Healing Doctor

Chapter 755 The Hearts of Parents Are Full of Pity

My daughter has a congenital liver disease. Her belly was unusually large after she was born. The doctor who delivered her and the head of the department said that the child would not live past the age of one.

Unable to accept this situation, the couple took their child to various medical facilities, but the conclusions they received were basically the same.

Ji Xiang couldn't find the diagnosis in "his" mind, probably because "he" wasn't a doctor and didn't have a deep memory of the diagnosis, only knowing that the child wouldn't live long.

A hospital in Beijing said they could perform a liver transplant. Although the surgery carries risks, at least there is still hope, which is the only piece of good news.

However, the mother was not a match, while "himself" was a match, but he had problems such as fatty liver.

She was determined to have the transplant done for her child.

"Don't cry." Ji Xiang understood "his" thoughts, scratched his head, and comforted the woman beside him, "The doctor said that the liver can regenerate."

"Impossible, you'd die if you got a liver transplant."

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Ji Xiang smiled, wanting to reach out and touch the woman's hair—it was muscle memory—but his hand froze in mid-air, not falling.

It's really not something I'm used to, and Ji Xiang finds it a little troublesome.

"The liver really can regenerate on its own; it's a regenerative organ. There have been patients who had 75% of their liver removed, and the liver regenerated exactly like a new liver. You really won't die; I'll be fine, you can trust me."

The woman was taken aback when she heard Ji Xiang say this.

"The child is small, so he only needs a liver this small."

When Ji Xiang saw her look up, he gestured with his hand, making a distance of about 3cm between his right thumb and forefinger.

"Just this little bit is enough. Look how healthy I am. Even if I can't regenerate, removing this small piece of my liver won't have any impact on me."

"..." The woman still didn't speak.

"Believe me, it's true. I really know... Old Li from the construction site at my workplace had liver cancer and had most of his liver removed. A while ago, during a follow-up checkup, the doctor said that his caudate lobe had grown back, and it's even better than before. It's like a new liver, and it's working perfectly."

"real?"

"Of course it's true!" Ji Xiang gave the woman a reassuring look.

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes; it was clear she didn't believe what Ji Xiang had said.

"It's true," said a tall, thin man in the next bed.

Ji Xiang and the woman looked over.

He was taking care of an elderly person, a family member of a patient, but he spoke with great confidence.

"I'm a doctor at this hospital; my colleague told me about it," the tall, thin man said.

The woman seemed somewhat hesitant when a doctor spoke of it.

"The problem now is that I have fatty liver disease and I need to lose weight. I'm always running around doing business, eating and drinking, and it's turned my liver into fatty liver. Look at me."

"..." The woman's lips moved, but she didn't speak.

"Don't worry, there won't be any problems!"

The woman nodded slightly.

While the woman was taking care of the child, she went to get food. During this time, Ji Xiang started chatting with the doctor in the next bed.

Because there were patients present, he spoke vaguely and didn't elaborate on some things.

After they finished eating, Ji Xiang took the doctor to the fire escape to smoke and build rapport.

It turned out that his father had been diagnosed with liver cancer, and out of filial piety, he was preparing to donate his own liver to his father.

This... doesn't seem right, Ji Xiang thought to himself.

Ji Xiang felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Even with a liver transplant, there's still a chance of developing liver cancer, but my dad's cirrhosis is very severe, and he won't be able to hold on for long," the doctor said. "Hepatitis B is truly a dangerous disease."

"The risks of transplantation seem very high, and even if it's successful, what will you do afterwards?"

Ji Xiang asked.

"It's not like a kidney. The liver can regenerate; didn't you just say that?"

Both of them fell silent.

Liver regeneration is indeed a real phenomenon. But how does one get through the high-risk period after a liver transplant? Regeneration takes at least 2-3 years, and it also depends on fate.

It was only through a series of fortunate coincidences that a regenerated liver was obtained.

