Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 218

Five Vital Signs – Episode 218 (218/502)

Episode 218. You’ll die if you keep doing this. Huh?

Somewhere in a market alley in the countryside—

“Alright! Fresh mackerel, come and get it!”

“How much is the mackerel?”

“The mackerel is great today. 10,000 won for three [approximately $7.50 USD]. Look at the amazing color. See how alive these eyes are?”

“I see. Please clean that one for me.”

“Thank you. Hey! Honey, can you take care of this?”

The man, who had been energetically serving customers, suddenly looked across the street and left the work to his wife.

“Why? Suddenly? Where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back. Hyung-nim [older brother or respected male figure]?”

Unaffected by his wife’s grumbling, he left the store and headed to the middle-aged man in front of the rice cake shop across the street.

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting today? I thought you were going to the hospital.”

“No, I’m going to the hospital. I just stopped by to take a quick look at the ledger.”

“The ledger can wait until tomorrow. Why did you come out when you’re not feeling well?”

The fish store owner, who had worked hard alongside the rice cake shop owner in the market, was as close as a real brother to him.

Seeing that his always energetic hyung-nim from the rice cake shop was still not feeling well, the fish store owner kept nagging him to go to the hospital.

This was because the rice cake shop owner had undergone surgery for rectal cancer three years ago.

“You should take it easy. What’s more important than your health after having cancer surgery…?”

“Hey, anyone would think you had the surgery, not me. I’m fine. I’m just going because I’ve been feeling weak.”

“Still, you’re a cancer patient. It’s different from a healthy person feeling weak.”

“Cancer is nothing these days. Medicine has advanced, so it’s not that bad unless it’s really serious. And my surgery went well.”

“Hyung-nim, you’re so stubborn… Are you really okay?”

“I told you I’m fine. I’m just going because I keep feeling weak, so I think I should get it checked out.”

“But did you find the doctor who performed the surgery? I saw on TV that Shinhwa University Hospital was a mess. I don’t think you should go there.”

“Yeah. My wife and kids found him yesterday. He’s the director of Our Hospital in Seoul.”

Several years ago, Oh Jae-bal, who had undergone cancer surgery, was one of Tae-kyung’s patients. He had heard that Shinhwa University Hospital was good at surgery, so he had taken a train all the way from the countryside to Seoul.

At first, he had intended to have the surgery done by a professor, but he didn’t trust the professor’s curt examination and cursory explanation, so he was hesitant to entrust the surgery to him.

‘Excuse me, isn’t that professor a bit of an ass?’

‘Pardon?’

Oh Jae-bal, who had been sitting outside after vaguely listening to the professor who was quickly trying to schedule the surgery date without a detailed explanation, was called out by someone next to him.

‘It’s not something to be proud of, but I’ve been coming to this hospital for quite a while.’

‘Ah, yes….’

‘So, I’m telling you this, but is your condition bad enough to require surgery?’

‘Yes. I have rectal cancer, they say.’

‘Oh dear. Then have Dr. Kim Tae-kyung perform the surgery instead of that professor. He’s more skilled than the professor, a good person, and just all-around great. Trust me and get a consultation with him.’

The words of the person next to him, who had also had surgery with Tae-kyung and highly recommended him, were true.

Thinking he had nothing to lose, he consulted Tae-kyung and was so impressed by how meticulously he cared for him that he even received comfort in his difficult state after being diagnosed with cancer.

And the surgery went well.

After finishing the surgery and being discharged, he was regularly seeing Tae-kyung for outpatient check-ups when he heard the news that Tae-kyung had been kicked out of the hospital.

Even when he asked where Tae-kyung had gone, he only received the answer that they didn’t know.

Since he only needed to see him for occasional outpatient visits, he didn’t think much of it and was seeing another doctor.

But strangely, he felt less energetic than before.

Feeling that something was wrong, Oh Jae-bal inquired about which hospital Tae-kyung had gone to, and fortunately, he was able to find out about his hospital through the TV.

“So, you’re going to the hospital where the doctor who performed the surgery is?”

“Yeah. I feel more comfortable getting treatment from that doctor.”

“Okay. Good for you. Nothing will happen, so don’t worry too much and have a good trip.”

“Of course. What could happen?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, I’ll be off. Please bring the ingredients inside when they arrive later.”

“Yes, don’t worry about work and go.”

Oh Jae-bal headed to the train station with a light heart, not thinking seriously about it.

* * *

After Gam Deok-chan and his son-in-law left the hospital after the visit, Tae-kyung finished his scheduled surgeries and was frantically seeing outpatient appointments.

Tae-kyung, who performed surgeries, also had many outpatient appointments.

In particular, cancer surgery patients accounted for a significant portion of the outpatient patients.

After cancer surgery, patients are observed in the outpatient clinic for about 5 years, regardless of the severity of the cancer.

