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Joseph Rifino spends his day helping others heal from their injuries. But several years ago the Cortlandt-Yorktown physical therapist found himself on the other side of healing as he battled Hodgkins lymphoma.
Now cancer-free, Rifino, 35, encourages others to be vigilant about their health. The staff member and managing partner at Yorktown/Cortlandt Physical Therapy, Rifino says he was not feeling ill when he first noticed that an enlarged lymph node had changed size. Since it had been evaluated when he was a teenager and determined to be noncancerous, I put it off, thinking it was not an issue, he said.
When he had it checked in 2008, Rifino learned that it was stage 1 and very treatable. He continued to work, but cut back on his hours while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. In remission since late 2008, he has been back to work full time for more than a year and a half. He had to undergotreatments for two years to stay cancer free, and has stopped all treatments since April of this year.The next stage of his recovery was more public. This past June, Rifino participated in a Relay for Life event in Yorktown because he wanted others to benefit from his experience. He finds telling his story encourages others to be tested.
I had mixed emotions about [the Relay for Life]. It was nice to be a part of it. It was a bit difficult to come forward in the public and say that I had cancer. It was nice to be a part of the community of people who have also been affected by it.
Rifino and his wife, Janmarie, spent the evening walking the track and seeing other members of the community. They even put a bid on the cleats of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, losing out late in the evening. "We really wanted the cleats!," he quipped.
When asked what Rifino would tell others, he said, It is almost like an ego thing to not get something checked out because you feel good. You should go through the proper courses of evaluating and testing something. I was able to get it when it was treatable. Now, I do get annual physicals from my doctor, and still am observed by my oncologist."
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