A Visit to the Hospital
While Ou Ye was studying mathematical problems, Shen Qi visited Yanjing University People's Hospital.
Whether it's a weekday or a holiday, top-tier hospitals are always busy places. Doctors are busy, and patients are busy too.
Shen Qi's friend, Professor Qu of the Yanjing University School of Medicine, focuses on the research of anemia. Professor Qu and several students are conducting research on a drug for a rare type of anemia.
R-type Anemia is a rare disease, Professor Qu's research group selected only fourteen patients for the clinical trial.
These patients received subcutaneous injections and oral medication, with each course of treatment lasting four weeks.
Shen Qi noticed that all fourteen patients with R-type Anemia were thin, pale, and listless, with the oldest being 66 years old and the youngest only 16 years old.
The oral medication taken by the patient is a capsule, which is sold by the international pharmaceutical giant GLK.
This capsule is already on the market; this is the medicine Ou Ye is taking. It's incredibly expensive, but thankfully it's covered by medical insurance.
Professor Qu's research group is studying the mechanism of this capsule produced by GLK in treating R-type Anemia. They have completed the third course of treatment on these 14 patients.
"Old Qu, how are you?" Shen Qi asked with concern.
"There's been some progress." Professor Qu handed Shen Qi a document and said, "Wait for me a moment, you can also talk to the patient. I'm going to wash my hands."
Shen Qi took the document. "Go."
It is essential for doctors to wash their hands, both to protect themselves and to protect their patients.
Professor Qu is a medical expert who mainly conducts scientific research; he hasn't performed surgeries for a long time.
But people who study medicine have a habit of washing their hands constantly. The backs of a doctor's hands are almost hairless; they've washed them all bald.
While reviewing documents in Professor Qu's office, Shen Qi realized that Professor Qu's earlier statement about "some progress" was only partially true. Professor Shen Qi's research group had made progress in studying the mechanism of the capsule produced by GLK, but the true cause of R-type Anemia was still under investigation.
While the symptoms of R-type Anemia are mostly similar, the causes are varied, including gene mutations, drug-induced anemia, immune diseases, and so on.
It is now certain that R-type Anemia is not a congenital genetic disease, and it is very different from Thalassemia and Fanconi anemia.
Developing a drug involves first identifying the target, followed by compound synthesis, pharmacokinetic analysis, and subsequent clinical trials.
Ou Ye suffers from this R-type Anemia, and Shen Qi has already figured out the cause of her illness.
Ou Ye was fortunate that her immune disease caused her to develop R-type Anemia during its course.
Fortunately, Ou Ye did not have a gene mutation, while diseases caused by gene mutations can be inherited by offspring.
Shen Qi quickly reviewed the data records of 14 patients over three courses of treatment. The data showed that GLK's R-type Anemia capsules were effective and could be considered the best R-type Anemia drug in the world.
The word "best" should be in quotation marks. "Best" is relative; this capsule can only relieve symptoms, not cure the condition.
Shen Qi is the most qualified person to speak on this matter. His wife has been taking this imported drug for many years. It neither kills her nor cures her illness. Living is painful, but she doesn't dare to die.
But we should not give up hope; at least Shen Qi did not.
Shen Qi put on his white coat, left the office, and went to the ward.
The data shows that the cause of illness in the patient in bed two is somewhat similar to that of Ou Ye.
The patient in the second bed was a 47-year-old man who owned a pig farm and raised several hundred free-range pigs. These free-range pigs were not penned but grazed.
Free-range pigs naturally have better meat quality and are more expensive than penned pigs. This pig farm owner was once very successful; he held a long whip, commanded his pig herds, and roamed the fields, becoming incredibly wealthy.
Since being diagnosed with R-type Anemia, this free-range pig farmer has suffered physically and mentally. The once burly man, weighing over 200 pounds, now weighs less than 100 pounds. It's hard to imagine what he has been through.
Shen Qi, his white coat pockets shoved with pens, put on a pair of non-prescription black-rimmed glasses, and walked to the boss's bedside with a folder in hand. His confident and professional demeanor made him look every bit the attending physician. "Zhang Dahu, after three courses of treatment, the proliferation and differentiation of your T and B lymphocytes have improved, and cytokines and immune molecules have been stimulated to some extent. In other words, your condition is under control, which is good news. How have you been feeling these past few days?"
The vast majority of patients cannot understand the medical terminology used by doctors, nor can they read the words they write.
That's not important. What's important is that the doctor said you can still be saved, and that's good news.
Zhang Dahu looked at Shen Qi with suspicion. "Where's Dr. Qu? You're new here, right? No, you're not an intern, which doctor are you?"
"My surname is Shen. I have a doctorate and I am Professor Qu's assistant," Shen Qi introduced himself.
"Hello, Dr. Shen." Zhang Dahu forced a smile; he didn't recognize Shen Qi, who was wearing glasses.
"Oh, my illness, injections and medicine aren't working anymore, I need a blood transfusion! But you won't let me, saying that blood transfusions aren't allowed during the treatment course. Dr. Shen, what are you talking about cells and molecules? I don't understand any of it. I'm just a pig farmer, a roughneck. You ask me how I'm feeling lately? No, very bad, extremely bad! I need a blood transfusion!" Patient Zhang Dahu suddenly became agitated as he spoke, his originally pale face turning a sickly red.
Shen Qi wrote some notes on the record sheet, then patiently advised, "It's best to treat your illness with oral and injectable medications. Please trust our professionalism."
Zhang Dahu was extremely weak. He looked very tired after his excitement and said weakly, "Actually, I'm still very grateful to you. Before coming to your hospital, I couldn't even get out of bed. Now, at least I can walk around the hospital. I just can't understand how a grown man like me could get anemia? And rare anemia at that."
"Your Immune System has some issues, which you may not have noticed due to your busy work schedule. Immune System disorders have a certain chance of causing R-type Anemia during their course, which is the main reason you have this rare disease. In short, I hope you actively cooperate with the treatment. New targeted drugs are also under development, and there is a good chance that R-type Anemia can be completely cured, and that hope will arrive soon."
"Dr. Shen, I trust you, I trust Yanjing University People's Hospital. But I really want to be discharged. My wife doesn't know how to raise pigs. I feel anxious and empty when I can't see my pigs."
"Old Zhang, I understand your ambition, but given your current health condition, you'll need to rest at home even after being discharged. So, as I said before, actively cooperate with our full course of treatment; health is the foundation of everything else."