Keep in mind that one of the definitions of the word “suffer” is “to undergo or experience (any action, process, or condition)”. The article you link to also m

Keep in mind that one of the definitions of the word “suffer” is “to undergo or experience (any action, process, or condition)”. The article you link to also mentions that Darwin himself found upsides to his condition, which implies that the integral of the suffering (now using the emotionally-valenced definition of the word) may not have been of the magnitude you imagine, nor even necessarily negative. On a related and curious note, I have found fainting to be one of the most pleasurable experiences.