An old patient and an oyster dish

The other day, I was asked by a friend of mine how to do with her daughter who had had cough for weeks. I used to rescue that girl when she wad drowned in the bath water in her infancy, that is, almost 30 years ago. Even though that girl has left cerebral palsy, she has gone through education and is now working at an office nearby. Ever since, I have been asked about her health problems. 

She has developed that lasting cough and was suspected to have caught COVID19 at the office. I was pretty sure it was an asthmatic cough and her prescription given at a clinic was not proper to treat it. I have taught her how to breathe with diaphragm, which could abate the breathing issue and is important for inhaling with MDI, and to avoid exercises in cold atmosphere etc. I introduced her to a asthma specialist. I could not help laughing the mother was glad to hear about that specialist but seemed not very interested in my lesson! Anyway, whenever I am asked something like this by friends, I am a bit excited and try to answer to the person as much as I can. Such a situation is becoming fewer for now. Maybe, my days, however, have gone now.

A few days ago, in order to tell me how well she is now, the mother has visited us at our home. She has brought us a lot of oysters in shell in addition to some farming products. Oysters in shell are pretty rarely seen here in this inland area even at supermarket. Her friend in Hokkaido has sent a lot of such oysters to them. It was its sharing to us.

I was puzzled at how to take the content from the shell. The shell was closed so tightly that I could hardly open it. I have decided to steam them in sake. Before cooking that way, I had to wash them with scourer. The shells were sharp on their edges. Eagerly done with them, in a few minutes, I realized my finger tips were hurt with the sharp edges of the shells. Surprisingly, my fingers were stained with blood. Fortunately, the wounds were not deep at all and soon were stopped with bleeding. 

The peeled oysters were to add to a hot pot dish as a material. I have given up further cooking it by myself but was waiting for my wife coming home. She was cooking on behalf of me at the kitchen almost forbidden for women to come in. Honestly, she often cooks dishes for me in week ends. But on a plain week day, she was there. Impressed at the scenery, I was looking at her working there.

Sake steamed oysters. They were at least 2.5 times of this amount in total.

The hot pot dish. The oyster was tasted as if milk.

I sure was pleased to hear from my former patient and her mother. But I still learned what they had expected from me as not a pediatrician in active service. I am already a retired one for now.

The 2nd lesson is that I should have worn a thick glove when washing or peeling the shell of oyster. Or I should give up cooking shelled oysters.

It is sometimes good for me to see my wife working in the kitchen as a real house wife. It is an impression as a house husband. This was the last lesson.