Merchant and doctor

Chapter 1993 Small Watershed Management

To this day, Bian Mu has only seen Lei Xueming's photos in some internal documents. He looks quite thin, with somewhat sunken eye sockets. He wears oversized rimless glasses, which make his eyes appear even larger. His cheekbones are a bit high, and his cheeks are thin. Judging from the photos, Lei Xueming's physique is indeed not very healthy.

Surprisingly, someone not that old has already developed cirrhosis!

A few days ago, Bian Mu and Lei Xueming had a phone call, but they couldn't agree on anything. Judging from his voice, Lei Xueming still had a good voice at the time.

"He's a pharmaceutical guy, he must know medical principles, how did he end up like that?! What stage is he at now?" Bian Mu asked casually, putting down his chopsticks.

"I don't know the specific details. He recently took leave to travel overseas for medical treatment. I only found out about it recently by chance. I thought he must be very health-conscious, so I should consult with you."

"No, not really. The understanding of cirrhosis in modern TCM has made some progress in the past two years, but... it lacks constructive concepts. The specific treatments are basically still the old ones: soothing the liver qi, clearing the blood and removing pathogens, either protecting the liver from the outside or warming and tonifying the liver meridian itself. Generally, they don't take the approach of purging internal pathogens, because that would be more harmful to the body. Only TCM masters use that. Lei Xueming is quite capable, but he probably still doesn't trust TCM!" With a blank expression, Bian Mu casually explained a few basic approaches to treating liver cirrhosis in TCM.

"If it's not too severe, can you treat it now?" Tao Wenjie asked with a smile.

"That depends on the extent of fibrosis. I've seen his photos, though I don't know if they're recent work photos, but his bone structure isn't very good. According to conventional medical theory, the circulation of qi and blood in his body exhibits a certain degree of 'small watershed' phenomenon. The so-called 'small watershed' phenomenon generally refers to the fact that the self-circulation of qi and blood within the bones is segmented, much like the so-called school district housing areas—one area is good, another is not ideal, and some small areas are quite bad. Logically, it's highly likely that the circulation of qi and blood in his body also exhibits this 'small watershed' phenomenon. The liver stores blood..." The spleen produces blood. This kind of low-quality circulation, similar to a 'small watershed,' does indeed have a significant negative impact on liver qi. I haven't met him in person yet, so this is the extent of my current assessment. My priority is to address the 'small watershed' of blood and qi circulation. No matter the stage of cirrhosis, I need to clear the external blood and qi pathways first. This is the general principle behind 'treating liver disease externally.' As for other things, it's really too early to discuss them. Logically speaking, he's no ordinary person; he's reached the point of needing overseas treatment. My intervention would be futile, and I probably can't cure him!" Bian Mu truthfully reported.

"I have a feeling you have some ideas," Tao Wenjie asked with a half-smile.

"It's just an illusion! To outsiders, I always present myself as a general practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, but in reality, there are many diseases that I can't cure."

"Oh! How do you usually deal with patients with cirrhosis?"

"It depends on the person! The degree of fibrosis is also classified. Right now, I can basically translate it into TCM terminology and give certain treatments. If the patient is financially well-off, reasonable, can understand human language, and can closely cooperate with the treatment and strictly follow the doctor's orders, then there may be some effect. Otherwise, I usually recommend other public hospitals. This kind of thing is not easy to treat rashly. A few days ago, Dr. Liang from our area carelessly treated a rheumatoid arthritis patient. The treatment was not very effective, and the man got so angry that he grabbed two knives and rushed into the consultation room to slash! Fortunately, nothing serious happened. Liver cirrhosis is more sensitive than rheumatoid arthritis. We generally don't take on cases we're not confident about."

"Did you cure it?"

"Yes! Not many. We generally don't dare to accept projects unless we are absolutely certain."

"Oh, I see! In previous cases, how exactly has fibrosis been reversible?"

"That depends on how far it's progressed. If it's not too severe and the individual's financial situation is manageable, we can use traditional Chinese medicine to try our best to promote liver cell regeneration. In traditional Chinese medicine, we call this 'liver qi circulation,' which promotes fibrosis breakdown and gradually restores normal function." "If it's quite severe, then there's basically no solution, right?"

"That's not necessarily true! In fact, everyone is born with a set of innate qi, which is of the nature of their innate essence. However, due to the vast differences in life experiences, some people live to be 90 years old and their innate essence is not depleted much. Others are not even 12 years old, and before they have even entered junior high school, their innate essence is already severely damaged. If Lei Xueming can maintain an innate essence integrity rate of over 73.5%, he may still have a glimmer of hope. However... to be honest, once a person reaches that stage, the cost of treatment is indeed quite astonishing. He needs to take the Nine-Turn Refined Medicine for a long time, which is difficult for the average person to afford."

"And what about me? What's the percentage of my innate talent I've retained?"

"That requires a comprehensive assessment. Based on your daily performance, it's probably around 80% at most, definitely not as high as you imagine." Bian Mu said with a calm smile.

"I thought I'd at least get a 90! So... can I make up for it?"

"Probably not!" Bian Mu replied with a smile.

"Why?!"

"You usually put too much effort into your work, which affects your mind and spirit. Your mind and spirit then affect your lung qi, which in turn affects your spleen qi. Since the spleen and stomach are connected, this damages your stomach qi, creating another cycle in the opposite direction, ultimately damaging your kidney qi. You haven't properly nourished yourself over the years, so it's very difficult to replenish your energy. Theoretically speaking, this is probably how you'll be in the future. To put it bluntly, if you can still maintain your current physical condition on your 90th birthday, you'll already be one of the best among millions!"

"I see... Anyway, I can't raise any money recently, so I might as well stay home and recuperate. Do you have any good suggestions?"

"Put some effort into your sleep. Reduce your usual food intake by a third. Keep breakfast simple. Rinse your mouth very carefully as soon as you wake up, like you're snoring with your head tilted back. Then drink about 300 ml of warm water, eat a boiled egg (no vegetables), and three slices of steamed bun. The rest is up to you. Avoid meat for dinner and try not to use your phone or computer. By the way, the painter Fang paints upstairs every day like she's going to work. If you have some free time, you might as well go upstairs and learn to paint with her. We're all family here, so let's call it 'painting therapy.' It's quite effective! Also, if your home allows, get some flowers and plants. Potted plants won't do; they have to be in the ground. Every afternoon at 18 PM, go over and water them. Sit there for an hour, and the effect should be quite noticeable."

"Well... I have to go back to my grandma's place. They grow a lot of vegetables and stuff around their house."

"Really? Then why don't you just move in with them and visit Painter Fang every day? Honestly, no matter how amazing your new pharmaceutical company is, it's worthless compared to your own health! After all, it's a new era! People's values ​​have changed quite a bit."

"Okay! I'll do it your way!" After saying that, Tao Wenjie sat there seemingly deep in thought.

Bian Mu didn't interrupt her thoughts and focused on eating her food.