Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Dr. Yujiro Ozaki

　　Dr. Yujiro Ozaki, the specialist in urology, who had proposed a toast at our wedding party 30 years ago, invited us to lunch. We haven't seen him for 30 years, since our wedding. I've been thinking about visiting him at his house, but I knew how busy he was and therefore refrained from visiting. He graduated from the same junior high, high, and medical schools as me.
　　When my wife and I got married, my wife was working as a chief nurse at the central operation unit in Okayama University Hospital. His boss, Prof. Ohmori, was the head of the unit and he practically managed the unit. That's why he knew my wife.
　　Seeing him again for the first time in 30 years, our talk became animated and I didn't feel that 30 years had passed, setting our horizontal growth and facial wrinkles aside. He lives in Kobe now. I'd like to visit the big harbour city next time and enjoy dinner with him. I got permission to upload our picture to show our acquaintances.

(Vocabulary)
Weblioより：
英語国では「先輩」「後輩」の関係はあまり重要視されず, これらの語にぴったり相当する英語はない. 「あの人は僕の先輩です」を英語でいうには He entered the company [university] earlier than I did. とか He was at Hosei University (ten years) before me. などというのが一番自然であろう.

 

約３０年前に結婚したとき、その披露宴で乾杯の音頭を取って頂いた尾崎先生から一度食事でもしないかとメールが届いた。実はこの３０年、一度もお会いしたことがなく、挨拶に伺わなければと思いつつもお忙しいだろうからと遠慮していた。先生のご専門は泌尿器科で中学、高校、大学と先輩に当たる。

結婚当時、妻は岡山大学病院で手術室のナースのチーフとして活躍していた。尾崎先生の上司にあたる大森教授が手術部長を兼任されていた関係で、泌尿器科のNo.3だった先生は手術室を統括されており、妻とも親しく、乾杯の音頭をお願いすることになった次第だ。

３０年ぶりにお目にかかると、お互いの水平方向への成長や、顔のしわは隠せないものの、３０年前の思い出話に花が咲いた。神戸にお住まいなので次回は我々が神戸に赴き食事会をしたいと思っている。許可をいただいたので４人の集合写真をupする。

Hiking

　　My office has a day care center, which takes care of the aged in the neighborhood in the daytime. The staff members pick them up at their house every weekday morning. They are physically challenged and some are solitary. In the facility, the staff members help them take baths, serve lunch, and offer rehabilitation programs and various pastimes. Then facility users are dropped at their home at 4 to 5 pm. Doctors are bound to secrecy concerning their patients, so I've not written about my workplace so much. However, I'll write about a hiking trip as I went out with them today and I'll show you some pictures below.
　　Today I heard about their hiking to a small irises garden at 20 minutes' drive from the day care center. Fortunately the inpatients' condition was stable, so I went out with them. While I was walking with an old solitary man with his hand in my hand, I understood that he wasn't able to even take a walk by himeself, i.e. he wasn't able to go shopping for daily necessities. He might not be able to eat what he likes. His son, who lives in another city, calls him at every turn to live with his family, but the old man doesn't want to leave his hometown.
　　The facility users were helped by a staff member one by one and enjoyed seeing irises as you see in the following picture. I was afraid of them getting heatstroke, but it was needless.

Oshimaseishoen 大島青松園

　　The waters between Honshu and Shikoku, the largest and 4th largest island in Japan respectively are called the Seto Inland Sea. The biggest island in these waters is Shodoshima Island, which is located at an hour by ferry from Takamatsu City, the capital of Kagawa Prefecture. I'd like to join a cycling tour event there and visited the island on the previous day.
　　The sky was clear. I took a seat on the roof with a canned coffee and my iPad. Comparing the surrounding scenery and the map on the iPad, and being blown by the comfortable sea wind, I spent about an hour there.
　　Then, I happened to see Oshima Island on the way, which I knew since long ago by name, but didn't know where the island was. The island has a lot to do with Hansen's disease(leprosy). In the era of uninformed medicine many patients suffering from leprosy were forced to move to the island and became isolated. They had never been allowed to leave the island in their life. Most of their relatives are said to reject receiving their bodies or even their bones. The stupid superstition had prevailed on society in those days. The leprosy related facilities are now renovated into the national sanatorium for patients with chronic illnesses. The island is only 20 minutes from Takamatsu City and rich in natural environment. I'd like to visit the island before long and pay tribute to the departed in front of their cenotaph.

