Although the financial aspects of serious illness had been worrying, taking long-term sick leave remained an easy decision. I’ve never wanted my illness to define me – but I’ve realized that my career shouldn’t define me either. Life without work isn’t straightforward though. I miss being around other people every day – even if those people were never my lunch buddies – and I miss the rush of pushing hard to meet an ambitious deadline. I’ve realized that work isn’t that important to me, but structure is – particularly when dealing with the uncertainty of life with incurable cancer. Alongside the routine of frequent hospital appointments, I’ve built myself a weekly agenda of yoga, gym classes and regular volunteering in my local community, while also allowing myself time to simply 'be'. Volunteering and helping others reminds me that even though I don’t have a real job at the moment, I’ve still got plenty to offer and I can achieve things. Cancer may have compromised my career, but it hasn’t stolen all my capabilities.