The adjective "zeitlang" would have to transform into a noun "Zeitlang," which could mean something like "a long time." This would fit the concept of a long-time sufferer. I like the word and do not object to it. I know of a similar word, however, "sufont," that addresses specifically the suffering side of the person who suffers from a loss due to a crime. The word appears in a book entitled, "Old Truths: How to Help Crime Victims," by M. Thompson and published by Sufont Publishing, 2001. This book proposes the word "sufont" in place of "crime victim" and addresses the longterm suffering associated with the multiple senses of loss and injury.