Yasumi Iwakami Tweets About His Recent Health Problems After His Visit to #Fukushima I Nuke Plant in February

(and boy he received some nasty tweets in response...)

Yasumi Iwakami is arguably one of the best known independent journalists in Japan covering the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident, particularly among net users. I happened on Iwakami's live netcast of TEPCO press conferences on his USTREAM channel very early on in the crisis, and have followed him and his reporting since.

He was one of the independent journalists allowed inside the plant compound in February this year on the second plant tour for the press (first one was in November last year). And ever since, he seems to have been plagued with one health discomfort after another. He tweeted about them on April 10, and someone compiled a "togetter" - a string of tweets.

First, the translation of Iwakami's 15 tweets as they appear on the togetter, with Iwakami's express permission to translate:

ご心配を皆さんにおかけしているので、中間報告をしておきます。これまでの経過をかいつまんで言いますと、2月20日、福一入構取材の翌々日から、腹痛と 下痢、その後、発熱にも見舞われ、虫垂炎との診断を受けました。５日間の絶食療法のあと、回復。虫垂炎は、一過性の病気かと思いましたが…

As I've been having you worried, I thought I'd give you a progress report. First, to tell you about what has happened so far: on February 20, two days after reporting from Fukushima I Nuke Plant, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Then I started to have fever, and was finally diagnosed as having appendicitis. After 5-day fasting treatment, I recovered. And I thought appendicitis was a transitory (one-time) illness. But then...

その後も、整腸剤を飲み続けているにもかかわらず、下痢が続き、時々、発熱。今週末も、この一ヶ月半で四回目の発熱でダウン。三月中から体調の異変を医師に相談、腫瘍マーカー、大腸ファイバーの検査をすることに。その検査結果の説明を、昨日の夕方、主治医から受けました。

My diarrhea continued even though I continued to take medicine to control intestinal function, and I had occasional fever. This weekend, I was knocked down by the 4th fever in a month and a half. I consulted my doctor about my poor physical health in March, and we decided to test for tumor markers and do the colonoscopy. Yesterday evening, my doctor explained to me the result of the tests.

大腸ファイバーで発見されたポリープの生検の結果は、悪性ではなく良性。「腺腫」の第三段階。このポリープと下痢は別物で、医師の診断は過敏性腸症候群。 原因は「ストレス」との診たて。今日ものどが痛み、熱が出ているが、これは風邪。なぜこんなに頻繁にひくのか、と問うと…

The biopsy of the polyp found in the colonoscopy turned out be benign, not malignant. It was "adenoma", so it was the third stage [there are 5 stages]. This polyp and diarrhea were not related, according to my doctor, and his diagnosis was "irritable bowel syndrome". The cause was "stress". I had a sore throat and fever that day, but that was a common cold, according to the doctor. When I asked him why I was having a cold this often...

原因は「免疫力の低下」。そのそもそもの原因は、またまた「ストレス」との診断。何でもかんでもストレス、という説明は納得がいかない。ストレスフルな生 活はこれまでもずっと続けてきた。一時的に体調を崩すことがあっても、こんなに連続して崩れっぱなしという経験はない、と言うと…

His answer was "weakened immune system". What caused it? "Stress", he said. I wasn't convinced with his explanation that everything was caused by stress. I have had a stressful life all this time. So I told him that I had never had a string of ill health like this before, though I did fall ill occasionally.

主治医いわく、「ストレス耐性には、閾値がある。あるレベルを超えると耐えきれなくなる」と。気になるのは、やはり、福一入構取材で浴びた放射線の影響。この点に関して、私の主治医は徹頭徹尾、否定的だった。

My doctor said, "There is a threshold to stress tolerance. Once people cross that threshold they succumb to stress." It was the effect of radiation I had been exposed to by entering and reporting from Fukushima I Nuke Plant that concerned me. But my doctor had been totally negative on that.

主治医いわく、「放射線の影響はあなたの体調不良とは一切関係ない。被曝によって影響が出るのは甲状腺だけ。これは医学的に証明済み」。何度もそう言われてきた。で、昨日の検査結果の説明の際、こう言われた。「腫瘍マーカーの結果、甲状腺に異常が出ています。細密検査が必要です」と。

He had said to me repeatedly, "Effect of radiation has nothing to do with your ill health. It's only the thyroid that is affected by radiation exposure, and that has been medically proven." Then, when he explained the test results to me yesterday, he said, "According to the result of the test for tumor markers, there is an abnormality in the thyroid. You need a more thorough examination."

甲状腺 意表を突かれて言葉が出ない。そこ 甲状腺以外の腫瘍マーカー検査項目はすべて正常値。甲状腺の検査項目、サイログロブリンだけが基準値を若干オーバー。「放射線の影響が出るのは甲状腺だけ」と断言していた主治医との間で、気まずい空気が。

Thyroid? I was speechless at this unexpected announcement. Other tumor markers were all normal. For markers for thyroid, thyroglobulin was slightly above the reference value. We felt awkward; he was the one who had declared to me that it was only the thyroid that would be affected by radiation exposure.