　本州と四国の間の海域を瀬戸内海と呼ぶ。この海域で一番大きな島が小豆島だ。この島で大手旅行会社がサイクリングイベントを行うというので参加した。イベント前日の６月４日に小豆島へ渡った。
　途中で大島を見つけた。ハンセン氏病が恐れられていた時代、患者はこの島へ集められ終生島から出ることを禁じられた。今は療養所と生まれ変わり、長期の療養を要する患者が住んでいる。高松市から２０分。便利で自然に恵まれた所となった。近いうちに見学に行ってみようと思う。ハンセン氏病に対する誤った認識により、大勢の患者を苦しめた歴史遺産がここにはある。

小豆島　http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5430.html
大島青松園　(日本語サイト)　http://www.nhds.go.jp/~osima/index.html

Hazakura

　It's getting warmer day by day. My workplace is located in a farming and fishing village. The surroundings are getting green. The following picture was shot from my room in my workplace. Do you know the name of the tree in the picture? It's Sakura, the cherry tree, one of the symbols of Japan. We call this status of cherry trees "Hazakura". Though it's one word in Japanese, if described in English, it is cherry trees whose blossoms have fallen, revealing the fresh green leaves. I get to see the leaves and flowers up close, right at eye level.
　From the end of May, the rainy season will start. It's essential to rice farming and the water will be stored against the heat of the summer. I like the green cherry leaves in the rain. I'll show you the pictures later.

(Vocabulary)
a cherry tree whose blossoms have fallen (, revealing the fresh green leaves). 葉桜
I get to see the leaves and flowers up close, right at eye level まさに目の高さで、桜の葉や花を間近に見ることができる
get to do sth ～する機会を得る　～することができる

Resident Days Comes Back

　　I drove up to the hill looking down on Maizuru City and visited some historic places. Then I headed for Kumihama Town to see a certain person. He is a pediatrician who works in the local base hospital. The distance to the town was about 70km, but it was not so far. The expectation made me feel high.
　　He is one year senior to me. He and I were working at the same hospital as trainees about 30 years ago in Osaka. I remember vividly that he performed an operation under a surgeon's supervision on a kid who was diagnosed with appendicitis. Very few pediatricians would do an operation. He was an unconventional figure. We'd been communicating via Faceback these days, but it was the first time in 30 years to see and talk for some time face to face.
　　After 2 hours we exchanged goodbyes promising to see each other again in my hometown next time. In my original plan I was going back to Maizuru to get on the ferryboat connecting with Otaru City in Hokkaido, but the regular maintenance of the ferryboat was running late and I had to change the route to the Tsuruga-Tomakomai line. Tomakomai is located at a distance of 2 hours to Sapporo against 30 minutes on the Maizuru-Otaru line. There was no alternative and I rushed to Tsuruga Port.

(Vocabulary)
come back 〈記憶などが〉よみがえる
sth come back to sb(話) ＜…＞を＜人＞が思い出す
unconventional figure 型破りな人物

　舞鶴港を見下ろす丘に登り、城跡などの歴史的な観光地を巡った後、久美浜町へ向かった。会いたい人がいたから。基幹病院で小児科医をされている。
　若かりし頃、研修病院でいっしょになった。自分で見つけた急性虫垂炎をベテラン外科医の指導を受けながら自分で手術をしていた。手術をする小児科医なんてそうはいないだろう。型破りな先輩だった。最近はFacebookで連絡を取っていたがゆっくりと話すのは３０年ぶりくらい。
　再会を期して別れた。久美浜からは敦賀へ向かった。舞鶴から乗る予定の船の定期検査が長引いて欠航になったという。しかたない、敦賀まで１６０ｋｍを走った。

