Help Ryan complete his six-cycle chemotherapy treatment.

My short Cancer Story

There are really times in our lives when trials or challenges come unexpected. At the age of 39, for me, this year is the most challenging and the most difficult year of my life.

Around 4th week of January this year 2026, I experienced an on-and-off stomach pain. I thought it’s just a simple stomachache that I used to have back on childhood days. A touch of efficascent oil and a big fart and this is all over. But I was wrong.

Several days past and the pain keeps on coming and it’s getting worst. I went to the doctor to have me check and initial findings were gastritis. But even if I’m already taking the prescribed medicines, the pain persists until such time that I can no longer fart and poop for five consecutive days. The only time I can feel relief is when I vomit whatever is in my stomach and the cycles keeps repeating.

February 14, 2026, that’s the time that me & my wife decided to go back to the ER of TPDH because we’ve been there twice already until at this point where I can no longer poop.

The doctor recommended to put an NGT in my stomach to see what’s inside. After the insertion, a lot of yellow fluids came out from my stomach and it smells like poops. After the doctor saw it, she already told us that I need to be operated. They need to open my stomach for something is obstructing inside the intestine.

After several tests and a CT scan, I was immediately brought to the OR. They removed part of my small intestine that has the obstruction around 23 cm long. The surgeon that handled my operation told us to have the specimen undergo a biopsy to determine if its malignant or benign. After almost 2 weeks in the hospital I was finally discharged, went back home and thought that all things will eventually go back to normal again.

After around two months from my surgery, I noticed a lump in my neck. I was not bothered at first because I thought maybe this is because of my surgery wound that cause this lump to grow a little bigger than before.

Then the biopsy result came out. Though it is not certain, the pathologist recommends having it tested again, around 10 different kinds of test so that the diagnosis could be certain, but she stated in her report that possible it is a lymphoma.

I don’t know what lymphoma is at that time and since we were also financially struggling, I did not give it much attention however, I also inquired for the cost of the recommended test, it will cost us around 35K-40K for the test to be done so I just stopped there.

As the months goes by, the lump in neck keeps growing. It already started to deform by face. Though for me personally, I don’t mind it, but people are already noticing. Since my work involve talking to people and clients everyday it started to bother me.

So, I went to an E&T doctor to check on my neck, and he recommended an ultrasound to verify his impressions. I also told him about my previous surgery and the biopsy report that I have, and he told me that this could be a possible cancer. Again, I’m more worried of the laboratory expenses where I could get the money to pay for it than the lump in my neck, so I keep on delaying.

When one of my boss saw how big the lump in my neck had already grown, she talked to our other bosses and asked them if they could shoulder my ultrasound laboratory which they did and I am so grateful for it. Once and for all it was confirmed that the lump in my neck is also the same with the obstruction in my small intestine-lymph nodes.

I was also able to get a credit card loan to have my specimen (from the small intestine) undergo immunohistochemistry to confirm if its really cancer or not. And when the result came out on August 13,2026, I immediately research the possible explanation of each test and it came out to be cancer. That’s when I went to TPDH again and have my result be check by an Oncologist. Lo and behold, indeed its Cancer- a Late-stage Lymphoma.

Though I’m not surprise with what the Oncologist told me that time, it made me rethink of my life.

The immediate thought that came to my mind at that very moment is that I am going to die.

Since I am going to die, I don’t want to bring with me any bitterness and unforgiveness. Two people, two names immediately came to mind, my Father who abandoned us when we were still in elementary years and my younger brother who is next to me by birth to whom I have misunderstanding with.

I am hesitant at first, but the conviction is strong and I think the Holy spirit is kept on reminding me to call my father, so I cold him. I ask forgiveness first for all the disrespect that I’ve done to him. And I also told him that I forgive him for abandoning us and our mother. That I already forgive him and his mistress- with no reservation anymore. And that night we were fully reconciled.

A couple of weeks after I talked to my father, I also called my younger brother and ask his forgiveness for all the hurtful words I said or done to him, for all the shortcomings as kuya to him. He also asked for my forgiveness for his shortcomings to our family and that night we were also reconciled.

If there is something good about me having this cancer, this is it-the reconciliation between me and my father, and between me and my younger brother.

As of now, I am still struggling and in pain, but the feeling is lighter now than before.

I still do worry sometimes specially the medications that I need to continue with my six-cycle chemotherapy treatment. But I just keep on praying that God will provide for provisions for all that needs over and above the healing that I am praying as well.

This journey is still long but I am determined to just keep on moving. I believed I am not alone.

Thank you for your time reading my story.

Yours truly,

Ryan Jay A. Cajes

Cancer Patient