Chapter 69 Opening Clinic
Winter in the northern part of the city is bitterly cold, and the roadside trees have lost their last few withered leaves, leaving them bare.
Without the backdrop of green trees, the buildings of the Workers' Hospital appear even more gray and yellow, as if they have been repeatedly whipped by the cold wind, and the paint on the walls looks even more fragile.
Inside the window, the registration clerk casually picked up the obstetrics and gynecology registration book from the side and held it up to the microphone: "Do you want to register for obstetrics and gynecology department one or two?"
The middle-aged man registering looked bewildered, but remembering his wife's instructions, he quickly replied loudly, "We're registering for an appointment with a specialist!"
"There are two specialist appointments available in the obstetrics and gynecology department. Would you like to book an appointment with the first or second department?" the registration clerk asked impatiently.
Previously, you could simply book an appointment with a specialist by tearing up the ticket. But last Friday, a meeting was suddenly held to announce that from now on, we need to ask the patient's family which specialist they want to book, which has significantly increased the workload at the registration window.
The middle-aged man was even more confused, but seeing the registration clerk's unpleasant expression, he hastily decided, "Then I'll register at the second department!"
"Director Chen Yun of the Second Department is seeing patients."
The registration slip handed out at the window read "Second Floor, Section B of the Inpatient Department," followed by the words "Third Consultation Room" and "Director Chen Yun."
Upon seeing that it was a director, the man finally relaxed.
"Juanzi, the appointment has been booked."
The woman called Juanzi took the order and immediately frowned deeply.
"The doctor that Sister Zhang next door mentioned doesn't have the surname Chen, it seems to be something like... Xue!"
"This Dr. Chen is also a director, and since he's an expert, he must be good!" Donghua argued guiltily.
Juanzi thought about it and agreed; since they were both directors, there shouldn't be much difference.
The two arrived at the obstetrics and gynecology department chatting and laughing, but their laughter soon faded... because the difference between the two sides was so obvious that anyone with eyes could see it.
Area A and Area B are actually located in the same corridor, and the two chief physicians' offices are even at opposite ends of the corridor.
The chairs in the corridor of Section A were full of people, and even the entrance to the corridor was filled with husbands waiting for their wives to check on them.
Section B was much quieter, with only a few people sitting on chairs. Juanzi approached and overheard their conversation, only to learn that these two were also pregnant women waiting for prenatal checkups in Section A.
Only two mothers were actually waiting in front of the third consultation room, and they were chatting happily.
"Are you a nurse at this hospital?" The mother's voice was very pleasant, and she was holding a baby who looked no more than a few months old.
Another woman with curly hair nodded with a smile: "I've worked at this hospital for over ten years, so I should be considered a long-time employee."
"You're..." The woman seemed a little puzzled as to why the curly-haired woman would bring a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old to the OB-GYN: "Are you pregnant with your second child?"
“No.” The curly-haired woman smiled, then hugged her daughter, whose face was somewhat pale. “My daughter just had heart surgery, and I brought her here for Director Chen to check on her.”
"Oh? I also brought my son to see Director Chen for a follow-up examination."
Juanzi found it strange that the two women were bringing their children to see a doctor when it was clearly an obstetrics and gynecology department. Shouldn't children be treated in the pediatrics department?
Just as I was lost in thought, a young female doctor in a white coat hurriedly came to the front of the examination room.
"Nurse Ren?" Chen Yun first called out the name of the curly-haired woman, then turned around and saw that it was an acquaintance: "Cao Chunjuan?"
"Hello, Director Chen."
Cao Chunjuan stood up excitedly, grabbed the child's little hand, and waved to Chen Yun.
Chen Yun gently shook the child's small hand and softly called out, "Cao Lei, look here."
Four months ago, Cao Lei could only be carried horizontally, but now he can lift his head very steadily. Except for his eyes following the movement a little slower, he can even actively grab Chen Yun's fingers.
Although the rehabilitation training was customized by Chen Yun, it was Cao Chunjuan who implemented it. The remarkable progress made in just a few months is a testament to the hard work she put in.
“I told you last month that you can go to the pediatrics department for follow-up rehabilitation; they have more professional assessment methods,” Chen Yun said with a smile.
“I only trust you!” Cao Chunjuan replied without hesitation.
As soon as Cao Chunjuan finished speaking, two elderly people across the corridor stood up and walked over with equally excited expressions.
