Chapter 756: Pity the Hearts of Parents Everywhere

"My" daughter has Congenital Liver Disease; her belly was exceptionally large after birth, and the delivering Doctor and the head of the Pediatrics department said the child would not live past 1 year old.

The couple could not accept this, so they took the child everywhere for medical treatment, but the conclusions they received were basically identical.

Ji Xiang did not find a diagnosis in "his" own mind; he guessed that since "he" was not a Doctor, "he" did not have a deep memory of any diagnosis, only knowing that the child would not live long.

A hospital in the Imperial Capital said a Liver Transplantation could be done; although the surgery also had risks, at the very least there was still hope, which counted as the only piece of good news.

But after matching, the mother was not a match, and "his" match was suitable, but "he" had issues like Fatty Liver.

"He" was determined to perform the transplantation for the 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, if you have a Liver Transplantation, you will die."

"Pfft, what are you thinking?" Ji Xiang smiled and wanted to reach out to touch the woman's hair; this was Muscle Memory, but his hand froze in mid-air and did not fall.

He was truly a bit unaccustomed to it; Ji Xiang felt it was a bit of a small trouble.

"The liver really can grow on its own; it belongs to the regenerative organs. There are Patients who had 75% of their liver removed and the liver regenerated, exactly the same as a new liver. I really won't die, I will be fine, believe me."

The woman was stunned for a moment after hearing Ji Xiang say this.

"The child is small, she only needs a liver this big."

Seeing her look up, Ji Xiang gestured with his hand, his right thumb and index finger making a distance of about 3cm.

"She only needs this little bit; look at how healthy my body is, even if it couldn't regenerate, cutting off this little bit of liver wouldn't cause me any impact at all."

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

"Believe me, it's true. My... Lao Li at my unit's construction site, Liver Cancer, had a large half of his liver removed; a while ago during a follow-up, the Doctor said his liver tail lobe had already grown back, and it was even better than the previous liver tail lobe, it was a new liver, very useful."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true!" Ji Xiang gave the woman an affirmative look.

The woman's tears swirled in her eyes; it was very clear she did not believe what Ji Xiang said.

"It is true," said a thin, tall man in the bed next door.

Ji Xiang and the woman looked over.

He was taking care of an elderly person and was a Family Member, but his speech was full of confidence.

"I am a Doctor at this hospital; I have heard my colleagues talk about it," the thin, tall man said.

With a Doctor's word, the woman seemed to waver a bit.

"The problem now is that I have Fatty Liver, I have to lose weight. Running business errands every day, eating and drinking, I ate my liver into a Fatty Liver, look at me."

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

"Don't worry, there's no problem!"

The woman nodded gently.

"He" took care of the child while the woman went to get food; taking advantage of this interval, Ji Xiang struck up a conversation with the Doctor in the bed next door.

Because there were Patients present, he was vague and some things were not said in detail.

After they finished eating, Ji Xiang pulled that Doctor to the Fire Exit to smoke and build rapport.

It turned out his father was diagnosed with Liver Cancer, and being very filial, he was preparing to transplant his own liver to his father.

This... seems not good, Ji Xiang thought to himself.

Ji Xiang felt something was strange, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what.

"Even if the liver is transplanted, he might still get Liver Cancer, but my dad's Liver Cirrhosis is very severe and he can't hold on for long himself," the Doctor said, "Hepatitis B, it really is harmful."

"The risk of transplantation also seems very high, and even if it is successful, what will you do in the future?"

Ji Xiang asked.

"It's not a kidney, the liver can regenerate, didn't you just say that too."

Both fell silent at the same time.

Liver regeneration, this matter is indeed true. But how to survive the risk period after Liver Transplantation? Waiting for regeneration takes at least 2-3 years, and it also depends on fate.

Only by chance can one wait for the regenerated liver.

After a long silence, Ji Xiang and that Doctor smoked silently, each with their own worries.

"Buddy, you are truly good to your dad," Ji Xiang sighed.

"Who told him to be my dad," the Doctor smiled, "Look at you, aren't you the same, wanting to transplant your liver to your child."

"Who told her to be my daughter."

That is how it is said, but both had their own difficulties.

What Ji Xiang had to face was his own Fatty Liver and a body full of fat.

The time the child could hold on was limited; he had to hurry up and lose weight and reduce fat.

Unlike girls who love beauty, they want to be beautiful, while he wants to save his child's life.

"From now on I won't smoke anymore, what if the genes in the liver cells change and the child smokes in the future," Ji Xiang stubbed out the cigarette and made a joke.

"I won't smoke either, quitting smoking!" The thin, tall Doctor also stubbed out his cigarette.

"Where are you going next?"

"Going to the Imperial Capital to take my dad for a Liver Transplantation," the Doctor said.

