Chapter 1326: The Impossible Balance Between Work and Life

Chapter 1326: Chapter 1326: The Impossible Balance Between Work and Life

Old Xu’s situation also prompted a discussion during lunch, as his condition is something everyone might encounter in daily life.

No one can completely avoid the possibility of accidentally swallowing sharp or pointed objects while eating, which could cause injuries.

As Liu Banxia said, chewing carefully and swallowing slowly is crucial when eating.

However, for him, there really hasn’t been a time for slow eating. Given how much he eats, if he doesn’t eat quickly, he really doesn’t know how long it would take.

At home, he is always the last one to leave the table. As time goes by, it’s mostly Qiaoqiao feeding him.

Back at the emergency center, with the resumption of work, more patients have come in. However, in their emergency department, internal medicine doctors tend to be busier with initial consultations, while surgeons like them, apart from those patients who come specifically for them, mostly have to wait for transfers from internal medicine.

"Tomorrow is the big surgery day, how about it, will you handle it all yourself?" Shi Lei asked with a smile.

"I’ll give it a try. If it works out, it’s two highly valuable surgeries," Liu Banxia said.

"I haven’t done either of these surgeries independently, but from watching Director Zhou and Old Chen, I’ve gained some insights. I’ve also seen Teacher Wu’s autologous kidney transplant, which is something I can learn from."

"Anyway, do your best. Everyone has agreed to come cheer you on as long as they’re not too busy," Shi Lei said.

"You keep breaking records; every time you do, you elevate the standards of our emergency center. Though the teachers can handle things, we can’t rely solely on them."

"It’s not my time yet. Even if you asked me to go on stage, I wouldn’t have the courage. You take the lead, and I’ll aim to perform liver transplants next year."

"Have the time? You still have to get married and have kids this year, then take care of them. You’ll be busy," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"No matter how busy, I must overcome this hurdle," Shi Lei said.

"I’ve fallen behind you a bit; I can’t afford to slack off. Sometimes I’m amazed; it’s like you’re on adrenaline every day, always motivated and quick to take action."

"You’re complimenting yourself there; your notes have been a huge help to me. They’ve now become the training guide for the six of us. I’m also studying hand-drawn anatomy now," Liu Banxia said.

"You’re all very diligent, much more than I was back in the day. When I graduated, all I thought about was making money, without any thought of improving my medical skills," Shi Lei said.

"It’s pretty good now. Don’t think too much about it. You still have to leave some opportunities for others," Shi Lei said.

"A car accident patient with a skull fracture is being sent over. Who’s going to assist with the consultation?" At this moment, Qi Wentai walked over.

"Is the abdominal injury also severe?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Initial diagnosis suggests no major issues. The patient was unconscious at the scene," said Qi Wentai.

"Then I’ll have a look," Liu Banxia said.

With a skull fracture, the first-line emergency doctor must prioritize neurosurgery. Given the fracture, the risk of bleeding and swelling is too high.

As long as there’s no massive hemorrhage in the chest or abdomen, neurosurgery should take precedence.

Within two minutes, the patient arrived. It was a young couple; the boy’s injuries were not severe, but the girl’s condition was critical.

"Patient is 21, skull fracture with field dressing, cervical spine status unsure despite wearing a neck brace. Blood pressure 130/80, heart rate 80," said the paramedic pushing the patient in.

"Was there significant bleeding at the scene?" Zhang Xiao asked.

"Not very much. We’ve also contacted the family, but haven’t reached them yet," said the paramedic.

"Doctor, can I make decisions for her?" the patient’s boyfriend asked.

"You can’t make decisions; help contact her family promptly," Liu Banxia said.

"Take her to ER Room 1. After transferring to the bed, do a blood routine, blood biochemistry, cross-match, open an IV line, and give mannitol for decompression. The pupils have already shown some changes; do an urgent CT after initial assessment," Zhang Xiao said after checking the patient’s eyelids.

Once in the emergency room, Xu Yino hurriedly checked the patient’s abdomen.

"The abdomen is soft, bowel sounds normal, likely no issues," said Xu Yino after examination.

"Blood sampling complete."

"ECG monitor connected."

"IV line established."

Nearby nurses reported successively.

"Okay, after administering mannitol, take the patient straight to head and neck CT," Zhang Xiao said.

"Is bleeding essentially confirmed?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Almost, the pupil reaction is quite noticeable," Zhang Xiao said.

