When crisis strikes, remote and hybrid work are more than a convenience—they’re a lifeline
Breast cancer survivor Maemalynn Meanor tells all, from covering mirrors to the Red Devil and what helped her through
By Jennifer Cloer
It wasn’t that long ago that Maemalynn “Mae” Meanor was covering mirrors in her house so she didn’t have to see the ravages of chemo on her face and body.
“I felt so terrible,” Mae tells me. “I’ve never felt so ugly in my life.”
Mae was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer in September 2022 and scheduled surgery shortly after that. After testing, they told her they were mistaken; she actually had Stage II cancer and would need to do chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy.
The chemo lasted a year and the radiation every day for six weeks. At one point, the chemo was administered by a nurse wearing gloves, gown, and face shield because of its vesicant properties (can cause severe tissue damage if it leaks) with a red syringe injected through a port they put in Mae’s chest.
“It’s called the Red Devil,” she says. “You know, no one tells you this stuff. I had to prepare myself with online message boards and groups,” Mae says as she recounts some of the worst days of her treatment.
But she did it. Mae did all of it, and today she is cancer free.
Maemalynn Meanor
She credits her remote work culture and the support of her partner and family for getting her through some of the worst days of her life.
“Working remotely during my cancer treatment wasn’t just a convenience—it was a lifeline. It gave me the flexibility to prioritize my health without sacrificing my career,” she says.
Because of remote work, Mae was able to get bloodwork done and attend doctor appointments as needed within her flexible schedule during her two-year cancer treatment (she couldn’t keep anything down after the Red Devil). She acknowledges that not everyone would choose to keep working as much as she did, but for her it provided “a necessary distraction.”
It’s well documented that remote and hybrid work schedules often benefit women the most. Many women are the primary caretakers in their families and flexible schedules optimize what they can accomplish both at home and at work while also taking care of themselves. What’s not talked about as often is how remote and hybrid work environments support us when we’re at our weakest and most vulnerable, when we’re sick or when those we love are sick.
“Working remotely during my cancer treatment wasn’t just a convenience—it was a lifeline. It gave me the flexibility to prioritize my health without sacrificing my career.”
According to a study by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, between 20 and 30 percent of women with breast cancer lose their jobs during treatment. And low-income earners are four times more likely to depart their jobs.
There’s a lot of punditry about the future of work, especially as it relates to AI, but Mae’s story reminds us that the future of work should really be a discussion about flexibility. Decades ago, before the massive influx of women in the workplace, flexibility wasn’t really necessary. Most workers were men with female partners at home whose full-time job was to manage the family and the household. A modern workplace, one that benefits from the innovative thinking of all genders, must be remote or hybrid.
Beyond a supportive work structure, Mae also had a supportive partner at home.
“I’m the matriarch of my family and my husband has historically taken the passenger seat on family and household things,” says Mae. “But things had to change fast. He was the one who explained it all to the kids. I couldn’t bear it. I wouldn't have been able to keep it together.”
Mae’s husband also took on all the household responsibilities and, most importantly, let her feel the emotional pain. He didn’t judge the blankets over the mirrors. When she needed to ugly cry or scream, even at him, he held her.
“My cancer journey taught me that life’s too short for bad vibes and boring conversations. You need to live now like every day is a special occasion. Use the good dishes and fancy glasses, have spontaneous dance parties with your kids, snuggle with your pets and eat that chocolate cake.”