Work/grief/sadness
Hi all, apologies if this has already been discussed but I couldn’t find anything elsewhere. I’m 46, had a right mastectomy (Diep flap) and left reduction in early December for stage 2 invasive lo...
Forum Discussion
Hi @Arn_007 thanks for jumping in and sharing how you are processing your experience 2 years on from treatment.
I love your dry humour (‘I coughed…’) thanks for the morning LOL and your wise observation that how we feel might change as we move through stages many years after treatment (it’s 10 months since I completed treatment).
I have not yet dialled up my return to work (during and since treatment I changed gears and reduced the time spent working, the type of work I did within my field (taking on work that was not as complex and time bound) and where I worked and I studied a short course for interest), so I didn’t necessarily go from madly busy to zero partly because I didn’t think I would cope well with that change; conscious my type of work enabled me to shift and repackage how I worked and that’s not always possible for everyone.
But hearing your observation @Arn_007 is very timely because just about every day I am asked “So what are you going to do next?” which is a perfectly reasonable and kind question but one which for me is a bit hard to answer simply.
I have really wrestled with this and whether going back to my “original” career (professional advisor, sedentary role, long hours but plenty of adrenaline and sense of purpose) is wise.
I have not yet dialled up my return to work (during and since treatment I changed gears and reduced the time spent working, the type of work I did within my field (taking on work that was not as complex and time bound) and where I worked and I studied a short course for interest), so I didn’t necessarily go from madly busy to zero partly because I didn’t think I would cope well with that change; conscious my type of work enabled me to shift and repackage how I worked and that’s not always possible for everyone.
But hearing your observation @Arn_007 is very timely because just about every day I am asked “So what are you going to do next?” which is a perfectly reasonable and kind question but one which for me is a bit hard to answer simply.
I have really wrestled with this and whether going back to my “original” career (professional advisor, sedentary role, long hours but plenty of adrenaline and sense of purpose) is wise.
I have come across colleagues who have had breast cancer and returned to their work life but they made adjustments.
It sounds like others have grappled with this and @Arn_007 your point about the different stages of grief is very helpful. How I read this is that emotional contexts can change and it’s helpful to keep an open mind about choices we might have made, as we move through these stages.
I wonder how the last 10 months have been for you @RedRose77
It sounds like others have grappled with this and @Arn_007 your point about the different stages of grief is very helpful. How I read this is that emotional contexts can change and it’s helpful to keep an open mind about choices we might have made, as we move through these stages.
I wonder how the last 10 months have been for you @RedRose77