Rectal Cancer peeps - How soon did you return to work?

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utahgal7
Posts: 201
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:04 pm

Rectal Cancer peeps - How soon did you return to work?

Postby utahgal7 » Thu Oct 21, 2021 12:44 pm

Also, for those of you here in the U.S, did you ask for any accommodations and did you disclose your cancer diagnosis? I would like to get back into the workforce. However, I am a bit uncomfortable disclosing my cancer diagnosis. I feel like I may have to disclose it though. I may need flexibility with bathroom breaks, etc. if you know what I mean....

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
02/20 Rectal Cancer dx - 4 cm mass; located 9 cm from AV
03/20 CEA 2.7; 0.9; 1.4; 0.9; 0.9; 1.2; 1.0; 0.8; 1.1; 1.0; 1.1; 1.7; 1.8; 1.8
1.9; 2.4; 2.3; 2.8; 2.2, 2.8, 3.2; 3.0; 1.6; 2.0; 1.2
04/20 ST Radiation; 04/20 LAR surgery w/ileostomy; ypT3N1bM0; MSS, KRAS G12A
05/20 CAPEOX; 08/20 Ileostomy reversal
12/20 CT scan; lung nodules (watch and wait);
11/22 lung nodule biopsy positive for RC met;
1/23 VATS right lower lobe wedge resection
FOLFIRI 10 cycles

MadMed
Posts: 216
Joined: Sun May 02, 2021 5:52 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Rectal Cancer peeps - How soon did you return to work?

Postby MadMed » Thu Oct 21, 2021 1:01 pm

I worked right through chemo and am working through radiation. I actually switched jobs for better benefits between chemo and radiation!
I did disclose to both managers. Once you disclose you become protected under ADA, so while I understand not wanting to disclose but there are benefits to doing it too. The job was ok with me taking 2 days for treatment every 2 weeks. It was a large tech company and i had a really nice manager.

Now working was not easy during chemo. Working from home and having a very understanding manager was great. I find that with Radiation, so far, it's a lot easier. With chemo i was down for a couple of days.
Fortunately, my treatment was every other Thursday which made is easy, Saturday and Sunday allowed me to start the week somewhat ok and get better from there.

For surgery, i don't think i'll work, others can share how practical that would be, i'll be interested since I have not gone through that yet. Also, my DX is RC, i imagine that for CC it's different, at least the order is not the same.
I did chemo, then radiation and surgery will be next with three months between CRT and surgery.
52M DX: RC lower rectum, guessing now 2cm from AV 4/27/2021
T3N0M0 adenocarcinoma with signet ring cell features
Tumor size 30mm
Tumor grade: G3
Baseline CEA 1.0
MSI status: MSS pMMR
Started Folfox 5/12/2021
Switched to FOLFIRINOX from session 2. 8 rounds total.
CT+MRI tumor contained shrunk 80%, no spread to other organs.
CRT started xeloda + 28 days Radiation 9/27-11/04
NED as of 4/06 CT/MRI/sigmoidoscopy
On W&W 04/06/2022

Rock_Robster
Posts: 1027
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:27 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Rectal Cancer peeps - How soon did you return to work?

Postby Rock_Robster » Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:17 am

I went back to working from home about 4 weeks after my ileostomy reversal, then in the office about another 4 weeks after that. The toilet thing definitely took some diligent management early on (and still does), but it did a lot for me mentally getting back to some normalcy.
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
3/24 VAXINIA (CF33 + hNIS) trial


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