"Do you know what kind of anesthesia the patient will have?"
"General anesthesia?"
"No, many gynecological surgeries donât require general anesthesia, just epidural anesthesia, similar to a C-section. The patient is awake."
"Isnât it scary to be awake, knowing the doctor is cutting into your stomach?"
"Have you ever seen a woman give birth? Like I said, itâs the same as giving birth."
"Can it really be the same? This is about removing an organ, wonât knowing this make them cry?"
Zhang Shuping made a valid point.
This isnât like giving birth, where after the baby is born, the organs are still intact; this is about removing something from the body.
Du Mengen didnât completely disagree with what he was saying and said, "Yes, many female patients think that after removing the Uterus, theyâre no longer women and canât accept it, crying in front of my dad. My dad has to repeatedly assure them thatâs not the case. So, people who donât study medicine donât understand what makes a woman or a man."
Listen to that tone, medical students can be quite condescending.
Doctor Zuoliang glanced back at the two rookies: Arenât you afraid of messing up with that arrogant tone? Have you figured out how you yourself are a man or a woman?
At Du Mengenâs age, a young guy, heâs probably never been in love. Whether a man is truly considered a man, by traditional standards, is judged by starting a family and establishing a career. Not to mention that, you should at least know what love is about.
Wrong. Having known Du Mengen for years, Zhang Shuping knew the insider story and said, "He already had a girlfriend in high school."
What!
The group of seniors widened their eyes: None of them had a girlfriend, and this kid actually got ahead of them?
Du Mengen reached out to cover Zhang Shupingâs mouth, shaking his head to deny it, "Donât listen to his nonsense, we were just ordinary friends."
Everyone held great skepticism towards his words, just watching as Zhang Shuping, whose mouth was covered, seemed to have more to reveal.
Du Mengen glared "hateful" at Zhang Shuping, shifting everyoneâs attention back to the original topic by saying, "Actually, when a woman reaches a certain age, after having children, reproductive system organs like the Uterus and ovaries arenât much of use. For the sake of overall health, they can be removed."
In treating diseases, for both patients and doctors, sometimes they have to consider the overall pros and cons, and sacrifice certain body organs.
"Itâs okay if they cry a bit; once they finish crying, thereâs nothing much left." Du Mengen, sounding like a seasoned doctor with vast experience, continued to pontificate, "When youâre sick, you have to face reality. In medicine, thereâs a psychological process from denial to acceptance."
What the classmate said wasnât wrong. However, Zhang Shuping found Du Mengenâs words cold, furrowing his brow.
Both being children of doctors, but perhaps due to personal experiences and growth environments differing, these two kids have quite different personalities and values in all aspects. Zhang Shuping is more sentimental, while Du Mengen speaks more rationally and appears colder.
Leading the students on, Doctor Zuoliang was too busy to care about the medical studentsâ idle chatter, until Du Mengen suddenly mentioned the following.
"Compared to what youâve mentioned, my dad is always most concerned about the anesthesiologist."
"Why?" Zhang Shuping asked curiously.
"My dad doesnât accept red envelopes from patients, but others do. My dadâs patients assume nobody accepts them, and those patients didnât give red envelopes to the anesthesiologist. In the middle of the surgery, youâll see what happensâ" Receiving a backward glare from Doctor Zuoliang, Du Mengen abruptly shut his mouth.