I am also a newbe, diagnosed 8/10, stage 2 Larynx cancer, 7 weeks raditaion, 5 chemo treatments 9/10-11/10. I am doing better, was planning to go back to work in two weeks, but have 5 if I need them through Clinton's medical leave act. My company is required to keep a job open for me. Problem is they gave my job away, so although I have a job to go back to at the same pay and benefits, is a job I've only done during my first three months on the job 13 years ago, and hated, but I am committed to going back, because I have job security, a pension, and 90 percent lifetime medical insurance if I retire from there (12 more years). My voice is still very hoarse, and gets worse the more I use it. My old job was more independant, less talking. This new job is going to require a lot of talking. My doctors want me to tell them when I want to go back to work, and they will fill out the forms for my employer. I am afraid to back and be told I can't handle the job, and forced to go on permanent disability. But I have no job disability due to the pre-existiing condition of Crohn's disease. I will run out of money to pay my mortgage by the end of March. Has anyone experienced anything similiar? Will over-using my voice too much now make me lose it and be unable to do my job? I also still suffer from cancer related fatigue. I cant handle more than about 4-5 hours in any social situation. Also, I am on 25 mg. Fentanyl and 8 mg. oxycodone about every 4-6 waking hours. How do I decide if I am ready to go back to work? I think I could have handled my old job, but not sure about this new job.

Take the 5 weeks and see what happens. maybe they will have a different job by then?

Thanks David, but that will not happen. Does anyone know if you can be "let go" for not being able to do the job assigned after cancer? Should I try to figure a way to stay out of work longer?

Gail, how about having a good talk with your doctor and bring up all the points you mentioned here? Maybe it would be a good plan to go back to work part time and work your way into working full time. It is of course if your job will allow this and if you are able to afford it.

I agree with David - take the 5 weeks. The typical recovery time formula for radiation is 1 month for every week of treatment, so that would be 7 months. Some have gone back early and did ok. Others mentioned that they went back too early.

The other item to be concerned with, especially because you had chemo, is your immune system. A common cold can give you pneumonia if you are not very careful, so exposure to sick people should be avoided. Make sure that you are practically obsessive compulsive about disinfecting surfaces and items that others touch and wash your hands frequently. Carry waterless hand cleaner with you as well. If you can telecommute, even better

I finished all of my treatments in August of 2009. I went back to work a couple of days a week, a couple of hours a day in October. Then, pretty much full-time in November. I will say, that I was pretty wiped out when I went home, however. Do what your body tells you. You have been through Hell, so don't expect to snap back immediately.

I agree with everyone here. Take it easy. Go back when you're ready. I went back part-time for a while and still had to take a nap when I got home. I also don't think in this day and age any employer would not accommodate your side effects. If talking hurts (it did for me too), then have your doctor list that as a restriction and they will have to figure out a job that can accommodate that.

Even if you feel ready for full time work, it may be wiser to first try the part time and see how you feel. My son was out of a job at the time he was recovering but applying for jobs every day and it took a while to get that job but it didn't take long for him to realize that it was a good thing he had that amount of time off to recover more fully. When he did finally get back to work, he was so tired at the end of the day he told me he could not have gone back to work any sooner. So, as others have said, take all the time you can manage, to recover as much as possible, before going back to work.