How do I work when I am sick?

Being that you are as uncomfortable as you say that you are with the committment of having a traditional job, I would think that it would be best for you to try to find a job that would allow a lot of flexibility. That is the kind of job that I had when I was pregnant with both of my children and I really did enjoy the job that I had. In fact, there were a couple of times that my employer allowed me to bring my work home with me and I thought that was a great thing as well.

No, I don't think you need a more flexible job because honestly there aren't too many jobs like that (at least not that I know of.) Jobs want a commitment out of you. I would go to work unless I was throwing up and really really really sick. Honestly I'm not sure what you can do. If you have a doctor's note, you should be fine and hopefully your employer will understand and work with you. I have a good immune system, so rarely do I have to call in (I think I called in sick maybe ONCE in the past year!) However, if your problem is something serious like that..Maybe look into a way to have the lump removed? That might help you in the long run..You should maybe talk to your doctor about your options..

Yes it seems that would be the best idea if you can find something like that available. Finding one is the hard part though. Some jobs do make exceptions for people who can prove that they have these problems. I wish you the best in your hunt to finding a job that's right for you.