My disease sounds bad

"Stage 4b Cancer of the Vagina"

...But there have been positive developments since the initial diagnosis. I looked up my current 'Ongoing Health Conditions' and found:

CANCER OF THE VAGINA, ADENOCARCINOMA 11/21/2011
CANCER METASTATIC TO LUNG 06/13/2012
INSOMNIA 08/22/2012
POLYNEUROPATHY (MULTIPLE NERVE DISORDER) DUE TO DRUG

Medical terminology is often disappointing. It seems to simply translate your symptom into a different language (Latin), implying some level of understanding that may or may not be.
Poly-neuro-pathy = “Problem with more than one nerve.”
Adeno-carcinoma = glandular cell cancer.
In-somnia = 'not-sleep'.

A view from the Ferris wheel, downtown Seattle 

Anyway, currently I have metastatic ('rapid transit') cancer in my lungs, plus  insomnia, numb feet, numb left side of face, slightly low immunity/white blood cell count (last time we looked), alternating constipation ('constriction of body tissues') with diarrhea ('flow through'), and alopecia ('fox mange'). I also have the vitality for a fair amount of perambulation, dialoguing with fidus Achates, disease and symptom management, and inscribing these notifications.

Two anecdotes:

At my last exam with Dr. Littel, he referred to me, again, as 'young'. I asked, "So what exactly makes me young compared to your other patients, that I am not 70?" He said, "No, that you're not 85."

Someone with stomach pains visits her doctor, who asks if anxiety might be the cause. The patient says, "Well, I am afraid of dying of cancer." The doctor replies, "We're all going to die of cancer."