CANCER MUSINGS

I am a doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancer as well as non-cancerous diseases of the blood. I am what my profession calls a "community hematologist/oncologist." I don't specialize in any particular type of cancer, which means that on any given day, I could be explaining anything from blood cancer to lung cancer to brain cancer to anyone ages 18 and up. My husband is a pathologist – a doctor who looks at pieces of the human body under the microscope and tells you what is wrong with it. We both work for the same hospital system and often share patients.  

We currently live and practice in North Carolina. We have 4 children and somehow have been lucky enough to make it all work. By day, we diagnose and fight cancer, and by night, we cook dinner, practice basketball or baseball, read stories, and tuck 4 kids into bed ranging in age from 1 to 12. We aren’t perfect, and there are some hectic days, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

I became an oncologist because the profession chose me.  There is a long road to figuring out who you are, but when you do figure out your strengths and your weaknesses and what truly fascinates you, you find what you’re looking for. I am one of those people who embrace emotions – pain, joy, sadness, elation, despair, hope. Not all of them are comfortable, but I’ve always been the kind of person drawn to those in pain with the desire to help in whatever way I can. I studied molecular biology in college and was absolutely fascinated by how the cell works and how the genes within that cell make mistakes. In medical school, I developed a deep appreciation for the red blood cell – a machine that carries oxygen through the body, making sure that every organ survives.

 

These are the reasons I chose this profession. My decision to continue this profession after getting married and having 4 kids is because I have come to feel that it is through this job that I am best able to use the elements of my personality to truly express my love for humanity.  Growing up, I never faced hunger or poverty or fear of persecution. I was born to a family who encouraged me and provided for me, and because of this, I believe that much is expected of me, and I strive to raise my children the same way. 
 

Thank you for reading.