Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1364 Following the example of the Zhou family, "Whatever the Zhou family donates, we will donate too!" (Bonus chapter for monthly votes)

Fang Yan arrived at the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy. The pharmacist on duty saw him and asked:

"Director Fang, you've come in person today?"

"Okay, the prescription will be kept secret today," Fang Yan nodded in agreement.

As he spoke, he took out paper and pen from his pocket and quickly wrote down the prescription.

Soon after, Fang Yan wrote down Ma Guoliang's prescription.

Lu Donghua and An Dong, who came along with them, came over and saw that the prescription was written as follows: 30g raw Astragalus membranaceus, 15g Codonopsis pilosula, 15g Ophiopogon japonicus, 12g Polygonatum odoratum, 10g Fritillaria thunbergii, 10g Pheretima aspergillum, 10g Angelica sinensis, 6g Prunus persica, 6g Cuscuta chinensis, and 6g raw Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

After writing it down, Fang Yan handed the prescription to the pharmacist and specifically instructed: "Decoct the earthworm for 15 minutes first, then add the other herbs later. Decoct twice, the first time for 40 minutes and the second time for 30 minutes. Mix the two decoctions and take them warm twice a day, morning and evening. Take half tonight and the other half tomorrow morning."

The pharmacist took the prescription and quickly scanned it. This prescription takes into account replenishing qi, nourishing yin, resolving phlegm, and clearing the meridians. It also includes kidney-tonifying herbs and is for those with both qi and yin deficiency accompanied by phlegm and blood stasis.

Then, in dialect, he added: "The medicinal materials must be of good quality, especially astragalus and ophiopogon japonicus. Don't use old stock, as it will affect the efficacy."

"Don't worry! I guarantee to use the best." The pharmacist said as he turned to fill the medicine, and even called another person to check the dosage to ensure there was no deviation.

Seeing them busy, Anton said to Fang Yan:

“Master, this prescription is quite different from Zhou Zhaoqin’s prescription.”

“Yes, the patient had previously used high doses of hormones, which severely depleted his Qi and Yin, and he also had phlegm and blood stasis blocking his lung meridians. We can’t just tonify without attacking, nor can we just attack without tonifying,” Fang Yan explained. “The dosages will all be low. Let’s try it out tonight and adjust it tomorrow based on his cough and chest tightness.”

Master Lu Donghua also came over at this moment, pointing to the raw astragalus and codonopsis on the prescription and saying:

“Zhou Zhaoqin used warming yang medicines like aconite and dried ginger to treat the emergency. Now, Ma Guoliang doesn’t need to rush to warm yang. He uses astragalus and codonopsis to replenish qi, and combines them with ophiopogon and polygonatum to nourish yin. This is just right for his ‘qi and yin deficiency’ condition. It is gentler than warming yang medicines and is less likely to deplete the remaining yin fluids.”

Before coming here, he had also read the medical records of Fang Yan treating Zhou Zhaoqin.

Fang Yan nodded in agreement, then pointed to Fritillaria thunbergii and earthworm to explain: "Zhou Zhaoqin had 'dampness' in her late stage, so she used Poria cocos and Alisma plantago-aquatica to promote diuresis; Ma Guoliang had phlegm turbidity and blood stasis, with phlegm stuck in the lung channels that he couldn't cough up. Fritillaria thunbergii can resolve phlegm, and earthworm can penetrate the lung channels to bring out the sticky phlegm. Combined with Angelica sinensis and peach kernel to invigorate blood, the lung channels can be opened, and the qi can flow smoothly. This is the difference between 'resolving phlegm and opening the channels' and 'warming yang and promoting diuresis.' The pathogenic factors they target are different, so the medicines used are naturally different."

Looking at the prescription, Anton asked, "Is the dodder seed for his gradually weakening kidney qi? Zhou Zhaoqin also used kidney-tonifying medicine at the time, but it seems to be something like Eucommia ulmoides and Taxillus chinensis?"

