He borrowed a thermometer from the school janitor, and took his temperature. His temperature was 38.5 degrees. He asked the school principal if he could leave earlier because he felt too heavy to work.
On his way back home, he dropped at Kishi Clinic, only a one-minute away from our house. He thought that the one-minute drive was easy enough for him even though he already had a fever.
A nurse took his temperature, and it was 38.7 degrees. Then Dr. Kishi examined if my husband had influenza virus, but it was negative, so the doctor just prescribed some medicines to lower his temperature.
That night, my husband told me that he felt very weak and wanted to sleep right away. He took the medicines and slept until the next morning. The next day, April 21, he called in sick as he was still feverish. He took the medicines and rested the whole day.
Later that night, his temperature reached as high as 40.7 degrees, and I felt scared. The time was already 8:00 p.m. Dr. Kishi closes his clinic at 7:00 p.m. and goes back home. His clinic doesn't offer any bed for patients. We don't know his cell phone number, either.
I asked my husband if I should call an ambulance, but he declined.
I also asked if he wanted to go to "Ishikawa" hospital. He said yes. "Ishikawa" is a privately-owned hospital which has beds for patients. It's a 10-minute drive from our place, my husband visits there whenever he has health problems since he was a small child.
Then I called the hospital and inquired if they can possibly accept my husband for possible confinement. The receptionist told me that they could accept him upon confirmation from the doctor on duty.
My husband agreed with me when I suggested that we take a taxi to the hospital.
He was wearing his pajamas at that time, started to change his clothes. He preferred to dress properly because he was going to take a taxi. However, he got too tired while changing his clothes.
He told me that he changed his mind and wanted to stay in our place that night. I was totally at a loss for what I should do during an emergency like this, so I called his sister who lived 10 minutes away from our house.
I told her that I had been worrying about his fever and I was scared if his temperature would rise even more, and that he might have convulsions at midnight.
I was glad when she arrived at our place 30 minutes later. She brought us several bottles of sports drinks, which are her brother's favorite beverages.
After hearing about her brother's situation, she advised me that if he would like to stay at home that night, then I should let him stay in bed. She also told me that "Ishikawa" was not good enough. Go to the renowned hospitals such as "the Red-Cross" or "the National Hospital." They have good reputations there. All the tax revenues that we pay All the tax revenues that we pay enables them to equip with the cutting edge technologies. It also attracts good doctors. She added that she was not sure that they accept new patients without a referral. Ask Dr. Kishi for a referral to a bigger hospital tomorrow so that he could get a complete medical examination. I agreed with her idea.
Luckily on April 22, it was his school's Foundation Day, and everyone enjoyed their day off.
I accompanied him to the clinic that day. He still had a fever and he was too weak to explain his condition to the receptionist, so I explained instead.
In addition to prescribing different medicines to lower his temperature, Dr. Kishi made the referral to a physician whose speciality is respiratory problems. "This patient visited our clinic last April 20 for the first time, and I prescribed these medicines to no avail..."
The next morning we took a taxi to the National Hospital Organization Himeji Medical Center, which is a 15-minute drive from our place. It was our first time to visit the big hospital. My husband felt so lethargic, so I suggested that he sit down on a chair while I fill in all the necessary documents.
The Himeji Castle near the hospital
where my husband was confined on April 23, 2015.
We waited for about 30 minutes after submitting the documents and the referral. A nurse approached us and asked several questions regarding his condition.
She observed that my husband was uncomfortable sitting down on the chair, so she kindly asked us if he wanted to use one of the beds while waiting for his turn. He said yes, and he asked the nurse if it would be possible to use a wheelchair. The nurse showed me where the wheelchairs were located, so I went there to get one.
She observed that my husband was uncomfortable sitting down on the chair, so she kindly asked us if he wanted to use one of the beds while waiting for his turn. He said yes, and he asked the nurse if it would be possible to use a wheelchair. The nurse showed me where the wheelchairs were located, so I went there to get one.
After getting the wheelchair, I asked him to sit on it and wheeled him to the room. I sat on the seat right next to the bed and waited for my husband's turn.
Waiting seemed forever because there were too many visiting patients. I went out of the waiting room to look around. I felt lucky when I found a convenience store, a restaurant, and a cafeteria in the hospital. I bought a cup of coffee for myself.
There was a small flower garden in the center of the building. Some patients and their families were chatting in the courtyard. I felt a bit relaxed sipping coffee.
When it was my husband's turn, the doctor asked him several questions about his previous condition.
We told the doctor that he has been suffering from asthma since childhood, had a cerebral infarction 10 years ago, and a myocardial infarction 5 years ago.
The doctor also asked us about my husband's smoking habits. He started smoking at the age of 20 and quit it 5 years ago. In total, my husband had been smoking for 35 years. He used to smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day. The only redeeming quality I see in him is that he doesn't drink any alcohol.
After having asked about my husband's occupation, the doctor suggested that he be confined for several days. The doctor asked him to go to another rooms for his blood test, x-ray, and CT scan, etc.
The last examination ended around 2:00 p.m., and we still had to see the doctor to listen to his medical advice. I didn't eat anything for lunch, so I felt hungry. Finally I went to buy two pieces of rice balls at the convenience store, and when I returned to my husband, he had already gone into the doctor's room.
The doctor told us that my husband's fever was caused by pneumonia. He also mentioned my husband's heart has been weak, and he has been also suffering from asthma. The doctor advised my husband to stay at the hospital for several days for recovery. He also added that it would be better for my husband to resign from being a full-time teacher.
After leaving the doctor's room, we waited for another 30 minutes until one receptionist told us we should go to the 2nd floor because his bed was being prepared by the nurses. She also said that we should ask at the nurse's station which room he would stay in.
My experiences as a caregiver helped me wheel my husband to the 2nd floor. Upon arriving, we immediately found the nurse's station and we gave them our name. One nurse guided us to the assigned room. The nurse told me what things I should prepare for my husband: a few sets of pajamas, underclothes, and sanitary goods such as tooth paste, chop sticks, and mugs.
I left my husband in bed before 4:00 p.m., I walked to Himeji Station for 20 minutes, and took a bus back to our place. I arrived home at 5:30 p.m. and packed everything he needed. One hour later, I took the bus and headed to the hospital again.
When I arrived at his room at 7:00 p.m., my husband already had an intravenous drip injection.
I lost my father to liver problems when he was only 59 years old so when my husband, who is already 62, said that he wanted to resign from teaching, I agreed with him completely.
The journey from Himeji Station to the hospital was enjoyable because
the cherry trees under the castle were in full bloom.
When I visited my husband at the hospital the next day, Apr. 24, I noticed that he was using a nasal tube for oxygen. I also found that there was also an oxygen tank in his room. He told me that the nurse advised him to use it when he goes to the toilet.
My husband's temperature became normal in the daytime of the next day, Apr. 25, but it rose again that night. Then the doctor told him if he still had high temperature, he didn't completely recover from pneumonia. The doctor added that they cannot discharge my husband until his temperature is normalized after 48-hour's obervation.
