Today, there were more people registered in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department than usual. Lu Xuan saw five or six patients in the morning.
Other than Li Qinxue's condition being somewhat troublesome, the rest were all common minor ailments.
Things like colds and coughs.
Treating these illnesses with traditional Chinese medicine naturally doesn't have much advantage; it's too slow, and taking Chinese medicine tends to cost much more than Western medicine.
Take a cold, for instance. Western medicine might cost only a dozen yuan to solve, while a single prescription of Chinese medicine could easily reach close to a hundred, or even two hundred yuan.
However, in comparison, Western medicine has more side effects and often treats only the symptoms rather than the root cause.
Chinese medicine is different. Although it's not as fast as Western medicine, it cures while also strengthening the body's foundation, which Western medicine cannot match.
After finishing the morning's case reviews and records, Lu Xuan stretched and realized it was already 11:30, time for lunch.
Lu Xuan took a sip of water and was about to stand up when he saw Wang Youqing beckoning at the door, "Lu, come on, let's eat."
"Okay."
Lu Xuan quickly stood up, took off his white coat, hung it up nicely, and then closed the door to follow Wang Youqing downstairs.
The canteen is right behind the health center building.
Soon, the two of them reached the canteen.
The food at the health center's canteen can't compare with the District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with much fewer varieties, but because there're fewer people, the dishes are mostly cooked in small pots, which taste much better than the large pot dishes at the District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
One meat dish, one semi-meat dish, plus three vegetarian dishes, Lu Xuan even went to get a bowl of tomato egg soup.
Better to have no meat than no soup.
After getting their meals, the two were looking for a place to sit when not far away, Zhou Liting waved at them, "Uncle, Lu, over here."
"Let's go over."
Wang Youqing also saw Cheng Gaowen and Zhou Liting waving at them and nodded towards them.
Lu Xuan was fine with eating anywhere, so he nodded and followed along.
"I've completed the tasks you guys assigned me, whether or not you'll manage to knock Lu out during the supper tonight is up to you."
Just as they sat down, Wang Youqing laughed.
Zhou Liting looked at him and said, "Isn't this something you should be doing, Uncle?"
Wang Youqing rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright, I knew you were going to say that. Fine, I'll take care of it."
"Hehe!"
Zhou Liting chuckled, then turned to Lu Xuan, "Lu, was it busy today in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department?"
"Five or six groups of people came in the morning. I bet Lu's bonus this month will be quite substantial since he's the only one in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department."
Before Lu Xuan could respond, Wang Youqing joked.
"Five or six groups of people?"
Zhou Liting was momentarily surprised and then said in a bit of amazement, "Lu, you're on fire! When the Traditional Chinese Medicine department at our health center was at its peak, we only had about five or six people registered in a day."
"Impressive!"
Zhou Liting gave Lu Xuan a thumbs up.
"Sister Zhou, don't tease me."
"Today was just a stroke of good luck, tomorrow might not have a single person."
"Lu, you're underestimating yourself. Since that incident with the child swallowing a screw, your reputation around here has been established. I don't believe for a second that not a single person will register to see you in a day."
Wang Youqing also nodded approvingly on the side, "Zhou is right. Though it may be less than ten people a day now, once Zhang Song's condition improves, you can expect the Traditional Chinese Medicine department's registrations to explode!"
"That's why the director mentioned the possibility of getting you an assistant yesterday."
"If it really gets to ten or twenty people registering a day, you'll need to have someone else handle the prescriptions."
Lu Xuan suddenly realized that the director's mention of getting him an assistant was considering this prospect.
"Lu, the director said he wants to get you an assistant?" Cheng Gaowen, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly looked up and asked.
Lu Xuan was a bit surprised but nodded, "The director did mention it yesterday."
"Have they decided on the personnel?"
"I don't know about that."
On the side, Wang Youqing interjected, "From what I heard from the director, they might be recruiting the assistant from outside since none of us in the health center know Chinese medicine."
"Wouldn't that be too late?"
Though curious why Cheng Gaowen seemed so invested in Lu Xuan getting an assistant, Wang Youqing didn't ask further, just nodded and explained, "Yeah, they might need to request assistance from higher-ups. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital probably wouldn't be interested in our small place, and the pay isn't as good as theirs. Hiring anew would take time."
At this point, Wang Youqing turned to Lu Xuan, "In the meantime, you might have to hold the fort yourself for a bit."
"I don't mind."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Gaowen fell silent, lost in thought about something.
A half-hour later, after eating, the four went straight to their respective consultation rooms to rest.
It's late June, and the weather is gradually heating up. After eating, the group wanted to take a walk, but not long after stepping outside, the scorching heat drove them back to the health center.
Lu Xuan returned to the consultation room, sat for a moment, drew the curtains, and went straight to the adjacent break room to nap.
At twenty past one in the afternoon, the annoying alarm clock rang its piercing alarm near his ear.
Lu Xuan wasn't much of a cranky riser, but he had trouble opening his eyes after hearing the alarm.
Spring lethargy, autumn fatigue, and summer drowsiness.
He lay on the small bed for a while, then washed his face with cold water before returning to his work station.
It was close to three in the afternoon, but there were still no registration notifications popping up on the computer.
Lu Xuan wasn't concerned, as afternoon registrations are generally less, whether at the health center or a large hospital, it's the same situation.
Almost all patients concentrate in the morning.
This has become an accepted practice.
The reason, well, there are quite a few, but primarily, in Western medicine, many examinations need to be conducted on an empty stomach and can only be done in the morning. Over time, everyone has gotten into the habit of going to the hospital for a checkup in the morning.
It's no surprise that the Health Center is empty in the afternoon.
