Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 161

#161 Happy Birthday (20)

“You’re a ‘motae-solo’?”

“Yeah. You know ‘motae-solo’? Born-solo [someone who has never been in a romantic relationship].”

The dilemma of a ‘motae-solo’?

At first, I thought it was the name of some obscure historical scholar.

But suddenly, we’re talking about romance? It’s hard to keep up with Professor Heo Jun-im’s train of thought.

“You can’t date, so you lack confidence, and because you lack confidence, you can’t date.”

Ignoring my puzzled expression, he continued without pause.

“It’s the same dilemma for office workers who don’t get enough exercise. They don’t have energy, so they can’t exercise, and because they can’t exercise, their energy is always low… Do you understand what I mean?”

It was a somewhat bizarre explanation, but I understood his point.

“You’re saying that bleeding and ECMO [Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a life support machine] are creating a vicious cycle right now?”

“Yes, yes. You’re a quick learner!”

He nodded.

Two situations, going around and around.

A situation where it’s hard to maintain cardiac output due to bleeding, so you have to use ECMO.

But using ECMO inevitably increases the tendency to bleed.

How can we break this vicious cycle?

As if reading my mind, he asked again.

“What should we do to break this vicious cycle?”

“First, there needs to be a starting point where at least one thing gets better. To date, you have to go out and meet people diligently, or to exercise, you have to at least buy a gym membership…”

“That’s right, that’s right. You understand perfectly even when I explain poorly!”

Professor Heo Jun-im looked pleased that his analogy had worked.

“First, the bleeding has to stop before we can think about the next step. The right ventricle is enlarged, but it’s not so bad that it’s hopeless, you know? The lungs are also okay at this level. So, if the bleeding stops within a day or two, ECMO weaning isn’t impossible.”

He talks so fast…

It felt like he said all that without taking a single breath?

According to him, Noul noona’s immediate task was to ‘stop the bleeding.’

Once we get past this process, we can remove the ECMO and start the process of getting off the ventilator.

“Yes, thank you for explaining…”

“Oh my, look at my mind. This is no time to be doing this!”

He quickly disappeared somewhere before I could even finish my greeting.

Professor Heo Jun-im.

A young, unique, and somewhat frantic professor.

It was like putting a mouth and feet on a fan spinning in a strong wind.

Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve had such a long conversation with a professor at Yeonguk University Hospital.

And I also found out that my name is already known in the Department of Thoracic Surgery…

It felt strange to be increasingly recognized by many people in the hospital.

‘A day or two from now.’

I watched Noul noona’s face.

Okay, let’s wait.

Sometimes you have to trust and wait for the patient.

* * *

Damn it.

I can’t wait.

Has a day ever felt this long?

Even after the night passed and the day dawned, Noul noona’s bleeding hadn’t stopped.

‘It should have stopped by now…’

The day after the surgery.

While guiding Professor Jo Jae-yong on his rounds, I was able to stop by the Thoracic Surgery ICU [Intensive Care Unit].

Noul noona was still asleep, just as she had been when she came out of the operating room yesterday.

In a situation where the bleeding wasn’t stopping, we couldn’t wake the patient.

The various blood transfusion packs that had been given since yesterday already exceeded 30.

Literally, we were gathering blood from all over the hospital and pouring it in.

“It’s been going on for a while.”

“It would be a disaster if DIC [Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation] starts…”

Professor Heo Jun-im and Professor Jo Jae-yong, who were watching the patient in the ICU, were talking with serious expressions.

DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation) [a serious condition where blood clots form throughout the body, blocking small blood vessels].

It refers to the consumption of coagulation factors in the patient’s body, such as platelets, because the processes of bleeding and coagulation are excessively proceeding in the body.

A patient in DIC is exposed to a serious situation where they show a greater tendency to bleed, and all organs are damaged.

It’s truly a devil’s cycle where bleeding causes more bleeding.

“Yes, it seems like it’s about to stop, but it doesn’t. We’re also keeping the aPTT [activated Partial Thromboplastin Time, a blood test that measures the time it takes for blood to clot] target low.”

Professor Heo Jun-im said that even though they were using ECMO, they were minimizing the concentration of blood thinners due to the bleeding.

“First, we’re thinking about embolization [a procedure to block a blood vessel]. Even if we go back into the operating room now, it seems like it’ll be no different from yesterday.”

Embolization is, simply put, a method of blocking blood vessels altogether.

In this case, it meant blocking a part of the artery that supplies blood to the uterus.

This method may be more effective than re-operation for hemostasis [stopping blood flow].

“Yes, let’s watch until today, and if the amount of bleeding continues to be maintained like this, let’s perform embolization.”

For now, the professors have agreed on that.

Today, we’ll just watch.

Accordingly, the faces of the family members were as dry as the bottom of a rice paddy during a drought.

“Oh dear, she should have taken care of her own body, why did Noul have to get pregnant…”

“Don’t say that. We, as parents, have to support her.”

“I’m upset and worried…”

“Still, it’s a good thing the baby was born healthy. Let’s trust the doctors and watch.”

I overheard Noul noona’s parents tearfully talking in the hallway.

