A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Based on Tong Guoliang's real-time heart rate changes, Zhou Yi precisely adjusted the dosage of Western medicine, repeatedly calculating even the slightest increase or decrease.

To more accurately assess Tong Guoliang's heart function, Zhou Yi even brought the department's portable ultrasound machine to the ward, personally examining Tong Guoliang every day and keeping track of every subtle change.

Zhou Hongmei was equally meticulous, appearing in the ward precisely at noon every day.

She would always take Tong Guoliang's pulse on time, carefully observe his tongue coating, and patiently ask, "Master Tong, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere today? Is your mouth dry? Is your stomach bloated?"

On the first day, Tong Guoliang said he had a dry mouth and wanted to drink water. Zhou Hongmei immediately adjusted the prescription and added some Ophiopogon japonicus, which nourishes yin and moistens dryness.

The next day, the patient complained of abdominal bloating and loss of appetite. Without hesitation, she reduced the dosage of Astragalus membranaceus and replaced it with stir-fried Atractylodes macrocephala, which is good for the spleen and digestion.

In addition, she made two special trips to the cafeteria, repeatedly instructing the chefs: "Master Tong has a weak stomach, so the red date, goji berry, and millet porridge you make for him must be cooked until very soft, preferably to the point where it can be pulled into strands."

Remember to remove the pits from the sea buckthorn berries and mash them before adding them to the dish. This makes them easier to digest and allows for better absorption of nutrients.

The chef nodded repeatedly after being instructed by her, "Dr. Zhou, don't worry, I will definitely do it as you say, and I guarantee it will suit Chef Tong's taste!"

Everyone in the department was on tenterhooks, waiting to see how this "adventure" would go. Some thought it was definitely doomed to fail, while others hoped for a miracle, but no one dared to have too much hope.

After all, Tong Guoliang's condition was what it was; even top-tier Western medicine had no effect, so who could expect traditional Chinese medicine to work?

Unexpectedly, just three days later, a miracle really happened!

That morning, as soon as Zhou Yi and Zhou Hongmei entered the ward, they saw Tong Guoliang sitting against the headboard, looking much better than before.

Previously, his complexion was sallow and his eyes were cloudy, but now his face has regained some color and his eyes are brighter.

Upon seeing the two enter, Tong Guoliang immediately waved excitedly, his voice much louder than before: "Dr. Zhou, Doctor Zhou, you've finally come! I feel so much better, so much better!"

Zhou Yi quickly stepped forward, bent down, and asked with concern, "Uncle Tong, could you tell me specifically where you feel better? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

"I'm experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath much less often. Last night, I was actually able to lie flat and sleep for more than two hours. I never would have dared to imagine this before. Before, I would feel suffocated as soon as I lay down and could only stay up all night sitting up."

He paused, then excitedly added, "This morning I tried walking around the ward by myself, holding onto the wall. Although it was slow, just a few steps, I wasn't as out of breath and unable to straighten up as before. I feel like I'm alive again!"

Seeing his father's energetic appearance, Tong Lei, who was following behind, blushed to the roots of his neck.

He stepped forward, bowed deeply to Zhou Yi, and said with a tone full of remorse, "Dr. Zhou, I was too impulsive before. I spoke rashly and even misunderstood that you were using my father as a guinea pig. I am so sorry."

Thanks to you all for not giving up on my dad, otherwise I really don't know what I would have done. Thank you so much!

Zhou Yi quickly reached out to help him up, and said gently, "Treating the sick and saving lives is our duty. Your father's recovery is more important than anything else."

Just then, Nurbahati strode in with the newly released re-examination report in his hand.

He looked down at the data in the report, his eyes widening in disbelief. He almost dropped the report, muttering to himself, "This...this is truly unexpected, the effect is so obvious."

The young doctor next to him leaned over to take a look and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "My God! The heart rate has dropped from 110 beats/min to 85 beats/min, the blood pressure has stabilized in the normal range of 130/80 mmHg, and the various indicators of myocardial enzyme spectrum have also improved significantly."

Most importantly, the left ventricular ejection fraction has increased to 42%! And this is only three days! The effect is truly remarkable!

Tong Guoliang's condition improved day by day under the combined treatment of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The atmosphere in the department that had just breathed a sigh of relief was completely turned upside down by a decision made by Zhou Yi.

"I plan to perform a right-sided small incision mitral valve repair on Tong Guoliang."

As soon as Zhou Yi finished speaking, the entire department erupted in controversy again, even more intense than when the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine approach was first implemented.

Previous doubts were at most whispered in private, but this time they turned into fierce opposition in person.

Dr. Chang was the first to stand up, "Dr. Zhou, are you crazy? We don't have a single precedent to refer to; we're completely feeling our way across the river!"

If something goes wrong during the surgery and the patient suffers any serious injury, can you bear the responsibility?

"You've ruined the reputation our department has worked so hard to build. Who will dare to come here for treatment in the future!"

His words were like a fuse, and Dr. Wei next to him said with anxiety, "This is not just a matter of reputation, the surgery itself is extremely dangerous!"

"The right-side incision offered an absurdly narrow field of vision, leaving virtually no room to maneuver. Mitral valve repair is a delicate procedure, requiring precision down to the millimeter. Even a slight tremor or deviation could lead to surgical failure, and in that case, Tong Guoliang would be beyond saving, and all previous treatments would have been wasted!"

Other young doctors even suggested that, taking advantage of the patient's somewhat improved condition, they should recommend transferring him to another hospital for further treatment.

"This risk is too great; it's not worth taking the risk."

"Tong Guoliang's condition has just improved a little; it would be better to continue with conservative treatment to be on the safe side."

"There are too many variables in the first surgery; if something goes wrong, no one can bear the responsibility."

……

The discussions were constant, turning the entire department into a chaotic marketplace.

Not only did the people in the department object, but Tong Lei also completely panicked after hearing Zhou Yi's treatment advice.

"Dr. Zhou, is this...is this surgery really reliable? My dad has just improved a little, and he's still very weak. He can't take any more of this. How about...we continue with conservative treatment? Even if he recovers more slowly, as long as we can stabilize his condition, that's fine."

Despite the room full of objections, Zhou Yi remained unusually calm. "I fully understand everyone's concerns, and I know that this surgery is quite risky, but I am not acting on impulse. We have made the most thorough preparations."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Before proposing this plan, I had already conducted 30 animal experiments with a success rate of 90%. Every surgical step had been refined and practiced countless times. We also conducted a successful clinical trial in another city, so we have practical surgical experience to draw upon."

Most importantly, after several days of combined traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment, Tong Guoliang's heart rate and blood pressure have stabilized, and his left ventricular ejection fraction has improved. His current physical condition is fully suitable for surgery, making this the best time to completely cure him.

"I will immediately assemble a temporary surgical team, all of whom are experienced core members. Before the operation, we will repeatedly simulate and rehearse every step of the operation, and anticipate all possible emergencies, such as massive bleeding or obstruction of vision, and develop detailed response plans."

Please believe me, and please, fellow family members, believe me too. I made this decision not out of bravado, but to completely cure Tong Guoliang's illness so that he can peacefully enjoy his golden years with his family.