tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29988444476174308922024-03-14T12:36:40.508+09:00Okaasan and MeHome life with an elderly Japanese lady (Okaasan) who has to live with a not-so-sweet foreign daughter-in-law (Oyomesan).Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.comBlogger1431125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-10953922966974843382024-02-27T10:42:00.003+09:002024-02-27T10:42:40.130+09:00Awake in February...<p><span style="font-size: medium;">We came</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We sat</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We saw</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She saw us</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We chatted to fill out the silence</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We went home again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">😞</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another month. Another visit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan was awake and aware of us. Made eye contact with both of us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Made some strange sounds. Shook away Dear Son's efforts to stroke her hair (I would too!).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Some care homes and hospitals are restricting family visits again, after the winter holidays and festivals have led to virus cases spiking a bit. So, we are lucky that this home isn't doing that yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Winter going on and on here. We were tricked into spring thoughts by an incredible day of 14 C, with a lot of snow melting. But 3 days later there was 45 cm of snow in 24 hours - and we are back into winter!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Tax return season, clear snow, try to go swimming as much as possible...work/play.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This month we went to a concert by British rock band Queen and their current frontman Adam Lambert. It was amazing and I danced for ages, even with my gammy knee.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Apart from that...we are looking online at old camping vans. We might buy one as a kind of training vehicle, while we are still living in Sapporo. Training for us, for the cat. Maybe make some short trips.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Basically, we have plans to retire and travel Japan in a camping van - after Okaasan goes to the Big Kotatsu in the Sky. But that might not be for a few years yet - her life and my work is ongoing. But it would be fun to have a transition van.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, we are looking at a few now.</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-7780584505578846372024-02-01T08:24:00.000+09:002024-02-01T08:24:08.839+09:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggO3WiE1y3CM8AOIiFiQ8baNO5FBxEhOeDx-CxiRLS_bK8eAFmJjdZOAE0wybQiXxxmikr9iDYBZac0JLCx-FojH3ZNSn1bjGU95UprTdwzVkmmdlpbGo5rpHzRFL0c4ekfjdfq9PokfFZ15HuuoJLRQvBctmFiNRxreYVUX-Oi3HuG2DkZfcZo3mfA54" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggO3WiE1y3CM8AOIiFiQ8baNO5FBxEhOeDx-CxiRLS_bK8eAFmJjdZOAE0wybQiXxxmikr9iDYBZac0JLCx-FojH3ZNSn1bjGU95UprTdwzVkmmdlpbGo5rpHzRFL0c4ekfjdfq9PokfFZ15HuuoJLRQvBctmFiNRxreYVUX-Oi3HuG2DkZfcZo3mfA54" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A rose for a wonderful lady.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No. Not THAT one!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our neighbor. The old lady who lived across the road for all our time here. We heard from her family that she passed away earlier this month in her care home.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">She was 102?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">About 2 or 3 years ago, after many falls in her home at night, the family managed to persuade her that care home life would be safer and she moved. The house stayed empty and another old lady took over the garden, growing lots of vegies and flowers.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But Mrs Hoshiba - our friendly, chatty neighbor. Gone now.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">She was very happy when we moved in...15? years ago...because the house had been empty and at night the street was dark etc. She also hoped Okaasan would become a friend. But Okaasan was a little bit proud of her Tokyo life and experiences and didn't think Mrs Hoshiba was quite in her league.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But Dear Son and I were friendly with her. Chatting about the gardens and the cats. Chatting about her memories of moving to this area 60...70 years ago as a bride. Before all the buildings and the subway line. We also helped when there were technology problems in her house, or power cuts, or falls.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I lit a candle and put it outside her front door this week after hearing the news.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good bye Mrs Hoshiba. </span></div><br /> <p></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-29255935488886955092024-01-19T07:32:00.002+09:002024-01-19T07:32:18.943+09:00Dragon power!<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzXImSBGGu_et4Z_7VcfHaE2jyZ2o8pe5ObdnncyMDnJ9YKGzRbfNCD-Trwnur1tvjIi5C8DvlQLpw37aAfa3yCfr3oJ7q-I-naS63RasBm2i028PYUXazDi12SOmT2goM2BEm_00P1FYCnN6KAXTjYdocqDy5Y5LJJC3st2Q1vMlpVANlGrUiGmwqrs/s4000/IMG_20240119_071615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzXImSBGGu_et4Z_7VcfHaE2jyZ2o8pe5ObdnncyMDnJ9YKGzRbfNCD-Trwnur1tvjIi5C8DvlQLpw37aAfa3yCfr3oJ7q-I-naS63RasBm2i028PYUXazDi12SOmT2goM2BEm_00P1FYCnN6KAXTjYdocqDy5Y5LJJC3st2Q1vMlpVANlGrUiGmwqrs/s320/IMG_20240119_071615.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Belated - but Happy New Year to anyone who still drops by to have a read here!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Remember this card? Designed by the son of one of my students for 2012. This was the last dragon year in the traditional Chinese/Japanese zodiac.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Son, that English woman, Okaasan and two adorable little cats.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now? 2024?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Son - isn't a ski teacher anymore. House husband and snow clearer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">English woman - working hard to pay the Japanese government all the taxes they want.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan - in a bed attached to tubes, unable to talk or eat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Little cats - one dead, and the other a fat, old boy who yowls in his waking hours.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ahh, the memories!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This winter he and I have stayed home a lot. I hung out with friends over the holidays, catching up on lives now the Pandemic has ended and people are meeting again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The friend who used to live in Sapporo with her baby and husband visited over the holidays because that baby is now old enough to take entrance tests for private junior high schools! And he got into one of them and they will move back here in spring.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My knee is little by little stronger - and in fact yesterday he and I went to have a VERY gentle, short ski on the local hill. Huge step for me. I had actually given up on skiing. But I could do it! In the sunshine and with wonderful snow it felt great.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This morning the knee is a little sore...so I must be careful. But after 2 years of no skiing - progress!!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We visited Okaasan last week.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She was awake. Eyes mostly open, the head shaking, the not-so-happy sounds....eye contact a bit. 15 minutes of bedside words and hope.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Care homes and hospitals here are often still restricting family access, due to Covid. I guess we should just be grateful that they are letting us going in at all. :-(</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So here we are in north Japan ^ lots of snow here finally. And soon Snow Festival and the visitors that always brings. Onwards into dragon year - with POWER in whatever you do :-)</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-63255023501070930062023-12-22T08:05:00.000+09:002023-12-22T08:05:06.623+09:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y7hGlzo9SBqByzU0YDhiIUkR3De7N39dIK1hylghyQAUabG1OgrheyrbSwNtFHJL4hckg45A2XVBJBrQqREKU2bz4_1jhiDYetdwkcMHPhX4kPuI7LQbDzKATHacep-AYT1YbZqMYkYFYE0dZGBSw5BEourDOg1iusxqEN5Jiqu2G4xrCyfcaF2C-Gs/s851/15747501_10154809549288373_8659513611326727642_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="851" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y7hGlzo9SBqByzU0YDhiIUkR3De7N39dIK1hylghyQAUabG1OgrheyrbSwNtFHJL4hckg45A2XVBJBrQqREKU2bz4_1jhiDYetdwkcMHPhX4kPuI7LQbDzKATHacep-AYT1YbZqMYkYFYE0dZGBSw5BEourDOg1iusxqEN5Jiqu2G4xrCyfcaF2C-Gs/w243-h183/15747501_10154809549288373_8659513611326727642_n.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBymGky9xR-y04WVISFnwZSrYC8PprXTI07YV4m2kgyylVtaRht1mhQV9xvAliadJMx6YC0R_SVLPbuEW-uo6QvZbhIue6N-q4ia_7XFUnUcNgpdu2rLX5X5QPgdv_70N3-Jklon8ecD0bygWKIcO1X56SnaRVTKRq1VSYJKyB5kLmnMW-EvZ_DxSaZg/s320/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBymGky9xR-y04WVISFnwZSrYC8PprXTI07YV4m2kgyylVtaRht1mhQV9xvAliadJMx6YC0R_SVLPbuEW-uo6QvZbhIue6N-q4ia_7XFUnUcNgpdu2rLX5X5QPgdv_70N3-Jklon8ecD0bygWKIcO1X56SnaRVTKRq1VSYJKyB5kLmnMW-EvZ_DxSaZg/w192-h192/unnamed.jpg" width="192" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christmases past...</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Because there isn't much Okaasan and Me on Christmas 2023.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There she is in the picture above - maybe 7 years ago...in our kitchen at home, opening a present from me as I served her some kind of seasonal meal - and Dear Son was away ski working and partying at a ski teacher's home in the mountains.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And the 2nd picture is maybe 5 years ago in the first care home - we took in a present and some can drinks. Sat in her room and had some chat, pushed the wheelchair up and down the corridor and looked at the city view from the windows.