Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1367 Busy Director Liao, the Green Pollutant Test Results are in (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

Last time, Director Liao was unwell because his thighs and the soles of his feet were swollen. When he stepped on the ground, his feet would hurt, and when he didn't step on the ground, his right foot would feel stiff. He also had purple patches on his calves. Fang Yan diagnosed him with deep vein thrombosis, which is called phlebitis. Fang Yan brought him medicine and also performed acupuncture. Director Liao recovered in a short time. (See Chapter 924)
Now that he's stayed up all night, Fang Yan is worried that he might have another vascular problem.

While taking Liao's pulse, Fang Yan asked him what was wrong with Director Liao.

"I feel uncomfortable in two places. I feel a tightness in my chest, a bit of palpitations and shortness of breath, and my right shoulder is also a bit sore. My arm hurts whenever I raise it above my shoulder. I wonder if it's because I wrote too much last night," Director Liao said to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan nodded and gestured to him:
"Open your mouth so I can see your tongue."

Director Liao obediently opened his mouth, and Fang Yan stared at Director Liao's tongue. The tongue was dark in color, with faint ecchymosis on the edges, and the coating was thin, white, and slightly greasy.

"Roll up your tongue, let me see what's under your tongue," Fang Yan continued to say to Director Liao.

Director Liao curled his tongue as instructed, and Fang Yan's gaze fell on the base of his tongue. Two thick, purple veins, faintly tinged with bruising, were nearly twice as thick as the normal light purple. Small bruises could even be seen scattered around the veins.

"How is it?" Director Liao asked Fang Yan.

“The veins under your tongue are severely congested.” Fang Yan withdrew his gaze. “Your previous deep vein inflammation was due to blood stasis in your lower limbs. This time, staying up late and sitting for a long time has depleted your qi and blood and caused poor circulation. The congestion has shifted to your upper body. The tightness in your chest is due to poor blood circulation in your heart and lungs, and the shoulder pain is due to blockage in the meridians of your shoulders and neck. This is directly related to your prolonged sitting and lack of activity last night. Let me finish taking your pulse first.”

Director Liao frowned: "So it's still the same old problem of blood vessels and blood circulation? I thought it was just from staying up late and getting tired."

"Fatigue is a trigger, but the root cause is the underlying condition left by your previous pulse obstruction. Your qi and blood are prone to stagnation, and staying up late or sitting for long periods of time makes it even more likely to become blocked." Fang Yan explained while continuing to take Liao's pulse, needing to clarify this issue before proceeding.

After taking the pulse, Fang Yan confirmed that it was deep and thready, with occasional irregularities.

Fang Yan withdrew his hand from Director Liao's wrist, his tone more certain: "The pulse is deep, thin, and intermittent, and with the obstruction of the blood vessels under the tongue and the petechiae on the sides of the tongue, it all matches up. It's still a problem of qi and blood stagnation and poor heart meridian. The deep pulse indicates that the qi and blood are insufficient and stagnant inside, the thin pulse indicates that staying up late has depleted the qi, and the intermittent pulse indicates that the qi and blood are not flowing to the heart meridian, which is why there is palpitation and chest tightness."

Director Liao sighed, "It seems this old problem needs to be addressed properly; it causes problems when I'm even slightly overworked."

Fang Yan continued:

"Can you touch your shoulder with your right hand?"

Director Liao made a gesture: he couldn't reach it with his right hand, but he could with his left.

Then Fang Yan asked him to touch his right lower back, and he found that his right hand could not reach his waist and it hurt terribly.

"What's going on?" Director Liao asked Fang Yan.

He said in dialect:

"This is due to catching a cold after being overworked, with wind, cold and dampness remaining in the meridians, causing obstruction of qi and blood."

