Home > Collective Diary > 2 years treatment & homeless 1 year
Dawn W. on May 31, 2016
I was Diagnosed with:
breast cancer metastasized to bone cancer
Employment Status:
working but boss put me on reduced hours
Gender/Age:
Female/53
Type and Description of Treatments:
Metastatic breast cancer recently diagnosed (March 28, 2016) & treatment ongoing.
How do you feel today?
I feel frustrated & worried today as the reduced hours is not covering food & gas. Plus we are homeless since last August when landlord sold rental house. So we've been living with friends since then. I finished BC treatment Oct. 2015, rested 6 weeks & got hired after Thanksgiving. Even so, its not enough to get a place in Austin, TX .
Since the diagnosis, what has changed in your life?
obvious limp due to hip pain. We are homeless
What is not going well for you right now?
family split up, pain, worry & fear
What has been the most challenging thing about having cancer?
realizing how important our health is - especially since I was always the healthy one... so I had never understood the impact of a serious disease.
When difficulties overwhelm you, where do you go for support?
walking/standing
getting financial help as I don't know where to go
How have your long-term goals or life goals changed since diagnosis?
cancelled opeing photo studio after I got diagnosis due to only having $26K to do so & no income & insurance wouldn't cover $200 of chemo.... fell into somewhat of a depressed outlook for first 3 months.
What is your work arrangement right now? What are your hours?
was full time until GM took time to listen to concerns that the OM left my doctors recommendations letter out on front desk & then when represented to her a few days later, she never read it but put it in filing cabinet.
once GM knew my cancer is fatal & no cure & I needed to get off feet 10-15 minutes each hour, he reduced my hours by half stating "this may not be the right job for you right now"
Since the diagnosis, what has changed in your work life?
see above
What has helped you continue to work the most?
being in a positive environment & need to work to afford a place for daughters & self