Chapter 25 If a brave person has already gone all out, why do they still do this...?

In the afternoon, after taking Gu Chunling to have an MRI, Zhu Liushuang went to the inpatient department alone and expressed to the attending physician her desire to change her mother's treatment plan.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the window, casting half-light and half-dark light on the report on the desk.

"Dr. Liu, my mother has been experiencing frequent stomach upsets lately. Although she tells me it's from eating something that upset her stomach... it can't be from eating something that upsets her stomach every time. And I've calculated it carefully, and every time she has an upset stomach, it's after taking methotrexate..."

Zhu Liushuang always kept a close eye on her mother's daily life. After all, Gu Chunling was not an obedient patient.

"Besides causing hair loss and bone marrow suppression, methotrexate also has gastrointestinal side effects... It seems we still need to change the medication." Dr. Liu, who was sitting at his workstation reviewing reports, took off his reading glasses. He spoke slowly but firmly, making his words very convincing.

"Methotrexate is a first-line drug, or you can switch to flumex... It's a bit more expensive, but the side effects are also significant."

Zhu Liushuang frowned: "What about biological agents? I read online that biological agents are effective."

"Biologics are effective for patients with multiple joint involvement, but the results vary from person to person. Some patients may experience a significant decrease in effectiveness after one or two years of treatment and need to switch medications. In addition, biologics may cause allergic reactions and increase the risk of infection..." Dr. Liu kindly reminded.

"Given your mother's current condition, we can choose to administer adalimumab... but the cost will be higher than simply taking medication to control the condition."

“Price is not a problem. As long as it can improve my mother’s health, I’ll use any medicine, no matter how expensive it is,” Zhu Liushuang blurted out.

Dr. Liu was quite surprised. The young girl in front of him looked rather inexperienced, yet her brows revealed a resolute and composed demeanor that seemed incongruous with her appearance. He couldn't help but think of his own daughter, who was still carefree in her ivory tower, and a pang of pity welled up in his heart.

He quickly took a form from the drawer and handed it to Zhu Liushuang: "Fill out this form first, and apply for the dual-channel reimbursement for your mother as soon as possible... Once approved, the reimbursement will be much higher."

Zhu Liushuang, busy as ever, took the form and began filling in the information. Then Dr. Liu instructed her, "Go to the platform and book an appointment for me next Tuesday. If there aren't any available, ask my assistant to add one. We'll adjust the treatment plan then, and then you can go directly for the biological agents. Ideally, we can combine it with traditional Chinese medicine treatment to consolidate the therapeutic effect."

"Traditional Chinese Medicine?" Zhu Liushuang remembered the business card hidden in her pants pocket and quickly took it out to show Dr. Liu. "Director Liu, do you know this Dr. Xie?"

Dr. Liu glanced at it only once and said cheerfully, "Dr. Xie, how could I not know him... He is also my mentor."

Zhu Liushuang paused, nearly tearing the paper, and asked casually, "I've heard that Dr. Xie doesn't see many patients anymore. Is that true?"

"He's 82 this year, and his health can't keep up." Dr. Liu's brows furrowed with worry and regret.

"If only my mother could see Dr. Xie..." Zhu Liushuang sighed, feigning a sigh.

“Young lady, you’re lucky. The hospital is planning to launch a pilot treatment program in the second half of the year. If your mother agrees to join the program, she can visit Dr. Xie’s house once a week. But the number of people is limited…” Dr. Liu smiled, put his reading glasses back on, and took out a document from behind him, pushing it in front of Zhu Liushuang.

Zhu Liushuang didn't have time to look at it carefully and directly took the document to sign it, but was interrupted by Dr. Liu.

"What's the rush? Take a good look at what's on it first... Also, your mother has to sign it; she's the patient!" Dr. Liu deliberately emphasized his words, thinking to himself: He's still just a child.

"Sorry..." Zhu Liushuang awkwardly licked her lips, "I'll go and call my mom up right now!"

The half-filled application form remained on the table, but the young girl vanished instantly at the door of the doctor's office, leaving only the sound of her clattering footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Anyone could see how anxious Zhu Liushuang was.

As the sun set, orange-red clouds burned across most of the sky. Gu Chunling was pulled into the elevator by her daughter.

It was late afternoon, and there were many patients' families coming and going from the inpatient department, making the elevators extremely crowded.

