Cancer : Working

by National Cancer Institute

(Page 14 of 14)

People with cancer often want to get back to work. Their jobs not only give them an income but also a sense of routine. Work helps people feel good about themselves.

Before you go back to work, talk with your doctor as well as your boss. Make sure you are well enough to do your job. You may need to work fewer hours or do your job in a different way. Some people feel well enough to work while they are having chemo or radiation treatment. Others need to wait until their treatments are over.

Talking With Your Boss and Co-Workers

"I was nervous about going back to work. A big issue was what to tell my supervisor and co-workers. I knew that they would be supportive, but I was afraid that they would think I was no longer able to do as good a job as I used to."

You might find that your boss and co-workers treat you differently than they did before you had cancer. They may say nothing because they don't know what to say and don't want to hurt your feelings. Or they may not know if you want to talk about your cancer or would rather just focus on work.

If you can, use humor or make a joke. Humor can help break the ice and make people feel more at ease. Let your boss and co-workers know if, and when, you want to talk about your cancer. You may find that it is easier than you thought it would be.

Your Legal Rights

Some people with cancer face roadblocks when they try to go back to work or get a new job. Even those who had cancer many years ago may still have trouble. Employers may not treat them fairly because they believe myths that aren't true. They may believe cancer can be spread from person to person or people with cancer take too many sick days. Some employers also think that people with cancer are poor insurance risks.

It is against the law to discriminate against (treat unfairly) workers who have disabilities such as cancer. These national laws protect your rights as a worker:

• The Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990

Most states also have laws that protect the rights of people with cancer. You can take legal action (sue) if you think that you are not being hired for a job because of your cancer. Here are some ways to learn more about your legal rights:

Talk with your social worker and ask about laws in your state. Your social worker can also give you the name of the state agency that protects your rights as an employee.

Contact your state's Department of Labor or Office of Civil Rights.

Contact your state Representative or Senator. You can find out who represents your district and how to contact this person by looking on the Internet or at a library.

Visit the Web site for the National Cancer Institute's State Cancer Legislative Database Program at http://www.scld-nci.net/

You may also want to learn about the benefits you can get as a person with cancer. One is the Family and Medical Leave Act. This law allows most workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid time to deal with certain family and medical problems. To learn more, speak with the Human Resource office where you work. You can also contact the U.S. Department of Labor at [phone] or http://www.dol.gov/ 11.

Some people can't return to their jobs because of their cancer. For instance, you may no longer be able to lift heavy boxes if that task is a part of your job. If you can't do the work you did before, contact your state Rehabilitation Program. Ask about training programs that teach you the skills you need for other kinds of work. To learn more, look under the state government section in the blue pages of your phone book.

Thinking About the Future

You may find it helpful to look beyond your treatment and think about what you want to do when you feel well again. Many people find it helpful to set goals. Setting goals gives them something to think about and work toward. Goals can also help people focus on what they want to achieve next week, next year, and into the future. As one man with cancer said,

"I decided I would travel to Europe when my therapy was over. I used treatment time to research the countries I wanted to visit and read first-person accounts written by other travelers. I bought a new camera and figured out how to use it. I even brushed up on my French!"

Goals can also help you get you through hard times. In fact, many cancer patients have done much better than their doctor expected because they wanted to go to a wedding or meet their new grandchild.

It is wise for people with cancer to "put their house in order." Think about making a will and talk about end-of-life choices with your loved ones. You may also want to put your photos into albums, write down your family history, and sort through some of the things you own.

Putting your house in order is not the same as giving up. In fact, it is a way that people with cancer can live each day to the fullest and think about the future. These things make sense for everyone, sick or well.

If you wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes. If you don't wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes.

—Senegalese Proverb

Advance Directives

Advance directives are legal papers that allow you to decide ahead of time how you want to be treated when you are dying. They help your loved ones and doctors know what to do if, and when, you can't tell them yourself.

People with cancer face a lot of choices about the future. It's hard to talk about the end of your life. But when you do, you can have peace of mind. You will know you cared enough to make hard choices for yourself, instead of leaving them for your loved ones and health care providers.

Advance directives include:

• A will to divide your money and things you own among your heirs
• A living will to let people know what kind of medical care you want if you are close to death
• A durable power of attorney to appoint a person (a "health care proxy") to make medical decisions for you when you can't make them yourself
• A trust to give your money or things you own to someone else

For more information, contact the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), by TTY (for deaf and hard of hearing callers) at 1-800-332-8615, or through the Internet at http://cancer.gov. Click on the "Need Help?" button to send a message.

Once you finish treatment, you may expect life to return to the way it was before cancer. In truth, it can take a while for life to settle down. This can be a hard time. While you adjust to life after treatment, you may find it helpful to read Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment. 12

Summing Up: Living Each Day

Living with cancer means not only looking at death but also how to live the rest of your life--whether it is long or short. Take care of daily duties and do things that are fun. Both are needed for a full life.

Many people who have cancer feel that living each day to the fullest means:

• staying involved in the duties and pleasures of daily life
• returning to work if possible
• making plans for the future

About the Author

www.nci.nih.gov
The National Cancer Institute's research programs are extensive and contain many innovative initiatives. I invite you to explore our Web site to find out more about the exciting work being conducted here at NCI and by NCI-supported scientists throughout the country.