The Enhanced Doctor

"Dr. Liu, is there really no other way?" Old He still didn't want to give up.

"If we could cure it, we wouldn't brush it aside. The pathogenesis of this disease is still a question being studied worldwide. Our child is a bit better off; her body has reached a certain metabolic balance," Liu Banxia said after a moment's thought.

"If we intervene now, we'd disrupt that balance. If we decrease urination, we'd need to control water intake. And if medication is used to reduce it, it would have to be an abrupt reduction."

"Of course, further tests are still needed. I'm telling you this now, firstly because Brother Qiu brought you, and secondly, to help you prepare mentally."

Old He nodded. Liu Banxia had made things clear enough, but he found it incredibly hard to accept. His daughter was still so young; her life was just beginning.

"Dr. Liu, let me take them to our Neurology Department for now. We need to carry out detailed tests regardless," Miao Yuqiang said.

"Thank you for your trouble, Director Miao." After Liu Banxia finished speaking, he waved at Qiu Mingyuan, who was snacking nearby.

Miao Yuqiang nodded and then left with Old He and his daughter.

He had formed a very good impression of Liu Banxia. After all, not just anyone could make a single phone call and have a director-level figure come for a consultation. Although the Second Affiliated Hospital wasn't a nationally renowned major hospital, becoming a genuine director, especially of these large departments, was no ordinary feat. The reason he had come so promptly today was also to assess Liu Banxia. He had heard his name many times. Once the Emergency Department was fully operational, although doctors from the Neurology Department would be assigned there, consultations would still be required for complex cases. He needed to first judge if Liu Banxia's skills were adequate. Otherwise, if he was constantly called for consultations, how would he manage all his other work?

With today's patient, Liu Banxia had passed the test. Whether it was a lucky guess or a flash of brilliance, his approach—from the relevant examinations during admission to the final diagnosis and proposed management—was impeccable.

Actually, this was a very common principle: conscientious people like them also greatly valued talent.

"Poor Old He," Qiu Huaili sighed from the side. "He's in for a tough time ahead."

"It's a harsh fate when illness seeks you out, but in a way, they're still fortunate. Langerhans cell histiocytosis has many complications that can damage organs. At least the child is currently stable, and the condition is tending to stabilize," Liu Banxia said.

"Although this disease can't be cured, it can be managed to some extent. This can somewhat improve her quality of life without having too great an impact on her future."

"However, this disease is still under research. The current outcome is already the best they could hope for. Fortunately, even when thirsty, she only drinks water. If she were like Ming Yuan, drinking sugary beverages, that would be truly agonizing."

"Although their conditions are different, the underlying principle is similar: they both excrete dilute urine. It's just that the child's body retains sodium ions, while Ming Yuan's body has more fructose."

"Brother, then... is it dangerous to keep urinating a lot after drinking beer?" Qiu Huaili asked, somewhat worried.

"Haha, don't worry about that; it's a normal phenomenon. But you should still drink less alcohol, especially at your age. There's no need to risk your health just for show," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.

"Especially nowadays, people love drinking competitions. It's as if the drinking isn't 'proper' unless someone is drunk under the table. It harms themselves and others, and only the restaurants benefit. I really don't know what they hope to gain."

"Sigh, now I truly understand the benefit of having a doctor friend. We make so many mistakes in our daily lives, unknowingly harming our bodies. I really need to be more careful in the future," Qiu Huaili said with emotion.

"Actually, moderation is key in everything. Once you exceed your body's limits, anything can be harmful," Liu Banxia said.

"I occasionally have a drink myself, and I eat barbecue too. When I have breakfast at the canteen, I also eat a few pieces of salted radish. Just don't overdo it."

"By the way, Lawyer Gao has already helped me settle that lawsuit. Next time I have a day off, I'll treat you, Lawyer Gao, and Director Jiang from our Proctology Department to lunch. You have to give me face and come."

"Now you're making it sound like I wouldn't show up! You set the time; with one call from you, I'll be there no matter how busy I am," Qiu Huaili said.

"I won't disturb your work any longer. I'll have Ming Yuan take me to find Old He. We'll see them home later. They'll need some comforting too; it's not easy for any family to go through something like this."

"Alright, Brother Qiu, take care," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Teacher Liu, Teacher Liu, how did you figure it out so quickly?" Xu Yino asked excitedly after Qiu Huaili had left.

"At first, I also thought it was diabetes insipidus. But later, when Old He mentioned there was also some issue with her teeth, I gave it more thought," Liu Banxia said.

