Cancer Changed the Mission: A Veteran’s Guide to Self-Advocacy

A cancer diagnosis changes the mission. Navigating TRICARE shouldn’t become a second battle while you’re fighting for your health. After nearly 30 years in the U.S. Army, Patrick Naughton knew how to plan, lead, adapt, and operate under pressure. But when a colonoscopy revealed a mass roughly the size of a baseball and led to a stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis, the soldier, officer, historian, and educator suddenly became the patient. In this episode of VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop, Patrick sits down with Kings Scott to break down what he learned fighting cancer while simultaneously navigating TRICARE, referrals, specialists, military retirement, and the transition into veteran healthcare. IN THIS EPISODE • The TRICARE step Patrick wishes he had known on day one: After months of fighting the system himself, Patrick learned that service members facing a serious diagnosis can seek a referral for a TRICARE case manager to help navigate referrals, denials, and coordination of care. • Why Patrick calls TRICARE the hardest part of his cancer experience: He describes spending hours a day coordinating between military treatment facilities, TRICARE, specialists, and multiple departments while simultaneously recovering from surgery and undergoing cancer treatment. • Why you may have to become your own “control tower”: Patrick explains why patients should maintain access to their medical records, specialist portals, labs, procedures, and treatment information when providers aren't communicating effectively with one another. • The “medical go bag” every service member should consider building: A notepad, documented conversations, a calendar and planning system, medical records, medications, and everything needed to bridge the gap between active-duty and veteran healthcare. • The lesson that changed Patrick beyond cancer: After keeping his diagnosis largely private during treatment, Patrick realized how isolating the fight could become. His message to anyone facing that same moment: you are not alone, and you do not have to fight everything by yourself. If you are facing a serious diagnosis while serving, retiring, or transitioning into veteran healthcare, Patrick’s experience offers something invaluable: hard-earned lessons from someone who had to learn the system while fighting the disease. ABOUT PATRICK NAUGHTON Patrick Naughton served nearly 30 years in the U.S. Army, beginning as an enlisted infantryman in 1996 before becoming an NCO and later commissioning through ROTC. His military career included deployments, leadership assignments, government service, and teaching future military leaders at the Command and General Staff College. Now medically retired and a self-described “cancer warrior,” Patrick is an author who has turned his experience into an opportunity to advocate for others facing cancer, healthcare navigation, and the transition from military to veteran care. CONNECT WITH PATRICK NAUGHTON Website: www.patnaughton.com Patrick invites veterans, service members, and others facing cancer to contact him through his website. He also offers mentorship to veterans and service members interested in writing and publishing. RESOURCES MENTIONED • Patrick Naughton’s author website: https://patnaught.com 0:00 - Fighting Cancer Shouldn’t Mean Fighting the Healthcare System 5:51 - Guest Introduction: Patrick’s 30-Year Army Story 7:27 - The Colonoscopy That Changed Everything 10:25 - Using Military Planning to Fight Cancer 13:46 - Finding Purpose When Cancer Takes Away Your Routine 16:23 - When TRICARE Became the Second Battle 18:12 - What to Do in the First 72 Hours After a Diagnosis 20:49 - The Healthcare Navigation Lesson Patrick Learned Too Late 26:29 - Why You Must Control Your Own Medical Records 31:26 - Transitioning From Active Duty While Still Fighting Cancer 35:21 - Planning for the Healthcare Gap Before Retirement 41:07 - How Fatherhood Changed Patrick’s Fight 47:28 - “You Are Not Alone” 50:21 - Admitting You’re Scared and Asking for Help 54:44 - Who Takes Care of the Warrior? 56:27 - Cancer Taught Me I Don't Have to Do This Alone 58:19 - What Makes a Good Patient 1:00:50 - When the Battlefield Changes, You Have to Change 1:01:55 - Key Takeaways: Know the Diagnosis, Options, System and Next Step 1:04:57 - Building Your Medical Go Bag 1:08:25 - Lifeline Message: Cancer Is Not Automatically a Death Sentence CONNECT WITH VET S.O.S. Website: https://vetsospodcast.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1MvK7rv... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Instagram:   / vetsospodcast   LinkedIn:   / vetsospodcast   Support the VET S.O.S. mission: https://givebutter.com/vetsos No One Transitions Alone. Grab the Lifeline. #VETSOS #HeroesMediaGRP #GrabTheLifeline #VeteranTransition #VeteranCommunity