First Peoples: Working during treatment

Aunty Pam When I was diagnosed with my breast cancer going to work was so helpful after I’d had my radiotherapy I would go to work and I had my therapy early in the morning so that I could be at work at nine o'clock

Leah My job allowed me that I could work from not from the office so I could do that and I think it's having a good supportive network of you know you've got a good manager that allows you to do that that you may not have to work on site

Erica Being at work that's big family there they supportive towards me even the staff they were good you know and it wasn't far from me to go to the doctors to see  the medical there for my check up and they were really good I was really surprised with how they supported me in in my you know illness at the time

Sally You know like once I had that week off work I’d be trotting back off to work on Monday for a couple of weeks and it'll be like nothing you know nothing was wrong

Leah It's about what you can take on so I guess I slowed my hours down to about half time and that's good for the mind to  to keep active because then you're not just focused on that so I think if you can work I think yeah go ahead and do it I guess it just depends on how tired you get from treatment or where you are but  if you've got a good job  you can actually if you're in office that you can actually see if you can work something out with your manager to continue to work because obviously when we get affected  it's a financial burden too and particularly people that come from country to go to Melbourne and have that treatment you know you've got that extra cost of staying somewhere and if you've got family and young ones it's making sure that they're okay before you go

Andrea I’ve been studying at home for a year having to try and meet deadlines even though there was flexibility that certainly helped me to keep going I am the sort of person who might go down the rabbit hole if given the opportunity so it was good it was you know really having a bit of structure made a difference.