This quote shows both. She explains that it completely changed her life. After she fell in love, her world changed. And even though he is absolutely for the better, the pain is still there and his world changes. Nothing is or can be as good as before contracting the disease without treatment. While when Lena first starts noticing the symptoms she is terrified. She grew up learning that love is a horrible disease, the disease that led her mother to take her own life. But in the end, he learns that no matter how much pain love can cause, those moments of pleasure are ultimately worth it. This can bring up other topics: selfishness and altruism. Most people think of love as altruism. There are stories in the media of people who love each other and save each other's lives, sometimes at the cost of their own. Parents often say they would do anything, including giving up their life for a child. However, when people are in love they can become incredibly selfish. They develop a limited vision only for the person they are in love with and everything else falls by the wayside. They care about protecting their partner, but only for the benefits their partner offers them. This is an interesting discussion