At what point would you consider cancer a disability?

[Graham]

How do you define a disability? The WHO (World Health Organisation) says 1In 2 women (%50) and 1in 3 men (%33) will now have some form of cancer within their lifetime. At what point would you consider cancer a disability?

[kitten]

I would consider it a disability when it, or it's treatment compromises your ability to continue your day to day life before you had it, but that can be said about many illnesses really, my youngest child is Autistic, and 12 years old, he goes to a special needs school, and his autism interferes with his development and ability to function as a normal 12 year old, on the other hand he is mobile and doesn't suffer, but I suffer on his behalf, was it my fault, did i do something bad or wrong when I was pregnant? So while he is not Ill, or disabled in the accepted sense of the word, you know, when I tell people he is Autistic, they say, oh...really? He looks ok, not sure what they expect him to look like, but there you go.

[Graham]

A disease can be debilitating, Things like autisim and mental illness are sometimes called a learning disability, but are not generally considered a disability. Some able-bodied folks I know are way more disabled than me. When I see people doing silly things I sometimes quietly mumble, "And they call me disabled."

[Amanda]

I have a cousin w breast cancer and a dear friend w stage 4 esophogeal cancer which has spread. Neither consider themselves disabled, in fact my cousin says shes still a princess, just a sick one and my friend Mark has embraced his illness and is beating it through holistic meds and yoga. He says he is a better person since the diagnosis as his world has expanded exponentially.
His initial diagnosis was 183 days to live but he has so exceeded that and continues to soar, educate and share with us all.
truly, people with an illness, even if it isnt a recognized disability, can be mentors for all of us..