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This year. Okaasan is in a hospital bed about 3 km from here. Tubes attached. Hasn't eaten anything for two years. Can't sit up in bed. Sometimes awake and maybe conscious of who is near her. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We visited her this week. She was awake - but to be honest, I wish she hadn't been.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At the beginning of our allotted 15 min visit time she looked at Dear Son, then moaned and gurgled loudly...shaking her head violently. Then she shut her eyes. When he stroked her head she basically flinched away. So he stopped.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We sat and talked soothingly. We played White Christmas from YouTube on my smartphone. She kept her eyes closed. Her breathing calmed down.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we came home. A bit shocked and silent in the car.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">He was sad to his mum this way. Was she happy? Was she angry? The nurse said she often makes those sounds/movements if they do something - like moving her in the bed, changing the tubes. They don't SOUND like happy sounds.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hard to know. I tried to reassure him that it could be confusion sounds, kind of raw emotion. Not necessarily anger or unhappiness. But even I don't believe my reassuring attempts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh god. Please don't let the end of my life be like this.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This week a British Tv personality called <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/19/esther-rantzen-considering-assisted-dying-if-cancer-treatment-fails" target="_blank">Esther Rantzen</a> has joined the Swiss assisted dying clinic and says that is her way out if her cancer treatment isn't successful. If I lived in the Uk I would do exactly the same. But the reality of me aging or sickening here in Japan is that I can't see HOW I would make the long flight to Switzerland to die there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Son and I talked about assisted dying the other day, how neither of us wants to be in a hospital bed for years, attached to tubes and non responsive.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">"But Okaasan's situation is harder" he said....meaning that she IS responsive. She knows when somebody is there bedside, she maybe knows it is him (and me)...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We are both pretty certain Okaasan herself would never have wanted to be like this. But there is no other choice. When she stopped eating the doctors inserted tubes, and that went on from a week or two, into a month...and then into a year...now two.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And at that time 2020 she was fully conscious, able to understand the world around her. If assisted dying was possible in Japan, is THAT the point she would have chosen it? Is that the point I would chose to die? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Would I value my life and want to continue doing it in a hospital bed, with tubes. Watching the TV, listening to music/podcasts and having visitors. I guess that is doable. At what point would I decide it wasn't?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">However, the dementia makes all of that less and less certain. If she didn't have dementia, I guess now we would visit and have a few short conversations with her. Tell her about our lives, chat about the pretty flower arrangement and Bing Crosby songs. Maybe she would watch TV from her bed. Maybe she would laugh with the chatty nurse. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">ALL of that would be a life. Some kind of life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But, what she has now is bed. Sleep. The sound of TVs nearby. Apparent stress when people do things to her. Memories? I hope she has happy memories, at least.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If we could visit more and longer, we could try to make things better for her. Play her music, massage her hands, chat brightly. Bugger COVID and the ongoing restrictions at this hospital. 15 mins a month is an impossible situation to make any meaningful difference.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh bugger. Pretty depressing.</span></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-7015661328183025852023-11-21T07:52:00.009+09:002023-11-21T07:54:25.505+09:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjarLUACzS-UOUJ2aly6QfyGD1NMwpx7s-spo0E8mcFNemSHbz7aXY4GFF_8fIPSF70jsY-LjBPhP8iUvn3fqtPWYSWvqkeWE5jcUCVEwFBSHrcjo8F2D4hSdhlKIiLvINzV7DYQc7FrKqHTktPvwF_T0Lc4Js_bt5p9bjLPaIhmQ4TJeYRcEYlrVrX2c/s480/11012855_10153732761133373_9013244768555251763_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjarLUACzS-UOUJ2aly6QfyGD1NMwpx7s-spo0E8mcFNemSHbz7aXY4GFF_8fIPSF70jsY-LjBPhP8iUvn3fqtPWYSWvqkeWE5jcUCVEwFBSHrcjo8F2D4hSdhlKIiLvINzV7DYQc7FrKqHTktPvwF_T0Lc4Js_bt5p9bjLPaIhmQ4TJeYRcEYlrVrX2c/s320/11012855_10153732761133373_9013244768555251763_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Memories ...November 2015...</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There we are, the three of us in Kawagoe, Okaasan's beloved home town. This was the trip we made to meet up with family members - while Okaasan could still enjoy the experience and one of her ailing brothers was still alive.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I can't remember exactly, but I think Okaasan and I went to Tokyo separately from Dear Son (he was already there visiting friends) and then he and I went to an Elton John concert in Yokohama and left Okaasan alone a few hours in a hotel room, with TV and green tea?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a successful trip of laughs and memory reliving. Also stressful, because 10 mins before leaving the house she still wasn't packed...and I have a memory that she fell inside a locked toilet cubical at a bus terminal and Dear Son had to climb into the cubical to free her? I should check back on the Blog for clarification. :-)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway. 8 years ago.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now Okaasan is in an elderly care home hospital in Sapporo. Living in a bed, her body hooked up to tubes which put nutrition in and take out waste. Not speaking anymore. Not eating. Understanding? Maybe....the immediate environment and hopefully happy memories like this.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We visited yesterday - still only allowed 15 mins a month.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">AND>>>>> she was "asleep" again.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I say that in "" marks, because I think this time it was less actual sleep, and more drug induced closed-eyes resting. I noticed that one of the tubes had a tag with the words "Dopamine" on it - and reading a little on Google tells me this is commonly used to aid the elderly bed-ridden in swallowing, and to prevent pneumonia onset. I guess it also makes you "sleepy".</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, for our allotted 15 minutes of visit time, again, we sat bedside and talked and stroked her face. She lay there with closed eyes and occasion involuntary arm and face movements. Her eyelids moved more than before, so maybe it wasn't exactly sleep. But she looked peaceful enough.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And, to be honest, this kind of visit is easiest for us. We don't have to fill in the time with bright, friendly chat. We don't have to suffer her angry or sad expressions - and feel guilty. We just sit there and offer gentle comfort.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And then go home and get on with our lives for another month.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But still. 8 years ago Okaasan was chatty and active, enjoying a visit to her old haunts. Eating everything we put within reach and enjoying life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm so glad we did that trip. A few years can make a whole difference in an elderly person's abilities and cognition. If you have elderly in your life - make real plans right now to go do that thing that'll make them happy!</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> </span><p></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-72354520185672211052023-10-05T19:42:00.005+09:002023-11-17T12:12:06.781+09:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMCcBhSG0yeChk7kUfX-81ASaxYkrOpkjuAxsgNMdnz0D6fn7pwBZ-TmH3ZhDQrm58LenVSGLsOav3v0_GeKwJzj3jaukBCPik_GCmt8wWpAHy9c88Rg0P6VTwh7gJq7LkbWVJZzjR0PR_yiUbyYUuybViU4v5eOJ9ja0j1hPf4y9yRmpHShziN46o80/s1044/383341747_10161201943388373_6237447184468157325_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1044" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMCcBhSG0yeChk7kUfX-81ASaxYkrOpkjuAxsgNMdnz0D6fn7pwBZ-TmH3ZhDQrm58LenVSGLsOav3v0_GeKwJzj3jaukBCPik_GCmt8wWpAHy9c88Rg0P6VTwh7gJq7LkbWVJZzjR0PR_yiUbyYUuybViU4v5eOJ9ja0j1hPf4y9yRmpHShziN46o80/s320/383341747_10161201943388373_6237447184468157325_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> Hey there - here's a lovely photo of a small rock on a lake near me - covered in grass and moss. Just a little world of its own...</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Waiting for autumn here - the summer sun is going on and on, but we know that Japan is about to explode with all those gorgeous autumn colors.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So. Okaasan. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You may have noticed that I didn't post anything in September...and the reason is our Okaasan visit was cancelled at the last minute! One hour before we were due to go, the hospital called and said they were fighting an outbreak of itchy bugs and having to restrict family visits. Okaasan herself was fine, but our visit was culled.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But it meant we got priority a week later and got an early visit date for October.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So off we went.