Chapter 9

Although he was very anxious, the middle-aged man still maintained the necessary calm and politeness, and said courteously, "Doctor Luo, I'm really sorry to disturb your vacation."

In comparison, his wife was not so calm. She threw aside the wet towel, took two steps forward, and tightly held Lin Yang's hand, pleading with a voice tinged with sobs, "Doctor Luo, please, you must cure our Xiaoxi! She is my only daughter. If anything happens to her, I don't want to live either..."

Although this was the first time Lin Yang encountered such a situation, he remained very calm and comforted her gently, "Don't worry, I will do my best to treat your daughter."

The middle-aged man walked over, embraced his wife, and patted her back, consoling her, "That's enough, stop crying. Don't affect Doctor Luo's examination and treatment of Xiaoxi."

These words were more effective than anything else. The middle-aged woman immediately stopped sobbing and looked at Lin Yang with eager eyes, hoping he could really cure her daughter.

Lin Yang did not waste any more time and walked briskly to the bedside.

However, when he saw the patient clearly, he couldn't help but be startled, "Wen Xiaoxi?!"

The person lying on the bed, unconscious, was none other than his high school classmate Wen Xiaoxi, whom he had seen just the evening before.

No wonder he found the middle-aged couple familiar; they were Wen Xiaoxi's parents.

At this moment, Wen Xiaoxi was nothing like the gentle and beautiful girl she had been the evening before. She looked very frightening and terrifying—her body was covered in blood, and blood was continuously oozing from her pores.

The sheets and blankets on the bed had long been stained red with blood.

This terrifying sight was not much better than the condition of Lu Wenqi, who had been covered in blood and injured all over the night before.

"Doctor Luo, do you know my daughter?" Wen Xiaoxi's father was puzzled.

"I don't know her," Lin Yang realized he had misspoken and quickly corrected himself, "I saw the patient's name in the medical records. I was just trying to confirm it."

His current identity was that of the chief physician of the hematology department, Luo Yuanqing, and he couldn't let anyone see through his disguise.

Wen Xiaoxi's father didn't say anything more. Although he was somewhat suspicious of Lin Yang's answer, he knew this wasn't the time to delve into the matter.

Lin Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and began to examine Wen Xiaoxi's condition.

He didn't know what to expect, but what he saw was shocking.

In addition to the blood oozing from all her pores, Wen Xiaoxi's body temperature had soared to forty degrees, and her skin was scorching hot. Although she was unconscious, her brows were furrowed, and her expression was one of pain. Clearly, the blood sweat syndrome was causing her immense suffering!

Wen Xiaoxi's condition left Lin Yang very surprised, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "How could this be?"

This question was directed at Chen Shiwen.

However, Wen Xiaoxi's parents didn't know that there was a ghost in the room besides the four of them, so they thought Lin Yang was asking them and quickly replied, "We don't know why Xiaoxi has become like this. Last night, we received a call from her roommate, saying she had suddenly fallen seriously ill and was bleeding from all over. We rushed here from Jiuzhaigou..."

It turned out that after sending their daughter to Huaxi University in Jinguancheng, Wen Xiaoxi's parents had planned to travel around the area before returning home. Fortunately, they did, or they would still be on their way to Jinguancheng from their hometown.

As Wen Xiaoxi's parents answered, Chen Shiwen also explained Wen Xiaoxi's condition to Lin Yang, "The red fluid oozing from the patient's pores is not blood but sweat—blood sweat."

"Blood sweat?" Lin Yang's face showed a hint of surprise.

He had only heard of the legendary blood-sweating horses, but he didn't know that humans could also produce blood sweat.

"Blood sweat?" Wen Xiaoxi's parents had sharp ears and heard Lin Yang's whispered words. They quickly asked, "Doctor Luo, do you mean that the fluid coming from our Xiaoxi is not blood but sweat? But how can sweat be blood-red? And the doctors last night collected this fluid for testing, and the results showed it contained hemoglobin and other substances. If it's sweat, how could these substances be present?"

Wen Xiaoxi's parents were not knowledgeable about medicine, but their questions were based on the discussions they had overheard during the joint consultation of the hematology department and other departments.

In fact, the doctors were divided on whether the fluid coming from Wen Xiaoxi was blood or something else, and they had yet to reach a consensus.

If it were blood, according to the continuous outflow of this fluid from Wen Xiaoxi's body, she should have already shown symptoms of severe blood loss, such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, shortness of breath, and palpitations, and might even have been in danger of losing her life due to excessive blood loss.

However, Wen Xiaoxi was only unconscious, had a high fever, occasional convulsions, and a gradual decline in bodily functions, but none of the complications associated with severe blood loss.

This situation was both perplexing and hard to believe.

But if it weren't blood, the tests clearly showed the presence of hemoglobin and other substances.

This rare and complex condition was indeed uncommon, and it was no wonder the doctors in the hematology department were at a loss and unable to come up with an effective treatment plan.