After a long silence, Ji Xiang and the doctor smoked silently, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Dude, you're really good to your dad." Ji Xiang sighed.

"That's what happens when he's my dad," the doctor laughed. "Look at you, you need a liver transplant for your child too."

"Because he's my daughter."

That's what they say, but both of them have their own difficulties.

Ji Xiang has to face his fatty liver and his body full of fat.

The child's time is limited, so I must seize the time to lose weight and reduce fat.

Unlike girls who love beauty, they want to be beautiful, but their priority is to save their children's lives.

"I won't smoke anymore. What if the genes in my liver cells change and my child starts smoking too?" Ji Xiang stubbed out his cigarette and made a joke.

"I'm quitting smoking too!" The tall, thin doctor also put out his cigarette.

"Where are you going next?"

"Go to the capital city and take my dad for a liver transplant," the doctor said.

"Let's exchange contact information so we can keep in touch." Ji Xiang took out his phone, and the two exchanged WeChat contacts.

After returning home and completing the discharge procedures, Ji Xiang took the woman and child home.

The liver is relatively resilient.

Unless it is damaged to an irreversible degree, the liver can maintain normal liver function.

Even if there are occasional minor issues, they rarely cause physical discomfort.

Ji Xiang, who performs interventional surgery for liver cancer, naturally knew this.

Therefore, he is not worried that transplanting a small portion of his liver into his child would have any irreversible impact on his own body.

However, losing weight is a difficult problem.

The risks of losing tens of kilograms in a short period of time may seem insignificant, but Ji Xiang knows that they are far more terrifying than facing a "hard" injury like a broken collarbone.

Risks include, but are not limited to: acute malnutrition due to nutritional imbalance, rapid decline in basal metabolic rate due to significant muscle loss, immune dysfunction due to low protein intake, gastrointestinal dysfunction due to starvation, anorexia nervosa, endocrine disorders, osteoporosis, etc.

Thankfully, I'm not a woman, otherwise I would have to face problems like menstrual irregularities.

You only realize how little you know when you need it.

Ji Xiang pondered this for a long time and realized that his knowledge of weight loss was almost zero.

Opinions vary on controlling carbohydrate intake, and Ji Xiang doesn't know whether it's good or bad.

In the end, Ji Xiang could only grasp the most crucial point: exercise more, eat less, and don't drink alcohol.

Oh, and Ji Xiang also quit smoking.

Ji Xiang smoked simply to better communicate with doctors and patients; he had no addiction to it and quitting would be very easy.

Moreover, Ji Xiang has excellent lifestyle habits in real life. Every morning he runs a quarter of a full marathon and a quarter of a full marathon with weights.

That silly roe deer is no joke.

Although his body here is not as strong as it is in real life, Ji Xiang has a habit of exercising.

After making preparations, Ji Xiang began to lose weight, relying on his strong willpower.

however!

Everything is easier said than done.

This body's physical condition is many times worse than mine. Although I'm not even thirty years old, all these years of drinking with clients have not only caused my liver to accumulate excessive fat, but have also eroded my athletic ability.

I get out of breath after just a short run, and I feel as tired as a silly roe deer that has run a quarter of a full marathon.

Ji Xiang did it all through sheer perseverance.

He also believes that real parents absolutely have the perseverance to do this.

Every morning, Ji Xiang would empty her bladder in the bathroom, just like a girl trying to lose weight, and then nervously step onto the scale.

Fluctuations in the numbers on the scale can make Ji Xiang happy or frustrated all day.

Overall, things went smoothly; in three weeks, Ji Xiang lost 12 pounds.

With less fat on my body, the abs I developed during my school days are now faintly visible, which is good news.

One day.

Ji Xiang received a message from the doctor in the next bed. The doctor didn't say anything, but just wanted to chat with Ji Xiang.

Although the information was brief, Ji Xiang could vaguely sense the frustration conveyed in his words.

Normally, Ji Xiang would know he'd have to drink with someone who was feeling down today and try to cheer them up. But now… he definitely couldn't drink; a completely vegetarian meal would be best.

