Practicing Medical Skills in a Small Clinic-Chapter 94 - 93: The Mediator

The phone was quickly connected.

"Who is this?"

A voice, elderly and slightly breathless, came from the other end of the line.

It seemed the old man’s condition was still quite severe.

"May I speak to Mr. He Wanshan?"

"Yes."

The voice carried a hint of coldness, as if the elderly these days had been trained by scam callers to become anti-fraud experts.

Receiving a call from a stranger, he immediately remained highly vigilant.

"I’m Dr. Li Jingsheng from Sunshine Clinic! I’m calling to ask if your condition has improved?"

Li Jingsheng first had to build some rapport.

"Oh, it’s Dr. Li! I’m sorry, I thought it was another one of those scammer bastards. If it weren’t for visiting your clinic that day, I would have continued to think it was lung cancer! We went to the designated hospital the next day, and it really was the tuberculosis you diagnosed, not cancer. Damn those quacks at the Second Hospital, they really scared me!"

When He Wanshan heard it was Li Jingsheng calling, he was both surprised and happy, his tone filled with gratitude and trust.

He even took the opportunity to curse out Director Mu and others at the Second Hospital.

Hearing the patient full of anger, Li Jingsheng sighed inwardly, realizing it was unlikely he could persuade the patient to not hold the Second Hospital doctors accountable today.

He had to take a step back.

Just like treating some difficult diseases, take it step by step.

Don’t expect to eliminate the disease all at once.

Being a doctor is really tough. You have to deal with various diseases and guard against trouble from patients and their families.

Director Mu had good intentions, worrying the patient might have lung cancer, so he strongly advised the patient not to delay.

Because early-stage lung cancer could potentially be completely cured with surgery.

Delay for a month or so, and if it progresses to the middle or late stage, it can no longer be completely cured.

Who knew they would meet a stubborn patient who not only didn’t understand their good intentions but wanted to ruin their reputation.

Sometimes encountering such patients or families can be like a scholar meeting a soldier; reasoning gets nowhere.

"It’s good it’s not cancer. Tuberculosis and early-stage lung cancer have highly similar symptoms and imaging results. Honestly, it’s really hard to differentiate. Are you taking anti-tuberculosis medication now?"

Li Jingsheng slowly started to impart some medical knowledge to absolve Director Mu.

Misdiagnosing tuberculosis as lung cancer is something that happens occasionally. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

However, just doing a pathological biopsy or sputum culture could eventually correct the misdiagnosis. The patient only ends up with a scare.

The most fearsome is misdiagnosing lung cancer as tuberculosis, which is truly a major medical malpractice.

This has caused people to miss the best opportunity for surgical cure, and by the time it’s discovered not to be tuberculosis, but lung cancer, the cancer cells have already spread and metastasized.

"I’ve started taking them, the effect seems okay, but I often feel nauseous and want to vomit after taking the medicine."

"This medicine does have some side effects, but as long as you keep taking it, you should be able to be discharged in about ten days." After finishing, Li Jingsheng changed the topic. "Has your daughter been examined? She might have been infected by you."

"Yes, not only was she infected, but my son was also infected. The three of us are receiving treatment in the hospital now! Fortunately, my two grandchildren are fine, and my son’s family is fine too, which is a small blessing in the midst of misfortune. This infectious disease is indeed scary. Luckily, you helped us diagnose the cause in time; otherwise, none of our family would have escaped it."

He Wanshan shuddered at the thought that both his son and daughter were infected.

Ordinary people have no idea how terrifying infectious diseases are unless they experience them personally.

Only through first-hand experience does one understand how dreadful an infectious disease can be.

"Dr. Li, once we’re discharged, we must treat you to a meal to thank you for your kindness."

He Wanshan was clear in his gratitude and grievances.

"I wouldn’t dare let you spend money. Speaking of treating someone to a meal, when you’re discharged, I’d like to invite you for a meal."

Li Jingsheng had finally found an opportunity to plead for Director Mu.

"Why is that?"

The old man, experienced in life, immediately sensed that Li Jingsheng had something up his sleeve.

"Um... I was entrusted by someone to try to mediate the conflict between you and the doctors at the Second Hospital. Rest assured, I won’t make it difficult for you. If after you’ve listened to my mediation, you still feel the doctors at the Second Hospital should be thrown into the cesspool, I won’t stop you."

Li Jingsheng felt being sincere would be better for this matter.

Otherwise, if He Wanshan thought he was playing tricks, things would only get more difficult.

They were grateful to him, respected him, but if he played tricks, using his position as a benefactor to secretly speak well of the Second Hospital, how would He Wanshan’s family react?

You might not understand a person throughout their life, but one event can make you see them clearly.

"How did those quack doctors involve you? Those harmful doctors aren’t worth you pleading for them."

He Wanshan said with resentment.

"If they indeed lack medical ethics, I’d be happy to see you eliminate such malignant tumors from our industry. However, there is actually some misunderstanding in this matter, and as a doctor, I do have some say."

Li Jingsheng’s attitude was very sincere.

He genuinely stood on a neutral ground, trying to mediate.

"Tell me your viewpoint. If it really is a misunderstanding on our part, we certainly won’t continue to make trouble."

The old man was willing to seriously listen to Li Jingsheng’s viewpoint, out of respect for their benefactor.

This point was very important.

Hostile emotions and a peaceful mindset are entirely different.

Hostile emotions carry strong subjective hostility, and whatever explanation the other side gives appears to be an evasion.

"If your children are nearby, I’d also like to invite them to listen. Let’s consider it the four of us discussing this matter together!"

"They’re all nearby; I’ll just turn on the speakerphone."

He Wanshan said.

Luckily, Li Jingsheng didn’t play any tricks and showed the most sincere attitude. Otherwise, with the father’s stubborn nature, if they discovered that Li Jingsheng was playing games, they might immediately consider him an enemy as well.

"Let me start with your visit to the Second Hospital! At that time, you went alone for a check-up. The doctor who saw you reviewed the chest X-ray and suspected early-stage lung cancer but couldn’t be certain. At that point, he suggested a biopsy, to take samples for pathological examination, but you refused it, didn’t you?"

"Yes, that’s what happened."

"Later, seeing that you didn’t want to do a biopsy, feeling low and ready to leave, they worried that if it was early-stage lung cancer and you delayed, you would miss the chance for a surgical cure. Out of a sense of duty, they told you that this condition should not be delayed, and it would be best to be hospitalized for further examination. You might have been in a mental haze upon hearing your diagnosis, possibly cancer. This is understandable. Anyone hearing they are unfortunately diagnosed with cancer would feel terrified, perhaps even mentally collapse.

You were a better case, managing to leave the hospital alone and go home.

If it were me, I might have been so scared I fell over right there and then."

Li Jingsheng’s self-deprecating words should be enough to bring a slight smile to all three.