Chapter 497: A Life Saved and a Turning Point

The most common procedure for critical patients is taking them off a respirator, but this process needs careful planning well before extubation. Even when all indicators look good, a patient must first pass a 120-minute spontaneous breathing trial before the machine can be removed.

After nearly eight long minutes, the infant’s blood oxygen levels finally climbed back up to 99%.

Babies are delicate, their organs still developing, but their ability to bounce back far surpasses that of middle-aged or elderly patients.

Watching this baby pull through and stabilize, everyone let out a deep sigh of relief.

That was one harrowing ordeal just now.

If Zhou Can had hesitated even for a moment during surgery or if his skills had been lacking, this child would likely not have survived.

At the lowest point, the baby’s oxygen dropped below 50%. Even Dr. Zhuang thought there was no hope left.

Yet, against the odds, Zhou Can managed to bring the little one back.

“That was incredible! This kid really has a strong will to live—and was lucky enough to meet a savior,” Dr. Zhuang exclaimed.

“No kidding! I was so scared I could barely breathe myself just now!”

“Last time, we had a seven-year-old girl who choked on jelly. No matter what we did, we just couldn’t save her. The jelly would shatter when clamped, and Dr. Huang tried every trick in the book, but by the time it was all cleared, the child had already stopped breathing.”

Everyone in the endoscopy team couldn’t stop praising Zhou Can’s skills.

“I couldn’t have done it alone. I needed everyone’s support, and Teacher Zi’s assistance was absolutely flawless.”

Zhou Can never tried to hog all the credit.

It’s always important to stick to some selfless thinking—it’s the best way to fit in with the broader team.

Maybe you won’t be popular everywhere, but in most cases, you’ll be welcomed.

What stood out to Zhou Can the most during this rescue was the nurse with the surname Zi.

She was easily the most capable endoscopy nurse assistant Zhou Can had ever worked with.

“Oh, I didn’t really do much!”

She flashed a humble smile, looking quite modest.

Just like doctors, some nurses are particularly skilled—their value can match that of a doctor.

“Teacher Zi, you’re too modest! Do you always assist in the endoscopy room?”

Zhou Can asked casually.

There are so many nurses in Pediatrics, Zhou Can didn’t even know all their names.

He didn’t know much about Nurse Zi either, only that her surname was Zi. This was their third time working together in the laryngoscopy room.

The first time they teamed up, Zhou Can was still just an assistant to a senior doctor.

The second time, he helped remove a fishbone from a toddler—a real specialty of his.

That time, he worked alongside Director Dai to save the child.

Initially, Director Dai handled the laryngoscope, but his technique was average, and he just couldn’t manage it after several tries. In the end, Zhou Can took over and removed the fishbone with ease.

Nurse Zi’s coordination left a deep impression on Zhou Can that day.

Her steady, professional approach really earned his respect.

Now, over a year later, Zhou Can was back in the pediatric laryngoscopy room, but this time with Dr. Zhuang.

Dr. Zhuang outranked Director Dai in Pediatrics by far.

But now, Zhou Can was already well recognized by many in Pediatrics. Dr. Zhuang trusted him deeply.

So, the moment they entered, Zhou Can was put in charge of the rescue operation.

You could say Zhou Can’s growth is clear for all to see.

His rise through the ranks has been so quick, it’s rare for the entire Tuyu Hospital.

Of course, this left a deep impression on Nurse Zi, too.

“Yes, I usually assist in the laryngoscopy or other endoscopy rooms,” she replied calmly.

Still, her enthusiasm in chatting with Zhou Can was obviously pretty low.

Some people just naturally keep their distance.

Zhou Can only nodded and didn’t press further.

The little patient was wheeled out of the laryngoscopy room. Outside, three of the baby’s family members waited, but the air was still tense.

The elderly lady clearly felt hard done by and kept wiping her tears, wailing like she was in mourning. No one paid her much attention.

Not even her own son.

The baby’s mother had fresh scratches on her face, bloody streaks across her skin. She wasn’t crying.

Her expression was cold, her eyes filled with utter disappointment and resignation toward this family.

“Doctor, how’s my child?”

As soon as she saw the door open and Zhou Can and Dr. Zhuang step out, she rushed over to ask.

