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pnienaber
Member
5 years ago

66-year old male with triple-positive breast cancer - still working

Hi, I was diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer in April 2021. Had a mastectomy and axillary lymph node clearance in May 2021 by Dr Di Hastrich at the Mount Hospital in Perth. Will start a TCH chemo regimen in May 2021under the guidance of Dr Albert Gan. I started in a new job at Arc Infrastructure in March 2021.  My employer has been super supportive. I am concerned about my ability to keep working during chemo.  I lost my wife to breast cancer. I am not afraid of dying, but rather want to know how I can best live my life going forwards.

24 Replies

  • Hi @pnienaber,
    welcome to the online network but so sorry you have a bc diagnosis and that your dear wife died of the same.It truly is a wretched disease.Gosh, your new job was bad timing but it’s great you have a supportive boss.Chemo is one of those things which is hard to predict.Some people fly through it and others limp. I was a limper! It also depends on the work you do as to whether you should stay on during chemo. I was a nurse so I just took the time off, straight up and I’m glad I did. If you work in an office or can work from home then that’s a different kettle of fish.Some people will do their first chemo round,see how they fare and then negotiate with their boss from that point.No doubt you have some experience to draw upon from your wife’s bc journey- although we are all different.Ultimately do what you feel is right for you.Chemo is the hardest of all(I think) so be kind to yourself.Good luck with your decisions.
  • Dear @pnienaber
    It’s a tricky thing chemo - reactions vary wildly and it’s extremely hard to predict individual responses. I had a pretty positive experience - six months of chemo (A/C and Taxol) and I worked throughout. I took a day off for four A/C infusions but only as long as it took for Taxol (my day oncology was near work). I did have side effects, but no nausea, fatigue or chemo brain which are the most common inhibitors of keeping working. I lost my hair (wore a wig, didn’t feel the need to run up a flag) but all my work colleagues knew, I didn’t feel a need to keep it secret - became a bit of a nag about getting mammograms! How you respond to chemo has, as far as I can tell, absolutely nothing to do with your attitude - being positive is more pleasant for those around you, but very positive people can be floored, temporarily, by chemo. With a supportive boss, have an A and a B plan. The B plan may give you some working at home options, or a day or two recovery time, whatever you find you need. You usually get a pretty good idea of your pattern in a couple of weeks. I had a mastectomy and axillary clearance eight years ago (not triple negative). Life after bc has been very good - you’ve had more than your share so very best wishes for treatment and beyond. 
  • So sorry about your wife 😢. You will do better in beating this. I don’t have advice for chemo, but just wanted to wish you strength and send you hugs ♥️
  • @traveltext...Perhaps you can give some male support to @pnienaber. Welcome brother and I'm so sorry that you find yourself here, belonging to a club nobody really wants to join. I'm also so very sorry about your wife and your loss of her to this awful disease. Big hugs((())).