"This rare disease isn't common. It's the first actual case I've seen; I'd only read about it in books before. I hope a proper cure can be found in the future. This disease... it really causes a lot of suffering."

"Teacher Liu, does this mean we haven't read enough books?" Xu Yino asked with a dejected expression.

"There are countless diseases, and new ones can emerge every year. Just try to read as much as you can," Liu Banxia said.

"Remember the patient with trichinosis last time? We didn't figure that out right away either. Sometimes, luck plays a part. Common diseases have obvious manifestations, making them easy for us to diagnose. But rare and complex diseases like this require more effort and thought."

"It's like I always say: patients' descriptions often have omissions. It's not that they do it intentionally, but rather because they don't realize those details are symptoms."

"This child today was very quiet. If Old He hadn't mentioned the teeth, I wouldn't have thought to check them. Reaching a definitive diagnosis might have involved more detours."

"Don't envy me because of this. This is a rare disease; it's not common. You can't spend all your limited time on such cases. You need to focus your efforts on common diseases; that's how you can help more people."

The interns nodded, humbly accepting Liu Banxia's guidance.

Liu Banxia didn't act particularly smug about diagnosing this disease. While it was genuinely rare, there had been some documented cases over the years.

This particular case was one of chronic onset; otherwise, the incidence is typically higher in children aged one to four.

As he said, even if one understood such rare diseases, their practical significance wasn't exceptionally large, other than providing some medical experience.

In the future, encountering similar symptoms would serve as a reminder not to simply treat it as diabetes insipidus, because doing so would be like pushing the patient towards death's door.

If you spent all your valuable time on cases like these, the losses would outweigh the gains; it would be a waste of time. Such cases are only worth exploring in spare moments or when conducting specialized research.

With the surgeons becoming more self-sufficient, the Emergency Department was now quite relaxed.

Ordinary trauma patients could be handled easily. Only when patients requiring emergency resuscitation arrived did official doctors like Liu Banxia need to intervene.

You could say it was a case of the experienced delegating to the less experienced, or simply giving these interns more opportunities to practice. Either way you framed it, it was beneficial. At the very least, their debridement skills had improved significantly, and they had more hands-on opportunities than interns in other departments.

A little over an hour later, Liu Banxia received a message from Peng Bo, the attending physician in the Neurology Department. Old He's daughter's diagnosis was confirmed: Hand-Schüller-Christian syndrome.

DING!

Patient consultation completed.

Received 400 experience points, 200 proficiency points for Diagnostics.

This consultation was rated: Perfect. Received 400 experience points, 200 proficiency points for Diagnostics, 5 Glory Points.

Looking at the system rewards, Liu Banxia pinched his chin. It seemed his estimation was slightly off. He had originally expected the proficiency points for Diagnostics to be over 500 and the Glory Points to reach 10.

But that wasn't how it turned out.

The main reason Tang Feifei's treatment yielded more rewards was because repositioning a deviated nasal septum was relatively complex, and his own proficiency in bone-setting was quite low.

This time, although Old He's daughter had a rare disease, the symptoms were quite distinct. If it hadn't been rare, the reward would probably have been only a few dozen or a hundred points.

The system hadn't truly become generous; it was more like a pseudo-tycoon. If he wanted to reap rewards and level up, he still had to keep grinding away.

However, he could see a slight change: his chances of getting Flawless and Perfect ratings for tasks had indeed increased. Previously, many tasks were just completed without any rating, or many were only rated as Flawless.

He stretched widely and poured himself a glass of water. Daydreaming is useless, he thought. I still need to be down-to-earth and keep working.

"What are you thinking about?" Shi Lei asked, approaching him.

"Thinking about how to make more money, improve my skills, and do more surgeries," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.

"I thought you were going to say something more noble," Shi Lei chuckled.

"That's my honest thought. I'm just an ordinary guy," Liu Banxia shrugged.

"When I finally have a house and a car, and I don't have to check my bank balance for daily expenses, then I can talk about dedication and things like that. Right now, I'm just struggling to get by. Who am I supposed to be dedicated to?"

"Even if you reach what's currently a satisfactory living standard—house, car, wife, and kids—all of that together would cost around four million, right?"

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Shi Lei asked with a wry smile.

"Why wouldn't it be? Marriage requires a bride price. Living expenses add up, and raising a child is like a money pit. You keep at it; you already have your startup capital. I don't even have that, so it's tough going for me," Liu Banxia said.

Hearing his complaints, the people nearby nodded in agreement. It really was the case. And that was without buying too large or too fancy a house; otherwise, one property alone could cost several million.