“Congratulations. Your baby has a strong fate and pulled through. But you must be more careful when feeding your child from now on. Avoid large chunks of food, peanuts, and all nuts—keep them away. Anything jelly-like is also dangerous. For children under three, these are particularly risky.”

Zhou Can gave the mother some careful advice.

“Thank you, thank you!”

Tears were streaming down her face, but she smiled all the same.

She took the baby from the nurse, checked nervously, then kissed the child’s face repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the old lady kept crying and blaming her daughter-in-law.

It was pretty grating to listen to.

Of course, neither Zhou Can nor Dr. Zhuang said a word.

You meet all kinds of family members in the hospital: mean mothers-in-law, spiteful parents-in-law, and unfeeling husbands. There’s no shortage.

Some of them really don’t treat their daughters-in-law like people.

Some men even get bossed around in their wives’ homes.

There’s all types in this world.

“Lu Shuqing, let’s get divorced. Let’s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and file today.”

As soon as she took her child, the first thing the woman said to her husband was to ask for a divorce.

The man had always come across as spineless. No matter how his mother scolded his wife, he just kept his head down and stayed quiet.

When he heard his wife wanted a divorce, he clearly froze for a moment.

Staring at her in disbelief.

“If you leave me, you’ll lose your city residency and have to return to your rural hometown!”

He obviously didn’t want a divorce.

“I don’t care if I have to go back to the countryside. I’d rather beg on the streets than spend another day with a man this spineless. If you’d just once stood up for me when your mother insulted me, maybe she wouldn’t be so overbearing today. I’ve put up with so much in your family these past two years—you’ve never done a husband’s duty. I stay home taking care of the baby, your entire salary goes to your mom, and even if I want to buy a single diaper, I have to smile and beg like a servant.”

“If you’re really a man, get your household registration booklet and marriage certificate, and divorce me now at the Civil Affairs Bureau. If you refuse, I’ll only think less of you. And if that’s the case, I’ll go through the courts—this divorce is happening regardless.”

Her resolve was absolute.

Zhou Can watched this from the side, feeling a sense of relief.

Sometimes, a woman needs to be decisive.

Especially when faced with a toxic family, getting divorced is the best way to cut losses.

Of course, if you can get your husband to see sense and move out instead of living with his parents, that’s another way out.

It’s never easy for a couple to go from strangers to lovers, then to married with children.

After a divorce, it’s the child who suffers most.

“Jinx, you really think you’re something special. I told you from the start—never marry a woman from the countryside…” As soon as the old lady heard her daughter-in-law wanted a divorce, she didn’t try to stop her. Instead, she hurled curses her way.

She couldn’t wait to pin all the blame on her daughter-in-law.

“Son, let her go! We in the city have houses and status—just find a good, pretty girl to marry. Who does she think she is? Divorced? No one will ever want her again, even if she begged!”

“Mom, just stop already!”

The man must have realized his family was falling apart. Deep down, he knew it was his mother’s pushiness and cruelty that caused all this.

“Oh, so now you want to take this jinx’s side against me, a country tramp? I raised you from a baby, cleaned your messes…Waaah! I can’t live anymore! I can’t live!”

As she spoke, the old lady theatrically banged her head against the wall.

But even a fool could see she was just faking it.

By this point, the baby’s mother had already walked away, holding her child. She didn’t look back once.

Surprisingly, the man didn’t rush to his mother now—he chased after his wife instead.

After such a performance, the old lady glanced back, only to find that her son and daughter-in-law had left with her grandson, and even the medical staff didn’t come stop her. She felt a wave of embarrassment.

Sorrow washed over her, and she sat on the floor bawling.

“Heavens, I can’t go on… I can’t go on…”

Zhou Can watched and shook his head. Whoever has this old lady in their life is in for trouble.

Sometimes, you can’t just blindly obey the elderly. Truly wise, insightful sons and daughters know that blind obedience is not real filial piety. It only encourages poorly behaved parents to become more and more reckless.

In the end, it’s the younger family that’s destroyed.

Now, it’s all about honoring and loving your elders, giving them care as well as respect.

Old age brings loneliness. Their thinking gets stranger, too.

If you always cave to them, it hurts everyone.

But so few people see through this, probably because of thousands of years of tradition.

Zhou Can returned to the outpatient office and continued treating his patients.

