“I’m a living witness”: Army Veteran says cancer care at VA saved his life

Four decades of service

For nearly 20 years, Darryl Lynch led Environmental Management Service at Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. His team ensured the hospital was clean and safe for Veterans every day.

Before joining VA, Lynch spent 22 years in the U.S. Army as a logistics specialist. He deployed to Panama, Bosnia and Iraq, and participated in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. His job was making sure soldiers had what they needed to complete the mission, a skill that carried over into his work at VA.

In 2022, the hospital where he worked became the place that helped save his life.

A hard diagnosis

During a regular checkup, Lynch’s doctor noticed changes in his PSA test, a blood test that helps detect prostate cancer early. Follow-up scans confirmed Gleason 9, Stage IVA prostate cancer. It was an advanced and aggressive form of the disease.

“When you hear the word cancer, you’re scared,” Lynch said. “Even working here, I was nervous about receiving treatment because my colleagues would see me at my most vulnerable.” 

The negative things he’d heard about VA over the years also began weighing heavily on his heart. Despite initial hesitations, he chose Oklahoma City VA for his cancer care.

Eight weeks and 1 day

Lynch’s treatment plan included 8 weeks and 1 day of radiation therapy, led by Dr. Christopher Bozarth, the chief of Radiation Oncology at Oklahoma City VA and an Army Veteran.

The treatment used a linear accelerator, a large machine that moves around the patient to deliver precise beams of radiation to the tumor.

Chief Radiation Therapist, Ashley Arres, said that imaging helps the team plan and guide every treatment. 

“We use CT scans to shape the radiation beam to match the tumor’s size and position,” she said. “That allows us to target the cancer and protect healthy areas nearby.”

Beating cancer, changing focus

“Oklahoma City VA has the same know-how and technology the community has, if not better,” Lynch said. “They showed me first-hand, from the doctor who personally followed up to explain my PSA reading, to the nursing staff, the housekeepers to the schedulers.”

He smiled and added, “Just give us the opportunity to treat you because we will. I’m a living witness. I’m prostate cancer-free.”

Since finishing treatment, Lynch has gone back to school for sociology and psychology. He plans to become a social worker and volunteer at Oklahoma City VA to help other Veterans facing prostate cancer.

Learn more

Oklahoma City VA offers cancer care, including advanced radiation therapy and full support for Veterans and families. Learn more about Radiation Oncology at Oklahoma City VA

Jesus Flores is a writer and editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force and a Marine Corps Veteran