人生で一番のケガや病気は？

I was in the doctor’s office last week and I was thinking about the different injuries and illnesses I have had in my life and was a little bit surprised after I made a list. There are some people who have never had any injuries or illnesses but I am not one of them! I have had a handful of different illnesses and injuries but I actually consider myself pretty lucky—I am pretty healthy compared to some people I know! 

So that brings us to this week’s question:

What are some injuries or medical problems you have had in your lifetime? And what is the worst injury or sickness you’ve had?

My answer:
I have had several broken bones but none since moving to Ise (knock on wood!). For example, I broke my arm, my ankle, my wrist, a few fingers, my thumb and I broke my back a few years ago. I have had stitches on my head, face, hands, and legs. I’ve had a concussion and I got knocked out once when I was a kid. If you want to know how I got these injuries, ask me during class!

As for other medical problems, I used to have high blood pressure when I was a kid. I used to have really serious food allergies, even though most of them have subsided in recent years. I also have a bunion on my right foot and I have flat feet!

Probably the most serious injury I've ever had was when I got knocked out while playing baseball when I was an elementary school student. I got hit in the mouth with a bat one day in gym class and got my front tooth knocked out and stitches in my lip. As my dentist can tell you, I am still suffering from that injury almost 30 years later!!!

So how about you? Have you had any injuries or medical problems in your lifetime? If yes, let’s discuss them when we speak to each other next.

Have a great week and be careful—don’t get injured before class!

Keith// 

This week’s vocabularies:

injury
けが

illness
病気

handful
手に余るほど

knock on wood
そうなりませんように．．．（木をたたくと悪を払い除くことができる、という迷信から来ている言葉）

concussion
脳しんとう

knock out
意識を失う

high blood pressure
高血圧

food allergies
食アレルギー

subside
治まる

in recent years
近年では

bunion
足の親指の付け根の部分の骨（腱膜瘤-けんまくりゅう）

flat feet
扁平足

suffer
病む／苦しむ