Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 3

Gallbladder Cancer

“As I am admitted as a member of the medical profession:

I solemnly pledge to dedicate my life to the service of humanity;

I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due;

I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity;

The health of my patient will be my first consideration;

I will respect the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;

I will maintain by all means in my power, the honor and noble traditions of the medical profession;

My colleagues will be my sisters and brothers;

I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing, or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;

I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning;

I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;

I make these promises solemnly, freely, and upon my honor.”

Tae-kyung, wearing a spotless white coat, stood on the platform and recited the Geneva Declaration in a calm voice.

“I make these promises solemnly, freely, and upon my honor.”

Reading the Geneva Declaration word for word, without a single mistake, he raised his head and spoke the last sentence with emphasis, looking at his mother.

“I always wanted to recite my favorite Geneva Declaration at my inauguration ceremony when I became a professor.”

[Kim Tae-kyung, Professor of Surgery Inauguration Ceremony]

Tae-kyung felt a surge of pride as he looked at the banner announcing his professor inauguration ceremony.

“Today is a special and meaningful day for me.”

As he spoke of his feelings, he was momentarily overwhelmed by the difficult times he had endured. He could hardly believe this moment was real, as it represented the path he had so desperately wanted and longed for.

It felt like a blissful dream, a sweet intoxication. He prayed he would never wake up from it, because it was so precious and desperately desired.

‘Stay calm. Stay calm…….’

Tae-kyung moistened his chapped, trembling lips and calmed his overwhelming emotions before speaking again.

“I will continue to cherish life and remain a humble professor. Thank you.”

* * *

The moment of climax, with all eyes in the audience proudly watching him…

“Mr. Kim? Kim Tae-kyung!!”

An unfamiliar voice calling his name out of the blue cut through the air.

“Mr. Kim?”

“……”

The one desperately calling Tae-kyung’s name was anesthesiologist Lee Dong-hoon.

“Dr. Lee?”

The moment Tae-kyung recognized Lee Dong-hoon calling his name right in front of him, he realized he had been dreaming.

“Are you okay?”

“Why am I here…….”

Looking around, Tae-kyung realized he was in Lee Dong-hoon’s office.

“No. Don’t get up, just lie down a little longer.”

When he started to sit up, Lee Dong-hoon was startled and waved his hand, stopping him.

“I’m okay.”

“Are you back to your senses now? Mr. Kim, do you remember collapsing?”

“Ah……!”

Only after hearing Lee Dong-hoon’s words did Tae-kyung remember that he had collapsed while washing his hands after finishing the surgery.

“Mr. Kim, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay. More than that, is patient Kim Cheol-gi okay?”

As he fully regained his awareness, he immediately checked on the condition of the patient he had operated on.

“I knew you were a patient fool [someone overly concerned with their patients]. Don’t worry. He woke up fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

“It’s because you did a great job with the surgery. Good job.”

“Was I the only one who worked hard? You worked hard too, Doctor.”

“Well…… you know.”

Lee Dong-hoon, who had just opened his mouth, looked at Tae-kyung with a troubled expression. He got up from his seat, sat down on the opposite chair, and carefully continued.

“Mr. Kim, have you had any discomfort lately?”

“No. Nothing particularly uncomfortable. I think it’s because I haven’t been getting enough sleep lately.”

“I did some tests after you collapsed.”

“Tests?”

Tae-kyung asked, as if nothing was wrong, at the word ‘test.’

“Yes. I did a test and found something in your gallbladder when I checked the CT scan. Mr. Kim, haven’t you had indigestion before?”

“I have nervous gastritis, so I usually have some indigestion.”

“Have you ever been treated for it?”

“A long time ago. I just had pain in the pit of my stomach when I was stressed……. Dr. Lee, do I have a stone?”

Tae-kyung asked Lee Dong-hoon as if it were the most natural thing. The gallbladder is a small sac attached to the underside of the liver that stores digestive fluids.

Usually, if a stone called a gallstone forms there, digestion doesn’t work well, and some people experience extreme pain.

Considering his age, Tae-kyung, who was still young, assumed it was gallstones.

“Mr. Kim.”

Lee Dong-hoon narrowed his brows slightly, clasped his hands together, and remained silent for a long time.

“Dr. Lee?”

Tae-kyung’s question, filled with curiosity, broke the silence. Eventually, Lee Dong-hoon swallowed hard and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“What’s inside your gallbladder has invaded the wall, and the border is… irregular.”

The words “wall,” “invasion,” and “irregular border” echoed in Tae-kyung’s ears.

At that moment, it felt as if a huge hammer was striking his head.

“Could it be…….”

If an ordinary person heard that sentence, they would have asked for clarification, but Tae-kyung, a doctor, knew without hearing anything more.

“It’s gallbladder cancer.”

“……!”

As Lee Dong-hoon revealed the name of the disease with a pitiful expression and a heavy tone, the reality crashed down on Tae-kyung: he had gallbladder cancer.

One of the cancers with the worst prognoses. It was often called a “silent killer” because it was usually too late when symptoms appeared.

“Hey, Mr. Kim…….”

Lee Dong-hoon called in a low voice, but Tae-kyung didn’t seem to hear him.

‘Gallbladder cancer? Me?’

He had always been the one to deliver diagnoses to patients, but he never imagined he would be in the patient’s position, especially in such an extreme situation.

“Dr. Lee.”

