Chapter 199 The first cardiothoracic surgery
Tian Yuan's parents declined to come live with them despite repeated requests. Pan Lei was deeply disappointed. "Mom and Dad, you must phone me if you need anything," he kept urging until they boarded the plane. "If you are weary or sick, you must come live with us. The house is ready to move into as soon as we finish the furnishings. I won't have to worry about Tian'er if you're there helping me care for him."
The more Mother Tian and Father Tian heard this rhetoric, the more they realized it sounded wrong. Tian Yuan was their own son, but they, his parents, were being asked by the other side to look after him. How ironic!
They saw how loving the young couple was and how good their bond was, and they saw how the young man was also incredibly good and true to their son, and they let it be.
Their hands would always be clasped when the two of them stood together. They'd be holding hands the entire time they walked. When there were a lot of people around, Pan Lei would undoubtedly stretch his arms and embrace Tian Yuan to protect him. That kind of care, that kind of cherishing, came naturally to him. They weren't bothered by anyone's attention and were deeply in love. They were thrilled as parents, but they also felt a sense of loss when they witnessed this.
Sigh. Why isn't he a girl? No, if he had been a girl, it would have been their son who would have been exhausted. Their son would not be pampered in this manner.
Wasn't the current scenario also quite satisfactory? So be it.
Parents are partial to their own children. Although they felt a little odd witnessing their son being cared for and loved as if he were a treasure, they believed it was not a bad thing. "Look at the young son of our neighbor's family," Mother Tian would say whenever the subject came up. "He holds their daughter-in-law like candy in his mouth*. They're becoming old, but the daughter-in-law is coquettish, and the son isn't taking his parents to live with them even if they're seventy. He isn't as good as our kids. Take a look at our son. We definitely get more attention from him than they get from that daughter-in-law. Leizi is also filial, and he has repeatedly requested that we live with them. It's a blessing that our son hasn't suffered a loss." {T/n: Treats her as if she were a fragile flower.}
"Your son is being cared for like an ancestor, which is better than anyone else," Father Tian replied simply.
This was a fact that was plain to see. Everyone had sharp eyes and saw it clearly.
Pan Lei was a good man. Tian Yuan didn't need to do anything by himself as long as he was at home. When Tian Yuan returned to China, Pan Lei told Dang Hong that there was no need to refurbish the new house because Tian Yuan wanted to concentrate on his studies. Pan Lei also told Dang Hong to get Tian Yuan to an operating table as soon as possible. He joked that Tian Yuan hadn't operated in so long that his fingers were itchy.
"My son-in-law is such a good child," Dang Hong said happily.
Tian Yuan was on the scene to see the procedure when Dang Hong did it, and he gained far more training than the others. He had already begun to assist Dang Hong when he did the procedure now. After all, he used to be a superb surgeon. It is said that if you grasp the essential point, everything else will fall into place. Laymen believe heart surgery is difficult, which it is, but Tian Yuan had an excellent professor to guide him, and his mother-in-law went above and beyond to train him, which was supplemented by his own efforts. He was now capable of doing simple heart procedures on his own.
Dang Hong would tell him to pay more attention to a certain section if necessary, as she watched from the side. It is a matter of course to become an expert when theory is combined with practice.
Tian Yuan had spent a long time preparing for this operation. He was performing a heart procedure for the first time. Lin Mu came over to cheer him on, while Dang Hong stood by his side to guide him. There were many people watching, so much so that the head nurse personally assisted the hand scrubbing nurses. They were all there to see his first cardiothoracic operation.
Don't be nervous. You must be steady, fast, accurate, and ruthless, as if you were killing people…bah! No, this is surgery, not murder.
Pan Lei waited outside. He sat outside with the patient's family and waited. To congratulate his husband, he also prepared a bouquet of roses for him.
The operation was not carried out very smoothly. After all, it was his first time performing this type of procedure. His motions were a little slow, but he worked steadily and carefully. Dang Hong's eyes shone with appreciation. It was a meticulous operation that demanded exceptional psychological endurance, first-rate skills, and extreme patience. Otherwise, he'd be tense and his hands would be shaky. Tian Yuan's movements remained methodical despite the fact that the operation had been going on for six hours. Although he was sweating and his face was a touch pale, he was still the same as at the beginning - sure and steady.
This operation was also a bit tricky. After studying the operation plan and opening the chest, it was discovered that the patient's fat layer was a little thick, and the heart was nearly congested. Diabetic patients have rather fragile blood vessels, and even the slightest carelessness can result in heavy bleeding. He was completely immersed and focused for six hours.
He carried out the entire operation himself, from opening the chest to suturing.
Dang Hong only said a few words, instructing him to pay attention to the adjacent blood arteries, how much epinephrine to inject into the muscle, and to monitor his blood pressure.
Lin Mu was a good friend from the start to the finish. Lin Mu gave Tian Yuan a thumbs up and danced and gesticulated for excitement when he put down the scissors and glanced up at his mother-in-law. Tian Yuan's progress was apparent. He'd made even more progress since returning to China to study. Dang Hong had to change her plans again. Originally, she intended to give him time to observe, but when he returned from his hometown, he could assist in the operation. Within a week, he was doing his own procedures.
Dang Hong was overjoyed as well, as though she was seeing her son finally grow up. His movements were a tad slow, but his fundamental skills were solid. This level of serenity and earnestness was characteristic of the best doctors.
It was fine for him to move slowly. With more practice, the psychological pressure would be reduced and his speed would improve as he conducted more surgeries in the future.