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And. She was sleeping! The whole 15 minute visit. We sat at her bedside and chatted to eachother. And then the kitchen timer went off, and we left. Next time: November.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She looked fine, in fact peaceful and happy. A few frowns as dreams chased across her mind. But she was good. We didn't want to wake her and disturb that peace. So we let her sleep on, and we just sat there!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Strange visit. But kind of nice. She looked calm.</span></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><b>A little, calm rock on its own in a lake...peaceful.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You see what I just did there :-)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">See ya in November!</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-78597879636439103242023-08-22T09:03:00.000+09:002023-08-22T09:03:05.648+09:0015 Minutes of Visit<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">More time this month.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan awake, too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Slightly better feeling? Maybe. She looked at us, then sometimes made groaning sounds, scratched at her arm with one hand and rocked her head violently.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">How is that somehow "better"? I'm not sure.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Son had the bright idea to take in a photo of her husband and the older son. So we showed her those pictures and talked about them. She focused on the photo of her son in particular.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The crazy summer heat continues here. It has been 30 C plus for days and days...tomorrow will be 35 C!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The hospital had the curtains closed, and fans to move air around. Of course they have air con.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We came away feeling slightly more comforted than last time. But not much. I guess I am glad that her dementia must be so advanced that she has no awareness of the time. Just the moment. The bed. The table beside the bed. The woman in the next bed. Nurses coming and going.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Not the days, weeks, months...years of this slow death.</span></p><p><br /></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-61287959122827109012023-08-04T07:43:00.001+09:002023-08-04T07:43:02.819+09:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnr6dLZCJ7_N7ib-7laebiWe_TBvGyPw2fsCGo6ItRZlOorBEzwR5q70BS-GMt8s4GONP2-6_Y983KcjRFq5c8ofZLm6QJ5qXXRLt5JrbZkhOoHM9Y9ULlaSnGSrffwLVJ4q6HKzRrA0IqDCoJuUMgFYODSnM0l9AvlA4CT9UET6m979JouXbezjYYxzE/s936/13765887_10154357222738373_1826924600905618688_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnr6dLZCJ7_N7ib-7laebiWe_TBvGyPw2fsCGo6ItRZlOorBEzwR5q70BS-GMt8s4GONP2-6_Y983KcjRFq5c8ofZLm6QJ5qXXRLt5JrbZkhOoHM9Y9ULlaSnGSrffwLVJ4q6HKzRrA0IqDCoJuUMgFYODSnM0l9AvlA4CT9UET6m979JouXbezjYYxzE/s320/13765887_10154357222738373_1826924600905618688_o.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> Okaasan Birthday week. And this pic is memories of much <b>MUCH</b> happier times.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">2016 we took her to dinner at the fish market in Sapporo and she had a bowl of crab and rice - and maybe we managed to control the sake intake :-)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">2024...and a Pandemic later....Okaasan is curled up in a hospital bed, with tubes bringing nutrition to her body and removing waste. Unable to talk, and that smile is gone.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We had the monthly, 10-min visit this week and it was grim. I KNOW that visiting elderly/sick people often gives you just a snippet of their time and probably an unbalanced image of their health and happiness, but this was a sad visit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We went in with lots of positivity. Took a funny card and a tiny bunch of silk flowers in a brightly colored display bag.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She was sleeping.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In a 10 mins visit the first 2-3 mins were her sleeping. She looked kind of peaceful.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then, in response to our gentle voices, she did wake up and we showed her the card and flowers. Talked about 93 birthday and congratulations.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan did not seem content at all. She made terrible groaning sounds and appeared to shake or rock her head from side to side. It was a bit scary. Was she angry? Was the frustrated? Was she sad?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The nurse said this was fairly common and was her form of communication - since she hardly speaks now. It looked very stressed and unhappy communication. We tried to be soothing and loving.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And then the 10 mins were done and we had to leave.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We drove home in silence. Back to our lives of work, beer festivals, friends, gardening and summer heat. Leaving Okaasan in that bed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Why do we do this to people? We help animals we care for die. We ease THEIR suffering. We help.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But humans we care for. We keep them alive. Make them unhappy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm 100% sure Okaasan would not choose this end to her life. But in 2024 in Japan there is no other way. She never signed up with a clinic in Switzerland...or Oregon? She has to go thru this. If her doctor or family do any more we can be arrested.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope humans can progress to a better way - and hopefully in the next 20-30 years when it comes my time to die.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Okaasan, I'm sorry.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-91222605342282578032023-06-29T07:27:00.000+09:002023-06-29T07:27:10.802+09:00"Hello...again!"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmmcjq98KFJmRMTCfXmyeLgFehB7dQluzh1kqnyuGXGJb0Zuvie2UFOHzqbBELSz7UvYDY6AspXB2TGyi8aVXaK6MEIfMBggEs-s4_3vHrQdGCJO00fo3BG71TbteGwCIGTL17tnEEVr0LWCz73po5LP2K00wrzty8CaCuSjoKLjteIFH6MvXpGHUgcA/s977/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="733" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmmcjq98KFJmRMTCfXmyeLgFehB7dQluzh1kqnyuGXGJb0Zuvie2UFOHzqbBELSz7UvYDY6AspXB2TGyi8aVXaK6MEIfMBggEs-s4_3vHrQdGCJO00fo3BG71TbteGwCIGTL17tnEEVr0LWCz73po5LP2K00wrzty8CaCuSjoKLjteIFH6MvXpGHUgcA/s320/0.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">A rose of Okaasan.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, again! Remember us?</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Son...and that troublesome woman!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yup. We are back to chat in your direction and disturb you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally got into the hospital and upstairs and into Okaasan's room this week. First time to see her since November 2021.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We had to fill out a lot of paper work at the hospital reception desk. Temperature checks. Vaccination Status. Promise to contact if we have any sickness in the next 10 days. etc etc.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And then - given Visitor Tags and sent upstairs, the nurse gave us a kitchen timer set at 10 minutes, pressed to "On" switch and we were away on this month's visit!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan was in a shared room of 4 people, in a bed by the window. View over the rooftops. But she doesn't sit UP to see the view, or use a wheelchair. Life is spent lying down on the bed. She had tubes up her nose, but her hands were free.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I think she knew us. There was a glimmer of a smile, and her eyes went from the rose to our faces. We were not allowed to leave a live flower at her bedside, so it came home with us in a drinks bottle in the car. But at least she could see it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We chatted on to eachother/her...about roses and weather, and our grey hair, and summer. Usual stuff to fill the no response "conversation". She looked well enough. Tired. But ok.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Visitor Info Paper had asked us to keep a 1 meter distance, but as no nurse was actually watching I stroked Okaasan's hair.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And then the kitchen timer alarm went off. The nurse came to collect us. Okaasan looked confused by our sudden movement and "bye byes"...and we were gone....until next month. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a looong time coming. But there we were.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This weekend we are having our annual big bbq bash. The one Okaasan used to hate. But I'm thankful I don't have to sober up at afternoon end to make her dinner, and placate her about all the people in the garden. All of that time has gone. Now I can just enjoy a bbq in my own home.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Onwards to next month. Another 10 mins on the timer?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-4661364764278260902023-06-12T07:05:00.005+09:002023-06-12T07:05:39.926+09:00Face to face meeting!!!!<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> BAD blogger!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I actually have something to blog about. And I forget to do it...for two months. Until a plaintive little message from a reader reminds me to come back here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, you can all thank "Kentucky Lady" for forcing me to get here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And yes - in two weeks we will have a real face to face meeting with Okaasan. Finally!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The care home relaxed rules to allow family visits, once a month for 10 mins - probably swathed in no-contact masks/helmets/gloves and gowns like extras in a alien-invasion movie. But we will be there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Wondering if this will be in her bedroom, or they will wheel her in the bed or a chair to another room? Whether we can hold hands etc. Don't know yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But finally. 