A Recovery Journey: Cancer

His personal devastation was amplified by concerns of who would take care of his elderly mother. After intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment, he was fortunately cleared of his cancer. Whilst his oncologist cleared him to return to work David’s life was no longer the same.

David experienced many of the challenges most cancer survivors experience:

• Post-cancer
• Ambivalence about his medical condition and its
• Difficulties balancing the needs of his health, his carer responsibilities and his return to work.
• Feeling depressed and worried about the future.

The objective of referring David to Rehabilitation Services by Altius was to assist with his recovery through problem-solving, goals setting and to develop a recovery plan to restore his life roles including work. The cancer survival issues were impacting on his readiness and ability to engage in support services for his recovery journey. 

Rehabilitation Services activated some of their available range of cancer-specific solutions to David and his employer. They were developed to support and enable David to restore his confidence, functions and motivation to return to life. These included:

• Coordinating post cancer-specific services such as exercise physiology and psycho-education on managing fatigue and survivorships.
• Providing support and education on cancer recovery to the employer through this process.
• Providing workplace based support and guidance by regular workplace reviews, task modification, pacing and feedback to rebuild confidence and trust.
• Coordinating and case conferencing with the treating providers to ensure consistent feedback and goal alignment to support the treaters and the customer.
• Designing a graded recovery at work plan for David to participate in, with fine-tuning and adjustment along the way to ensure sustainability.

The Data

At initial presentation he began a return to work four hours per day, 2 days per week and he scored 53/63 on the Fatigue Severity Scale (the higher the score the greater the fatigue). At completion, three month later, David was working an eight hour day, five days per week resuming normal duties and he scored 34/63 on the Fatigue Severity Scale.

David has successfully returned to his role on a full-time basis as a Customer Consultant with his employer after 6 months of support and services on a 2 years benefit period of salary continuance. 

With engagement, support and alignment of stakeholders, coupled with David’s new levels of confidence and perseverance, this exceptional result is being sustained. He is adhering to his goals by:

• Participating in a slow and gradual plan to resume his work tasks in the workplace environment.
• Attending psychological counselling with his treating psychologist to develop a different mindset about his health and life.
• Attending functional exercise prescribed by his cancer specialist exercise physiologist at home and in the local gym.
• Practising mindfulness meditation regularly and showing much better control of his mood and stress response.
• Sharing his challenges and difficulties with our rehabilitation consultant openly, enabling us to help him restore his confidence and purpose with both his health and recovery.

For more information about tailored solutions please contact us.