Charlotte Dudeney shares her experience of working with a Cancer diagnosis

It’s International Women's Day and we've been thinking about how we can support and Invest In Women. One of the ways we believe we can do this is by understanding the diverse range of experiences that women have and how this can impact them in the workplace.

One example of this is the touching story of one of our Personal Assistants, Charlotte Dudeney, who was diagnosed with Stage 2A breast cancer in November 2020. She shares her experience of working with a cancer diagnosis and how the side effects impact her day-to-day life with us.

I was diagnosed with Stage 2A breast cancer in November 2020. In February 2021, I started five months of chemotherapy, going into hospital every 21 days for an IV infusion. It was intense chemo – I lost all my hair and experienced lots of side effects. By the summer of 2021, I had finished my main chemo. The tumour was still there, but it had halved in size. I am on hormone blockers and will be for 10 years in total. In essence I am in a medical menopause, so I have all the symptoms such as hot flushes, achy joints, fatigue, brain fog and trouble sleeping, which is difficult to deal with in your 20s.

I know people are supportive and that no one will look at me differently. Having spaces like the Brit ERGs that are raising disability awareness makes a big difference and sends a message that everyone is valued equally.

When I first started at Brit, I didn’t broadcast my illness and a lot of my colleagues didn’t know. However, I have since felt very comfortable talking about it and found that people are really understanding – talking can really help break down misconceptions.

Brit is very mature about disability, which helps people see that it doesn’t have any impact on the job you are doing.

Charlotte's experience illustrates the importance of a supportive workplace that enables people with health concerns to feel comfortable in talking about how it impacts them and what they need. Thank you, Charlotte, for sharing your story and encouraging us to think more about what we can do to support women's health and wellbeing in the workplace.