Gay Game Hihyo: Dino's Male Love - Episode 859 "I Was Hospitalized"

Photo of the author (left; right is Shumikarasu athlete) Image Gallery No.002 thumbnail / “Diono’s Game Hihyo Zero: Episode 859 ‘I Was Hospitalized’

Let me talk about what happened over the past week. The game-related content appears only briefly in the latter half.

I was hospitalized from last week to this week. My health deteriorated around the time my previous article was posted, and today I’ve been discharged.
You see, I developed acute appendicitis. I had a match scheduled for Wednesday of last week, and since morning I’d been thinking, “My stomach hurts… feeling unwell…” But no fever. So I went to the venue anyway—then felt so awful that I lay down, and was sent home.

This is a slightly scary story: back in earlier times, with no fever and nothing showing on my schedule, I probably would’ve pushed through and competed anyway. Thinking about what could’ve happened makes me shudder.
Fortunately, thanks to modern player management under the Reiwa era, I ended up getting hospitalized unexpectedly. Back home, but the pain kept increasing.

So, I called an ambulance. I’d gone out for a walk with my dog Hakku—though I have no memory of it at all. At the emergency room that night, I was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis and sent home again.

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If only I’d received the correct diagnosis at that point—history doesn’t have “what ifs,” but I can’t help feeling this way.
The next day, after skipping various tasks and just lying in bed, things still weren’t improving, so I went to a local clinic. They recommended hospitalization at a major medical facility.

I returned home briefly for preparations, dropped Hakku off at a pet hotel, then headed straight to the big hospital. By this time, my consciousness was hazy—I’d collapse after walking just 10 meters, such intense abdominal pain.

At the hospital I was referred to, everything seemed normal during examination—though that wait felt endless… At the time, I even brought along my Nintendo Switch 2. But honestly, not a single desire to play games existed in me at all.

Let me reflect briefly on gaming: I’ve always openly said I love games. There was never a moment when playing games didn’t bring me happiness. Of course, living among many people and owning pets means I can’t spend every second of my life playing games.
But still, I thought I could play forever if only time allowed. That’s what I believed—up until that moment. The words I’m about to share are best described as a personal maxim I’ve learned through experience.

Humans are helpless creatures when facing appendicitis—even the love for gaming is powerless.

(Diono, 1977–)

Seriously—I didn’t even think of touching games no matter how long the waiting time was. Then, while searching for drinks and rummaging through my bag, I found my Switch 2. That’s when it hit me:
Even though I was hunched over from pain, “Why did I put this in my bag?”

The Switch 2 isn’t light. Since I don’t like rolling suitcase-style cases—I prefer shoulder bags to carry things—I end up bearing the full weight directly on my shoulders. Humans unconsciously use their abdominal muscles throughout daily life. It was absolutely exhausting.

Eventually, after being hospitalized, I underwent emergency surgery the same day. Even afterward, there were some troubling test results—those days were truly painful. During that time, I didn’t even want to touch games or my smartphone. For three full days, I never charged it once—and yet it never died.

By the time I realized it, the match I’d been eagerly looking forward to—the Japan national team vs. Paraguay—had already ended. Even my passion for soccer had vanished.

My desire for gaming returned only around the third day of a five-day hospital stay. It was just bad luck—I guess the hospital bed didn’t fit my back properly. Even after wounds began healing, I couldn’t sleep well at all.
But once my game cravings came back, it was either writing on my phone or playing games nonstop.
“Visiting cards?” What’s that? A relic from the Heisei era? “Messages of sympathy?” What are those supposed to be?

I did receive two private visits—just two people: fellow pro-wrestlers who are around my age and nearly contemporaries, Ken Oda and Super Sasadango Machine. I also received a message from the former editor-in-charge of this column—but that’s work-related, so I count it as such. Still, it warmed me up! Fine—let’s talk about things like that!

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During the final day and a half, I played Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions Chronicles nonstop. But honestly—I realized something important: it was so good to have games when my body was pushed to its limits.
If I hadn’t had a game that could truly engage me while suffering from back pain, I’d probably be terrified just thinking about it. Back then, I actually thought, “Why are you in my bag?!”—and now I want to apologize.

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…So, this article was written shortly after my discharge and return home. In the end, it was games—and two fellow contemporaries—that stood by me during my crisis.
Also, I’m truly grateful that “FFT” is fun enough to keep me engaged for long stretches. Yes, there’s a bit of discomfort in how intense the pain hits between stages—but still, the pacing keeps things moving.

So this week, despite falling ill, I was ultimately saved by games—such is my story.

See you next week! Please take care of yourselves too—their attacks are sudden and unpredictable!

This Week’s Obsession
Nintendo Switch 2: “Final Fantasy Tactics - The War of the Lions Chronicles”
iOS: “Road Mobile”
iOS: “Winning Eleven Card Collection”

■■ Diono (Professional Wrestler) ■■
DDT Pro-Wrestling, the promotion where Diono competes, will hold its event “WRESTLING HARVEST ~The Sky Turns Burgundy~” at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on Sunday, October 19th at 11:30 a.m. Diono is currently absent from competition and has no scheduled matches. Despite this, he shared with a sad tone: “It’s good I didn’t reach the point of serious danger—but honestly, my back hurts terribly. It really hit me that I’m already 48 years old.”