What happens to work when you're diagnosed with cancer

This really got me thinking about serious illness and work and how the two can be extremely challenging to navigate - even without the global speculation about whether you're even still alive.

The big "C" is a terrifying diagnosis to receive. Having to face the very reality of your own mortality can be confronting and frightening, and it has often been said that the treatment can be even worse than the disease itself.

Trying to continue working while undergoing cancer treatment is often as necessary as it is seemingly impossible to manage.

So, what do you do?

When it comes to work, the first thing you'll need to do is figure out how your treatment and illness will affect your daily functioning.

This will involve taking into consideration the nature of your illness, the side effects of the treatments, and the kind of work that you do.

Talking to your healthcare provider about whether you could potentially work throughout your treatment and recovery is a great idea as they will be able to offer you the insights into how much time you will likely need to take off work, what adjustments your workplace may need to make for you, and what supports you'll need to help you through the process.

It's important to know that you don't legally have to tell your employer that you have received a diagnosis, unless it will affect your ability to the essential parts of your job, or if it is reasonable to believe that the health and safety of others could be affected.

You may decide that you would rather wait and see how you handle the treatment and medications before making the decision to tell your employer.

If you choose to tell your employer, you can take a support person with you to this meeting so that you don't have to remember everything you need to say yourself and if it becomes challenging to talk about, your support person can help you advocate for the adjustments or leave that you need.

Make sure that you request the meeting in advance and ensure that your discussion can be private and confidential, and held where you won't be rushed or interrupted.

You don't have to agree to anything on the spot - ask for time to think about it, and then negotiate the terms later.

My best advice for this conversation is to come to the meeting prepared with ideas of how you can make it work, rather than relying on the employer to come up with the plan on their own.

Think about how your work activities will need to be adjusted to accommodate your changing needs such as working remotely, taking on "light duties", reducing or changing your hours, or any other adaptation that will help you to manage your work responsibilities more realistically.

In fact, being realistic in what you can and can't do is vital to this process.

Don't set yourself up to fail by agreeing to things that you aren't really comfortable with, or you aren't certain you will able to do.

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Both you and your employer are likely going to have to acknowledge that these provisions will need to be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are still meeting your needs.

Remember that your health is absolutely paramount - taking care of yourself should be your number one priority, even though it can feel like your ability to bring in the money is battling out for a close second spot.

A serious health diagnosis can put significant stress on a person, so reaching out for support to help you through is a really important part of the journey.

Many serious illnesses are supported by key organisations (like the Cancer Council), and they can be a fantastic source of information in addition to your health team, who will be able to connect you to local support groups.

Even if you aren't a "support group" kind of person, this can be a great place to start - to meet people who have been where you are and found a way through.

Above all, know that you aren't alone in your battle.