Sorry for the predicament that cancer has put you in. This is another case of what I call "cancer, the gift that just keeps on giving, even after you beat it"! I am not to that place yet, but I have seen this discussed here before, someone else will have some answers for you soon. In the meantime how about checking in with the resources tab at the top of the page, or maybe call the American Cancer Society on the right side of this page is their number, ask about suggestions. They will have some ideas too. I wish you the best!

I don't think you will have to get off disability once you've been approved, unless you want to. Many years ago, they would re-evaluate your disability to see if you're still disabled, but I don't think they do that anymore. If you want to work eventually, I'm sure you can find something where you don't work directly with patients (and germs). There are many business needs for people with a healthcare background, as I have worked in this field. They need people who understand the medical side of things when doing analysis on medical claims data, for instance, in clinical trials. Also, many jobs will give you insurance if you only work 30-32 hours/week.