Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 91: Special Appointment, an Expert?

Severe liver cirrhosis with ascites can cause one to vomit blood.

"Dad!" Zhao Lei exclaimed in shock. "Did Dad’s condition get worse again?!"

Guo Yu was startled too, but after a careful examination, he said, "Don’t worry. This is a sign of blood stasis being expelled! It means the medicine is starting to work."

Sure enough, after he finished coughing, Zhao Daqiang actually felt his chest lighten considerably. He even drank some water on his own.

That night, he passed a large amount of dark urine, and his abdomen was visibly smaller.

The next morning, a nurse was thrilled to discover that Zhao Daqiang’s abdominal girth had shrunk by another two centimeters, and his jaundice had also subsided.

Even more encouragingly, his mental state had improved significantly. He could converse clearly, and the symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy had vanished.

"Director Guo, this folk remedy... no, this ancient formula really works!" Miaoli said excitedly as she recorded the patient’s changes.

Guo Yu let out a long sigh of relief, his admiration for Li Xu deepening even further.

He picked up the phone, ready to report the good news to Li Xu and ask for his guidance on the next steps of the treatment plan.

...

When the call connected, Li Xu’s voice sounded a bit weary. "Director Guo, how is the patient?"

"Doctor Li!" Guo Yu couldn’t hide his excitement. "The Turtle Garlic Soup worked! The patient’s ascites has noticeably subsided, and his mental state has improved!"

Li Xu didn’t sound surprised. "That’s good. But this is just the first step. The Turtle Garlic Soup is only a temporary solution. We’ll need to adjust the medication for the follow-up treatment."

"That’s exactly what I wanted to ask about." Guo Yu opened the patient’s chart. "His abdominal girth has shrunk by five centimeters, but his liver function indicators are still not ideal. What do you think we should do next...?"

Li Xu pondered for a moment. "Compensated cirrhosis often falls into the category of ’accumulation,’ while decompensated cirrhosis is categorized as ’distention.’ This patient shows clear symptoms of internal blood stasis, so the treatment should be based on the principle of strengthening the healthy qi and dispelling the pathogenic factors."

Guo Yu quickly jotted it down. "What about a specific formula?"

"You can use a modified version of the Lower Rib Trauma Decoction," Li Xu said. "But pay special attention to adding herbs that tonify deficiency and support healthy qi, like Astragalus Root. You must avoid aggressive purging, which could further deplete the healthy qi."

Guo Yu mused, "So, invigorate the blood and transform stasis while also tonifying the qi..."

"Exactly," Li Xu elaborated. "Zhang Jingyue once said: ’Blood is driven by qi; when qi moves, blood moves. Whether treating blood with purgatives or tonics, one must first regulate the qi.’ Therefore, in the process of invigorating blood and transforming stasis, promoting the movement of qi is key."

Guo Yu’s eyes lit up. "So we should strengthen the combination of qi-regulating herbs and blood-moving herbs?"

"Precisely," Li Xu agreed. "For example, the pairing of Yanhusuo, Sanleng, and Curcuma Rhizome is very suitable. Sanleng and Curcuma Rhizome invigorate the blood, while Yanhusuo moves the qi. The combination of these three can significantly enhance the effect of moving qi, invigorating blood, and stopping pain."

The two delved deeper into the discussion, talking about everything from medicinal properties and combinations to decoction methods, and finally settled on a detailed plan:

Main Formula: Modified Lower Rib Trauma Decoction

Ingredients: Astragalus Root, Chaihu, Danggui, red peony...

Supportive Therapy: Continue taking Turtle Garlic Soup 3 times a week to nourish yin and soften hardness; apply a topical ointment that invigorates blood and transforms stasis to the liver area, replacing the golden toad skin; maintain a strict low-salt diet and control water intake.

After hanging up, Guo Yu immediately set about making the arrangements.

...

「Three days later」

Zhao Daqiang’s condition had improved dramatically.

The ascites continued to subside, and his abdominal girth decreased by another three centimeters.

