What is this "thing"

What is this “thing” – this “thing” that came into my life; unexpected, unbidden, certainly unwelcome 21 years ago and gave my body no choice in becoming its’ host; also inhabiting my mind, and every aspect of my life ever since.  It has a name of course but I don’t want to acknowledge it at this time.

Once it inhabited my body, my doctors did everything they could to eradicate it and even though it took a part of my body, I was hopeful that the “thing” had gone to the incinerator with that infected part of my body.  Eventually, life returned to normality but I felt this “thing” was silently sitting on my shoulder, waiting, waiting, for an opportune time to rear its’ ugly head once more.

The “thing” lay dormant for 10 years never allowing me to totally forget that it was most likely laying in wait.  Of course all of the monitoring of the “thing” by the doctors never allows one to completely forget about the “thing”.

Ten long years of half-expecting the arrival of the “thing” – then it finally showed up – once again unbidden and unwelcome.  Somehow the “thing” had decided that its’ host was ready for its’ reappearance.  The doctors once again tried their very best to show it the exit door and once again it went to sleep; this time for six years.  By now the “thing” had taken its’ host to the next level in its’ journey and so the “thing’s ” return was inevitable.  The “thing”’s aim was to take its’ host to the end of its’ life, no matter how long it took.  The “thing” then settled into the host’s liver and began to grow inexorably; all the time being slowed by the drugs entering the host’s body – but the “thing” fought hard and refused to lie down and die.  The “thing” increased its’ size until a new drug was introduced; once again causing it to take notice and slow down and rest awhile.

In the meantime, while this battle continues to rage in the host, the “thing” has caused collateral damage to other parts of the host’s body in the many skirmishes on its’ journey and while the “thing” thinks it has won; so too does the host by continuing to live and breathe.  No doubt the “thing” will ultimately win the war as it marches over its’ weakened and weary host but in the meantime the host is not ready to give in and will continue to fight the “thing”.