Fight against Lymphoma Cancer

My name is Renz Angelo Ilao. I am currently 21 years old. I was born on August 26, 2002. I have Stage 4 Lymphoma - Classical Hodgkin's Nodular Sclerosis. And this is my story... Before I was diagnosed, I was studying Criminology at Saint Ignatius. I was at my first-year level at that time. I used to play basketball and do fun stuff. It was the year 2019 when I noticed that there was a lymph node on my neck. I thought it was nothing as I was not feeling anything (no pain, etc). Then, a few months later, there was a lymph node on my armpit - still, I am not feeling anything (no pain, etc). My mom decided to go to a doctor to have a check-up of what are the lymph nodes in my body. Then the doctor misdiagnosed this as a TUBERCOLOSIS. So, I underwent a 6 month medication. Then 6 months passed - lymph nodes are still in my armpit and neck. I was under the impression that it was nothing since I still didn't feel any pain. Months passed - when the pandemic hit the world, I noticed that there were lymph nodes on my groin too... but still no pain. I continued my life as a normal teenager at that time. As I can do the same thing, play basket ball, chill with my friends, go to school. Suddenly everything went back to normal after the pandemic but I decided to stop going to school as I wanted to know more about these lymph nodes in my body. It was year January 2023 when I started to feel pain. It started from my knee. Then my back. My sister - Rhea, asked my parents to go on another check-up. She is suspecting something but she doesn't want to say unless it is confirmed. Then we did as she said. I underwent various laboratories. And to make the story short, the doctor said that I have Lymphoma. But it needs to be checked (through biopsy) to know what type of Lymphoma I have. Since we did not have enough money, my parents did everything they could so I could survive. In February 2023, when I finally got a scheduled check-up at one of the public hospitals in the Philippines - it is Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Since this is a Public Hospital, there was a huge volume of patients that is patiently waiting for their turn with the hope that they would be healed as well. March 16 - my first biopsy. I was so nervous that I didn't want to do this at all. Everything is still like a bad dream for me. I still can't believe that I have cancer. I got weight loss. Itchiness in my body without any reason. Having a fever at night that will be gone in the morning and I can't eat very well. The doctor said that it would take 2 weeks to get the result. I think that was the longest 2-weeks of my life. After 2 weeks, the result came in. And I was diagnosed with Classical Hodgkin's Nodular Sclerosis Lymphoma, Stage 4. My whole world was shuttered... I can't move. I can't think of anything.. how I wish this was just a bad dream that any moment I can wake up and the pain is gone. I always pray to God to help me with this journey. May people was set as an instrument to help me cope and accept my reality. April 2023, I was almost bedridden. We are still waiting for a call again from the PGH (because of the long queue). The pain is killing me and I don't want to sleep as I am afraid that I will never wake up. I collapsed a couple of times. I saw how my parents and sister cried. As well as my girlfriend. Everyone is there for me. Cheering me up, praying for me, and assuring me that everything will be okay - when in reality no one knows if I will be okay EXCEPT FOR HIM, My Lord. I underwent several chemotherapies. 1st line is ABVD which did not work well. The same goes for the 2nd line, which is called BEACOPP. The 3rd line which I just finished last April 2024 is called - R-Gemox. The latest PET scan result that I got this May, shows that there are still lymph nodes in my neck. My oncologist is asking to go on the last resort - which is to go on a stem cell treatment which will cost us 2 - 2.5 million pesos and we don't have any more money to fund my medication.. This journey is never easy and it will never be. But I want to live. I want to see the beauty of the world. I want to give back to those people who are still fighting with me in this battle. That is why I am knocking on your kind heart, to please... help me live. Any amount of money will be highly appreciated and I will be forever grateful for it. I believe that God will give it back to you tenfold... Thank you for taking some time to read my story...