Nodding in dialect:

"Hmm. Zhou Zhaoqin has Yang deficiency, so we use Eucommia ulmoides and Taxillus chinensis to warm the kidneys and strengthen the lower back; Ma Guoliang has Yin deficiency as the main condition, so we also need to take care of his kidney Qi. Cuscuta chinensis can both nourish the kidneys and benefit the essence. It is neither drying nor hot, and will not aggravate his dry mouth. It is just right for his condition of gradually weakening kidney Qi and Yin deficiency at the age of 52."

He paused, then emphasized, "Moreover, the dosage of the entire prescription is light, with 30g of raw astragalus and 6g of peach kernel, precisely because we are afraid that his qi and yin are too weak and that using strong medicine would be too much for him to handle. Tonight, we will give him half of the medicine and observe whether he experiences any discomfort such as palpitations or diarrhea. If his cough is relieved or his chest tightness is alleviated tomorrow, we will adjust the dosage slightly. If the effect is not obvious, we will consider adding ingredients. For example, if he still has a lot of phlegm, we will add trichosanthes peel; if he has severe blood stasis, we will add safflower. We have to proceed step by step."

"Actually, his situation is not very common. Very few people can discover the disease at this stage. Most people are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which is better than Zhou Zhaoqin's situation. So compared to Zhou Zhaoqin, his current condition is quite special and rare."

“The early symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis are too subtle. It is rare for one in ten people like Ma Guoliang, who had a chronic cough three or four years ago and was able to find us for treatment when he was close to the middle stage. Most people are diagnosed with IPF only when they cough until they can't breathe and experience respiratory failure. At that time, they are similar to Zhou Zhaoqin in the late stage, and the difficulty of treatment doubles.”

By this time, the medicinal herbs had been weighed one by one and then brought to Fang Yan for confirmation. Fang Yan picked up the herbs, looked at them, nodded after confirming, and then asked the pharmacist to start decocting the medicine.

Anton asked from the side:
"Wouldn't early intervention be much more effective than late intervention? For example, would recovery be faster, and lung function be able to recover to near normal levels?"

“That’s how it is in theory,” Fang Yan said.

Of course, in theory, that's how it is, because he hasn't treated people in this condition before, so he doesn't know if it's easier to treat. He'll only know after he treats them.

Fang Yan watched the entire process briefly, and once the medicine was ready, she took it upstairs.

Director Liao is still talking to the family members at the scene. Although it is already past 10 o'clock and there are still many people to receive on National Day tomorrow, he is still staying here. Obviously, this Mr. Ma is highly valued. I wonder what kind of business he is in.

Upon seeing Fang Yan arrive, Director Liao stopped his conversation and addressed them:

"You can rest assured that Mr. Ma's illness can be left to Fang Yan. Now the whole world knows that only he can cure this disease. With the cooperation of the treatment, I believe Mr. Ma will recover quickly."

Director Liao's words were quite direct, almost explicitly stating that the only way to survive now is to return to China for treatment.

Mr. Ma's family members nodded in agreement; they had inquired about the details before coming.

Now, Western doctors abroad recommend that they return to their home country for treatment; the doctors there have certified it.

Mrs. Ma looked at Fang Yan, at the bowl of medicine he was holding, and asked:

"Dr. Fang, is this the medicine for Old Ma? Can he drink it now?"

“Yes, it’s freshly brewed, and it’s just the right temperature to drink now.” Fang Yan nodded, then followed Mrs. Ma and his family into the ward.

At this moment, Ma Guoliang was leaning against the headboard, breathing oxygen. His complexion was rosier than before, but his breathing was still a little rapid. When he saw Fang Yan come in, he quickly tried to sit up. "Don't move in a hurry, just drink while lying down." Fang Yan quickly stepped forward and pressed him down, then gestured for the nurse to bring a small pillow to put behind his back so that he could lean more comfortably. "Drink slowly, take small sips, and don't choke."

The nurse took the bowl of medicine, scooped out a spoonful, and brought it to Ma Guoliang's lips.

