Lombard woman relies on family, faith to fight ovarian cancer

LOMBARD — Linda Difino said she's OK with being a little lonely these days. She's spent much of the past two months at home, staying home from church and taking few visitors.

With colds and flus and tricky little viruses flying through the air, home seems like a better alternative for a woman who is determined to stay strong and healthy as she takes the journey of fighting cancer.

They 49-year old was diagnosed with Stage 3A ovarian cancer just before Christmas and began chemotherapy on Jan. 2. This Wednesday marked the beginning of her third cycle of chemotherapy treatment, and her fifth time receiving the cancer-fighting drugs.

Ovarian cancer is one that is especially difficult to diagnose, she said, because so many of the symptoms are typical occurrences for women her age. The circumstances that led to her diagnose were fortuitous, she said.

"I started to notice a fullness in my abdomen that just didn't seem right," she said.

An ultrasound at the doctor's office revealed an ovarian cyst, and surgery to remove the cyst confirmed doctors' suspicion of cancer.

"There was a pretty high indicator that they would find cancer," she said. "They removed everything they found."

Tests indicated that there had been some microscopical spread of cancerous cells, but nothing had reached Difino's lymph nodes, so doctors classified it as a Stage 3A diagnosis.

"It's considered a good prognosis," she said. "We're really pleased with that, and thankful."

Doctors allowed her a brief recovery time between the Dec. 13 surgery and the beginning of chemotherapy. She's on a regiment where she'll receive 12 treatments spread across 18 weeks.

Difino speaks of her treatment in terms of "cycles." Each lasts 21 days and she's given two rounds of chemo per cycle, with a week's break before beginning the next one.

During a Monday morning interview, Difino was anticipating returning to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Wednesday with an admitted anxiety.

Her second cycle of chemotherapy had been significantly worse than her first and she was uncertain how her body would react to the third cycle. She struggled with side effects of the treatment and the support medications that doctors have prescribed.

"It feels a little overwhelming, but I'm heading into cycle three out of six," she said. "You start to have a sense of, it's going. I'm getting there. It's hard, but I can do this."

Difino's husband Jim grew up in Lombard and she grew up in the neighboring area. They married in 1985 and spent 18 years living in New Hampshire doing missionary work before deciding to move back to Lombard. The couple has a 9-year-old son who is home schooled, and three adult daughters.

As she's gone through the cancer diagnosis and initial stages of treatment, Difino has found herself surrounded by a vast and complex network of support, first and foremost, she looks to Jim, her children and their extended families.

"We've been married 28 years and I never doubted our love, ever." she said. "I can't imagine going through this without him. It has strengthened our relationship, most definitely. It's hard for him to see me going through this and he is really supportive, really helpful. I can't imagine it without him."

She's also found support from members of the family's church, Lombard Gospel Church, who have brought over meals and offered their prayers, and she's found comfort in her faith.

"Faith has been a part of my life since I was a little girl, but this is my first time going through a real trial," she said. "I have a much deeper sense of what it means to have faith. It's always been there, but it feels much deeper."

In an effort to maintain a sense of normalcy, Difino is working part-time from home during her treatment. She's continued to homeschool her son. Once she gets further along in the chemotherapy treatments, and after the winter colds and flu have scaled back, she said she'll be more comfortable going out.

If she stays healthy and continues with the prescribed chemotherapy treatment, she expects to be done in April.

"I'm looking forward to being done, but with cancer you're not done for a long time," she said. "I'm really glad it'll be spring right away, I'm glad chemo is in the winter and I'll be able to enjoy the spring and summer months."

Difino has also been quite public about sharing her experiences, both on her Facebook page and on the Caring Bridge page where she posts updates about the highs and lows of her treatment, where she posts prayer requests and where she reflects on the power of those prayers.

Although she said treatment often leaves her feeling ill and unable to write, the posts she does share are honest and sincere as she takes readers through her journey.

"I've become aware that there are a lot of people inspired by my story and how I'm responding to it," she said. "I'm glad about that, it's inspired me. I want to be honest. That's talking about the bad with the good."