Back to work on Monday - Whaaaah!

Hi Folks, well the time is nigh. Back to work on Monday and my wet room is nearly finished now that I have micro-managed the tradesmen. Stresssy! I've been painting like a whirling dervish and have got myself a head cold which will hopefully disappear over the weekend. I feel like I could do with another month off but at least I'm only doing 4 day weeks for the first 2.5 months (mainly from home) and will have a holiday over Easter with my family.

Still doing fine and will have my second Rituximab injection in early April. I get a couple of night sweats every night which is probably down to menopause and I've started using Gabapentin with HRT to see if it will alleviate them - the GP is happy for me to give this a go.

My mindfulness course for health is now finished but I've tried to persuade the trainer to give us a 4 week extended course as there's a few areas that I need to get to grips with. We are only a small group of 4 + trainer and the others want an extension too. It's been lovely to attend as I've made new friends who have different issues mostly with pain (not cancer related) but have been very empathetic to my situation and vice versa.

I would really recommend Mindfulness for those who have finished treatment or are on watch and wait. It really helps you to get everything into perspective and there are studies that show it helps with your immune system too. I did my course with Breathworks (BMA approved). It's an 8 week course that runs once per week for 2.5 hours and the exercises take up about 10 to 40 mins per day but there's no pressure to do them every day.

Hope you are all being kind to yourselves

[Tinkerbellcgy]

All the very best as you re-enter the work force. Please be easy on yourself and take rest periods as you need them.

[Hidden in reply to Tinkerbellcgy]

Thank you Tinkerbellcgy. I certainly will!

[Shar0n Volunteer]

Good luck, maurachristine! Mindfulness is very useful and beneficial alright.

[BelindaTupper]

Hi Maurachristine - it's so good to be well enough to work, isn't it? I've told my co-workers that, too. I went back to work a year after diagnosis and the initial chemo treatment. Still on my two year maintenance of quarterly Rituxin.

Mindfulness has been one of the things I've gained from being sick, actually. Prior to even knowing I was sick, before any symptoms, I read some books on mindfulness which I felt prepared me for the cancer journey. It was all very "timely" I'll say that. Being sick and having to give up all my commitments and have other people wait on me (and me having to wait for them to wait on me) changed my life, really, in a very good way.

That's very good advice you gave! Take care and be kind to yourself, also.

[Hidden in reply to BelindaTupper]

Thanks BelinfaTupper. Getting back to work is great just to feel normal. Unfortunately, within hours of returning I was told that there is a risk of redundancy. Hey ho! I will take it as it comes. It is a pity because I love my job but if I am made redundant, I will take a break and start searching in September. Thanks for your lovely message.

[BelindaTupper in reply to Hidden]

Oh no! It would be hard to come back to work and have that to deal with, too. Perhaps this will be a blessing in disguise? I'm trying to look at all "changes" or "lack of change" as blessings that fall along my path. I figure I can "accept" them or choose to do otherwise, so I "accept" what comes my way and figure out how to get the blessing out of it. I know it sounds a bit corny, but it's working for me. Keeps me grounded, balanced and sane. I hope things work out as they should, for you.