work, getting back into it, or out of it

[jenny]

I am only new to this but read with interest your not knowing what to do about your work.  I was in a similar position 3 years ago my situation was compounded by the fact that my husband has died at home of a brain tumor 15 months prior.  I tried to go back to work at first part time and then full time I was just not coping so I made an instant decision tho put my house on the market and resign from my job of 23 years.  The house was sold in 2 days and I went straight on annual week so my resigination could take effect.  I packed up and moved to be closer to my daughter and since then I have never looked back.  Made lots of new friends and have different interest I feel I am getting on with my live but still tend to live from day to day.  Has anyone else felt like this. I suppose it is always in the back of your mind that things can charge at anytime.  I feel that after I put my resigination in a few were pleased (for selfish reasons) but I am sure it was the right choice for me.  Take care  Jenny

[deejjay]

Hi Pinkeye glad you've come to some decisions regarding work and that your wife is supportive and you're both in the position that you can live off her salary whilst you work out what you'd like to do and take some me recovery time. It sounds like you have a lot of transferrable skills so will have a lot of options when trying to decide what you'd like to do as you have the existing skills and qualifications. Perhaps you could considering doing either a community college choosing your career type course or have some sessions with a career counsellor or both. With returning to work the consensus is that we need to start off part time and build up gradually and we have a need for flexibility during treatment if still working (some prefer or need to work for various reasons which can simply mean having a sense of normality or not having to cope with returning after an absence) and even after treatment especially if energy levels remain low or we experience ongoing health problems not to mention needing ongoing checks. I can certainly relate to not having tolerance for other people's s*** at work as it seems so petty. I work in a junior level position at work as I couldn't do the hours and needed either part time or flexibled houred work prior to cancer due to another health condition that impacts on my energy levels thus couldn't continue in fields of work I was qualified for so my experience became old, so cop a bit of that (I'm a this and you're only a that so I don't have to co-operate with or respect you) and have tended to change jobs every 2 to 3 years due to not particularly liking the work I could get so at least I wouldn't get stuck in one field with old any experience elsewhere and of course the vareity. So I'm going through my work options and needing to volunteer somewhere to build experience to become competitive again for work I enjoy so will be doing a choosing your career type course to firm up what I'd like to do and what type of duties I need to volunteer in to build that experience. Cheers for now Deejjay

[pinkeye]

Hi Deejay it was two years since I wrote that post. The time off I had after resigning from work was very theraputic. Since then, after a years break, I have gone back to paid work, but find that I am almost back at that same place, in the same job. Over the ANZAC day weekend I saw a TV segment about a young soldier who had returned from overseas after being in a bomb accident. He looked OK on the TV, hadn't been physically injured, but was discussing post traumatic stress syndrome. He and his wife said that they knew something was wrong, he described how he felt one day when his four year old todler would not put her toys away, he felt an unreasonable anger/frustration. After seeking help and resolving the problem, he said that he was now employed by the Defence forces to encourage other soldiers who were in the same mental state to seek help, a positive step for more than one person. I can relate to the feelings that this bloke felt. Not coping at odd times (most of the time OK), feeling angry at small irritating things, especially when people are rude or disrespectful (not necessarily to me). Going over stuff in your mind when you don't need to. I wonder if there is the cancer survivors' equivalent to post traumatic stress? Got any thoughts to add? What helps you get through all this stuff? cheers

[Teacher_Mum]

From one Teach to another. I hear you well. I had the same discussion weeks ago with hubby however as I am the only breadwiner it made things tricky but apart from that he asked me the question: Why did you become a teacher? Teaching, to teachers for the most part, I think, is more than a job, well most teachers anyways, we hope to inspire, to share to teach to facilitate to guide...and the list goes on. Its a vocation, its a passion its part of our lives..it burns in our hearts and it soothes the soul. I think sometimes like the lost soldier mentioned, we lose that passion, get caught up in the mundane, the negative because its how we feel inside. I have rediscovered the zest for life now that all the cancer stuff is done with (for now)...that determination, the get up and go...and I went back to why I wanted to do what I do to begin with - and once again, believed in myself...what I could do, who I am...and its awesome 🙂 There are changes that cancer forces you to confront - issues that didn't bother you in the past now make you want to throw a hand grenade at the person or situation and you think where on earth did that come from? :) I hope you have come to find and continue to find what you are looking for 🙂 Teach

[deejjay]

Teach, I agree that school teachers become teachers for the vocation and so forth. It's certainly not a well paid job by any means so no one would be in it for the $$$. Although it would be very satisfying teaching is also a very hard occupation. My sister in law is a teacher and the hours she has to do during term time are horrendous. And it seems to be getting worse and worse as support staff continue to be reduced and also having to pick up some parenting tasks with parents also both needing to work longer and longer hours. Yet the media will focus on how teachers apparently get school holidays off inspite of some of that time being used to tie up loose ends from the previous term and prepare and even attempt to get ahead for the next term. And the media forgets about the extra hours even during term time with lesson preparation and marking of assignments. Also whenver something goes wrong with education it's always the poor teachers that are blamed instead of being appreciated for the hard job that they need to do and the real reasons being sought and looked into. I'm sure all of that other stuff as well as the intensity and hours is what burns teachers out. It's certainly not an occupation I would pick given the flack teachers have to put up with. Anyhow wishing everyone luck in deciding on their new vocations.

[irdano]

Work...hmmmmmmmmmm..... When i was still really sick,straight of Hosi,weak and skinny from the 8 weeks of fun with chemicals and big white machines that hum, it was kind of nice not having to worry about work (Worry?-couldn't even contemplate it) but now,8 months later it's back to the-what am i going to do with my life-drawing board. I've had 101 careers with the latest right before i found the lump, gardening.....loved it. fit. fun. outdoors. Just not physically able right now to tote that barge and lift that bale. And then there's the energy levels..am i imaging it or am I a bit like an old computer...battery dosn't last so long any more and takes a lot longer to recharge?!?!?!? Would i go back to a high level stressful job (if i had one before) absolutely not.Even in this short time I've come way to far to destroy my health for someone else! Do i need to find something i can to do to make a quid... yup. Soooooooo........ To Be Continued.