My Name is Jon Yehsi, and This is My Healing Journey.
On May 27, 2024, my life took a dramatic turn; I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. At just 42 years old, happily married with two beautiful children, I felt like I was living the dream. I had a successful career, financial freedom, and a life many aspire to. So when the diagnosis came, it was nothing short of devastating.
It all began with some trouble in my bowel movements and blood stains in my stool. Initially, I thought it was just hemorrhoids and visited a general clinic. My doctor recommended a full blood test. A few days later, the results came back with a concerning CEA tumor marker level of 15.8—far above the normal range of below 5.
I was quickly referred to a private hospital for a colonoscopy, where they found a 2.6 cm tumor in my sigmoid colon. Thankfully, I was in the expert hands of Datuk Dr. Ratha Krishnan Sriram , the only colorectal surgeon in Sabah. The surgery was successful, but a follow-up blood test showed that my CEA levels had only slightly dropped to 14.8, which is not considered normal; therefore, I was given a few options to determine the reason why the number didn’t decrease.
A subsequent MRI revealed three liver lesions. Once again, I was crushed. I met with Dr. Ahmad Sufian, a dedicated and compassionate oncologist who had trained and practiced medicine in Australia before returning to Malaysia. Now based at Kota Kinabalu Gleneagles Hospital, we began chemotherapy with CAPOX. The treatment hit me hard, not just physically, but emotionally, I fell into depression. But with faith, family, and sheer willpower, I slowly reset my mindset from despair to determination.
I knew I had to fight—not just for myself, but for my young family. I turned to God, placing my trust entirely in Him. After the fifth chemo cycle, a PET scan revealed no signs of cancer. I began to feel hopeful again and started living more freely, though perhaps too freely, neglecting my diet and routine.
Just two months later, my blood tests showed rising CEA levels from 1.2 to 6.6. A CT scan confirmed a new liver lesion, 0.9 mm in size. My oncologist recommended microwave ablation, which the amazing Dr. Chandran Nadarajan, the only radiologist in Sabah, successfully performed.
This time, I was moved to second-line chemotherapy (FOLFIRI) combined with the targeted therapy cetuximab. The side effects were intense—numbness, tingling, weak knees, dry skin, gum pain, acne, rashes, insomnia, skin discoloration, paronychia, and the worst of all, low blood platelets, which delayed treatment twice.
Still, the fight continued. After several cycles, I underwent another PET scan, which showed no evidence of cancer. Two more cycles later, I took the MRD (Minimal Residual Disease) blood test, which also showed no trace of circulating cancer cells.
Exactly 365 days later, I was declared cancer-free.
This journey has changed me forever. It has taught me to cherish life, embrace gratitude, and live with purpose. I am eternally thankful for my incredible support system, my wife, my children, and especially my mother, whose tireless prayers kept me going. The cancer support group Corum also became a place of strength, where I learned and connected with fellow survivors.
More than anything, I’ve discovered that healing is not just physical, it’s deeply spiritual. My faith in God gave me peace, strength, and hope. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I am healed.” I give thanks for all the blessings, big and small. That mindset, grateful and positive, is, I believe, one of the biggest miracles in my recovery.
Today, I feel called to share my journey to help others facing similar battles. I want them to know they are not alone. There is hope. There is healing. And there is life after cancer. I’m not done yet, far from it. I’m just getting started.