How work kept me going during my cancer treatment | Sarah Donnelly

翻訳: Eriko T 校正: Masaki Yanagishita

It was June 2014.

2014年６月のこと

I was 30 years old,

私が30才の時

and I received a call from my doctor's office

病院から診断結果が出たという

to say my test results were in.

電話がありました

So I walked up to see her in my lunch break, and my doctor said

昼休みに医師に会いに行くと

she was very sorry to tell me that I had breast cancer.

「残念ですが あなたは乳がんです」 と知らせてくれました

I didn't want to believe her and at first, I didn't.

私はそれを信じたくなくて 最初は信じませんでした

You see, I'm a lawyer and I needed some evidence.

弁護士の私は まず証拠が必要だ と思ったんです

So I'm very embarrassed to tell you all

それでとても恥ずかしい話ですが

that I stood up and I walked around to where she was sitting

立ち上がって彼女のデスクまで行き

so that I could look over her shoulder and verify

背中越しに書類に書いてあることを

what was written on the page in front of her.

確認したんです

(Laughter)

（笑）

Malignant carcinoma.

「悪性腫瘍」

But still not wanting to believe it, I said,

でもまだ信じたくなくて こう言ったんです

"Now, malignant carcinoma, you're sure that means cancer?"

「『悪性腫瘍』ががんだという 確証はあるんですか？」

(Laughter)

（笑）

She told me she was sure.

彼女は確かだと言いました

Back at work, I handed over the urgent things that needed to be done

仕事に戻ると がんが転移しているかを 調べる検査をしている間に

while I was having more tests to see if my cancer had spread.

緊急にやってしまうべき 仕事を引き継ぎました

But at that moment, work wasn't my priority.

でもその時は 仕事は優先事項ではありませんでした

I was thinking about how I was going to tell my family and friends

自分ががんになった事を どう家族や友達に伝えようかと

that I had cancer.

思案していました

How I was going to answer their questions

彼らの質問にどう答えようか

about how bad it was and whether I was going to be OK,

がんの進行度や 完治する可能性

when I didn't know that myself.

私自身も分からないのに

I was wondering if my partner and I

私は夫と

would ever have an opportunity to start a family.

子供を持つことができるんだろうか

And I was figuring out how I was going to tell my mother,

私を身ごもっていた時に 乳がんを患った

who had herself had breast cancer when she was pregnant with me.

母への伝え方を考えていました

She would know how I was feeling

母は私の気持ちが分かったはず

and have an idea of what lay ahead for me.

そして私がこれから直面することも 想像できたでしょう

But I also didn't want her to have to relive her cancer experience.

でも母にがんの体験を 思い出させたくないと思いました

What I didn't appreciate at the time

その時気付かなかったのは

was that work was about to play a huge role in my treatment and recovery.

仕事が病気の治療と回復に 大きな影響を及ぼすということ

That it would be my coworkers and my job

自分が統計の数字のような 存在に過ぎないと感じた時

that would make me feel valuable and human

同僚と仕事が 私に自分の価値を思い出させ

at times when I would have otherwise felt like a statistic.

人間だという感覚を 思い出させてくれること

That it would be my job that would give me routine and stability

そして どんな乳房再建術を受けるかといった

when I was dealing with so many difficult personal decisions

たくさんの難しい個人的な決断や

and so much uncertainty.

不確実さに直面している時に

Like, what sort of breast reconstruction I was going to have.

仕事がルーチンや安定を 与えてくれることでした

And at a time like that,

そんな時

you would think that I would turn to my family and friends for support.

私がサポートを求めるのは 家族や友達だろうと思うでしょう

And yes, of course I did that.

もちろんそうしました

But it would ultimately be my colleagues

でも 私の日々の生活で 大きな部分を占めるのは

who would play a huge role in my day-to-day life.

仕事の同僚たちです

And they would be the ones to make me laugh.

彼らが私を笑わせたりしてくれます

You see, we were a pretty close team,

私たちは仲の良いチームで

and we shared a couple of really good in-jokes,

仲間うちで流行の冗談を 言い合っていました

like this time they overheard someone ask me

それがカツラだったとは知らずに

how I got my hair so shiny and perfect --

誰かが私に艶のある完璧な髪を

without knowing that it was, of course, a wig,

どう手に入れたのとたずねるのが 聞こえたとか

and you know, it was a very good wig

因みに それはとっても良いカツラで

and it did make getting ready in the mornings very easy.