The rheumatology and immunology department was on the 18th floor. Zhu Liushuang helped her mother stand in the corner of the elevator, surrounded by a chorus of coughs. She nervously turned to check if Gu Chunling's mask was on properly.

People taking immunosuppressants have weaker immune systems than the average person. Previously, Gu Chunling often didn't wear her mask properly when entering and leaving the hospital. In such crowded, enclosed spaces, the chances of infection increased significantly.

Fortunately, this time her mother didn't expose her nose, and Zhu Liushuang breathed a sigh of relief when her gaze fell on her mother's face.

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened, and the two squeezed through the crowd and emerged. Upon reaching the doctor's office, they found only a busy figure inside.

Seeing Dr. Liu still sitting patiently at her workstation, Zhu Liushuang felt a surge of warmth in her heart: "I'm so sorry, Dr. Liu, I've kept you from getting off work."

Gu Chunling was tongue-tied and could only manage to call out "Director Liu".

With a compassionate heart, Dr. Liu didn't mind waiting a little longer, and a kind smile appeared on his face. He briefly explained the situation to Gu Chunling, and then asked her to carefully read the documents and consider whether she wanted to join the team.

Gu Chunling quickly scanned the densely packed words on the document and, guided by Zhu Liushuang, signed her name. She didn't really understand these things, but since her daughter wanted her to sign, she did.

Still having questions, she hesitated for a moment after her gaze lingered on Zhu Liushuang's face before asking the doctor, "Dr. Liu, how many injections of this biological agent do I need per month? And how much does it cost approximately..."

Ultimately, it all came down to money. The poor are most afraid of getting sick, and Gu Chunling was worried that her expenses would be too high and she would end up being a burden on her daughter.

"For the first six months, you'll need two injections a month, then the dosage will be adjusted based on follow-up examinations. If you have a special outpatient chronic disease treatment plan, 75% of the cost per injection will be reimbursed, so two injections would cost around 300 yuan. That's definitely more expensive than the methotrexate you were taking before. Also, you can't stop taking Aramod; you'll need to supplement with Vitamin D and calcium..."

As the doctor finished speaking, Gu Chunling began to regret letting Zhu Liushuang sign the consent form without asking any questions first. This would increase her monthly expenses by several hundred yuan.

She subconsciously tugged at Zhu Liushuang's clothes, feeling very uneasy.

"I heard... you're experiencing significant side effects from the medication you're taking, and you're basically unable to work. If you change your treatment plan and adapt well, finding light work shouldn't be a problem." Seeing the difficulty on Gu Chunling's face, Dr. Liu immediately understood.

"Yes, yes..." Changing the treatment plan was almost a done deal. Gu Chunling nodded softly, but her drooping lips quickly smoothed out after hearing that she could regain her ability to work.

After everything was settled, Zhu Liushuang helped her mother out of the doctor's office in a cheerful mood.

The fiery clouds outside turned bluish-purple, and night fell.

The bright moon hung in the sky, illuminating the path beneath their feet. She decided that once her mother's condition improved, she would present Dr. Liu with a banner of appreciation.

————

When Tian Xingyu made the video call, Zhu Liushuang was staring blankly at He Ming's WeChat profile picture. Their conversation had ended abruptly a few days earlier.

"What are you so busy with? It took you so long to answer my call!" Tian Xingyu's face was practically pressed against the phone screen.

For some reason, Zhu Liushuang suddenly felt guilty, and her speech became stammering: "No... I wasn't busy with anything. I'm just too tired, so I'll rest... rest for a while."

"Zhu Liushuang, you're not hiding something from me, are you?" Tian Xingyu suddenly raised her voice, asking suspiciously.

Even though they were separated by a phone screen, Zhu Liushuang felt as if her friend could see right through her, and her palms began to sweat.

She protested, "No, I really didn't! I took my mom to the hospital this afternoon, and she's exhausted..."

The best way to prevent others from prying into your questions is to change the subject. Sure enough, Tian Xingyu stopped dwelling on what had just happened: "Auntie, how have you been lately? Does your knee still hurt?"

"The same old story... The inflammation can't be controlled, and taking hormones all the time isn't a solution. I discussed switching to a biological agent with the doctor today." Zhu Liushuang grabbed a tissue and quietly wiped her palm.