Hepatitis C

　　The disease which is now called Hepatitis C used to be called Non-A Non-B Hepatitis when I was a newcomer to the medical scene. Hepatitis A and B were already known, but other types of hepatitis viruses weren't detected at that time. Non-A Non-B Hepatitis used to be incurable and a dreadful infectious disease. After a while, another hepatitis virus was discovered and it was named Hepatitis C. Though it was detected, the treatment of the hepatitis induced by Hepatitis C virus was extremely difficult and lots of patients were killed. About 10 years ago, the efficacy of the interferon against Hepatitis C was recognized and the treatment by the interferon started, but the therapy was to force the patients into enduring agony.
　　However, the present treatment for Hepatitis C is just taking tablets for several weeks. According to the lecture, which I signed up for today, the lecturer, who is a liver disease specialist, told us that the Hepatitis C virus would be eradicated in near future in Japan, but that would be impossible in the U.S. Do you know why?
　　If you are treated in Japan, the treatment for the Hepatitis C costs around 5, 000, 000 yen (50,000 US$), but due to the universal healthcare system and the national grant you only have to pay around 50,000 yen (500 US$). On the other hand in the States, it is apparently only 5% of the patients to be able to undergo decent treatments due to financial issues. The other 95% of the patients bearing Hepatitis C virus are left untouched. I hope that the universal healthcare system will survive the wave of the TPP.

Selfie

　　It seems like the idea of a selfie stick was first developed in Japan decades ago. All the same, the concept was too early to be accepted by people. The following picture was shot by my digital camera which was controlled by my smartphone via WiFi. It's my way of napping in my office.
　　When I take a nap, direct air from the air conditioner is uncomfortable. Likewise the electric heater warms a localized part of my body which faces the heater. It's also uncomfortable. Consequently, I figured out this way of napping. The seat heater of my car gave me a cue for this style. As you see, the heater is set behind my back.
　　This outdoor chair can be folded not to take up space and can be reclined, but I use it in the upright position to receive the heat to my back from the heater. You might see it tight, but it's really comfortable. The compact and light seat with electric heater costs only 3000 yen. It's really cost-effective.

(Vocabulary)
selfie; a photograph you take of yourself, usually so that you can put it on a social networking site （ロングマン英和には載っておらず、ロングマン英英から）
All the same,,, それでも、、、

Instant Ramen

　　I've been on duty since yesterday throughout the night. I was called a few times from the ward and feel a lack of sleep now. Anyway, the picture shows my breakfast today, an instant ramen featuring kelp harvested on Rishiri Island, which I visited last September on the way to Karafuto by cruise ship, the Nippon Maru. I was welcomed by local people and it's why I chose it among many kinds of instant ramens on the market's shelves.
　　Instant noodles were invented by a Taiwanese Japanese. His creativity has remarkably changed the world, I think. The handiness of instant noodles is essential to the lives of people today. In case of emergencies, its usefulness stands out. As for me, I always keep several kinds of instant noodles in my locker.

Breakfast

　　Some of my acquaintances don't have breakfast. Some of them tell me that they do not have enough time to eat breakfast. As I see it, if that's the only reason for not having breakfast, they have only to get up a bit earlier. I wonder if they can work with their full strength without breakfast.
　　I sometimes can't eat lunch thanks to my work, but human beings need to have something before starting their work, don't they? As I take on long operations, my concentration wouldn't continue throughout if I don't have breakfast.
　　It might be unsolicited advice, but I often tell my subordinates to have breakfast. If it is not raining, I go for a short jog and take a shower in the morning before breakfast. That helps get the old juices flowing, and makes me feel ready to take on anything the day may throw at me. The following picture was from the net. It shows a typical Japanese breakfast.

80th Birthday

　　Japanese people have common milestones of their lives, such as the year of 40, 60, 70 and so on. Just to let you know, they are called Fuwaku, Kan-reki, Koki respectively. Some people throw congratulatory parties when turning those ages. Today, I attended just such a kind of party, which is called Sanju, one's eightieth birthday.
　　About 20 years ago, I was doing the research work in graduate school to get my Ph.D., and my then boss was the professor of the biochemistry department. He retired at 65 and turned 80 and so his former students, including me, his colleagues, and the former staff members of his research laboratory got together to throw the party for him.
　　The following picture was shot just before the party. As you see, tables and chairs were set on tatami mats. It was a bit peculiar to prepare them in such a Japanese- style room, but it was for his physical condition. I reunited with several people after 20 years and enjoyed chatting with them.

