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It was June 2014. I was 30 years old, and I received a call from my doctor's office to say my test results were in.
那时在2014年6月，当时我30岁，我的医生的办公室打了通电话给我，说我的检验结果出来了。
So I walked up to see her in my lunch break, and my doctor said she was very sorry to tell me that I had breast cancer.
所以，我在午休时间去找我的医生，她说她非常遗憾要告诉我，我得了乳腺癌。
I didn't want to believe her and at first, I didn't.
一开始我不想相信她，我的确不相信。
You see, I'm a lawyer and I needed some evidence.
要知道，我是个律师，我需要证据。
So I'm very embarrassed to tell you all that I stood up and I walked around to where she was sitting
所以，我非常不好意思地告诉各位，我站起来，绕到她坐的地方后面，
so that I could look over her shoulder and verify what was written on the page in front of her.
这样我才能从她肩上看到并确认她面前的那张纸上写了什么。
Malignant carcinoma. But still not wanting to believe it, I said, "Now, malignant carcinoma, you're sure that means cancer?"
恶性肿瘤。但我还是不愿相信，我说：“恶性肿瘤，你确定它的意思就是癌症吗？”
She told me she was sure. Back at work, I handed over the urgent things that needed to be done
她告诉我她很肯定。回到工作上，我把需要处理的急事都交付出去，
while I was having more tests to see if my cancer had spread.
同时我接受更多检测，看我的癌症是否有扩散。
But at that moment, work wasn't my priority.
但在那时刻，工作不是我的第一要务。
I was thinking about how I was going to tell my family and friends that I had cancer.
我在想的是，我要如何告诉我的家人和朋友我得了癌症。
How I was going to answer their questions about how bad it was and whether I was going to be OK, when I didn't know that myself.
他们可能会问我一些问题，比如状况有多糟，我是否会没事，而我都不知道答案。
I was wondering if my partner and I would ever have an opportunity to start a family.
我在纳闷，我的另一半和我是否会有机会成家。
And I was figuring out how I was going to tell my mother,
我在想着，我要如何告诉我妈妈，
who had herself had breast cancer when she was pregnant with me.
她自己在怀我的时候也得了乳腺癌。
She would know how I was feeling and have an idea of what lay ahead for me.
她会懂我的感受且知道我接下来要面对什么。
But I also didn't want her to have to relive her cancer experience.
但我也不想让她再走过一次她的癌症经验。
What I didn't appreciate at the time was that work was about to play a huge role in my treatment and recovery.
我当时还不知道，工作将会在我的治疗和恢复中扮演很重要的角色。
That it would be my coworkers and my job that would make me feel valuable and human at times
后来是我的同事和我的工作让我觉得我有价值、我是人，
when I would have otherwise felt like a statistic.
要不然，我那时可能会觉得自己只是统计数字。
That it would be my job that would give me routine and stability
是我的工作给了我例行公事和稳定性，
when I was dealing with so many difficult personal decisions and so much uncertainty.
那时我需要处理好多困难的个人决定和好多的不确定性。
Like, what sort of breast reconstruction I was going to have.
比如，我要做哪一种乳房重建。
And at a time like that, you would think that I would turn to my family and friends for support.
在那样的时刻，你们可能会认为我应该向家人朋友寻求支持。
And yes, of course I did that. But it would ultimately be my colleagues who would play a huge role in my day-to-day life
是的，当然我有这么做。但最终还是我的同事在我每天的生活中扮演重要的角色。
And they would be the ones to make me laugh.
让我笑的人是他们。
You see, we were a pretty close team, and we shared a couple of really good in-jokes,
我们是个很亲密的团队，我们有一些只有自己人才知道的笑话，
like this time they overheard someone ask me how I got my hair so shiny and perfect
比如，有一次他们不小心听到有人问我怎样能使头发如此闪亮、完美，
without knowing that it was, of course, a wig, and you know, it was a very good wig
却完全不知道那是假发，而且那是顶很好的假发，
and it did make getting ready in the mornings very easy.
