Work After Cancer

I had chemo. My scans were clear for nearly a year, then it came back. This time, I had chemo, radiation, and a stem cell transplant. Both times, I came to work as much as I possibly could. I took on projects without hard deadlines. I would show up at the office with a traveling chemo bag that looked like a Camelback.

How one handles cancer in an office situation is highly personal, and responses vary as much as types of people. But nearly 50% of cancer survivors are of working age, and most of us do end up back at work.

In so many ways, I believe overcoming cancer excellerated my growth as a person and a leader. In surviving cancer, I got decades’ worth of high stress in a constrained period of time. Making choices was a matter of life and death. And that process taught me so much in a short period of time that I’ve brought back to Adpearance with me. 

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s not one part of me that enjoyed having cancer. I wouldn’t wish a cancer diagnosis on anyone. But cancer can’t kill optimism, and I’ve seen these same changes in some of my survivor colleagues—one in particular who we lost last year and I still think about most days.

When I was first diagnosed, I was very private. I shared nothing on social media and limited updates to close friends and family. Today, I feel compelled to share more broadly because I know I’m not the only person to overcome a life-threatening condition. And it can feel isolating to walk back into an office of people who don’t understand the war your body has just survived. For you, I hope this offers a perspective and hope.

Not only did you live, but you gained a couple new superpowers that make you a better employee and a better leader.

More Balance

Pre-cancer, I would wake up at night, buzzing with ideas and formulating new ideas to solve the latest problem. I was in the office early; I’d stay late and crack open my laptop most Saturdays. The physiological changes from cancer have made this impossible, but I also don’t want to do that anymore. I see the value of a leader who cares about balance and being present in the moment.

Today, I like to take my daughter on walks on Saturdays, looking for birds and determining what shrub has that great citrus smell. It’s OK if I roll in at 8:15 AM because I wanted to have breakfast at home with my wife. Activities like those balance me out, and allow me to be at my best when I’m at work.

Better Prioritization

I’m Type A and wound pretty tight. I like things the way I like them. Before cancer, I would let little things get under my skin—the way so and so behaved in the kitchen in the mornings or how that one guy handled that one situation.

Cancer makes it crystal clear what’s important and what’s not. Now, I don’t waste my calories on things that won’t influence the success and failure of the company. In fact, I occasionally have a private laugh about the issues that other people get wound up about. Your body has to be more efficient, and that’s actually been a pleasant change.

Reduced Fear

I don’t think I realized how much of my decision making, prior to cancer, was driven by fear. Fear of failure. Fear of losing. For me, seeing with clarity the fact that I could die really put those fears into perspective. They don’t drive me anymore.

At the end of the day, this is just business. And let me be clear: This is a business that I am passionate about, that is associated with my life goals, that continues to be the dream of me and my partner for the last decade. But business is just business. That was a pretty radical perspective change for me and one that has brought a lot of freedom.

More Patient

While I know at least a few of my coworkers will raise eyebrows on this one, I firmly believe I’m more patient today.

I have a reputation for being the gasoline that stokes fires around Adpearance. And yes, I still do that and believe passionately that it’s part of my role to bring focus and urgency to issues. But I’ve added a second speed. Today, I can see the forest in a new way, not getting caught up in the trees. Because of that, I’ll say my piece, plant a seed, let it germinate, water it from time to time, and wait for it to start taking root.

More Direct

No one likes tough conversations, but I’ve gotten far more comfortable with them post-cancer. It’s likely a combination of the previous factors—less fear, better prioritization—that got me here. But today, I can communicate more clearly about tough topics better than I could before.

If you’re a survivor starting to feel better or are looking for the normalcy a work routine, I recommend getting back to the office. You just might find that gained an office superpower or two of your own.

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For support or more information about lymphoma, please visit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.