尿が出ない Unable to Urinate

 尿が出ない　

　11月２２日（土）、朝から逼迫尿意。トイレに行っても尿が一滴も出ない。風呂に入ると尿の出が良くなるので、豊田線「浄心」にある龍泉寺温泉に行き、湯上りに瓶ビールを一本飲んだ。

午前中にコーヒーを飲み、昼飯に汁物や茶を飲んだから、膀胱に尿が溜まっているはず。でも、一滴も出ない。

帰宅後、晩飯を食べて、十九時頃Chat GPTで「尿が出ない、どうすべきか」と尋ねたら、「救急車で病院に行くべし。放置すると、膀胱が損傷する。腎臓に負担がかかる。血圧上昇。感染症のリスクあり」と返事。

女房の運転で、聖霊病院の救急外来に２１時頃に着いた。医者が尿道に管を入れようとした。なかなか入らない。何度も失敗し、ついに聖霊病院ではお手上げ。

夜中の２２時頃、市大病院に行った。医者が上手く管（カテーテル）を尿道に挿入し、尿を出してくれた。約１２００ｃｃ（大きなペットボトル満タン）あった。逼迫尿意は消え、気分が、すこぶる良くなった。

女房の運転で帰宅したのは２３：４０頃。

カテーテルを着けたまま寝たが、午前三時頃、パンツが、べたべたするので見てみると、パンツもパジャマも毛布も敷布も血だらけ。血尿だ。血だらけのパンツとパジャマは処分して、着替えた。

翌朝、敷布と毛布に付いた血を洗った。

　翌朝（２３日）９：３０頃、市大病院で診察。膀胱洗浄。止血剤。カテーテルを着けた不自由な生活。

　２８日（金）９：１５　聖霊病院で診察。カテーテルは取らずに１２月朔日に取る。

Unable to Urinate

From the morning on November 22 (Saturday), I felt an urgent need to urinate, but even when I went to the toilet, not a single drop came out. Since bathing usually improves my urine flow, I went to Ryusenji Onsen at Jōshin on the Toyota Line, and after bathing I drank a bottle of beer.

I had coffee in the morning, and with lunch I drank soup and tea, so my bladder should have been full. Yet still, not a single drop came out.

After returning home and eating dinner, around 7 p.m. I asked ChatGPT, “I can’t urinate, what should I do?” The reply was: “You should go to the hospital by ambulance. If left untreated, the bladder may be damaged, the kidneys will be strained, blood pressure will rise, and there is a risk of infection.”

My wife drove me to Seirei Hospital’s emergency department, arriving around 9 p.m. The doctor tried to insert a tube into my urethra, but it wouldn’t go in. After several failed attempts, he gave up.

Around 10 p.m., we went to Nagoya City University Hospital. There, the doctor successfully inserted a catheter into my urethra and drained the urine. About 1,200 cc (enough to fill a large PET bottle) came out. The urgent need to urinate disappeared, and I felt wonderfully relieved.

My wife drove us home, arriving around 11:40 p.m.

I slept with the catheter still in place, but around 3 a.m. I noticed my underwear was sticky. When I checked, my underwear, pajamas, blanket, and sheet were all soaked with blood—bloody urine. I threw away the bloodstained underwear and pajamas and changed clothes.

The next morning, I washed the blanket and sheet that had blood on them.

 

On November 23 (Sunday), around 9:30 a.m., I had a check-up at Nagoya City University Hospital. They performed bladder irrigation, gave me hemostatic medication.  

I have been living my life with the catheter in place. That is most inconvenient. I always have to hold a long tube that comes out of my urethra to the catheter.

I had another check-up at Seirei Hospital on November 28 (Friday), 9:15 a.m. The catheter was not removed; it will be taken out on December 1.

 

観光バスの衝突 Sightseeing Bus Collision

 昨日（１１月１０日）富士五湖廻りの途中、本栖湖でバスがバックして停車する時、後部バンパーが、駐車中の乗用車の側面に当たり、凹んでしまった。

添乗員と運転手と、乗用車の運転手が損傷箇所の傍で話し始めた。（私はバスの窓側に座っており、彼らの遣り取りが見えた）添乗員は会社に電話をしているようであった。

添乗員は乗客に謝り、「会社の指示は、警察に連絡をとる。代用のバスを回送する」とのこと。運転手も我々観光客に謝った。

困った。本栖湖を予定通りに出発しないと静岡駅発の新幹線に乗れない。乗れなければ、後発の新幹線の自由席に乗ることになる。私は一時間半も新幹線に立ち続けることはできない。

