Cancer vs. disease

If the doctor said you had cancer, what would be your first reaction?  What about a disease?  Would it feel the same?  Better?

Cancer carries a death sentence in most people's minds.  It doesn't matter what stage.  The first thing that flashes through their heads is "I could die".  Or worse:  "I'm going to die."

A disease sounds yucky, but it doesn't necessarily mean fatal.  It sounds like someone is sick and can be treated.  There are various diseases.  Cancer is simply a type of disease.

Words matter.  They change our perceptions and possess different amounts of baggage.  If you can't handle thinking about "cancer", think about your "disease".  You're sick.  You aren't dead yet.

There are more statistics than number of deaths.  There are millions of people who've survived cancer.  More will be declared cancer-free tomorrow.  Hope still... and always.