Surgery Godfather

Chapter 263: Chapter 0247: Misfortunes Never Come Singularly

“After visiting Hermes, I headed for Sisi’s room.

She was alone, lying stomach-down on the bed without a word, her abdomen cushioned by a pillow.

Upon hearing the doctor enter, she twisted her head to look up, beads of sweat covering her forehead like tiny soybeans.

“Sisi?”

Dr. Yang noted her anguished state, likely a result of the pain caused by a metastatic liver tumor. The tumor was located beneath the capsule of the liver, expanding as it grew and stimulating the pain receptors on the surface of the liver capsule, leading to extreme discomfort.

“Is the pain unbearable? Half a dose of Diclofenac!” directed Doctor Yang, delivering an oral medical instruction.

Cancer pain relief is managed systematically, the analgesics slowly escalating in potency. This wasn’t Sisi’s first experience with pain; it had been a long time coming.

Still lying down, Sisi raised her hand in a dismissive manner: “It’s okay, I can bear it.”

This kind of recurrent, severe pain could drive someone to despair, even contemplate suicide; it was not simply something one could ‘bear’.

“No! An analgesic injection, quickly!” Dr. Yang couldn’t bear to see the child in such agony.

The nurse had already wheeled in a cart and was about to give Sisi an injection, having prepared the syringe with medicine.

“No need, I’m alright. It comes and goes.”

Sisi slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard, her face pale and wet with sweat. The pillow she had been using to press against her liver area was now curled into a ball.

After a while, she managed a smile, as if the storm had passed: “I’m serious, big brother Doctor, I’m fine, see, I’m at ease, right?”

This child’s endurance was incredibly strong. Most adults would be incapable of tolerating this level of pain, but she had managed to endure it silently, likely for a long time.

Dr. Yang originally planned to treat the primary tumor on the left femur first, but he now decided to prioritize the liver tumor. He instructed Little Five: “Recheck blood routine, biochemistry, liver renal functions, coagulation function, and D-dimer. No need for any further checks. Prepare for surgery tomorrow. Song Zimo, contact the Gamma Knife operating room. You’re familiar with them and communication will be smoother.”

“Did you find a solution to combat the fibroid?” Sisi asked with a smile.

Dr. Yang responded confidently: “Yes, I have. I’ll perform the surgery for you tomorrow. It’s a non-invasive procedure.”

“Without any incisions, what’s going to be used?” Sisi was intrigued.

“Qi Gong, remote healing. Piercing through your belly, it will eradicate the fibroids.” Zhang Lin joked with her.

“So it’s like that. Are you trying to trick a three-year-old? Brother is going to use ultrasound, right?” Sisi didn’t buy into Zhang Lin’s joke.

“You know about ultrasounds?” Zhang Lin was taken aback.

“Of course, my second brother told me. I’ve also researched it. Ultrasound is invisible and intangible. When focused together, it targets the fibroids where it produces heat and burn away the fibroids. It’s like a convex lens: when sunlight is concentrated into a singular focal point, it can ignite a piece of paper.” Sisi replied with an analogy.

Everyone began to laugh: this little girl was indeed industrious.

Dr. Yang stroked her hair, saying sympathetically, “Next time you feel this kind of pain, don’t try to endure it alone. Ring for the nurse and get an injection for pain relief, alright? There’s a prepared syringe for you.”

“It’s okay, I can handle it. Don’t worry, if I can’t bear it anymore, I’ll say it.” Sisi bravely assured.

At this point, any normal child would be crying their eyes out. Meanwhile, Sisi was quiet, calm as if nothing had happened after her bout of pain.

“Are you doing your assignment?” Doctor Yang spotted a test paper on the bedside table.

“The teacher sent it over.” Sisi carefully folded it.

That’s when Sisi’s mother entered: “Baby, why are your clothes drenched?”

The intense pain earlier had made her break out into a cold sweat, her forehead still displaying traces of it now.

Sisi’s mother hurriedly retrieved a fresh set of clothes for her daughter: “Let Mommy help you change, alright?”

“No need, I’ll change after the doctor finishes his round.” Sisi placed clothes on her pillow.

“Where’s her father? I haven’t seen him for a few days.” Dr. Yang asked, after not having seen Sisi’s father for a while; he typically visited the department daily.

Sisi’s mother responded: “He’s been busy for the past few days, has had no time to come over.”

“Tomorrow, we plan to operate on Sisi. The surgery plan has already been extensively discussed with you. No incisions are required; focused ultrasound surgery will annihilate the fibroid cells. We’ll do it in multiple stages, starting with the liver tomorrow. Doctor Lu will discuss the specifics with you and have you sign the documents later. Bring her father too.” Dr Yang informed Sisi’s mother.

Sisi’s mother was already highly aware of this operation; Dr. Yang had discussed it with them multiple times. The biggest advantage of ultrasound over various kinds of radio-particle tumor treatment was that it uses non-ionizing radiation and can thus be used repeatedly.

The previous concern surrounding the cost of treatment had been somewhat alleviated. Huang Jiahui had contributed several tens of thousands, and a good Samaritan – who wanted to remain anonymous – had contributed over a hundred thousand. With that, there were no immediate financial concerns.

Despite the concerted efforts of Sisi’s parents and security trying to locate this anonymous benefactor, they hadn’t had any luck so far.

“Sisi, rest well. Big brother Doctor will perform the surgery tomorrow; are you scared?”

“I’m not scared! They said you saved a patient who had no hope the day before yesterday, all the doctors and nurses admire you so much, and so do I. When I grow up, I also want to be a doctor!”