検査機関から返されてきた検査報告書にも、「甲状腺炎や甲状腺腫の可能性もありますので、甲状腺の画像検査をお受けください」と書かれている。つまり、こ れは被曝の影響ということだろうか？ その問いには主治医は直接答えず、「数値も、若干のオーバーですから、深刻に考えずに」と。

The test report from the lab stated, "Since there is a possibility that it is thyroiditis or goiter, please have [ultrasonic echo] diagnostics done on the thyroid". Did this mean it was the result of radiation exposure? My doctor didn't answer my question directly, but said, "The number is only slightly above the reference range, so don't take it too seriously."

私としても、福一入構取材で浴びた放射線との因果関係を強調したいわけではない。むしろ影響などない、と考えたい。影響があっては困るし、だいたい、自分 だけが具合悪くなるなんてこと、あるものか、と心のどこかで思ってきた。福島へまたこれから何度も取材に行きたいと思ってきた。しかし…

It's not that I want to emphasize the causal relationship between [my ill health] and the radiation exposure from reporting from Fukushima I Nuke Plant. I'd rather think there is no effect. I don't want that effect. Somehow I'd always thought it would not be possible that I would get sick. I wanted to visit Fukushima again and again and report. But...

現時点では、私の体調不良の原因はストレスおよび免疫力の低下、放射線被曝との因果関係は「わからない」「不明」ということ。それが、医師の診断。「百人 百話」の取材を通じて、福島の方々から、鼻血、下痢、発熱、倦怠感、皮膚炎、動悸など、数々の体調不良を訴える声を聞いてきた。

For now, the reasons for my ill health are stress and weakened immune system. Whether that has anything to do with radiation exposure is "unknown", or "not clear", and that is the diagnosis of my doctor. Through my report of "100 stories from 100 people", I have heard about many instances of ill health from people in Fukushima: nosebleed, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, dermatitis, heart palpitation, etc.

初めて、体調不良を訴える福島の方々の、心細い気持ちを本当に理解できた気がした。いったい原因は何か、体調の改善のために、いったいどうしたらいいのか、という思い。

I think I finally understand the helpless feeling these Fukushima people must have when they tell me about their ill health. What is the cause? What can we do to improve the condition?

断っておくが、私のかかりつけの主治医はよい方である。親切だし、説明も明晰である。放射線被曝の影響を小さく見積もるのも、それが現代医学の体系を学ん だ成果であって、個人的な偏見ではない（はず）。「50歳を過ぎたら、体力がガクッと落ちるもんですよ」というのも、真実に違いない。

To be fair, my doctor is a good doctor. He is kind, and he explains things clearly. He underestimates the effect of radiation exposure, but that is the result of having been trained in the modern medicine and not his personal prejudice (I think). It must be true when he says, "If you go past 50 years of age, your physical strength suddenly collapses".

さて、ではこれからどうするか。原因が何であれ（加齢も疲労もストレスも放射線被曝も全部加わっているかもしれないが）、被曝してしまった放射線を今さら取りのぞけるものでもない（東電の線量計では、僕の浴びたのは74マイクロシーベルト）。

Well then, what should I do? Whatever the cause (aging, fatigue, stress, radiation exposure all combined, maybe), it's not that I could remove the radiation that I've already been exposed to. (According to the dosimeter from TEPCO, my exposure was 74 microsieverts.)

結局、できることは、自身の免疫力を上げることしかない。ストレスを減らすこと、休養と睡眠を充分にとること、食養生をすること（これが難しい）。検査も 怠らないようにしよう。地道に養生することだ。主治医には「カラオケで歌でも歌ってください」と言われた。まあ、それもありだろう。

In the end, all I can do is to strengthen my immune system. Reduce stress, enough rest and sleep, and eat healthy food (this is difficult). I'll make sure I get tested regularly. Patiently nursing myself back to good health is what I should do. My doctor said to me, "Go to karaoke and sing." Well, that too.

たまたまなのだが、明日は午後2時から、大石又七さんにインタビューの予定。第五福竜丸の元乗組員で、被曝者の方である。そして明後日は、「核の傷」完成を記念して、肥田舜太郎氏に取材。広島で被曝された医師であることは、皆さん、ご存知の通り。

It so happens that I will interview Mr. Matashichi Oishi at 2PM tomorrow. He is a former crew member of Daigo Fukuryu-Maru, who was irradiated [near Bikini Atoll]. And the day after tomorrow, I will interview Shuntaro Hida, on the completion of "Nuclear Scar" (核の傷, movie). As you know, he is a medical doctor who was exposed to radiation in Hiroshima.

To this togetter, there are many, many comments ridiculing and taunting Iwakami. Just one or two example would suffice to get the gist of them:

Oh I see. He hasn't gotten enough victims of radiation, so he's claiming he's one of them.

He brought it on himself. Looking at these comments here, it's so apparent how much Mr. Iwakami is hated, what sinful things he has done...

I don't know where this vitriol is coming from. As with other prominent journalists and researchers, experts on Fukushima, I don't agree with Iwakami 100% on many issues, but without doubt he is one of the most dedicated journalists tirelessly covering the plight of people in Fukushima, incompetent handling of the accident and the aftermath by TEPCO and the government.

I think Hayakawa got it right when he said this is a war, that there are two very distinctive groups of people in Japan whose take of the nuclear accident and outlook on life after the radiation contamination are so vastly different that there is no ground for compromise.

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