CHAPTER 461: 461 TANG FEIFEI’S NEW SYMPTOMS

(Thanks for the motivation provided by the monthly ticket encouragement from good friends Shi An Tianxia, Dadi Army Leader, !~DSUK~!, The Road Is Tortuous)

"What was the situation this morning?"

Early the next morning, after strolling around the first floor, Liu Banxia arrived at Tang Feifei’s VIP ward.

Tang Feifei didn’t speak, merely blushing and nodding.

"Let’s do another blood test and urine test today then," Liu Banxia said.

"I pondered this last night and checked some information. Your current symptoms are indeed somewhat special. If the blood and urine tests show nothing else unusual, we’ll have to proceed with an endoscopic urethral examination."

"Do... Do I really need such an examination?" Tang Feifei asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Actually, I’m reluctant too, as it’s somewhat different from a colonoscopy. However, considering your current situation, I’m afraid we don’t have many other options."

Many patients find this type of examination difficult to accept, especially people like Tang Feifei who pay great attention to their personal image.

She was still very embarrassed about the bedwetting; a urethral examination would require her to overcome a significant psychological barrier.

"If the urethral examination also comes back normal, we’ll have to investigate other possibilities one by one. We might need to do a lumbar puncture to check for any issues in the cerebrospinal fluid," Liu Banxia continued.

"If we still don’t have a diagnosis by tonight, we’ll need to perform a combined MRI of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, scanning your entire body. This can save some time and provide more accurate results."

"Dr. Liu, you’re so skilled, yet you still can’t determine the probable cause of my illness?" Tang Feifei asked with a frown.

Despite feeling embarrassed, Liu Banxia nodded honestly. "Currently, that is indeed the case. Your condition has not only stumped me and our hospital’s internal medicine physicians, but even our director hasn’t encountered such a case."

"Normally, this would point to changes in neurological or organ function, but our current tests haven’t revealed any problems in these areas."

"If we still can’t diagnose it by tomorrow, we’ll have to convene a multi-departmental consultation for a joint discussion. I’m afraid my perspective might be limited, and we need to pool our knowledge."

Tang Feifei nodded, feeling helpless inside.

She wasn’t so much disappointed now as disheartened.

Logically, the best medical treatment should be available in Beijing. However, seeking treatment there would make it difficult to keep the matter private. Moreover, she had prior contact with Liu Banxia and knew about his reputation from the news, trusting he was medically skilled. That’s why she came directly here, hoping to minimize the impact and also hoping Liu Banxia could diagnose her condition.

Just then, the door to the hospital room opened, and Qiaoqiao peeked in.

"I brought some preserved egg and lean meat congee for you. I also brought black tea and green tea. See which one you’d like to drink. So, have you figured out her illness yet?"

Qiaoqiao’s last question was intended for Liu Banxia.

"We don’t have a clear direction yet. We’ll be conducting more detailed tests today," Liu Banxia said.

"What? Even someone as skilled as you hasn’t figured it out yet?" Qiaoqiao asked in surprise.

Liu Banxia poked her on the nose. "How skilled do you think I am? The number of diseases I’ve encountered is pitifully small. I’m still a bit stumped by Feifei’s condition right now, but I’ll do my utmost to diagnose her."

"That’s more like it," Qiaoqiao nodded in satisfaction.

"Oh, right, since she’s in a VIP room anyway, and the hospital gown is too big for Feifei, I bought her some pajamas. That’s okay, right? It should be, shouldn’t it?"

Qiaoqiao shook Liu Banxia’s arm as she spoke.

What else could Liu Banxia do but nod?

For Tang Feifei, who was currently feeling quite directionless, wearing something more comfortable might lift her spirits and prevent her from feeling too down.

"Hey, wait a second, I have something to tell you. Let me pull the curtain for Feifei first."

Seeing Liu Banxia about to leave, Qiaoqiao quickly called out.

"What other instructions do you have?" Liu Banxia asked.

"The Lunar New Year is coming up. Should you tell your parents, or should I take the initiative? Hmm... Old Qiao also said he’ll be coming here for the New Year," Qiaoqiao said.

"You can make the decisions about our family matters. Will your mom and younger brother be coming too?" Liu Banxia asked.

Qiaoqiao wrinkled her nose and nodded.

"Silly girl, that was so long ago. Even if you don’t give Comrade Old Qiao face, you should at least give me some face," Liu Banxia said.

"Besides, I’ll definitely be very busy during the New Year. You’re the only one who can manage both sets of parents. No one else can do it. You’ll have to step up."

"What do you mean, ’manage’? I’m not trying to ’fool’ anyone," Qiaoqiao slapped him lightly, annoyed.

"Anyway, I’m counting on you entirely. After we get through the New Year’s rush, how about we go get our marriage license?" Liu Banxia continued.

"Shameless! Who said they’d marry you? Dream on!" Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes at him.

"Then how come I heard a certain ’little comrade’ was asking Qing Kewa about diamond rings?" Liu Banxia asked with a grin.

