I think many people with a chronic illness would prefer not to have their chronic illness, simply because it's high maintenance.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
We've gone from a preponderance of acute and infectious disease as a source of premature death to chronic diseases, which are the preponderance of the burden of illness in most of the world. That puts a much higher premium on the prevention of chronic disease than ever in history.
It's very expensive to treat chronic diseases.
It's silly to keep people alive who have a terrible disease.
What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn't much better than tedious disease.
Many people find themselves with illness as they become successful: higher blood pressure and diabetes.
But the real secret to lifelong good health is actually the opposite: Let your body take care of you.
I seem to be thinking rationally again in the style that is characteristic of scientists. However, this is not entirely a matter of joy as if someone returned from physical disability to good physical health.
We need to think of chronic disease, hypertension, cancer, like H1N1. In fact, there's an epidemic of chronic disease.
Increasingly we know that we're going to have multiple medical conditions, and the person who's got the greatest incentive to manage those conditions is the patient him or herself.
It's no longer a question of staying healthy. It's a question of finding a sickness you like.