His Grasping Technique unexpectedly advanced to level six, hitting the Chief Physician standard—a huge achievement. Few in the entire Tuyu Hospital have mastered the Grasping Technique at this level.

Many surgeons practice their grasping by picking up food with toothpicks at meals.

To go from Associate Chief Physician to Chief Physician in technique takes 100,000 experience points. Even if you earn 0.1 experience picking up food, you’d need a million meals to reach that level.

Honestly, almost no surgeons have the patience (or time) to eat everything with toothpicks every day.

Doctors are just too busy for that—often they barely have time to eat at all.

Especially surgeons. They can get so busy they even miss meals.

……

Saving the child from the peanut took a considerable chunk of time. Zhou Can worked nonstop so he could finish seeing every patient who registered for him that day, and wasn’t done until nearly 1:30 in the afternoon.

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Su Qianqian came by to deliver him lunch a little after noon.

She then waited anxiously outside for an hour and a half.

When Zhou Can finally stepped out, her face was full of concern.

“Why didn’t you eat first before seeing patients? It’s so late now—what if your health suffers from not eating?”

“Every patient here is in a hurry, especially in Pediatrics—kids and babies are fragile, their parents are worried sick. How could I eat first while leaving them to wait? They chose me because they trust me. I can’t betray that trust!”

Zhou Can explained softly.

“Come on, nothing’s more important than eating! If your health gives out, who will help them then? Besides, their kids matter to them—but you matter to me!”

Su Qianqian always fretted that Zhou Can never managed to eat on time.

“By the way, I had my kidney checked again at your hospital today. The results aren’t back yet, but I already feel nothing like before—so much lighter and better. I’m hoping for good news.”

She had finished her traditional medicine treatment last week—twelve full cycles.

She purposely waited a week before testing, just to make sure the results were as accurate as possible.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure the results will be good. And if there’s still a slight problem, we’ll find another way.”

Zhou Can never put too much faith in Chinese medicine’s effects.

That’s because, in Western medicine, kidney failure is considered irreversible.

Once it happens, there’s no turning back.

But every kidney patient is different, and Mr. Chen Guoli believes Su Qianqian has a solid chance to recover.

After eating, Zhou Can hurried off to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Director Xueyan was facing her greatest challenge yet. If this patient couldn’t be saved, it could ruin the reputation of the whole Cardiothoracic Surgery Department.

He’d just arrived when Director Xueyan hurriedly handed her patient’s surgery to Director Le and rushed over to discuss the heart attack and coronary artery disease case with him.

“Sorry to trouble you, Zhou Can. You’re so busy, yet I still need your help consulting on my case.”

Even though some time had passed, Director Xueyan still looked a little apologetic when she saw Zhou Can.

A kind of guilt weighed on her.

“Sis Yan, don’t be so polite with me! Let’s look at the patient’s test results first.”

Zhou Can had no intention of seeing the patient directly.

For cases like this, just reviewing the test results is usually enough.

Coronary angiography in particular spells out which vessels are blocked and where.

“I’ve got it all ready in the office.”

She brought Zhou Can in, and—almost as if by habit—neither of them bothered to close the door.

“This patient’s three right coronary arteries are all blocked. Blood flow is only sustained by some tiny collateral vessels, but her heart is in even worse shape than I expected.”

Director Xueyan held up the scans for Zhou Can to examine.

After looking them over, even Zhou Can broke out in a cold sweat for the patient.

Normally, just one blocked vessel could cause angina or parts of the heart muscle to die, or at the very least impair its pumping power.

That’s when patients get symptoms like chest tightness and fatigue.

But for all three major arteries leading to the heart to be blocked, and for the patient to still be alive—that was a miracle.

The human body can be truly astounding.

Its self-repair instincts often outstrip all expectations.

In the time those three arteries were closing off, a web of tiny collateral vessels had somehow shouldered the load to keep the heart supplied.

They’d grown and expanded enough to link up directly with the aorta.

That was how the patient had survived until now.

Even with all the heart attacks Zhou Can had seen, he couldn’t help but worry for this patient.

“Before the angiogram, based on experience, I thought we could just do an interventional procedure—put in a stent to restore blood flow. I never imagined all three arteries would be fully blocked and she’d be surviving on nothing but collateral vessels. What now? Should we try artificial blood vessel grafts, or consider bypass surgery as a last resort?”

Director Xueyan asked.