Working Business During Chemo Treatments

[aried]

Hello,

I need advice from anyone who has worked their business during either a serious illness or chemotherapy. Right now I am doing radiation M-F and have a chemo pump on during that time 24-7, M-F. I was in the hospital during the week of Christmas, came home Christmas day. I was too dehydrated.

After the radiation I will do the other chemo where you go in once every 2 weeks for several hours for the infusing of the chemo.

I do have a show booked for January but I am afraid the nausea and diarrhea will act up again. When I go back on the chemo pump next week it will be at the lowest does so hopefully the side affects won't be so bad.

I appreciate any advice you can give me or anyone who has gone through this.

Ann R.

 

[rennea]

I really have no advice, just wanted to say stay strong. And I am sending oodles of good thoughts and prayers your way.

 

[Nanisu]

I had chemo for 6 months back in 2002, followed by 3 months of radiation. I did shows the whole time. I did not have a chemo pump, I was infused every other week for 5 hours at a time. I did shows the weeks I did NOT have the treatments. I look back on that time of my life as one of the best times of my PC business. Why? Because it got me out of the house for an evening of fun and I wasn't sitting around thinking about how sick I was. I will pray for you--please keep in touch with this board, and me in particular so that we (I) can encourage you through this time. Here are some things that worked for me that might work for you:

1) pace yourself. Definitely do one recipe. I would focus on interactive shows--we didn't technically have them back in 2002 but I definitely did them by having people help. They want to help you, let them. It's good for people to get outside themselves.

2) If you can get someone to go with you and unload the car and then load it up, that is a Godsend. My dh went with me to every single show, loaded the car, unloaded it at the site, set up my station, and then either stayed, went to a movie, or went home and came back to get me when I called him. Loaded the car, took me home, put me to bed and washed my dishes. For 6 months.

3) Use a laptop to take orders, it's one less step for order entry. If you can't allow yourself time to get the shows input when you get home--I suggest the next day.

4) If nausea is a problem I found that ginger ale before the show worked great, as did Blackberry tea. Once again, people will want to help you.

5) Last, and what I think is most important, is to give yourself a lot of grace during this time of your life. It's ok to fall apart every once in awhile, just try not to let it become a habit, because it becomes sefl-perpetuating. Not that you should be a Pollyanna all the time, this is definitely serious stuff, but try to distract yourself when you feel yourself in a downward spiral. I don't know where you are spiritually, but if you have a Bible take a look at Isaiah 43:1-3--it became my "cancer verse" when things got tough.

Most of all, take care of yourself, and please please please let us encourage you. I am here whenever you want to talk or have questions about treatment (I have since taken a brother and several friends through the cancer walk). Please PM me if you'd like and I'll give you my phone number.

Blessings
Nancy