Work and CLL

[Arts116]

I was diagnosed with CLL in 2020. I’m stage 1 watch & wait my markers are mutated trisomy 12 with 18&19. I’ve been a flight attendant for the last 32 years. Early in the pandemic I was working a flight and contracted covid. I didn’t know I had CLL, it was early in the pandemic and no masks or restrictions were required in any country. I was fine initially but eventually went into respiratory failure and later on a ventilator. I recovered and several months later was told I have leukemia. Work has been great about my leave but it’s getting crunch time. They want to know what my plans are? I have such mixed emotions about flying around in full planes with predominantly unmasked passengers who unfortunately can and do fly sick frequently. I’m not new to flying it’s been my occupation for over 30 years. I’m aware of the tight constraints and environment. My question is should I continue to fly and risk illness or try to see about disability. My oncologist/hematologist thinks airplanes aren’t the greatest environment for people with CLL and supports whatever choice I make but I feel like a coward stepping back from a career I’ve had for years over an unfortunate bout on a ventilator and a diagnosis of CLL. What do you think?

[Panz]

All I am able to say is God Bless You!!! This is going to be totally up to you. I wonder if the airlines would consider placing you in a job on the ground where you might be able to be less exposed as you wouldn’t be in such close quarters. I would hope all your years of service would warrant something other then putting you in the air.

Please keep us update on how this all works out for you!

Panz 💕🙂🌈☘️🙏👍

[Arts116 in reply to Panz]

thank you! I’ll keep you posted.

[AussieNeil Administrator]

I really feel for you. Further to Panz 's suggestion of a job where you aren't in close contact with customers, I'd be looking at the following:-

(1) Your immunoglobulin levels, particularly IgA and IgM. If your counts are in or near the normal range, then you probably will maintain reasonable immunity.

(2) Your response to COVID-19 vaccinations/boosters and your COVID-19 infection. Get your antibody titres to the COVID-19 spike and nucleocapsid checked. Being up to date with your boosters and having been infected gives you hybrid immunity, the best possible level of protection - provided your immune system is still working fairly well per (1)

(3) Your neutrophil count needs to be in the healthy range to help you fight off infections

(4) Are you permitted to wear a mask? I appreciate the additional challenges in communication - hidden facial expressions, inability of those you are talking to, to lip read in a noisy environment, but while the best protection is passengers wearing masks, given they won't be doing so, second best is you wearing one.

Air travel is the primary means by which we spread infections around the world. If you decide to stay on, I'd be looking at opportunities to eventually transfer to another non-public facing role in the company. I suspect those roles are fairly few and may not be easy to transfer to, but I hope I'm wrong!

Please keep us informed of your decision and how that works out.

Neil

[HopeME in reply to AussieNeil]

Wonderful response Neil! Knowing the values you have outlined in bullets 1-3 will greatly help Arts116 evaluate his/her risk. Obviously nothing is 100% but this information helps immensely with probabilities . Thanks for all you do for so many of us around the world.

Best,

Mark

[Arts116 in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks Neil, I’ve had both my IgA & IgM taken they’re very low and my IGG is about 20 points above normal. I have antibodies from covid, the vax and boosters but I’ve not had a titer to understand how much. I’ve been fortunate to get Evusheld so there’s a lot of comfort in that but I’m worried about the wheels falling off when I return to flying, our flight hours have been bumped to 95 hours due to staff shortages ( that number is actual time inflight does not count taxi or ground time) That means I’d spend roughly 120 hours every month in an aircraft because I commute to my base city by airplane. I’ve asked about alternative work assignments to no avail but I think I’ll push harder. I wear an N95 mask anytime I’m in public. I no longer go anywhere that’s crowded. Thanks for the advice it’s greatly appreciated and good to know others understand where I’m coming from.

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to Arts116]

I'm impressed with what you've achieved so far. That attitude will serve you well. I'm so relieved that you can wear an N95 mask in public. I hope you don't get disparaging comments for doing so. The flight hour bump is understandable given the pandemic isn't actually over and more employees are taking sick leave than usual. I hope you can manage fatigue wise with the extra hours. Hopefully you can sleep on your commute!

The titre is only a guide, plus you can repeat the test to check how well your result is holding. What's important is that you should have broad and boosted immunity from your infection and boosters, so a lower titre for you might be expected to provide you with better cover than someone not infected. Of course, that's influenced by what variant you come up against and your viral load exposure (hence the value of mask wearing and hand washing).

The falling protection from Evusheld is indeed a concern, particularly given you are likely to encounter new variants earlier than those of us not flying.

Neil

[wellbeingwarrior]

Arts116 I can definitely relate to be of working age with years ahead of me and navigating how I work to accommodate CLL. Fatigue has been my biggest complaint, despite remaining well fit. I've not travelled overseas for three years now (like many others) but would like to put it back in the schedule next year, taking good precautions. Not sure how I'd feel working on a plane, as you do, but yes it feels challenging to live normally while being in limbo-land.

I sure hope you work out the best way forward for you. If it were me I'd be looking for an alternative if I didn't think this was going to work for me any more, rather than choosing not to work at all. But, we all do what we think is best for ourselves at the time. Best of luck working it out.

[DanBro1]

Treatments are now available to treat folks who have contracted Covid. If you have been vaccinated and boosted, I would continue flying, BUT wearing a good N95 mask and carry around a pocket hand sanitizer to use frequently during the day.

[Edalv]

Since we already have a subpar immune system, I would try to minimize my exposure to getting the virus again. If I was in your situation, I would try to work with the airline to find a more suitable job with less exposure to the virus. I am sure your airline would want to keep you working with them with so many years of experience… I am currently retired, so I am glad I don’t have to deal with issues like yours, but you have to do what you feel is safe and comfortable… Best of luck

[country76]

I am also Trisomy 12 with 18 & 19. I am not sure if you could get disability for Cll. I tried once several years ago and they said Cll not covered. I ended up retiring.

If not available to you maybe they could move you to another department. I am sure you would miss your great job. Maybe the fact you had a history of Covid and ended up on a ventilator would help you get disability.

Wishing you lots of luck

[LeoPa]

Can you do something else?

[dogsrule70]

I’m wrestling with a similar problem, but I don’t view myself as being a coward for wanting to leave my work. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to protect myself. I might, however, view myself as a coward for NOT leaving. I’ve dedicated many years and am finally now able to reap the rewards of better work and better pay, but what good is it if I can easily get sick (and not just from Covid)? I want to be brave enough to let go of my previous life plans and figure something else out.

I wish you the best in making these difficult decisions.

[wellbeingwarrior in reply to dogsrule70]

I like the way you've phrased that dogsrule70. 👍

For those of us financially reliant on ourselves solely, and no suitable disability option available, it becomes difficult to contemplate. I've been trying to figure it out a while, and have yet to work it out, before it works me out! 😀

[NaturalWaze]

it’s a big decision for sure and I have no advice, other than to say you would definitely not be a coward in my eyes if you decided to leave! .