它也让早上起床之后的梳妆整理变得很容易。
But in little moments like this, I appreciated what their support meant,
但像这样的小小时刻，我很感谢他们的支持带给我的意义，
and I wondered what I would have done without that network.
若没有那支持关系，我不知道我该怎么办。
I've spoken with so many people, women in particular,
我和好多人谈过，特别是女性，
who haven't had the chance to have that network because they haven't been given the opportunity to work through treatment.
都是没有机会拥有那种关系网络的人，因为他们在治疗的过程中都没有机会工作。
And there are several reasons for this. But I think it mostly comes down to overly paternalistic employers.
这背后有好几个原因。但我认为主要的原因是雇主太过家长作风了。
These employers want you to go away and focus on yourself.
这些雇主希望你走开，专注在自己身上就好。
And come back when you're better. And they use those kinds of phrases.
当你好一些之后再回来。他们会用像那样的说词。
And while these responses are well-meaning, knowing the benefits it brought me,
虽然他们的这些反应都是出于好意，但我知道工作带给我的益处，
it makes me incredibly frustrated when people are told that they couldn't or shouldn't work,
所以当听到癌症病人被告知他们不能或不该工作时，我就会觉得非常灰心，
when it's something that they want to do and physically can do.
因为他们想要工作，且身体上也能够办到。
So I started to look into what an employer is required to do when someone presents with a cancer diagnosis.
所以我开始研究，当员工向雇主提出癌症诊断书时，雇主需要做什么。
I discovered that under Australian law, cancer is considered a disability.
我发现，在澳洲法律中，癌症被视为残疾。
So if you are unable to perform your usual work duties,
所以，如果你无法进行你平常的工作职责，
your employer is obligated by the Disability Discrimination Act to make reasonable adjustments to your working arrangements,
根据残疾歧视法案，你的雇主有义务要针对你的工作安排做合理的调整，
so that you can continue to work. What would reasonable adjustments look like for me?
让你能够继续工作。对我来说，合理的调整是什么样的？
I knew the obvious impacts my diagnosis was going to have on work.
我知道我的诊断对于工作会有哪些明显的影响。
Medical appointments would be scheduled during business hours,
医疗诊治的时间都排订在上班时段，
and I knew that I would need time off to recover from surgical procedures.
我也知道在手术之后我会需要时间恢复。
Again, being a typical lawyer, I had done my due diligence on what to expect from treatment.
同样的，身为很典型的律师，对于治疗要有什么样的期待，我已做了法律相关的尽职调查。
Admittedly, a lot of that was through Doctor Google, perhaps not my best move and I wouldn't recommend that.
无可否认，许多调查是通过Google教授做的，那可能不是我最好的对策，我不建议这么做。
But while I was ready for all the physical side effects, what really scared me was this thing called chemo brain.
虽然我准备好迎接所有身体上的副作用，但真正让我害怕的是所谓的“化疗脑”。
Chemo brain presents itself through memory loss, an inability to concentrate and an inability to solve problems.
化疗脑出现的形式包括记忆丧失、无法专心以及无法解决问题。
And if this happened to me, I wondered how I was going to do my job as a lawyer. Would I be forced to leave work?
如果这发生在我身上，我不知道我要如何做我的律师工作。我会被迫离开工作吗？
And how could I possibly have a discussion with my manager about reasonable adjustments to my working arrangements
我怎么可能和我的经理讨论我的工作安排要做哪些合理调整，
when I didn't know how I was going to be impacted?
如果我连我会如何被影响都不知道？
I was fortunate to have a supportive manager who was happy to see how things went as we went along,
我很幸运有个支持我的经理，他很乐意随着发展再看状况如何，
rather than requiring a concrete plan up front.
而不是要求事前就要有具体的计划。
I was lucky that while he may not have even known about this concept of reasonable adjustments, to him, it was just common sense.