Fang Yan pointed to Director Liao's right shoulder and explained further: "You stayed up late last night for a meeting, so you must have been exposed to a lot of cold wind. Whether it was the cracks in the meeting room window or the wind on the way, it's easy for wind, cold, and dampness to sneak into the meridians of your shoulders and neck. Staying up late already depletes your qi and blood, and the qi and blood in the meridians flow slowly. With the addition of pathogenic factors, the qi and blood can't flow through at all. So not only does it hurt when you raise your arm, but it's also difficult to touch your lower back. This is a case of 'deficiency in the root and excess in the branch,' meaning you have the old problem of qi and blood stagnation from before, plus the addition of new wind, cold, and dampness."

Director Liao slapped his thigh: "It really is! The meeting room window wasn't closed properly last night, and the wind was blowing straight to my right. I felt a chill on my shoulder at the time, but I didn't think much of it. I didn't expect it to come knocking on my door so quickly."

"Don't worry, let's deal with the old stagnation and the new pathogens together."

Fang Yan turned around to get the acupuncture kit, "I'll first give you acupuncture to clear your meridians, and then I'll prescribe some herbal medicine to replenish your qi and blood and remove blood stasis. This two-pronged approach will be effective quickly."

While laying out the disinfectant cotton, he told Director Liao about the acupuncture points: "After the acupuncture is finished, you will be able to raise your arm, and your palpitations should also improve. I will then prescribe a formula for you to regulate your body."

Director Liao sat up straight obediently and loosened his collar: "Whatever you say. By the way, I still have to attend the overseas Chinese business banquet, will that be a problem?"

"After the acupuncture, rest for half an hour, drink a bowl of medicine, and then move your shoulders and neck around. It won't affect anything." Fang Yan picked up the needle and gently inserted it into the Tanzhong acupoint. "But don't drink alcohol or eat anything too greasy at the banquet. Stand up and walk around every half hour, otherwise your blood and qi will get blocked again. If you feel stuffy in the middle, press the Neiguan acupoint on your wrist, which can provide temporary relief."

At this opportune moment, Fang Yan held the sterilized sea dragon needle, first aiming at the Tanzhong acupoint, a key acupoint for relieving chest tightness and regulating Qi, and slowly inserted it close to the center of the sternum.

When the needle tip first touched the skin, Director Liao felt a slight soreness. Before he could react, the needle had already penetrated 0.5 inches deep, and a reddish ring appeared around the needle, indicating that he had obtained the Qi.

Fang Yan gently twisted the needle handle with small amplitude and steady frequency, asking as he did so, "Director Liao, do you feel any soreness, numbness, or distension?"

Director Liao nodded, and the tightness in his chest felt like a small hole had been opened, with the suffocating feeling gradually dissipating: "There's a soreness, and... my chest isn't so tight anymore, and my breathing is easier."

Next is the Neiguan acupoint.

Fang Yan instructed Director Liao to straighten his wrist and locate the position two inches above the wrist crease, between the two tendons, and insert the needle at a 45-degree angle to the skin.

This acupoint is connected to the heart meridian, so you must avoid blood vessels when needling it.

When the needle pierced his wrist, Director Liao felt a slight numbness, which then traveled up his arm to his chest. He couldn't help but say, "Hiss... this numbness is even going to my heart, and the feeling of panic is much less!"

Fang Yan continued to gently twist the needle handle until Director Liao said, "The numbness and swelling are more obvious," before stopping and fixing the needle position.

When it comes to the acupoints for the shoulders and neck, start by needling the Jianyu acupoint.

Fang Yan instructed Director Liao to relax his right shoulder and locate the depression below and in front of the acromion. He then inserted the needle vertically for one inch. This acupoint is a key point for unblocking the meridians of the shoulder and neck. When the needle was first inserted, Director Liao groaned softly in pain in his right shoulder. After all, the meridians were severely blocked, so the feeling of "obtaining qi" was more pronounced than at other acupoints.

