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Posted by Diana on 2/25/2003 from 65.125.48.30:

Has anyone else experienced being treated differently at work after you have been diagnosed with breast cancer? I go to work each day fearful I will be fired. Prior to my diagnosis and surgeries everything was fine. I only missed 4 weeks of work total for two lumpectomies and I worked everyday of my radiation treatments even though I could have stayed out on disability the entire time. I dragged myself into that office on days when I was hurting and just felt like crawling in a corner and dying. I know that I was very tired and it most likely did affect my mindset but I feel I have done my very best at my job throughout the ordeal, having never called in sick in the 10 months I have been working there. Ever since my return from surgery in September I have been verbally abused, harped on, complained about, they say I make alot of errors, I have constant interruptions to go get my boss a legal pad or find something for him which turns out to be right on his desk in front of him and there have been many many closed door sessions between the two bosses I have and another secretary who has been in the office for 20 years and I know it is me they are talking about. Each and everyday I go in there fearing I will be called in and be fired for nothing more than perhaps a typographical error. Something everyone does but I'm not allowed to do. I have gotten so paranoid that it is causing me to make errors. I am beside myself and have taken off today for the very first time ever working there to go have my 6 month checkup 3 weeks early so that I wont have to worry about collecting unemployment should I get fired tomorrow. Battling and fighting cancer and the psychological effects that it has had on me is nothing compared to have your self-esteem, good naturedness and self-worth picked from you piece by piece each and everyday you wake up. I get up and get an immediate stomach ache on work days now. I have broken out in hives and I've broken out in tears at work despite trying to hold it in. Is it hard for someone who has had a cancer diagnosis to find another job no matter how dependable they have been because of it? If anyone else has experiences these kind of changes I would love to chat with you. I am in great need of encouragement right now. Part of the healing process with cancer as we all know is having a positive attitude. That is hard to do when you live with negativeness 8 hours a day. Thanks so much for listening.

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• Re: Workplace Change After Diagnosis - Renee Gaines   3/4/2003 (0)

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