Quality of Life and Cushing's Disease

In a retrospective study of the Quality of Life for Cushing's Patients there is a graph showing the quality of life for those suffering from Cushing's Disease compared to the general population, to people suffering from MS, or to people suffering from various kinds of cancer: http://eje-online.org/content/167/3/311.long  The whole article is worth reading (not if you're depressed about your disease at this time, though --wait till you're feeling better) as it talks about what things do and don't improve with remission, mortality rates, etc.

BUT, this is what I really wanted to point out:

I find it interesting that Cushing's Disease is as bad or worse than cancer in quality of life.  A friend says that comparing diseases is like comparing poop --it's all nasty.  And that is very much true, but cancer is a good reference point because so many are familiar with what cancer is, has lost someone to cancer, and overall people understand the suffering cancer patients go through.  So when we say our quality of life is like that of a cancer patient, it is easier to imagine and understand.  Many don't realize how devastating this disease is.  It effects over 70% of our body's functions (including our ability to think, remember, and our emotional reactions).  Sadly, there is just not enough awareness out there...and many treat us as if we are just fat and lazy, need to stop being so negative and whiney, and that we're just deciding to feel bad instead of actually being VERY ill.  We often have to endure rude comments from friends and family, even doctors who should know better, and are frequently left without support in times of great need.  I hope in the future there will be better recognition, testing, and treatment...and most especially, that there will be greater awareness among the general population, so that others won't have to suffer as much due to this disease's affects as we still do at this time.