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Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
If you did, tell me the circumstances if you can. Much appreciated.
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Bobvancleef38 - Who do you know with myeloma?: My father
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 1994
- Age at diagnosis: 40
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
Yes I carried on as usual when diagnosed and through induction therapy. I only slowed down when I got peripheral neuropathy severely in my feet. They are better somewhat now -- three months later -- but still not great. But I am back to work now.
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molliemay
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
I continued working full time for 5 1/2 years post diagnosis as a physical therapist. The only times that I was off was for 3 months because of a pathologic fracture of my left arm and 3 months for my stem cell transplant. I retired last June because of age, not myeloma.
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
I have worked throughout my chemo and after I took a chemo holiday. The steroids were difficult and as with one other poster I got neuropathy in my feet. Everyone is different; but I don't think the chemo for multiple myeloma is particularly troublesome. *except the steroids!
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Lin516 - Name: Lin
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 04/09/2013
- Age at diagnosis: 57
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
Depends on the kind of work you do. I have desk job and worked during treatment but there were days I could barely make it through the day. If you have a physically demanding job it would be difficult to get through the day. I was on VRD for three months. Jerry
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JBarnes - Name: Jerry Barnes
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Aug 17, 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
Yes. I had a computer-related job and an understanding management chain, so I was able to work from home a lot during the active treatment phase. Avoiding the 1-hour each way commute was a big help. I was out of work for about 6 weeks during and following my SCT, then ramped back up to full time over a 10-week period.
Overall it worked out well, though I felt less productive on chemo brain days for sure. As someone else has said, I think a whole lot depends on the kind of work you do. For me, I think working was great because it gave me something to focus on rather than multiple myeloma, chemotherapy, etc.
Having said that, now that I am feeling good and am in maintenance therapy, I just retired 10 days ago partly due to age (not multiple myeloma), and to have more time to do things outside of work that I want to do.
On to the next phase of life!
Overall it worked out well, though I felt less productive on chemo brain days for sure. As someone else has said, I think a whole lot depends on the kind of work you do. For me, I think working was great because it gave me something to focus on rather than multiple myeloma, chemotherapy, etc.
Having said that, now that I am feeling good and am in maintenance therapy, I just retired 10 days ago partly due to age (not multiple myeloma), and to have more time to do things outside of work that I want to do.
On to the next phase of life!
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mikeb - Name: mikeb
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009 (MGUS at that time)
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
Althought I was retired when I went through treatment, I felt fine, with no physical problems during my Velcade regimen. I don't know what my stamina would have been had I still been doing electrical work, but it was physically taxing. My only "bad" days were the first 2 after I started a new series. The large dose of steroids kept we awake.
The SCT transplant was a whole different story, however.
The SCT transplant was a whole different story, however.
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Wayne K - Name: Wayne
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself, my sister who passed in '95
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 03/09
- Age at diagnosis: 70
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
I worked the whole time but I didn't have any bone fractures either. I had a desk job though. My energy was lower and I had sleepless nights after my dexamethasone, so occasionally I might have taken the day off. I did 4 cycles of CyBorD (cyclosphosphamide [Cytoxan], Velcade [bortezomib], and dexamethasone). Getting ready to do my SCT next. I will not be working during that time frame.
I found my chemo regimen to be fairly tolerable.
I found my chemo regimen to be fairly tolerable.
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kjpoppit - Name: Kim Nelson
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Sept. 19th, 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 47
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
Kim, you may find that you can work through part of the SCT process. I have a desk job and kept working at least part time via telework up to the second, melphalan, round of chemo. It helped to keep my mind off of the process. Melphalan made me very sick, so I didn't work again for about two months and then started back on a part time basis.
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darnold - Name: Dana Arnold
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 52
Re: Did you go back to work after your myeloma diagnosis?
Interesting, it seems many of you went back to work in an office type job, or you were intelligent enough to work from home. Unfortunately, my dad had previously worked his whole life in a very physical job and as a result of his illness, he couldn't go back to that type of work.
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Bobvancleef38 - Who do you know with myeloma?: My father
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 1994
- Age at diagnosis: 40
17 posts
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