We talk a lot about survivorship and the support that is offered to those living with cancer and integral to support service development and provision has to be an understanding of the lived experience.
Last week I discovered an fabulous website Chris's Cancer Community http://www.chris-cancercommunity.com
On browsing further this week I found an excellent blog on the issue of trying to find work after a cancer diagnosis and it really made me think.
Work is important to us all, giving us financial independence and a feeling of wellbeing as our value in society is confirmed.
Work gives us an identity, we feel valued by our colleagues, we feel challenged, useful, a fully functioning member of society.
If that was taken away from you how would you feel?
Have a read of this blog chris-cancercommunity.com/trying-to-find-work-after-cancer there are positive stories for example where a position was created especially for someone who could no longer do their previous work because of their illness. But Child care, financial and benefit issues, and a total lack of opportunity once cancer is declared as a disability are all too common.
Working after cancer is a massive issue for cancer survivors, and is something that we as a society must start dealing with now, as the realities are that the numbers are increasing.
What new and innovative ways can we find to help people who wish to return to work?
Thanks , as ever, to Chris, because without the sharing of 'lived experiences' , without support services and a real sense of community, cancer survivorship would really just be a tick box exercise.