"Sometimes to heal..." in the operating room: a surgery that makes doctors helpless and painful

Dr. Zhou is an anesthesiologist at a Class II hospital. He received further training at a Class III hospital, during which he learned a lot of new techniques and met many people and things. Among them, the treatment experience of a 27-year-old girl with cancer is still unforgettable to him. Whenever he mentions it, he always feels extremely sad and helpless.

He always thought he was very strong. He was used to birth, aging, sickness and death. He gave anesthesia to various surgical patients every day. He often talked to them and felt their pain and sorrow.

How many times has he seen a new life being born, and he was as excited as the family members; how many times has he seen a life disappear before his eyes, and he and the family members choked up with sobs.

Perhaps in the eyes of others, doctors lack emotions. When facing critically ill patients and their family members crying and wailing, they remain calm. But this does not mean that they are cold-blooded. It is their duty. They must be calm and strong!

The patient who underwent surgery that day was a 27-year-old girl. She was quiet, pretty, and intelligent, but her face was pale without a trace of blood, which was not what a 27-year-old should look like.

He asked about her medical history and physical condition as usual, and the girl answered his questions helplessly with tears in her eyes.

Looking through the medical records, she found that the rectal cancer had recurred after surgery and she had a huge retroperitoneal tumor. She was only 27 years old! Tears slowly flowed down the girl's cheeks.

He didn't know how to comfort her, so he could only force a smile and say to her, "It's okay, relax." After saying that, his nose felt sore, and he turned his head and took a deep breath.

He came to the conversation room and called her father's name. An elderly man who was sitting in a daze in the waiting area stood up when he heard the voice. The girl's father seemed unsure that Dr. Zhou was calling him, so he stood there without moving and just looked at him. He called again and walked towards Dr. Zhou, but his steps were obviously very hurried.

He talked to the girl's father about the risks of anesthesia, but to his surprise, the girl's father remained confused and at a loss.

He understood that the girl's father was stunned by the disaster. He was from a poor family and had worked hard to support his child's education. His daughter was also very hardworking and had been admitted to a graduate school in a Shanghai university. After twenty years of hard study, she was finally able to succeed.

However, God did not favor this sensible child. As if struck by a bolt from the blue, rectal cancer recurred and metastasized widely after surgery. For a father, he not only had to bear the loss of his beloved daughter, but also had to endure huge financial pressure. What could he do?

At the beginning of the operation, about 1500ml of turbid liquid was drained from the abdominal cavity. The girl's vital signs fluctuated greatly in an instant. He quickly replenished the fluid and took corresponding first aid measures. Then he drained about 800ml of bloody liquid and slowly opened the abdominal cavity.

The doctors were shocked. The entire abdominal cavity was filled with cancerous tissue, including the abdominal wall. The surgeon shook his head. "We can only try our best to relieve the obstruction. Alas, her mother also died of rectal cancer. Poor child."

He told the surgeon to try to separate them as clearly as possible, as she was only 27 years old. The surgeon looked at him and said nothing. He knew the surgeon could do nothing, but he still couldn't help but say it.

After the operation, he gave the girl complete postoperative analgesia in order to reduce her pain and minimize costs.

Slowly, she showed signs of waking up. She was breathing well, but she didn't open her eyes. He observed her for a long time. Apart from tears, her eyes never opened. She knew her condition, and the last bit of hope was gone. He wanted to persuade her to be strong, but he couldn't say it. When he sent her out of the operating room, her father didn't say a word.

He went to the ward to take over the bed and explained to her father the things he needed to pay attention to. Her father also seemed very dull. After handing over his shift to the nurse, he left quickly. He was afraid of this suffocating atmosphere, and he was even more afraid that any of his words would destroy the will of the father and daughter.

After get off work, he felt mixed emotions. Usually, he walked with a brisk pace after get off work, but today he felt heavy-hearted.

He looked up at the sky, the dim and humid air was just like his damp heart. It began to rain, and his face was wet. He could not tell whether it was tears or rain. He did not like this kind of weather, but he could do nothing about it!

Modern medicine has proven that about 1/3 of human diseases are incurable, 1/3 of diseases have the same consequences whether treated or not, and only 1/3 of diseases are curable.

The epitaph of American physician Trudeau is "Sometimes to heal, often to help, always to comfort." For this 27-year-old girl, what else can the doctor do except comfort her!

He wants to tell those who squander their youth and ignore their health that living well is such a luxury! When you have health, you must learn to cherish it. Health can be capital, but it will not always be capital!

Author: Zhou Di, Department of Anesthesiology, Zhuxi County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital

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