› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Stage 3 treatment and working
- This topic has 27 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 10 months ago by
Mamapegela.
- Post
-
- February 1, 2017 at 7:52 pm
So doc said at best my fiances melanoma is stage three untill we get scan we dont know if its worse he said stage 3 at best cause biopsy of lymphvnode was possitive. We have twp weeks full of doc apps which is a damper on his job and our financials. With treatment and doc apps do most of you take disability or ss?
- Replies
-
-
- February 1, 2017 at 8:15 pm
Has he met with his HR dept about disability? The criteria for approval of disability would probably depend on where you reside. Does his job allow him to work some hours from home or make up hours taken off for doctor app'ts by working off hours?
-
- February 1, 2017 at 8:15 pm
Has he met with his HR dept about disability? The criteria for approval of disability would probably depend on where you reside. Does his job allow him to work some hours from home or make up hours taken off for doctor app'ts by working off hours?
-
- February 1, 2017 at 10:35 pm
If he can work then disability isn't needed. He may have to take some time off for recovery (week or so) unless he is in a labor intensive job. Otherwise the surgery is fairly minor and you will be out of there the same day or at worst the next day. I've found the waiting and wondering to be the worst-the actual surgery is fairly easy -speaking only from the point of view of just having Mel on my forearm and armpit node
-
- February 1, 2017 at 10:35 pm
If he can work then disability isn't needed. He may have to take some time off for recovery (week or so) unless he is in a labor intensive job. Otherwise the surgery is fairly minor and you will be out of there the same day or at worst the next day. I've found the waiting and wondering to be the worst-the actual surgery is fairly easy -speaking only from the point of view of just having Mel on my forearm and armpit node
-
- February 1, 2017 at 10:35 pm
If he can work then disability isn't needed. He may have to take some time off for recovery (week or so) unless he is in a labor intensive job. Otherwise the surgery is fairly minor and you will be out of there the same day or at worst the next day. I've found the waiting and wondering to be the worst-the actual surgery is fairly easy -speaking only from the point of view of just having Mel on my forearm and armpit node
-
- February 2, 2017 at 12:32 am
We have the paper work for it from HR we get all his scans this week because biospy after sugery showed melanoma doc said its at best stage e but is concerned because my fiance has had a constant cough for a few months as well and he named 3 different treatments the last being the hardest one for most to handle but because he is 39 and has a good gealth history he said he may be a good canidate. Hes a forkilt operater and runs shopping and reciving working 60 hrs a week -
- February 2, 2017 at 12:32 am
We have the paper work for it from HR we get all his scans this week because biospy after sugery showed melanoma doc said its at best stage e but is concerned because my fiance has had a constant cough for a few months as well and he named 3 different treatments the last being the hardest one for most to handle but because he is 39 and has a good gealth history he said he may be a good canidate. Hes a forkilt operater and runs shopping and reciving working 60 hrs a week -
- February 2, 2017 at 12:32 am
We have the paper work for it from HR we get all his scans this week because biospy after sugery showed melanoma doc said its at best stage e but is concerned because my fiance has had a constant cough for a few months as well and he named 3 different treatments the last being the hardest one for most to handle but because he is 39 and has a good gealth history he said he may be a good canidate. Hes a forkilt operater and runs shopping and reciving working 60 hrs a week
-
- February 1, 2017 at 8:15 pm
Has he met with his HR dept about disability? The criteria for approval of disability would probably depend on where you reside. Does his job allow him to work some hours from home or make up hours taken off for doctor app'ts by working off hours?
-
- February 1, 2017 at 10:49 pm
I think you will find that the treatmens are tolerable for the most part and you can work.
-
- February 1, 2017 at 10:49 pm
I think you will find that the treatmens are tolerable for the most part and you can work.
-
- February 1, 2017 at 10:49 pm
I think you will find that the treatmens are tolerable for the most part and you can work.
-
- February 1, 2017 at 11:36 pm
I have never taken disability, I have a flexible job and employer. After the intitial bunch of appointments things will wind down with less appointments leaving more time for work. With treatment everyone is different but I think most of us continue to work through getting treatment. I take the day of my infusions off work, but I have sat with people in the infusion clinic who come from work and go back to work right after. When and if he chooses a treatment plan, then he can see how he feels once he starts that and will know the level of work he's comfortable doing. Fatigue is the main side effect of all of the treatments, some get it worse than others, but other side effects are not a given, so it's hard to say beforehand how he will feel. Right now, take care of these appts, I wouldn't jump to disability yet since that would mean he would have to quit his job and that might be jumping the gun a bit.
-
- February 1, 2017 at 11:36 pm
I have never taken disability, I have a flexible job and employer. After the intitial bunch of appointments things will wind down with less appointments leaving more time for work. With treatment everyone is different but I think most of us continue to work through getting treatment. I take the day of my infusions off work, but I have sat with people in the infusion clinic who come from work and go back to work right after. When and if he chooses a treatment plan, then he can see how he feels once he starts that and will know the level of work he's comfortable doing. Fatigue is the main side effect of all of the treatments, some get it worse than others, but other side effects are not a given, so it's hard to say beforehand how he will feel. Right now, take care of these appts, I wouldn't jump to disability yet since that would mean he would have to quit his job and that might be jumping the gun a bit.
-
- February 1, 2017 at 11:36 pm
I have never taken disability, I have a flexible job and employer. After the intitial bunch of appointments things will wind down with less appointments leaving more time for work. With treatment everyone is different but I think most of us continue to work through getting treatment. I take the day of my infusions off work, but I have sat with people in the infusion clinic who come from work and go back to work right after. When and if he chooses a treatment plan, then he can see how he feels once he starts that and will know the level of work he's comfortable doing. Fatigue is the main side effect of all of the treatments, some get it worse than others, but other side effects are not a given, so it's hard to say beforehand how he will feel. Right now, take care of these appts, I wouldn't jump to disability yet since that would mean he would have to quit his job and that might be jumping the gun a bit.