(Vocabulary)
reunite 《[他]通例受け身形で》〈人〉を再会させる
be reunited with somebody ＜人＞と再会する
[自] 再会する, 再結成する
[他] 〈組織・地域など〉 を再統合する[同意] reunify
[自] 〈国・組織などが〉 再統一する
reunion
[C] (家族・同窓生などの) 再会の集い, 同窓会
a family/high-school/college reunion
家族再会の集い［高校の同窓会，大学の同窓会］
[C,U] 再会, 再び一緒になること [＋reunion with]
his reunion with his wife 彼の妻との復縁

Depth of Sleep

　　I'm utilizing a PC application of Evernote every day. It's designed for the storage of documents, pictures, motion movies, and so on. I make it a point to scan every kind of paper, like documents concerning my job, receipts, postcards, letters, favorite articles from newspapers and magazines, even some books like my alumni address book. Once those papers are scanned and stored, you can pick up the documents which you want to see anytime and anywhere as long as you are connected to the net.
　　Anyway, a direct mail came to me from the Evernote company. It says, "Evernote is useful for keeping fit!" The company advised me to record my status of sleep using my smartphone.
　　Though I wondered how the smartphone can detect the status of my sleep, I tried to use one of the applications for smartphones which they recommended and I'll show you the result of it. The following two pictures show the sleep status on Nov. 25th and Dec. 1st. on which I had been in my office throughout the night.
　　It records when I went to bed and got up with the depth of my sleep. Actually it's when I was called to the ward that the level of the sleep became shallow. I was surprised at the speed I fell into deep sleep.


　

Rogaine

　　I've got a bald patch these days. I looked for hair growing agents in neighboring drugstores, but nothing attracted my eyes. I searched medical databases for some information on external medication. I knew a hair-growth drug in tablet form, but I prefer topical agents to oral medicine.
　　According to several papers on hair-growth, minoxidil is said to have a conclusive effect on hair-growth. Though there's a single product containing minoxidil in Japan, its cost is relatively high and so I ordered cheaper Rogaine from the U.S., before I visited Okinawa last week. When I came back home, the Rogaine had already arrived. After having a picture of my head taken from above as the control, I started using Rogaine today in the evening.
　　I'm going to apply it punctually twice a day for at least four months. I'm sure to take pictures of my head on a regular basis and I'll show you a series of pictures of my head in the summer.

(Vocabulary)
a bald patch  (頭の) はげた部分
patch (周囲と異なって見える) 部分, 箇所, (動物などの) 斑点
The cat's fur was mainly white, with black patches. その猫の毛は白地に黒いぶちがところどころにあった．
external medication / medicine 外用薬
topical
時事の, 話題になっている, 〈歌・冗談などが〉 時事問題を扱った
a topical issue 時事問題
《[名]の前でのみ》(専門) (薬剤が) 局所用の, 局部の
conclusive 〈証拠・根拠などが〉 決定的な, 疑う余地のない[反意] inconclusive
conclusively 疑う余地もなく, 明確に

Time Slots

　　YOLO, which I came across the other day, caught my attention. It was the abbreviation of "You only live once." How do you invest or manage your time in life? Though I live almost the same day without occasional sudden changes in the patients' condition, I'd like to have more and more time, during which no one can interfere with me. From the beginning of this year, I made it a point to get up early and keep that time slot for learning languages and reading books. Naturally I go to bed earlier than before.
　　Every morning, specifically Monday, I always recoil at the flood of e-mails at my office, but putting off answering e-mails is one of the worst ways I procrastinate. Procrastination is the thief of time, as they say. When I shunt e-mails aside, the result is miscommunication. I find it helpful to block off "e-mail only" time in my schedule. 40 minutes or so just after entering my room at my office is for the management of my e-mails. Prompt replies make for smoother communication.
　　Come to think of it, I've some advice for you. You had better not write any e-mail when you've had a few drinks and your judgment is impaired. You can't undo an e-mail, after all. Many's the time I've looked at a draft e-mail in the cold light of day and wondered, "What was I thinking?"

