HospitalEast

Escape form Cancer Ward

National Cancer Center Hospital East

15 December: 10:00am, I was hospitalized in Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital.

I telephoned the Department of Radiology of the National Cancer Center Hospital East (Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan).

I said, "Do you accept me?"

They said "We are unable to answer such an inquire promptly. Please call me again in two hours."

I said, "I understand. May I have your name, please?"

He said, "My name is Dr.Nihei."

I said, "All right, Dr.Nihei. I will call you just in 2 hours. Thank you."

11:00am: Prof. Ohkawa of Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital is explaining his situation.

I have already made up my mind and interrupted his talk.

I said, "I have a promise to telephone someone. I am sorry but my hope is that I go to National Cancer Center Hospital East."

Prof.Ohkawa said, "I understand. Please give my best regards to Manager Ikeda of Hospital East.

I said, "Certainly, I will. Thank you."

16 December: 12:00 exactly, I telephoned Hospital East and was told "You are acceptable."

17 December: I was at the reception of the Department of Radiation and taking a hospitalization procedure with which I have already been familiar.

When I interviewed Dr.Ogino, I handed him a report of my experiences with other hospitals.

Dr.Ogino said, "Here in Hospital East, the Department of Radiation does not have an initiative.

The doctor in charge of you will be Dr.Ohtsu of Internal Medicine Department."

I was shocked. It is out of rule. The doctor who sees the patient first should take charge of the patient.

Dr. Ogino said, "In your case, an anticancer agent is used. Therefore, Internal Medicine takes charge of you.

Then, I interviewed Dr.Atsushi Ohtsu, Chief of Digestion Internal Medicine Department. doctor at desk

He explained, "In general in the case like you, an operation is a standard treatment.
We have no data of 5-year-survival rate on our treatment by radiation plus anticancer agent.
This treatment was started three years ago. Three-year-survival rate is 70-80%.
Here in Hospital East, this rate is drawing near to that of operation."

I answered without hesitation, "Please treat me with radiotherapy! But give me time to think about an anticancer agent."

He referred names of anticancer agents like 5FUs or cisplatin, which sounds fearful to me.

These agents will be injected continuously for 24 hours two weeks!

I have heard that when radiotherapy is done together with anticancer agents, the effect will go up.

I met Dr.Hiroshi Ikeda of Radiation Department Manager.

I said, "Please start radiotherapy to me immediately before the data I carried out of the National Cancer Center Hospital (Tokyo) obsoletes. Please take all the credit to Radiation Department."

Dr. Ikeda said, "I have heard about Prof.Ohkawa's affair. Well, don't worry."

I reserved a bed and went home.

21 December: Endoscope and CT inspections were conducted. The gastric ulcer was discovered but nothing can be done.

22 December: Today I learned that Ms.Kitamura, Head of Ogikubo Health Center, who had written me the letter of introduction to National Cancer Center, graduated in medicine from T University, and the former student of both of my friends, Drs. S and R. I felt the world is small."

24 December: I was hospitalized in Christmas Eve.

Because carrying-in of personal computers was prohibited, I brought my word processor, which has internet function.

My weight was 72kg.

A piece of Christmas cake was carried into my room. It was a miserable Christmas day for the first time in my life.

I received an e-mail from Dr.S. -- "You need to be hospitalized quietly this time. THE DIE IS CAST (Julius Caesar)."

25 December: I made my best effort to collect information in the smoking room as I did so far. However, due to the location of the Hospital(?), all patients order a dish of the day. Moreover, I could find no esophagus cancer patient.

26 December: I went to the smoking room again. I found two at last. They are Messrs. K and S. Both of them are Dr.Ohtsu's patients. Their protocol is the same as that of mine.

I asked them, "How do you feel?"

Mr.K. said, "I have a little damage like carsickness."

Mr.S. said, "I feel somewhat I lost appetite.

Both replied at ease. Seeing is believing. I made up my mind.

