{"id":21388,"date":"2025-06-26T08:40:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T12:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?p=21388"},"modified":"2025-06-26T17:08:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T21:08:04","slug":"jill-litton-faith-and-surviving-mesothelioma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/blog\/jill-litton-faith-and-surviving-mesothelioma\/","title":{"rendered":"Mesothelioma Stories: How Faith Helps Jill Persevere"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following a milestone birthday celebration, a mother\u2019s visit to a gynecologist leads to a baffling diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma<\/em><\/p>\n

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Since being diagnosed with mesothelioma<\/a> in 2009, Jill Litton has met the pain and confusion of her situation with grace and faith as she continues in her 16+ year fight against this rare cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t accept death,\u201d said the West Virginia<\/a> native with seriousness behind her soft laughter and calm voice. \u201cMy family needs me, and I have to keep living my best so I can take care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She attributes her survival to her unwavering faith in God\u2019s plan for her life and her belief that she would survive.<\/p>\n

Confusing Symptoms Lead to a Mesothelioma Diagnosis<\/h2>\n

After celebrating her 50th birthday, Jill started to have some unexplained symptoms, such as a prolonged menstrual cycle that lasted weeks rather than a few days.<\/p>\n

Confiding in a handful of coworkers, the mother of two was assured that the symptoms<\/a> she was experiencing were caused by \u201cthe change,\u201d a euphemism for menopause. She also experienced discomfort, but took the symptoms as a natural part of aging.<\/p>\n

However, during a gynecological exam the following month, Jill was told she was hemorrhaging and required emergency care. Three exploratory incisions showed an unidentified, grayish-white substance covering her reproductive organs.<\/p>\n

A biopsy confirmed it was peritoneal mesothelioma<\/a>, a type of this cancer that develops in the abdominal lining.<\/p>\n

\"\"

\u201cI didn\u2019t even know what mesothelioma was. The medical staff didn\u2019t know how to handle it, either. They kept saying that my test results were so unusual that they must be wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n