My stethoscopes

I am proud to have expertise in cardiac auscultation.
Without stethoscopes, however, my knowledge would not have worked.

As you can see, I have a good collection of various stethoscopes in the room of the hospital I work for. Some are antique (the elderest is >50 years of age) and some are young (a few months); some are expensive and some are cheap; some are practical and some are impractical; and some are stereophonic and some are digital.

Needless to say, I have loved them, all of which are my priceless partners in daily practice.

I have been satisfied with the current members, but it would be appreciated if I could obtain a genuine Rappaport-Sprague stethoscope, which is no longer on sale. I will keep on checking out auction sites on the Internet.

Best Sakura in the world.

This year, I enjoyed beautiful cherry blossoms blooming in my two hometowns: one is Hikone (left pictures) and the other is Saito (right pictures).

I could not express enough of their fabulous sceneries. As you can see, they are awesome beyond my description in words. Light pink sakura, blue sky, and green plants...not to mention my parents. What a combination!

No wonder this year is the best Sakura I have ever seen before. I would never ever never forget this year's precious moments for the rest of my life.

Official twitter starts

We have started the official twitter of "循環器 Physical Examination 研究会." Dr, Hayashida and I are in charge of the content because most of the members are not familiar with this social medium.

This organization was established by late Pro. Yoshikawa in 2003 and an annual conference has taken place in Kobe for almost two decades. Lots of skills and knowledge about physical examination in the filed of cardiology can be obtained through the meeting. I am 100% sure that you are surprised to know how attractive physical examination techniques are!

In order to show the attractiveness to more people, we have decided to start activities on twitter, which is the best platform in this context.

Now, the follower are around 300 in number. The more informative the contents are, the more followers we can get. Of course, we need to be careful because this site may include personal information. It is needles to say that we try not to go too far, just hoping for increased follower number.

Anyway, I will do my best for the twitter page to thrive with my fantastic colleagues!

My vacation

I had a fun time with my family during my vacation, which started on Feb 18 and finished on Feb 27.

My daughter and I spent 2 days in Takamatsu, where her favorite YouTuber, Togimochi, was born and raised. Besides eating fantastic Udon noodles, we visited some sightseeing spots. One of them includes a beach shaped like a Japanese coin in the Edo period, which has attracted me for more than 3 decades.

My sons and I also enjoyed a wonderful dinner at an exclusive sushi restaurant. My wife attended her daughter's graduation ceremony. I was not allowed to join them due to the Covid-19 pandemic restriction, though.

Thanks to my fantastic memories that I have experienced during the 9-day vacation, I have been motivated enough to work hard from tomorrow. Thanks, my loved ones.

It would be appreciated if we could go to Taiwan togaher on my next vacation.

My wife starts a part-time job.

My wife, Junko, started working for the first time in more than two decades.

She had taught students how to play the piano but quit the job after she married me. I am not sure if I asked her to stop working but my wife has been a housewife. It is true that she has been busy taking care of our three kids.

All of a sudden, my wife told me that she had decided to start a part-time job. I agree with her decision because she has a right to do so regardless of my preference.

Now she works three times a week (i.e., Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays), when I am ready to support my family while she is at work. However, what surprises me is that she never neglects her diary chores no matter how busy she is. I am really proud of you, Junko.

Go for it and enjoy your life, Junko! I'll be there for you.

2021 F1: Final lap in Abu Dhabi

What a race! What a lap! What an ending!

I have been a big fan of F1 for more than three decades, but I have never seen a lap like this. It is more dramatic than a movie. The best script would not be better than what happened in the final lap in Abu Dhabi this year.

To tell the truth, on the lap before the final, I thought that Hamilton would win the race and be a champion. I thus go to the restroom, and, after coming back, I am surprised to notice that the race is about to resume from the last lap. The miracle then happens. I almost missed the most memorable moment.

I am also proud of Honda because the Japanese carmaker never gives up no matter how tough the challenge was. Thanks, everyone in F1, and I look forward to seeing the next season.

Long time no see

My daughter, Aya, and I visited my parents for the first time in more than one and half a year.

We used to visit them every month and enjoy chatting with them and having fantastic meals that my mother served for us.

However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything has dramatically changed. Durling the lift of the state of an emergency, it would be possible to go back to my hometown, but Mon did not allow us to come back for fear of being sick. She seemed to think that I would carry the pathogen since I am a physician.

As shown in the pictures, I was happy to see my parents being the same as before the pandemic. What a relief.

Nobody knows when the disaster will come to the end, but I would like to visit them as many as possible, not only for them but also for me.

Oblige noblesse

Recently, I made four lectures and chaired one conference within one week.

What a tough but satisfying week. Needless to say, being requested is worth more than the money that woud be paid to me. I have to appreciate the current condition.

 

I do not think that it is the title that counts, but it is also true that some jobs are asked due to my title, which is the vice president of the hospital or the chief of the cardiology department.

No wonder, everyone has the day of thier retirement in the future and loses their title regardless of career position. The ideal is that you are still needed without your title.

I am not sure if I can make it in the absence of the name of the hospital that I have worked for more than two decades, but I will do my best for my hospital as well as my patients as a cardiologist.

Aya to get into University.

My daughter was given the right of admission on recommendation to Yamato university. Way to go, Aya.

I know that she has gotten great grades at high school, which was 4.7, on average for two and half a years, on a scale of 0 to 5 with 5 indicating the best score. She deserves it.

To my surprise, she is going to major in nursing. I had recommended she become a physical therapist, but Aya has decided to take a course of a nurse on her own. What a fantastic moment. I am proud of my daughter. No wonder she will be a good nurse who will be able to feel patient's worries as her ones.

Congrats, Aya. It is a long and tough way to be a good nurse, but I bet that you can make it.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021

I enjoyed the exciting games, so did my family members. I guess that a majority of Japanese people got excited about the competitions.

No wonder that concerns raised regarding its effect on the COVID-19 before the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Consensus had not been obtained even among experts.

I am still not sure whether the games caused the fifth wave of the pandemic, as of the end of the summer here in Japan. However, it is true that the games gave us tons of energy. Thanks, all the athletes as well as staff.