Working
It can be hard to predict how well you will recover from treatment for a brain tumour, and when and whether you will be able to return to work. This may also depend on the type of work you do.
Some people find it hard to concentrate or make decisions after they have treatment for a brain tumour. At least at first, it may not be safe to operate heavy machinery or take on a lot of responsibility. An occupational therapist can advise you about whether returning to work is safe or possible. They can also give your employer information about whether you could return to work with altered duties or on a part-time basis.
Talk to your employer about adjusting your duties or working part-time until you have recovered. In some cases, it won’t be possible to return to your former role. This can be hard to accept, and it may help to talk to the hospital social worker, call Cancer Council 13 11 20 or join a brain tumour support group.
For more on this, see Cancer, work and you.
I was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma that couldn’t be operated on, so I had radiation therapy and chemotherapy. I needed to stop work and I couldn’t drive. I found it all mentally draining.
John
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A/Prof Lindy Jeffree, Neurosurgeon, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Emma Daly, Neuro-oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Cabrini Health, VIC; A/Prof Andrew Davidson, Neurosurgeon, Victorian Gamma Knife Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC; Beth Doggett, Consumer; Kate Fernandez, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Melissa Harrison, Allied Health Manager and Senior Neurological Physiotherapist, Advance Rehab Centre, NSW; A/Prof Rosemary Harrup, Director, Cancer and Blood Services, Royal Hobart Hospital, TAS; A/Prof Eng-Siew Koh, Radiation Oncologist, Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool Hospital and University of New South Wales, NSW; Andy Stokes, Consumer.
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