CHAPTER 68: 068 THE JOY OF BEING A DOCTOR (PLEASE FAVOR AND RECOMMEND)

Everyone appreciates beauty; it’s human nature, and Liu Banxia didn’t think his thoughts were too out of line. However, this didn’t affect him much. At most, he felt a slight twinge of jealousy.

After eating, instead of rushing back to the emergency department, he went to the orthopedics ward. After inquiring with a nurse, he found the patient who had been infected with a flesh-eating bacterium the day before.

"Doctor, you’re here! Please sit down, have some fruit," the patient’s wife warmly greeted Liu Banxia upon seeing him.

Liu Banxia waved with a smile. "I just finished eating and came to see how you’re doing. Don’t look so worried. It’s nothing more than a slightly longer recovery time; it’s no big deal."

"Doctor, they say that even if I recover, my fingers won’t be the same as before," the patient said.

"They? Were their fingers also infected with flesh-eating bacteria? You didn’t injure your tendons, so why wouldn’t you recover? Once the flesh grows back, some physical therapy should sort it out," Liu Banxia said.

"I forgot to ask yesterday. Infections from flesh-eating bacteria are mostly caused by external injuries. I didn’t find any external injuries when I examined you yesterday, and you also said there were no injuries. So, how did this happen?"

The patient gave a bitter smile. "We thought about it, and it might have been when a shrimp spine pricked me a few days ago while I was eating shrimp. But there was no bleeding at the time. It probably just broke the surface of the skin, and I didn’t feel anything afterward."

Liu Banxia nodded. "That’s about right. Although the puncture site healed on the surface, the bacteria multiplied internally. It’s also because you’re in good physical condition; otherwise, it would’ve been really dangerous."

"With seafood like shrimp, fish, crabs, and shellfish, you must be careful when handling and eating them. If you get pricked or cut, regardless of whether there’s bleeding, disinfect the wound immediately. If anything feels off, you must go to the hospital."

"I know that now. I don’t dare to eat them again," the patient said.

"That’s not necessary; you should still eat what you normally eat. You’re one of the luckiest patients with an infection by flesh-eating bacteria that I’ve encountered. Some people really need amputations. You didn’t just tough it out at home and sought medical attention promptly," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Well, I still have to help out in the emergency department. Rest well and don’t overthink things. Your case is nothing serious. I have another patient, a young fellow who had his pancreatic head and duodenum removed. He’s very optimistic and improving day by day."

After saying this, Liu Banxia strolled out.

What he had just said wasn’t meant to scare them. Seafood is delicious, and he loved it too. But precisely because these marine products live in the ocean, they also carry many pathogens.

Take, for example, the oysters and scallops commonly found at street stalls these days. Many people don’t pay attention if their hands get cut by the shells, but if their luck is bad, they’ll get infected.

Some people enjoy eating raw oysters, but the bacterial flora in oysters from certain sea areas can be too complex. While eating them is quite satisfying, developing gastroenteritis afterward is, in a way, even more ’satisfying.’

After a busy morning, the emergency department was much more relaxed in the afternoon.

"What kind of surgery did you do in the morning?" Liu Banxia approached Liang Xiaolin.

"A minor surgery. Why were you staring at me during lunch?" Liang Xiaolin asked.

"Haha, just curious. If I had known you had such strong connections, I would’ve asked you to put in a good word for me," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.

"Oh, go away. You’re annoying," Liang Xiaolin glared at him.

She could clearly hear the teasing in his tone but couldn’t be bothered to get angry with him.

Liu Banxia didn’t take it to heart. He ran back to Shi Lei’s office and brought down the skeleton model. After witnessing Director Xu’s bone-setting techniques, he became even more fascinated.

With no one to practice with, he could only use the skeleton model. He had to study not only the skeletal structure but also tuina techniques. In fact, these simple bone-setting techniques were somewhat related to tuina. The first principle of bone-setting, after all, is to ensure the muscles in the patient’s affected area are relaxed.

"Doctor Liu, Doctor Liu! That baby’s surgery was very successful, and they’re operating on Tang Hongbing now," Xu Dan said, running over while Liu Banxia was engrossed in his studies.

"Oh, that’s great! Some much-needed good news. Go get more updates!" Liu Banxia said with a wave of his hand.

Xu Dan covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "But I heard Tang Hongbing’s surgery is more complicated than the baby’s. I don’t really understand the specifics."

Liu Banxia nodded. "I’ve seen both their scans; the key is the location. But with Director Xiao operating, there shouldn’t be any problems. Wait a minute, how are you so well-informed? Which doctor is your uncle, anyway?"

"Oh, um... I just asked them myself," Xu Dan said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Alright, keep your mystery then. We’re all in the same hospital. If I pay a little attention, it’s only a matter of two or three months. You’ll have to confess then," Liu Banxia chuckled.

"Ugh, you’re so frustrating! Go play with your skeleton by yourself." Xu Dan said this and then ran off to the other nurses.

How could Liu Banxia still be in the mood to play with the skeleton? He was overjoyed for the little baby. Both were his patients, but the baby held a much more significant place in his heart than Tang Hongbing.

He was truly relieved now and genuinely happy for the little baby. In the future, the baby would be able to show a genuine smile, not like the forced smiles from before.

Perhaps this is the greatest joy or sense of achievement in being a doctor: seeing the patients one has treated overcome their suffering and go on to enjoy a full life.

"Is the baby with the hamartoma out of surgery?" Liang Xiaolin approached.

Liu Banxia glanced at her and nodded. "Dandan said it was very successful. The baby is so young; although it was a craniotomy, recovery should be fine without any lasting effects. It’s much better than when adults undergo craniotomies."

"By the way, has the surgery for the baby with congenital heart disease been scheduled yet? I’m almost too embarrassed to go to the pediatrics department now. I reckon they’ll kick me out if I show my face there again."

Liang Xiaolin nodded with a mock-serious expression. "You’re not far off. Anyway, when I went over today, I heard people talking about you."

"Went to see the little baby again? You really do get around, even more than I do," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.

"What are you talking about? I was just passing by and took a peek," Liang Xiaolin retorted, glaring at him.

"Stop glaring, or your face will be all eyes. Are you trying out for a horror movie? When you get back, think carefully. If there’s anything with suturing, or anything else you need my help with, tell me quickly," Liu Banxia said.

At the mention of this, Liang Xiaolin grew worried. Her hands weren’t slow; in fact, she was at least faster than Liu Banxia. But when it came to actual practice, she’d somehow go into reverse, performing far worse than him—and not just by a little bit.

She didn’t know why. It was all basic suturing. Yet, whether in the emergency department or on the operating table, she was always worried she wouldn’t sew properly. The more she worried, the slower she became, and the worse her suturing got.