46 THE QUEENS COURIER • BREAST CANCER AWARENESS • OCTOBER 3, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
breast cancer awareness
Data from the National Cancer Institute indicates that breast cancer rates in women begin to increase after age 40, meaning many women diagnosed with breast cancer have to juggle both their disease
and their careers.
How to juggle work and
breast-cancer treatment
Age is a risk factor for breast cancer, and
the organization Susan G. Komen notes
that the older a woman is, the more likely
she is to get breast cancer. However, data
from the National Cancer Institute indicates
that breast cancer rates in women
begin to increase aft er age 40, meaning
many women diagnosed with breast cancer
have to juggle both their disease and
their careers.
Th e nonprofi t organization Breastcancer.
org says that breast cancer treatments can
produce some cognitive side eff ects that
aff ect thinking and memory. Memory
loss and diffi culty concentrating are two
such side eff ects that can make it diffi cult
for working women to do their jobs while
being treated for breast cancer.
Professional women diagnosed with
breast cancer may be able to take advantage
of short- and long-term disability
programs that provide a percentage of
their incomes if they are diagnosed with
an illness that prevents them from doing
their jobs. In addition, Breastcancer.org
notes that, in the United States, the Family
and Medical Leave Act allows employees
to maintain their benefi ts and keep
their jobs while taking up to 12 weeks of
unpaid leave to heal from serious health
conditions.
Despite those options, many women may
want to continue working while receiving
treatment for breast cancer. Such women
can heed the following tips, courtesy of
Breastcancer.org, to overcome any cognitive
eff ects of treatment so they can continue
to perform their jobs capably:
Start taking notes. Start taking notes
during meetings, important work-related
conversations, and even doctor’s appointments
to counter any issues with memory.
Keep such notes on a tablet or smartphone
so they can be quickly and easily
accessed throughout the day.
Write down deadlines and work schedules.
Accomplished professionals may
keep lists of deadlines and work schedules
in their heads, but that internal list might
not be so reliable while women are being
treated for breast cancer. Make use of the
calendar function on your smartphone or
tablet to note deadlines, even setting alerts
so you receive routine reminders when
important dates are coming up.
Make and routinely update a to-do
list. Some professional women diagnosed
with breast cancer may be juggling
work, treatment, and their families.
Keeping a to-do list and checking items
off as they’re completed can help women
eff ectively manage such juggling acts and
save time.
Set realistic goals. Breast cancer treatment
can produce a host of side eff ects,
including fatigue. So women who plan
to continue working during treatment
should be sure to set realistic goals that
take into account the eff ects that treatment
may have on their energy levels. If
need be, delegate more tasks and ask for
more help.
Many women continue working while
being treated for breast cancer. A few simple
adjustments can help such women overcome
many treatment-related obstacles.
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