Dialysis Room

　　Everything starts early in the dialysis room. Staff members start preparation of the circuit, called priming, at 6 o'clock if not sooner. I visited the room after their priming work and before patients came in to see and say hello to my old friend and instructor at the same time. To tell the truth, a medical engineer who worked in this dialysis room used to be my instructor of dialysis, though he was a little younger than me. He reached the officially-set retirement age last year, but was still exceptionally working, his experience being rated highly. We took pictures for our shared friends in the dialysis room.
　　About 30 years ago, we had climbed the famed Hotaka mountains, ascending via Karasawa valley, standing at the summit of Mt. Okuhotaka, then descending to Kamikochi. I remembered our climbing just like yesterday. Not having enough time for chatting, we promised to meet with both wives somewhere outside the hospital.

(Vocabulary)
Dialysis Room 透析室
circuit 透析回路
if not sooner 遅くとも




透析室の朝は早い。６時頃には午前の透析のためのプライミングが始まる。この透析室に僕が２０代の頃、透析を習ったＭＥが務めている。昨年で定年になったのだが、経験を買われて今も勤務している。数日前に３０年ぶりの再会をし、当時の仲間に見てもらうために写真を撮影。彼とは穂高に一緒に登ったことがある。涸沢から上り、奧穂高へ登頂して上高地へ下山。実に懐かしい。職場ではゆっくり話が出来ないので、島を離れる前にどこかで会う約束をした。