18 months we haven't seen her. It's a breakthru.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Because life in Japan IS getting back to normal. We've just had the Yosakoi Dance Festival weekend - thousands of amateur dance teams letting it all hang out and flow in the streets of Sapporo. The festival food was back and only a few people wore masks in the crowds. It was wonderful to be out in the sun and enjoying life again.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZui43HFS6_5getEWMf8pABQRz2UTwkW4zX8E4nEyymjuLeNkWOu9PBe7O9RgkJn2V8HTft5Pf9hAHgdo_bzHGeTi1JaxWDfr1AUU0RHkb4NLnMeoGAICJntrkORopBwSxqNbHGRwfqZ9B4CQjZbNQEuv5VGslIDi0TtKn8haw_jZKxWawyEdY3-v/s1600/IMG_20230611_171703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZui43HFS6_5getEWMf8pABQRz2UTwkW4zX8E4nEyymjuLeNkWOu9PBe7O9RgkJn2V8HTft5Pf9hAHgdo_bzHGeTi1JaxWDfr1AUU0RHkb4NLnMeoGAICJntrkORopBwSxqNbHGRwfqZ9B4CQjZbNQEuv5VGslIDi0TtKn8haw_jZKxWawyEdY3-v/s320/IMG_20230611_171703.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkMNd8Q5z_T2yT9A2Hc_-SiNcXVL3m5bmyXpMryuvTCHqkLyylSQZWcI4uoBZw5fBdMkX6yrld5Dh1uDkyvNorrW5-JYRzjZcMzK26LGsCBPPNU2NrU391NmHr35ttbQr_IiYR4uwk8BcVP8EAY6Y0l9Hy9oSPtYYaWR-JxGPfPa6O-Fy10QSpN_J/s1600/DSCN3423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkMNd8Q5z_T2yT9A2Hc_-SiNcXVL3m5bmyXpMryuvTCHqkLyylSQZWcI4uoBZw5fBdMkX6yrld5Dh1uDkyvNorrW5-JYRzjZcMzK26LGsCBPPNU2NrU391NmHr35ttbQr_IiYR4uwk8BcVP8EAY6Y0l9Hy9oSPtYYaWR-JxGPfPa6O-Fy10QSpN_J/s320/DSCN3423.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We had some YouTubers as guests. A British couple who are driving around the world in their old camping car. I found them online and invited them for the festival and free parking in our neighbor's empty parking spot. It's often hard for overnight parking in a city area.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And we got to see their old van and chat about their life on the road. When I finally retire, Dear Son and I are planning to live like this all over Japan - so we picked up lots of ideas for them. From the practical (aircon and toilet types) to the personal (where do you go after a couple spat?).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbKE9gU4RcLZs2w8GuX3o4dSTO9FNYFRJQUKJdurPA2l6GloXvKJVGN0gaJLx8XrzrwzANRk4Q1VM1onNI8QnVylAJeMX5jTV7KVx6oIHTzs0117h40ZeCdv4cyMMw-ceLCc-tQb3umf5lnwstV-lhsiut4EfWLH8rY41J2vaMiqnLrzZFre7FLrx/s1920/DSC_0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbKE9gU4RcLZs2w8GuX3o4dSTO9FNYFRJQUKJdurPA2l6GloXvKJVGN0gaJLx8XrzrwzANRk4Q1VM1onNI8QnVylAJeMX5jTV7KVx6oIHTzs0117h40ZeCdv4cyMMw-ceLCc-tQb3umf5lnwstV-lhsiut4EfWLH8rY41J2vaMiqnLrzZFre7FLrx/s320/DSC_0126.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So life is back in normal ways: we got beer festival tickets. Our huge BBQ party is planned. I saved the hollyhocks from the city grass cutters.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And we'll see Okaasan without a screen in between us. <b><i>"Kanpai!"</i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETruKNlRRzvvAsvNakVqhbPSGU19ZlrR9EW_zcazcUEK5YnkUm4dReBKMrdna2iiweGxyWqHCHl59Sf7Ycwtvi1BbT3Fcp__kIfxW4Q-uMXmx_MoZ9TqRB-Mgar3O1rTnrDzzHJq_iVJKcKt6NKkDrVJ4rqGw7t4YM7E3UuMBYh38DdsXk2VEAc5M/s1920/DSC_6880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETruKNlRRzvvAsvNakVqhbPSGU19ZlrR9EW_zcazcUEK5YnkUm4dReBKMrdna2iiweGxyWqHCHl59Sf7Ycwtvi1BbT3Fcp__kIfxW4Q-uMXmx_MoZ9TqRB-Mgar3O1rTnrDzzHJq_iVJKcKt6NKkDrVJ4rqGw7t4YM7E3UuMBYh38DdsXk2VEAc5M/s320/DSC_6880.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-51958187673240830622023-04-26T07:13:00.003+09:002023-04-26T07:13:42.602+09:00Another month. Another online meet and greet.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_qsVjIvKaju6rL4c978AlHN02xV6cRYhaoVijIDWEDA-hk_7HHio5odsuT9BAnJVmEUJYrWmCY_qPmz5McLNa5riGD6dFpn4QkaBCdXqC4VIbE6lYnXL1R8_GCeW4G1QsNf67jifnqJ2LAXxUSlonrJXKlAmhgoN_j7ucNh6ujTRGVZ7PvjrQu6S/s843/342670156_924978832154549_4565698652516982965_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="843" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_qsVjIvKaju6rL4c978AlHN02xV6cRYhaoVijIDWEDA-hk_7HHio5odsuT9BAnJVmEUJYrWmCY_qPmz5McLNa5riGD6dFpn4QkaBCdXqC4VIbE6lYnXL1R8_GCeW4G1QsNf67jifnqJ2LAXxUSlonrJXKlAmhgoN_j7ucNh6ujTRGVZ7PvjrQu6S/s320/342670156_924978832154549_4565698652516982965_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here we are.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another cherry blossom season.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And still we are not allowed to meet Okaasan...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This week we had another 10 mins of shout and wave time. Okaasan's face a bit puffy. On its side in a hospital bed. In a room we've never entered. With staff we've never met.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">15 months ago we delivered her to the entrance hall of that hospital/care home. Said our goodbyes as she lay on a stretcher near the elevator doors. Then she was whisked away upstairs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And since then. Online meetings once a month.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bloody COVID.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Japan IS getting back to normal. The non-mask wearers are increasing, and this summer's slate of events looks almost normal - beer festivals, flower events, concerts. My god, Dear Son and I may even rouse the neighborhood by holding our overflowing BBQ party again.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hear from students and friends how they get into care homes and hospitals to meet elderly or sick relatives. It is happening. Some restrictions, like 10 mins in the lobby, or plastic screens. But also I'm happy to hear some nursing staff are ignoring the rules and letting families hold hands. We just have to wait....and probably wait some more.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Next week is Golden Week in Japan. Several public holidays together. A time to travel and relax. Traffic jams and crowded places. A time for us to hang out quietly at home. I might tidy the garden. Read some books.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Recently just getting into my new work routines. Thankfully I picked up more work this year, which will make the bank account a little healthier (JUST in time for the UK spending credit card bills!!). Dear Remaining Cat is getting his mojo back, heading outside more to catch mice, and learning how in the bed/on the sofa/under the blanket are ALL his space now. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We paid a lot of money to give him a total heath check. And were so relieved that it came back: All Good. For a 13 year old, kind of overweight feline - he is doing okay. Needs some special food to keep his kidneys healthy. Needs supplements to help his joints up/down stairs. But not likely to plunge us into a health crises in the immediate months ahead.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JqL0caVzMBP5mMsdM8dD7qpQNVnoS_SC5bHVZ-0OiC7J0_didqHiJbbfb-BLCrjixQN6nm1hL4Z9SCvpoP1oKCL5vCSD3jyV_Z1nZWPYTNZb3K4rskiTLGoxrYEYFJAL4bhw-sV-3YGrgFSpqbLoyG_xS0SWZzgKMZTWuCQuVfoIp4HzvvVn0iOl/s1124/342345226_770842084565561_4559094733991902347_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="843" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JqL0caVzMBP5mMsdM8dD7qpQNVnoS_SC5bHVZ-0OiC7J0_didqHiJbbfb-BLCrjixQN6nm1hL4Z9SCvpoP1oKCL5vCSD3jyV_Z1nZWPYTNZb3K4rskiTLGoxrYEYFJAL4bhw-sV-3YGrgFSpqbLoyG_xS0SWZzgKMZTWuCQuVfoIp4HzvvVn0iOl/w214-h285/342345226_770842084565561_4559094733991902347_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We can't do that again right now. I still dream of his brother. Dream of two cats running around the home. Still walk into the living room and pat the little ceramic jar that holds the slightly smashed up bones of my sweet furboy. I still can't believe he is gone for ever. He often sat here with me at the computer. Heavy against my left arm, forcing me to reply to Facebook stuff with one hand typing in all lower case.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rambling here. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are fine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan is fine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are cherry blossoms in north Japan.</span></div><br /><p></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-56925622752285214232023-03-19T08:03:00.001+09:002023-03-19T08:03:37.158+09:00Good bye little furball<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> We've lost a furry family member. One of our dear cats has died.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBAyTKHfKe2bsyF8VvSEcnVnghONgVK2-BdA1sjrb8mHt30kzxfGDITm1IwBUklcV5KeQe1PmKFRZKRt7B04VZ9vHhxeqtV-FYIVZVjomhQ3YvxPCQQJAUR9m0DuOREmIKv-4g8ZXLS48p_BfDDUFV_DeHaj7uASCAImpQmV1evHTi1zZguZy3F_d/s1920/DSC_6414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBAyTKHfKe2bsyF8VvSEcnVnghONgVK2-BdA1sjrb8mHt30kzxfGDITm1IwBUklcV5KeQe1PmKFRZKRt7B04VZ9vHhxeqtV-FYIVZVjomhQ3YvxPCQQJAUR9m0DuOREmIKv-4g8ZXLS48p_BfDDUFV_DeHaj7uASCAImpQmV1evHTi1zZguZy3F_d/s320/DSC_6414.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It seems strange to report it here, on a very...VERY occasional blog about shared life of a Japanese lady and a foreign daughter-in-law. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But the puss cat was one of our family. I know some old friends and old students read this blog, so it's a way to share the news.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday afternoon our cancer kitty lost the fight with the disease that was first diagnosed only in December. Just 4 months ago he was a fat, over-eating ball of cat joyfulness, when I first took him to the vets a little concerned about yet more fat "lumps" in his neck.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Chemo treatments, CT scans, radiotherapy...visits to our vets...the university teaching animal hospital...even another vet that offered slightly alternative Vitamin C serum shots...for him and for us it's been an increasingly sad winter - all the ups and downs of this disease.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Towards the end Dear Son and I were slightly at odds about how "the end" was going to be. I was ready to accept the end and ask the vet to ease the suffering about a week ago. Dear Son wanted to try the Vitamin C treatment he'd read about online. I agreed, grudgingly. But understanding he needed one-more-try.