"You must be Director Chen!" The old lady excitedly grasped Chen Yun's hand. "Thank you, Director Chen! If it weren't for you, my son Cao Lei wouldn't have grown up so well."
“These are my parents,” Cao Chunjuan said with a smile.
At first, the elderly couple scoffed at the so-called rehabilitation plan. Every day, they would either go out and buy some medicine to take or pull on the child's arms and legs, which made the parents very worried and afraid that they would do something bad to the child.
It wasn't until their grandson's change became particularly noticeable, and one day he even looked up at them while speaking, that the elderly couple became more steadfast in their support.
The saying "a wise person speaks slowly" is just self-deception. When Cao Lei was still acting silly at five months old, they already sensed something was wrong.
Recently, when Cao Chunjuan came home, she mentioned that the imported formula her child was drinking was out of stock, and they were quick to buy it from anyone.
"Uncle and Auntie, please wait a moment at the door. I'll start with number one."
The clinic opened at 8:30 in the morning. Chen Yun arrived early. There was no movement at Xue Ruzhi's clinic door. Before Chen Yun came downstairs, she saw her... scolding someone.
"Number one is me."
Ren Qin led her daughter by the hand to Chen Yun, and the little girl immediately greeted her sweetly, "Aunt Chen."
When Chen Yun last visited the cardiology department to see the young girl, who has since changed her name to Hu Baoyan, she was still under anesthesia. Upon seeing her today, she immediately remembered the aunt she had met on the train.
"Has an electrocardiogram been done?"
"We did," Ren Qin replied, taking out a thick stack of test results bound into a booklet from her bag. "We also went to Renmin University Hospital for a follow-up MRI."
Hu Baoyan was the apple of Ren Qin and her husband's eye. Even though an MRI cost almost half a month's salary, they did it several times without batting an eye.
However, she was not satisfied with the examination report provided by the other party and insisted on having Chen Yun take a look at it.
"Then you can come in first."
Chen Yun took out her key to open the door. The nurse responsible for calling out the numbers had not yet arrived, so she had to do the preparation work for the examination room herself.
The consultation room door slowly closed.
Cao Chunjuan's father looked surprised: "Director Chen is so young."
"Dad, don't let Director Chen's young age fool you, he has a wealth of medical knowledge!"
Cao Chunjuan tried to hold Cao Lei horizontally, but the child kicked his legs powerfully and pouted in dissatisfaction, about to cry.
She quickly switched to holding him upright, and only continued after the child was happy: "I went to the pediatrics department of Renmin University Hospital, and the doctor there looked at the X-rays and concluded that Leilei has cerebral palsy and will have trouble walking when he grows up. Later, I quickly showed the X-rays to Director Chen..."
After meeting Chen Yun for the first time, Cao Chunjuan was still worried and went out of her way to get in touch with a pediatrics director at Renmin University Hospital.
As a result, the director glanced at the X-ray and concluded that Cao Lei had cerebral palsy, adding that current medical technology could not treat cerebral palsy and that she should be prepared to have another child.
Cao Chunjuan cried all night at home, and the next morning she took the film to Guanming Hutong.
After reviewing the scans, Chen Yun told her that the scans did show some problems, but Cao Lei was only a few months old, so it was impossible to say for sure that the child would not be able to grow up normally. For infants, clinical findings are generally more important than scans.
After that, they taught her how to do rehabilitation training, as well as to add imported milk powder and supplement her body with some trace element supplements that Cao Chunjuan had never heard of before.
As it turned out, Chen Yun was right.
The child's progress is visible to the naked eye. For Cao Chunjuan, it would be enough if the child could recover to the point where he is almost as good as a normal child.
Juanzi and Donghua listened quietly the whole time, their expressions gradually changing from curiosity to seriousness.
Juanzi touched her flat stomach.
"Hua Zi, do you think we can really get pregnant this time?"
"It's good if you get pregnant, but don't feel guilty if you don't," Donghua gently comforted his nervous wife, hiding his feigned composure in his clenched hands. "If you still can't get pregnant, it just means we're not meant to have a child."
Juanzi nodded sullenly, looking anxiously at the closed consultation room door.
Finally, Ren Qin walked out of the clinic with a smile on her face, leading her child.
When Donghua heard her say that she was going to take her daughter to eat big steamed buns, the smiles on the mother and daughter's faces were so dazzling that they even stung his heart.
Number three.
