“I can finish strong by helping others.”
— Frank Howard, cancer patient.
More than a few doctors have called Frank Howard a walking miracle.
More than 23 years ago Frank Howard suffered a heart attack and had angioplasty surgery to widen his blocked arteries. But there was extensive damage to his heart, leaving him with the left half essentially dead. When Frank was leaving the hospital, the doctor told his wife Diane that with significant lifestyle changes, Frank might be lucky enough to live another 5 years. Diane didn’t tell Frank the doctor’s bleak opinion until many years later.
“I don’t know why I lasted this long,” said Frank, who is now 77.
The heart attack was a wake-up call for Frank not to take one day for granted. He continued working in the maintenance department at Oregon State University until retiring. And he listened to his doctors, carefully following their instructions, defying the earlier prediction that he wouldn’t live long enough to play with his eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren – No. 8 is expected in October.
“We are so blessed to have good doctors that we have confidence in,” Frank said.
Now Frank is praying for one more miracle.
Earlier this year, Frank began to experience low energy. He went to see his primary care doctor Lauren Gray, D.O., at The Corvallis Clinic Philomath Family Medicine. Dr. Gray ordered blood tests, which revealed an elevated reading. There were more tests and a chest X-ray was performed.
“I had a mass in my left lung that was a little over 3 inches in diameter,” Frank recalled. “She knew immediately that it was cancer.”
Dr. Gray referred Frank to Corvallis Clinic oncologist Lamia Boric, M.D., and two days later he was in her office for the first time. Frank and Diane readied themselves for the prognosis.
Frank’s cancer was treatable, but not curable.
They talked with Dr. Boric about balancing between the quality and length of Frank’s life.
“Dr. Boric is really intelligent and dedicated to her patients,” Frank said. “She discusses with me what she wants to do.”
Frank decided he would rather enjoy his friends and family than spend the life he has left feeling sick with the effects of a more aggressive treatment.
Dr. Boric also carefully considered his ongoing care for the heart condition. This delicate coordination of care so far has been working.
An initial full round of chemotherapy was given to slow the tumor’s growth. Subsequent rounds of chemo haven’t been as strong, as Dr. Boric stepped back the intensity of treatment as Frank’s cancer responded as she had predicted.
Frank is thankful for the extra time he has to spend with his family, to make sure they will be taken care of.
“The doctors have given us time to work together on this,” he said.
For each of his chemotherapy treatments, Frank picks a different T-shirt for the occasion.
For the first round, the T-shirt read, “Live your life so your pastor doesn’t have to lie at your funeral.” The next time, the words were, “Life is short. Pray hard.” His daughter sent him a shirt with words from TV’s Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson, “Happy Happy Happy.”
“The thing I would really like to get across is I am not fearful,” Frank said. “I would rather not have cancer, but I’m not afraid of it.”
For the last round of chemo, he picked a shirt that said, “Finish strong,” a reference to a passage in the Bible from Timothy I.
“I’ve run the race and I need to finish my life strong,” Frank said. “I can finish strong by helping others.”
Frank said he wants people who hear his story to have hope.
Some people hear the words cancer and think it’s a death sentence. Not Frank.
“If I can help somebody who is really suffering _ maybe they don’t have any hope _ If I can encourage someone … I would really love that.”