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That failed to have any impact. By midweek I was sleeping on the living room floor. Furball had stopped eating.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Our own vet wasn't keen to step in and put Furball to sleep earlier this week - when he was still able to stagger to the water bowl and into my futon. It was a bit frustrating for me, but not a surprise - many vets in Japan are not supportive of pet euthanizing until there is clear suffering.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But when he'd stopped reaching the water bowl himself, they set us up with subcutaneous injection shot kit. We did this for our old cat and his failing kidneys - years ago back at the start of this blog - so it was doable.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Toilet accidents. No food. Shots of water to ease dehydration, then the real physical signs of "end". Yesterday we took him to the vet and let him pass on to the great grassy field of cat heaven.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Very hard. Our home is full of memories of him. His brother has seen the body twice - looked, sniffed and turned away. He is a bit needy and clingy. We are exhausted and sad. Tonight a mobile cremation service will come and do the cremation in our parking space. And we'll keep Furball's ashes to scatter when the snows have melted and the house is surrounded by the wild grassy areas he loved.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXgroCMXfuyaNoHf1Z68PtvdcyVcK5faJ-RNpO-qJBbyE-Zw217iXM5zZGCuVP_l6s2c5i_1Ow7m-kcMqIs7ArhtqXWj5IY_81ezreqdHtkjYFCitttc8RONt4mf6JSAMcBPluVSuomXdZjy269hXFzZGJ3Hl47QJr0kbQHHQDzChcSQ7RegsPNFl/s1920/DSC_6266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXgroCMXfuyaNoHf1Z68PtvdcyVcK5faJ-RNpO-qJBbyE-Zw217iXM5zZGCuVP_l6s2c5i_1Ow7m-kcMqIs7ArhtqXWj5IY_81ezreqdHtkjYFCitttc8RONt4mf6JSAMcBPluVSuomXdZjy269hXFzZGJ3Hl47QJr0kbQHHQDzChcSQ7RegsPNFl/s320/DSC_6266.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">5 days now to comfort eachother. 5 days for me to get my head ready for a trip to England. I haven't travelled outside Japan for 5 years? With all of this I haven't time to think of it. But now I must.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thankyou Furball for the love of 13 years. He often sat in my arms here at the computer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Everywhere there are memories of you.</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-76006177825908217922023-02-05T10:03:00.003+09:002023-02-05T10:03:34.691+09:00Hoping for a downgrade<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Another month.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another 10 mins waving at Okaasan thru a computer screen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She was on her side, face slightly swollen, the tubes in place, blinking at the screen. When the nurse moved her face tubes Okaasan moaned...a cheerful doctor told us all is well...as well as it can be.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Japanese government is getting detailed about downgrading Covid to seasonal flu level this April or May, and along with that (we hope!) many things in life could change. Mask wearing outside should become more the norm, events will be at full capacity, more hospitals can treat Covid-like symptoms.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And care homes and hospitals? Will they open up for family visits?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It will, of course, be totally up to the facility management and my guess is that they won't. They'll leave current systems in place thru May and June...and IF things look ok they may consider relaxing visiting rules in the summer? Will we get to see Okaasan this summer?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If I was betting. I'd say no.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In other news: I am going to the UK for the first time in 5 or 6 years. End of March I'm flying for hours and hours to avoid Russia, and will blow a lot of my savings on air tickets and care rental. But it will be good to eat carrot cake, cheese, roast meat...and see friends again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The cat is still fighting the lymph cancer. 5 lots of chemo now. He's lost weight and is subdued. But we try to make his days happy, somehow. It's been a crazy cold winter - minus 12 here in the city at night and electricity bills have gone up by 30%. But the cancer kitty must be warm and comfortable. More savings gone.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">onwards.....</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-84295802732452035692022-12-29T06:59:00.002+09:002022-12-29T06:59:15.799+09:00Ending 2022...as we started...<p><b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">So this is Christmas</span></b></p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">And what have you done?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">Another year over</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">And a new one just begun</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">And so this is Christmas</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">I hope you have fun</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">The near and the dear one</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">The old and the young</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">A very merry Christmas</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">And a happy New Year</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">Let's hope it's a good one</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">Without any fear</span></b><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">(John Lennon</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">So This Is Christmas)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.songlyrics.com/john-lennon/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics/" target="_blank">So This Is Christmas</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Love this song. Poignant. Sad. Hopeful. Realistic.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, 2022 - for many of us the first ordinary Christmas after the Pandemic. People could travel again and meet family and friends. Groups were ok, international and domestic travel was ok.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In Japan we are all still wearing masks, and restaurants and shops still have plastic barriers on tables and at cash registers. In Hokkaido daily new infections are about 6,000, with a shockingly high death rate...yesterday 34 people died.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The last figure is confusing though. This is people who died BECAUSE of Covid, or WITH Covid. The media doesn't tell us. But one of my students lost her elderly aunt a month or two, the old lady had a heart attack in her room at the care home. And then the autopsy revealed she had Covid, and the family couldn't have the body for funeral rites - it was quickly cremated.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So, I keep wondering - was HER death included in that day's Covid Deaths on the news? She was a very old woman with a heart condition, so her death isn't that surprising. It may have been as an indirect result of the virus, but maybe not.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway. The virus is still zapping around here as we all wrap up work for another year and enjoy a week of holiday between calendar changes. And Japan is starting to get nervous about millions of Chinese people who are likely to grab the chance and start international travel again, following this week's government announcement. We have the big snow festivals here in early February, which usually attract thousand of international visitors.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There's a slight feeling of deja vu - 3 years ago there was news of a virus spreading in China, and a kind of relief that the big tour groups from China didn't come to the Snow Festival as something called a "lockdown" began. 3 years on though, we do have vaccines.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But old people still locked away in care homes, unable to meet their family.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XC38AVOM8vL0BL4Dv9sqjoKoM-P-i9mXCnFKwEpcF1v_MKrWJS63_K8W_4AynADOl7hDmzgNjnmzmmjxxDHcGdLVM78FA6uVbSRg1CmnZIt0MuWMAKApr-Zhb_Ay6VYy8ZaQYNRx1fem5wfsnLC3JLkE73YKMztiDmDa7ECkNFbt9ptMFQD2YVr3/s968/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="726" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XC38AVOM8vL0BL4Dv9sqjoKoM-P-i9mXCnFKwEpcF1v_MKrWJS63_K8W_4AynADOl7hDmzgNjnmzmmjxxDHcGdLVM78FA6uVbSRg1CmnZIt0MuWMAKApr-Zhb_Ay6VYy8ZaQYNRx1fem5wfsnLC3JLkE73YKMztiDmDa7ECkNFbt9ptMFQD2YVr3/s320/0.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">The Christmas card for Okaasan.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I motivated Dear Son. Found the card. We signed it. He delivered it to the care home.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We hope the nurses showed it to her with bright, happy voices. We hope she understood what it is.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We haven't met her since December 2021.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">Our December has been a bit eventful.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">My ongoing knee problems prevented any skiing or snowshoeing. But the knee is getting stronger, and I can do ordinary life...apart from walking more than about 1km. So, I've done a lot of reading, TV and online stuff.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif;">Eventful was one of the cats. The fatty lumps around his neck turned out to be cancerous tumors in his lymph glands. Last year similar lumps were fatty lumps of an overweight, middle aged animal. This time they weren't.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">Lots of stressy talks with our vet and an introduction to the expert vet at the big regional veterinarian teaching hospital across town. An operation was ruled out because the cancer was in several positions around the neck. Last week he started chemo and steroids.