But in just two seconds, as Fang Yan slowly twisted the needle, the pain gradually turned into a soreness. His previously taut shoulder felt like a taut rope had been loosened. He tried to lift his arm slightly and was surprised to find that he could lift it to shoulder level without the excruciating pain he had experienced before: "Huh?! I can lift it now? That's interesting!"

Even knowing the medical skills of the dialect, it still feels somewhat magical, as if a switch in one's own body has been flipped, and everything is fine in an instant.

This person acts like a machine.

Finally, puncture the Quchi acupoint, located at the outer end of the elbow crease, with the needle inserted vertically for 1 inch.

This acupoint can help unblock the meridians of the upper limbs. After inserting the needle, Fang Yan performed acupuncture while Director Liao performed moxibustion, saying that the soreness and distension sensation went down the forearm and even the wrist felt relaxed. Fang Yan fixed all four sets of needles and instructed, "Don't move around. Leave the needles in for 15 minutes, and I'll prescribe some medicine for you."

While the needles were in place, Director Liao tried to slowly move his right shoulder. He could raise it to his ear, and he could touch his lower back above his waistline. Although there was still a slight soreness, the previous severe pain was completely gone. He couldn't help but exclaim, "This acupuncture really works! After only a short while, my shoulder can move, and my chest doesn't feel tight anymore. It's all thanks to you!"

After saying that, he remembered something else:
"By the way, Shen Zhanyao has already been notified. He should arrive after the National Day holiday."

Fang Yan was prescribing medicine when she heard Director Liao's words and was taken aback.

That's incredibly efficient; Zhang Fu wasn't even fully recovered when he arrived.

"So fast? I thought I'd have to wait a week after the holiday." He said as he wrote "15g of Salvia miltiorrhiza" on a piece of paper, the pen tip scratching across the paper. "But it's good, by the time he arrives, he can catch up with the finishing work."

Director Liao leaned back in his chair, his right hand still moving slightly, raising it above his head and then around his lower back, while saying:

"As for your matter, I'll naturally arrange it quickly."

Fang Yan then wrote out the prescription and personally went to the Chinese medicine pharmacy to have it decocted and delivered directly to the clinic.

Back in her office, Fang Yan chatted with Director Liao about the cases of Mr. Sima and Mr. Ma Guoliang, reporting the latest progress. Director Liao was very pleased to hear this. As they were talking, the 15-minute acupuncture time was up. Fang Yan put down her pen and went to Director Liao to remove the needles. Following the order of "chest first, then shoulder; upper body first, then lower body," she first removed the needle from the Tanzhong acupoint. While removing the needle, she gently rotated the needle handle with her fingers and then slowly withdrew it, pressing a sterile cotton swab against the puncture site to prevent bleeding.

Director Liao felt the last bit of tightness in his chest completely dissipate as the needle was removed. He took a deep breath and felt his chest expand.

Next, the needles were removed from the Neiguan acupoint. As soon as the needles were withdrawn, Director Liao rubbed his wrist: "Your technique really works! I don't feel any palpitations anymore, and my wrist isn't numb either." Finally, the needles were removed from the Jianyu and Quchi acupoints. After removing the Jianyu acupoint, Director Liao simply wrapped his right arm behind his back and could easily touch his shoulder blade. He couldn't help but laugh out loud: "It's amazing! Before, I needed help to get dressed, but now I can do it myself. I won't embarrass myself at the banquet this afternoon."

Fang Yan carefully put away the needles he had removed and handed over a cup of warm water: "Drink some water to replenish your body fluids. I'll have the pharmacy prepare the medicine and send it over in a bit. You can drink a bowl first, and take the rest home. Drink another bowl before lunch and dinner."

"Okay!" Director Liao nodded and took the hot water that Fang Yan handed over.

After a while, the medicine prepared by the pharmacy arrived.

The pharmacy nurse brought in the decocted medicine. The brownish liquid was served in a white porcelain bowl, still steaming slightly. The aroma of the medicine carried the slight bitterness of danshen and the pungent warmth of cinnamon.

