Working With Cancer

A diagnosis of cancer is never an easy thing to hear or accept. It is a surreal moment that no one can ever describe. Nevertheless, you put a super “H” on your chest and handle it.

Some people become proactive by devising a strategic plan of survival. Meaning, they create ways in which they can get their treatments, go to work and live a normal life as possible.

The thing is, no one ever tells you that the treatments will certainly knock the life out of you. There are days when your body is literally operating on Empty.

Despite all the shocking things that unfold in your world you carry on as if nothing has changed. Even when globs of hair start falling off your head, you become creative and make it work for you.

Many individuals who have received a cancer diagnosis will attest to the fact that at times their immune system is compromised and they suddenly become susceptible to every germ, bacteria, and virus that circulates in the atmosphere.

Sometimes a bout of the cold or flu can last for months, causing respiratory issues. Nonetheless, if you are a trouper, you saddle up with all the elixirs imaginable and as they say, “You keep on trucking.”

However, the most bewildering and shocking experience a cancer survivor will ever encounter is the callousness and prejudice of individuals in the workplace. At times even your closest peers begin to shun you because of the “C”. Many can’t even say the name without flinching.

God forbid if you have a hacking cough they swear it is tuberculosis or cholera. In an instant, a person who was once deemed as fashionable, alluring and lovely quickly goes to being shunned.

In the workplace, many of your co-workers ostracize you for fear of “catching” cancer or being associated with illness. Why? Because we live in a  go-go society. As long as you are healthy, vibrant and on the go, everyone wants you around, moving heaven and earth to make you comfortable.

The moment cancer gets into the picture, your boss and co-workers begin treating you differently. At times your boss will even set out on a fact-finding mission to discover ways to eliminate you from the equation without being penalized. In other words, hand you the good old pink slip.

For many companies, it all boils down to dollars and cents. They do not want to pay for expensive treatments, nor do they want their brand to be associated with dis-ease.

Yet, these are the same folks who would consider themselves philanthropical by opening their purses to every cancer charity or health organization. But, they are bankrupt when it comes to being understanding of an employee who is battling a cancer diagnosis.

It is a sad day indeed when companies prefer profit over people and are not able to be tolerant of some of the unglamorous aspects of illness.