[Cancer/General] - Going back to work after a year away.

CathyMoran

Hi, I hope (scans and doctors allowing) to be going back to work after a year away on sick leave for oesophageal cancer in October. I have heard that it is a huge deal to go back, can anyone else let me know of their experiences of going back to work after a long absence. I know that my life and how I view life in general has changed beyond recognition. For one thing, I am happily married , but also I view each day as a gift now. I am still very tired so it would be part time at first, I know that they are looking forward to having me back. A lot of people with my condition stay on sick leave for the rest of their lives as the surgery affects their lives so much. It has badly affected mine in that I can not eat large meals and I often get sick after eating as well as me being tired from the combo of chemo and surgery. I also have to accept the fact that I almost died and that I survived despite the odds.

tallus

I was only out for 9 months or so but was still on crutches when I went back myself. If you feel physically fit enough to handle it, do what I did and go back for 3 days a week. I had every fri- monday off it was nice while it lasted. I did that for around two months before finally ditching the crutches and going back to my 39.5 hour week.
Best of luck with it Cathy It's always good to get out and the physical activity should do you good, I know it worked wonders for me.

Mrs. MacGyver

I was out for six months (car accident) and went straight back in full-time (was advised to go back part-time but would have gone mad). It was a great experience going back, everyone was really supportive and after i was a week in it was as if i had never left the place. the thought of going back is actually worse than the actual event. I had a chance to re-evaluate my life and realised that i had a lot to be thankful for. All the best Cathy!, Mrs. M

robinph

When I was diagnosed with diabetes I was actually out of work for just less than a month, I got very bad before they figured out what it was and was in hospital for a week, but I had also been doing very limited time before hand due to being so run down and keep taking sick days so was more like three months on and off all together.

It was great to get back to work though once they understand that you'll only be doing limited hours until your ready, and that they don't mind you walking out early once you've had enough for that day.

BanzaiBk

Was out of work for 7 months with my Cushings/meningitis last year. The return is a mixed bag of feelings. Obviously there is a good amount of happiness at returning to a small semblence of reality. You have the nerves too which aer to be expected. It took me a good 2 months to readjust though after the mental and physical strain. My advice would be to ease yourself in slowly. Good luck:)

LegacyUser

I was out of work for 2 years around 1999/2000, i had cancer too,had a load of treatment/surgery and all the side effects you can imangine and more besides. I returned to work, but i did put it off until i was ready and felt strong enough, i went back fulltime 5 days etc, I was very tired and so i used to have a rest every evening, but it was great being back in the normal world and meeting people and having the craic.
I have been working since( and i can moan with the best of them about it !!) and trying to live a normal life, still get tired sometimes, but i was always a bit lazy!!.
I would say go back when you are ready , take it at your own pace, sleep when you need to and enjoy the craic!
good luck!

CathyMoran

Thanks muirshin for your personal insight. I feel very lonely being at home and I miss the social interaction of work. It has improved recently (I go into town to meet my husband for lunch) but I just want to feel normal again, whatever that is. I have been given approval by my surgeon to go back to work on a phased basis, whatever that means, from next month. I can't wait I also have 40ish days of holidays built up so I can go back to work gradually. I do still get very tired and my eating will never be perfect (is a struggle to get me to eat as my stomach is stretched as a result of the surgery and I can get sick quite easily) but going back to work will give me a chance to get away from cancer world which can be very depressing (I was not supposed to make it and I still have a 3 in 4 chance of the cancer coming back).