When Work Doesn't Understand
Many people who develop cancer have to work, or at least try, during treatments. Crystal was fortunate enough to be able to come home during treatment and still get partial pay. I think that was the minimum her job was able to do when an employee had an acute or chronic disease. But as I read other articles, I see that isn’t so. Cancer is enough to worry about. You shouldn’t have to worry about your job and finances too.
With that said, I do feel Crystal was fortunate to be able to keep her job because that was something she had been working so hard for. The return to work was the difficult part for her.
Returning to work was challenging
Many of you know just how difficult treatments can be and how much it takes out of you. For Crystal, this was no exception. She had a difficult time with every treatment and would be out of it for at least a week. The second week she felt better, but still not back to normal. When it was time for her to go back to work, she really wasn’t ready, but she didn’t want to take advantage, so back she went. Her job, however, didn’t understand how much she had just gone through and they piled on the work.
Crystal wasn’t looking for special treatment, but it seemed like they were making up for the lost time. Rather than keep her at her regular job, they put her on special assignments which had her getting up even earlier than her 3 am regular schedule. There were days she had to stay late, and at the job itself, they switched up her responsibilities. When she first got the job, she was so excited, but it quickly turned into a place of dread and stress.
After a cancer diagnosis, especially one you feel stress contributed to, you want change. At least that’s how Crystal felt. The job she had was very competitive and she just didn’t see the need to fight that fight any longer. Her job just didn’t have the same appeal. She decided it was time to make a change.
Sometimes, change is necessary
Sometimes in life, making a change is necessary. What you are currently dealing with may no longer be worth the sacrifices you have to make. Dennis Golden responded to one of my articles by talking about the CEO he worked for. The CEO told Dennis about the sacrifices he made to get ahead in business, one of which was not really knowing his daughter. We all make sacrifices like this every day and it’s a shame. I’m proud of Crystal for knowing what’s not working and taking the step to put aside a dream job for one that she didn’t have to sacrifice her physical and mental health for.
Change is part of life and most of the time it is good to try something new. Other times, change is necessary and that’s probably when it’s the hardest to commit to. Every now and then we have to take an inventory of our lives and decide what is serving us and what is not. I’m glad Crystal was smart enough to do that and is doing well because of it. Remember, when one door closes, an even better one may be waiting.
Wishing you health & happiness.
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