Working Through It

Although no hard-core data exists, it seems quite obvious to both survivors and their
doctors that cancer patients who “have places to go and things to do” seem to live
longer and enjoy the lives they are living more than those who withdraw from life.
Keeping this in mind, you may want to keep working as much and for as long possi-
ble. To work most effectively and efficiently, keep these tips in mind:
➤ Work in spurts. Sometimes your energy comes in waves. Take advantage of the
high points and make the most of the low points.
➤ Don’t call attention to what you “can’t” do. If there is something more diffi-
cult or time consuming than you can deal with, instead of saying you “can’t”
do it, see if someone will, covertly, trade responsibilities with you, even if it is
for a short period of time.
➤ Know the difference between doing and overdoing. Do, but don’t overdo.
Overdoing could set you back. If you listen hard, your body will let you know
the difference in no uncertain terms.
Do I Want to Stay Here?
Some cancer survivors panic at the thought of losing a job. Their job may be the love
of their life, the reason for their existence, and they may fear that they will be fired
or looked down upon because of their disease. They fear they may lose something
they cherish and that gives them a reason to get up each morning. Even those who
aren’t passionate about the work they do may need the job to pay their bills or keep
their precious health insurance. Indeed, for most people, work is not an issue of self-
esteem alone, it is absolutely necessary for survival.
Some people with breast cancer decide to leave their jobs because they assume that
the daily stress that the job supplies is more than they can take at this time. In fact, if
their jobs are particularly stressful, they may even blame their work for contributing
to the development of breast cancer in the first place. Whether or not stress can actu-
ally cause disease remains a subject of some controversy. However, if you feel that the
stress of your job wears you down, then getting rid of that stress may be helpful to
your overall health, if you’re able to do so without losing financial security.
Cancer survivors begin to ask themselves questions about their career. Are they there
only for a paycheck and benefits? Do they stay there because, once diagnosed, they
are afraid they won’t be hired anywhere else or be able to get benefits anywhere else?
Is there too much stress with the job? Are they satisfied with the job? Depending on
how they answer these questions, they could be out the door tomorrow.
Regardless of how you see yourself in your workplace there is some place to turn for
help.