Tracey: Workplace as Support Place

by Cancer and Careers Guest Blogger
filed under Blogger, Guest, Place, Support, Tracey, Workplace

 

I had cancer field trips where I took people from work with me to chemo and radiation treatments. They’ve seen me be aligned for radiation and watched me be connected through my portacath to a chemo infusion. I spared no details and told them what everything felt like.

Constant exposure to my life with cancer allowed people to be comfortable around my illness. After a while people started cracking cancer jokes and asking if I play the cancer card to get out of speeding tickets. I was teased by one of my producers that she’d smuggle in a flask of tequila for me after surgery claiming to be my aunt. I got a visit but no tequila - maybe next time! I came home from surgery to a very beautiful flower arrangement and an email from my boss telling me that they all had drinks at the monthly creative meeting and everyone around the room said something nice about me.

For one person, coming with me to chemotherapy was especially rewarding. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer she was too scared to go with her treatments, and she has always felt guilty about it. For her, going to one of my chemotherapy treatments felt a little like redemption. When she told me this I went home and cried.

I feel like my attitude towards cancer puts people at ease; they feel they can ask questions without me falling apart on them. The workplace can be a source of great support…After all, coworkers are an integral part of life. You’re with them eight hours out of your day.            

Tracey works for Walt Disney Imagineering and is a 1-year angiosarcoma survivor.  This is the third of her four guest blogs for Cancer and Careers.

Disclosing cancer to employer while in high ranking position -- yay or nay?

by Alice McKenney
filed under Cancer, disclose, High, In, Job, News, Ranking, The

 

Whether or not to disclose your cancer to your employer often depends on the situation. Prognosis, extent of treatment, and accommodations needed are just a few things to consider. However, do things change at all if you're in a high ranking position?

This issue is a current and controversial one for people in the UK. Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a member of the British Parliament from 1987 to 2001. In 1997, she was appointed to the position of Secretary of State of Northern Ireland. Right before this appointment she publicly announced that she had a benign brain tumor. Shortly thereafter in 2001, she retired from politics, and then passed away in 2005. 

Mo Mawlam, courtesy of The Observer

 Why is this relevant you might ask? Well, it has only come to light in the past few weeks that Mo's tumor wasn't benign at all - it was malignant and terminal. Only three people knew this truth until now: Mo, her husband, and her doctor. Responses to this news flash have ranged from calling her courageous for continuing in her difficult position, to calling her a liar for not telling her constituents the real story. Also, while her doctor was legally bound not to say anything, he had strongly advised her to tell the administration about her cancer (but she still chose not to).

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a US Supreme Court Justice, did just the opposite. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer 10 years ago, the public knew. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a year ago, the public knew. And to top it off she worked through all of it.

Mo was quite lucky that her cancer treatments did not interfere with her day-to-day work life, but most people are not so lucky. What would you have done in this situation? Was it her duty to come clean with the truth? Or do you think she went about it the right way?

Also check out these other articles about Mo, as well as some resources that we have on the topic:
Keeping Cancer Undercover (via @stales on Twitter)
How Mo Mawlam misled Tony Blair for nine years about her killer cancer
Should You Tell
What To Tell
Who To Tell
 

Tracey: Sharing the News

by Cancer and Careers Guest Blogger
filed under Blogger, Guest, News, Sharing, The, Tracey

 

For me, it was easy to be open about my cancer diagnosis with co-workers. The news spread like a brush fire around the office until my boss caught wind of it. Greg, my functional leader, was great. He set up a meeting with HR so that I knew what to do when it was time to go on medical leave for surgery. I was told not to worry about my job, and that I would be allowed all the time I needed to recover. At the time I was in a cubicle with no privacy, and if you have ever had a serious illness…You know that when a doctor calls, you take it!

I remember getting a call from my surgeon telling me that my chemotherapy regimens were not working and he had me scheduled for a mastectomy in two days. I wasn’t mentally prepared for that one. I fled into a neighboring empty office and sobbed until I was hiccupping. Springing a mastectomy on someone is NOT cool! Some lobbying was done on my behalf by some amazing women. After that, I was given an office for privacy and a couch was brought in for when my treatments left me fatigued. My workload was reduced so that I wouldn’t be under too much pressure. I was also given a company laptop so that when I was feeling extra horrible from treatments I could just go home to work. All of which made my life so much easier. It was an unexpected kindness that I have really appreciated. Peter, my VP creative executive (whom our whole division reports to) was constantly checking in on me. His wife had her own battle with cancer and her treatments were similar to mine. He had a special depth of understanding for what I was going through. I have learned that cancer touches a lot of lives.
 

Tracey works for Walt Disney Imagineering and is a 1-year angiosarcoma survivor.  This is the second of her four guest blogs for Cancer and Careers.

Tracey: Back to Work

by Cancer and Careers Guest Blogger
filed under Back, Blog, Guest, to, Tracey, Work

 

“Are you back to work yet?” is probably my third most asked question about cancer. The first being, “How are you feeling” and second, “What kind?” The answer to the first one is that I feel okay…Sometimes I am a little tired but that’s normal under the circumstances. The second is Angiosarcoma, which is a very rare vascular cancer that effects about 1,200 people a year. The cancer was located in my left breast but shares no relation to breast cancer. I am finishing my last rounds of chemo now, and I’ll hopefully be free and clear of cancer for the rest of my life.