Thank you, two of them. If I had not met them, I was going to refuse anticancer agents.

I had assumed that anticancer agent and Commerce-and-industry loan are the same idea with the proverb 'a drowning man will catch at even a straw.'

27 December: Before my medical treatment started, I interviewed Dr.Amano of Circulatory Surgery Department. His specialty is heart surgery.

He is a designated surgeon by 'Jehovah's Witnesses' although he has no religious relation.

It means that he has the technology which conducts a heart operation without transfusion.

He belongs to New Tokyo Hospital.

I do not know if there is no specialist of heart cancer because a heart does not catch cancer.

Dr.Amano said, "All doctors here in Hospital East are skillful, but they are all very shy."

27 December: 56th day since my cancer was noticed. The attack began.

Morning: Medication of 5FUs and cisplatin was started.

4:00pm, Radiotherapy was started with Microtron B.

Dr. Minoru Ishikura of Radiation Department was in charge of me.

Radiation was carried out by Radiological technologist Masaya Oyama.

28 December: 0:30am midnight, I fell asleep.

5:00am, I got up for urine. My temperature was 35.5 degrees.

I was told, while I was hospitalized in Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, that I need to drink as much water or green as possible in order to wash away anti-cancer agents.

I learned this from a cheerful and vigorous woman. She said smiling, "Although my breast is small, my neoplasm is large."

Fortunately my room is single-beded and I turned up my room air-conditioner at high temperature.

8:00am, I had a good appetite and ate up my breakfast. (-｡-)y-ﾟﾟﾟ

I did not felt incongruity to the needle of intravenous drip.

Were there no influences of anticancer agents?

I wore a pink wristband, which pressed the acupressure point.

They said it had a travel-sickness-preventive effect.

I have ever used a travel-sickness-preventive tablet only once when I went to Ogasawara Islands by ship.

I was about to throw up.

However this time I had to fight against the notorious anticancer agents.

I drank tea intently and excreted five litter a day.

In place of a bottle of whiskey in order to go asleep, I took a hypnotic and got up every 2 hours.

It looked as if you step on an accelerator and a brake simultaneously.

Afternoon, I received a telephone call from Dr.S.

I said that I felt good.

30 December: My weight was 76.5kg.

I was swollen by 4.5 kg. My Birkenstock is very useful in such a condition.

Since my gums were bleeding, I bought a woolen tooth brush.

The membrane of my nose received some damages.

I had stomatitis, too.

I requested stomatitis ointment.

31 December: Afternoon, I went to the basement barbershop to have my hair shampooed.

My hair was not falling out badly.

Although bathing was permitted, I cared about the drip needle and did not feel like taking a bath.

I appreciate the wash-toilet system in my room.

New Year Card
1 January, 2000: In the nurse's station I saw the Sunrise on New Year's Day. For the first time in some dozens of years, I was sober when the sun of New Year's day rises.

Unlike cities, there is nothing obstructing a view.

Viewed from the eighth floor, a cloud floated above the horizon.

The last year of the 20th century had come!!.

5FU medication was finished.

I went home to spend a single night.

2 January: 9:00pm, I was on my bed of the hospital again.

6 January: X-ray photograph was taken for reconfirmation of the target.

7 January: Gap of 3 millimeters from the target was corrected.

I asked, "How many millimeters outside is my neoplasm irradiated?"

Technologist Ohyama answered, "In case of organs not to move, such as a head, we irradiate 5mm excessively.

However, since an esophagus moves, we irradiate 10mm excessively."

10mm margin? I remembered that the doctor in another hospital mentioned "30mm".

A digital image-processing system. Contrast automatic adjustment.

Digital processing cost is added to insurance.

It is great!

The machines are different in accuracy here in Cancer Center Hospital East.

I asked, "How many seconds am I irradiated?"

Technologist Ohyama answered, "This machine irradiates 3 grays in one minute. You need one gray on one side. That is, 20 seconds, one side.