-
- February 2, 2017 at 4:18 am
I agree with Jenn (as always). The difficult part is all the appointments, extra appointments for blood tests or lymphedema or other stuff. Also on infusion days there are almost always delays and occasionally news. So i find it best to take the whole day off on infusion day (maybe work at home before or after). So for me that means one day off every three weeks, with random appointments in between. Early on i thought i made need to take a long time off, but i think most of us work through it. See celestes blog for how she handled her treatment years ago!
-
- February 2, 2017 at 4:18 am
I agree with Jenn (as always). The difficult part is all the appointments, extra appointments for blood tests or lymphedema or other stuff. Also on infusion days there are almost always delays and occasionally news. So i find it best to take the whole day off on infusion day (maybe work at home before or after). So for me that means one day off every three weeks, with random appointments in between. Early on i thought i made need to take a long time off, but i think most of us work through it. See celestes blog for how she handled her treatment years ago!
-
- February 2, 2017 at 4:18 am
I agree with Jenn (as always). The difficult part is all the appointments, extra appointments for blood tests or lymphedema or other stuff. Also on infusion days there are almost always delays and occasionally news. So i find it best to take the whole day off on infusion day (maybe work at home before or after). So for me that means one day off every three weeks, with random appointments in between. Early on i thought i made need to take a long time off, but i think most of us work through it. See celestes blog for how she handled her treatment years ago!
-
- February 2, 2017 at 4:28 am
Ps i forgot to mention that you will need to take time off if you have an operation like wide excision. I was on crutches and also in my case it was best to keep my legs raised, so i took a couple of weeks off work. But once over this and fhe many appointments things can return to some kind of normal
-
- February 2, 2017 at 4:28 am
Ps i forgot to mention that you will need to take time off if you have an operation like wide excision. I was on crutches and also in my case it was best to keep my legs raised, so i took a couple of weeks off work. But once over this and fhe many appointments things can return to some kind of normal
-
- February 2, 2017 at 4:28 am
Ps i forgot to mention that you will need to take time off if you have an operation like wide excision. I was on crutches and also in my case it was best to keep my legs raised, so i took a couple of weeks off work. But once over this and fhe many appointments things can return to some kind of normal
-
- February 2, 2017 at 3:59 pm
If your husband can get some short-term disability compensation through employer, that may be wise given your concerns. Until scans are done, and final staging occurs, it's too early to plan on anything more than the current requirements, and the likely lymph node surgery will not have much impact being in the axilla area. Regarding federal long-term disability, again, final staging and treatment options would need to be determined, but you should know that when and if he ever qualified, you do not receive any benefits until about 7 months after approval, and he cannot work during that time so there is a tremendous financial burden imposed on those who ultimately do go into permanent disability status, most often because of stage IV diagnosis with so many unknowns ahead.
Gary
-
- February 2, 2017 at 3:59 pm
If your husband can get some short-term disability compensation through employer, that may be wise given your concerns. Until scans are done, and final staging occurs, it's too early to plan on anything more than the current requirements, and the likely lymph node surgery will not have much impact being in the axilla area. Regarding federal long-term disability, again, final staging and treatment options would need to be determined, but you should know that when and if he ever qualified, you do not receive any benefits until about 7 months after approval, and he cannot work during that time so there is a tremendous financial burden imposed on those who ultimately do go into permanent disability status, most often because of stage IV diagnosis with so many unknowns ahead.
Gary
-
- February 2, 2017 at 3:59 pm
If your husband can get some short-term disability compensation through employer, that may be wise given your concerns. Until scans are done, and final staging occurs, it's too early to plan on anything more than the current requirements, and the likely lymph node surgery will not have much impact being in the axilla area. Regarding federal long-term disability, again, final staging and treatment options would need to be determined, but you should know that when and if he ever qualified, you do not receive any benefits until about 7 months after approval, and he cannot work during that time so there is a tremendous financial burden imposed on those who ultimately do go into permanent disability status, most often because of stage IV diagnosis with so many unknowns ahead.
Gary
-
- February 2, 2017 at 9:54 pm
I have intermittent FMLA- papers filled out willingly by my oncologist. Then if I have an intolerable schedule of treatment or scans, appointments in a week I can take a day off with no repercussions. I am lucky to have a pretty easy to work with schedule being an RN and working three 12hr shifts a week, so trading around with co-workers has enabled me to only use the FMLA a couple of times (other than when I had my CLND and lung biopsy for which I took regular short-term disability), but I am glad it is there.
Peggy
-
- February 2, 2017 at 9:54 pm
I have intermittent FMLA- papers filled out willingly by my oncologist. Then if I have an intolerable schedule of treatment or scans, appointments in a week I can take a day off with no repercussions. I am lucky to have a pretty easy to work with schedule being an RN and working three 12hr shifts a week, so trading around with co-workers has enabled me to only use the FMLA a couple of times (other than when I had my CLND and lung biopsy for which I took regular short-term disability), but I am glad it is there.
Peggy
-
- February 2, 2017 at 9:54 pm
I have intermittent FMLA- papers filled out willingly by my oncologist. Then if I have an intolerable schedule of treatment or scans, appointments in a week I can take a day off with no repercussions. I am lucky to have a pretty easy to work with schedule being an RN and working three 12hr shifts a week, so trading around with co-workers has enabled me to only use the FMLA a couple of times (other than when I had my CLND and lung biopsy for which I took regular short-term disability), but I am glad it is there.
Peggy
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.