I recently confided to a friend that when I was on sick leave for cancer treatment, I felt guilty if I did a day trip with my husband. I worried that others would think, "Well, if you feel well enough to go to Upper Canada Village, you must be recovered enough to go back to work."

My wise friend—who had, herself, taken sick leave to deal with cancer—told me that when we take our first tentative steps to do things that we did before an illness, we're really trying to assess our limits. She shared that, while still on sick leave, she had gone on a short excursion with her husband. Though the first few days went well, by the third day, she was exhausted. She had tested her limits and realized that she still wasn't back to her old form.

I thought of this today because I tested my post-surgery limits. I did more this morning and this afternoon than I've attempted since my breast reconstruction surgery: going for a walk with my family, cooking and cleaning up the kitchen, washing my bedding and remaking my bed. By supper time, I felt tired—more tired than I would have felt after a similar day of activities before surgery.

I see value in testing my limits: extending myself to the point of fatigue but not beyond, and then resting. I'm not doing more than my surgeon would recommend, but I am being carefully active. Movement makes me feel good.

What I took from my friend's advice is that it's OK to enjoy yourself when on sick leave. Slowly reintroducing activities that you did before your illness is a part of determining whether you're ready to return to work.