What I Did On My Summer Vacation

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Beverly Moy, MD

Sep 14, 2011
I was really, really ready for my summer vacation this year. As I’m sure you agree, taking care of patients with cancer can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Limping through the last weeks of August, I couldn’t wait to sit on the beach with my husband and two sons without my cell phone or my wristwatch.

Then before my vacation, one of my patients with advanced breast cancer asked me what I was doing on the afternoon of September third. “Well,” I answered, “I had planned to be hiding on Cape Cod. Why do you ask?” She had been asked to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park before the Red Sox/Rangers game and she wanted to know if I would accompany her and her husband out on the field.

What an amazing afternoon. A small army of her friends and family bought tickets to the game to lend their support (no small feat at perpetually sold-out Fenway Park). Standing out on the field with my patient and her husband as she sang the anthem was a surreal experience and not just because she sang so beautifully. I was struck that of all the people in her life that she could have brought out to the field with her, she chose me, her oncologist. That is incredibly humbling. How many other professions allow for such a privileged position in people’s lives? The experience made me even prouder to be caring for people with cancer.

Now I’m back at work and summer vacation is over. The week at the beach was great but I must admit that the most rejuvenating thing I did during my summer vacation was spending time with a patient.

And in case you are wondering, the Red Sox beat the Rangers, 12-7!

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Comments

Deborah Kamin

Sep, 29 2011 11:15 AM

You are such a special person, it is no surprise that you would be standing on that field.  I love this story--it's the kind that energizes and reminds us all why we do this work. 


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