我很幸运，他甚至可能不知道这个合理调整的观念，对他来说，这只是常识。
But I've learned that it's not common sense to everyone.
但我发现这并非对所有人都是常识。
Everyone going through treatment will learn how it impacts them and what their limitations are.
所有要经历治疗的人，都会了解到治疗对他们的影响以及他们的限制是什么。
And they'll learn to adjust for that.
他们会学会做相应的调整。
So for me, there were the tips and tricks that I learned about the treatment itself,
所以，对我来说，关于治疗本身，我学到了一些密诀和诀窍，
like, before you go to chemo, you need to make sure you're really well hydrated and that you're warm,
比如，在你去化疗之前，你得要确保你自己有足够的水分，且要注意保暖，
because it helps the nurses to find your veins.
因为那样能协助护士找到你的静脉。
And make sure that you don't eat any of your favorite food, either before or after chemo,
还要确保你不吃任何你最爱的食物，化疗前或化疗后都不行，
because you're going to be throwing that up and you won't ever want to look at it again.
因为你会把它吐出来，并且你永远不会想要再看它一眼了。
I learned that one the hard way. And then there were the tricks for managing my workflow.
这点我是从痛苦经验中学来的。另外，还有关于管理我的工作流程的诀窍。
I scheduled chemo for first thing on a Monday morning.
我把化疗安排为星期一早上的第一件事。
I knew that from the time I left the cancer care unit,
我知道从我离开癌症照护单位之后，
I had about four hours before this fog screen would come down and I would start to be sick.
我会有大约四小时时间，接着雾幕就会出现，我就会开始不舒服。
So I would use that time to clean my inbox and make any urgent calls.
我会用那段时间清理我的收件匣并打一些紧急的电话。
The worst of the sickness would be gone within about 48 hours.
最不舒服的状况会在48小时以内就过去。
And then I would log back into work from home. This treatment continued and I knew what to expect.
接着我会从家中开始工作。治疗继续下去，而我知道该预期什么。
I was able to set reasonable expectations with my business partners
我能够和我的生意伙伴设下合理的期望，
about what I could do and the time frames that I could do it in.
关于我能做些什么以及我要多少时间来完成期望。
But I still remember the hesitation in their voices when it came to asking for things.
但我还记得，他们带着迟疑的声音来找我，要求我做一些事。
And asking me to do things by a certain time.
要求我在某个时限内完成事情。
And trust me, these were people that were not afraid of setting a good deadline.
相信我，这些人都不怕设下好的截止期限。
I got the impression they didn't want to put any extra pressure on me while I was going through treatment.
我的印象是，他们不想在我身上增加额外的压力，因为我还要接受治疗。
And while I appreciated the sentiment, I actually needed the deadlines.
虽然我很感谢那样的情操，但我其实是需要截止期限的。
To me, that was something within my control and something that could stay in my control when there were so many things that couldn't.
对我来说，那是我能控制的东西，并且是我能持续控制的东西，在这时期有太多我无法控制的了。
And as I was working from home,
当我在家工作时，
I was thinking about how employers should be applying this concept of reasonable adjustments in our current age,
我在想在我们目前这个时代，雇主要如何把这合理调整的概念实际应用出来，
where one in two Australian men and women will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.
现在在澳洲，每两位男性及女性中就有一位，会在85岁之前被诊断出癌症。
So, as we continue to work longer and longer into older age,
随着我们在职场上工作越久，我们的年龄也在增长，
the chances of having a serious illness while we're in the workforce are increasing.
在职场上工作时得到严重疾病的可能性也在增加。
And with technology enabling us to work anywhere, any time,
现在科技让我们可以在任何地方、任何时间工作，
reasonable adjustments are no longer contingent upon whether or not you can continue to physically make it into the physical office.
合理调整就不再受限于你是否能持续实际去实体的办公室工作。
Reasonable adjustments are also not about just offering a longer break or a comfier chair to sit in,
合理调整的重点也不在于提供更长的休息时间和更舒服的座椅，
although those things might be good, too.
