My daily work as a doctor: My treatment value is increasing.

Fearing the doctor would be displeased, the old woman quickly said to Zhang Weimin:

"Director Zhang, please conduct all the necessary tests. We'll do them all."

Lu Renxin explained:

"Don't worry, sir. It's not an X-ray or blood test, just a digital rectal exam. You can just lie down on that bed."

For this patient, Zhang Weimin did not have Lu Renxin perform the digital rectal examination first, as he had done before, but instead took over himself.

As soon as he touched inside, Lu Renxin noticed that his expression changed, his brows furrowed more tightly, and the corners of his usually smiling mouth pursed up.

He stepped back, glanced at his gloves, and saw blood on his fingertips.

Zhang Weimin took off his gloves and gestured as he tossed them into the yellow trash can:

"Xiao Lu, touch it."

Lu Renxin nodded. When he inserted his finger, he felt a hard lump that was located very high, far exceeding the length of the anal canal.

At this depth, it's probably already down to the rectum; luckily, his fingers are long enough to reach it.

It's very hard and has little elasticity.

The surface is not as smooth as internal hemorrhoids or hypertrophic anal papillae.

Its shape is also very irregular.

It can't be moved even if you push it.

Something's wrong, something's very wrong.

I've never encountered this type of lump before.

As he exited, Lu Renxin also noticed the dark red mucus on the fingertips of his gloves.

Could it be... this is...?

Recalling the contents of the textbook, he had a vague idea in his mind.

Looking at the weathered faces of the two elderly people, he dared not, and could not bear to, voice his deduction.

Her gaze met that of her mentor, as if she knew what he was thinking.

Zhang Weimin nodded slightly, confirming his speculation.

The system also detected his thoughts:

[Congratulations, host, you have completed one finger examination. Healing value +0.1]

The old man has rectal cancer.

Lu Renxin recalled the word "self-funded" under his name, and the more he thought about it, the more distressed he became.

Having been a doctor for so long, I've seen quite a few different kinds of diseases in my clinical practice.

Logically, I should be used to it, but when I actually encounter it, I still feel a tightness in my chest.

"Your condition requires hospitalization and surgery, but we can't perform it. I'll call another specialist for you."

The proctology department where Lu Renxin works is a "small proctology" department, specializing in benign diseases such as hemorrhoids, anal fistulas, and perianal abscesses.

This is the case for most traditional Chinese medicine hospitals.

This is because traditional Chinese medicine has a long history in anorectal diseases and has created unique treatments such as "hanging thread" and "dry hemorrhoids".

There are also auxiliary treatments with Chinese medicine characteristics, such as herbal fumigation, sitz baths, and acupuncture, which improve the patient's experience and treatment effect.

Colorectal cancer is not within their scope of treatment.

In large general hospitals or Western hospitals, it can be classified as colorectal surgery.

It can treat some diseases that require sophisticated surgery, such as colorectal tumors.

However, at Guanghai City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, this patient could only undergo surgery in the gastrointestinal surgery department.

So Zhang Weimin decided to call in reinforcements.

He got through on the phone:

"Hello, is this Director Wang? I have a patient here, could you come and take a look..."

Director Wang? It should be Director Wang Heng from the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery.

Qin Jianjun had a bad feeling. After Zhang Weimin finished the call, he immediately asked anxiously:

"Doctor, do I have some serious illness? Why do I need to call another doctor?"

Zhang Weimin comforted him:

"Don't worry, it's not a big problem. It's just that I'm a proctologist, and your location is quite high, beyond my treatment area."

This is a white lie. Clinically, many patients are very reluctant to hear words like "tumor" or "cancer".

Many family members also ask doctors not to tell them the actual condition.

They were worried that the patient might not be able to handle the psychological burden and might become suicidal.

They were in good spirits and cooperated well with treatment when they weren't told they had cancer.

Once they learned the truth, they withered quickly, like flowers after they had bloomed.

The medical staff also understand and sympathize with the family's feelings.

Instead of telling these cancer patients directly, we find an opportunity to inform their families first, and let the families decide whether or not to tell them.

Lu Renxin encountered this when he was rotating through the oncology department.

The patient had been keeping his condition a secret and was happily cooperating with the treatment every day.

As it turned out, an intern accidentally let it slip, and died less than two weeks later.

The family members also came to demand compensation.

Zhang Weimin also chose the same approach for Qin Jianjun.

He probed indirectly:

"This treatment will cost some money, sir... do you have medical insurance?"

The old woman immediately replied:

"It's alright, Doctor. If it needs treatment, it needs to be treated. Medical treatment costs money. Don't think I'm uneducated; I know that."

"Medical insurance?"

"We're not from Guanghai, so we don't have medical insurance here."

"I do have them back home, the village issues them for a few dozen yuan, will they work here?"

Yes, it can be used.

Lu Renxin's tense heart finally relaxed a little.

As long as they have it, that's fine. If they transfer their medical insurance to another location, at least they can get some reimbursement, which can ease their burden.

However, these two elderly people are both over sixty years old. Will they be able to do it?

They still need a young person to help them operate it.

He kindly reminded him:

"If you have children or relatives in Guanghai, you need to transfer your medical insurance first, which will save you a lot of money."

Hearing that it could save money, the old lady's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again as she thought of something:

"My son is here too. He broke his leg at the construction site a while ago, so we came here to take care of him."

Sigh, Lu Renxin didn't know what to say. Sometimes it's like a rope always breaks at its thinnest point, and misfortune always finds its way to the unfortunate.

He felt a tightness in his chest and continued to suggest:

"Go home and talk to your son first, and see if you can do it on your phone."

"If all else fails, you'll have to pay out of pocket first, and then bring all the documents—invoices, bills, discharge summary, etc.—back to the medical insurance bureau for reimbursement."

The elderly couple nodded eagerly.

Soon, Director Wang rushed in:

"Director Zhang, which patient are you referring to?"

Without waiting for Zhang Weimin to introduce the patient in detail, he quickly pulled Qin Jianjun onto the bed for another examination.

After confirming the condition of the lump, they immediately pulled the elderly woman outside.

Qin Jianjun, who was left in the consultation room, felt extremely uncomfortable.

He confirmed with Zhang Weimin again:

"Director, am I really alright?"

"Why did that doctor pull her out to talk and not let me hear it?"

Zhang Weimin spoke gently, reassuring him once again:

"Don't worry, it'll just be a surgery. You're not very mobile, otherwise I would have let you go out and listen."

When the elderly woman returned to the consultation room, Lu Renxin noticed her slightly red eyes.

But she still forced back her tears and managed a smile:

"Let's go, old man, we'll just have a minor surgery with Director Wang."

Wang Heng led the two people out of the consultation room.

In the corridor, the elderly woman helped the elderly man slowly follow behind him, the two figures leaning against each other, becoming each other's strongest support.

Lu Renxin felt very heavy-hearted, thinking about the many illnesses and poverty in the world.

Illness is a catastrophe for every family.

Qin Jianjun at least has medical insurance; there are quite a few people who have no medical insurance and have to pay for everything themselves.

As a medical student who hasn't graduated yet, there's only so much he can do.

All I can say is that health is the most important thing.