２０分ぐらい経つとパトカーが来た。警官が現場を調べ、写真を撮り、約２０分後に去って行った。

回送バスは来ない……。

添乗員が「会社に警官の調べがあったと連絡したら、そのまま走って良いとのことでした。今から発車します。途中で土産店でのトイレ休憩は飛ばして、静岡駅に直行します。新幹線には、予定通り乗車できます」と言った。

ああ、良かった。

こんな経験は初めてだ。飛行機や電車の事故で、客が待合室やコンコースで座り込んでいる光景を何度も見たが、他人事ではなかった。

Sightseeing Bus Collision

Yesterday (November 10), while touring around the Fuji Five Lakes, our bus was backing up to stop at Lake Motosu when its rear bumper struck the side of a parked car, leaving a dent.

The tour conductor, the bus driver, and the car’s driver began talking near the damaged spot. (I was seated by the bus window and could see their exchange.) The conductor seemed to be calling the company.

After that, the conductor apologized to the passengers, explaining, “The company has instructed me to contact the police. They will send a replacement bus.” The driver also apologized to us tourists.

This was troubling. If we didn’t leave Lake Motosu on schedule, we wouldn’t make our Shinkansen from Shizuoka Station. Missing it would mean boarding a later train in the unreserved section. I cannot stand for an hour and a half on the Shinkansen.

After about twenty minutes, a police car arrived. The officers inspected the scene, took photos, and left about twenty minutes later.

But the replacement bus never came…

Then the conductor announced, “After reporting the police inspection to the company, they told us we can continue as we are. We’ll depart now. We’ll skip the restroom stop at the souvenir shop and go straight to Shizuoka Station. You’ll be able to board the Shinkansen as scheduled.”

Ah, what a relief.

This was my first time experiencing something like this. I’ve often seen passengers stranded in waiting rooms or concourses after plane or train accidents, but now it wasn’t someone else’s problem—it was mine.

なぜ「帰りは怖い」のか Why Is "Returning" Scary?

なぜ「帰りは怖い」のか

童謡に「通りゃんせ」がある。

 

通りゃんせ 通りゃんせ

ここはどこの 細道じゃ

天神様の 細道じゃ

ちっと通して 下しゃんせ

御用のないもの 通しゃせぬ

この子の七つの お祝いに

お札を納めに 参ります

行きはよいよい 帰りはこわい

こわいながらも 通りゃんせ 通りゃんせ

 

最後の行に「帰りはこわい」とある。何故、怖いのか。

Chat GPTによると、答は以下の如くであった。

神社は「あの世」と「この世」の境と考えられていた。「行く」は生（現世）から神域へ入るから、いと易きこと。しかし、お札を納めて、神域を離れ、生現世）へ戻る。神域を離れたから怖い。

 

　Why Is "Returning" Scary?

Go ahead, go ahead
Where does this narrow path lead?
It leads to the Tenjin shrine.
Please let me pass for a moment.
Those without business may not pass.
I’ve come to offer a talisman
For this child’s seventh birthday.
The way there is easy, the way back is scary.
Even so, go ahead, go ahead.

Chat GPT answered this way: 

The return path symbolizes leaving the sacred realm of the gods and returning to the mortal world, and the fear expressed as “scary” reflects the unease and reverence felt when departing from such a divine space.

 

We Happy Few 我等の数は少ないが、幸せ者だ

 昨日、YWC|Aのシェクスピア講座で「アジャンクールの戦い」の原文を読んだ。この戦いについては、３４年前（１９９１年）、生徒にKNOW THE WORLD WITH MAT "MATの目”でプリントを配った。以下は、そのプリントである。

原文を併せて付加えることにした。

Yesterday, I studied the Battle of Agincourt in the Shakespeare Class at  Nagoya YWCA. I had given printed materials about the battle in my English class 34 years ago. I was 48 years old then. I added Henry V's encouragement speech to the Bilingual Bulletin No. 25. 