This is because cancer always has the possibility of recurrence, so it is necessary to monitor whether it recurs for at least 5 years.

Therefore, unlike other departments, surgeons perform all the chemotherapy and subsequent follow-up observations for cancer patients.

For this reason, Tae-kyung had quite a few outpatient patients. However, after appearing on TV, the number of outpatient patients more than doubled.

Apart from dealing with patients skillfully, he felt drained after outpatient appointments these days because he had to deal with too many people.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“You’re welcome. Then, I’ll see you next time.”

“Yes. Goodbye.”

Click-

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Is outpatient care over for today?”

“Yes, it’s over. Are you tired?”

“I feel a bit tired today, strangely.”

“Is it just today? Of course, you’re tired. Instead of that, there are no emergency patients right now, so why don’t you take a nap in the doctor’s office?”

Nurse Lim Jeong-suk was worried about Tae-kyung’s tired appearance, which was rarely seen.

Creak-

“Dr. Jung said you didn’t seem to be in good condition and was worried.”

“I’m just a little tired, but I’m okay. It’s not that bad. I’ll go on rounds.”

“You’re really a workaholic.”

“I won’t deny it. Then, I’ll go.”

“Yes. See you later.”

Tae-kyung, who came out of the examination room, went on full rounds with Lee Chan-hee and Choi Mona for the first time in a while.

Honestly, he wanted to sleep when he had time like now, but there weren’t many opportunities to go on rounds with the two of them unless it was now.

This was because he wanted to teach his juniors as much as possible.

“Dr. Lee?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Our patient Kim Cheol-guk is on the fifth day after surgery, right?”

“Yes, 10cc has come out of the h-vac (hemovac, a bag attached to the end of a tube inserted to drain fluid from the surgical site).”

“Then, if there are no special issues, let’s do S/O (stitch out, stitch removal) tomorrow and discharge him.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Dr. Choi, the next patient?”

“Yes, the next patient is an 82-year-old woman who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. However, she has severe pain in the shingles area on her left breast. She is taking oral antiviral medication, but it hasn’t been very effective yet.”

“Dr. Choi?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Does that patient really have shingles?”

“Yes? I think so.”

“Dr. Lee?”

Tae-kyung, who heard Choi Mona’s answer, asked Lee Chan-hee this time.

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Dr. Lee, you saw this patient too, right?”

“Yes, I saw her.”

“What do you think?”

“I have the same thought as Dr. Choi. I think it’s shingles. The dermatologist also said it was shingles….”

“Yes, that’s right. The dermatologist said it was shingles. But you two, look at this chart again.”

“The chart?”

“Dr. Lee, Dr. Choi, I know you’re busy, but you have to look at the chart carefully. And the most important thing is to look at the patient well above all else.”

Tae-kyung sat in front of the ward station monitor and continued, looking back and forth between Lee Chan-hee and Choi Mona.

“This patient has already been diagnosed with shingles at a local clinic and has been taking medication for three weeks. It seems that the dermatologist gave her the same medication. But what stage is this patient’s breast cancer now?”

“Stage 4.”

“Yes, stage 4. Ha! Let’s see the patient together later… No. Let’s see this patient first.”

Tae-kyung, who had been looking at the patient’s chart with the two of them in front of the monitor, suddenly stood up, and the two followed him nervously.

“Patient Lee Woon-gae.”

As they entered the ward, it was filled with the smell of formalin [a preservative used for medical specimens] surrounding the patient. The smell was unbearable, perhaps because the patient’s condition was not good.

“Yes, Doctor.”

The patient lying on the bed only rolled her eyes and looked up at Tae-kyung, and her daughter next to her looked at her with pitiful eyes.

“Hello. Patient, how is your condition today?”

“Well, I feel a bit nauseous.”

“Have you vomited?”

“Yes, my mom vomited twice. And she’s having a hard time because of the shingles.”

“Doctor, it hurts so much here.”

“Can I take a look for a moment?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

As the 82-year-old patient complained of pain, Tae-kyung first drew the curtains near the bed before looking at the patient’s chest.

And when he unbuttoned the patient’s top and exposed the affected area, he saw a red, swollen chest centered on the left nipple.

When Tae-kyung pressed on the affected area, the patient frowned and complained of pain.

“Ah!!! Doctor, it hurts so much.”

“Yes, guardian, can you come out for a moment?”

Tae-kyung went out of the ward with the guardian, and Lee Chan-hee and Choi Mona followed him.

“Doctor, my mom is having a hard time because she’s in so much pain, and it’s not getting better.”

“Actually, what the patient is suffering from is not shingles.”

“Yes!? Then why….”

“The patient currently has very severe breast cancer, which is causing inflammation.”

“Ah…!”

Worries deepened on the guardian’s face at Tae-kyung’s words.

“In the case of breast cancer, it moves along the lymph nodes, which are blocking the entrance, so circulation is not working. The lymph that needs to go out is constantly trapped, causing swelling and pain. To put it more simply, it’s the cancer that’s causing the pain.”

