How work kept me going during my cancer treatment
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0:01 - 0:04It was June 2014.
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0:05 - 0:06I was 30 years old,
-
0:07 - 0:09and I received a call
from my doctor's office -
0:09 - 0:11to say my test results were in.
-
0:12 - 0:17So I walked up to see her
in my lunch break, and my doctor said -
0:17 - 0:21she was very sorry to tell me
that I had breast cancer. -
0:22 - 0:27I didn't want to believe her
and at first, I didn't. -
0:27 - 0:30You see, I'm a lawyer
and I needed some evidence. -
0:31 - 0:33So I'm very embarrassed to tell you all
-
0:33 - 0:37that I stood up and I walked around
to where she was sitting -
0:37 - 0:40so that I could look
over her shoulder and verify -
0:40 - 0:42what was written
on the page in front of her. -
0:42 - 0:43(Laughter)
-
0:43 - 0:45Malignant carcinoma.
-
0:46 - 0:49But still not wanting
to believe it, I said, -
0:49 - 0:55"Now, malignant carcinoma,
you're sure that means cancer?" -
0:55 - 0:56(Laughter)
-
0:56 - 0:58She told me she was sure.
-
0:59 - 1:03Back at work, I handed over
the urgent things that needed to be done -
1:03 - 1:06while I was having more tests
to see if my cancer had spread. -
1:07 - 1:10But at that moment,
work wasn't my priority. -
1:11 - 1:14I was thinking about how I was going
to tell my family and friends -
1:14 - 1:15that I had cancer.
-
1:16 - 1:18How I was going to answer their questions
-
1:18 - 1:21about how bad it was
and whether I was going to be OK, -
1:21 - 1:23when I didn't know that myself.
-
1:24 - 1:26I was wondering if my partner and I
-
1:26 - 1:28would ever have an opportunity
to start a family. -
1:29 - 1:33And I was figuring out
how I was going to tell my mother, -
1:33 - 1:36who had herself had breast cancer
when she was pregnant with me. -
1:37 - 1:39She would know how I was feeling
-
1:39 - 1:42and have an idea of what lay ahead for me.
-
1:42 - 1:46But I also didn't want her
to have to relive her cancer experience. -
1:48 - 1:50What I didn't appreciate at the time
-
1:50 - 1:54was that work was about to play
a huge role in my treatment and recovery. -
1:55 - 1:59That it would be my coworkers and my job
-
1:59 - 2:01that would make me feel valuable and human
-
2:01 - 2:03at times when I would have
otherwise felt like a statistic. -
2:04 - 2:09That it would be my job
that would give me routine and stability -
2:09 - 2:11when I was dealing with so many
difficult personal decisions -
2:11 - 2:13and so much uncertainty.
-
2:13 - 2:17Like, what sort of breast
reconstruction I was going to have. -
2:19 - 2:20And at a time like that,
-
2:20 - 2:24you would think that I would turn
to my family and friends for support. -
2:24 - 2:27And yes, of course I did that.
-
2:28 - 2:30But it would ultimately be my colleagues
-
2:30 - 2:34who would play a huge role
in my day-to-day life. -
2:35 - 2:38And they would be
the ones to make me laugh. -
2:38 - 2:41You see, we were a pretty close team,
-
2:41 - 2:43and we shared a couple
of really good in-jokes, -
2:43 - 2:47like this time they overheard
someone ask me -
2:47 - 2:51how I got my hair so shiny and perfect --
-
2:52 - 2:55without knowing that it was,
of course, a wig, -
2:55 - 2:57and you know, it was a very good wig
-
2:57 - 3:00and it did make getting ready
in the mornings very easy. -
3:00 - 3:02(Laughter)
-
3:02 - 3:06But in little moments like this,
I appreciated what their support meant, -
3:06 - 3:10and I wondered what I would
have done without that network. -
3:11 - 3:15I've spoken with so many people,
women in particular, -
3:15 - 3:18who haven't had the chance
to have that network -
3:18 - 3:22because they haven't been given
the opportunity to work through treatment. -
3:23 - 3:26And there are several reasons for this.
-
3:26 - 3:30But I think it mostly comes down
to overly paternalistic employers. -
3:30 - 3:35These employers want you to go away
and focus on yourself. -
3:35 - 3:37And come back when you're better.
-
3:38 - 3:41And they use those kinds of phrases.
