Franklin Booth

I was originally diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999, but it’s under control now, so what I want to talk about is the lung cancer I’ve been dealing with, which is why I came to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA).

One morning in June 2004, I woke up coughing at about 2 a.m. There was blood all over the sheet and pillow, and more blood would shoot out of my mouth with every cough. Dorothy, my wife, told me we’d better get up and go to the hospital.

When we got there, they sent me on to the VA hospital, where an x-ray showed a spot on my lung. They went ahead and did a biopsy and told me it was cancer and that it was up in the glands in my neck as well.

Some people in our town had been down to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in Tulsa for treatment and came back saying how happy they were with it and that the Lord was really at work there. I told the folks at VA that I liked the sound of CTCA and wanted to go there for my treatment.

I called CTCA. They originally told me it’d be two weeks before I could get in, but when I told them I’d really like to get in sooner, the lady called me back and gave me an appointment in a couple days. So we drove on down.

When we got here, the doctors did another biopsy and confirmed the lung cancer diagnosis. They told me I was eligible for a treatment called brachytherapy in addition to chemo and radiation treatments, so I decided to go for it.

During the next six months, I underwent a lot of treatment, testings, ups and downs. After the first two months, which we spent entirely at CTCA, we traveled back and forth between home and Tulsa. I went through many chemo, radiation and brachytherapy treatments. During this time, I did have to go into intensive care several times. I really appreciated the chaplains at CTCA. They were always there praying for me, every time I went into surgery and when I was in intensive care. They were great.

One of those times when I was in intensive care, when one of the physicians came in to see me, he prayed for me and told me that either one of two things could happen – either God could heal me or I probably had a short time to live.

I’d heard about Victory Church in Tulsa and, when I was feeling a bit better, while we were in town, I told Dorothy we should go there. I didn’t have a lot of energy or strength, but we decided to go. I was sitting somewhere in the middle of the congregation, and at one point in the service, a lady came down the aisle saying, “There’s someone out here I have to pray for.” When she got to where I was sitting, she reached over a bunch of people and pulled me up and out into the aisle and prayed for me. As she was praying for me, I felt a warmth in my body, which I believe was the healing power of God.

We went back to Missouri then, as the doctor didn’t need to see me for a couple months. Throughout 2005 and into 2006, we traveled back and forth to CTCA every couple months for check-ups.

In February 2006, back at CTCA for a check-up, we were waiting for me to go into surgery for a follow-up biopsy and were sitting with our heads down, kind of discouraged. A man (not a CTCA staff member) walking by, saw us, stopped and said, “You look like you need to be prayed for.” I told him, “Yes, we do.” It turned out he was a preacher. He laid his hand on my chest, but, before he started to pray, he said, “God has already healed you. You have no more cancer.”

After he prayed and we visited a bit, I went in and had the biopsy. Sure enough, the test showed no sign of malignant cancer, only scar tissue.

It’s now been two years since my original diagnosis of lung cancer. My tests continue to be good, and I’m still here. Living with cancer changes your life; you’ve got to get peace with God.

I originally gave my life to Christ when I was 18. Then I backslid and made a wreck of my life. Young people especially need to know it’s not worth it to walk away from God. I came back to Christ 33 years ago, and He’s been working in me a lot through the years. But with the cancer, He’s really been busy, healing me of other things as well, things like a bad temper, gossip, being too fearful to talk to people about God, feeling sorry for myself. He’s had to work a lot in the mental, emotional and spiritual parts of my life to get me to the place where He could heal my body.

My faith has grown through all this, and now, I don’t worry about things like I used to. If the cancer comes back, I know God’s in control, and I’m fine with whatever His plan is. I can sleep at night; I’ve got peace.

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