Bravery in Chronic Illness

There is all this talk about acceptance and how many different ways it can be viewed in the realm of chronic illness.
For illnesses that have no pinpointed cause, a cure seems that much further out of reach. We fundraise and fundraise and donate and research and we always feel as though we are making progress, but then when you actually hear the stories and see the individuals suffering, it makes you wonder how in the world we will ever be able to find a cure.
So what should we do?
Should we sit back and just accept that we are already doing everything we can, that no cure has been discovered, and that we are on the best course?
Do we fight and refuse to accept that a cure isn't within arms reach?
Do we make a life based on the idea that we may never be cured and live in the moment?
Do we cease to stop and take a breath because SO many people are suffering and we need to find a cure?

I guess my own point of view on this is somewhere in the middle. We need people on both sides. We need the relentless individuals who bravely (and sometimes selflessly) dedicate hours and years and money and often their entire lives just searching for a cure.
We also need people who are able to show us that we can still live full and joyful lives without a cure.

Should we act as though a life is not worth living just because of an incurable disease?
Should we act as if there is no hope for improvement, and so we should simply get on with our lives?

The question is, which kind of fighter are you?

Are you the brave individual that focuses on nothing but curing some of the most painful and life-long illnesses?

Are you the brave individual who proves to others that it doesn't matter if a cure is found or not because you can be happy AND severely ill?

Are you the brave individual who tries to do everything normally and pushes boundaries and pretends that nothing is wrong just to feel normal?

Are you the brave individual who caters to your disease, trying to live cooperatively and being cautious to appease a part of your rebellious body?

Are you the brave individual who speaks out about severe illness and embarrassing symptoms to shed light on rare diseases?

Are you the brave person who plasters a smile on your face every single day, trying not to let anybody in on your medical secret?

Are you the brave person who lives every day moment to moment, completely unsure of how you are going to feel at any given time? Are you just trying to survive today?

Are you the brave person who researches day in and day out about new medical avenues?

Are you the brave person who tries to rely on only your faith and hope and thoughts rather than symptom management?

Are you the brave person who complains and gets loud to try and shout from the rooftops how difficult these illnesses can be?

Are you the brave person that suffers in silence and wears makeup to the hospital because you never want to complain about anything even though you know you need treatment?

The truth is, every single person who has a chronic illness is brave. It does not matter how a person lives their life - if someone has severe illness of any kind, that person is brave.