Returning to work

[#1]

Hi all This is probably a silly question, but I wanted to hear other people's opinions. I'm 52 and I was diagnosed with GBM grade1V 18 months ago and given 12 months to live. Being 18 months past diagnosis and the MRI's getting better each time, the thought of going back to work doesn't excite me at all. I want to enjoy every moment and leave the stress behind. Does anyone else feel this way and am I wrong to feel this way? Helen

[joyhoney]

Dear Helen, I don't think it's silly at all that you don't want to go back to work. If you can afford it, then why go back? Why put yourself through that stress? I often wonder this, why I put myself through stress, when I've had leukaemia and every day should be precious. Unfortunately I need to work. You must be feeling on top of the world to have beaten their outcome. It just goes to show, the diagnosis they give is not always correct. Joyhoney

[samex]

Hi Helen, I am a teacher and had to return to work a month after I finished 6 months of chemo. My personal prognosis is very good,and I do love teaching but I could have easily walked away from it when I was diagnosed. Unfortunately (while also 52) I still have kids at uni and school and my husband had to take a serious paycut 5 years ago when he was retrenched from QANTAS. I also have a great super scheme for which it is worthwhile financially for me to hang in there. I agree that every day is now more valuable and that there are many other ways that I would like to spend my days than meeting deadlines and dealing with other people's problems. In short, if you can afford it and you don't need(psychologically) to return, do something else! Keep beating the odds!! Samex

[craftyone]

HI Helen, Hope that this isn't too far down the track. I went back to work and enjoyed the feeling of getting my life back to some sort of "normality". Some days I was very motivated and enjoyed being there - enjoyed being with my colleagues - but other days just wanted to "escape". I only stayed because, as with Samex, I had a great super scheme and my aim was that when I retired we wouldn't need to worry about money and just enjoy it. My partner actually retired before me, as he had been retrenched soon after I was diagnosed and then got a job which would have suited him in his younger days. We are now both retired and living in the country - my real escape - and just enjoying what we want to do, knowing that we don't have to worry about being able to do it or not. If you don't care about that sort of thing, or you are sure that you will be able to live in a style that you want to, then go ahead and leave work. Maybe, another area of work may be more suitable? Some survivors get into social work and such stuff - not enough energy for that. I am keeping myself useful by getting into volunteer work and find that extremely useful - if I can help others then I feel like my journey was worthwhile Good luck with your decisions, you can always change them if they DON'T suit, work out what is most important for you - I only had 7 years to work before retirement, so I oculd hold out for it - I also had great support at work. craftyone

[WishingStar]

Hi Helen, I would encourage you to live your life to the full and follow your heart on this one - if finances allow. I unfortunately, had to return to work. Having a brain based tumour myself - I have found that I would keep quite as to exactly what type of cancer you suffer(depending on the nature of work that you do) - I currently am experiencing a large amount of outward discrimination against myself since word has spread in the small country community in which I live that I have a brain tumour - I work in a professional field and voluntarily undergo neruopsychiatric assessments to ensure that I am upto my current line of work - believe me if I could sell my practice and take off I would right now. I see other members of the same small community with tumours that are more 'publically acceptable' and have slick marketing campaigns receive huge amounts of support from the locals, yet I have been ostracised - I am a veterinarian and have been very involved in the past in community events etc and own the only practice in town. One elderly lady, who I have been very close to over the years, and even bought her flowers on her birthday had a heart attack last week. She has quite a few cats and sent a friend in to get the 'low down' on what medications her cats are on etc - this lady was determined that her friend said I would not be able to adequately remember - or just print off the medication list from the computer and waited 45 minutes for another 'new graduate' veterinarian to return from a farm call. After I first returned to work I wore a bandanna and had put on a bit of weight from steroids etc - and of course I couldnt drive because of having had a craniotomy and epilepsy - one elderly gentlemen stopped me on my way home from work while he was out in his garden to ask me if the rumour was true that I had joined a bikie gang and lost a baby!!!! Sorry for the rant.....Completely off track, but I face some sort of brain tumour discrimination everyday - it seems to get worse as more people tend to find out about my condition - especially as now that I have had some public seizures........ I also blame the dramatised versions of brain tumours.....Paul Robinson evil deeds being caused by a brain tumour on Neighbours, apparently according to the girls at work it is a favourite story line amongst the Bold and the Beautiful as well , but my favourite would have to be ....Grey's Anatomy and Izzy's hallucinations of her ex...wish my hallucinations were that good......So in a very long winded and ranting kind of way....unless you have an extreme passion for what you do or need to due to financial circumstances, would definately think long and hard about going back to work...life's to short :D Nicole