Silence fell over the room. Seeing her friend's grave expression, Zhu Liushuang comforted Tian Xingyu with understanding, "Don't worry, having medicine is better than having no medicine at all. By the way, when are you coming back?"

Tian Xingyu is pursuing a master's degree in finance in Beijing and should be on summer vacation soon.

"I had found an internship at a well-known securities company. Now, it's probably all over..." Tian Xingyu said with a mournful face.

"Auntie doesn't agree?" Zhu Liushuang bluntly stated.

"You know my mom's mind perfectly well!" Tian Xingyu said weakly. "She insists that I go home and learn to do business with my dad... otherwise, she'll cut off my allowance!"

"Boss Tian, ​​you own three gold shops. Who would look down on their own business like this?" Zhu Liushuang teased.

"It sounds so much like a nouveau riche..." Tian Xingyu shrugged in disgust, reluctantly. "Oh well, what can I do? My mother controls the finances in my family."

"Didn't you drool over the desserts I made on your WeChat Moments last time? I'll make them for you when I get back." Seeing her friend Zhu Liushuang looking down, she changed the subject once again.

"Okay, okay... I want to eat everything you make. If I really settle down in Gucheng in the future, I'll find you a shop and let you be your own boss!" Tian Xingyu said with great confidence, "When we have time, let's go out for meals, shopping, and to see exhibitions together."

The talk about taking over a shop was just a joke among friends. Zhu Liushuang, of course, didn't take it seriously.

As for going out for meals, shopping, or to exhibitions... these all cost money, and they're not cheap. Not wanting to spoil Tian Xingyu's hard-won enthusiasm, she forced a smile and agreed, "Anything is fine. You'll have plenty of time then."

"Then it's settled... I'll be back later this month!"

After hanging up the video call, Zhu Liushuang felt a pang of sadness.

In high school, Tian Xingyu was her only good friend. Back then, Tian Xingyu accommodated her, never ordering takeout or eating out at school, and always eating in the school cafeteria with her.

Sometimes, when Zhu Liushuang only ordered one vegetarian dish, Tian Xingyu would order two more meat dishes, pretending that she couldn't eat them all, and put them all into her bowl.

With her keen eye, how could she not know her friend's ulterior motives?

During our student days, we rarely exchanged money. It was mostly just treating each other to snacks, or preparing a simple gift for each other on holidays or birthdays.

Although Zhu Liushuang's family lived a simple life, she never felt inferior to others. On the contrary, as she grew older and entered society, she became more aware of the differences between people.

Her colleagues, friends, and family have all paved the way for her. She has more than enough to live comfortably in Gucheng, a small third-tier city.

Only she is still struggling to make ends meet for an uncertain tomorrow.

After a period of wild thoughts, she was wide awake and, in the dark, went to Yueyin FM for comfort.

She thought that life wasn't all bad; at least her experience at the hospital today was excellent.

Because of the saying "after the worst comes the best," she decided to share her afternoon's joy with him.

Half an hour later, Zhu Liushuang typed a message in the comments box: "Thank you, senior, for 'turning bad luck into good luck,' it really worked! Today I met a wonderful doctor at the hospital, and there are now better treatment options for my mother's rheumatism. I hope she can get rid of the torment of this illness soon."

She typed very quickly, but hesitated to press the "send" button.

People often become cautious when facing people or things they cherish. Two fiercely arguing voices echoed in Zhu Liushuang's mind again.

One side urged her to send it quickly, while the other advised her that too much of a good thing can be bad.

Perhaps He Ming's reply was just a polite attempt to comfort him?

Zhu Liushuang buried her face in the pillow, letting the dim blue light from her phone screen illuminate the bed. After burying her head in the sand for a while, she exited the background app and opened her WeChat list again.

After a few lines of conversation in the chat box, the eagerness in her eyes gradually faded.

She was the mastermind and the initiator of this protracted struggle known as the "Flower Picking Project".

Since you've already gone all out, why be so worried about gains and losses?

The brave ones enjoy the world first!

Zhu Liushuang finally convinced herself. She turned over and pressed the "send" button firmly. Then she hid her phone under her pillow, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

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Author's Note: The brave ones enjoy the world first – Braveheart

The information in this chapter regarding the use of biological agents comes from the internet.

Reimbursement for outpatient chronic diseases varies from region to region.