Ma Guoliang tasted it; the medicine wasn't too bitter, so he took small sips of it.

Mrs. Ma and her family watched nervously from the sidelines.

She asked in dialect:

"How long does it take for this medicine to have an effect?"

He said in dialect:

"Let's wait a bit. First, see if his cough and chest tightness have eased. If he can cough up some phlegm later, it means the phlegm-reducing and meridian-clearing medicine is working. Also, check tomorrow to see if the purple marks on his hands have faded. If everything has improved, it means this prescription is effective."

As Fang Yan spoke, he kept an eye on Ma Guoliang's expression. Ma Guoliang did not frown or show any signs of nausea when he drank the medicine, indicating that his body did not have any adverse reaction to the medicine.

Before long, the bowl of medicine was finished.

Fang Yan glanced at the time and recorded it.

Just as the nurse was putting away the medicine bowl, Ma Guoliang suddenly covered his mouth and coughed lightly twice. This time, he actually coughed up a small amount of grayish-blue phlegm in his palm.

This dialect sounds so familiar; Zhou Zhaoqin used to cough it up every day back then.

Mrs. Ma exclaimed with delight, "Oh my! I coughed up phlegm! It worked so quickly!"

"Back in Germany, he coughed for ages but couldn't cough anything up, it was so uncomfortable! Dr. Fang, you're amazing!"

"Clean it up," Fang Yan instructed the nurse, while also saying to Mrs. Ma:
"Don't get too excited, let me take your pulse."

Mrs. Ma quickly stepped aside, and Mr. Ma, also showing a happy expression, panted as he spoke in Fangyan:

"I feel much better! Whew...cough cough cough..."

He had barely taken a breath when he started coughing again.

Fang Yan quickly stepped forward and patted him on the back to calm him down.

Then, while taking his pulse, he said to him:
"Being able to cough up phlegm is a good thing, it means that the phlegm in the lungs is starting to loosen."

"In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying that if the medicine is appropriate for the symptoms, it will take effect very quickly. It is called 'the effect is as fast as a drumstick,' meaning that the effect of the medicine or treatment is as quick and direct as hitting a drum with a drumstick, and it makes a sound as soon as it is hit."

"However, you still have quite a lot of phlegm. One dose of medicine definitely won't be enough to make you better so quickly. You'll have to continue taking it."

Mr. Ma nodded repeatedly.

Seeing the initial success, Director Liao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Ma, saying:

"I told you, only dialects can cure this disease now."

Just as Ma Guoliang was about to speak, he covered his mouth again, coughed twice with his whole body trembling, and then had two more grayish-blue phlegm lumps in his hand.

After coughing up the phlegm, his breathing became noticeably easier. He took deep breaths and then said to Director Liao:
"I knew returning to China was the right thing to do! Thank you to the country, thank you Director Liao, thank you Dr. Fang!"

"It feels like there's a hole in my lungs now, and that stuffy feeling in my lungs can finally go down!"

Mrs. Ma's eyes reddened as she said, "It was definitely the right choice! It wasn't a waste of time to insist on returning to China to see Dr. Fang!"

At this point, the nurse had already cleaned the phlegm from Ma Guoliang's other hand again.

Fang Yan released his hand from Ma Guoliang's wrist and said, "These two phlegm sputum are 'old phlegm' in the lungs. The fact that you can cough them up means that the medicine for clearing phlegm and unblocking the meridians has begun to work. However, this is only the first step. We still need to clear the remaining phlegm and replenish the depleted qi and yin before the lung function can slowly recover."

He added, "Tomorrow I will adjust the prescription to enhance the expectorant effect and help to further clear the lung channels, so that the phlegm can be expelled more smoothly."

Mr. Ma nodded repeatedly:
"I'll cooperate no matter how long I have to take the medicine! I'll do anything to get better!"

"Furthermore, since the Zhou family donated the building, we will donate as well!"

PS: I got 100 more monthly votes, so after finishing this chapter, I still owe everyone 72,000 words.

There will be more in the afternoon
(End of this chapter)