I haven’t missed much work since I was first diagnosed in January 2009. So the “are you back to work” question always throws me for a loop. Why wouldn’t I be working? I love my job and, to be quite candid, working while I’ve been dealing with a life threatening illness has kept me sane. It’s very easy to get lost in the emotions of diagnosis and subsequent treatments. The fear of death is very immediate and the physical changes that treatment brings can be devastating. I have had two surgeries, eight weeks of radiation, and 12 rounds of chemotherapy. I have no hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and I am missing a breast. It sucks, but I have some kickin’ wigs I wear everyday and makeup artist for sisters. 

Tracey works for Walt Disney Imagineering and is a 1-year angiosarcoma survivor.  This is the first of her four guest blogs for Cancer and Careers.
 

Thanks, Planet Cancer!

by Kate Sweeney
filed under and, Cancer, Careers, planet

 

According to Planet Cancer, CAC is " A great resource for working women with cancer, their employers, co-workers and caregivers. The Paperwork section is particularly useful, with an overview of legal rights, the ins and outs of health care, and a number of templates for organizing your medical info." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Meet Kristen

by Rebecca Nellis
filed under Breast, Cancer, Careers, Survivor, treatment, Work

 

Wife. Mother. Beauty Industry Professional. Breast Cancer Survivor.

Hear in her own words how Cancer and Careers helped her balance life, work and treatment.


 
Produced by Greener Media (http://www.greenermedia.com/)

Beauty of Giving luncheon

by Alice McKenney
filed under beauty, CEW, Event, Fundraiser, Giving, luncheon, of

 

The annual Cancer and Careers/CEW Foundation Beauty of Giving luncheon was held last week at the Waldorf=Astoria in NYC. The luncheon honored Leslie Blodgett, CEO of Bare Escentuals for her extraordinary achievement in uniting business with philanthropy. Blodgett’s commitment to Cancer and Careers has been expressed through a variety of creative cause marketing partnerships, a corporate philanthropy program called B.E. Cares, and a commitment to cultivating a community of support.

 The event was a great success with revenue totaling $515,650, and with all net proceeds supporting Cancer and Careers' initiatives and resources such as:

 

• Cancer and Careers’ community outreach programming

• The Elizabeth Jerrett support group for cancer survivors

• Cancer and Careers’ interactive online career coaching for employees with cancer

• Cancer and Careers’ On the Go Survival Guide series

• Resources for companies and coworkers

 

The Beauty of Giving luncheon was generously sponsored by: 

Happy Thanksgiving from Cancer and Careers

by Alice McKenney
filed under Go, guides, holiday, Nutrition, On, orzo, recipe, thanksgiving, The

 

Cancer and Careers would like to wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!  Thanksgiving is about two things: giving thanks and eating. So I thought I would share one of the recipes from our Nutrition On The Go Guide that is specially formulated for cancer patients and survivors.  It makes a great side dish!

Orzo Salad

16 oz. package of orzo pasta

10 oz. baby spinach, washed and chopped

1/2 lb. crumbled feta cheese

1/2 red onion, chopped

3/4 cup pine nuts

Chopped fresh basil to taste

Ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Cook orzo 8 to 10 minutes, rinse with cold water.  Mix all ingredients in a big bowl; serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

May alleviate constipation, dry mouth or difficulty swallowing.

To order a free On The Go Guide set, please click here.

Busy travel week for CAC

by Alice McKenney
filed under Austin, Francisco, LIVESTRONG, ONS, San, Tampa, Travel, YAA

 

This week various members of the Cancer and Careers team are traveling all over the US for great conferences and seminars. They include:

• The Balancing Cancer and Careers community seminar in San Francisco, CA on the 10th
• The Livestrong Young Adult Alliance conference in Austin, TX on the 12th and 13th
• The Oncology Nursing Society's Institutes of Learning Conference in Tampa, FL on the 13th and 14th

If you are attending any of these events keep your eyes peeled for CAC staff members. And don't forget to visit our blog again next week for recaps from these events.
 

Last chance to shop for CAC!

by Devon Slauenwhite
filed under Awareness, Breast, Cancer, Month, shop

 

Today only, when you visit Beauty.com, click on the special "Shop & Support" link, and spend $50 or more they will donate $5 to Cancer and Careers! And through tomorrow more than thirty Beauty.com brands will continue to donate a portion of proceeds of sales to CAC.

And don't forget - until tomorrow, when you purchase any of the items below, Cancer and Careers will receive a donation!

Bare Escentuals Believe Eyecolor: Available at www.bareescentuals.com.
Decléor’s Lip Balm and Cleansing Wipes: Visit www.decleordirect.com.
DuWop Pink Shimmer Lip Venom: Visit www.duwop.com.
En Pointe Skin Solutions: Visit www.empoweryourskin.com.
Shiseido The Makeup Luminizing Satin Eyecolor in Peony: Available at www.dillards.com.
SUNDÃRI Special Edition Holiday Gift Sets: Visit www.sundari.com.
Tribal Societé's Tribal Artisan Accessories: Visit www.tribalsociete.com.

You've got a little longer for 3LAB - shop until the end of November!

3LAB Perfect Neck Cream: Exclusively at Barneys.

 

Get gorgeous for a good cause!