Upon finishing, a fleeting look of helplessness washed over Sisi’s face.

“Yes, Sisi can definitely do it!” said Yang Ping, gripping her hand.

After doing the rounds, at the doctor’s office, Sisi’s mother followed, her brows furrowed: “Doctor Yang, her father was knocked down by a car while delivering takeaways—”

“When was this, how badly was he hurt? Why didn’t he come here for check-up and treatment?” It’s no wonder he hadn’t seen her father in a few days.

Sisi’s mother spoke reluctantly: “It not that serious, he just twisted his ankle, but it’s swollen quite a lot, and he can’t walk right now. He bought a pair of crutches and still continues to deliver takeaways with crutches support.”

“That’s not right, you must call him over immediately, I’ll have a look and if it’s a fracture, he should get treatment immediately, otherwise it can lead to complications.” Yang Ping didn’t expect it to be a case of misfortune upon misfortune with Sisi’s father having been hit by a car.

“You call him over right now, tell him that I instructed him to come!” Yang Ping’s tone was firm.

Sisi’s mother was very grateful, picked up her phone and dialed her husband’s number: “—You need to come at once. Doctor Yang says you must!”

“He’s on his way here, he just didn’t want to trouble you.” Sisi’s mother hung up the phone.

Huang Jiahui, along with some anonymous kind person, have slowly contributed almost two hundred thousand to her medical bills, sufficient for Sisi’s hospitalization for this period of time.

Because there are no specific targeted medicines for osteosarcoma that can be administered and chemotherapy and radiation have not yet been performed, nor is the cost of focused ultrasound surgery too high, the expenditure during this period is very low.

But this stubborn man has been continuously making payments towards the hospital expenses, sometimes a few thousand, sometimes a few hundred, chipping in bit by bit.

It was said that his time was very tightly scheduled, from six in the evening to nine at night was reserved for delivering parcels, as during this period customers would be back home from work.

He spent the rest of the time delivering food, especially late into night delivering late-night snacks; sometimes would take a short nap by the roadside before continuing his delivery.

“He will be here in about ten minutes. I will go back to the ward first. Once he arrives, I’ll bring him over. Sorry for the inconvenience, Doctor Yang.” Sisi’s mother hated to occupy the office and interrupt the doctor’s work.

“Alright, you make sure to bring him here. We don’t have any surgeries today, so we have some spare time.” Yang Ping reminded her.

About twenty minutes later, Sisi’s father showed up, supported by her mother, he was walking quite smoothly holding a pair of crutches substituting for the weight on his injured leg.

“Doctor Yang, I’m sorry for bothering you. There’s probably no big problem, it’s that my right ankle got twisted. I was hit by a car on my e-bike and I fell to the right. To catch myself, I stomped my right foot on the ground and I felt a sharp pain; ended up spraining my right ankle.” Sisi’s father explained his injury.

“Don’t worry, have a seat!” Yang Ping comforted him as a trainee brought a chair.

“Bring me a pair of rubber gloves.” Yang Ping was accustomed to wearing gloves when examining patients.

The trainee immediately brought a pair of gloves. Yang Ping put them on and did a simple examination. His right ankle was grossly swelling, and already formed a blister due to tension.

Yang Ping palpated the entire ankle joint systematically, and his tactile skill gained from manipulative therapy practice quickly determined the problem: “It’s a fracture of the right ankle joint and quite serious. Zhang Lin, arrange for a front and side radiograph of his right ankle joint including a CT scan that includes a three-dimensional reconstruction.”

“A fracture?” Sisi’s father was shocked.

He was afraid this would happen. He was usually very robust and strong; and now he had a fracture, what was he supposed to do? He was quite anxious as the entire family was relying on his earnings.

“Is it really a fracture?” Sisi’s mother was shocked too. Once this happens, everything will fall apart.

But things were already a mess. The woman composed herself quickly: “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. We will get it treated however it needs to be treated.”

She would take over her husband’s job of delivering parcels and takeaway at worst, they would find a way to make ends meet.

If Doctor Yang said it’s a fracture, then it must be one. It was just that, it was a little hard for the couple to accept.

Fractures might not be a big deal for ordinary people, but for a family like Sisi’s, her father, the mainstay of the family suffering a fracture is an utter disaster.

Sisi’s father started to get a little restless. Yang Ping reassured him, “It’s alright, we will help you with the treatment. You will still be able to work afterwards, it won’t be a hindrance.”

“A fracture of the right ankle joint?” Song Zimo, who had just been coordinating to secure the surgical suite for Sisi’s gamma knife surgery, came over to see Sisi’s father after he was done.

Yang Ping took off his gloves: “Yes, it looks like a grade four posterior external rotational injury. Seems like it will require surgery.”

His daughter was about to have surgery, and now he has sustained a fracture. This man thought for a while and said to his wife: “Don’t tell Sisi, she’ll worry.”

“We haven’t told her yet.” His wife gently held his hand.

“It’s better if we tell her, otherwise she will be anxious not seeing her father.” Yang Ping encouraged them.

“Alright!” Sisi’s father seemed to think it made sense.

“We need to admit you to the hospital and delay surgery till the swelling goes down. Right now, the swelling is too severe to operate.” Yang Ping was also helpless, but the fact of the situation couldn’t be changed; this kind of fracture needed to be treated.

“Admit him to the hospital then.” Sisi’s mother promptly decided. @@novelbin@@

“It’s alright, besides, I’m here. I can handle it, don’t worry.” Sisi’s mother’s eyes were filled with determination.