Nemesis

Nemesis

I wander through medical moors these days,
Each step may lead where I might become lost;
The unmarked paths diverge so many ways,
And missteps may spawn a terrible cost.
I constantly buttress my will to strive,
When difficult uphill climbs hold me back;
Although at the summit, when I arrive,
Something inside often springs to attack!
Though I struggle to grasp each time I wheeze,
The hard truth I face with every breath,
This unbearable concept I must seize:
I‘m still trying to fight myself to death.
Tiny battles still rage inside of me;
My nemesis: chronic GvHD.

Mick McKellar
January 2016

My chronic Graft versus Host Disease (cGvHD) appears to have been domesticated, much the same way any household tabby is domesticated. At heart it is a hunter, and just as difficult to leash or herd. And like the Scottish moors, it can be peaceful and beautiful, but it’s also wild and dangerous.

Mick