朝の支度をとっても楽にしてくれました

(Laughter)

（笑）

But in little moments like this, I appreciated what their support meant,

でもこうしたちょっとした瞬間に 皆の支え

and I wondered what I would have done without that network.

あのネットワークがなければ どうしていただろうと思ったものです

I've spoken with so many people, women in particular,

これまでたくさんの人たちと とりわけ女性とお話ししました

who haven't had the chance to have that network

治療をしながら仕事を続けるという

because they haven't been given the opportunity to work through treatment.

選択肢を与えられなかった人々です

And there are several reasons for this.

これにはいくつかの理由があります

But I think it mostly comes down to overly paternalistic employers.

でも主に 過保護な雇用者に 問題があると思います

These employers want you to go away and focus on yourself.

彼らは 休暇を取り 治療に専念するよう求めます

And come back when you're better.

治ったら戻って来るようにと

And they use those kinds of phrases.

そんな言葉をかけます

And while these responses are well-meaning,

こうした反応は善意からのものですし

knowing the benefits it brought me,

それに助けられもしましたが

it makes me incredibly frustrated

人々がそう願い 肉体的にも可能だったのに

when people are told that they couldn’t or shouldn't work,

仕事を続けられなかったとか そうするべきではないと言われたという時

when it's something that they want to do and physically can do.

心底苛立ちを感じます

So I started to look into what an employer is required to do

それで 社員ががんと診断された際の

when someone presents with a cancer diagnosis.

雇用主の義務を調べてみることにしました

I discovered that under Australian law, cancer is considered a disability.

オーストラリアでは法律で がんは障がいと規定されていました

So if you are unable to perform your usual work duties,

通常の職務を果たすのが難しければ

your employer is obligated by the Disability Discrimination Act

障害差別禁止法によって

to make reasonable adjustments to your working arrangements,

雇用主は社員が働き続けられるように

so that you can continue to work.

その職場環境に 合理的な配慮を講じる責任があります

What would reasonable adjustments look like for me?

私の場合 合理的な配慮とは どんなものでしょう？

I knew the obvious impacts my diagnosis was going to have on work.

私は診断内容から 仕事にどんな影響が出るか予想できました

Medical appointments would be scheduled during business hours,

就業時間中に病院に行ったり

and I knew that I would need time off to recover from surgical procedures.

手術後には回復期間を 確保する必要がありました

Again, being a typical lawyer,

繰り返しますが 典型的な弁護士の私は

I had done my due diligence on what to expect from treatment.

治療について下調べをしました

Admittedly, a lot of that was through Doctor Google,

ほとんどGoogle検索からの情報でした

perhaps not my best move and I wouldn't recommend that.

最善の策ではありませんし お勧めもしませんよ

(Laughter)

（笑）

But while I was ready for all the physical side effects,

私はあらゆる身体的副作用に対して 心の準備ができていましたが

what really scared me was this thing called chemo brain.

一番怖かったのは「キモブレイン （化学療法による脳障害）」でした

Chemo brain presents itself through memory loss,

キモブレインになると 記憶障害や

an inability to concentrate

集中力の低下

and an inability to solve problems.

問題解決能力の低下が起こります

And if this happened to me,

もしそれが私に起これば

I wondered how I was going to do my job as a lawyer.

どうやって弁護士の仕事をこなせばいいのか と悩みました

Would I be forced to leave work?

クビになるのかしら？

And how could I possibly have a discussion with my manager

自分への影響すら知らず

about reasonable adjustments to my working arrangements

どうやって私の仕事環境への 合理的な配慮など

when I didn't know how I was going to be impacted?

上司と話し合えるだろうかと 思いあぐねました

I was fortunate to have a supportive manager

幸いにも 私には親身になってくれる上司がいて

who was happy to see how things went as we went along,

まず全ての方針を決めてしまうよりも

rather than requiring a concrete plan up front.

