Monique Gary, a breast cancer surgeon, is a self-described "Philly girl" who was born in Jefferson Einstein hospital and graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls. Four years ago, she left city life and bought a 40-acre farm in Upper Bucks County, where she runs free, daylong retreats for cancer patients and offers nature walks, aromatherapy, juicing and cooking demonstrations, gardening, and yoga by her fish pond. The farm's only crop is wellness.
"I'm a busy surgeon and when I moved here, I didn't have any crops, but I knew the one seed that I wanted to plant was wellness," said Gary, who serves as medical director of the cancer program at Grand View Health/Penn Cancer Network. Gary, known as "Dr. Mo" to her patients, spoke to The Inquirer about how she incorporates what she calls "whole person health"—caring for her patients in mind, body, and spirit—into cancer treatment .
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. My mother was a nurse. My grandmother was a nurse.
I grew up watching them take care of others. I watched my mom get really sick when I was 7. She had ovarian cancer and died before age 30.
It was a tough time. My grandmother took care of us. She made it a priority to try to enrich our lives.
And then she got diagnosed with breast cancer when I was about 12. I remember watching her be very afraid. She went into the hospital for about a week, and she came back without a breast.
I grew up wanting to take care of sick people with cancer .
