Unconditional

[RebeccasHeart]

It is not a disease; it’s a condition.

So says my fantastic doctor, Dr. Margo Minissian.  She said it in just the right way, too.  Not downplaying it, instead, focusing on the positive.

After all, when you have a ‘disease’, you sound so, well….sick!  

Let’s compare.  

1.) Disease: an impairment of the normal state that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions.

2.) Condition: a usually defective state of health.

Both definitions have a certain amount of right to them.  After all, who among us would argue that chest pain et al ‘impairs our normal state; or impairs our functioning.”  And, clearly, who would argue that our state of health is ‘defective’.

Semantics
It feels more like a matter of he said/she said.  Take your pick; Heart Disease or Heart Condition.  Now, say it aloud.  Which sounds better to you?  I’m leaning towards condition.  It sounds like something I can fix.  Something that might go away in time.  Something that won’t kill me.

The Hear and Now
Asking you, dear reader, to say both aloud may seem a bit odd.  
But listen to the words as you speak them.  

Heart Disease.
Heart Condition.

Decide which is better and incorporate it into your vernacular.  Who knows, saying it aloud might make it go away after all.

Rebecca Fortunato

[vienna13]

In my opinion, those people on the first place called  the problems with  HEART a  “disease” did it in purpose. I am not going in to it why? I of course hate it too. I like the much nicer “condition.”
“Cardiac Rehab” also awful, yes it sounds like people go there are drug addicts.
But I also hate the say:  "prescription drugs" or "drug store"…..instead I use    medications    and    Pharmacy
And before somebody would offer me a dictionary again,:) thank you I have many.

[Quadruple]

Last year I had a heart attack and then a quadruple bypass surgery.
They say I have "Coronary artery disease" and "Hypertension".
I stopped smoking, started exercising, eating better foods, and started taking meds for High blood pressure and high cholestorol.

I was recently renewing my drivers license, and one question stopped me and made me think for a minute. It asked if I have a "Heart Ailment", yes or no? And if yes, I need to get a note from a doctor saying I'm OK to drive a car.

I then thought NO, I have a "Disease" that is being treated, which means it's no longer an "Ailment". I would say an "Ailment" and a "Condition" is the same thing, and as long as we are treating our Disease we do NOT have an Ailment or a Condition.

But I must say, I don't like how it sounds, that I now have a Disease. It sounds to much like a person having Aids or like other kids saying having the cooties when I was a kid after being kissed by a girl. But then again I don't like how they call Cardiac Rehab, "Rehab". It sounds too like I'm a drug addict.