In addition, there was a large enamel mug containing the medicine that Director Liao was to take away.

Fang Yan took the bowl of medicine and handed it to Director Liao: "Be careful, it's hot. This medicine should be drunk warm to better promote blood circulation and dispel wind and cold."

Director Liao took the bowl, blew on it to cool it down, and took a small sip. The medicine wasn't too strong; it had a slightly sweet aftertaste, making it much more palatable than the bitter medicine he had drunk before.

He drank more than half a bowl in one gulp. When he put the bowl down, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. He smiled and said:
"This tastes great. It warms me up all over after drinking it. It feels like a warm current is flowing through my shoulders, and the soreness I felt before has lessened."

Hearing his reaction, Fang Yan said:

"Cinnamon twigs can warm and unblock the meridians, while astragalus can replenish qi and blood. After drinking it, you will sweat a little, and the wind, cold and dampness will be expelled."

Director Liao wiped away his sweat and said:

"Alright, I have to go now, I have a lot to do today."

After he finished speaking, he paused and said to his secretary, Gao Han:

"Um... Xiao Gao, bring the medicine with you, and remember to remind me to take it at noon."

"Please walk slowly and be careful on the road," Fang Yan said, seeing them to the clinic door and giving them another reminder.

"I know, I know, you're even more thoughtful than my family." Director Liao waved his hand with a smile and walked out with light steps. After taking a couple of steps, he turned back and said, "Oh, by the way, remember to be on time for the banquet tonight."

"I know, I won't forget something this important!" Fang Yan replied.

Director Liao responded and left with Gao Han. Watching their figures disappear at the end of the corridor, Fang Yan turned and went back to the consultation room.

Fang Yan is actually a little worried about how busy Director Liao is.

But the old man seemed to have no choice; it was a busy time for the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office.

Just as Fang Yan sat down and sighed for a moment, she remembered that she hadn't checked Zhang Fu's turbidity test results yet. She quickly picked up her medical record book and hurried to the laboratory.

Upon arriving at the laboratory, Director Li immediately greeted Fang Yan upon seeing him:
"Oh my, Director Fang! What brings you here in person?"

"Director Li, I just finished my work and came over since I had some free time. Have Zhang Fu's test results come back this morning?" Fang Yan asked Director Li.

"I came out a while ago! I was just about to have the nurse bring it to you, but you came all the way here yourself." With that, Director Li went to the place where the test reports were kept in the laboratory, and after rummaging around for a while, he found the test report.

After confirming that it was indeed Zhang Fu, he took the report to Fang Yan and pointed to the data on the test results: "Hey, I have to say, Director Fang, this prescription really works. Look... the main ingredient is bile, and the patient's bile acid content has dropped to the normal range. The nerve tissue fragments that could be detected in the rust-colored turbidity before are almost not found this time. Even the viral activity is much lower than last time, which means that the stagnation and toxins in the liver meridian have been almost completely eliminated."

Fang Yan took the test report and quickly scanned the various indicators, especially the two items "nerve tissue fragments: not detected" and "viral activity: significantly reduced". The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. Good!

This perfectly matched his previous diagnosis of "excretion of stagnant toxins from the liver meridian" based on his tongue, pulse, and water test. Zhang Fu's recovery progress was even faster than expected.

"The result is even better than I expected." Fang Yan looked up at Director Li. "However, I will still need your help in the future. Please keep an eye on Zhang Fu's turbidity test every day. This is the data we will need later, so I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry!" Director Li readily agreed. "Zhang Fu's case is special, and we're keeping a close eye on it. We promise to notify you as soon as we have any results."

PS: I got another 100 monthly votes, so after finishing this chapter, I still owe everyone 67,000 words. The 4,000-word long chapter is now complete. That's all for today, please come back early tomorrow. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
(End of this chapter)