It was a one-year curriculum, but Tian Yuan could complete it in eight or nine months at this speed and become an amazing doctor.
"In the future, practice more and prepare thoroughly. Don't be nervous or overly stressed. I have faith in my son's medical skills. In roughly a half-year, I shouldn't have to stand at the side and guide you. You are capable of doing it on your own."
Dang Hong ordered people to take the patient out, and pointed out his flaws in her capacity as his teacher. "If you correct it the next time, you'll gradually grow into a good doctor and an authority."
"You cut incredibly quickly, and the incisions were beautiful."
Lin Mu praised him.
"I’m using the scalpel you gave me. It’s really effective."
"I just like collecting scalpels. I think those white coat-wearing doctors in foreign horror films who slaughter people with scalpels are really cool. Without anesthetic, they just place them on the dissecting table and tie them up for dissection. That feeling~~~”
Dang Hong smacked Lin Mu on the head.
"Stop watching messy movies. Are you trying to cultivate yourself into a medical monster?"
Lin Mu walked alongside Tian Yuan, sticking out his tongue. Tian Yuan's legs had long been numb when he shifted his footsteps. His legs were numb before he knew it after standing for so long and being absorbed in the procedure.
Dang Hong stepped ahead, talking to the nurse as she went. The chief nurse was a 40-year-old woman. She commended Dang Hong on having such a good son, a son who was qualified to be her successor and continue her work, and so on. Mama Dang Hong gave a small smile. Every mother, whether she is a high-ranking figure or a country housewife, likes having her son complimented. Listening to others compliment your son is the happiest thing for a mother.
Lin Mu headed out for business, mumbling to himself as he walked. He genuinely enjoyed those types of scary films and will probably never find a girlfriend in his life. He could enjoy and laugh even while watching horrible things that would make his girlfriend cry, and there would be no common language.
Tian Yuan emerged from the OR, leaning against the wall. His legs hurt every time he moved.
Pan Lei had been pacing outside, his impatience at max. He was more nervous than the patient's relatives. He stood up and walked around, looked at the OR door, sat down, stood up, went to the stairwell to smoke, and then returned, squeezing the rose petals. Tian’er is performing his first solo cardiac surgery. Isn't this gone on for too long? Is there something wrong? Is he nervous? His hands won't tremble, will they? Can he handle the psychological strain?
He fidgeted like crazy as he checked the time again and again. Fortunately, the nurses knew he was Dean Dang Hong's son, and those who didn't assumed he was a patient's family member.
Finally the OR light went out. Pan Lei promptly occupied the door, hoping that his baby would come out next.
He waited and waited some more. The patient emerged, the nurses emerged, his mother emerged, Lin Mu emerged while humming a tune... What about my hubby, ah?
He grabbed Lin Mu with a worried look on his face.
"Where’s my family?"
Lin Mu tsk-ed and pointed to the inside.
"He’s at the back. Say Leizi, let's have a chat. Your physical strength is impressive, but don't toss him all night, okay? A few hours of surgery and his face is all wrong. You’ve hollowed out his body, you know? You’ve sucked him dry. Our ancestors taught us that one drop of semen equals ten drops of blood[1]. You chew and eat him all day long. He used to be King Kong[2], but you’ve tormented him into a sick Xishi[3]."
Pan Lei wished he could slap him to death.
Pushing open the OR door, he found his baby walking out with the help of the wall, and Pan Lei's anger erupted in a flash.
What's the matter with you people, Mom?! You have no idea how to care about him. At least one of you should have stayed behind to help him. You also mentioned that he's not in good health, so you should be aware that he won't be able to walk out on his own after a few hours of surgery. Why didn't you ask someone to aid him? And Lin Mu, you bastard, you’re a failure of a friend. Why the hell didn’t you assist him?!
He was going to find his mother. He needed to chat with all of the nurses. When his baby had surgery in the future, they had to look after him a little. They should've at least sent him back to his office and brought him a drink of water.
Pan Lei took a large step forward, wrapping his arms around Tian Yuan's waist.
"You look pale. You can’t tolerate standing so long, can you?"
"What? No! My legs are simply numb from standing for so long. I completely forgot to move."
Pan Lei still believed he was being bullied and was not being taken seriously, so he stated that it would be ridiculous for him to be bullied in his mother-in-law's domain.
Pan Lei knelt and lifted him up, letting him put his arms around his neck and piggybacked him.
"That’s it. I’m going to have you do more jogging."
"I was tense. It was my first cardiothoracic operation as the primary surgeon, and there were so many people watching. I was nervous, and so focused on the procedure that I forgot to move my legs. Oh, it hurts now. It's like a bunch of ants are biting me."
"Let's first return to your office. I'll massage them for you. Next time, ask a nurse to prepare a chair in the OR. If you're tired, you can sit down and rest for a few moments." Pan Lei rushed up, overtaking Lin Mu and dashing ahead of his mother, hastening away with Tian Yuan on his back.
[1] Semen is extremely precious and ejaculation leads to a loss of vitality. Damn, TCM views are seriously bizarre.
[2] The author has used ιε which means both Vajrapani, Buddha's warrior attendant, and King Kong. Baidu says ιε is Lee Hsin Chiao, stage name King Kong Lee, a Taiwanese actor and comedian. I'm not sure which one the author intended. Given the context, I believe Lin Mu is saying, "He used to be a healthy dude, but all that fucking has rendered him weak."
