Krafft's Anomaly Notes

Chapter 377 Elephant
"That's enough, stop." Kraft pressed the patient back onto the bed, ending the ward round. "Keep an eye on him, and notify me immediately if there are any special circumstances. Don't delay."

There is reason to suspect that the abnormal hormone secretion caused by the pituitary tumor also affected Dominic's mood.

The paranoid excitement and impulsivity toward unusual targets described by Field earlier may be related to elevated levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).

After the tumor was removed, he fell into a state of depression and was prone to negative emotions.

Neither extreme is a good thing. Given that something still lurks deep within his consciousness, waiting for its chance to strike, Dominic's psyche remains in danger.

We must find a way to sever the connection and plug the hole, but while it's easy to plug a hole in the skull, it's a different story when it comes to the mind.

For common mental illnesses, the cognitive behavioral therapy usually adopted in clinical practice mainly focuses on helping patients identify thought patterns, question abnormal thoughts, and gradually rebuild their sense of reality and security.

The core idea can be summarized as helping patients visualize and logically organize what they fear or abhor, turning it into a concrete object that can be observed, analyzed, and dealt with, thus transforming the intangible into the tangible and thereby controlling it.

However, if the source of the mental problem is something that actually exists and cannot be understood by ordinary thinking, then it completely contradicts the treatment approach.

Unless he can perceive the existence of that thing from a higher perspective, like Kraft, and form a partial understanding of it, he will not be able to actively build a barrier in his mind to resist it.

Otherwise, all efforts will become the "don't think about the pink elephant" paradox.

Perhaps we need to find a way to "capture" that thing, even just a part of it, and figure out what it is.

Kraft shook his head and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lucian's ward is located just half a corridor away, with the distance between them deliberately extended to avoid potential mutual interference.

When Benny led Cooper into the ward, he saw Benny feeding Lucian, who was restrained by straps, breakfast. Lucian's mental state had stabilized considerably, and he did not attempt to resist or escape, making him seem unlike a patient.

"Good morning, Your Excellency. Lucian's condition seems to be improving. Do you think... we should continue with the original treatment plan?"

Upon seeing the doctor enter, the father's first words added an extra burden to Kraft's aching brain.

People typically go through five stages when it comes to their own and their loved ones' terminal illnesses: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Benny is currently in stage one, and the improvement in the surface symptoms of the disease will further strengthen this stage.
There are two choices. Either go along with the other party's opinion, see that you're getting better, and quickly sign the discharge papers to go home; or stick to your own opinion and explain with knowledge that the other party doesn't understand that now there are only two paths to take: certain death or taking a risky gamble.

The downside of the latter is that if the treatment fails, there is no one to prove that the treatment was necessary, especially when there is no objective evidence to leave behind, which can easily lead to a situation where one is unable to defend oneself.

Worse still, one might have to endure the anger phase and take it out on the doctor; few people can control the emotions that arise from this extreme disappointment.

A more moderate approach is to describe the progression of the illness and the treatment plan from a completely objective perspective—in reality, there's not much difference; what needs to be said has already been said, and what can't be understood won't be understood even if it's said again, or the person simply doesn't want to understand.

After explaining, the doctor will give the choice to the patient. Of course, regardless of the choice, the doctor may reiterate the risks of that choice and confirm that the patient has clearly understood and accepted them when making the decision.

This way, they fulfilled their final obligation, and incidentally defused the problem and shifted the blame.

Kraft moved a chair and sat down on the edge of the bed so he could look the other person in the eye. "There will naturally be periods of remission or worsening in the course of the disease, but we've already discussed the general direction."

“The patient already has substantial lesions, and without external intervention, the disease will only continue to progress, and there is currently no hope of improvement; at the same time, the treatment plan is not ideal. Even in the best-case scenario, I believe there is a mortality rate of about 30%, as well as a higher risk of disability.”

"Sigh..." Kraft sighed as he looked at Benny's conflicted and bewildered expression.

As expected, no matter how much is explained, it's still the same; family members may not understand, and even if they do, they may not know whether to trust the doctor. Essentially, it's still a blind selection.

It seems like you're giving the choice to the other person, but in reality, you're giving the choice to the dice of fate.

Perhaps yesterday's surgery had taken too much of his energy, making it difficult to maintain rationality and weigh the pros and cons. In addition to his irritability and exhaustion, he suddenly felt a strange sense of constraint being released from some loose crack.

It's not a side effect of using my mental senses just now, but an invisible but more uncomfortable constraint from certain angles.

Like an elephant tethered by a thin chain, it habitually circles within its designated area.

One day it will become unbearable and inevitably begin to reflect:
Why do I have to do this?

So with just a little force, they found that the seemingly indestructible chain had broken easily by one link.

"...But all things considered, I still prefer to proceed with treatment."

What? An academic authority and a Grand Master of the Knights can't even bear the responsibility of a human life?

He finally said what he'd wanted to say for a long time, and it was easier than he'd imagined. Like a fledgling bird breaking free of its eggshell or a baby being born and crying, it signifies liberation from both protection and constraint, carrying a certain ineffable symbolic meaning.

That moment of freedom made my consciousness feel soaring up, looking down at the world without any connection to my mental senses.

"Let me put it this way, in the past two years I have personally performed at least 800 to 1,000 surgeries, averaging two to three per day. The postoperative recovery is unparalleled in the industry. I have also performed surgery on important royal figures."

"Our medical association pioneered and popularized the general anesthesia surgery you saw earlier, and performed one of only three successful craniotomies recorded outside of the sacred texts. We have also made innovations in thoracic and abdominal surgeries, and even in internal medicine."

"I hold teaching and honorary positions at several universities and medical schools, and participated in medical relief work during the Tun Ling earthquake. I have a good reputation in the industry and within the church."

"With experience in diagnosing and treating diseases and optimization of treatment plans, unless the Heavenly Father himself descends to earth, you will not find a second more reliable person on the entire North Earth."

“Medical treatments cannot guarantee results; but I will be frank with you, facing illness is like facing an enemy in battle, you can’t afford to take chances. Without treatment, death is certain; with treatment, at least there is hope.”

Kraft straightened his back, tearing away the gentle facade of the doctor and monk, revealing something more essential beneath.

He took off his gloves and extended his calloused hands, etched with calluses, to Benny.

The latter understood the gesture and reached out to shake hands.

"It seems we've reached an agreement."