 南山高等学校　２年　日英バイリンガル通信　NO. 25　July 19, 1991

　　　　　　　　　　少ないほど大きい

　諸君は世界史で「アジャンクールの戦い」について習いましたが覚えていますか。１４１５年、アジャンクールでヘンリー５世の率いる三千のイギリス軍が、二万のフランス騎士軍を破りました。フランス軍の死者は一万、イギリス軍は二百人でした。シェクスピアの「ヘンリー５世」によると、王は次のように言って兵士を鼓舞しました。
　『援軍を望む者もいよう。しかし我々が戦死するなら三千で十分だ。生き残るのなら少数なほど名誉も大きい。戦う勇気のない者は立ち去るがいい。我々は共に死ぬのを恐れるような者と死にたくはない。今日は聖クリスピアンの祭日だ。今日を生きのび無事故郷に帰る者は、毎年この日に胸を張ることだろう。今日を生きのび長生きする者は、毎年友達に「明日は聖クリスピアンだ」と言って古傷を見せ、「これは聖クリスピアンの日の傷だ」と言うことだろう。老人は忘れ易いが、今日の手柄は決して忘れず、息子に語り聞かせるであろう。我々は少数だが幸せだ。クリスピアンの日が来さえすれば我々のことが思いだされるからだ。今日、朕と共に血を流す者を朕の兄弟としよう。たとえ卑しい身分でも貴紳としよう。故国で今寝ている者はここにいなかったことを残念がるだろう。』

　　　　　THE FEWER, THE GREATER

　　You studied the Battle of Agincourt during your world history lesson. Do you remember it? An English army of 3,000 men led by King Henry V defeated a French force of 20,000 knights at Agincourt in 1415. The French losses were 10,000, while the English losses were only 200. According to Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” this is how the king encouraged his men.
　　“Some of you may want to have more men from England, but if we are to die, 3,000 of us are more than enough. If we are to live, the fewer we are, the greater is our share of honor. He who has no stomach for this fight, let him depart. We will not die with those who fear to die with us.
　　“Today is the Feast of Crispian. He who survives today and goes home safely will be proud of himself when this day comes. He who survives today and lives to an old age will say to his friends every year, ‘Tomorrow is Crispian’s day,’ and he will show his scars and say, ‘I got these wounds on Crispian’s day.’ Old men often forget, but they will never forget what they did this day. They will tell this story to their sons. We are a happy few. Every year when Crispian’s day comes, we will be remembered.
　　“He who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. However vile he may be, he shall be called a gentleman. The gentlemen lying in bed in England will be sorry that they are not here.”

*********************************************
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
　　　　　　　　　　--Shakespeare “Henry V”

The St. Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V

by Private: William Shakespeare

King Henry V: What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark’d to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day

From Henry V, Act IV, Scene III

「レ・ミゼラブル」でミゼラブル ”Les Miserables" Made Me Miserable

愛知県芸術劇場でミュージカル「レ・ミゼラブル」を観た。上演時間は約二時間半。歌手もオーケストラの演奏者も皆外国人で、ロンドン公演のプロダクション。ミュージカルは英語で演じられ、日本語字幕が付いていた。

19,500円という大金を払った。その分、楽しめるだろうと思っていたが、 “ミゼラブル”な気持ちになった。

第一に、歌手の英語がほとんど理解できない。20％も理解できなかっただろう。英語の歌を理解するのは、英会話を理解するよりもずっと難しい。単語一つの発声に長く時間がかかるからだ。

第二に、音量があまりにも大きく、耳が壊れるのではないかと思った。鼓膜を守るため、しばしば指を耳に入れた。

第三に、舞台照明に眼が眩んだ。観客に向けてわざと、ピカーっと照明を浴びせ、目を開けていられなかった。なぜ演出家は照明を、あそこまで明るくしたのか理解できない。

第四に、日本語字幕が読みづらかった。文字が小さすぎて全く読めない。そのため、物語を理解できなかった。私の席は三階だったため、字幕スクリーンが遠すぎた。席はS席（スペシャル席）だったが、文字は現在の二倍の大きさにすべきだ。

約20年前、チャールズ・ディケンズの『オリバー・ツイスト』のミュージカル「オリバー」をロンドンで観たことがある。とても面白かった。しかし今回の「レ・ミゼラブル」は全く楽しめない。お金、時間、エネルギーの無駄。

実は、後半には胸に痛みを覚え、深く呼吸することができなくなった。そこで、心不全で死なぬように、ゆっくり呼吸した。幸いにも、公演が終わり劇場を出たときには、生きていて、普通に呼吸できた。

好きな歌舞伎「娘道成寺」が上演されている御園座に行くべきだった。

”Les  Miserables" Made Me Miserable

Today, I saw a musical “Les Miserables” at Aichi Prefectural Art Theater. It lasted for about two hours and a half. The singers and the orchestra players were all foreigners (they say it is a London production). The musical was performed in English with Japanese subtitles.

I paid 19,500 yen for the musical. That’s a lot of money. I hoped I would enjoy as much as I paid. But alas. The performance made me ‘miserable.’