“Ha! Then what should I do?”

“We have no choice but to monitor the progress while undergoing chemotherapy. First, I’ll give you a slightly stronger narcotic painkiller. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll give you something stronger. And there’s a medicine that helps drain the lymph nodes, so I’ll prescribe that first too.”

“Yes, thank you. But, Doctor….”

The guardian, who had listened to all of Tae-kyung’s detailed explanations, carefully opened her mouth with a more worried expression than before.

“Will my mom be able to get better?”

“Honestly, it’s not easy.”

Tae-kyung always does his best for patients and guardians and offers comfort, but he couldn’t do that at moments like this.

This was because he knew that false hope could cause greater pain to patients and guardians.

Even though the reality that must be accepted may be cruel at times, it was the doctor’s duty to tell the truth as it is.

“It’s too late. It’s already spread a lot to the liver and bones. And she’s very old.”

Because she was so old, her daughter, the guardian, had expected it to some extent.

“Moreover, breast cancer has no markers.”

“Markers?”

“Yes. You can understand that there are not many chemotherapy drugs to listen to. So, we are mixing several common chemotherapy drugs and using them. We’ll try it about 4 times, and if the progress is a little good, we’ll cut off the breast.”

“Yes……. Doctor, please take good care of her.”

The guardian greeted him and went into the ward.

Tae-kyung was walking down the hallway without saying anything when he suddenly turned around, and Lee Chan-hee and Choi Mona, who were following him, stopped in surprise.

“Chan-hee, Mona?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“I was going to say it separately, but I’ll just say it here. If you two had seen that patient’s chest directly, you would have known right away that it wasn’t shingles.”

“Yes.”

“That’s right.”

That was what Tae-kyung said was right. In fact, the two were embarrassed as soon as they opened the patient’s chest.

It was not shingles to anyone who saw it. In other words, they didn’t see the affected area. They just believed what other people said and the chart, thinking it was right.

In some ways, it cannot be said that the two made a big mistake.

When seeing patients, there may be cases where they miss things because they are pressed for time and have no energy. But Tae-kyung wanted his juniors to be a little different.

“Of course, the dermatologist may have a problem. But you two are the doctors treating this patient. You two should have looked at the affected area at least once. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.”

“And I actually want you to remember that patient.”

“…….”

The two did not easily understand Tae-kyung’s words.

“Why didn’t anyone know while the cancer spread all over that patient’s body?”

“Isn’t it because she came to the hospital late?”

“I have the same thought as Dr. Choi. I think she discovered the disease late.”

“No. That patient went to a large hospital once a month, or often once every two weeks. And she even took a CT scan once every two months.”

“Yes? Then why was it delayed?”

“The reason for going to the hospital was because of thyroid cancer. Of course, breast cancer is not easily seen on CT. But I also saw the video, and the lymph nodes on the left chest are very large.”

“But why didn’t they know?”

“The doctor only looked at the thyroid. He only looked at the thyroid and just passed it over, thinking it was okay.”

“Ah…….”

“It can happen. Because they’re busy. Because there are so many patients. But if even one of those many doctors had looked a little more carefully, she would have come before it got like this. If even one person had paid a little more attention, that person’s final years would have been very different.”

“…….”

It wasn’t about blaming them for not looking closely.

Doctors in Korea treat a large number of patients a day due to the nature of medical care.

Doctors also want to see them more carefully and for a longer time, but it is not easy to do so. Tae-kyung also understood that heart better than anyone else because he was also a doctor.

But he didn’t want to do it like others, saying that it couldn’t be helped, that they were busy, and that was the reality.

The reason was simple.

Because it was a matter of patients living and dying.

No matter how difficult it was and how tired he was from the pouring patients, he knew very well that if he paid a little more attention and looked at them, one person’s life could be extended, and furthermore, their family could be saved.

So, he repeatedly urged them to prevent this from happening to patients who come to our hospital.

“Chan-hee, and Mona?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Yes.”

“Famous doctors with great skills and skills are all good, but the most basic thing for a really good doctor is to have an interest in the patient. Honestly, you can’t treat a complete stranger like your family. But at least you can pay attention. Don’t forget that you two may be the only doctors the patient meets.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Me too. I’m sorry.”

“Go and see to your work.”

Lee Chan-hee and the two remembered Tae-kyung’s words, bowed, and headed to the emergency room.

However, even at this time, the two had no idea that Tae-kyung would be furious in a few hours.

It was then that Tae-kyung, who had been looking at the chart at the ward station after Lee Chan-hee and Choi Mona went down, got up from his seat.

“……!”

At that moment, he felt dizzy and his body swayed slightly.

“Director, are you okay?”

The ward nurse reacted in surprise to Tae-kyung’s appearance, which she had never seen before.

“Ah, I’m okay.”

Just as the usual answer came back,