novelraw Chapter 372 - 338: No One Can Live
Chapter 372 - 338: No One Can Live
"Bone marrow toxin?"
Lu Jiu saw a message pop up on the internal doctor platform on the computer. Upon opening it, it was startlingly a patient’s preliminary diagnosis information.
A seven-year-old boy, bone marrow toxin, chemotherapy for three months...
It’s a bit complicated!
The root of this disease, bone marrow toxin, lies in the deficiency of Righteous Qi. External pathogens are merely a trigger. Neither the six evils in nature nor toxins produced in the body by medication are the primary causes.
Of course, this is like stating the obvious.
Because for any disease, if you want to trace the cause, it can be attributed to a deficiency of Righteous Qi.
But for this disease, this approach must be taken.
Because bone marrow toxin, that is, leukemia, appearing in a seven-year-old child undoubtedly indicates a deficiency in innate endowment.
In such a situation, if no special attention is given postnatally, leading to the child frequently falling ill, the deficiency of Righteous Qi is only natural.
After the deficiency of Righteous Qi, if external toxins invade the body at this time.
Then the disease enters a latent stage, also known as the pathogenic excess and deficiency period.
This stage generally involves prolonged illness, damaging the liver and kidney true yin, resulting in kidney yin deficiency, inadequate nourishment of the waist and abdomen, leading to sore waist and weak knees, insufficient liver yin causing blurred vision; yang escaping its restraining yin, creating internal deficiency heat, causing low-grade fevers, nosebleeds, and skin bruises if affecting the blood vessels.
This is actually the initial sign of leukemia!
If no treatment intervention is carried out at this time, toxins accumulate in the bone marrow, continually consuming qi and yin, leading to hemorrhaging as qi fails to contain blood, lingering pathogens weakening heart qi, lacking the strength for movement, causing fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, pale complexion, tidal fever, night sweats, and hot palms and soles due to yin deficiency generating heat.
Poor circulation of qi and blood, over time forming accumulations, leading to enlargement of the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.
At this stage, the disease has already progressed to the middle and late stages.
If medication is then used to actively attack within the patient’s body, continuously depleting the Righteous Qi, it leads to an inevitable deadlock, with no chance of the patient surviving.
Therefore, the main treatment direction for this disease is to restore the patient’s Righteous Qi.
As for how to restore the Righteous Qi, that is a much more complex operation.
From Xie Xiao’s diagnosis, Lu Jiu could determine that the patient had already reached the advanced stage.
Although this disease is primarily due to deficiency, treatment cannot blindly focus on replenishment. Excessive use of tonics can lead to false manifestations of deficiency and excess, not only being ineffective but also producing pathological products like phlegm and blood stasis, obstructing the circulation of qi and blood, and causing viscera stagnation.
Thus, Lu Jiu could only break out of the disease-oriented mindset and consider the overall situation of the patient.
Only then could the most accurate judgment be made.
Knock, knock, knock!
Outside the consultation room, a couple came in holding a child. The child’s father knocked on the door, then leaned in to assess the situation inside the room.
"Please come in," Lu Jiu said.
"Are you... Dean Lu?" Jiang Hongming was somewhat surprised.
He hadn’t expected Lu Jiu to be so young.
Younger than the director he had just seen by a great deal!
In his impression, deans were usually elderly traditional doctors with white hair.
"It’s me. Are you Jiang Shu’s parents?" Lu Jiu asked.
"Yes, yes, Director Xie sent us," Jiang Hongming said.
Lu Jiu nodded, "I understand, please have a seat."
"I already have a basic understanding of your situation. Chronic leukemia, after three months of chemotherapy, I assume you’re aware that this disease is quite complicated, and the chances of a cure are very slim. Director Xie should have mentioned similar information when handing this over to me, so I won’t repeat it."
Jiang Hongming said, "We just hope the child can pass without much pain, nothing else."
Lu Jiu replied, "Alright, I’ll give it a try."
After saying that, Lu Jiu went forward and took the child’s hands.
At the moment of holding the child’s wrist, the agitated voice of Heart Fire appeared in his mind.
"I can’t keep up anymore, can’t stand it, nobody should keep living, hurry up!" Heart Fire said.
"Come on, Heart Fire, I think there’s still a chance to save," Spleen Earth said.
"Save, what can you save? Now the blood isn’t listening to me anymore; it goes wherever it wants, completely ignoring my commands. There are also foreign toxins that have reached the bone marrow. Save? Ask Hydronephrosis if it can be saved?" Heart Fire said.
"Let it all end, I don’t want to live anymore. Originally, the innate essence qi was insufficient, and now the small essence reservoir is almost drained. What’s the point of living?" Hydronephrosis said.
"Did you hear that? This shell’s toxins have accumulated so much, they can’t be dealt with; how to save? Save your energy for dying. When I shut down, you might not even have the energy to let out a last cry," Heart Fire said.
"Liver Wood, can you help relieve Heart Fire’s pressure? I don’t want to die, wooyoo~~" Spleen Earth said.
"Help me relieve some pressure first. My real organs are enlarged, and the accumulated toxins are unknown. Heart Fire is right; don’t struggle. See you in the next life," Liver Wood said.
"Fei Jin..." Spleen Earth said.
"Don’t call me... I don’t have the energy to deal with you now, exhausted..." Fei Jin said.
"..."
Good heavens!
Is the whole Five Viscera giving up?
Lu Jiu had internally expected the situation with this child to be less than ideal after seeing Xie Xiao’s diagnosis.
But upon examining the Five Viscera, the situation was even worse than he anticipated.
Among the Five Viscera, except for Spleen Earth, all other organs were overwhelmed.
Especially Heart Fire.
It governs the blood vessels, after all.
If even it began to complain about losing control over the blood.
This means its functionality has severely deteriorated!
The difficulty level just got higher!
Given the current situation, acupuncture is certainly not an option.
After all, acupuncture heavily consumes qi and blood, and this young boy cannot afford further depletion.
The toxins in his body have already surpassed the Righteous Qi. Even if acupuncture is used to support yang, the Righteous Qi cannot be replenished. On the contrary, supporting yang may consume some qi and blood, allowing the toxins to penetrate further into the bone marrow and viscera.
The yang qi painstakingly supported would only remain at the superficial level, unable to penetrate the bone marrow and viscera, making it impossible to expel the toxins.
Using medicine?
No way!
At this time, not only must yang be supported but yin also needs nurturing.
The toxins’ internal penetration harms both yin and yang, which is why the patient exhibits Righteous Qi deficiency.
But balancing supporting yang and nurturing yin heavily tests the skill in using medicine.
No wonder Xie Xiao handed this patient over to him.
Even Lu Jiu himself felt it was very tricky at this moment.
It’s more cumbersome than treating lung cancer or liver cancer.
Because leukemia is also known as blood cancer.
With the heart governing blood vessels, there’s no doubt that this disease severely damages cardiac function.
This is the difficulty!
Eh?
Lu Jiu suddenly had a clever idea!
Since Spleen Earth is somewhat stronger compared to other viscera, why not first strengthen qi and blood using medicinal cuisine, then treat with classical formulas?
Compared to classical formulas, medicinal cuisine consumes less qi and blood. If well-matched, it could enable the Spleen and Stomach to produce more qi and blood, aiding subsequent treatment.
With this thought, Lu Jiu immediately began writing a dietary therapy prescription.
...