経過を見ながらその都度 対処することにしてくれました

I was lucky that while he may not have even known

私は幸運でした

about this concept of reasonable adjustments,

合理的な配慮という概念を知らなくても

to him, it was just common sense.

彼にとってはそれが自然なことだったんです

But I've learned that it's not common sense to everyone.

でも 必ずしも皆にとってそうではないのだと 次第にわかりました

Everyone going through treatment will learn how it impacts them

治療を受けている人々は誰でも その影響や

and what their limitations are.

様々な制限について次第に学び

And they'll learn to adjust for that.

適応することを学びます

So for me, there were the tips and tricks that I learned about the treatment itself,

私の場合 治療そのものについて あれこれの知識がありました

like, before you go to chemo,

例えばキモセラピーの前には

you need to make sure you're really well hydrated

水分を十分にとっておくだとか

and that you're warm, because it helps the nurses to find your veins.

看護師が血管を見つけやすいように 体を暖かくしておくとか

And make sure that you don't eat any of your favorite food,

キモセラピーの前後に

either before or after chemo,

好物を食べないようにするとか—

because you're going to be throwing that up

結局吐いてしまって

and you won't ever want to look at it again.

２度と見たくなくなるからです

(Laughter)

（笑）

I learned that one the hard way.

実際に体験して学びました

And then there were the tricks for managing my workflow.

私の業務フローの管理にも 工夫を加えました

I scheduled chemo for first thing on a Monday morning.

キモセラピーを 月曜朝一番の予定に入れました

I knew that from the time I left the cancer care unit,

がん治療ユニットを退出してから

I had about four hours before this fog screen would come down

あの霧の降りて来る状態になる前に ４時間くらいの時間があり

and I would start to be sick.

その後気分が悪くなるからです

So I would use that time to clean my inbox and make any urgent calls.

それでその間にメールの受信箱を片付け 急ぎの電話をかけることにしました

The worst of the sickness would be gone within about 48 hours.

最悪の体調は48時間で快方に向かいます

And then I would log back into work from home.

それからは在宅勤務するわけです

This treatment continued and I knew what to expect.

この治療は続き 私はどんな影響があるかが分かっていたので

I was able to set reasonable expectations with my business partners

現実的に期待できる成果を 仕事のパートナー達と決めることができました

about what I could do

何ができるか

and the time frames that I could do it in.

そしてそれをどれ位の期間でできるか

But I still remember the hesitation in their voices

でもまだ 私に業務を依頼する時や

when it came to asking for things.

期限を設ける時の

And asking me to do things by a certain time.

皆のためらいを帯びた声を覚えています

And trust me, these were people

彼らは 本当に厳しい締め切り時間を 平気で設けてくるような

that were not afraid of setting a good deadline.

人たちだったんですから

(Laughter)

（笑）

I got the impression they didn't want to put any extra pressure on me

私が治療を受けている間は 余計なプレッシャーをかけたくないという

while I was going through treatment.

配慮を感じました

And while I appreciated the sentiment,

その気遣いは嬉しかったのですが

I actually needed the deadlines.

締め切りは 私にとって必要なものでした

To me, that was something within my control

それはたくさんの物事が 自分の手に負えなくなっていた時

and something that could stay in my control

私が主体となって管理できて

when there were so many things that couldn't.

コントロールし続けられるものでした

And as I was working from home,

在宅勤務を続けながら

I was thinking about how employers should be applying this concept

２人に１人のオーストラリア人男女が

of reasonable adjustments in our current age,

85才までにがんの診断を 受けるようなこの時代に

where one in two Australian men and women

雇用主たちは合理的配慮というコンセプトを

will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.

どう当てはめたら良いだろうと 考えていました

So, as we continue to work longer and longer into older age,

私たちが高齢になっても 仕事をより長期間続けるようになり

the chances of having a serious illness while we're in the workforce

仕事をしながら重い病気にかかる可能性は

are increasing.

高まっています

And with technology enabling us to work anywhere, any time,

テクノロジーのおかげで いつでもどこでも働けるので

reasonable adjustments are no longer contingent upon

合理的な配慮はもう

whether or not you can continue to physically make it

患者が実際にオフィスに通えるかどうかに

into the physical office.