First, I hardly understood the singers’ English. Probably, I understood less than 20 percent of the performance. To comprehend English songs was far more difficult than English conversation because the simple utterance of a word or words takes a long, long time.

Second, the volume was so loud and noisy that I was afraid that my ears would be damaged. I often put my fingers in the ear holes to protect ear drum injuries.

Third, the stage lights were so bright that they often blinded my eyes. Some of the lights were aimed at the audience. They shot the lights at us, audience. I couldn’t keep opening my eyes. I don’t understand the director’s intention to make the stage lights too bright.

Fourth, the Japanese subtitles were difficult to read because the letters were so small that I was not able to read them at all. So, I failed to understand the whole story. Maybe my seat was on the third floor, from which the subtitle screens were far away. My seat was S (special) seat, though. The letters should be twice as large as the present size.

About 20 years ago, I saw a musical “Oliver” based on “Oliver Twist” written by Charles Dickens. I enjoyed it very much. However, I did not enjoy “Les Misérables” at all. It was a waste of money, time, and energy. To tell you the truth, I felt pain in my heart at the latter part of the performance. I was unable to breathe deeply. So, I tried to breathe slowly and steadily so that I would not die of heart failure. Thank God, after the performance finished and when I went out of the theater, I was alive and breathed normally.

I should have gone to see my favorite Kabuki at Misono Theater, where Musume Dojoji is performed.

ゴミ袋を漁る烏 Crows Hunting Food

 私はマンションに住んでいる。火曜と金曜は生ごみをゴミ集積所に出す日である。この火曜日にゴミ袋を持って、集積所に行って驚いた。烏が既に出してあったゴミ袋を突っついて中の生ごみを道路一杯に散らしてあった。道路が生ごみだらけだ。ゴミ集積所の担当はマンション組合の保健委員である。放置しておけば、保健委員の人が散らかったゴミを掃除してくれる。しかし、あまりに酷いので、せめて大きなゴミだけでもと思い、散らかっているゴミ袋や紙切れや、食べ残しなどを足で道路脇にどかしていた。すると、私のマンションの向かいに住んでいるSさんが、箒と塵取りを持って現れた。Sさんは、ゴミだらけの道路を自発的に掃除しようと来てくれたのだ。偉い人だ。自分はそこまでやらずに、せいぜい足でゴミを道路わきに寄せようとしていた。Sさんは立派な人で尊敬する。

Crows Hunting Food

I live in a condominium. Tuesday and Friday are the days when we put out kitchen waste at the garbage collection site. This Tuesday, when I carried my bag there, I was shocked. Crows had already torn into the bags, scattering the food scraps all over the road. The street was covered with garbage.

The person in charge of the collection site is a member of the condo association’s health committee. If left alone, the committee member would eventually clean up the mess. But it was so terrible that I thought I should at least move the larger pieces out of the way. I used my foot to push aside torn bags, scraps of paper, and leftover food toward the edge of the road.

Just then, Mr. S, who lives across from my apartment, appeared with a broom and dustpan. He had come out to clean the garbage-strewn street. What a commendable person. I myself had only tried to nudge the trash to the roadside with my foot, but Mr. S took real action. He is admirable, and I respect him.

奥条の思い出 My Memory about MY Birthplace, Okujyo

 奥条の思い出　

①遠景に駒野駅プラットホームが見える

The platform at Okujyo Station

　　　　　　　　　　　②駒野駅近くの踏切を渡る 

Crossing the railways near Okyjo Station

　　　　　　　　　　　　③駒野駅近くの工場（長い塀が見える）

A factory near Okujyo Station

④工場の塀沿いに歩くと、遠くに奥条の丸い山が見える

You will see the round top of a mountain in the Yoro Mountain Range

私が生まれたのは母の実家で、岐阜県海津市（昔は海津郡）南濃町奥条である。奥条は養老山脈の麓にある。

少年時代の私（松岡博）が、大垣から、どのように奥条に行ったか説明する。

ＪＲ大垣駅から近鉄桑名行に乗って、駒野駅（大垣→西大垣→大外羽→友江→高田→養老→美濃津屋→駒野）で降りる。駅を出て、すぐ左に曲がると小さな神社がある。神社を斜めに横切ると細い道に出る。細い道を進むと踏切がある。踏切から駒野駅が見える（写真①）。踏切を渡って②、しばらく歩くと工場の高い煙突が見える。工場の長い塀沿い③に歩くと、前方に養老山脈の丸い山④が見える。