"Let's leave contact information, let's keep in touch in the future," Ji Xiang took out his phone, and the two added each other on WeChat.

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

The liver is relatively durable.

Unless it is pushed to the point of no return, the liver can maintain the normal operation of liver function.

Even if there are occasional small problems, it rarely causes physical discomfort.

Ji Xiang performs Interventional Surgery for Liver Cancer, so he naturally knows this point.

Therefore, he was not worried that donating a small portion of his liver to the child would cause any irreversible impact on "his own" body.

However, losing weight is a difficult problem.

The risks brought about by losing dozens of jin in a short period of time might seem like nothing, but Ji Xiang knew this was far more terrifying than the "hard" injuries like a Clavicle Fracture he had faced.

The risks include, but are not limited to—acute malnutrition caused by imbalanced nutrient intake, a rapid decline in basal metabolic rate caused by massive muscle loss, immune system dysfunction caused by low protein, gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by starvation, anorexia nervosa, endocrine disorders, osteoporosis, and so on.

Fortunately, he was not a woman, otherwise he would also have to face problems like menstrual irregularities.

One only regrets having read too little when the time comes to use it.

Ji Xiang had pondered it carefully for a long time and discovered that his knowledge regarding weight loss was almost equal to zero.

Regarding carbohydrate control, opinions varied, and Ji Xiang did not know if it was good or bad.

In the end, Ji Xiang could only grasp the most core points—exercise more, eat less, and do not drink alcohol.

By the way, Ji Xiang also quit smoking.

Originally, Ji Xiang only smoked to better communicate with Doctors and Patients; he had no addiction at all, so quitting was very simple.

Moreover, in reality, Ji Xiang's lifestyle habits were exceptionally good; every morning he would run a quarter of a full marathon, and he would also run a quarter of a full marathon while carrying a load.

A Sha Paozi is not light.

Although the body here was not as strong as the one in reality, Ji Xiang had the habit of exercising.

After making preparations, Ji Xiang relied on his super-strong willpower to begin losing weight.

However!

Everything is easier said than done.

The quality of this body was many times worse than his own body; although he was not yet thirty, all these years of drinking with the "Party A fathers" had not only caused his liver to accumulate excessive fat, but had also eroded his athletic ability.

He would be panting after running just a little bit, as tired as a Sha Paozi that had run a quarter of a full marathon.

Ji Xiang relied entirely on perseverance to do it.

He also believed that the real parents would definitely have the perseverance to achieve this.

Every morning upon waking, Ji Xiang would go to the restroom to empty himself just like a girl trying to lose weight, and then stand on the scale with trepidation.

The fluctuations in the numbers on the scale could make Ji Xiang happy or depressed for an entire day.

However, generally speaking, it was going smoothly; in three weeks, Ji Xiang had already lost 12 jin.

The fat on his body had decreased, and the few abdominal muscles he had trained during his school days were vaguely visible; this counted as 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 find Ji Xiang to chat.

Although the message was very brief, Ji Xiang could vaguely sense the frustration revealed between the lines of his words.

If it were normal times, Ji Xiang knew he would have to accompany the person for some drinks to drown their sorrows and offer some guidance. But now... he absolutely must not drink; a purely sober session would be best.

After meeting the Doctor, he looked much more haggard than when he was at the hospital, his beard unkempt, not even having the effort to groom himself.

Moreover, his face was full of frustration, with an indescribable sorrow.

"Xiao Ji, don't drink; just sit with me for a while and chat."

"Brother, how are things on your side?" Ji Xiang asked.

"The Expert in the Imperial Capital said they won't do it."

"Huh?!" Ji Xiang was slightly startled.

"According to Medical Ethics, one can only transplant from the old to the young, not from the young to the old," the Doctor said helplessly. "I went home and flipped through books; how come I didn't find this rule he mentioned?"

Ji Xiang hesitated for a moment.

Although Ji Xiang also didn't know if what the Expert in the Imperial Capital said was true or false, and he had forgotten if there was similar content in Medical Ethics.

But the logic within these words from the Expert in the Imperial Capital was easy to understand.

"Brother, liver transplantation is not the main means of treating Liver Cancer either," Ji Xiang advised.

"I heard people say that doing a Split Liver Transplantation makes it especially easy to recur after surgery," the Doctor poured and drank by himself, downing the wine in his glass in one gulp. "Then don't split the liver, just do a direct transplant. I've thought about it; the risk of a liver transplant surgery is huge, but the risk of bleeding from a Split Liver Transplantation is also damn high."

"And it also involves whether it can be cut clean. If that's the case, it would be better to cut the whole liver out and use my liver."

Ji Xiang found it hard to understand the Doctor's thinking; he hesitated for a little while and asked, "Brother, do you know about Interventional Surgery?"

