Chapter 1599: with translation of chapter title

The next morning, he arrived at the Hospital.

"Zheng Lao Ban, someone is looking for you; they arrived early." The on-duty doctor told Zheng Ren.

"Where is the person?" Zheng Ren asked.

"They said they're your fellow townsman; I had them wait in the office."

After changing clothes, Zheng Ren came to the office.

Liu Zewei arrived early; today he had to handle discharges and admit patients, busy as hell.

Moreover, this batch of patients is extremely likely, after completing a round of Shou Bing, to be observed for one day and then sent to the Community Hospital.

So he came early, which could be seen as welcoming a bright future, witnessing a huge leap in Zheng Lao Ban's career.

Although there were countless things to do, he was chatting with an ordinary middle‑aged man. The man held a thick folder of films; at a glance you could tell he was the person Director Pan mentioned.

"Hello, you're the patient's family member the director mentioned, right?" Zheng Ren entered and asked directly.

"This is Zheng Lao Ban." Liu Zewei introduced.

The middle‑aged man was extremely ordinary in both appearance and attire, looking honest as well.

Although he was surprised that Zheng Ren was so young, he still performed a respectful Jiu Gong, showing his respect for Zheng Lao Ban.

Through an introduction, coming to Di Du for treatment, people basically carry a nervous feeling of seeking medical help. This is coming to ask for help in person; first, one's attitude must be proper.

Zheng Ren smiled and asked: "Is the patient your spouse? Please tell me the situation."

Speaking, he took the folder of films from the patient's family member's hand.

"Chief Zheng, the patient is my spouse, 42 years old. A month ago she said her belly button area hurt; after the initial pain it quickly subsided, and we thought it was just diarrhea, so we ignored it." The middle‑aged man said.

Zheng Ren nodded, indicating he understood, and began to look at the time on the films.

In chronological order, starting from the patient's initial condition, one can better understand and recognize the illness.

"The first episode was brief, so I didn't think much of it. But two or three days later her stomach hurt again. The pain frequency kept increasing; I worried something serious was wrong, so I no matter what brought her to the hospital for a check‑up."

Zheng Ren found the films from 23 days ago, took them out, and placed them on the viewer.

The time isn't exactly one month, but it's normal for the patient's family to have a slight deviation when recounting events.

It is an upright abdominal flat film; no free gas is seen below both diaphragms; there is mild gas accumulation in the left colon, and in the right lower abdomen two 'irregular' small fluid‑air levels are visible; no other significant abnormal changes are noted.

Such 'small' fluid‑air levels in the right lower abdomen suggest a high possibility of partial intestinal obstruction; the diagnosis from Haicheng Shi Yiyuan is entirely correct.

"At that time we checked…" The middle‑aged man began looking through the film folder, and after comparing the timing he said: "This is the film. The diagnosis was incomplete intestinal obstruction, and they advised us to go home for observation."

Incomplete intestinal obstruction has many possible triggers; one can be admitted for observation or observed at home.

Zheng Ren considered that the doctors in Hai Cheng's Emergency Department, after taking the history, had found no triggering factors, which is why they gave such advice.

At most, using something like glycerin suppository would be enough.

He was thoroughly familiar with the doctors in Hai Cheng's Emergency Department, down to the bone.

Although there were minor issues, there was no special treatment, and both the patient and family found it hard to accept hospitalization.

"And then?" Zheng Ren flipped through the lab report from that time, asking casually.

"After going home, once that bout of pain passed, she felt better. Later, she almost daily had a bout of pain lasting about twenty minutes before it eased." The middle‑aged man said: "When she wasn't in pain, she was just like a healthy person, so neither I nor my spouse paid it any mind."

"Three days ago, she had another bout of abdominal pain; this time it lingered, and she broke out in a cold sweat from the pain." The middle‑aged man said: "There was no choice; I had to call an Emergency Rescue Service ambulance to bring her to the hospital."

"The Emergency Department diagnosed it as an 'acute abdomen,' saying she needed observation in the ED. I thought it wasn't a big deal, so I asked someone to find Director Sun and have her admitted to General Surgery Ward 2."

Zheng Ren smiled, picked up the examination from that time, and examined it carefully.

The imaging examination indeed still showed the appearance of partial intestinal obstruction, only the symptoms were much more severe than before.

This could also be discerned from the patient's family member's recounting of the medical history.

Blood tests and other examinations were the same, consistent with the imaging assessment.

In the blood count, white blood cells were slightly elevated, neutrophils also a bit high; hemoglobin was low, and for a middle‑aged woman anemia is not uncommon.

Zheng Ren pondered, going through the lab reports one by one.

Liver function… transaminases were slightly elevated? It didn't seem like a major issue. Bilirubin was normal, and the other results weren't sufficient to alter the diagnosis.

After admission, General Surgery Ward 2 gave NPO, gastrointestinal decompression, laxatives, fluid replacement, somatostatin to inhibit intestinal secretions, and anti‑infection symptomatic supportive treatment.

The diagnosis was clear, the treatment was fairly conventional, very much in line with Director Sun's style. Steady, steady to the point of being solid.

But the patient's abdominal pain did not improve after treatment; later she underwent an oral small‑bowel endoscope, which reported: a diverticulum in the descending duodenum, non‑atrophic gastritis with bile reflux.

Gastroscopy also diagnosed atrophic gastritis.

This isn't very common; at 42, to have atrophic gastritis?

But it's not a big deal; it's merely uncommon, not even reaching rarity.

Zheng Ren looked at the lab reports while forming his own judgment in his mind.

After reviewing the lab reports, there were many issues, but none were serious; fundamentally a clear diagnosis could not be given. Or rather, Director Sun's diagnosis was correct, and Zheng Ren had no objection for the time being.

Zheng Ren placed the abdominal CT on the viewer, rested his chin on his right hand, and examined the images carefully.

"Boss, there seems to be a problem here. There's a fairly obvious intestinal obstruction—why isn't it improving?" Su Yun stood aside, pointing to the obstruction site on the film, and said.

Zheng Ren nodded and continued reviewing the films.

After reconstruction, many parts of the image appeared abnormal.

The renal tubules showed atrophy; it didn't look like that of a 42‑year‑old middle‑aged woman, but rather like the imaging finding of someone over seventy.

Premature aging?

Zheng Ren recalled a few clinical case reports, and he directly dismissed that diagnosis.

"What medication does your spouse usually take? Besides the stomach pain, is there anything else uncomfortable?" Zheng Ren asked while looking at the films.

"It's not simply that she's over 40 and menopausal, making her temper a bit irritable." The middle‑aged man thought for a moment and said: "People always say I've amounted to nothing in my life and can't make money. Previously she cooked for me, but in recent years she hasn't cooked at all; all day she just complains. Otherwise she dresses up flashily and goes out to class reunions."

"……" Zheng Ren quickly stopped the middle‑aged man's topic.

If he kept talking, it might turn into a family ethics drama.

Seven years... eight years... several years of an itch, left hand pulling right hand, he began to pay attention to his appearance, then went out to look for a classmates gathering.

"I'm asking, do you feel Uncomfortable, and then what medicine have you taken?" Zheng Ren asked again.