[rdonj]

1) Play someone who has recruitable healers :P. Other than that, you probably will have to summon a faerie queen. If you can pull it off though, gift of health takes less research.
2) No.
3) Yes.

Personally, I try to deal with afflictions by not getting them in the first place, by using undead commanders who are less likely to be impacted by them, or by using commanders who have recuperation. But in the case that I couldn't heal my commander, I would look at the specific affliction and decide how large of an impact it will have on my commander. You can probably deal with a lost eye, and you might, just might, be able to get away with having battle fright on a pd raider. Especially if you give them an item to help deal with said lack of morale. Most limping and crippled thugs can easily be killed if routed, but boots of flying can fix that. Some commanders have enough ap that they can still function with a limp, particularly cavalry commanders. If your thug is undead, a chest wound is also probably not a big deal, but will more or less cripple anything else. Mute is also not a big deal with magicless thugs. Pretty much any other affliction is an invitation for disaster.