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Can't concentrate at work

Jax2007
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Hi all

 

I'm losing my mind with worry. What if we can't fix it? What if the treatment makes me really poorly? What about my two young children? What will they see and hear and feel? How can I protect them? Can I even protect them?  What about my husband? He has just lost his father and hasnt had time to process that yet. Now he's having to support me through all of this? What about my mum?  And so it goes on...

I'm trying to use work as a tool to distract myself (im an analyst...desk job). It was working at first but, I can feel that dropping off. I'm finding it so hard to concentrate. Seemingly without warning my heart races, I cry uncontrollably and my mind is flooded with all my worries. I reign it in and go back to work....then it happens all over again.  I don't even have an official diagnosis yet! We know it's cancer (so crazy to be saying that) but, we don't know what type. Looking like breast cancer but, I'm waiting further scans and a biopsy to confirm. No idea of how bad or if/what we can do about it. 

Mum and husband saying I should just step back from work. I'm worried it's too soon? Arghhhhh!!!

When (if ever) did you come away from work? Any help and advice is greatly appreciated 

 

X

Parents
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    I had thyroid cancer and I worked right up until the Christmas holidays. My operation was the day I was due to go back, had it not been after a holiday, I would have worked up until the day of the operation. I went to the staff party the night before I had my pre-operation appointment.

    I took a month off from work after the operation and then returned.

    For me, that worked. I found I tended to get stressed on Saturday evenings, but much less so when I was at work. Also of course, I had a clear diagnosis and thyroid cancer is...well, about the least worst option when it comes to cancer.

    There's nothing at all wrong with taking some time off. It doesn't have to be a case of taking off permanently until your treatment. You could just take a few days off to process. Once I was diagnosed, my direct boss told me to just text if I needed a day off at any point. Maybe take a day or two off and see whether that makes you feel better or worse?

    Your situation sounds incredibly stressful as you know you are dealing with something serious but you don't yet know what. I was lucky that way, in that I was told what the likely treatment would be in the same appointment I was told they found malignancies. 

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    I had thyroid cancer and I worked right up until the Christmas holidays. My operation was the day I was due to go back, had it not been after a holiday, I would have worked up until the day of the operation. I went to the staff party the night before I had my pre-operation appointment.

    I took a month off from work after the operation and then returned.

    For me, that worked. I found I tended to get stressed on Saturday evenings, but much less so when I was at work. Also of course, I had a clear diagnosis and thyroid cancer is...well, about the least worst option when it comes to cancer.

    There's nothing at all wrong with taking some time off. It doesn't have to be a case of taking off permanently until your treatment. You could just take a few days off to process. Once I was diagnosed, my direct boss told me to just text if I needed a day off at any point. Maybe take a day or two off and see whether that makes you feel better or worse?

    Your situation sounds incredibly stressful as you know you are dealing with something serious but you don't yet know what. I was lucky that way, in that I was told what the likely treatment would be in the same appointment I was told they found malignancies. 

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