When he saw the doctor, he looked much more haggard than when he was in the hospital, with an unshaven beard and no time to groom himself.

Moreover, he looked dejected and indescribably sad.

"Xiao Ji, stop drinking and sit with me for a while, let's chat."

"Brother, how's it going on your end?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Experts in Beijing said they wouldn't allow it."

"Huh?!" Ji Xiang was slightly taken aback.

"From a medical ethics perspective, only older patients can receive transplants from younger patients, not younger patients from older patients," the doctor said helplessly. "I went home and looked through my books, but I couldn't find the rule he mentioned."

Ji Xiang hesitated for a moment.

Although Ji Xiang didn't know whether what the experts in the capital said was true or false, he also forgot whether there was similar content in medical ethics.

But the logic behind the expert's words is easy to understand.

"Brother, liver transplantation is not the main treatment for liver cancer," Ji Xiang advised.

"I've heard that liver-splitting surgery is very prone to recurrence after the operation." The doctor poured himself a drink and downed the wine in one gulp. "Then let's skip liver splitting and do a transplant directly. I've thought about it; liver transplant surgery has huge risks, but the risk of bleeding from liver-splitting surgery is also quite significant."

"And it also involves whether it's completely removed. If that's the case, it's better to just remove the whole liver and use my own."

Ji Xiang found it hard to understand the doctor's thinking. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Brother, do you know about interventional surgery?"

"Cardiac? I know. Two of our patients in the cardiology department have developed blood disorders, and now nobody dares to do interventional surgeries. But that stuff is really lucrative; I bet it won't be long before someone goes back to doing it."

"..." Ji Xiang was speechless.

"Why are you talking about this? How's things on your end?"

"No, no, what I mean is that liver cancer can be treated with interventional surgery, and the results seem quite good. Although most patients don't get a full recovery, shrinking the tumor and then combining it with surgery seems to be quite effective."

Ji Xiang suggested.

The doctor looked up and stared at Ji Xiang in surprise.

This doesn't sound like something a patient's family member would say.

"I've been to many hospitals, based on what I've heard from others, and I also got my spine checked while I was there," Ji Xiang said, making up an excuse for himself.

"Really? How come I didn't know that?"

Ji Xiang felt particularly helpless.

Interventional surgery has indeed not been performed well for many reasons, but suture entrapment is only one of them, and not the most important one.

Does the X-ray taken during orthopedic surgery affect the sutures?

The cardiology department opened the coronary artery; should we take the suture?

Countless people actively requested to work in these departments, especially orthopedics. Zhao Tianjiao was assigned to orthopedics as soon as he came to the hospital.

As long as the money is high enough, there will always be people willing to risk their lives.

Offering unpaid wages and demanding job security, using sentimentality to deceive people—this won't last.

It's like... even this doctor from the same family doesn't know about interventional surgery for liver cancer.

Ji Xiang began to "educate" him about the relationship between interventional surgery and liver cancer.

The doctor wanted to perform a liver transplant on his father, which involved a lot of things, and the surgery was extremely serious.

Ji Xiang felt that the doctor was just desperate and grasping at straws, and that his wild imagination led him to come up with this bizarre idea.

However, his idea was not very feasible.

Interventional surgery is still a better option.

He spoke for about an hour, giving more than a dozen examples, leaving the doctor completely bewildered.

"How do you know so much?" the doctor asked.

"We've met once before, so I paid extra attention when people mentioned it," Ji Xiang explained perfunctorily.

"That seems to be the case." The doctor pondered. "I'll go back and inquire further. If possible, I'll go to Peking Union Medical College Hospital."

"Give it a try. I feel it's more reliable than you think about a liver transplant."

The doctor nodded, pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "And you? How's it going? You look a bit thinner. I didn't expect you to actually stick with it."

"I've lost over ten pounds recently."

"!!!" The doctor was stunned.

