We tend to think of medical conditions as maladies. Actually, they can turn out to be things which change our lives in positive ways. Let me give two examples.

I developed diabetes almost 40 years ago. Yes it forced me to give up things I loved to eat, but it also forced me to change my lifestyle. On the doctor's directions I lost over 60 pounds within six months, and began exercising. In the last 20 years, I have managed my diet even better and greatly increased my exercise regimen. As a consequence, my overall strength and heart strength is better than it was over 20 years ago, and my weight is the same as it was when I was in top shape and playing football in high school.

Also, due to another condition, it is unlikely that I will develop any major cancer. I have had a rash which had remained undiagnosed for many years, but got worse in the last decade. It turned out to be mucosa fungoudes, a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It has caused my body to produce excessive amounts of T-cells and they began attacking my skin. Treatment with light therapy and a cream chemotherapy has it under control now, and I will probably die of something other than cancer.