A life shackled by disease

A young healthy person sees life as a long, promising road that he walks in search of his place in family, work, and society. He knows that there are serious and life-threatening illnesses that are difficult or even impossible to live with. From popular science or health education books and articles he has learned a rudimentary knowledge of the presence and prevalence of serious diseases that plague the civilized world. However, the fullness of life, the daily troubles and joys have their effect in the sense that one, except for personal professional interests, does not think more deeply about the world of the sick. One can only wish that one's journey through life will not be overshadowed by illness and that life, uncomplicated by illness, will pass according to expectation, ending many years later in physiological old age.