Illness - chronic illness in particular - is dishonest. It lulls one into a false sense of security, keeping out of sight; days, weeks, months, even, of wellness, good health, energy. You know. Life. Then, when everything is tickety-boo, it breaks out the metaphysical lock picks and saunters back into your body as though it had never left, waving cheerily and dumping six months' worth of empty duty-free bottles and the accompanying hangover into the metabolic system.