Ji Xiang was slightly smug.

She devoted herself wholeheartedly to her child's health, even going to great lengths to lose weight.

It wasn't just self-pity; I realized I had indeed put in a lot of effort.

"Actually...although fatty liver is the most common risk factor for liver transplantation, fatty liver is also classified into different types."

It is divided into macrovesicle type and microvesicle type fatty degeneration.

Small vesicular steatosis liver transplantation yields satisfactory results and has no significant adverse effects on postoperative graft function or recipient prognosis; therefore, it can be routinely used.

"..."

Ji Xiang didn't expect that after he had just finished explaining interventional surgery to the other party, the other party would start explaining liver transplantation and fatty liver to him.

This could be considered a discussion about the condition among fellow patients and their families.

"In living donor liver transplantation, the quality of fatty donor livers can be improved in a variety of ways, such as drug therapy, weight loss through short-term interventions such as vigorous exercise and dietary management."

"But there's something you probably don't know."

"Currently, there is no standardized method for weight loss. Generally, a low-calorie diet of <1200kcal/day for 4-12 weeks, combined with exercise and medication, is safe and can maintain good adherence."

However, it's important to use it in moderation; too much of anything is as bad as too little.

Studies have shown that donors who lose more than 1.6 kg per week are at increased risk of liver inflammation and portal vein fibrosis.

"!!!"

Ji Xiang never expected that losing weight too quickly would also have risks.

This is fucking ridiculous!

"Is that so?" Ji Xiang murmured.

"Yes, I feel you've lost weight too quickly. I can't say whether your body can handle it, but you look much more energetic than when you were in the hospital. You know, people really need to be active."

"That's getting off-topic. If you lose weight too quickly, and your liver develops abnormalities or portal vein fibrosis, that would be a real disaster."

Hearing him say that, Ji Xiang's hand went a little numb.

Indeed, if you go through all the trouble of losing weight, only to end up with portal vein fibrosis, that would be truly a mess.

"I know you have limited time, but... sigh. It's tough being sick, but being a patient's family member is even tougher. You know, if only people could stay healthy."

The doctor sighed.

"Brother, do you know any experts in weight loss?" Ji Xiang asked tentatively.

The doctor looked at Ji Xiang as if he were an idiot.

"To put it another way, if I knew a way to lose weight successfully without harming my health, I'd open a private hospital right now," the doctor said.

Ji Xiang smiled helplessly; that was indeed the case.

I was getting a little impatient; if this situation continued to escalate, it would turn into a pig butchering scam.

It seems that quite a few girls have been scammed while trying to lose weight.

However, this kind of "pig butchering scam" is fundamentally different from the woman in the "empathy" story who used the "bat software".

As Ji Xiang pondered, he brought his thoughts back to the present.

The system made me empathize with it, having experienced countless terrible things, and I would always think of it unexpectedly.

"Then I'll go back and think about it."

"Take it slow. We mainly need to see if your body can handle it. There are some medications that can work, but the side effects are quite obvious. For example, you might experience oily slicks in the middle of the night, and your underwear and sheets will be covered in oil when you wake up in the morning."

Upon hearing the doctor's words, Ji Xiang's eyes lit up immediately!

Isn't this what I've been looking for?

"Brother! What kind of medicine do you have?!"

Seeing Ji Xiang's anxious, expectant, and excited expression, the doctor downed the glass of wine in front of him in one gulp, then held his breath for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

"Whoa~~~"

Ji Xiang didn't dare to disturb him.

Combining medication with plenty of exercise is the fastest and most effective way to lose weight.

"Let me tell you, every medicine has side effects!"

"Yes, yes, I know. So, what kind of medication should I take to lose weight?"

The doctor paused for a moment.

Looking at Ji Xiang's seemingly crazed expression, he knew in his heart that Ji Xiang wouldn't listen to his advice at all.

I'm no different.

Orlistat capsules.

"This is an obesity treatment drug that does not act on the central nervous system."

