I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer (Triple Negative) in February, 2022. I began an intense treatment plan of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, mastectomy, entire lymph node dissection, etc throughout 2022. Unfortunately, the immunotherapy ruined my thyroid, which took over 6 months to fix and we had to discontinue it. The immunotherapy also gave me an autoimmune disease called Vitiligo, which is white patches all over my body.
In 2023, I had to begin oral chemotherapy due to my cancer’s aggressive nature. While on oral chemo, I went back to work part time while I was also on long term disability. I completed my treatments in November of 2023 and was finally able to come back to work full time towards the end of February, 2024, two long years from my diagnosis. I was so thrilled to get some “normalcy” back in my life. A week after being back at work fulltime, I was let go from my job, with only 2 weeks of severance. I still do not understand why they terminated me, as they told me the company was restructuring, but nobody else was let go. I will be filing a lawsuit for discrimination against a cancer patient, but even if I’m successful with that, it will take years.
Since I have a high recurrence rate of 40%, and will no longer qualify for any sort of disability with a new employer, I am terrified this cancer will come back and kill me. I had to give up my apartment and move back in with my ex-husband which is not ideal, but I don’t have anywhere else to go.
I have been out of work almost 2 months and although I have had a few interviews, I have yet to secure a new job and I am hoping someone can help me with paying my bills and credit cards, since I spent all of my savings on my cancer treatments and moving so I could be closer to my hospital.
I am a worker, have always worked hard and am senior in my niche position. Finding a new job has been extremely difficult in today’s market. I am upskilling to add data analytics to my resume, and taking free courses in the hopes to receive a google certification, so I can have more varied job opportunities.
My ultimate goal is to get a new job and put some money away in the hopes that I won’t be homeless if my cancer recurs. I have never been unemployed, so this has been a difficult transition for me and I feel worthless, especially after fighting cancer for 2 long years and now fighting unemployment. Two months of unemployment has completely broken me and I have nowhere else to turn except here, so I ask if you can help me, it would be so appreciated.