Chen Yun stood at the door and shouted loudly. It was only 8:30, and strangely, the nurse who was supposed to call out the numbers had not yet arrived.
After glancing around the corridor, Chen Yun saw a couple stand up and then retreated back into the consultation room.
The consultation room is about 20 square meters, with the window facing the hospital entrance, and the radiator opposite the table making a sputtering sound from time to time.
The metal cabinet behind Chen Yun was missing a leg; a wooden strip had been stuffed in to barely maintain its balance. It was unclear which department had gotten it from.
Opposite is an examination bed, separated by a blue curtain.
Before the next patient came in, Chen Yun quickly drank some water to soothe her parched throat.
In my previous life, I was from the South, and I spent the first thirty years of this life living in the South as well. When I first experienced a winter in the North, my first feeling was not cold... but dryness.
Every morning when Chen Yun wakes up, her nostrils feel so dry they feel like they're about to burst into flames, and she even gets nosebleeds if she doesn't drink enough water.
I quietly pushed the window open a crack, and the cold air slowly drifted into the room, finally making it easier to breathe.
"Please sit down."
This couple was the first patients Chen Yun truly treated.
The man was in his early thirties, wearing blue overalls, with a furrowed brow and a serious expression.
The woman was somewhat plump, with the ends of her braid hanging down to her left chest being dry and yellow, and her limbs being slender while her abdomen was covered with fat.
The woman sat down, instinctively placing her hands on her lower abdomen and looking nervously at Chen Yun.
Where are the medical records?
"Here...here." The man put the heavy canvas bag on the table and hurriedly rummaged through the medical record book: "Doctor, here's your medical record book."
"Jiang Juan, thirty-one years old..."
Jiang Juan's medical record was more than half full. Chen Yun casually flipped through a few pages and found that most of the conclusions were that there were no abnormalities in the uterus and the fallopian tubes were open. Even her husband, Dong Hua, had undergone a series of tests and there were no major problems.
"Are you here today for infertility testing or prenatal checkups?" Chen Yun asked.
The medical record clearly states that there are no lesions in the organs, so it is possible that she is pregnant and is here for a prenatal checkup.
"Doctor, please take a look at us. We've been married for eleven years... We've done all sorts of tests, but we just can't get pregnant."
The calm demeanor he had displayed while comforting his wife vanished instantly. Donghua patted his canvas bag excitedly, saying, "We've had countless checkups, been to every hospital except the Workers' Hospital."
As she spoke, she pulled out a thick stack of medical reports from her bag, which also included several traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions.
"We took Chinese medicine as the doctor prescribed for six months, but look, it's made my wife's face turn yellow. I'm so afraid of making her sick that I don't dare let her take it anymore."
Jiang Juan looked at her husband silently, a bitter feeling spreading through her heart.
The couple had been working in Beicheng for almost four years, coming from the countryside. Most of their wages went to the hospital, and they didn't dare call home before she got pregnant.
For a moment, only Donghua's heavy breathing filled the consultation room.
"Don't be nervous." Chen Yun pointed to the stool, her eyes quickly scanning the various test reports: "There are many reasons why you can't get pregnant, let's rule them out one by one."
Whether influenced by Chen Yun's calm tone or feeling better after venting, Dong Hua gradually calmed down.
"Let's do some physical examinations first to help me make a judgment, and ask about the menstrual cycle and the timing of intercourse between husband and wife. We'll gradually rule out problems."
The two nodded.
Chen Yun first looked up at Jiang Juan and noticed the lip hair around her lips, and then observed the fine hair on the back of her hand and fingers.
Then, I pulled out an ultrasound report and examined it carefully.
When was your last period...?
Based on the consultation and her medical history, Chen Yun was able to determine that she likely had polycystic ovary syndrome.
This problem is not yet widely recognized and is often misdiagnosed as menstrual irregularity. In addition, there are many overlaps in the abnormalities that occur between the two, so it is often treated as menstrual irregularity.
Jiang Juan's medical records proved this point; several hospitals diagnosed her with menstrual irregularities.
“Look here…” Chen Yun pushed the ultrasound report in front of the two of them: “Do you see these things that look like raindrops on it?”
The couple shook their heads in confusion.
It was all dark and indistinct; neither of them could remember what it was illuminating, let alone raindrops.
"This condition is called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in other countries, but it's not widely known in China yet. The full name should be polycystic ovary syndrome."
"..."
