It's not necessarily true that the girl sitting in front of you was brave. Everyone reacts in their own way, and perhaps she was in shock or simply couldn't do anything else at that moment but sit there and watch. You don't know how she felt at home or how she feels today when he says he can still remember that incident. I recognise a lot of what you're saying. It's not that if you have something chronic, you're no longer taken seriously if you have something more than twice. You're also not taken seriously if you never complain. If you never open your mouth, if you never shout, then you are not taken seriously, and people with a strong personality are not taken seriously anyway. People say: yes, yes, I know you're having a hard time, but you'll be fine (this is something my father literally said to me before he turned around, got in his car and drove away).

In nearly every case no one knows I fell of the stairs or have been seriously ill. I simply continue, with or without pain, high fever, although today it's less (the continuing...)