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">The strange thing is that he is actually super fine thru all this. Eating, pooping, chasing his brother up the stairs. Noisy.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">And after only two chemo shots the neck lumps have vanished. We go back to the vets for Round 3 today. He is 13 years old, and we hope he'll live into another summer of grass and flowers. I also hope my savings for old age won't all disappear into my vet's bank account. Pet Insurance has a $100 a day price cap.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">What else?</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">Oh, yeah. Booked air tickets for England!! Back to the old country for the first time in 5 years. End of March...at HUGELY expensive cost. But now, thanks to Putin's war and longer flight routes, the oil prices etc etc. Also it's direct flights Tokyo/Heathrow. I can't do a long transit anymore. Just want to get there. The direct flight time is already over 15 hours!!!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">So. This was Christmas 2022.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">I'm home now for the next week. Eating too much chocolate and watching Netflix. Meeting a few friends. Prepping my accounts for February and the accountant. Monitoring the cat. Doing my leg exercises.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays to you. Let's hope 2023 brings joy to more people.</span></span></div>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-41563787308782021282022-11-08T16:28:00.000+09:002022-11-08T16:28:27.212+09:00AND another online visit...<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Yup.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Still doing the waving and talking extra loud in front of a screen - held by a double masked staffer at Okaasan's care home.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Gosh, I didn't even post in October. Did we have an online meeting at all? I don't remember.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Earlier this afternoon we had 10 mins again, which is mainly us talking to the nurse and Okaasan blinking a little with closed eyes as she is in her bed. I'm guessing the online visits will continue thru the winter now and well into next year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">New infection numbers have just shot up in this cold part of north Japan, as we all close windows and socialize inside. This region tops the nightly stats on the TV news. My students who work at a local hospital say it's all rampant again - thru the staff and patients - and actually deaths with Covid are up too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course it's not necessarily deaths FROM Covid, but probably a reflection that so many people have got it anyway. One student said her 90 year old aunt dropped dead from a heart attack in her care home, but when they did an autopsy it was discovered she also had Covid and so the body wasn't released to the family for the usual funeral arrangements. That's awful, and so meaningless - the family could at least of had a viewing from behind screens and said their farewells. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was straight from autopsy to cremation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan today? Looked ok, I guess. Not much I can say. The same as she always looks. We just hope she hears friendly, bright voices around her a lot and enjoys the bedside massages and body moving. Bathtime.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sorry about silence in October. I've been very preoccupied with my own injury - the knee all over again, and trying to get back some mobility. The good news is that the chiro is a wonderful guy and I feel so glad I am going to him.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We've got me able to stand and do household things like cooking and washing up. I can garden for about 20 mins. I can ride my bike short local distances. This week I am teaching special classes at a local company, and with the help of a high stool and taping - I think I can do it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's end on a happy note. I've done a lot of family history research online to use up time sitting down....and in particular exchanged fun e mails with people living in a small village near Cambridge - where my maternal grand-ma came from! Discovering that she was probably illegitimate, but taken on by the good man her mum married when she was six years old.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here she is, in the front row at school and later in the early 1900s in England!!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEpZaVPp0M-BdjCsGUuWfn5ZvWSlYHAleChjgP2RD9X1bTasnyepJ1ZDxYPjyvavilAECELl76fliOiccJk2T0UN3rFCbRwJLzgz8CBPF61l6lZpSqDBn3qhNTBjV6-joAgTdlI2A6iLl_Bs4iwwTE4qZT8hz2P0NzETrmDzLKOhI_hxNwlbAIolj/s1602/img113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1602" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEpZaVPp0M-BdjCsGUuWfn5ZvWSlYHAleChjgP2RD9X1bTasnyepJ1ZDxYPjyvavilAECELl76fliOiccJk2T0UN3rFCbRwJLzgz8CBPF61l6lZpSqDBn3qhNTBjV6-joAgTdlI2A6iLl_Bs4iwwTE4qZT8hz2P0NzETrmDzLKOhI_hxNwlbAIolj/s320/img113.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFXeyk6viI2kK_PQI4NY7bgz5SLtRSsqyKtCoxsidPqooOj9_3E91hcXilz6nDpC2AHBlDL1rjxJgJ9cY6oF7_hkCiguO9I9H64FgoPI7umqw1qcZ9BsbmA1ejxKm2l_OLJ6RA8jQ1w_YO7CxVNanmvEw03EhbPKiuCrSrmM-gFtKg76UycDrpr2k/s1596/img098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="1025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFXeyk6viI2kK_PQI4NY7bgz5SLtRSsqyKtCoxsidPqooOj9_3E91hcXilz6nDpC2AHBlDL1rjxJgJ9cY6oF7_hkCiguO9I9H64FgoPI7umqw1qcZ9BsbmA1ejxKm2l_OLJ6RA8jQ1w_YO7CxVNanmvEw03EhbPKiuCrSrmM-gFtKg76UycDrpr2k/s320/img098.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqWrlfsagsV402c3ncHihyUDXKFdE0RDIErMmp5Fw_rZGcCp6-YZZtAqLmbhMENhjVFge9g_puPNuPLuqLX68UwR-G9__UjKg5BhC0r5aSyXjLMJqkL9Dz_xEbpbu-i2twVugGdcNdirHd1pnVqTzsYv0nOq4PKblUSj2XxodNG8PVBp-YXWcfLkb/s1470/img117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1470" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqWrlfsagsV402c3ncHihyUDXKFdE0RDIErMmp5Fw_rZGcCp6-YZZtAqLmbhMENhjVFge9g_puPNuPLuqLX68UwR-G9__UjKg5BhC0r5aSyXjLMJqkL9Dz_xEbpbu-i2twVugGdcNdirHd1pnVqTzsYv0nOq4PKblUSj2XxodNG8PVBp-YXWcfLkb/s320/img117.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-71321599458220894772022-09-23T08:13:00.002+09:002022-09-23T08:13:22.116+09:00Trying to focus<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Another month</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another online visit to Okaasan.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Strange times we live in. 😖</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She was...well...I don't know. Okay? She was in bed, on her side and had a tube up her nose. And her hands were in big gloves to stop her pulling the tube out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Her hair was cut short, and with the pressure from the pillow had quifted up in a little grey spike, like Tintin in black and white. With a lot of encouragement from the attending nurse, Okaasan focused in one the tablet screen for a few minutes. Every now and then her eyes would slip to the nurse, or the bedside curtains.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She appeared to nod. Maybe smiled? Hard to know.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">These online meetings leave us grasping at tiny straws for some evidence of connection to our "visit". Does she know us? Is she happy?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We grabble on about the changing season, the temperature, the cat, Queen Elizabeth, our grey hair....anything to fillout 10 mins between the endless: <i>"Hi! Okaasan! It's us. Can you see us? Okaasan! Hi!". </i>Until the computer clock that we have successfully filled out the time and can start doing a minute or goodbyes and see-you-next-time chat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then the nurse/we click End Meeting at the bottom of the Zoom screen and it's over for another month.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We go back to watching Stranger Things 4, and prepping dinner.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan goes back to lying in a hospital bed, with tubes for nutrition in and out. Staring at a bedside curtain or wall. Listening to voices and sounds around her.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't want her living in the house with us here. I'm no saintly daughter-in-law who will camapign to Bring Mother Home, so we can have the tube changing/bed baths right here in our lives. But still. I feel sad that her life is this now. 😢</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If she were MY mother. Would I feel differently? If this were England, and I could raise hell in my native language, with a care system I can easily understand? Like a heartwarming movie, would I Bring Her Home to Die? Set up the living room with the care bed, and have quirky care helper come in to do the medical stuff, so I could sit at my mother's bedside and have meaningful end of life conversations?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe. I am certainly up for being the difficult customer and fighting a hospital/care administration - mainly because I watched my own mother battling unfortunate service workers over the years. But I'm not sure I would sacrifice my own time and easy life to care for somebody in my home. That's a huge thing. Respect to the people who do it. But, most of us are pretty selfish and are relieved to let strangers do the caring at the end of our elderly's life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I used to have a middle aged student, whose severely invalid mother had months to live. As her sister was a nurse with necessary skills, the hospital allowed mother to move back to the family house where she amazed everyone by living for almost two years - enjoying her favorite icecreams, visits from the great grandkids and hand massages. It was a wonderful situation. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But I know I don't want to do that. Can't do that.</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-57674605457994421022022-09-11T10:12:00.001+09:002022-09-11T10:12:08.590+09:00Normal...but not for all.<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">Yes - still here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Still can't go into the care home to meet Okaasan face to face.