"Let me put it this way!" Chen Yun put it more directly: "This is the ovary. Pregnancy requires an egg to be released from the ovary and a sperm to come together for successful conception, but now there are too many eggs... blocking the way so they can't get out."
"How can this be blocked?" Jiang Juan's mouth dropped open in shock.
Donghua immediately understood what he meant: "Doctor...you mean my wife's belly is fine, but she has too many 'things' which is why she can't get pregnant."
“Yes!” Chen Yun said.
Donghua jumped up excitedly and held Chen Yun's hand tightly.
In the past, doctors all said that Jiang Juan was unable to conceive because her body was too weak, but now it seems that this is not the case at all.
"Don't get agitated." Chen Yun raised her hand: "Let me give your wife a check-up first. You can sit outside and wait for a while."
Big hospitals are so generous; we no longer need to wear those repeatedly sterilized rubber gloves. Disposable gloves fit our hands perfectly.
"Lie down."
Jiang Juan's body was extremely stiff. Perhaps it was because she had been examined too many times, and the mere mention of an examination made her feel resistant.
"Don't be nervous, it will be over soon." Chen Yun tried to smile gently.
"Juanzi, don't be afraid. If it hurts, just tell the doctor," Donghua reassured his wife through the curtain.
Some doctors were extremely rough in their examinations, as if they were dealing with a machine rather than a living person. Whenever Jiang Juan cried out in pain, they would scold her impatiently.
Donghua seemed quite gentle to Chen Yun, so she specifically reminded him again.
"It's okay, relax!" Chen Yun sat on the stool at the foot of the bed, raising her right hand. "Call me if it hurts."
Jiang Juan shuddered, moved to the examination bed, and lay down on the bed and took off her pants almost under Chen Yun's gaze.
Where are you from?
Chen Yun slid the stool forward, squeezing out a little paraffin oil onto her fingertips as she went, and gently pried open Jiang Juan's knees with her other hand.
“I am…I am from Ningcheng.”
“Ningcheng must be very cold in winter. My father-in-law used to work in Ningcheng. He told us that in winter, you have to bring a stick with you when you go to the outhouse... otherwise your butt will stick to it.”
"Haha." Jiang Juan laughed.
Chen Yun's movements were indeed very gentle; she checked Jiang Juan's body while chatting with her.
"I used to be in Panshui..."
Just as the conversation was about to end, Chen Yun suddenly stopped chatting and carefully felt the touch from her fingertips.
Instead of the smoothness or suppleness of the internal organs' surface, I could feel the hard, string-like texture within the flesh, as if something very hard was encased inside.
It was about half an inch long and located very deep against the edge of the pubic bone. If Jiang Juan hadn't suddenly contracted her muscles when she touched it, it would most likely have been overlooked.
This is why medical records often contain the conclusion that a digital rectal exam is normal.
Chen Yun frowned and pressed repeatedly on that tiny bump, slowly sketching out its location and direction in his mind.
"Director Chen, is there a problem?"
Chen Yun's sudden stop of the casual conversation made Jiang Juan even more nervous. Her abdominal wall contracted involuntarily, allowing Chen Yun to feel the direction more clearly.
"Comrade Donghua, come in for a moment," Chen Yun said.
Donghua, looking anxious, lifted the curtain and walked in: "Director Chen, is there a problem?"
Chen Yun nodded, his left hand slowly exploring Jiang Juan's lower abdomen. He quickly noticed a tiny scar and tapped it with his finger: "Was there any external injury here before? Like being pricked by glass or a needle?"
Donghua was completely bewildered, while Jiang Juan shuddered, goosebumps rising on her skin.
Chen Yun instantly understood and slowly withdrew his hand.
"Put your pants on first before you come out."
"Juanzi, when were you injured?" Donghua kept asking Jiang Juan.
Chen Yun threw the gloves into the trash can, sat back down at her desk, and opened her medical record book.
“The abdominal wall scar is compressing nerves, causing uterine paralysis, and infertility is likely caused by this problem,” Chen Yun said as she wrote the diagnosis in the medical record.
"Juanzi, tell me quickly!" Donghua's tone was even tinged with anger as he grabbed Jiang Juan's hand and questioned her loudly, the veins on his neck bulging: "What kind of injury did you suffer on your stomach?"
"I'm not injured!" Jiang Juan sneered, pointing to her stomach. "It was your mother's doing! What right do you have to ask me!"
"My mom?"
"It was your mother who poked me with a red-hot embroidery needle, saying it would help me get pregnant sooner..."