塀沿いに歩くと幅５０センチほどの用水路に出る。用水路を越えると、幅約３メートルの道路がある。道路を横断して山に向かって緩やかな坂道を歩いて行くと、右手に大きな水車が回っている。直径５メートルぐらいあり、苔が生えている古い黒い水車で、水を落としながら、ゆっくり回っている。しばし見惚れる。駅からここまで来るのに１５分ぐらい掛かる。

水車を過ぎて、幅２メートルの道を歩く。道の両側は田圃である。右手に実家の栗林が見える。道を２００メートルぐらい山に向かって進むと、前方に火の見櫓が見える。見上げると、櫓の天辺に鉦が吊るされている。火の見櫓を右に周り、左に進むと前方に、三体の地蔵様が座っている。地蔵様に手を合わせてお辞儀をする。地蔵様を左に曲がると深い竹藪がある。

竹藪を右に曲がって１０分も歩くと、鶏が鳴いている。実家が飼っている鶏だ。鳴き声を聞きながら５分ぐらい奥に進むと、ちょっとした空き地があり、そこに瓦葺の、どっしりした門が建っている。実家の門である。駅から３０分は掛かっている。

やっと着いた。

門を潜ると、すぐ左手に長さ４メートルの池があり、用水路が池に流れて来ている。池の前は広い庭で、庭の左手には白土塀があり、白土塀の奥は屋敷である。庭の右手には二階建の納屋がある。脱穀機などの農業器具が置いてあり、そこで山羊や犬を飼っている。庭の正面に玄関がある。

玄関から入らずに、玄関の右手にある勝手口に行く。井戸があり、水が引かれている。勝手口から家の中に入ると、土間になっており、土間には竈がある。竈の奥には五右衛門風呂がある。

「こんにちは！」大きな声で言う。

「まあ、まあ、ひろちゃん、よう来た」と祖母の声。

 

My Memory about Okujyo

I was born at my mother’s family home in Okujō, Nannō Town, Kaizu City, Gifu Prefecture (formerly Kaizu District). Okujō lies at the foot of the Yōrō mountain range.

As a boy (Hiroshi Matsuoka), this is how I traveled from Ōgaki to Okujō:

From JR Ōgaki Station I took the Kintetsu train bound for Kuwana, and got off at Komano Station (Ōgaki → Nishi-Ōgaki → Ōbana → Tomoe → Takada → Yōrō → Minotsuya → Komano).

Leaving the station and turning immediately left, there was a small shrine. Crossing the shrine diagonally brought me to a narrow path. Following that path, I came to a railroad crossing. From the crossing, Komano Station was visible (Photo ①). After crossing (②) and walking for a while, I could see the tall chimney of a factory. Walking along the long wall of the factory (③), the rounded peak of the Yōrō mountains came into view ahead (④).

Continuing along the wall, I reached a small irrigation channel about 50 centimeters wide. Crossing it, I came to a road about three meters wide. After crossing the road and walking up a gentle slope toward the mountain, I saw a large waterwheel turning on my right. It was about five meters in diameter, old and black with moss growing on it, turning slowly as water spilled down. I stood there for a while, captivated. It took about fifteen minutes to reach this point from the station.

Past the waterwheel, I walked along a two-meter-wide path. On both sides were rice fields. To the right I could see my family’s chestnut grove. Walking about 200 meters further toward the mountain, a fire watchtower called Hinomi Yagura came into view. Looking up, I saw a gong hanging from the top. Skirting the tower to the right and then turning left, I found three stone Jizō statues seated ahead. I put my hands together and bowed to them. Turning left at the Jizō, I entered a deep bamboo grove.

After turning right through the bamboo grove and walking about ten minutes, I heard chickens crowing. They were the ones my mother’s family kept. Following the sound for another five minutes, I came to a small clearing where a solid gate with a tiled roof stood. It was the gate of my family home. By now, at least thirty minutes had passed since leaving the station.

At last, I had arrived.

Passing through the gate, immediately to the left was a pond about four meters long, fed by water from the irrigation channel. In front of the pond lay a spacious garden. On the left side of the garden stood a white earthen wall, behind which was the main house. On the right side was a two-story barn, where farm tools such as a threshing machine were kept, and where goats and dogs were raised. Directly ahead was the front entrance.

Instead of entering through the front, I went to the side entrance on the right. There was a well, with water drawn from it. Entering through the side door, I stepped into the dirt floor area, where a traditional hearth (kamado) stood. Beyond the hearth was a Goemon-style bath.

“Hello!” I called out loudly.

“Well, well, Hiro-chan, you’ve come,” came my grandmother’s voice.