<Begin Segment 14>

MN: Jack, how far were you from the hypocenter?

JD: Hmm?

MN: How far were you from the hypocenter?

JD: From my aunt?

MN: No, you. How far were you?

JD: Oh, about three miles. Three miles from hypocenter. That's where the Mukainada Toyo koujo was located, three miles. Two and a half miles the critical area, they say. But so I've been checked by, the doctors from Hiroshima come every two years. They'll be coming this summer again, and the reason is to see how we are changing as a survivor of Hiroshima. And in 2001 they found I had prostate cancer cropping up, moving very fast, so I said to everybody have 'em take care of it right away, so I had an operation in 2001 in the fall. I had that taken up, and right now from a medical, every year I go and check up on my operation. Said it's down to zero now, so, "You're okay, so you don't have to come up anymore." So that's my news. But they said I have a thyroid condition and a liver condition you have to be careful of. That's what I've been watching.

MN: Do they think that is connected with the A-bomb?

JD: Hmm?

MN: Do they think that is connected with the A-bomb, your thyroid?

JD: Well, that's the typical condition of the hibakusha, thyroid, liver, blood pressure. Leukemia is a major problem they have, so it's one of the items that they keep on checking that is the cause of, they seen to be the cause, everybody has it, but for the hibakusha it seems to more in frequency and more in the younger age, this condition, so double alert for hibakusha. And I was able to obtain a medical certificate that I could travel to Japan and get a free treatment if I needed, but now they have it so that they made it into international affair that if I'm traveling around the world and if I get, become ill I could go to a certain hospital in any country and get free treatment, long as you have your certificate with you. Looks like a passport, you just show it to them and it has a certain number on it, name on it, and the, what the cause of having the certificate, and you'll probably get a free treatment.

MN: How do you feel about, you know, having this condition and living with it? How do you feel about that?

JD: Well, it's, of course, every day is a, long as every morning get up in the morning, oh, I'm still alive, fine. So I do whatever I can to watch my diet. When the medical team comes they're very critical about your body weight. They said, I was over one thirty-five pounds, they said, "You're obese." I said, one thirty-five pounds I'm obese? I'm one thirty-four right now, and I reached one forty one time, said, "You're, you're eating too much." [Laughs] So got to watch yourself, physical exercise is very essential. So I'm, fortunately, very athletic, so I enjoy exercise. And so far I've been very, very lucky so far, good condition, so I don't worry about it until, every day's a good day for me. No use worrying about it, just have to watch for it.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.