Working during treatment

im not really sure what i can add to some of th wisdon ladies have already stated. i work outside of home andI worked as much as I felt able as I found great strength in my work and support in my colleagues. it gave me structure and a reason to get out of my PJs. somedays, I was lucky enough to be able to work from home when I just couldnt do the driving. I couldnt work after chemo and my chemo didn't go for too long....max was an afternoon then it went down to 2 hours. some people I know had it all day. I had 5 months of it. ...but like our friends are saying everyone is different. listen to yourself..and . talk to the nursing staff and breast care nurse (I found I had to chase her up and then i had mrre support - the squeaky wheel gets the oil sort of philosophy...and I don't like being the squeaky wheel but it worked). I think the thing I would do differently is when people would say... is there anything I can do... I couldn't think about it and felt awful saying come vacuum my house or clean my shower. if I had to do it again I think I would TRY to say, when are you free.... or what did you have in mind... and try to then have something concrete in place. you must be a very capable woman with all you have on..... take it a day at a time.... I worried like you wouldnt believe about everything I read in the literature and really got myself a little paralysed with fear... and looking back, I am much more casual about it all now. I was also blessed to find a local friend at the feel good look better workshop as I found the face to face support over a cuppa invaluable. what my chemo brain is trying to say is... you are not alone, you know you have the skills and gifts for this journey as you have already displayed them in other aspects of your life..... relax and use the resources around you and you will get through it. being anxious sets of chemical blockers that means we cant even access what we have already laid down.

im not really sure what i can add to some of th wisdon ladies have already stated. i work outside of home andI worked as much as I felt able as I found great strength in my work and support in my colleagues. it gave me structure and a reason to get out of my PJs. somedays, I was lucky enough to be able to work from home when I just couldnt do the driving. I couldnt work after chemo and my chemo didn't go for too long....max was an afternoon then it went down to 2 hours. some people I know had it all day. I had 5 months of it. ...but like our friends are saying everyone is different. listen to yourself..and . talk to the nursing staff and breast care nurse (I found I had to chase her up and then i had mrre support - the squeaky wheel gets the oil sort of philosophy...and I don't like being the squeaky wheel but it worked). I think the thing I would do differently is when people would say... is there anything I can do... I couldn't think about it and felt awful saying come vacuum my house or clean my shower. if I had to do it again I think I would TRY to say, when are you free.... or what did you have in mind... and try to then have something concrete in place. you must be a very capable woman with all you have on..... take it a day at a time.... I worried like you wouldnt believe about everything I read in the literature and really got myself a little paralysed with fear... and looking back, I am much more casual about it all now. I was also blessed to find a local friend at the feel good look better workshop as I found the face to face support over a cuppa invaluable. what my chemo brain is trying to say is... you are not alone, you know you have the skills and gifts for this journey as you have already displayed them in other aspects of your life..... relax and use the resources around you and you will get through it. being anxious sets of chemical blockers that means we cant even access what we have already laid down.

Hello again, How are things going, I am on the Gold Coast if you need someone to talk to....I am also on email. I visit the Cleveland area often, are you around that part or close to ? How did the specialist go ? What is your next move and how are you coping. Cheers Rubes

Hello again, How are things going, I am on the Gold Coast if you need someone to talk to....I am also on email. I visit the Cleveland area often, are you around that part or close to ? How did the specialist go ? What is your next move and how are you coping. Cheers Rubes

Hey Deanne, Thank you for your kind words. I have had u/s and mammogram which put the bc at 1 being 3cm and the other being 1.5cm. I had the core biopsy about a week ago and it is invasive lobular cancer that is estrogen + and her- and provisionally graded slow growing. The more I read on this website about lbc the worse I feel really. I'm 39 years old for goodness sake....I know now that makes no difference. I was just lucky I guess I discovered one day a huge lump in my upper right breast, thought it was either a cyst or blocked gland, so did my GP . He was not concerned at all but sent me for u/s just to be sure. Well glad he did. For some reason I was under the misconception bc is a small pea sized lump...how wrong I was.

Hi Tanya

Hope you get a few more answers from surgeon today. Have you had needle biopsy yet? This will tell you and your surgeon a lot more about what you are dealing with too. You are going through the worst part of the journey at the moment. Once you know what treatment you need it does get easier and you do feel more in control. Even though you are feeling tired at this stage, I found exercise (just walking) helpful. It helped me to feel that I was doing something positive to help myself when everything else seemed beyond my control. It also helped me to sleep a little better. Keeping busy, which you are doing, is also helpful to help the waiting time to pass more quickly.

Sharing the burden on line and with loved ones can help too.

Try to keep positive and take care of yourself.

Thinking of you.

Deanne xx

Hi Tanya

Hope you get a few more answers from surgeon today. Have you had needle biopsy yet? This will tell you and your surgeon a lot more about what you are dealing with too. You are going through the worst part of the journey at the moment. Once you know what treatment you need it does get easier and you do feel more in control. Even though you are feeling tired at this stage, I found exercise (just walking) helpful. It helped me to feel that I was doing something positive to help myself when everything else seemed beyond my control. It also helped me to sleep a little better. Keeping busy, which you are doing, is also helpful to help the waiting time to pass more quickly.

Sharing the burden on line and with loved ones can help too.

Try to keep positive and take care of yourself.

Thinking of you.

Deanne xx

Hi Rubes, I'm in brisbane qld. Off to meet the specialist for the first time today. Finally I will get some information and find out when I will be having surgery. That is the bit I find a struggle at the moment, it's like my life is in limbo, not knowing when anything is going to happen and what. I will admit it, I'm a control freak lol, but I'm learning. Maybe once I meet with the specialist today and know when surgery is I can get a full nights proper sleep, because since I found out about the bc I am not sleeping properly and buggered by 2.00pm each day...thank god I work at home so no driving once I finish work.

Hi Tanya I think working is good for your mind when you can do it. If you get too tired/sick then stop for a bit. I find personally it lifts me and makes me feel like I am living a normal life rather then just Dr,s appointments, blood tests, scans etc. Everyone handles things differently but I am sure you will find what suits you and your family the best. Good luck to you, what state are you in ? Cheers, Rubes

Hi Tanya I think working is good for your mind when you can do it. If you get too tired/sick then stop for a bit. I find personally it lifts me and makes me feel like I am living a normal life rather then just Dr,s appointments, blood tests, scans etc. Everyone handles things differently but I am sure you will find what suits you and your family the best. Good luck to you, what state are you in ? Cheers, Rubes