"Oh, that girl! She can’t keep anything to herself. She’s really asking for it. Just wait till I see her again," Qiaoqiao fretted.

"AHEM. Could you two keep it down? There’s a patient here," Tang Feifei, who had just changed into her pajamas, piped up.

"Haha, a true beauty indeed! You look even better in regular clothes," Qiaoqiao complimented.

Liu Banxia wholeheartedly agreed. Tang Feifei truly could be classified as a beauty, and a natural one at that, untouched by any artificial enhancements.

She was currently plagued by this troublesome ailment, which was quite distressing. And I myself have no diagnostic direction at the moment; otherwise, I wouldn’t be considering a full-body scan.

He just furrowed his brows and stared intently at Tang Feifei. His direct gaze made her blush, and she, who was about to speak, became shy.

"What mischief are you up to now?" Qiaoqiao pinched him angrily.

"Mischief? I think I might have noticed something. Feifei, have you recently experienced excessive sweating, palpitations, increased appetite, or getting hungry quickly? And how have your menstrual periods been?" Liu Banxia asked.

Tang Feifei shook her head blankly. "None of those. I usually pay close attention to my health and well-being."

Liu Banxia frowned. "Yesterday, you were wearing a high-necked top and the hospital gown, so I didn’t pay much attention. But now that you’re wearing these round-necked pajamas, it looks like your thyroid might be a bit enlarged. Let me palpate it."

Tang Feifei nodded, her heart filled with a flicker of anticipation.

At this point, it wasn’t about fearing illness; the more symptoms that manifested, the better, as Liu Banxia might then be able to diagnose what was wrong.

Liu Banxia palpated carefully. He didn’t feel any nodules, but there was a certain firmness. Visually, the enlargement didn’t seem very significant either.

After all, even if I’d seen Tang Feifei before, I wouldn’t have been constantly looking at her neck. If the swelling isn’t obvious, I don’t have a baseline for comparison.

"Dr. Liu, is my thyroid the problem? Is that why I’ve been bedwetting?" Tang Feifei asked, full of hope.

Liu Banxia gave a wry smile. "There’s no direct link established in medical literature, but I do suspect there might be a minor issue with your thyroid."

"Let’s do a thyroid function test. Thyroid disorders shouldn’t be ignored; it’s a very important gland in the body."

This was a newly discovered symptom, but even I can’t find any way to connect it to Tang Feifei’s bedwetting. Still, since I’ve noticed a problem, I can’t just ignore it. Besides, when I palpated it just now, I did feel some hardness.

He directly performed a color Doppler ultrasound on Tang Feifei. The results showed that both lobes of her thyroid were slightly enlarged, the echotexture was not entirely uniform, and there was rich blood flow.

These three points were already very clear indicators.

"We definitely need to do a thyroid function test. Compared to your bedwetting, this is actually more serious," Liu Banxia said.

"It might be in the early stages, which is why you don’t have those typical symptoms. But we can’t just assume it’s nothing. Let’s look at the detailed indicators."

DING! Diagnosis complete.

Experience points gained: 10.

This is probably because it’s Tang Feifei’s case. Otherwise, for just 10 experience points, I would have definitely rolled my eyes. It would be better not to give any and save me the trouble.

Tang Feifei nodded, now somewhat worried again.

She had just experienced a fleeting moment of hope, thinking her thyroid issue might be related to her bedwetting. In reality, there was no connection, and instead, she had another new illness.

Anyone would find this hard to accept so easily. This wasn’t a case of "the more, the merrier."

"Don’t worry too much. Now that we’ve found a problem, we’ll solve it. However, for now, you should stop drinking tea. Also, avoid irritants like chili peppers, coffee, and tea, as well as iodine," Liu Banxia added.

"Ah... the fried chicken yesterday was mildly spicy," Qiaoqiao said nervously.

"Eating it once won’t cause thyroid hyperplasia. She just needs to be careful in the future," Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

"Later, we’ll need to draw blood for a thorough examination. You also need to ensure you get enough rest, engage in appropriate exercise, and maintain a high-protein diet. These are all beneficial for your body."

"Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading new scripts lately and getting too engrossed in trying to understand the characters’ inner worlds," Tang Feifei said.

"A dedicated actor definitely puts a lot of mental effort into their work. You should pay more attention to your well-being. If it’s truly confirmed, I would even suggest you turn down any roles and rest for a few months," Liu Banxia said after a moment’s thought.

"Even if your condition can be adjusted and controlled with medication, that’s only an auxiliary approach. The most fundamental thing is for your body to regulate itself. Otherwise, if it develops further, surgical intervention might be necessary."

"I’m not trying to scare you; given our current relationship, there’s no need for me to do that. This is just a suggestion as a friend. Even if you plan to film, you must adjust your work and rest schedule."

"If this bedwetting problem isn’t cured, I won’t be able to film anyway," Tang Feifei said with a bitter smile.

Liu Banxia sighed inwardly. That was indeed the case.