“How I managed my small business during my cancer treatment”

The ability to continue to work through cancer treatment is different for everyone and depends upon a number of factors. In this article, the author describes how she continued to work during breast cancer treatment.

By Louise

Most people who have had a cancer diagnosis can relate to the feeling of being on a rollercoaster without the excitement and fun element! The impact on emotions, sharing the news with family and friends, the upheaval to what was once a normal weekly routine and the uncertainty about the future are only part of the experience! Not to mention the side effects as you go through treatment and generally feeling ‘shit’ and a ‘sick person’!

In March 2015 I got on that cancer rollercoaster after finding a lump in my left breast. My treatment involved surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy over a period of 9 months. The side effects were debilitating and degrading; losing my hair, watching my nails go black, coping with severe fatigue and generally feeling under the weather was very hard to deal with. However, as a partner in a small consultancy based in London it never occurred to me to do anything other than keep working through my treatment.

Q&A: Working during breast cancer, tips and advice

Some breast cancer patients take a complete break from working during breast cancer to get through the treatment, whilst others find that working throughout treatment is a welcome distraction. Sometimes extended time off work isn’t even an option. Whichever of these situations you find yourself in, there are questions that you probably have, and rights you may not know you have.

Now let’s be clear, that not all of us can do this – there are more than 200 different forms of cancer and many types of treatment for each form. We all have our own individual experience of cancer and so it is wrong to make comparisons, to judge one person vs another, because one can carry on working through treatment while another can’t or chooses not to. As it happens, I was lucky enough to be able to work during most of my treatment and that was really helpful but there are options if you can’t do this and a wide range of adjustments that can at least keep you in touch with work.

Working helped me to feel I had a sense of purpose, routine and a reason to keep going. I also had to think of the impact on my short and long term financial position …. not to mention that of my business partners. If I stopped generating and delivering business it would have quite a significant impact on my colleagues and the viability of the business.

Thanks to an amazing wig, nail polish and a touch of makeup I was able to put on a brave face to the world, and surprisingly not one of my clients noticed the changes in my appearance (or were too polite to comment!). Even my brother asked half way through my chemo when I was going to lose my hair! Joking aside it was not easy, but key to maintaining some balance in my life and working (be it part-time some weeks) was sharing what was going on with my business partners.

Returning to work after cancer: advice from Barbara Wilson, Director of ‘Working With Cancer’

This article provides some tips for returning to work after a breast cancer diagnosis. It is written from personal experience as well as professional experience. “Returning to work after cancer wasn’t something I gave a great deal of time or thought to during my treatment for breast cancer in 2005. When I was first diagnosed, I kept telling myself and others that I’d be back at work if not in five days, then in just a few weeks. I rang my boss several…

For many of us, sharing personal details about our health with work colleagues is not easy. But without their help and understanding keeping the relationships and normality of work would have been very hard. My business partners were incredibly supportive and understanding, but at the same time open about the challenges and their own concerns. Together we put in place plans to manage my current business commitments, fitting around the rather inflexible hospital commitments. We built into the plan a contingency for all my delivery and business development, so that clients would not be compromised. Surprisingly

There was relatively little disruption to the work routine, but it was reassuring for me and them to know that we had a back-up plan and importantly I would not feel I had failed somehow if I was not able to make a meeting.

Throughout the 12 months following my treatment I had the benefit of an independent coach. Someone with whom I could share concerns, practice conversations with work colleagues and family, and act as a valuable sounding board. My coach’s own experience of cancer meant that there was real empathy and a sense of not being alone or unusual in some of my concerns.

Cancer changes lives irrevocably, but there are many positive steps you can take to navigate the road to finding your ‘new’ normal. Although cancer can feel as if you have lost control of your life, there is in fact much you can influence, change and take the lead on, whilst still remaining in the driving seat in managing your career and life as a whole.

Six key messages

1. Be kind to yourself – you are going through a very difficult experience and it is ok to feel afraid, lost, angry, resentful…to name just a few of the emotions you might feel. Be kind to yourself and find something positive to focus on each day.
2. Talk to work colleagues about your cancer experience – talk to colleagues, friends and family and let them know what is going on for you. They are not mind readers. If you say nothing they will come to their own conclusions as to the support you need.
3. Ask for support and make plans – don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your support network is vital and most people will be delighted to help you. Try to make joint plans around your known commitments, but be prepared to change them.
4. Be prepared for setbacks – going through treatment effects everyone differently. And it is not finished once the treatment is over. Side-effects can continue for 12 – 18 months after you finish your treatment and the recovery process is rarely linear.
5. Review your financial commitments and prioritise your needs – for many people one of the most worrying aspects of cancer is the impact on your personal finances and that of your family. In addition, if you work in a small business it could affect the financial well-being of the whole company. Try to sit down with loved ones and work colleagues and talk openly about the financial impacts, and prioritise expenditure if necessary.
6. Don’t be afraid to think about your future – after a cancer diagnosis it can bring up many negative thoughts about your life expectancy and things you had hoped to achieve. Although in the early stages people tend to just focus on each day/week and getting through the next round of treatments. As things progress you will begin to look forward again. Don’t be afraid to make plans, even if they have to be changed or modified.

Work & Cancer: advice and your legal rights

Navigating the world of work and employment during or after cancer treatment. Are you choosing to continue working, take time away from work, return to work or change careers? Here’s the advice you need.

About the author

Louise Barrett is an associate of Working With Cancer. She works with organisations and individuals to support them in managing work and cancer. Having originally held senior executive roles within the Pharmaceutical Industry and Financial Services, for the past 20 years she has had worked in leadership development and coaching. Working With Cancer seemed the perfect combination of her coaching work and supporting others affected by cancer to live meaningful lives. The strength, determination, resilience and dignity of those living and working with cancer is an inspiration and constant reminder of the importance of focusing on what is important in life.

For more information contact Louise and the Working With Cancer team at:

• admin@workingwithcancer.co.uk
• www.workingwithcancer.co.uk
• @WorkWithCancer

further information

To return to the homepage of our Information Hub, click here where you can access more helpful information, practical advice, personal stories and more.

Future Dreams hold a range of support groups, classes, workshops and events to help you and your carers during your breast cancer diagnosis. These are held both online and in person at the London-based Future Dreams House. To see what’s on offer and to book your place, see here.

August 2019 (Reviewed February 2024)

This article was written by a guest author based on their own experience of breast cancer and its treatment. It is important to note that this is one person’s experience and that whilst there may be commonalities between the experiences of different people, everyone has a different diagnosis/treatment plan/general experience. The information and content provided in all guest articles is intended for information and educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice. It is important that all personalised care decisions should be made by your medical team. Please contact your medical team for advice on anything covered in this article and/or in relation to your personal situation. Please note that unless otherwise stated, Future Dreams has no affiliation to the guest author of this article and he/she/they have not been paid to write this article. There may be alternative options/products/information available which we encourage you to research when making decisions about treatment and support.