That memory was undoubtedly painful and distorted for Jiang Juan. She even felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen when she recalled it, as if a red-hot embroidery needle had been pierced into her flesh.
Jiang Juan felt like a dead fish, being held down by her mother-in-law and several old women. Apart from the excruciating pain, all she could feel was the smell of burnt flesh wafting from the tip of her nose.
"Mother... Mother."
The immense shock and belated anger burned Donghua's eyes until they turned red, eventually transforming into anger at her own powerlessness.
Snap snap snap snap—
After slapping himself hard across the face four times in a row, Donghua suddenly knelt down in front of Jiang Juan, crying out, "I'm such a coward. If only I could have brought you to Beicheng sooner!"
“It’s all in the past.” Jiang Juan wiped away her tears and pulled Dong Hua to her feet. “If you hadn’t been so good to me, I would have divorced you long ago.”
Donghua sighed heavily, then suddenly turned around and bowed to Chen Yun.
"Thank you, Dr. Chen." He then tried to pull Jiang Juan up, saying, "Let's go home! If Mom and Dad ever say another bad word about you, I'll never go back home again!"
"You're not going to treat me anymore?"
"It's already scarred, but it can still be treated!" Donghua exclaimed in shock.
"Of course I can." Chen Yun pointed to the stools: "Sit down and let me explain slowly."
"It can be cured! The doctor said it can be cured!" Dong Huashun's face lit up with joy, and he grabbed Jiang Juan's arm and shook it vigorously: "It can be cured!"
"As far as I know, the Workers' Hospital now has a relatively mature nerve occlusion procedure... If you can afford it, you can be hospitalized for treatment; if not, you can come to the hospital every day to register and receive treatment."
“Let’s go to the hospital!” Donghua decided immediately.
"Then you should go back and prepare a hot water bottle, and bring your daily necessities to come back early tomorrow morning to complete the hospital admission procedures. As for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome..." Chen Yun looked up at Jiang Juan's swollen face: "I will write down a few dietary therapy prescriptions. The men should go back and make the soups according to the prescriptions and bring them to the hospital for their wives to drink. I will prescribe the medication for polycystic ovary syndrome after they are discharged!"
"We'll go back and prepare now."
The couple walked out of the clinic happily with their hospital admission slips in hand. They must be among the very few people who can still smile and prepare for hospitalization after learning they need to be admitted!
After Jiang Juan and her husband left, Chen Yun's clinic received several more couples.
Some patients made the wrong appointment and just went with it, while others came from other cities simply because of the name "Workers' Hospital".
The obstetrics and gynecology department remains busy.
***
Guanming Hutong.
"Gao Nian'an! Your mother will be home in half an hour." Gao Ming rubbed his throbbing temples, having no other choice but to use his last trump card.
In other families, sons are naughty and daughters are well-behaved, but in their family, it's completely the opposite.
When I got home from work today, I saw a pile of mud in front of my house, and several children were having a great time playing in the mud.
I heard it was leftover soil from the neighbor's garden, and Gao Tiejun brought it back to plant some scallions. But he accidentally let his granddaughter mix it with water, turning it into muddy mess.
Sweeping is difficult, but washing clothes clean is even more difficult.
"Mom's coming back!"
Chen Yun's name was like a curse; upon hearing it, the group seemed to snap out of their daze and hurriedly began cleaning up the mud on the threshold.
"Chen Yun is still the most effective." Gao Tiejun shook his head and chuckled. If he had said it would work, the children wouldn't have ended up all covered in mud.
"Dad," Gao Ming sighed, casually placing his briefcase on the stool by the door, "have Mom boil some water; we need to give those 'mud monkeys' a bath."
Gao Tiejun's gaze followed the briefcase to Gao Ming, and his expression froze.
Where did you go during the day?
"I'm going to discuss a business deal." Gao Ming took off his brown coat, rolled up his sleeves, and sighed, "How am I ever going to get these clothes clean!"
"They're dressed just like people in a movie!" Gao Tiejun exclaimed.
Before the father and son could even begin, the sound of a bicycle bell suddenly rang out.
"Mom's back!" Gao Nian'an's expression changed, and she grabbed her two younger brothers' hands and immediately ran to the backyard.
Gao Ming's brow twitched wildly, and he hurriedly chased after them.
Only a trail of yellow muddy footprints remained on the ground to welcome Chen Yun home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