"Quickly help contact the patient’s family. We still don’t know the actual situation. Even if surgery is needed, the risks are quite high."

Liu Banxia nodded, hurried out, and found the patient’s boyfriend, "Haven’t you reached her family yet? Surgery might be needed soon."

"Not yet. I just called again, but no one answered," the patient’s boyfriend replied.

"What about on WeChat? Can you try contacting her family through WeChat?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Right, WeChat, WeChat should work." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

The young man repeated and then took out his phone again.

The process was a bit complicated. They didn’t directly contact the patient’s parents but managed to reach the patient’s second aunt, who fortunately lived in the same village and ran over to inform them.

At first, they didn’t believe the young man’s words. It was only when Liu Banxia stepped in and showed them a video of the hospital situation that they received full authorization for emergency treatment.

Even if it’s just verbal authorization, it’s very useful. Because no one knows how the surgery will turn out.

A lot of money might be spent, yet the patient might not survive. Prognosis for cranial fracture bleeding is very poor.

"Sigh, the young girl is so young. Why haven’t we seen the traffic police come? Didn’t they report it? Was it a hit-and-run?" Xu Yino asked.

"From the looks of it, you don’t know yet? It must have been their own accident when traveling. If it were a motor vehicle accident, how could the chest and abdomen be fine?" Liu Banxia said with a bitter smile.

"Uh... I instinctively assumed," Xu Yino grinned.

"Su Wenhao, you’re supposed to rest the day after tomorrow, right? Have you bought your train ticket?" Liu Banxia asked.

"I have. The train is at six in the morning the day after tomorrow," Su Wenhao replied with a smile.

"I’ve also finished buying gifts to take home. It’s mostly just clothes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to buy, and too much would be hard to carry."

"Do you know how to drive?" Liu Banxia asked.

Su Wenhao shook his head, "I don’t, and I don’t plan to learn. By the time I have enough money to buy a car, who knows how many years will pass, and parking is such a hassle."

"If you knew how to drive, you could just drive my car back. But since you can’t, there’s no choice. Have you prepared cigarettes, alcohol, and tea?" Liu Banxia continued.

"I bought two bottles of wine, but not cigarettes and tea. I bought some candy," Su Wenhao said.

"That works, as long as you know your family’s situation. It’s your first time back after graduation, so try to think of everything," Liu Banxia said.

"If you’re really unsure, you could consult with a few others. When I graduated, I also worked outside for a while, and my first month’s salary all went to eating, drinking, and having fun."

"Now looking back, I slightly regret it. I should have saved up a bit and used it to buy small gifts for my family during the New Year. But it was what it was, and anyway, my parents weren’t picky about it."

"Then you guys will also start your vacations one by one. We’ll make up for the holiday time. Next time, things won’t be this good. We’ll follow our rules and regulations, and from now on, we’ll strictly manage overtime."

The group nodded together.

Liu Banxia has mentioned this several times, but as they see it, it’s better to spend more time in the hospital; maybe they’ll learn more.

Learning medicine often involves some randomness.

For example, if you want to improve your surgical techniques, you need to practice when patients require surgeries in those areas. Otherwise, you’ll just be watching videos, reading books, and learning about anatomy.

But the impact of those things is nothing compared to standing by the operating table or personally getting involved; it’s far more impressive.

"Our life and work must be balanced," Liu Banxia continued.

"But because of the nature of our work, we almost have to spend more time on it. Especially since you guys are still in the learning phase, make sure to manage your time well."

Everyone nodded again, understanding that Liu Banxia was looking out for them, wanting them to have more time to rest.

However, to truly improve in medical skills, you can’t just focus on resting.

Seeing patients can increase experience, managing patients can also improve experience, and getting hands-on in operations is even more crucial – it’s the main battlefield for surgeons.

As a doctor, learning is required at all times. Even Liu Banxia and Zhou Shuwen must stay updated on the latest international developments.

As technology advances, diseases evolve too. Relying on old knowledge alone won’t lead to much progress.

For the six of them, having Liu Banxia as a bright guiding light in front of them makes them even more reluctant to relax.

Balancing life and work is an unresolvable conflict. They’ll just have to try to take care of the "weaker" side. For them, the weak side at the moment is life. Work and study are their primary tasks right now.

Liu Banxia wanted to say a few more words, but at this moment, Zhou Shuwen beckoned to him, so he had to go over quickly.