After Cancer, Returning to the Workplace

The funny thing about grocery bills, health insurance premiums, and mortgage or rent payments is that they don’t stop when cancer strikes. Fortunately, neither do dreams nor ambition. Returning to work after treatment can be both gratifying and challenging. For me, the emotional ups and downs have at times made me wonder if my office chair should be equipped with a seat belt. (As a chemo veteran, the barf bag already comes standard.)

After seven months of chemotherapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia, I returned full-time to my job as a business development professional. More specifically, it’s “kinda” full-time until I finish my maintenance rounds of chemo. Resuming my career marked a huge milestone in my recovery. I’ve welcomed the sense of normalcy the familiar routine has provided, as well as the abundance of diversions from listening too closely to the fear-mongers residing in the back of my brain. My bosses and colleagues, whom I consider to be friends, have been empathetic and supportive, and it’s been comforting being back in their presence.

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