"The one for the heart? I know. Two people in our hospital's Circulation Department got blood diseases from Interventional Surgery, and now no one dares to do it. But that thing is truly profitable; I see that before long, someone will go up and do it again."

"..." Ji Xiang was speechless.

"Why talk about this? How are things on your side?"

"No, no, I mean that Liver Cancer can be treated with Interventional Surgery, and the effect seems quite good. Although most Patients cannot be cured, letting the Tumor shrink and then coordinating with a Surgical Operation seems to have a good effect."

Ji Xiang suggested.

The Doctor looked up, looking at Ji Xiang in surprise.

These words didn't sound like something a Family Member could say.

"I've also been to many hospitals, heard people say it, and just happened to ask about it," Ji Xiang found an excuse for himself.

"Really? How come I don't know about it."

Ji Xiang felt particularly helpless.

Interventional Surgery was indeed not being carried out well; there were many reasons, and radiation exposure was just one of them, but it was not the most important one.

In the Orthopedics Department, when taking X-rays during surgery, is there radiation exposure?

In the Circulation Department, when opening up coronary arteries, is there radiation exposure?

The number of people who voluntarily requested to go to these departments was countless, especially the Orthopedics Department; Zhao Tianjiao was internally assigned to the Orthopedics Department when he came to the hospital.

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

Not paying money but still wanting people to risk their lives, using sentiment to deceive people—this kind of thing won't last long.

Just like... the Doctor from the same clan in front of him didn't even know that Interventional Surgery could treat Liver Cancer.

Ji Xiang began to "popularize" the relationship between Interventional Surgery and Liver Cancer for him.

The Doctor wanted to perform a Liver Transplantation for his father, which in itself involved many issues, and the surgery was astronomically large.

Ji Xiang felt that the Doctor was just a patient grasping at straws, and coupled with his wild imagination, that was why he had such whimsical ideas.

However, the feasibility of his idea was not high.

Interventional Surgery was still a better option.

After talking for about an hour, Ji Xiang even gave over a dozen examples, leaving the Doctor stunned.

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

"It's just that since we've met once, I paid extra attention when I heard people talking about it," Ji Xiang explained evasively.

"That seems to be the case," the Doctor mused, "I'll go back and ask around more; if it's possible, I'll go to Peking Union Medical College Hospital."

"Go and try it; I feel it's more reliable than the Liver Transplantation you're thinking of."

The Doctor nodded, pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "What about you? How are things on your end? You look like you've lost some weight; I didn't expect you to really be able to stick with it."

"I've lost over ten pounds during this period."

"!!!" The Doctor was taken aback.

Ji Xiang felt slightly proud.

He had poured his heart into it, and for the sake of the child's health, he could say he had been losing weight with his life on the line.

It wasn't self-indulgent sentimentality, but rather that he had indeed put in a lot of effort.

"Actually... although Fatty Liver is said to be the most common risk factor for Liver Transplantation, Fatty Liver is also classified into types.

It is divided into macrovesicular and Microvesicular Steatosis.

Microvesicular Steatosis can achieve satisfactory results after donor liver transplantation, has no obvious adverse effects on post-operative graft function and recipient prognosis, and can be used routinely."

"..."

Ji Xiang didn't expect that just after he finished popularizing Interventional Surgery to the other party, the other party would start popularizing Liver Transplantation and Fatty Liver to him.

This could be considered a discussion of medical conditions between fellow patients and Family Members.

"In living donor liver transplantation, the quality of a fatty donor liver can also be improved through various methods, such as drug treatment, or short-term interventions like heavy exercise and dietary management to lose weight."

"But there is one thing you probably don't know."

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

But one must be careful to do it in moderation; too much is as bad as too little.

Some studies have shown that if a donor loses more than 1.6kg per week, it will increase the risk of liver inflammation and Portal Fibrosis."

"!!!"

Ji Xiang never expected that losing weight too fast also carried risks.

Damn it!

"Is that so?" Ji Xiang muttered.

"Yes, I feel you've lost weight too quickly. Whether your body can handle it is hard to say, but I see you have much more Spirit than when you were at the hospital; they say people really should move more."

"Getting off track, you're losing weight too fast; if there is inflammation in the liver or Portal Fibrosis appears, that would be fucking terrible."

Hearing him say this, Ji Xiang's hands felt a bit numb.

Indeed, if he went through all that trouble to lose weight, only to end up with Portal Fibrosis, that would be truly fucking terrible.

"I know your time is limited, but... sigh. It's bitter, the bitterness of being sick; we are Family Members of patients, it's even more fucking bitter. You tell me, if people didn't get sick, how good would that be."

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.

"Let's put it this way: if I mastered a way to lose weight successfully without affecting the body, I would fucking go out and open a private hospital right now," the Doctor said.

Ji Xiang smiled helplessly; that was indeed the case.

He was also a bit impatient; if this matter evolved further, it would turn into a Kill Pig Plate.

