No.098-A Story About Allergies

In the era known as the "Showa" period, there are many things that feel strange when viewed from today's common sense and standards.
However, I believe there is meaning in preserving the atmosphere of that time as it was, so I am recording it here.

At the company I worked for, Data East, when game development reached its peak, work would sometimes continue until 1:00, 2:00, or even 3:00 in the morning.
For such staff, an apartment for naps was provided, and there was also a nap room with two bunk beds and a shower room on the top floor of the research building.
Furthermore, tickets were distributed that allowed us to use "Yu-topia," a 24-hour sauna facility in Ogikubo.

This is a long preamble, but there were times when I would work until dawn and then go to "Yu-topia" at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, only to run into people from the head office!
That "Yu-topia" had a "mist bath." The room was filled with mist, and it was only warm enough that you could barely see a meter ahead.
I was curious and went in, thinking, "Oh, they have a sauna like this too," but every time I entered, I found it difficult to breathe.
I don't know the cause, but I think the fine water vapor particles were irritating my bronchial tubes and lungs.
Listening to these small "signs" emitted by the body, remembering them, and using them for health managementis very important.
But at the time, I didn't think about it deeply.

A few years later, on January 22, 2001.
At the time, I had 28 cats, and that morning I was washing their dishes. As I used hot water to wash a large number of dishes, the room filled with steam. At that moment, I suddenly felt breathless.
In just about 10 seconds, my bronchial tubes swelled, the mucous membranes stuck together, and my airway was completely blocked.

"I can't exhale the air I inhaled."
"There is air right in front of me, but I can't breathe it in."

I was seized by such an abnormal sensation and panicked.
I never imagined that I would have an asthma attack just from washing dishes with hot water.
Before I could even regret it, I lost consciousness in about a minute, and my breathing stopped... According to what I heard later, my body had turned the color of a drowned corpse and was in a state of suspended animation.
My family was apparently devastated when the hospital I was rushed to told them I was in a vegetative state and that I would face a long battle with illness.

I will write about what I saw during this near-death experience another time.
I'm writing this first so you don't worry: I collapsed at 8:00 AM, regained consciousness at 3:00 PM, and here I am today.

What I keenly felt through this incident were these two things:
"Listen to your body and don't push yourself"
"Don't take allergies lightly"

That said, looking back now, it seems many people would feel a strong sense of discomfort with the values of that time, where "all-nighters were standard at game companies," and perhaps that is what will stick with today's readers more.
However, as the saying goes,"The soul of a three-year-old lasts until a hundred"I still have the work-first values deeply ingrained in me.
I wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 AM, start working, and take a break after about two hours of concentration.

By break, I mean writing this note.
I speak the above using voice-to-text, have an AI proofread and format that sloppy transcribed text, and then post it to note.
It only takes 15 minutes from the start of writing the article.
It takes 20 minutes to choose the thumbnail photo material! (Is choosing the thumbnail longer?)

I ended up writing about various things without focusing on one point.

In any case, if you felt something that resonated with you—
I believe that alone makes writing this piece worthwhile.