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During the spring of 2025, Michaela felt a sharp pain radiate from her hip as she leaned down to tend to her garden. She collapsed and was unable to rise.

Her husband called an ambulance and she spent the night in a hospital, where, in her late fifties, she found out she had a mass on her spine. It was metastatic breast cancer.

"There was no indication this would occur, and I was devastated. At first, I wasn't fully aware that it was a recurrence of my breast cancer that had metastasized to my spine, a location was a common place for it to go," she explained.

"Should I pass away early, I could not imagine leaving [my husband] here. We have any family. We don’t have any children."

Following the victory in the 2024 presidential election, her spouse prepared to be forced back into the office at the DOT in Washington DC. He had been teleworking since the onset of the global pandemic, from their home outside Baltimore.

On Trump’s first day in office on 20 January, he issued requiring all federal agencies end all remote work arrangements. Federal personnel officials directed agencies to implement the policy despite existing union agreements.

"My husband’s a veteran with the administration, and he’s an expert in his field. He’s been doing this for 20 years more now, so it is draining for him. We are in our fifties. He was leaving the house at 5 a.m. in the morning and getting home at 7 p.m. at night," she stated. Her real name is withheld as her husband remains employed at the Department of Transportation and is concerned about reprisal.

In July, Michaela had surgery, a laminectomy. Shortly following that, she had stereotactic radiation, and is currently on an oncology regimen called Kisqali alongside hormone therapy.

She had stage one breast cancer a decade ago, but was able to treat it, as it was caught early, with a surgical procedure, radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal medication. With consistent monitoring, she stayed on top of it, prior to her latest diagnosis of advanced metastatic breast cancer.

Navigating Job Cuts and Reorganization

Throughout this year, her spouse survived layoffs at the DOT. By May, thousands of employees had departed the department, due to the cuts as well as employees retiring and voluntary resignations.

According to a memo on its plan for reductions in force and restructuring, the agency estimated that by December 31, 2025, its workforce would be reduced by one-fifth from earlier levels.

This translates to over ten thousand fewer employees at the department. Government workforce reductions have exceeded goals, with a significant number of workers leaving the government and a small number of replacements.

"We were worried about layoffs. It is clear given the way this administration functions, that this remains a constant threat because policies disregard established rules," she elaborated.

She added that specialized positions at the agency are difficult to find and private firms often want to pay lower salaries.

Facing a Federal Closure

While the DOT was losing staff, on 1 October a closure of the U.S. government began, continuing for over a month, the longest in American history.

Michaela and her husband celebrated their 18th anniversary in early November, while the shutdown continued, but remained home because they couldn’t afford to dine out due to her husband going without a paycheck for multiple weeks.

She is thankful the government shutdown ended as she was anxious over medical bills, but rues the increases in healthcare premiums she and her husband have experienced, as well as for those who rely on insurance through the ACA exchanges.

"I felt hopeless. I felt impoverished. I was astonished, scared, and I observed my husband and there were a few times where he was sitting at his desk and he gazed out the window. He was becoming despondent," she said.

A Personal Offense

"We’re just one drop in a ocean of countless people who work so hard to get where they are, who attempt to do the right thing, and those who are making all the decisions are just ransacking and leading the government and viewing government employees like adversaries, that they are not citizens, and that they should be attacked. And I take personal offense to that," she said.

A Looming Threat

Her current concern is a potential approaching government shutdown in late January, with the vast majority of government funding set to lapse again absent a long-term deal.

"The continuing resolution comes up for a vote again at the end of January and I fear this is going to happen once more. We have endured multiple closures. This was decidedly the worst," she said. "I am already fighting a life-threatening illness, and I am uncertain where it’s going to take me. I may survive for a couple more years. I could be here for 10 years."