treatment with how I felt sometimes. I know an employer shouldn't be able to use your health status against you (in making decisions about hiring you) but the pessimist in me thinks that some people would.
I'm just a dude who still can't believe he had a resection and went through chemo (currently 12 years NED). Is this real life?

Rock_Robster
Posts: 1021
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:27 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Applying for New Jobs Advice

Postby Rock_Robster » Sat Apr 03, 2021 6:52 pm

Congrats on the eMBA! I can’t comment on the sociolegal issues as I’m not in the US, but one suggestion would be to ask your onc if he’d be happy with you doing XELOX (CAPOX). This is the same “active” drugs, but you take the 5FU orally. It means you only have an infusion every 3 weeks rather than every 2, and also that you don’t have to go in twice each time (for pump disconnect). It also means you don’t have to wear a pump for 48 hours.

Discuss with your doctor but I believe efficacy of the regimes is very similar, provided you’re compliant with taking the pills.

Once you get to know how you respond, you could plan to schedule the oxaliplatin infusion around a Thursday, which in my case would have meant the roughest days would be over the weekend and I could just sleep. This way you might end up only needing 1-2 days off once or twice (max) a month, and no need to wear the pump.

Finding a new employer that is open to this could be tough, but then again if you manage to then you know you’ve probably found a great place to work!

Best of luck,
Rob
41M Australia
2018 Dx RC
G2 EMVI LVI, 4 liver mets
pT3N1aM1a Stage IVa MSS NRAS G13R
CEA 14>2>32>16>19>30>140>70
11/18 FOLFOX
3/19 Liver resection
5/19 Pelvic IMRT
7/19 ULAR
8/19 Liver met
8/19 FOLFOX, FOLFOXIRI, FOLFIRI
12/19 Liver resection
NED 2 years
11/21 Liver met, PALN, lung nodules
3/22 PVE, lymphadenectomy, liver SBRT
10/22 PALN SBRT
11/22 Liver mets, peri nodule. Xeloda+Bev
4/23 XELIRI+Bev
9/23 ATRIUM trial
12/23 Modified FOLFIRI+Bev

jumpman50512
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:36 pm

Re: Applying for New Jobs Advice

Postby jumpman50512 » Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:06 pm

Ill be real with you. Chemo hits everyone differently. At first for me i took it fine felt sick for a few days then later on i recovered, but after so many rounds it starts to achumalate in your body and it starts taking a toll on you. The final few rounds for me were hard. Make sure you take time to concentrate on you. Cancer itself is a hard battle mentally and phsycally. Fight as hard as you can.

Wishing you good health and positive energy
Stage IV Survivor Currently (Diagnosed @ 29) currently 36
1 Met to the Liver
Colo-Rectal cancer surgery
12 rounds of chemo + Radiation + Oral Chemo
12/1/21 Colonoscopy Clean
2/1/21 CT scan Clean
2/1/21 CEA at 5.8
4/1/21 CEA currently at 8.8
5/27/21 CEA currently at 13
Signatera Positive :cry:
Clean CT Scan 4/15/21
It's back :cry: 6/24/21
7/10/21 - 4/10/21 = 10 rounds of folfiry
On Xeloda for a while :(
Chemo pills + chemo + Vectibix currently

boxhill
Posts: 789
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:40 am

Re: Applying for New Jobs Advice

Postby boxhill » Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:58 pm

I agree with jumpman. I wasn't employed when I had surgery/chemo, and I treasured the ability to just lie on the sofa when I needed to. I did have an active volunteer life, and people would always marvel at how well I was doing. I'd smile and say "I'm fine *today*." They didn't see me on bad days. I tried to schedule my infusions for early in the week so that I would be well on the weekends, when most of my stuff happened. And I tolerated Folfox very well. I was never actually nauseous, I never had hand/foot, "first bite" or a lot of the other things people report. Unfortunately, I never suffered loss of appetite! :lol:

I can definitely see continuing perhaps part time in a job you already have, with understanding bosses, where you are valued. I honestly can't imagine starting a new job where you have to prove yourself. Unless you could work from home due to the Covid epidemic.

On the other hand, there are those who continue to work through chemo. I think ginabeewell has done so.
F, 64 at DX CRC Stage IV
3/17/18 blockage, r hemi
11 of 25 LN,5 mesentery nodes
5mm liver met
pT3 pN2b pM1
BRAF wild, KRAS G12D
dMMR, MSI-H
5/18 FOLFOX
7/18 and 11/18 CT NED
12/18 MRI 5mm liver mass, 2 LNs in porta hepatis
12/31/18 Keytruda
6/19 Multiphasic CT LNs normal, Liver stable
6/28/19 Pause Key, predisone for joint pain
7/31/19 Restart Key
9/19 CT stable
Pain: all fails but Celebrex
12/23/19 CT stable
5/20 MRI stable/NED
6/20 Stop Key
All MRIs NED


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 29 guests