(Vocabulary)
YOLO = You only live once. 人生は一度きりです。／命は一つだけですよ。
invest time/effort/money (in sth) （＜…＞に）時間［努力，金］をつぎ込む
shunt sth aside … (物事)を棚上げにする[先送りにする、脇に追いやる]
in the cold light of day … 現実に戻って[酔いからさめて理性的になって]考えてみると

End-summer Party

　　The super moon has been a popular topic of conversation today and the head of my hospital held an end-summer party on the roof terrace on Sep. 12th, but some clusters of cloud interfered with moon-viewing. The moon in this time of the year is the most beautiful of all the year round and it was too bad not to be able to see the moon. However, the dishes were good and abundant. I, along with my colleagues, spent a really relaxing time in the breeze of autumn. It was such a nice time that I couldn't believe that there were so many conflict regions on the globe. The pictures shows the buffet table on which dishes were placed and my first portion.

Grave Visit

　　July 12th was the 4th anniversary of my boss's death. I worked under him for five years. He was a neurosurgeon, and he was so kind to his patients. One day, he gave me a suit of leathers (link) knowing about his upcoming death. The leathers always remind me of him. I visited his grave this morning.
　　The temple which manages this graveyard runs a kindergarten, too. Today, a briefing session was being held for those who will start kindergarten next spring. Look at the third picture, which shows several pickup vehicles for kids. Can you see the blue and red bus with the face of Thomas on the front. Thomas is the main character of the British TV series, "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends". My daughters were fond of the drama. I assumed that lots of kids would cheerfully get on the bus every morning and afternoon.

(Vocabulary)
leathers 《複数扱い》(革製の) ライダースーツ
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends  きかんしゃトーマスとなかまたち

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/11/leathers.html

Blue Ribbon

　　There are several blue ribbon movements in the world. However, the blue ribbon I mean here is the symbol of the cause to bring all the Japanese abductees back from North Korea. The present Abe administration is addressing this issue passionately. Before him, Japan couldn't tackle this issue in full blast due to Korean operatives in the Japanese Administration itself. Lots of people in Japan want to see all of them getting off the plane from North Korea.
　　There are several types of blue ribbon and I bought three of the newest ones, which have a clip and require no piercing of the clothes. As you see below, I attached them on my uniform of the Lions Club and my office. They symbolize my wish for the return of all Japanese abductees from North Korea. Japan's prime minister, Abe, and other politicians always wear it as well.

(Vocabulary)
tackle 難題などに取り組む, 対処する
tackle a problem/an issue　問題に取り組む
operative〈米〉工作員

Serendipity

　　A middle-aged man was taken to my hospital having been seriously injured by falling down from the height of three meters, while he had been repairing the roof of his house. While doing the treatment, I asked him about his medical history. He was on medication for alcoholism.
　　Human beings are roughly classified into three categories, i.e. Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid. The Japanese have a low tolerance for alcohol like other Mongoloids and alcoholism is not such a big social issue as it is in western countries. However, two deterrents are on sale in Japan. One of them is disulfiram, which was prescribed for the aforementioned person.
　　I wondered how or why disulfiram had been created. I looked for the pharmaceutical literature and found an interesting fact as follows:
　　This medicine was developed in Sweden. A researcher, who was struggling to find new substances which improve the behaviour of gum, became sick from regular drinking at his home. Further examination revealed that his sickness was caused by some substances he handled on the day. He apparently absorbed them through his nose and skin. The substance which had made him sick was detected and was commercialized later. It was disulfiram.

(Vocabulary)
serendipity (価値あるものの) 偶然の発見
serendipitous 幸運による
deterrent
1 抑止［制止］するもの, 妨害物
The punishment is designed as a deterrent to future crime. その刑罰は今後の犯罪の抑止をねらったものだ．
Window locks are an effective deterrent against burglars. 窓のかぎは有効な防犯対策だ．
act/serve as a deterrent  抑止力となる
2 軍事［核］抑止力
Britain's nuclear deterrent  英国の核抑止力