However, when the other machine next door is working, you have to wait in the meantime."

I said, "I understand. For such a short time I can hold my breath.

Please tell me when you begin."

I could hear BGM slightly.

Technologist Ohyama said, "Start.

Three seconds later, I heard a faint beep sound.

I count. 1, 2, 3, 4, ....

I was irradiated by the T-shape including lymph.

Technologist Ohyama said, "Please be relaxed."

I took a deep breath. Hoooo....

I asked, "What do I have to do to become an ideal patient?"

Technologist Ohyama said, "You are already an ideal patient enough."

I said, "Then, both of us are doing our best. We do not know the results , but it wonderful, isn't it?"

9 December: I took the procedure of leaving hospital next day.

10 December: 1:00pm, I drove to the hospital by myself for radiation.

Evening, My family eat out at a Chinese Noodle Restaurant.

My wife and daughter ate a large bowl of Chinese noodles.

I ordered Won ton noodles.

A throat became tightest.

I raise my jaw in order to let noodles pass through my throat.

It looked as if a penguin swallows fish.

I ate little by little carefully.

People sometimes do this when their tonsils swell up.

My wife said, "Can't you eat up?

Because speaking was painful, I ignored her.

Did not she notice? I had never ordered won ton noodles.

Even noodles were hard to swollen to me.

She lacks in delicacy!

14 January: I exchanged the battery of Isuzu Asuka JJ510.

It might be troublesome if the engine will not start in the morning.

Driving time to the hospital was about 50 minutes.

Neither of Gaikan Motorway and Joban Motorway were congested.

The revolution counter showed 3000RPM.

I loaded Recaro car-sheet which I had used long time ago.

17 January: On the way from the hospital, the road display board showed no traffic congestion on any metropolitan highway.

Then, I decided to go to the smoking room of Cancer Center Hospital Tokyo.

I met again Mr.K.

He said, "Everybody was worried about you. All members of those days left hospital."

He said that members were keeping in touch with each other.

I asked him to let me join them.

24 January: In order that target marking might not disappear, the marking was overwritten.

Incidentally, I have heard that a tattoo is used in the U.S.

25 January: I exchanged one glow plug.

Preparation of my car for cold season was completed.

Recently my eyesight fell.

I could hardly read papers and cards.

I went to buy glasses to the Imperial warrant optical shop MURATA, whose managing director is a friend of mine since we were at high school.

He said that my glasses need astigmatism and prism, it would take time.

He promised me to send the glasses to my hospital while I was there.

26 January: For a sake of preparation of coming 2-week hospitalization, I bought six 2-litter bottles of green tea (one litter per day.)

The hospital shop does not have 2-litter bottles.

I remitted to G for compensation of his effort to bet the US cancer situation and Nicoderm, etc.

27 January: I checked the documents to carry into the hospital.

I had good appetite.

I felt no incongruity of my throat. I almost recovered from the effects of anticancer agents.

28 January: 10:00am, Re-hospitalization.

I e-mailed to some friends. E-mailing is very convenient in case of hospitalization.

"Timing of rehospitalization is exquisite. I was thankful to the prodecessors.

The anti-cancer agents were prescribed again.

2-week continuous medication of 5-FU started.(cisplatin first day only).

I had inspection of endoscope and CT.

Endoscope is most painful to me even for a short time.

Ordinal local anesthesia is not effective against me.

My body is strong enough against alcohol at the same time against anesthesia.

Therefore, I have to use stronger anesthesia.

When returning to my room, I sit on a wheelchair push by a nurse.

Patients usually fall on their bed and go asleep.

On the contrary as you see, I am typing now.

My Cancer is not visual on the surface as a result of endoscopy inspection!

My doctor said that luckily the treatment is more effective than he had expected. I am relieved.

Some contrast media was injected at the time of CT inspection.

The body gets hot.

Today's inspection was all completed."

Evening, Dr.S came to me and we went to the restaurant in a department store in Kashiwa City.

