When I'm suffering from any disease, can I use "have" to express it?

Question

I had diabetes 

My patient had chemosis on the right eye

Answer 1

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That depends on the particular disease and the context. Diabetes is?a chronic medical condition. You develop diabetes. You do not catch it. You do not get over diabetes. You catch acute infections like strep throat, chicken pox or red measles. I had both chicken pox and Ted measles. I have had type 1 diabetes for life. 

Answer 2

As mentioned chronic conditions and diseases are either well controlled or uncontrolled. Once you develop diabetes then the proper term is well controlled diabetes with proper diet and weight loss for example rather than had diabetes. If some people say had diabetes then they take it to the next step and never mention it with history taking when seeing a doctor later on. That is wrong. One should always mention it even if you say "had" diabetes.

Since you had it then it can come back and become uncontrolled when other variables come into play that you might not be aware of. You can't cure it only control it. 

Answer 3

Your disease, your word use. No one else will care, even if the condition is temporary.