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Once a month, 10 mins online meeting is all we are allowed. New infection numbers are falling all over Japan, after an August 7th wave. The Japanese government has cranked open the borders a little by allowing fully vaccinated foreign visitors to come in on approved escorted/planned by unescorted tours - the tourism industry is whirring into action.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">All over Japan there are summer and now autumn events - beer gardens, music festivals, sport and concerts. Japanese people are jetting off for holidays around the world. Classes and work are pretty much face to face.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Quite a few friends who travelled overseas this summer caught COVID and had their return delayed - when the J government still demanded negative tests 72 hours before flying. Or, others got back into Japan ok - and THEN tested positive and had to stay off work for a further 10 days.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Even I toyed with the idea of going back to the Uk for a trip. But 15 hours rerouted via the Middle East or Alaska, crazy prices with fuel surcharges...and a work pattern that is JUST starting to return my earnings to pre-pandemic levels...all of that knocked those idle fancies on the head.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Next year. Next year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We're ok. The cats are ok. Okaasan in her cocoon/prison is ok.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Summer is sliding into autumn and I've done a lot of kayaking with a friend. Normal life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But not.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj510sjntDvT7RW4_J78wbbxhPvM4aEXxxuB9x6s4fs5POh2dcOL499lDpZfZ_UA-eOnVmiYl4SnY4ZPofgVyinHwDSniQk85U_YIDYu8Y4tuj_JEQfjYJSQEEwcyDb2p02HYNmOMz6_f-pUj6beWjopn-G7Z7gDtHMNxkhMRiRvI7p8Bs2lwf9WRUV/s1350/304805602_10160274231268373_124521962980657972_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj510sjntDvT7RW4_J78wbbxhPvM4aEXxxuB9x6s4fs5POh2dcOL499lDpZfZ_UA-eOnVmiYl4SnY4ZPofgVyinHwDSniQk85U_YIDYu8Y4tuj_JEQfjYJSQEEwcyDb2p02HYNmOMz6_f-pUj6beWjopn-G7Z7gDtHMNxkhMRiRvI7p8Bs2lwf9WRUV/s320/304805602_10160274231268373_124521962980657972_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-22962414767631131052022-08-14T09:28:00.003+09:002022-08-14T09:28:42.130+09:00Zoom meet....<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> And.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another Zoom meet and greet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Guess this summer will pass and we won't have seen Okaasan face to face again. So strange to think we delivered her to that care home last year in November. And we haven't been allowed to be in the same room as her since then.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She was rather puffy faced and hot looking on this Zoom meet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We sang Happy Birthday - oh my God...the irony of those sentiments....and chatted at Okaasan and the nurses in screen view. Chat and waves. And then it was done. 10 mins is kind of hard to fill.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This weekend is the Bon Festival, when Japanese travel back to home towns and visit graves and remember ancestors. We don't have any of that to do, and I injured my toe (cut RIGHT next to the nail, but the doc says no infection and the toe nail is ok), so I can't go near water and kayak.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Spending my time close to home and enjoying meeting so many friends, their homes, my home, the beer garden. The Pandemic really showed us how valuable face to face time is with people we like, and it's nice to be able to meet and chat again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Infection numbers are starting to level out and maybe go down here now, as scientists said they would. But, looking around a happy beer garden scene it seems normal is returning. Although - friends in the UK who saw my video of a beer garden commented on the plastic/wood table screens between drinkers. I guess in the UK all of that stuff has been done away with?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here, at the beer garden - you have to go in at the entrance. temperature check, contact trace info and assigned seating, screens and a 90 min time limit. But SO GOOD to sit outside and share a beer with friends.</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-50937735198336861732022-08-06T07:29:00.002+09:002022-08-06T07:29:32.426+09:00Birthday memories....<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJaxybfg3DoRILYdvemCCCEsdHLiUFEMk-7Q3-KZGrA_gRA9FIo28KeOtl4tO7RMJIzqQYQsSQ8BQ_voIt8afLdwO3gnhtEpMp2E4CfPZZ6JzJ4uvX3ltrgtMRhnVjU9c-Ojg3UV63jtcWMAK2Nf4axAd7Xs7QP5d2iUcpCzQfDHd9Vgt-V2F7LLq/s3872/hokkaidou%20moderu%20059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3872" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJaxybfg3DoRILYdvemCCCEsdHLiUFEMk-7Q3-KZGrA_gRA9FIo28KeOtl4tO7RMJIzqQYQsSQ8BQ_voIt8afLdwO3gnhtEpMp2E4CfPZZ6JzJ4uvX3ltrgtMRhnVjU9c-Ojg3UV63jtcWMAK2Nf4axAd7Xs7QP5d2iUcpCzQfDHd9Vgt-V2F7LLq/s320/hokkaidou%20moderu%20059.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Long, LONG ago when we were all a bit younger....</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The happy family in our messy kitchen. I think this scene was captured by a Japanese artist who was doing a photo project about foreigners in Japanese families, or something.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We sent this happy scene to Okaasan in our birthday card to her last week because she reached 92 years young, but of course we couldn't be with her and will have to sing Happy Birthday to her next week over Zoom.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Remembering years past when we took her out for a big dinner of crab, making sure to control her intake of sake and celebrating a life of daughterhood, wifely cooking duties, super mum and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">7th wave of Covid is roaring around in Japan at the moment. Daily new infections are topping 7,000 in Hokkaido, but it's summer holidays with many visitors in town and summer events happening. The care home is still on online visits only.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've got a few empty days in my work schedule, and visits from out of town friends...the beer garden...some kayaking....to enjoy. And then I stubbed my unsocked toes on a metal door frame and did a nasty cut just below the toe nail - dripped blood all over a museum carpet and was luckily helped by an old man who had bandaids in his pocket :-)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now I'm a-hobbling, putting my foot up a lot to stop the bleeding and swelling...and kind of wondering if I should go to a doctor and have the toe nail ripped off by an expert.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like a photo of THAT??? No, I think not!</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-52526334838859706912022-07-04T07:42:00.002+09:002022-07-04T07:42:36.029+09:00Online visiting<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Waving at a screen visit, again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan in bed, with a tube up her nose and her hands cocooned in cotton to stop her messing with the tubes...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Both of us squeezed in front of the computer, trying to remember to look directly at the camera as we chat excessively brightly and wave.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">10 mins of chat, waves, forced laughter. Our manzai (comedy double act) routine.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan looked...well, actually her face looked bloated and red. But she smiled, she teared-up a little and she made pouty movements with her lips. So we assumed she understood the experience, and was happy?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I hear from friends and students that some care homes are allowing family visits again. My hospital staff English classes may restart after a two and a half year break. Sapporo is full of summer festivals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Lots of normal life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But not able to visit and sit with our old lady yet.</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-49946699454621314302022-06-15T08:22:00.002+09:002022-06-15T08:22:18.267+09:00A visit! A visit!!<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">A visit is in our sights!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Letter from the care home to announce they are lifting some of then COVID protection rules and will resume online visits - once a month for 10 mins/by reservation etc.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The letter also revealed that April to June the care home had nearly 100 infections - residents and staff. Hence the closing down of all non-necessary activity.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, we've booked in for an afternoon at the end of the month - 10 mins of loud, cheerful chat and waving at the computer screen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's a start. A small start. Let's hope it progresses to face to face meetings, hand holding and ....wow...maybe even wheelchair pushing allowed beyond the care home doors?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hokkaido summer is SO short, the chance of good enough weather to take an old lady out in her wheelchair is very small - this is the third summer Okaasan hasn't been outside for anything more than building/ambulance transfers. We hope...</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-19530807962119320002022-05-18T09:13:00.002+09:002022-05-18T09:13:23.701+09:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rPQ2xKmDJv2ucDMD-21shbwvzGj0FkYoFGdr4XkmMOKFj405bpGb-MCEW8MjuiTw7dUstt01O0xgiUXr_iv38KFfWSn9Ds88Tw_e0cLpffAciVIMQZndliyQzdd0VM0jw-LQuFdPfy0HFSIKLCwgBBRX2UiA0YmvNuULrOzurJRVVsFXwHnIAyTT/s1080/280639987_10160073068563373_4568247899188128601_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rPQ2xKmDJv2ucDMD-21shbwvzGj0FkYoFGdr4XkmMOKFj405bpGb-MCEW8MjuiTw7dUstt01O0xgiUXr_iv38KFfWSn9Ds88Tw_e0cLpffAciVIMQZndliyQzdd0VM0jw-LQuFdPfy0HFSIKLCwgBBRX2UiA0YmvNuULrOzurJRVVsFXwHnIAyTT/s320/280639987_10160073068563373_4568247899188128601_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here we are. Another glorious cherry blossom season in Japan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And no Okaasan to enjoy us it with us.