Skip to main content

How I'm doing: Final hurrahs and mental prep before going back to work

I can't believe 6 months have gone by since I left work. It's been 7 months since my diagnosis. 

I'm relieved it's gotten easier by the week. I never want to go back to that first month, which was the worst because every step entailed waiting; there was no clear picture of what was ahead because every next step was dependent on the prior, which usually entailed awaiting results or appointments. Alas. That's in the past! Look at me now!

I found out that I'll go back to work in a new org, potentially new projects, and a new manager. My temporary manager is a VP at Google, and when you look at the org chart, reporting into her makes me 3 below Sundar the CEO. 😂 This is temporary, as folks much more senior report into VPs in such a large corporation. I took a screenshot for posterity!

By all accounts, I like this VP, and people like her, and I'm just open-minded AND appreciative of whatever facetime and relationship-building I'll have an opportunity to do with a senior leader. 

Some folks have commented on how scary all that change can be. I've been anticipating I'd come back to change, because that's how large businesses work these days. I'm experienced enough to know how it goes— that no matter what I walk into, it's going to be OK. 

Plus, after dealing with cancer, really anything is doable! Nor is it worth stressing over until there's a true problem to worry about. That said, I'm mentally preparing to represent what I'd like to work on and think about how I want to show up at work as this new, better version of me. 

So what does the next week and a half look like? Cappuccinos almost every day. Long walks in the park with Monty. 4 days in Naples, Florida, visiting a friend and celebrating what I've accomplished despite how hard it was.

I'll keep celebrating life as long as I can. :) 


NEW: Sneak peak into Sara's playbook for dealing with cancer 


🏃 Run and dance with me on May 11 at Soldier Field! 💃 

Sign up to do a run/dance event that also raises money for cancer research. My team is "Team Sara Beats Cancer." 🙌🏼

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sara's playbook for dealing with cancer

My care team has commended my playbook for managing symptoms and dealing with cancer treatment.  I can't compare my cancer experience to others', because everyone's cancer is different. But, I can say that I'm coming out of this feeling like a better version of myself, and I didn't experience the intensity of symptoms that most people experience.  I'm a firm believer in doing what I can to manage what's thrown at me and take control where I can.  Here's my playbook for dealing with cancer in case it's helpful.  Note: If you think it might help to share with someone who has a recent diagnosis, I recommend first asking them if they're open to a perspective on managing life during treatment, sharing only if they say yes.  I treated food as fuel. I learned which ingredients reduce inflammation and which ingredients help the body recover, and I chose foods with them instead of comfort foods as often as possible. These ingredients can be found across c...
1 comment
Read more

How I'm feeling: Warmth from returning to work

I went back to work this week, and the best word I can describe it is dreamy. You read that right.  I had the best welcome back from teammates and others. The best. I truly felt joy seeing them, and I received so much warmth and even love back, it really makes me count my blessings. The only triggers I had were problematic, institutional terms in our work that we haven't solved yet!  I also reviewed final content from a big project I had been working on before I left, getting to see how the team finished the foundation we started and how they applied the content guidelines I drove. I couldn't tell the difference between what I wrote and what they wrote, which is amazing! This is what you want to happen! It was also dreamy because my directive from my new manager and partner lead recognized my leadership and strategy skillset, versus a more tactical starting point of, "Can you write this line of copy?" Like I said, dreamy .  There was a weird part I got through. I re...
1 comment
Read more

How I'm doing: Positive reflections as I head back to work

My Florida trip brought paddle boarding, crystal clear waters, tequila, sunshine, and laughs with friends. My final few days before work are a wonderful balance of downtime, long walks with Monty, rest, and fitness. I was also asked to be one of the speakers at the hospital cancer center's Survivors' Day of Celebration this year. Yes, there's so much to celebrate!  And, it's fitting to share my reply to an e-poll question that I answered in a group of former colleagues. The question was, " If you could relive one year of your life, which would it be? "  Here's what I wrote:  " My first thought was age 26. I just remember it as coming into my own and having so much fun. Then I saw [so-and-so's]  mention of studying abroad, and my 2001 experience changed my life in so many ways. But my final answer, if I were to pick one year, would be this past year, actually!  "A year ago at this time I finally, finally just felt so comfortable in my own skin...
Post a Comment
Read more