The drug acts only on the gastrointestinal tract, inhibiting lipases in the gastrointestinal tract to prevent the hydrolysis of triglycerides into free fatty acids and monoacrylic glycerides, thereby reducing the absorption of dietary fat by the intestinal mucosa and promoting the excretion of fat from the body.

As Ji Xiang listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Orlistat is practically a miracle drug tailor-made for me!

I control my diet every day, starving myself until my eyes turn blue, and with lots of exercise and this kind of food, I estimate I can have a liver transplant in two months.

"Xiao Ji, this medicine has side effects."

"What side effects?"

"Your chrysanthemum is leaking oil," the doctor said.

"Oh, I thought it was some kind of illness. It's just anal leakage. If I can lose weight, I wouldn't mind if they poured oil into my anus after a liver transplant, let alone leakage."

That's a good point.

He's absolutely insane.

Ji Xiang and the doctor exchanged their experiences and left satisfied.

Having figured out orlistat, Ji Xiang wasn't in a hurry and didn't take an excessive dose at once. Even in a rush, Ji Xiang still possessed the most basic medical knowledge.

Following the maximum dosage recommended in the instructions, and combined with plenty of exercise, Ji Xiang eagerly awaits the day a miracle will happen.

This time, the empathy seemed different; Ji Xiang had a particularly clear, even eager, expectation in this experience.

Furthermore, Ji Xiang also checked and found that Orlistat is the only over-the-counter weight loss drug permitted in China.

As for the oil leak from the chrysanthemum, Ji Xiang didn't care at all.

Losing weight, reducing body fat, and getting a liver transplant—the most important thing is to donate my liver to my daughter as healthily as possible.

After taking orally, Ji Xiang personally experienced the benefits of the drug and discovered them.

Emm

It's not a magic pill that will make you feel like you're losing weight immediately after taking one.

Instead, after taking orlistat, a layer of oily substance is visibly floating on the stool.

Being able to see the grease being expelled with one's own eyes undoubtedly boosted Ji Xiang's confidence.

Although Ji Xiang is currently focusing on a light diet, he can already see results. He estimates that the effects would be even more pronounced if he ate oily food.

The next morning, Ji Xiang took orlistat orally and went to work.

The subway was packed with people, like sardines in a can.

Ji Xiang's stomach was rumbling, and he guessed that Orlistat might be taking effect.

But an embarrassing question arose in front of Ji Xiang.

A fart has reached the rectum, constantly stimulating the nerves, making it want to be expelled.

Ji Xiang instantly realized two things.

First, this is what "chrysanthemum leaking oil" actually means.

Oil leaks occur uncontrollably, regardless of time, occasion, or location.

No wonder some people say orlistat is an emergency medication, like Yunting. If you have an unavoidable drinking party, dinner party, or just want a snack, take one orlistat tablet before eating.

This way it's easier to control.

Second, not a single fart is worth believing.

Especially on the subway, where there are huge crowds, Ji Xiang even thought of many unpleasant images of excrement and urine.

The warm current gradually soaked through his underwear, then flowed down to Ji Xiang's thighs.

Gradually, the warm current turned cold.

This feeling was incredibly intense and exhilarating.

Ji Xiang couldn't help but shiver.

As he moved, Ji Xiang felt even more "warmth" flowing out.

Because his underwear was already soaked, the "warm current" flowed downstream, and Ji Xiang even felt it flowing into his shoes.

Oh no, how am I going to go to work now?

Ji Xiang hurriedly got off the subway at the next stop and quickly tidied up in the restroom.

But to his relief, wiping it with toilet paper only removed the oil.

Although it was a bit embarrassing, it was effective, and the effect was significant.

Ji Xiang was both happy and worried.

However, he was more pleased than anything else. Looking at the oil slicks being wiped away, Ji Xiang could even feel the grease that had accumulated in his body over the years being scraped away bit by bit.

I imagine my fatty liver will improve quickly.

(End of this chapter)