Chapter 2475: 2388 One Lives for a Single Thought

"Well, I encountered an old patient." Gao Shaojie leaned his body slightly forward and spoke gracefully.

"My neighbor, during a workplace checkup, was found to have a small nodule about 1 cm in the right lung. He came to me for the films, and I suggested observing it for three months. Three months later the nodule had enlarged, so I recommended surgery."

"Postoperative pathology confirmed it was adenocarcinoma. But… a small nodule, after wedge resection it would be considered cured." Gao Shaojie said, "That was a bit later than now, around two weeks before New Year's. After the surgery I often saw him taking a walk downstairs."

"Could he have scared himself to death?" Su Yun asked.

"Well, his old coworkers all thought he had cancer and feared 'contagion'. When they hung out they deliberately kept their distance, even obviously avoiding him. That patient could only walk and chat with another person who also had cancer, which was a kind of mutual sympathy."

"After the New Year, I never saw that patient downstairs again. Later, one day when I was coming home from work, I met his spouse carrying a lunch box to bring him food."

Gao Shaojie narrated a 'story' in a plain, unembellished way, without mixing in too much emotion, just a straightforward description.

The mentioned words of being distanced and contagious make people laugh and cry, yet also give rise to a sense of bewilderment.

I asked about the details, and his spouse said that the retired friend who used to play with him during the New Year period had died of late-stage cancer. After hearing this news, he just stayed in bed.

In the end he didn't die from late-stage tumor, but from long-term bedridden state leading to hypostatic pneumonia and lung collapse, and he only lasted half a month before dying.

Gao Shaojie said this and sighed.

The condition of the patient he spoke of is similar to that of Bu Ruotian, yet not exactly the same.

But for sick people, especially those diagnosed with tumors, that anxious and uneasy psychology makes them directly confront the great terror of life and death.

This is something ordinary people absolutely cannot empathize with.

Even though everyone present except Song Ying is a doctor, they cannot put themselves in that situation of directly facing the great terror of life and death to feel what the patient is thinking.

The patient Gao Shaojie spoke of, after his 'only' friend died, his mindset collapsed, and he was almost actively seeking death.

But Bu Ruotian is 'actively' seeking a way to live, possibly feeling that fate is cruel and utterly unfair, using the 'laughable' method of changing his life and identity to escape the great terror between life and death.

Although it sounds funny, no one can actually laugh. This topic is a bit heavy, weighing down on everyone so they can't catch their breath.

I still have another patient." Gao Shaojie seemed a bit low in spirits; speaking of clinical experience, even Zheng Ren couldn't catch up to him. After decades of accumulation, having seen tens of thousands of patients, similar gossip comes easily to hand.

He continued: 'When he came to see me, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, a 7×8 cm mass in the right lobe. At that time he told me, his son was still in his third year of college, could he hold on until his son graduates.'

I couldn't guarantee anything, only said I would do my best. Later he underwent twelve interventional surgeries, but the tumor was never fully controlled. If Zheng Lao Ban were here, he might have lived a bit longer, possibly even been cured.

Zheng Ren shook his head. Could I cure tumors? Lao Gao is praising himself too much. People ought to have self-awareness, and Zheng Ren knows this in his heart.

Don't spout nonsense, Lao Gao." Su Yun said contemptuously, "If the boss could cure tumors, what's there to worry about the Nobel Prize? The selection committee would come to Di Du begging for an award, and the boss would nonchalantly kick them aside.

Gao Shaojie chuckled.

By the time someone can cure tumors, they won't be able to get the Nobel Prize; perhaps this award has reached its end." Su Yun said.

I think if Zheng Lao Ban did the surgery, we could still let the patient live as long as possible." Gao Shaojie refined his viewpoint.

Hmm, that's about right, go on.

After he held on for a couple of years, he told me again, his son had finished undergraduate studies and was in graduate school; could he make it to his son's graduation.

Three years later, he asked me if his son had found a job at a big company in Pengcheng. He and his spouse had saved half a lifetime's money, preparing to give his son a down payment on a house. He wanted to see his son get married, and asked me to definitely help.

Another year and a half passed, his son got married, he came back for surgery and told me he wanted to hold a grandchild.

Gao Shaojie plainly narrated a patient's continually extending thoughts and demands.

Doctors can only use their technical skill to try to achieve this as much as possible.

But whether it can actually be done, not to mention Gao Shaojie, even Zheng Ren doesn't have full confidence.

Just as Su Yun said, if we were confident, the Nobel Prize judges would come to Di Du begging to award the prize.

If a new way to treat cancer emerges but still can't win the Nobel Prize, then the award would have no persuasive power.

How long did he hold on?" Su Yun asked.

Any story has an ending, and anyone is the same.

Three months before his daughter-in-law gave birth." Gao Shaojie felt a bit regretful.

You're impressive, Lao Gao." Su Yun praised, "Such a huge tumor, you stubbornly treated it for seven or eight years.

Gao Shaojie didn't speak, just shook his head.

The patient Teacher Gao spoke of probably just had a wish in his heart." Lin Yuan sensed the essence of the problem.

Hmm." Zheng Ren nodded, "If you have a wish in your heart, you can endure a bit longer anyway. No matter what, you'll last longer than someone without a wish.

Boss, I don't agree with your use of the word 'endure'." Su Yun habitually started to argue.

Also, living happily, being attached to the mortal world? Otherwise you could just add a few ornate words.

Hey." Su Yun said, "Does Bu Ruotian's case count?

Probably not, I think he's too strong-willed, lacking deep love for family and kin. What he loves most is still himself." Gao Shaojie said, "Only under such circumstances could something similar happen.

I hope psychological counseling will help. However, boss, do you think split personality really exists?" Su Yun asked.

It should exist, but it's too rare to encounter." Zheng Ren said, "This point is still debated in academia; some people firmly refuse to acknowledge the diagnosis of split personality.

I've seen similar records; supposedly in medical history only 26 people have been confirmed as having split personality.

How come I remember it as 27?" Zheng Ren frowned.

26!

27!

Gao Shaojie stared blankly at Zheng Ren and Su Yun, like children insisting on a number.

Perhaps this is also a way to relieve stress?

……

……

Note: These two cases are also my patients; the second, Old Li, is particularly interesting. Liver disease patients tend to have fiery tempers; his nickname is Black Bear, he's big-bellied and loves to judge right and wrong. Whenever patients in the ward argue, it's him who judges, saying who is right and who is wrong.

Unfortunately, just a little short.