I think the difference is that they are willingly trading suffering for some personal benefit, whereas you don't actively choose to suffer. While that's unfortunate, you are unfairly writing them off because you arbitrarily have to suffer. Sure, it's commendable that you don't give up, but that doesn't negate the testament to the human will that these individuals are going out of their way to test. It seems to me that you believe anyone who doesn't endure a chronic illness is a wimp.. well guess what, some sufferers don't get to choose to live and have to die in front of their friends and illness due to terminal disease. Does that make you a wimp relative to them?