Chapter 246 - 245: Repaying a Favor

Chapter 246: Chapter 245: Repaying a Favor

Time flew by. It was now Sunday, the sixth.

A little after two in the afternoon, Yu Zhiming was at the Qi Yue Medical Research Center, where he first met the younger brother of Zeng Yan’s classmate.

Though only fourteen, he was tall and heavyset, standing 1.72 meters tall and weighing 85 kilograms.

He gave Yu Zhiming the distinct impression of being morbidly obese.

Yu Zhiming asked a few simple questions and noticed the boy’s reactions were slow. He seemed dull and listless.

Sometimes, he had to repeat a simple question two or three times before the boy would respond.

Yu Zhiming had the boy lie on the examination table and began to probe his brain.

The moment Yu Zhiming laid his hands on him, he detected an abnormality.

The blood flow in one of the cerebral branch arteries was somewhat slower than the others.

Yu Zhiming followed this artery with its abnormal flow and explored further, finding smaller arterioles where the flow was even slower.

These particular arterioles were primarily responsible for supplying blood to the temporal lobe of the brain.

Yu Zhiming was well aware of the primary functions of the temporal lobe.

It serves as the auditory processing center, responsible for analyzing what we hear.

Sound enters the ears, which then transmit auditory information to the brain. The temporal lobe performs the final analysis, telling us what was said and what it means.

It is also responsible for memory; the formation of memories relies on the temporal lobe system.

The temporal lobe is also the olfactory analysis center.

When the nose detects a smell, it sends olfactory signals to the brain, which are ultimately relayed to the temporal lobe.

The temporal lobe analyzes these signals, telling us what we’re smelling—whether it’s a pleasant fragrance or a foul odor...

A few minutes later, Yu Zhiming withdrew his hands.

"Dr. Yu, is there really something wrong with my brother?"

The one asking was Zeng Yan’s classmate, who was slightly shorter and thinner than his brother.

Besides him, the boy had also been accompanied by his father, a man who looked simple and honest.

Yu Zhiming first had a nurse take the boy out to the hallway before speaking plainly to his brother and father.

"There is a problem."

Yu Zhiming confirmed, then explained, "Your brother has vascular dementia."

"This condition is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the brain, which reduces the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain parenchyma, leading to a decline in brain function."

As he spoke, Yu Zhiming quickly sketched a simple diagram of the cerebral blood vessels on a piece of paper.

"The blood flow to the functional area of the temporal lobe is less than half that of other areas."

"Prolonged insufficient blood supply causes damage to the temporal lobe, leading to severe impairment of higher cognitive functions such as memory, analytical skills, executive function, and language."

These words made the expressions of the boy’s brother and father turn grim.

The brother asked, "Dr. Yu, why is it that only the blood flow to the temporal lobe has been so drastically reduced?"

Yu Zhiming replied softly, "During my examination, I found that the arterioles in the temporal lobe have a significant amount of plaque buildup on their inner walls, making the vessels much narrower compared to other areas of the brain."

"At this point, it’s unclear whether the slow blood flow came first and caused the plaque buildup, or if the plaque buildup narrowed the vessels first, leading to the slower blood flow."

"But based on the current situation, it’s clearly become a vicious cycle, causing his condition to worsen."

After a pause, Yu Zhiming added, "I don’t even need lab tests to know this boy’s blood lipid levels are definitely high."

The boy’s brother looked at his father and said critically, "I’ve told you more than once to make him eat less meat and fried food, and more fruits and vegetables, and to get more exercise."

"Now look, we have a problem, don’t we?"

The father replied with a bitter expression, "We’ve tried to get him to eat more fruits and vegetables, but the problem is, he won’t listen."

"He complains they’re tasteless and insists on meat and fried foods. Otherwise, he throws a tantrum."

"And the moment he acts up, his mother and grandparents give in. There’s nothing I can do."

Hearing this, Yu Zhiming said with a serious expression, "The temporal lobe also manages olfactory analysis."

"Damage to the temporal lobe can dull the sense of smell, leading to cravings for strongly flavored foods that are heavy in oil and salt."

At that moment, the brother asked with concern, "Dr. Yu, my brother’s condition... it can be treated, right?"

Yu Zhiming said thoughtfully, "The cause of the vascular damage and low blood flow in the temporal lobe hasn’t been determined yet."

"I suspect your brother might have a vascular malformation or some other issue in his temporal lobe that is severely affecting blood flow."

"This will require further, more detailed examinations."

"I’ll need to wait for clear test results before I can determine a treatment plan."

The father asked nervously, "Doctor, the cost for these tests... will it be very expensive?"

Yu Zhiming explained, "He’ll need a contrast-enhanced MRI, which is about fifteen hundred yuan."

"Adding in the other basic tests for blood lipids and so on, the full set of examinations will probably cost around two thousand yuan."

This figure made the father’s expression relax.

Still, he couldn’t help but ask, "But didn’t they say that if you did the examination, Doctor, it would only cost one or two hundred and you could get a diagnosis?"

"Why do we still have to spend so much money on other tests?"

The older brother quickly explained, "Dad, Dr. Yu has already made the diagnosis. Little brother has that vascular dementia."