However, after a while, the registration information that suddenly popped up on Lu Xuan's computer screen caught his attention.
Patient, Li Qinxue.
"It's the patient with urinary retention from this morning…"
Not long after the registration information popped up, Wang Shengyu pushed Li Qinxue in.
"How is Auntie doing?"
Lu Xuan stood up and asked.
Wang Shengyu quickly replied, "Dr. Lu, it's just as you said. My mom has been trying to go to the bathroom since the afternoon, but she just can't pass water."
"Water is accumulating in the lower abdomen, the bladder's gas transformation isn't functioning." Lu Xuan said.
Wang Shengyu didn't understand and could only ask, "Then what should we do?"
"Wait a moment."
Lu Xuan gestured to Wang Shengyu not to worry and went to the herbal pharmacy to fetch medication.
The damp-heat saturates the bladder gate, the spleen's energy cannot transform, resulting in obstructed urinary orifices, thus causing scanty and painful urination, the suitable remedy is Diuretic Powder.
However, this Diuretic Powder is an ancient formula, generally used for damp-heat in pregnancy, clearly unsuitable for Li Qinxue who has undergone rectal cancer surgery.
Li Qinxue's condition is more suited to adjustments on the original Diuretic Powder formula, adding and subtracting ingredients, creating a new formula with cinnamon, White Atractylodes, Fuling, Pork Fungus, Polygonum, River cow knee, and Frankincense.
With the Diuretic Powder prepared, Lu Xuan directly took it to the decocting room to boil.
He then took Coptis and cinnamon and ground them into powder.
It was originally meant to be made into Jiaotai Pill, but the Health Center didn't have the related equipment, so he opted for powder form instead, but the effect is the same, not affecting the treatment.
However, solely relying on Diuretic Powder and Jiaotai Powder was still not enough to solve Li Qinxue's urinary retention issue.
The gas transformation bestowed by Diuretic Powder quickly relieved the bladder, the Jade Gate cleared, but having an outlet was also necessary to stimulate bladder activity, leading to combining Antispasmodic Powder with Musk to through the lower aperture.
Supporting the middle and augmenting Qi is a step Lu Xuan could think of, but the afternoon prescription and treatment plan, were beyond his ability, almost all inspired by the Heart's Voice.
After grinding Scorpion, centipede, and Musk into powder, Lu Xuan fetched a bottle of Yellow Wine.
Half an hour later, Lu Xuan took the decocted Diuretic Powder and other medications from the pharmacy and administered them to Li Qinxue.
After half an hour, Lu Xuan pointed to the small bedside, saying, "Ms. Wang, let Auntie lie down here."
Though not knowing what Lu Xuan intended to do, Wang Shengyu could only follow Lu Xuan's instructions at this point.
After Li Qinxue lay down, Lu Xuan took Moxa sticks and applied warm moxibustion for about an hour and a half at the Qi Sea and Guanyuan points.
Warm moxibustion is among the ancient methods, classified as a type of acupuncture, most suitable for summer. Not only beneficial for health preservation, in traditional Chinese medicine concepts, it's also one method of "treating winter diseases in summer."
Here, it's through placing Moxa sticks on the body for burning and warming, utilizing the mild heat of the moxa fire and the effects of medicine through meridian conduction, achieving the effects of warming and smoothing meridians, harmonizing Qi and blood, boosting the body's defenses to expel evil, thus treating diseases.
"Spiritual Pivot·Ability" states, "Where needles are ineffective, moxibustion is appropriate." "Medical Introduction" also says: "What cannot be reached by medicine, where needles do not penetrate, moxibustion is needed."
These clearly testify how significant the role of warm moxibustion is, also compensating for the inadequacies of acupuncture.
Acupuncture, in clinical Chinese medicine and traditional medical studies, is a necessary subject.
But prior to this, Lu Xuan had not practiced it, this was his first time.
Of course, within less than half a month of coming to the Health Center, he had experienced many firsts.
After completing these procedures, Lu Xuan was somewhat overwhelmed.
As per a group of seniors, treating Li Qinxue's illness isn't difficult, unlike other conditions needing several months or even longer to regulate, it's indeed troublesome.
And not just normally troublesome.
From the morning's Qi Replenishing Soup to the three formulas in the afternoon, to the recently completed warm moxibustion, if it were some elderly practitioners with lesser stamina, this whole process might leave them gasping.
"Dr. Lu, is my mom going to be alright?" Wang Shengyu asked with a bit of tension.
Lu Xuan thought for a moment and said: "It's not early now, you should head back first, you should see results in four hours."
"Four hours?" Wang Shengyu memorized this timeframe firmly.
After expressing countless thanks, they left the traditional Chinese medicine department with some doubts.
Not long after Wang Shengyu pushed Li Qinxue out, Wang Youqing appeared at the door: "What's the situation with that old lady? I saw her come once this morning, then again in the afternoon, and you're sweating profusely, is it difficult to treat?"
"Urinary retention."
Wang Youqing: "..."
"Say something I can understand."
Lu Xuan explained with a smile: "It's just difficult urination, hasn't been able to urinate for half a month after rectal cancer surgery, they've been to City First Hospital and Ninth Hospital, even tried catheterization, didn't work."
"Half a month without urination, that serious?"
Wang Youqing looked grave: "Curing it shouldn't be easy, if you're unsure, better not to act rashly."
"Not difficult to treat, actually quite easy, just somewhat troublesome."
Wang Youqing's eyes widened.
Not difficult to treat?
Quite easy?
Somewhat troublesome?
How can you use these terms to describe the same disease?
Moreover, half a month without urination, life hanging by a thread, is that not difficult?
Then what is considered difficult?
Wang Youqing suddenly felt the need to reassess this young man in front of him.