Personal Profiles
August 14, 2007
David Roberts
Every teammate has a story
Team FLAMES rides in the PMC to raise money for lymphoma and leukemia research at Dana-Farber.
David Roberts, MD, a pulmonologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, describes himself before May of 2002 as a basically happy, healthy, hardworking doc who never slowed down – that is, until his spleen ruptured while he was giving a lecture. Roberts says he knew he wasn't well, but he didn't pay attention to warning signs. It turned out to be stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Luckily, he responded well and quickly to treatment under the care of David C. Fisher, MD, of Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center. While Roberts was sick, a friend rode in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge in his honor and gave him his event shirt, saying, "I hope you ride next year."
Now a four-time cycling Team FLAMES veteran, a group that rides to raise money for lymphoma and leukemia research, Roberts says, "Training was something to help me get back on my feet. I found the focus on bike riding meditative and calming. The first year it gave me a sense of being OK again."
The PMC also holds other meanings for Roberts, who serves as the pulmonologist for Dana-Farber's Lance Armstrong Survivorship Clinic. "In Lance Armstrong's book, he talks about the "responsibility of the cure" and giving something back. For me, this has meant fundraising as hard as I can."
He adds, "It's quite touching to see how much people appreciate those efforts. Along the course, you see people on the side of road, some of whom aren't well, with signs that say ‘thank you,' and it tends to make you cry."
Roberts now spends a lot of time speaking to physicians about his cancer experience and what it's like to be a patient. "Many don't understand," he explains. "You'd be surprised by the number of physicians who asked me what I did with all my free time during my seven-month recovery."
He also believes he is a better doctor for having gone through his cancer journey. "I've learned a lot from Dr. Fisher. He taught me that when spending time with a patient, some of the things that matter most are how you respond, encourage, reassure, and support that person."
