I agree. There's nothing like a serious illness to bring perspective to life. No matter how long we live, life is short in comparison with what we'd each like to accomplish. And a serious illness, even if we are hopeful that we will over come it, brings life into perspective. In the end, it's not about money, retirement, things... it's about relationships, love, leaving this place just a little bit better than it was when we came into it.
To ratface, hang in there, bro, and every time you face a challenge like this one, think of a better day in the future that you will enjoy because you suffered this in your path to healing. And live each day as if it's your last, which is something we should all do. God bless you.