I am a primary school teacher. I was diagnosed with stage 3 Grade 3 breast cancer at the start of August 2022. I was 41, now 42. July 2022 I finished in my teacher role and secured another job to start teaching in another school September 2022, I had accepted the job prior to being diagnosed with BC. As soon as I found out I alerted my new employer.
I ended up with 3 surgeries in 8 weeks due to the aggressive nature and spread of my cancer. I had delayed healing and was left with open wounds for 12 months. I had 12 rounds of chemo, 20 radiotherapy. Im now on a 2 year oral chemo trail.
As a result of all of the above I now have the following issues:
lympodema in my dominant arm
lymphodema in my breast
neuropathy in my finger tips
nerve damage due to surgery in my dominant arm
Debilitating bone pain due to cancer drug's
Chronic fatigue due to cancer drugs and oral chemo
D&V due to oral chemo
memory issues due to cancer drugs
In all honestly the list is endless but these are the main ones I struggle with. I'm on lots of medications for the next ten years or so. I have been away from my new role for 16 months now and know mentally and physically I currently am unfit to teach. I claim PIP and ESA and have had a capability to work assessment done. I do not receive sick pay anymore.
My work want a meeting with them and HR to discuss returning to work despite me telling them I currently can't and having oncology support this. This is now constantly on my mind and I don't want to have to explain intimate details to HR and my head on why reasonable adjustments won't suffice. I am at the point where I feel it's only fair all around to resign. Will this affect my ESA?