-
3:41 - 3:44And while these responses
are well-meaning, -
3:44 - 3:46knowing the benefits it brought me,
-
3:46 - 3:49it makes me incredibly frustrated
-
3:49 - 3:53when people are told
that they couldn’t or shouldn't work, -
3:53 - 3:56when it's something that they want to do
and physically can do. -
3:58 - 4:01So I started to look into
what an employer is required to do -
4:01 - 4:04when someone presents
with a cancer diagnosis. -
4:05 - 4:09I discovered that under Australian law,
cancer is considered a disability. -
4:10 - 4:13So if you are unable to perform
your usual work duties, -
4:13 - 4:17your employer is obligated
by the Disability Discrimination Act -
4:17 - 4:20to make reasonable adjustments
to your working arrangements, -
4:20 - 4:23so that you can continue to work.
-
4:24 - 4:27What would reasonable
adjustments look like for me? -
4:29 - 4:33I knew the obvious impacts
my diagnosis was going to have on work. -
4:33 - 4:36Medical appointments would be scheduled
during business hours, -
4:36 - 4:41and I knew that I would need time off
to recover from surgical procedures. -
4:41 - 4:44Again, being a typical lawyer,
-
4:44 - 4:48I had done my due diligence
on what to expect from treatment. -
4:48 - 4:51Admittedly, a lot of that
was through Doctor Google, -
4:51 - 4:54perhaps not my best move
and I wouldn't recommend that. -
4:54 - 4:55(Laughter)
-
4:55 - 4:58But while I was ready
for all the physical side effects, -
4:58 - 5:02what really scared me
was this thing called chemo brain. -
5:03 - 5:06Chemo brain presents itself
through memory loss, -
5:06 - 5:08an inability to concentrate
-
5:08 - 5:11and an inability to solve problems.
-
5:11 - 5:13And if this happened to me,
-
5:13 - 5:16I wondered how I was going to do
my job as a lawyer. -
5:16 - 5:18Would I be forced to leave work?
-
5:19 - 5:23And how could I possibly
have a discussion with my manager -
5:23 - 5:26about reasonable adjustments
to my working arrangements -
5:26 - 5:29when I didn't know
how I was going to be impacted? -
5:30 - 5:33I was fortunate to have
a supportive manager -
5:33 - 5:37who was happy to see
how things went as we went along, -
5:37 - 5:40rather than requiring
a concrete plan up front. -
5:42 - 5:45I was lucky that while
he may not have even known -
5:45 - 5:48about this concept
of reasonable adjustments, -
5:48 - 5:50to him, it was just common sense.
-
5:51 - 5:54But I've learned that it's not
common sense to everyone. -
5:57 - 6:00Everyone going through treatment
will learn how it impacts them -
6:00 - 6:02and what their limitations are.
-
6:03 - 6:05And they'll learn to adjust for that.
-
6:05 - 6:10So for me, there were the tips and tricks
that I learned about the treatment itself, -
6:10 - 6:11like, before you go to chemo,
-
6:11 - 6:14you need to make sure
you're really well hydrated -
6:14 - 6:17and that you're warm, because it helps
the nurses to find your veins. -
6:17 - 6:20And make sure that you don't eat
any of your favorite food, -
6:20 - 6:22either before or after chemo,
-
6:22 - 6:25because you're going to be
throwing that up -
6:25 - 6:27and you won't ever
want to look at it again. -
6:27 - 6:28(Laughter)
-
6:28 - 6:30I learned that one the hard way.
-
6:30 - 6:33And then there were the tricks
for managing my workflow. -
6:34 - 6:36I scheduled chemo for first thing
on a Monday morning. -
6:37 - 6:40I knew that from the time
I left the cancer care unit, -
6:40 - 6:45I had about four hours
before this fog screen would come down -
6:45 - 6:47and I would start to be sick.
-
6:47 - 6:51So I would use that time to clean my inbox
and make any urgent calls. -
6:52 - 6:56The worst of the sickness would be gone
within about 48 hours. -
6:56 - 6:58And then I would log back
into work from home. -
7:00 - 7:03This treatment continued
and I knew what to expect. -
7:03 - 7:07I was able to set reasonable expectations
with my business partners -
7:07 - 7:09about what I could do
-
7:09 - 7:11and the time frames that I could do it in.
-
7:11 - 7:15But I still remember
the hesitation in their voices -
7:15 - 7:18when it came to asking for things.
-
7:18 - 7:20And asking me to do things
by a certain time. -
7:21 - 7:23And trust me, these were people
-
7:23 - 7:25that were not afraid
of setting a good deadline. -
7:25 - 7:26(Laughter)
-
7:27 - 7:30I got the impression they didn't want
to put any extra pressure on me -
7:30 - 7:32while I was going through treatment.
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7:32 - 7:35And while I appreciated the sentiment,
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7:35 - 7:37I actually needed the deadlines.