It seemed there were quite a few women who had been scammed because of weight loss.

But this kind of Kill Pig Plate was fundamentally different from the woman who used the bat software in the Empathy experience.

As Ji Xiang thought about it, he pulled his thoughts back.

The system made him experience Empathy, and having gone through countless messes, he would always think of them inadvertently.

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

"Take it slow; the main thing is to see if your body can handle it. There are some drugs that can be used in combination, but the side effects are very obvious. For example, you might leak oil in the middle of the night, and when you wake up in the morning, your underwear and bedsheets are covered in oil stains."

Hearing the Doctor say this, Ji Xiang's eyes lit up instantly!

Wasn't this exactly what he was looking for?

"Brother! What kind of drugs are there?!"

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

"Whew~~~"

Ji Xiang didn't dare to disturb him.

Drugs combined with heavy exercise—only this kind of weight loss could be both fast and good.

"Let me tell you, no matter what the drug is, it has side effects!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I know, but if I want to lose weight, what drugs do I need to take?"

The Doctor was stunned for a moment.

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

And he, wasn't he the same?

"Orlistat Capsule."

"This is a weight-loss medication that does not act on the central nervous system.

The drug acts only on the Gastrointestinal tract, preventing the hydrolysis of triglycerides into free fatty acids and monoacylglycerols by inhibiting Gastrointestinal lipases, 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 was practically a miracle drug tailor-made for him!

If he controlled his diet every day until his eyes turned blue from hunger, combined with plenty of exercise and taking this stuff, he reckoned he could undergo Liver Transplantation in another two months.

"Xiao Ji, this drug has side effects."

"What side effects?"

"Anal oil leakage," the Doctor said.

"Pfft, I thought it was some kind of disease; isn't it just anal oil leakage? If I can lose the weight, never mind oil leakage—even if you poured oil into me after the Liver Transplantation, I wouldn't care."

That was quite a thing to say.

Absolutely insane.

Ji Xiang and the Doctor exchanged insights and left, both satisfied.

After procuring the Orlistat, Ji Xiang didn't act rashly and take an overdose all at once. No matter how urgent things were, Ji Xiang still possessed the most basic medical literacy.

Following the maximum dosage on the instructions and combining it with plenty of exercise, Ji Xiang looked forward to the day the miracle would arrive.

It seemed this instance of Empathy was different; in this experience, Ji Xiang had a particularly clear, one might even say ravenous, expectation.

Moreover, Ji Xiang had checked, and Orlistat was the only over-the-counter weight-loss drug permitted in the country.

As for the anal oil leakage, Ji Xiang didn't care at all.

Losing weight, losing fat, and undergoing Liver Transplantation to transplant his own liver to his daughter as healthily as possible was the only thing that mattered.

After taking the Orlistat, Ji Xiang discovered the benefits of this drug through personal experience.

Emmm.

It wasn't a magic elixir; he didn't immediately feel himself getting thinner after taking one pill.

Instead, after taking the Orlistat, a visible layer of oil could be seen floating on his stool.

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

Although Ji Xiang was currently sticking to a light diet, he could still see the results. He reckoned the effects would be even more obvious if he ate greasy food.

Early the next morning, Ji Xiang took the Orlistat and went to work.

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

Ji Xiang's stomach rumbled and gurgled; he guessed perhaps the Orlistat was taking effect.

But an embarrassing problem appeared before Ji Xiang.

A fart had already reached his rectum, constantly stimulating his nerves, wanting to be released.

In an instant, Ji Xiang understood two things.

First, this was what anal oil leakage meant.

Regardless of time, occasion, or place, the body leaks oil uncontrollably.

No wonder some people said Orlistat was an emergency drug, much like Yunting. If there was a drinking party or dinner you couldn't get out of, or if you wanted to satisfy a craving, you took an Orlistat before eating.

That way, it was easier to control.

Second, no fart is to be trusted.

Especially on the subway, in the surging crowd, Ji Xiang even thought of many unsightly scenes involving excrement and gas.

That warm current gradually soaked through his underwear, then flowed down, running onto Ji Xiang's thighs.

Gradually, the warm current turned cold.

This feeling was sour and refreshing to the Extreme Point.

Ji Xiang couldn't help but shiver.

As his body moved, Ji Xiang felt more "warm current" flow out.

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

It's over; how could he go to work like this?

Ji Xiang hurriedly got off the subway at the next station and found a restroom to clean himself up a bit.

But what comforted him was that when he wiped with toilet paper, all that came off were oil slicks.

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

Ji Xiang was both happy and worried.

But there was more joy; looking at the wiped-off oil, Ji Xiang could even feel the grease that had accumulated in his body for years being scraped away bit by bit.

He imagined his Fatty Liver would also improve rapidly.

(End of this chapter)