How long had the silence lasted? An emotionless voice finally called out to Lee Dong-hoon.

“Can I see my CT scan?”

“I checked with the radiology department too. Mr. Kim, this must be a shock to you… but you should spend the rest of your time with your family.”

Even Lee Dong-hoon was dumbfounded by the situation that had befallen his beloved junior doctor.

“How could this happen……. Ha!”

He let out a short sigh and left the office to avoid the painful scene.

* * *

“They say it’s gallbladder cancer.”

“What should we do, Dr. Kim?”

“Is it serious?”

“They say he doesn’t have much time left.”

“Oh, my. My friend’s older brother is Dr. Kim’s classmate from medical school, and he said he had a really hard time studying because he didn’t have any money.”

“He’s a person who has everything: skills and personality.”

“To be blunt, he worked like a dog just to get that professor position, and now he has cancer……. Oh, my! Poor thing.”

“I’ve been a nurse for 15 years, and I’ve seen a lot of doctors get sick, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a sad case.”

In the large general hospital, the news of Tae-kyung’s diagnosis spread like wildfire and became a topic of hushed conversation among the staff.

Before he knew it, he was being branded as the most pitiful person in the hospital.

* * *

Tae-kyung forced his feet, which felt heavier than a thousand pounds, to move toward his desk. The short distance felt like a thousand miles.

Click- Clack-clack- Click-

Only the sound of the mouse clicks echoed loudly in the quiet office.

“……!”

The word ‘despair’ quickly filled his mind as he examined the CT results on the monitor.

His trembling hands, more like those of someone with a tremor, covered his mouth. And like the protagonist facing death in a movie, the past flashed through his mind like a panorama.

He lost his father early and grew up in difficult circumstances, raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly at a restaurant. His goal and dream since childhood was to become a doctor, the best surgeon, and ultimately, a professor.

Tae-kyung worked hard to study for his mother, who had been supporting him by working at a restaurant all her life, and for his own dream.

He couldn’t afford to go to a private academy because of his family’s financial situation. Instead, he often rummaged through the trash cans in the academy district to find discarded workbooks.

His family was poor, but he was naturally intelligent, giving him a head start. After passing the high school graduation exam, he was accepted into medical school at the young age of 17.

During his college years, his cruciate ligament was torn in a traffic accident caused by a drunk driver. He was more grateful for the opportunity to be exempted from military service and have more time to focus on his medical career than concerned about the pain.

In medical school, where many students came from wealthy families, Tae-kyung felt like an outsider.

Unfortunately, a large-scale administrative corruption scandal broke out at the university the year Tae-kyung entered, and the scholarship system was suspended. As a result, he accumulated hundreds of millions of won in student loan debt. Even going to the pubs that his classmates frequented was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

He had no influential background or inherited wealth, so he could only rely on himself. He not only studied relentlessly but also dedicated himself to honing his surgical skills to become the best.

Even when his classmates were reluctant to enter the operating room to study for exams, he volunteered.

In addition, he saved money on living expenses and devoted himself to suture practice, using meat he bought for the purpose. As a result, Tae-kyung became ambidextrous, able to use both hands with equal skill.

He earned three specialist board certifications (licenses), something he vowed never to do again if he had the choice. It was a testament to his ambition as a doctor.

The reason why he, an ordinary medical school graduate, ended up at Shinhwa University Hospital, known for having the best surgeons in Korea, was thanks to his skills, honed through relentless hard work.

Shinhwa University Hospital was notoriously difficult to get into unless you were an alumnus. He knocked on the door, believing in his skills and determination alone.

‘Kim Tae-kyung? Your hands are very skillful.’

Professor Lee hired him after a resident interview, impressed by his existing double board certifications.

‘I’ll help you, so work hard.’

‘Thank you. I will do my best.’

Professor Lee, recognizing his exceptional surgical talent, offered Tae-kyung a professorship and promised to support his career. Other departments also made offers, but he trusted and followed Professor Lee in surgery, grateful for the opportunity and eager to establish himself as a surgeon.

He worked tirelessly toward his goal, even harder than others.

The other residents in the hospital were gradually promoted to assistant professor and associate professor, but Tae-kyung remained a fellow.

Despite his skills, Tae-kyung, lacking connections, was repeatedly passed over for the assistant professor position. No matter how good he was, connections and money always came first.

‘Mr. Kim, you’re going to have to leave the hospital. What can I do? It’s the director’s decision.’

In the end, he failed to secure the coveted professor position and was forced to leave the hospital.

He had been deliberately suppressing his sadness, but now, cancer… Moreover, gallbladder cancer, which was virtually untreatable.

He couldn’t believe this absurd situation. He felt dazed, as if his body was sinking into an endless abyss, with needles stabbing at his nerves.

“This can’t be happening…….”

Above his face, filled with despair and emptiness, his heavy lips opened powerlessly.

Tae-kyung couldn’t comprehend the moment that had befallen him.

He had never resented his mother for their lack of money, nor had he hated his brother for causing trouble.

“Why me of all people?”

He had never hated others or harmed anyone.

He had simply lived like a fool, focused on his goals. He gritted his teeth and dedicated himself to studying, believing he could create his own success, fame, and skills.

But the result was cancer, a cruel twist of fate he never imagined would come back to haunt him.

“No way……. No way. Ha!”

Today, Tae-kyung, who had saved a patient’s life with all his might, was sentenced to death.

Moreover, a miserable death with no chance of survival.