After cancer, am I unemployable?
- Name: Lynette Nicks, 42
- Hometown: Redmond, Ore.
I'm a single mom with a son in high school.
Three years ago, I was laid off from a job working at a propane company. I had just gotten back on my feet after battling breast cancer, then cervical cancer, but the economy tanked, and I was the first to go.
I am now 42, and the cancer is gone. But it appears my employability is also gone.
In addition to my history with cancer, I have multiple sclerosis -- a fact I'm always honest about on my job applications. Sometimes I think that has hindered me in getting a job.
Now, I have not looked for a job or sent in a résumé in over a year. There is only so much rejection a person can take. I spent months sending out résumés and filling out applications, and after a while, it felt like I was wasting money on stamps and gas on a dream that simply wasn't attainable. We can use that money to keep the lights on instead.
Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I worked for the state of Oregon and was the number one service manager for the Department of Human Services. My job was to help low income families find work and get food stamps and insurance. Now, I cannot even get a job at McDonalds, and I'm the one living on social assistance.
