"I did not fully understand the dread term 'terminal illness' until I saw Heathrow for myself"

In this quote, Dennis Potter is expressing his individual experience with the concept of a "terminal health problem." He explains that he did not really comprehend the gravity and fear connected with this term till he saw it firsthand at Heathrow airport. This suggests that he may have seen individuals who were visibly ill or maybe even passing away at the airport, which made the truth of a terminal health problem struck home for him. By utilizing the expression "fear term," Potter communicates the extreme fear and anxiety that surrounds the idea of a terminal disease. In general, this quote highlights the impact of personal experience in really understanding the weight of particular words and ideas.