I felt bitter.

Noul noona said that before the surgery.

But did she know she would pay such a harsh price? If she had known in advance, would she have made the same choice?

It was impossible to know.

‘Today is an important day, so let’s watch as long as possible.’

It was my day off, but I decided to stay by Noul noona’s side all night.

I could already see many blood transfusion packs piled up next to the patient.

While washing my face and returning to the ICU, I ran into a familiar face.

“Teacher.”

It was Teacher Song Yu-ju.

She glanced at me and asked.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, it’s my day off. I’m just trying to watch the patient…”

Then, Teacher Song Yu-ju’s expression looking at me took on a complex and subtle look.

It seemed like she wanted to say something.

Suddenly, her mouth opened.

“Do you regret it?”

“Pardon?”

“Saying that putting in ECMO and doing surgery wasn’t the best option.”

“No.”

I shook my head firmly.

I have no regrets.

Anyway, I prevented the worst future.

The current situation is better than before, not worse.

But…

Nevertheless, it was painful that Noul noona wasn’t waking up.

“Let me tell you, the current situation is by no means good. We’re pouring in all the blood transfusion packs in the hospital right now, but we can’t maintain this forever.”

Song Yu-ju’s cold words sounded bleak.

In fact, that’s right.

The patient can’t use blood indefinitely on her own, so we have to stop at some point.

“If the bleeding continues like this…”

Song Yu-ju’s words continue.

First.

First, we will perform embolization (a procedure to block a part of the artery that supplies the uterus).

Second.

If that doesn’t work, we may even have to perform a hysterectomy [surgical removal of the uterus].

“A hysterectomy?”

“Yes.”

Song Yu-ju nodded.

Of course, if Noul noona can live, what problem would there be with living without a uterus?

Moreover, since she is an Eisenmenger patient [a heart defect that causes abnormal blood circulation], future pregnancies are unlikely to occur.

“But, it’s not that simple of a problem.”

Song Yu-ju’s following words left me speechless.

“What if the patient later receives a lung transplant and wants to have a second baby?”

“…”

I was at a loss for words.

Would she want to have another one? Even after all this suffering?

You never know in life.

If she gets rid of pulmonary hypertension [high blood pressure in the arteries to the lungs] with a lung transplant, Noul noona might want to have a second baby.

In other words, the best-case scenario in the current situation is to hope that the bleeding stops.

“Honestly, she’s my acquaintance, but I don’t know. I don’t know if she’ll choose a second pregnancy even after all this suffering…”

“We can’t know that. I’m a woman too, but I don’t know the hearts of mothers. However, somehow respecting the patient’s wishes is what we have to do as doctors.”

The same woman.

Song Yu-ju said that.

Doctors are also people, so there are patients who ‘don’t feel like it’s someone else’s business.’

It felt like there was more of a personal story, but that was an area I couldn’t know more about.

“Come to think of it, I was going to tell you a few times before, but I didn’t…”

Song Yu-ju suddenly said in a low voice.

“You’re in a bit of danger right now.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re getting too involved in your work.”

I was surprised.

It was the first time Teacher Song Yu-ju had said something like this.

“It’s good that you’re working hard, but don’t get drunk on your work.”

There’s a bone in her words.

Is she telling her own experience?

I felt a sense of sincerity for some reason.

Teacher Song Yu-ju swept back her bangs and said.

“Well… I heard it a long time ago. Professor Baek Eui-shin, who you like, told me, so take it to heart.”

I was surprised once again that an unexpected name came out.

“Professor Baek Eui-shin?”

“Yes. He was my supervising professor when he was still at Yeonguk University Hospital before he retired.”

Wow…

I didn’t even think about it.

It was a moment when I realized that many teachers were intricately connected before I came to this hospital.

“You can say it’s because she’s a patient you know now… but looking at what you’ve been doing so far, you’re doing that to all patients. Control yourself appropriately from now on.”

“Yes.”

I bowed my head.

She might be right.

I should definitely take her words to heart, but anyway, I have no regrets about doing my best.

Because I’ve done everything I can so far.

“If the patient doesn’t improve even after using all methods…”

Song Yu-ju’s words are about to continue.

At that time.

The front of my eyes brightens.

A group of lights rushes in as if a blocked waterway has burst.

It was the moment I had been waiting for the most among the futures I had seen so far.

* * *

It’s a festival of light.

So many that it’s dizzying are connected in the direction of my gaze.

In an unknown space, several scenes in the distance appear blurry as if covered by clouds.

But…

A particularly bright line among them.

It is connected in a straight line in front of me.

As if guiding me with a strong attraction, it brightly illuminates and pulls me in front of my eyes.

‘This is…!’

There was no time to think about anything else.

When I reached the end.

I could be sure when I saw the scenes unfolding before my eyes.

* * *

“The bleeding will stop.”

After returning from the dream to reality, I said immediately.

Then Song Yu-ju tilts her head.

“What do you know?”

Because no doctor can easily guarantee Noul noona’s condition right now.

But I saw the future.

That’s why I could smile and say with clear conviction.

“The patient told me before. If you desperately want something… sometimes something close to a miracle happens.”