This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Chronic nephritis for three years?

Du Heng suddenly felt his eyelids twitch.

Pursing his lips, he said, ”Director Niu, does the Patient have chronic nephritis?”

Director Niu showed no embarrassment and nodded, saying, ”Yes, the Patient is a Girl from a dance troupe. She came to the Hospital for a Check-up three years ago due to hematuria. At that time, she was diagnosed with chronic pyelonephritis and prescribed symptomatic medicine. However, her job in the troupe involves high training intensity, and as she’s the main performer in her workplace, her performance schedule is also quite demanding. So, whenever she works continuously and becomes seriously overworked, her condition recurs. In these three years, she has come here three or four times a Year but could never be completely cured.”

Director Niu paused slightly, his expression turning serious. ”In these three years, when the Girl went to perform in other places, she also consulted other Doctors. Even when performing abroad, she sought advice from the best local Doctors. However, the effect was mediocre. Moreover, due to taking too many different medicines, the intervals between her episodes became increasingly shorter.”

Director Niu sighed and then said, ”When she came at the end of last Year, I also asked Professor Lan to see her.”

Du Heng’s eyes brightened, and he asked hurriedly, ”Oh, what did Professor Lan say?”

”Wait a moment, let me find it for you.” Saying that, he turned and typed the Patient’s name into the computer, then began searching for previous medical records.

After several tens of seconds, Director Niu spoke up. ”Found it. At that time, Professor Lan diagnosed her with cold evil invading the kidney, causing kidney yang deficiency. The prescription he provided was sojutsu var, poria, aconite, Ginseng...”

Du Heng quickly compared this in his mind. According to the diagnosis of cold evil invading the kidney and kidney yang deficiency, the prescription itself was appropriate. Moreover, Lan Changhua’s addition of aconite to this prescription could be considered a masterstroke. However, it was clear that the Patient had returned, and with the same diagnosis, which meant Lan Changhua’s diagnosis and Treatment must have been wrong.

Just as Du Heng figured this out, Director Niu put down the mouse and turned to him. ”When the Patient first started taking the medicine, there did seem to be some effect. But after taking it for a while, she developed painful and itchy red bumps, about the size of her thumb, all over her body. At the time, she happened to have a performance out of town and couldn’t find time for a Check-up, so she decisively stopped the medicine. The red rash subsided after about two days. Since then, she has never taken Chinese herbal medicine again.”

Du Heng felt a headache coming on.

Chronic nephritis... how to describe this disease? When it flares up, it’s incredibly torturous—the kind of agony that could drive someone mad. However, once diagnosed, it’s usually relatively easy to treat. The problem with this disease, though, is that its manifestations vary due to individual differences. A patient might feel unwell during a flare-up, only to recover on their own after a day or two, or perhaps three or four days. Then, after some time, it relapses—a recurring cycle. As a result, patients might unconsciously ignore it, or they might lead Doctors toward an incorrect diagnosis. Once this happens, any behavior that damages the Patient’s kidneys could suddenly worsen the condition, eventually leading to renal failure. And this type of renal failure, developing from chronic nephritis, is fundamentally different from the renal failure caused by the acute kidney injury Ding Yuxue’s son had. In simple terms, one can be treated, the other cannot. Another characteristic is that some cases of chronic nephritis, even if diagnosed, cannot be cured with current medical methods and drugs. This is a very painful situation because you can only watch helplessly as the Patient suffers and their life enters a countdown, powerless to do anything.

And now, according to Director Niu, this female Patient seemed to embody all these difficulties. Not only did she have an incurable chronic nephritis, but she also had a sudden urinary tract Infection. One careless move, and she could genuinely be heading towards renal failure.

Du Heng frowned. Director Niu, also aware of how problematic this Patient was and perhaps feeling a sense of guilt, reiterated the details on the paper for Du Heng.

”Yesterday, just before I finished work, the Patient came to me again due to an acute urinary tract Infection,” Director Niu said slowly, looking at Du Heng. ”According to her, since yesterday morning, she had to go to the toilet every one or two minutes, but only produced a drop or two each time. Also, when she urinates, she experiences a burning Pain at the urethral opening.”

Du Heng closed the medical record.

The information in it was only a reference for him; he needed more details on other aspects. ”What other symptoms did she experience?”

”Low fever, irritability, constant thirst, and blood in the urine.” Director Niu frowned slightly and continued, ”Oh right, she hasn’t had a bowel movement for three days—no, counting today, it’s been four days.”

”Wasn’t the urinary tract Infection treated yesterday?”

Director Niu’s expression suddenly soured, but he still said softly, ”It was treated. She was given medication as soon as she was admitted to the Hospital. However, when I did the ward round this morning, I found her problem with dribbling urine hadn’t resolved. Furthermore, she was experiencing lower abdominal Pain and an increasingly urgent need to urinate.”

Du Heng was a bit surprised. ”No effect at all?”