It was my first time away from home. I was trained by the U.S. government in East African language and culture, but I was still in for a bit of a shock. I saw my first grass hut, my first elephant in the middle of the road. The nights were pitch black and as silent as death. Only the occasional glow of village fires illuminated the eternal darkness.
Serious illness is like that darkness.
One is nearly helpless to influence or change it. The only defense is self-confidence, optimism and innovation. An individual who is able-bodied and then suddenly is severely disabled is like a person being let off a plane in an airport in a foreign country and wished good luck. And there you are, tired, confused, searching for a kind face, and God willing, at least one friend at your side. You examine your surroundings.