First Peoples: Working during treatment

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Work

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that the following content may contain images, voices, or collaborations with people who are now deceased.

Women from First Peoples communities across Australia talk about how they managed their paid work while having treatment for breast cancer. The women share how adjusting your work schedule and having structure and something else to focus on may help you.

We recommend you take care when watching this video as some people may find the content upsetting. The people featured in this video are sharing their own unscripted personal stories. This is not intended to replace medical or professional advice.

This video was made with support from Cancer Australia through the Supporting Women in Rural Areas Diagnosed With Breast Cancer program.

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.