The taxi fare of round trip to and from Kashiwa was 5000-6000 yen.

29 January: I took supper at a Sukiyaki Restaurant in east side of Kashiwa Station. I ate as much shabu-shabu as I can at a flat price of 2980 yen.

I ate meat for the first time in two month. My throat became good.

The only discontent of this hospital is the location of countryside.

There is nothing. No restaurants nor tobacco shops near here.

(Therefore, hospital shop sells cigarettes.)

The restaurants in the hospital are closed at 6:00pm.

In Cancer Center Hospital Tokyo, they open till 9:00pm.

The Ginza is situated near.

By the way, there is rumor that you'd better have an operation in Cancer Center Hospital Tokyo and radiation/chemotherapy (anticancer agent) in Hospital East.

30 January: I went out to a roadside restaurant near the hospital.

Taxi fare was about 1000 yen.

I fed up with a meals of the Hospital.

My new glasses arrived.

They perfectly fit me.

31 January: 11:00am: Intravenous drip was started.

Prescription was the same amount of the same anti-cancer agent.

I e-mailed to friends. "I took a morning bath. I will never feel like bathing for the coming two weeks because of the intravenous drip tube. Radiotherapy will be continued till the 21st of January even the intravenous finishes.

Now, I have just returned from treating room where I had an injection of the drip needle. I became tense.

They measures an exact position through Roentgen rays."
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3 February: I had less damages than last time.

4 February: It was the final day of radiation from both straight side. 40 grays were completed.

5 February Today’s Data -- leukocyte 3100, hemoglobin 11.0, blood platelet 17.0.

Unlike professors emeritus, enumeration is incomprehensible to me.

I had my hair shampooed for 1575 yen.

6 February: I met again with the S.

7 February: Data of today -- leukocyte 2800, hemoglobin 11.3, blood platelet 19.1.

Slantwise radiation was started to avoid a spine. 30 seconds for one side.

The radiation time is longer because of the difference in a cross-section area.

My neoplasm portion was irradiated one gray each side.

The internal organs which move cannot be depended.

The target is guessed from a backbone or a spine which never moves.

The target will be corrected when it shifts 5mm or more.

I hold my breath for 30 seconds.

Ragiological Technologist Atsuko Takada took charge of me.

In the smoking room, I met Mr.Y who was a stage-IV pharynx cancer patient.

Unlike me, he came directly to Hospital East from Cancer Center Hospital Tokyo.

He studied about his disease very hard.

He also praised the so-called professor emeritus of Hospital Tokyo.

He confessed that there were many gloomy people in Hospital East. I agreed to him.

I guess the reason that Hospital East has a much shorter history than Hospital Tokyo does.

So, there are much fewer professors emeritus.

Their experiences serve as confidence and give relieves to the cancer beginners.

9 February: Lady with cigarette Capri, I congratulated her on her leaving hospital the next day.

But I knew she returned again to the hospital next month.

Mr.S left hospital, too.

He gave me five PET bottles of oolong tea to wash away anti-cancer agents.

10 February: I prepared my leaving hospital and reserved my next month hospitalization.

I had my hair shampoo.

If we are not smiling, we will lose our fate.

11 February: My weight is 73.3kg.

I talked with one of the nurses about soft landing.

I read "The return of a patient to hospital causes nurses’ allergic reaction." 医者が癌にかかったとき

in the book "When a doctor gets cancer" written by Fumiyoshi Takenaka, published by Bunshun library(p280).

The patients conditions change gradually.

I asked the nurse "Does this apply to you?"

She answered "No, it is not. If my patient die, I feel my fate that I have to attend their death."

Her answer was positive.

If they wish, they'd better be in their own house at the last moment. Naturally, I want to die in my house.

Thinking so, I felt easy.

12 February: I left hospital.

Hospitalization is planned from 12 of April for the second chemical treatment.

I am presently writing about the sequel after leaving hospital.

To be continued...

page upload 00/07/09