不过能有这些也不赖。
At the very least, we need to be applying the flexibility policies and strategies we've developed for other scenarios,
最少，我们必须要能够实施我们为其他情况发展出来弹性政策和策略，
like for people with family responsibilities.
比如为了有家庭责任的人所发展的。
But how can we ensure that people are even having a conversation about what reasonable adjustments might look like for them
但我们要如何确保大家有机会进行怎样合理调整才适合的对话，
if a manager's first response is to say, "Oh no, don't come back to work until you're better."
如果经理的第一个反应就是说：“喔，不，在你好转之前都别回来上班。”
And a light went on for me.
而有一盏灯为我亮了起来。
It must be compulsory for managers to have to have these conversations with their employees.
经理和其旗下员工进行这类谈话，必须要是强制性的。
And lessons from people like me, that have really benefited from working through treatment, need to be more widely shared.
像我这样子在治疗过程中持续工作而受益的人所学到的教训，需要被广泛分享出去。
And I thought about what could be done to guide these conversations,
我思考过能怎样引导这类对谈，
and then an amazing colleague of mine, Camilla Gunn, developed a "Working with Cancer" toolkit.
然后我有一位了不起的同事，卡米拉·甘恩，发展出了一套“带着癌症工作”工具组。
The toolkit provides a framework for those diagnosed, their managers,
这套工具组提供了一架构给被诊断出癌症的人、他们的经理、
their carers and their coworkers to have conversations about cancer and the work support available.
他们的照护者以及他们的同事，让他们能针对癌症以及可得的工作支持进行对话。
Camilla and I have now been to other organizations to talk about the toolkit
卡米拉和我现在已经去过一些组织去谈这套工具组，
and how it can help to guide through what, quite frankly, are otherwise some pretty awkward conversations.
以及它如何能协助引导大家进行这些本来势必会相当尴尬的对谈。
And I'm pleased to say that the uptake of the toolkit is increasing.
我很高兴的说，越来越多人在使用这套工具组。
So what should be a manager's first response when somebody says that they're sick and they don't know how it's going to impact their work?
当听到有人说他们生病了，且不知道这疾病会如何影响他们的工作时，经理的第一个反应应该是什么？
It must be this: "To the extent that you are able, and want to,
经理的反应必须要是这样的：“在你能做到且想要做到的范围内，
we would love to work out an arrangement for you to continue to work through treatment."
我们很乐意为你做出安排，让你能在治疗过程中持续工作。”
We need to start positively engaging people with serious illness to keep them in the workforce,
我们需要开始积极吸引患有严重疾病的人员，让他们继续留在工作岗位上，
rather than paternalistically pushing them away.
而不是采取家长式的态度推开他们。
I've told you my story because I want you to know the benefits that working through treatment brought me.
我把我的故事告诉各位，是因为我希望你们能够了解在治疗期间持续工作带给我的益处。
And I also want to change your perceptions if you think that somebody going through treatment is just bored, frail and vomiting a lot.
我也想要改变各位的看法，如果你们觉得在接受治疗的人就是感到厌倦、虚弱和常常呕吐。
And yes, these things were true some of the time, if not a lot of the time,
的确，就算不是经常至少也是有时，确实是这样没错，
but I was also determined to push myself at work as much as I had always done.
但我也下决心，要在工作上尽全力，就像我过去一直以来那样。
And I was able to do that because my employer gave me the choice.
我之所以能够做到，是因为我的雇主给了我这个选择。
Most importantly, I'm telling you because while it's a seemingly obvious choice to give someone,
最重要的，我跟各位说这个故事，是因为虽然似乎本来就应该要给予这个选择，
it's not one that is always offered or encouraged. And it must be. Thank you.
但通常来说这个选择却没有被提供或被鼓励提供。这是必须要做的。谢谢。