"We just need to do more tests to confirm the underlying cause so he can receive the right treatment."

"Isn’t that right, Dr. Yu?"

Yu Zhiming nodded with a smile, then wrote out an order for the tests and handed it to the older brother.

"If you get the tests done today, the results probably won’t be out until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is Monday, so the hospital will be fully operational. I’ll be in Clinic Room 15 in the outpatient-emergency department."

"Just bring the results and come find me directly."

Yu Zhiming added a final instruction, "You can go ahead and start managing your brother’s diet..."

A little after three in the afternoon, Zeng Yan and Bao Wan arrived, along with Bao Wan’s parents.

Yu Zhiming first gave Bao Wan’s parents a full-body examination.

Bao Wan’s parents were in decent health, with only a few common ailments typical for people in their fifties and sixties.

The areas needing attention were her father’s cardiovascular system and her mother’s cerebrovascular system!

Neither of their issues were serious. They would need to take some medication and pay more attention to their diet and exercise.

Also, they just needed to get regular annual check-ups.

Yu Zhiming once again thanked Bao Wan for taking care of Zeng Yan, then saw her and her parents off.

He noticed the weary look on Zeng Yan’s face and asked with a faint smile, "Are you exhausted?"

Zeng Yan nodded her little head and said, "I’ve only slept a total of twelve hours over the past two days. I’m both tired and sleepy."

"Sister Bao said this was actually pretty good. If you have to work the evening shift and then the night shift back-to-back, that’s what really wears you down."

After a pause, Zeng Yan declared, "Uncle, this hasn’t dampened my resolve to study medicine at all."

"These past two days, following Sister Bao, I saw so many patients—adults, elderly people, and children."

"They all came in suffering. But quite a few of them left with the hope of recovery to recuperate at home."

"Uncle, I want to study medicine. I want to be a doctor and use my own skills to relieve patients’ suffering."

Listening to Zeng Yan’s heartfelt words and seeing the pure clarity in her eyes, Yu Zhiming nodded gently.

"Go back to school, get a good night’s sleep, and think it over carefully. If you’re still determined, then ask for your parents’ opinion."

Yu Zhiming said with a serious expression, "Studying medicine is a long and arduous journey. Your family’s support is essential!"

Zeng Yan giggled, speaking with confidence, "Don’t worry, Uncle. My mom and dad are very supportive of me."

"They’ll definitely agree, hehe..."

"Let’s hear you say that after you get their permission."

Yu Zhiming added, "Once you have their consent, don’t be in a hurry to submit a withdrawal application to your university."

"I’ll first try to see if it’s possible for you to transfer directly into a medical school."

"Uncle, is that possible?"

Zeng Yan’s eyes widened, her face filled with excitement and anticipation.

Yu Zhiming admitted frankly, "It will be incredibly difficult, and the chances of success are extremely slim. But it’s worth a try."

"There’s a very high probability you’ll still have to retake the college entrance exam."

Zeng Yan said, "Oh," then her face lit up in a smile. "I’ll have to trouble you then, Uncle, hehe!"

"Uncle, I won’t say ’thank you’ too many times. Even if I have to go home to study and retake the exam, I’m confident I can test my way back in."

"This time, I won’t be just drifting along, studying and taking exams because my parents and teachers are pushing me."

"I’ll be working toward my own ideals and goals. My motivation will be like a rocket, so my scores are bound to make a quantum leap."

Yu Zhiming chuckled. "Don’t be so overconfident. Many students who retake the exam end up doing worse each year."

He stood up and said, "Come on, I’ll take you back to school."

Zeng Yan picked up her large backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and followed Yu Zhiming out.

"Uncle, um... Sister Bao has been really good to me these past two days."

"Uncle, should I get her a gift?"

"Or maybe treat her to a meal?"

Yu Zhiming said casually, "Don’t you worry about thanking Dr. Bao. I’ll take care of it."

A resident physician like Bao Wan would first go through a one-year rotation through various departments after arriving at Huashan Hospital.

Then, based on their training and assessment scores, they would participate in a two-way selection process for a specific department to determine their specialization.

However, while it was called a two-way selection, if one lacked connections and their own abilities weren’t particularly outstanding, they would have no choice but to passively accept the hospital’s arrangements.

There was even a possibility of being kicked out of the hospital entirely.

With Yu Zhiming’s current status, it would be quite easy for him to pull some strings for Bao Wan, connect her with a reliable Chief Physician or deputy chief physician within the hospital, and arrange for them to guide her medical skills from time to time...

Yu Zhiming dropped Zeng Yan off at Aquatic University and returned to his residence at Zijin Garden. It was already close to six in the evening.

The apartment was empty.

Yu Zhiming felt a mix of frustration and sorrow. ’Fourth Sister is a classic case of ’got a boyfriend and forgot all about her little brother’,’ he thought.

As for Gu Qingning, she had returned to the Gu Family’s home yesterday afternoon.

’So what’s for dinner?’

Just as Yu Zhiming was wondering what to scrounge up for dinner, he received a call from his teacher, Qi Yue.

"Zhiming, are you free tonight? Let’s get together!"