His liver function indicators began to improve, with his total bilirubin dropping from 85 μmol/L to 52 μmol/L.

His mental state improved markedly, and he was able to get out of bed for short periods of activity.

During his rounds, Zhao Daqiang grabbed Guo Yu’s hand. "Dr. Guo, thank you! I feel so much better now. My stomach isn’t bloated anymore, and I can eat again."

Zhao Lei stood to the side, his previous hostility completely gone, replaced by gratitude. "Director Guo, we were too impulsive before..."

Guo Yu smiled and shook his head. "Saving lives is our duty. But remember, don’t ever go randomly using folk remedies again."

"Definitely, definitely!" Zhao Lei nodded repeatedly. "By the way, can my dad’s illness be completely cured?"

Guo Yu chose his words carefully. "Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease that requires long-term management. We’ve got his condition under control for now, but he’ll need to continue taking his medication and come in for regular check-ups."

...

In the dean’s office, Dean Sun looked at the latest test reports with a gratified smile. "Old Guo, we owe you big time for this one! Not only did you resolve a doctor-patient dispute, but you also created a medical miracle."

But Guo Yu shook his head. "Dean, the credit isn’t mine. Doctor Li provided the folk remedy, and he also gave us the idea for the follow-up treatment plan. If it weren’t for him... we wouldn’t have been able to get the patient’s condition under control at all."

"Li Xu..." Dean Sun thought for a moment before making a decision. "I believe it now. Doctor Li may be young, but he’s truly skilled. I’ll take your advice. Our hospital will draw up an offer letter to hire him as a special consultant."

Guo Yu was thrilled. "That’s wonderful! Having Doctor Li join our Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine will definitely raise our hospital’s medical standards."

"There’s no time to lose. I’ll have the administrative office prepare the offer letter and contract. You can take the contract to Doctor Li personally."

"Okay."

Guo Yu returned to his office.

Miaoli was scrolling through short videos. When she saw Guo Yu come in, she quickly put down her phone and pretended to be studying a case file.

"The dean gave the green light. Li Xu is going to be our colleague," Guo Yu said happily.

"Huh?" It took a moment for Miaoli to process. "Li Xu is coming here? Will he be in our office?"

"Where did you get that idea?"

Guo Yu shook his head. "Our hospital is hiring Li Xu as a special consultant. There’s a formal offer letter, and he’ll have his own private consultation room when he comes."

"A special consultant?"

Miaoli’s jaw dropped.

’We graduated from the same school, and in less than a year, I’m still not even seeing patients on my own, while Li Xu has already become a special consultant. You really can’t compare people.’

As they were speaking, someone from the administrative office delivered a file folder. "Director Guo, the offer letter and contract have been printed."

Guo Yu took the file folder and left in high spirits. "Miaoli, I’m heading out. Hold down the fort."

Watching Guo Yu leave, Miaoli immediately picked up her phone. "@Li Xu, Expert Li, welcome to our hospital! Please look out for this little lady in the future."

Li Xu: "???"

Hu Qiming: "What’s going on? Li Xu, you’re going to the Guanghe District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine? Are you still keeping your clinic open? Does this mean I have to find someone else to mentor?"

Jiang Peng: "An expert?"

Miaoli: "Our hospital is hiring Li Xu as a special consultant. He’ll get his own consultation room, great benefits..."

Li Baojie: "@Hu Qiming, the guy you’re mentoring became an expert. I’m impressed, I’m impressed. Say, could you mentor me instead?"

Hu Qiming: "Holy shit! Li Xu’s an expert? I’m so jealous!!"

Miaoli: "I’m not jealous at all. Li Xu is the real deal. You guys don’t know, but recently we had a liver cirrhosis patient at the hospital... it was all thanks to Li Xu..."

Jiang Peng: "Li Xu can actually treat liver cirrhosis??"

Li Baojie: "You’re progressing way too fast... You’re practically becoming a general practitioner."

...

Li Xu read through the chat history, feeling completely calm.

’A special consultant? It’s fine if it happens, but it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t.’