Nuclear Hazard

　　Everyone knows about the crisis of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, triggered by the tsunami in the wake of the huge earthquake, which occurred in 2011. Fortunately, there were no nuclear-related casualties except for two killed by the tsunami itself. The other day, as I was reading the detailed report about what had been happening in the plant at that time, I found that I had not learned the remedies for radiation damage, even though I have acquired lots of techniques for emergencies. Moreover, my office is located within 30km from the Ikata nuclear plant.
　　A seminar, sponsored by the government, was held today for doctors, paramedics, nurses, and other medical personnel. It was about first-aid procedures for people suffering from radiation damage. As you see in the following pictures, on the assumption of an actual accident, I had to wear the surgical suit and perform remedies on a human dummy. The lectures were really useful. This type of accident must not happen, but a stitch in time saves nine. The preparation is essential.
　　One more thing I wanted to emphasize. When the reactor was severely jolted, it instantly and successfully stopped, as it was designed. The station blackout was due to a loss of power caused by the tsunami, even though the battery was set at an altitude of 10 meters, i.e. the tsunami was beyond the scope of assumption. The reactor itself was proved to be safe against a magnitude 7 earthquake.

(Vocabulary)
nuclear hazard 原子力災害
on the assumption that  …という仮定［想定］のもとに
scope  範囲, 領域
We need to define the scope of the investigation.  調査の範囲を明確にする必要がある．
in scope   範囲は
His efforts were too limited in scope to have an effect. 彼の努力は範囲を限定しすぎていたために効果を上げることができなかった．
beyond/outside the scope of sth ＜…＞の範囲外で
The matter falls outside the scope of this inquiry. その件はこの調査の範囲外だ．

Blood Transfusion

　　Saturday afternoon I'm in my office to care for a patient in a critical condition. She is over 90 and has been bleeding from the digestive system. She has been bedridden for more than 10 years and fed through a gastrostomy tube. She can't communicate with others, even with her family members. The bleeding focus is considered to be the large intestine, and it's probably a malignant tumor. If she was a little bit younger or had a little more physical strength, I wouldn't hesitate to resect the focus, but,,,,
　　She has already been transfused 5 units of irradiated red cell concentrates equivalent to a liter of whole blood. Only when receiving blood, a slight flush springs into her thin cheeks and her respiration condition gets better. She critically needs to be transfused again right now, but blood infusion to her is just like pouring water into a cup with a hole. The blood is donated by peoples' good will. We, medical personnel, aren't permitted to use it in vain. What should we do? Even if I continue to infuse blood into her, her life will be terminated in a week or so. I'm going to have a conference with her family.
　　It's getting cooler in Japan. The chill of today's morning air reminded me of the fresh air of Whistler in Canada. The following picture shows me in a tense situation on the Peak2Peak Gondola connecting the tops of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain. I get scared at that height.

(Vocabulary)
irradiated red cell concentrates 放射線照射済み濃厚赤血球
a slight flush spring into her thin cheeks  こけた頬に赤みが差す

Secret Pickled Vegetables

　　Pickled vegetables, a type of preservation food, are seen in various countries these days and they are very traditional and essential especially in Japan. The northern part of Japan is covered with heavy snow and is short of fresh vegetables in the winter. That's why food preservation has been a high-priority issue since ancient times. The regular breakfast in Buddhist temples is traditionally rice porridge, pickled Japanese radish, and miso soup. However, there's an unavoidable problem with pickled food. You might notice, it's salt. The intake of too much salt does harm to health. People in Japan are said to have a tendency to ingest more salt than other countries.
　　In case of ordinary inpatients, the salt in their diet is strictly controlled to under 10 grams per day. If there are severe cardiopulmonary problems, the permissible amount could be under 3 grams per day or 0. The meal which is served to me on night duty is the same meal as ordinary inpatients', so the taste is awfully plain. I will have to stay in hospital tonight and so I bought pickled cucumbers and eggplants in the supermarket near my hospital. I secretly brought them back so that nutritionists don't discover my behaviour. The following picture shows a bag of pickled eggplants.
　　I have to throw the bag away tomorrow as cool as a cucumber.

(Vocabulary)
rice porridge 　お粥
ingest 〈食物・薬など〉を摂取する
(as) cool as a cucumber 　とても冷静に, 落ち着き払って, 涼しい顔をして