Just looking for some experiences and advice I suppose. I am on my final year of my PhD and everything was going very smoothly actually until recently.

I was starting to write up my findings before I had entered my final year, I was submitting to journals and conferences etc. being very productive and balancing all of this very well with a demanding GTA position.

I had a few rubbish things happen in a short space of time around 6 weeks ago. A parent was diagnosed with cancer and I discovered that there is a very strong family history of this. I was then referred to a history clinic by my GP which I am still waiting to attend to discuss genetic testing. Less than a week later, I was advised I needed surgery for a different health issue that has been ongoing for many years.

A couple of weeks ago, the pain due to my health condition took an ugly turn and I was signed off sick until after I have had the operation and recovered. Although I have accepted I am unwell to the extent I cannot do simple daily activities, I felt a little like a let down for having to take time off from the teaching. I am on official leave from my studies for the next month due to the health issues.

I am struggling though with feeling as though my being very much 'on track' is slipping and I feel as though I am now dropping behind which makes me feel anxious. I am bed ridden a lot of the time and on narcotics and I have revisions to submit to journals and a conference next month to prepare for and lots of teaching prep.

I suppose I am just looking for some experiences and/or advice on how to 'accept' that it is ok to take a break from the phd due to such reasons? Have you ever had to take time out? How did you cope?

Sorry to hear of the many difficulties you've faced recently. That's a lot to deal with in a short space of time.

You have your justification right there. You cannot possibly be expected by others, or reasonably put pressure on yourself, to be performing in any kind of normal way when you are still recovering from surgery. Even when the obvious physical side of things has resolved itself, be gentle with yourself as there may still be a need to recover more wholly.

If you are currently signed off, you should not be worrying yourself with other matters. Make sure that the uni admin people are aware of it so as to potentially grant an interruption of studies, thus extending any submission deadlines. And then forget about as much uni stuff as you are willing (ok, conference deadlines only come around once a year, so if that matters to you then maybe do something about that, but journal revisions can definitely wait.)

Be kind to yourself. The PhD can be all consuming but it is not worth damaging your health over.