filadendron/E+/Getty ImagesI became sick when I was 12. It happened out of nowhere. We were on a family trip to New York City to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square. I stood out on the Statue of Liberty’s crown, sipping the (extravagantly priced) hot chocolate my parents bought me to combat the cold, gazing in awe at the dazzling metropolis, and was suddenly overcome with nausea. That night, I began vomiting, running to the toilet, and developed a high fever. I couldn’t even make it to the window to see the ball drop.Over the next three years, I spent much of my time in doctor’s offices a...