and you believed in an afterlife or resurrection (and the disease would be quite painfree) then why in the world would this not be absolutely the best news you could receive?
When I was diagnosed with cancer 6 years ago, I was stunned. While I have no fear of dying and do believe that there is an afterlife, it was horrifying to have to tell my parents. Since they have already lost 3 children, they knew what they were in for if I died and that was the hardest part. From my experience, even those who believe in God and an afterlife have a hard time facing death, either for themselves or for a loved one. No matter what promise is laid out for you in the scriptures, we're used to this life and it's never easy to let go.
Just my two cents worth.