I'm also learning to cope with physical disability right now. I suffer from a severely painful form of arthritis that can leave me all but unable to walk while shaking with fever and chills.

The problem is exacerbated by an underlying condition that I've had most of my life that is not serious but which makes treatment of my form of arthritis difficult or impossible. The upshot is that the medications that are normally used effectively for my unusual arthritis are toxic for me or don't work.

I'm left with dietary modifications as about all I can do. Essentially, I have to be a vegetarian, and even that is only marginally effective.

So I've gone from being an enthusiastic runner and bicycler to grimacing with pain just walking to the mailbox, which on some days I can't face.