didn’t know I was sick,” says Eventually, Mr. Hargett had to
Billy Hargett of Temple. The have his bladder removed. “They said
retiree was bowling in a my body just couldn’t take any more
“We do everything we can to make that
journey easier.”
Although he’s still gaining strength
tournament when he realized something radiation or chemo,” he says. “I decided and isn’t quite satisfied with his recovering
was wrong. “I needed to go to the if I’m going to live, then this is what I bowling game, Mr. Hargett is thrilled to
bathroom, and I just couldn’t.” have to do. Compared to the alternative, say he is now cancer-free. “I’m just tickled
it’s not that bad.” pink and so happy to tell everybody,” he
At Baylor Scott & White, urologists
prescribed medicine to help him urinate
Mr. Hargett credits his positive
says. “I have had the best team of doctors
and all was well for a few days. Then, during outlook and his wife, Lisa Farrell, for that anybody could ever have. Now if
a bathroom break at another bowling helping him through this journey. “The I could get back to bowling like I was, I
tournament, Mr. Hargett saw blood. staff all said that I had one of the best would be happy as a lark!”
Scans confirmed a tumor the size of
attitudes, and that I was strong. I’m proud
an apple on Mr. Hargett’s bladder. “I saw of my attitude, but my wife is the tough To find out how you can support life-saving
what it looked like and it scared me a lot. I one. She’s the strongest person I know. cancer care for patients like Angela and
wanted it out of my body,” he says. I always say that the Lord is on my right, Billy, contact Lori Luppino, director of
and she’s on my left. Without her, I don’t philanthropy, at 254-899-3771.
Although he smoked for 50 years, Mr.
Hargett says quitting was the easiest part of
think I would have made it.”
what came next. “I set aside the cigarettes
and haven’t touched one in two years.”
After surgery to remove most of the
Mrs. Farrell relied on Patient Navigator
Jennifer Foster for guidance and support.
“Jennifer was a godsend,” she says. “She
tumor, Mr. Hargett underwent 40 rounds of helped us schedule appointments and
radiation and 12 rounds of chemotherapy, work through the financial issues. She
which is notoriously hard on the body. made everything easier, so I could focus
“Radiation really wasn’t that bad,” Mr. Hargett on Billy.”
says. “It took about five minutes every day,
“It’s so important to be there for
five days a week, and I never felt a thing. our patients during one of the darkest
Chemo was definitely the worst part.” periods of their lives,” says Mrs. Foster.
Then and now: 1. Billy Hargett kept a positive attitude throughout his treatment and even entertained some of the other patients with his unique humor. | 2. Billy and
his wife Lisa spoke about the crucial support of their Patient Navigator at the 2019 Cornerstone Luncheon in Temple.
1.
2.
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THE COMPASS / BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CENTRAL TEXAS FOUNDATION NEWS / WINTER 2019