While we would never encourage anyone undergoing cancer treatment to exert themselves in a way they don’t feel up to, a lot of survivors tell us that maintaining a normal, or somewhat normal, work schedule can actually help a lot during treatment. Second grade teacher Ashley Saaranen is one of those survivors. Ashley says that teaching is what got her through chemotherapy.
“Teaching through chemotherapy was the best thing for me,” Ashley says. “The kids I teach with have been phenomenal. It was the reason I survived chemotherapy … I really, truly believe that. When I tell people that I have cancer, adults are very sad … they’re worried. When I told my class that I have cancer, they weren’t scared. They knew that we would get through it together.”
Ashley says that even though cancer changed her life, the fact that she was able to continue teaching kept an element of normalcy that she really needed. “For me, going to work and being around kids has let me stay Ashley.”
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While we would never encourage anyone undergoing cancer treatment to exert themselves in a way they don’t feel up to, a lot of survivors tell us that maintaining a normal, or somewhat normal, work schedule can actually help a lot during treatment. Second grade teacher Ashley Saaranen is one of those survivors. Ashley says that teaching is what got her through chemotherapy.
“Teaching through chemotherapy was the best thing for me,” Ashley says. “The kids I teach with have been phenomenal. It was the reason I survived chemotherapy … I really, truly believe that. When I tell people that I have cancer, adults are very sad … they’re worried. When I told my class that I have cancer, they weren’t scared. They knew that we would get through it together.”
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