Lin Yang explained, "Blood sweat syndrome is a very rare condition. Only in the 2004 issue of the Chinese Journal of Hematology was a case mentioned. To date, the cause and mechanism of the disease are still uncertain, and there is no effective treatment plan. According to the theory that blood and sweat have the same origin, both are derived from the essence of the spleen and stomach. Therefore, the appearance of blood sweat syndrome is likely related to a disorder in the spleen and stomach's function of transforming and transporting essence..."

"Since it's blood sweat and not blood, is Xiaoxi's condition not as serious?" Wen Xiaoxi's parents asked urgently.

"Although blood sweat is not blood, it is still a form of essence. If it is lost in large quantities, it can still be life-threatening! Based on Wen Xiaoxi's current condition, it is not optimistic at all. We must quickly stop the loss of blood sweat and restore it to normal sweat. Otherwise, in about five to six hours, she will die due to the depletion of her essence, the lack of nourishment to her organs, and the complete failure of her physiological functions!"

These words were spoken by Chen Shiwen. However, Chen Shiwen's explanation was more professional, even delving into the theories of the origin of blood and sweat and the mutual generation of body fluids and blood in traditional Chinese medicine. But these professional explanations would be beyond the understanding of Wen Xiaoxi's parents, so Lin Yang simplified his response.

Even after hearing the explanation, Wen Xiaoxi's parents were only half-understanding.

However, they were not concerned with the principles of blood sweat syndrome. They only asked, "Doctor Luo, since you can diagnose Xiaoxi with blood sweat syndrome, you must have a way to cure her, right? Tell us, how do we treat this strange disease?"

Lin Yang also wanted to ask how to treat this strange blood sweat syndrome, but with Wen Xiaoxi's parents present, it was difficult to speak openly.

I need to get them out of here first; otherwise, I won't be able to communicate with Mr. Chen.

With this in mind, Lin Yang immediately said, "I have a treatment plan in mind. However, before treating Wen Xiaoxi, I have a small request."

"What request?" Wen Xiaoxi's parents asked urgently.

At this moment, as long as it could cure Wen Xiaoxi's blood sweat syndrome, they would even agree to sell their souls to the devil without hesitation.

This is the greatness of a parent's love!

Lin Yang said, "My request is simple. I need you two to wait outside the ward and not come in until I have finished treating Wen Xiaoxi. No one else should be allowed in either. Treating Wen Xiaoxi's blood sweat syndrome requires full concentration. Any disturbance could lead to unpredictable results!"

His words were not an exaggeration.

Chen Shiwen had already told him that treating Wen Xiaoxi's blood sweat syndrome was not easy, especially for a clinical novice like him, with a high degree of difficulty.

"This..." Wen Xiaoxi's parents were hesitant because they wanted to stay and see the treatment process. However, for the sake of their daughter's treatment, they ultimately agreed to Lin Yang's request and left the intensive care unit, waiting anxiously outside.

In the intensive care unit, only Lin Yang and the unconscious Wen Xiaoxi remained, along with the ghost Chen Shiwen floating nearby.

With no one to hinder him, Lin Yang could finally ask his questions. However, he still spoke in a low voice, afraid of being heard by those outside the ward, "Mr. Chen, do you have a way to cure Wen Xiaoxi? How should we treat her?"

"Blood and sweat have the same origin. The key to blood sweat syndrome is the dysfunction of the spleen and stomach in transforming and transporting essence. Based on the patient's clinical symptoms, it appears that pathogenic heat is obstructing the spleen and stomach, affecting the circulation of qi and blood. Therefore, the fundamental treatment is to restore the normal function of the spleen and stomach. However, before that, we need to do something—expel the pathogenic factors, strengthen the surface, and harmonize the qi and blood to reduce the body temperature and stop the loss of blood sweat!"

Chen Shiwen, a renowned doctor in the industry, clearly and concisely explained the extremely rare and complex condition of blood sweat syndrome. Even a beginner in traditional Chinese medicine like Lin Yang could understand it, and he felt a sense of enlightenment.

After a brief explanation, Chen Shiwen got to the point, "In the doctor's office, I asked you to get the silver needles. Take them out now and prepare to perform acupuncture on the patient."

"Yes." Lin Yang took the silver needles from his white coat pocket and placed them on the cabinet beside the bed. He then took out the sterilization equipment from the intensive care unit and poured the silver needles into a sterilized stainless steel box, disinfecting each one with alcohol swabs.

During this process, Chen Shiwen suddenly remembered something important and asked, "By the way, do you know how to perform acupuncture?"

"I know some basic techniques," Lin Yang replied. He had previously studied the basics of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and although he didn't know the advanced techniques, he had practiced the basic ones.

"The basic techniques will suffice," Chen Shiwen was relieved, "Just follow my instructions."

Lin Yang nodded and continued to disinfect the silver needles, using the opportunity to adjust his state and calm his nervousness.

After all, this was his first time treating a patient in a clinical setting, and it was a high-difficulty and complex condition like blood sweat syndrome. Although he had the guidance of a renowned doctor like Chen Shiwen, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

After disinfecting the last silver needle, Lin Yang adjusted to his best state. He exhaled a deep breath and said in a steady voice, "Let's begin!"

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