左右されることはありません

Reasonable adjustments are also not about

合理的な配慮は

just offering a longer break or a comfier chair to sit in,

休憩を少し延長するとか 座り心地の良い椅子を提供するとかではなく

although those things might be good, too.

もちろんそれらは助かることですが—

At the very least,

少なくとも

we need to be applying the flexibility policies and strategies

家族を持つ労働者を対象にした シナリオを考え 作った

we've developed for other scenarios,

フレキシブルな規定や戦略を

like for people with family responsibilities.

活用していくべきなんです

But how can we ensure that people are even having a conversation

でもどうやったら

about what reasonable adjustments might look like for them

「治るまで職場に戻って来なくていいから」 と言ってしまうような上司のもとで

if a manager's first response is to say,

自分にとっての合理的配慮は どういうものだろうかという

"Oh no, don't come back to work until you're better."

相談が切り出せるというのでしょう？

And a light went on for me.

そしてひらめきました

It must be compulsory for managers

そうした話を部下たちとすることは

to have to have these conversations with their employees.

職場の上司たちの責任であるべきなんだと

And lessons from people like me,

治療の間も働き続けたことで救われた

that have really benefited from working through treatment,

私のような人からの教訓は

need to be more widely shared.

もっと皆に広く知られるべきです

And I thought about what could be done to guide these conversations,

そうした話の水先案内を どうしたらできるかを考えてみました

and then an amazing colleague of mine, Camilla Gunn,

すると私の素晴らしい同僚 カミーラ・ガンが

developed a "Working with Cancer" toolkit.

「がん患者の働き方」という ツールキットを作りました

The toolkit provides a framework for those diagnosed,

このキットはがんと診断された人や

their managers, their carers and their coworkers

その上司、世話をする人 それから同僚たちが

to have conversations about cancer and the work support available.

がんと仕事において可能なサポートについて 話し合えるようにフレームワークを提供します

Camilla and I have now been to other organizations

カミーラと私はこれまでに数々の団体で

to talk about the toolkit

このツールキットを紹介し

and how it can help to guide through

難しくなりそうな相談を それがどのように

what, quite frankly, are otherwise some pretty awkward conversations.

円滑に導いてくれるかを 紹介して来ました

And I'm pleased to say that the uptake of the toolkit is increasing.

嬉しいことにこのツールキットは どんどん採用されています

So what should be a manager's first response

それでは 上司として

when somebody says that they're sick

職場の誰かが病気になり それがどう仕事に影響するか

and they don't know how it's going to impact their work?

見当がつかないという時 どうすべきでしょう？

It must be this:

こう言うべきです

"To the extent that you are able, and want to,

「あなたが出来る限り そして そう希望する限り

we would love to work out an arrangement for you

治療を受けつつ 仕事を続けられるような

to continue to work through treatment."

職場での合理的配慮を 一緒に考えましょう」

We need to start positively engaging people with serious illness

そろそろ 過保護な反応をして 彼らを職場から追いやる代わりに

to keep them in the workforce,

重い病気を患う人々と 力を合わせて

rather than paternalistically pushing them away.

彼らが仕事を続けられるように 計らうべきです

I've told you my story because I want you to know the benefits

皆さんには 私ががん治療を受けながら 仕事を続けて得られたことを

that working through treatment brought me.

知って欲しくてお話ししました

And I also want to change your perceptions

そして おそらくあなたが持つ

if you think that somebody going through treatment

がん治療を受けている人たちの 「退屈していて 弱々しくて

is just bored, frail and vomiting a lot.

しょっちゅう嘔吐している」 そんなイメージを変えたいんです

And yes, these things were true some of the time,

確かに 時々はそういう時もありましたが

if not a lot of the time,

常にそうではありませんでした

but I was also determined to push myself at work

でも私は仕事をそれまで通り

as much as I had always done.

頑張ると決心していたし

And I was able to do that because my employer gave me the choice.

上司が私に選ばせてくれたお陰で それができました

Most importantly, I'm telling you

一番重要な点は

because while it's a seemingly obvious choice to give someone,

それは 与えられる 明らかな選択のように見えますが

it's not one that is always offered or encouraged.

いつでも進んで 提供されるわけではないことです

And it must be.

でもそうされるべきです

Thank you.

ありがとうございました

(Applause)

（拍手）