Good morning 0118

 It is Sunday.

Well, Yuki has been hospitalized again.
He was discharged from the hospital on Friday, but he didn’t look well. So we went back to the hospital on Saturday, and he was hospitalized again.

His pneumothorax has recurred, and this time he also has pneumonia. His lungs are getting very weak. His coughing seems to have caused the pneumothorax. The pneumonia had already been there since his first hospitalization, and the doctors were hoping it would heal naturally, but with the recurrence of the pneumothorax, it suddenly worsened.

Still, compared with other patients in the hospital, he is doing relatively well. We don’t yet know how long he will have to stay.

Starting tomorrow, the renovation of our bathroom and washroom will begin. Today I need to move things by myself. I also plan to let go of more than ten items, though ten items is my usual weekly habit.

Good morning 0115

 Yuki will probably be discharged tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Starting next week, our bathroom renovation will begin. It is scheduled to take about a week.

This week was mentally hard.
Somehow, things will work out, and I just have to accept it.

Today, if Yuki is allowed to leave his room, we may take a short walk inside the hospital.
If possible, we might stop by the Starbucks there. It feels like a small luxury.

Good morning 0113

 It is Tuesday.

According to the schedule, today was supposed to be a day for me to perform at Karaku Café. I can’t go, so my friend will do a reading performance instead.

Today, I have to go to an accounting office with our lawyer on behalf of my husband. He was originally supposed to go himself, but he can’t, and the appointments can’t be postponed. Still, I believe that today’s consultations will help ease his stress.

His oxygen saturation level hasn’t returned to normal yet. He doesn’t feel any symptoms himself, though.

Though this is a trivial matter, we use a kerosene fan heaters at home. One of the tanks ran out of kerosene, so I refilled it, but it is heavy. Carrying it after filling it really strains my lower back.

Good morning 0112 and lunch diary 0110

 

It has been one week since Yuki was hospitalized.
Eating alone isn’t much fun, but I am managing to eat properly.

Yesterday he had another procedure and is now under observation. Since he doesn’t feel any symptoms himself, he is doing his best to stay still and be patient. One disappointing thing about the hospital is the weak signal. Phone calls are fine, but the internet connection isn’t good, so his days are filled with TV, radio, and magazines.

As for me, I’m starting to feel tired from going back and forth to the hospital. I feel a bit pathetic for getting tired just from that. Still, since I’m retired and not chased by daily routines, I’ll take things slowly and get through this calmly.

Good morning 0110

 The world doesn’t always go the way we hope.

There will be no discharge this week after all. As scheduled, another procedure is needed, and the discharge has been postponed until next week. In the end, it’s exactly as the doctor said from the beginning.

Since there was a chance he might be discharged this week, I feel a bit tired this morning.
This weekend is a three-day holiday.
Still, I’ll just do what needs to be done and keep going back and forth to the hospital.

Funny enough, we talk more when one of us is in the hospital

Good morning 0109

These are Japanese herbs for “nanakusa gayu”.

 It is Friday. Today, Yuki’s chest drain might be removed. If that happens, his discharge from the hospital will be earlier than we expected.

There may be more things he won’t be able to do again, but somehow we’ll manage. We’re or he’s trying to stay optimistic.

The good thing is that we went to the hospital before the symptoms of pneumothorax became obvious. However, I hear that the recurrence rate is high, which makes it a bit troublesome.

Still, maintaining his physical strength is important, so he should be able to continue light cycling at the gym. The gym is in the same building as a large supermarket, so sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the main purpose is going to the gym or buying prepared food.

In any case, it seems that his discharge is not far away.

Good morning 0108

 

Yesterday I had nanakusa-gayu again for dinner. Yesterday was actually the right day to eat it, so I feel like I’ve done a proper job of chasing away bad luck.

Yuki is still in the hospital. It’s still a bit unclear whether he’ll need another procedure for his pneumothorax. He mostly spends the day listening to the radio and watching TV, but he says he’s actually pretty busy with frequent tests and nurses coming in and out. 

Even so, he managed to buy an electric nail clipper through radio shopping. I’m curious what kind of thing it is. It’s supposed to arrive home next week. I have to take it to him.

Today it is sunny. I’ll head to the hospital again around tea time.

I have my own hospital appointment in the morning.

Good morning 0107

 

Today is a really cold morning. It’s cloudy, and it doesn’t look like the temperature will rise. I’m thinking of going to the gym this morning, but honestly, I’m not very motivated. It’s a bit of a struggle.

Still, I know I need to keep up my strength.

Today is Nanakusa-gayu day in Japan, but I made a mistake and ate it last night instead. The seven herbs are traditionally fixed, but some people say it’s fine as long as you use seven kinds of vegetables. So I made rice porridge with seven different vegetables yesterday.

Do I need to eat it again today, I wonder?

Good morning 0106

 Yesterday, it was a long day.

Actually, Yuki is in the hospital.
He wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so we went to the hospital, and after some tests, they found a pneumothorax. He’s had treatment and will be staying in the hospital for about ten days—for now, at least.

He still has good strength, but his lungs are clearly more delicate than before.

Hang in there, Yuki. And I’ll hang in there too.
We’re especially thankful that the hospital is close to home.

Good morning 0105

 

Monday has started.
In the morning, we’re going to the clinic and then doing a few errands.
In the afternoon, we’ll each go to our own gym for a light 30-minute workout.
The gyms are across from each other, so we can go together.
Our regular routine has started again.

This photo is of my small golf bag. I don’t use it anymore, so our son-in-law carried it on his shoulder and took it home with him when he visited us over the New Year.

Lunch diary (New Year) & Good morning 0104

 

by Mieko

by Yuki

It is a usual Sunday for the two of us. Yuki is wondering whether to join a jam session.
I am going to organize last year’s photos on my iPhone.
From tomorrow, our routine of visiting the clinic and the hospital will start again.

Good morning 0103

 

by Yuki

It’s the third day of the New Year’s holiday—the last day. For the two of us, it feels like an ordinary Saturday. Yuki plans to go to the gym for some light exercise, and I’ll work on YouTube.

Yesterday, a young friend visited us, and we spent a long time chatting. It was a lot of fun.

Good morning 0102

by Yuki

It is the second day of the New Year’s holiday. This year, we are not visiting any shrines or temples because Yuki’s mother passed away last year.

Yesterday, our daughters, our son-in-law, our grandchild, and a close friend gathered at our home, and we had a very nice time together.

In the evening, there was a train accident, but thankfully they were not involved, and everyone returned home safely. Having escaped the accident, it felt like a sign that even if difficulties arise this year, we will be able to avoid them gracefully.

Today, we plan to stay home and spend the day calmly. Someone may come by to see us.

 

Happy new year! 2026

 

by Yuki

Happy new year!