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7:37 - 7:40To me, that was something
within my control -
7:40 - 7:43and something
that could stay in my control -
7:43 - 7:45when there were so many
things that couldn't. -
7:46 - 7:48And as I was working from home,
-
7:48 - 7:52I was thinking about how employers
should be applying this concept -
7:52 - 7:54of reasonable adjustments
in our current age, -
7:55 - 7:58where one in two Australian men and women
-
7:58 - 8:01will be diagnosed with cancer
by the age of 85. -
8:02 - 8:07So, as we continue to work
longer and longer into older age, -
8:07 - 8:10the chances of having a serious illness
while we're in the workforce -
8:10 - 8:11are increasing.
-
8:13 - 8:18And with technology enabling us
to work anywhere, any time, -
8:18 - 8:21reasonable adjustments
are no longer contingent upon -
8:21 - 8:24whether or not you can continue
to physically make it -
8:24 - 8:26into the physical office.
-
8:27 - 8:30Reasonable adjustments are also not about
-
8:30 - 8:34just offering a longer break
or a comfier chair to sit in, -
8:34 - 8:36although those things might be good, too.
-
8:37 - 8:38At the very least,
-
8:38 - 8:41we need to be applying
the flexibility policies and strategies -
8:41 - 8:43we've developed for other scenarios,
-
8:43 - 8:47like for people
with family responsibilities. -
8:48 - 8:52But how can we ensure that people
are even having a conversation -
8:52 - 8:56about what reasonable adjustments
might look like for them -
8:56 - 8:59if a manager's first response is to say,
-
8:59 - 9:02"Oh no, don't come back to work
until you're better." -
9:03 - 9:05And a light went on for me.
-
9:06 - 9:08It must be compulsory for managers
-
9:08 - 9:11to have to have these conversations
with their employees. -
9:12 - 9:14And lessons from people like me,
-
9:14 - 9:17that have really benefited
from working through treatment, -
9:17 - 9:19need to be more widely shared.
-
9:20 - 9:24And I thought about what could be done
to guide these conversations, -
9:24 - 9:28and then an amazing
colleague of mine, Camilla Gunn, -
9:28 - 9:30developed a "Working with Cancer" toolkit.
-
9:31 - 9:34The toolkit provides a framework
for those diagnosed, -
9:35 - 9:37their managers, their carers
and their coworkers -
9:38 - 9:41to have conversations about cancer
and the work support available. -
9:42 - 9:45Camilla and I have now been
to other organizations -
9:45 - 9:46to talk about the toolkit
-
9:46 - 9:48and how it can help to guide through
-
9:48 - 9:52what, quite frankly, are otherwise
some pretty awkward conversations. -
9:53 - 9:57And I'm pleased to say that the uptake
of the toolkit is increasing. -
9:58 - 10:01So what should be
a manager's first response -
10:01 - 10:03when somebody says that they're sick
-
10:03 - 10:06and they don't know
how it's going to impact their work? -
10:06 - 10:09It must be this:
-
10:09 - 10:12"To the extent that you
are able, and want to, -
10:13 - 10:15we would love to work out
an arrangement for you -
10:15 - 10:17to continue to work through treatment."
-
10:18 - 10:21We need to start positively engaging
people with serious illness -
10:21 - 10:24to keep them in the workforce,
-
10:24 - 10:27rather than paternalistically
pushing them away. -
10:28 - 10:32I've told you my story
because I want you to know the benefits -
10:32 - 10:34that working through treatment brought me.
-
10:35 - 10:37And I also want to change your perceptions
-
10:37 - 10:39if you think that somebody
going through treatment -
10:39 - 10:43is just bored, frail and vomiting a lot.
-
10:44 - 10:47And yes, these things
were true some of the time, -
10:47 - 10:49if not a lot of the time,
-
10:49 - 10:51but I was also determined
to push myself at work -
10:51 - 10:53as much as I had always done.
-
10:54 - 10:58And I was able to do that
because my employer gave me the choice. -
10:59 - 11:02Most importantly, I'm telling you
-
11:02 - 11:06because while it's a seemingly
obvious choice to give someone, -
11:06 - 11:09it's not one that is always
offered or encouraged. -
11:09 - 11:10And it must be.
-
11:12 - 11:13Thank you.
-
11:13 - 11:17(Applause)
- Title:
- How work kept me going during my cancer treatment
- Speaker:
- Sarah Donnelly
- Description:
-
When lawyer Sarah Donnelly was diagnosed with breast cancer, she turned to her friends and family for support -- but she also found meaning, focus and stability in her work. In a personal talk about why and how she stayed on the job, she shares her insights on how workplaces can accommodate people going through major illnesses -- because the benefits go both ways.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 11:30
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | ||
Krystian Aparta accepted English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for How work kept me going during my cancer treatment |