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bugger Covid.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">She is still locked away in a care home/hospital. Basically in a bed, with tubes going in and out. Kind nursing staff coming and talking to her in loud, happy voices.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We discovered this week that even an online meeting is out of the question at the moment. The staff said they aren't doing it at the moment because it takes up staff time, and they are trying to limit staff movement around the hospital.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So. We can't even see her on a computer screen and wave.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Covid new infections have remained pretty constant this spring in Japan, high but not health service and life threatening. The Golden Week holiday came and went, with the expected rise in new case numbers after it. But life plods on.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In fact the Prime Minister started talking about opening Japan to foreign tourists sometime. At first highly controlled tour groups, with approved agencies - and only from countries where the Japanese government thinks test results are valid...such as Singapore, Australia and America. And the numbers of new entries per day will increase to 20,000. Still FAR short of the average 70,000 a day in normal times.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But. All of that aside.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We still can't visit Okaasan and take her out to see cherry blossoms.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-18806413768531486012022-04-28T07:47:00.003+09:002022-04-28T07:47:43.926+09:00All clear :-)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8a9NIvoXEMueZ8VhErZt47185i-iQGvWXEJnCe2wtF7kOdAT7w82y_EPZaFW_2bJOqhEeT87Bp0HThQQ0rBhVV291zZDguNBmxjTzRpWj_Jh8bYijkzGubEu7R-KevJmp619vdLoA1w_PVE_GzKPYaCpuj9ta73-7FWx_Ry_GnbrpEhP_-kXEUIt/s1440/279297259_10160036271108373_6853923698722712355_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8a9NIvoXEMueZ8VhErZt47185i-iQGvWXEJnCe2wtF7kOdAT7w82y_EPZaFW_2bJOqhEeT87Bp0HThQQ0rBhVV291zZDguNBmxjTzRpWj_Jh8bYijkzGubEu7R-KevJmp619vdLoA1w_PVE_GzKPYaCpuj9ta73-7FWx_Ry_GnbrpEhP_-kXEUIt/s320/279297259_10160036271108373_6853923698722712355_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">He's clear.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm clear.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Okaasan is clear.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The three of us have gone thru the Covid experience and come out safely. Thankyou science.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Following Sapporo city's current advice, I was out of self isolation after 5 days (with another negative test) and Dear Son was out after 7 days.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">To be honest, our self-isolation was easy peasy. NOTHING like a hotel room, a government facility...or the horrendous experiences of Chinese people at the moment who are being barricaded in their homes by authorities.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We did our shopping online and had food gifts from friends/my students. We enjoyed our garden. We went for gentle walks at nighttime in the empty park near home. We watched TV (Suits Season 8 and Japan's version of Bake Off), read books, played with cats....</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But still. It's nice to be out and back to normal life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now we can get back to hoping that sometime...somehow we will get to meet Okaasan. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It won't happen soon, as new infection numbers aren't going down here and next week is Golden Week - a week of public holidays, events and travel in Japan. So hospitals are likely to stay closed for another month or more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe we'll get another online meeting with Okaasan. Let's hope for that.</span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-12133343539151149852022-04-21T12:55:00.000+09:002022-04-21T12:55:03.250+09:00Covid is IN the house :-(<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Yup.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Welcome Covid...you've, thankfully, been a long time coming.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfkY9bHKpIyw9SNLf06mptpDrKge_Z4CKjP_k9vCplYB0ujMPohBMEQ94TxjGuNzoBgQIsZXP9Ko4FsyD5KmAdkKQzYhGCDTVKjmAjEU39Z9QXj_Z8nZ4IUuTgIXViZL_7fgyqs5I4G9dTzhmJBQG75dBq32wiAOvUXrv2yvRfaSw6OamfiltmJqy/s937/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfkY9bHKpIyw9SNLf06mptpDrKge_Z4CKjP_k9vCplYB0ujMPohBMEQ94TxjGuNzoBgQIsZXP9Ko4FsyD5KmAdkKQzYhGCDTVKjmAjEU39Z9QXj_Z8nZ4IUuTgIXViZL_7fgyqs5I4G9dTzhmJBQG75dBq32wiAOvUXrv2yvRfaSw6OamfiltmJqy/s320/0.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Son tested positive yesterday. I'm hoping to get tested today. Okaasan now has no fever, or any other symptoms. But she is still in isolation. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So. On Tuesday this week Dear Son had a lot of pains and cramping around his chest/shoulder/left arm. He has a long history of some kind of heart condition - maybe angina? (Of COURSE he never had a Western medicine diagnosis of what...you know this family and doctors...). Hasn't stopped him with a full, active life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway this time the pain was repeated over several hours. So we went to the hospital for tests and checks...we were there hours and hours...sitting...waiting...tests...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Doctor finally said it might be a build up of plaque in the arteries due to high cholesterol...beer snacks and cheese and pizza and KFC....and to our slight shock recommended an overnight stay in hospital and then catheter test in the morning.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So we did all the hospital admissions paperwork, Covid test, list of stuff needed from home....sat there feeling a bit surprised. Waited a lot more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">THEN the nurse rushed over, grabbed his wheelchair and whisked us quickly out of the hospital and into a cubical in the Covid testing center in the parking area! His test had come back positive!! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now the hospital didn't want to admit him. Sent us home with meds to lower cholesterol, and nitro spray? in case he had a bad attack again. SIGH!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So it begins....a student who works at a drug store is going to deliver me some test kits later today (the hospital didn't want to test me because I had no symptoms, but I'd rather know, and so would two of my work places), and I've rearranged my work schedule....told people who should be told. We'll order in supermarket delivery. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A time of gardening, Netflix and reading ahead. Spring weather. An enforced holiday. Hopefully HE doesn't feel bad again. A few plans all up in the air...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Where did he get it from? Kind of moot point, it's all over the place. He hardly meets anyone, so maybe I actually caught it and gave it to him? We've actually had a fairly quiet, not meeting anyone couple of days. Most people I met recently was a local guest house English Chat thing last Friday night. Masks, Screens...but coffee and cake. We've been to two restaurants, but mid afternoon with hardly anyone else around.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ironically - the MOST crowded place we've both been to recently was the local clinic for our vaccination shots a week ago!!! And no - please don't start with the whole anti-vax thing all over my blog....I'm happy to support what health experts tell me to do, happy I got vaccinated. So don't even dare to start with that anti-vax nonsense here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway. There we are. </span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2998844447617430892.post-32414559603826591962022-04-14T07:55:00.006+09:002022-04-14T07:55:41.857+09:00Joining the pandemic...<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Okaasan has Covid.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">No serious symptoms at the moment, but a slight fever. She's isolated, of course, and triple vaccinated...so we just hope she'll fight it off.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The call came from the hospital yesterday. Ironically, while Dear Son and I were battling through the 24 hours of post- booster vaccination side effects of headaches, exhaustion and sore arms. I managed to crawl to the computer twice for online lessons....and then back to bed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Poor Okaasan. She had a slight fever, but that's quite common for the very elderly - I think? But they do regular tests in the hospital. And it came back positive.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's a big hospital, and even without any family members visiting since last year there is, inevitably, a big traffic of staff in and out every day. So, not surprising.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">New infection numbers in Japan are generally not coming down much, because March and April is the season when Japanese people end/start school or college, end/start jobs, move home...have a little party to say goodbye/welcome to someone. The same locally here, bars and restaurants are now open and events are at full capacity.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The schools, particularly the elementary schools, have the greatest number of cases. But they only test now if a child has symptoms because sending whole classes home for 10 days was paralyzing for education.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway. Okaasan. Fight sweety, fight. </span></p>Oyome-san1http://www.blogger.com/profile/17613603965553003711noreply@blogger.com3