Chapter 158: Drinking Congee and Foot Therapy to Resist Chemotherapy

  After entering the ward, Wang Xu saw an old man leaning on a bed inside, with a woman in her thirties sitting beside him.

  "Dr. Wang, the one on the bed is my father Chen Tianhua, and next to him is my wife Qi Shanshan." Chen Zhongwen hastily introduced Dr. Wang, and then hastily introduced Dr. Wang to his wife and father.

  Qī Xiǎngxiǎng hastily stood up and shook hands with Wáng Xù, while Chén Tiānhuá smiled and nodded slightly, looking very pale. Not only was he pale, but the old man's face also had a layer of dark color that was frighteningly black.

  If a fortune teller were to see this, they would definitely say that death is looming and his life won't last long. In fact, Chen Tianhua was indeed suffering from a serious illness and his life was in danger.

  After sitting down in the ward, Wang Xu did not rush to take the old man's pulse, but instead observed the old man's complexion before turning to Chen Zhongwen and Tang Fei: "Director Tang, General Manager Chen, tell me about the specific situation first."

  Chen Zhongwen nodded and spoke first: "My dad was an engineer, he was very healthy, before getting sick, he could do over a hundred sit-ups every morning, but two months ago, he suddenly fell ill, and was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer, and the cancer cells had already metastasized."

  Chen Zhongwen finished speaking, and Tang Fei continued: "Mr. Chen's situation is quite serious. We have already performed an operation on him, which was very successful. However, cancer cells have been found in his lymph nodes, so to consolidate the effect of the surgery, chemotherapy must be carried out. In fact, this is also the hospital's medical plan. Mr. Chen is still quite strong, and he even withstood the surgery... but he can't withstand the chemotherapy..."

  After listening to Tang Fei's explanation, Wang Xu finally understood why Tang Fei suggested that Chen Zhongwen go ask him. On the seventh day after Old Man Chen started chemotherapy, his body began to show abnormalities, which was that his entire body turned black.

  Whether it's hands or face, the whole body is black except for the white inside of the fingernails. The rest of the places are all black and scary. This darkening is easy to say, but on the tenth day, blisters began to appear on the old man's legs, which scabbed after bursting, and then new ones appeared again, repeating this process.

  The most unbearable thing is the itching all over the body, and the blisters dare not be scratched. If they are scratched, a large area will become infected. The hospital can only wrap them in gauze, but this is not a long-term solution. At night, the old man is simply sleepless, and his whole person begins to wither away. Originally, he was already in poor spirits, and now with insufficient sleep, his whole body becomes even weaker.

  When this happens, the original chemotherapy plan of more than 20 days can only be persisted for 13 days. Chen Tianhua, who had always been in good physical condition and had undergone surgery safely, could not persist with the chemotherapy.

  This reaction, in Western medicine, is called hand-foot syndrome. It's a kind of damage to the small blood vessels in the hands and feet caused by some chemotherapy drugs. Although this damage isn't fatal, if it continues, Chen Tianhua's hands and feet may become ulcerated. The main problem is that the elderly have poor rest, lack of spirit, and can't withstand subsequent chemotherapy.

  For this situation, the Provincial People's Hospital is at a loss for what to do, and it's not just the Provincial People's Hospital. Basically, other major hospitals that encounter such situations also don't have any particularly effective methods. Either they ignore the elderly person's hand and foot blisters and continue with chemotherapy, or they terminate the chemotherapy; there are no other options.

  This dilemma is undoubtedly the most difficult for people. If chemotherapy is not continued, the effect of the previous surgery will be unstable, cancer cells will continue to spread, and the surgery will be in vain. However, if chemotherapy is continued, no one can predict how severe the final situation of the elderly person will be.

  The harm caused by this chemotherapy drug is originally different from person to person. Some people have a good physique and react slightly, while others are sensitive and react severely. Chen Tianhua's severe reaction is extremely rare.

  The hospital was at a loss, so Tang Fei shifted his attention to Wang Xu's head. Perhaps Wang Xu had a way to solve this situation. After all, the last time Hua Chaoyang also had cancer, and now it is said that he has recovered well. As long as he pays attention to his diet and persists for three to five years, there will be absolutely no problem.

  Tang Fei had originally intended to call Wang Xu personally, but coincidentally, Wang Xu's matter with the Japanese had just passed, and he wasn't very familiar with Wang Xu, so he didn't dare to invite him rashly, suggesting that Chen Zhongwen go there in person to try.

  Having understood the whole story and the difficulties of the Provincial People's Congress, Wang Xu also had a clear mind. He sat down beside Chen Tianhua and took his pulse.

  "Doctor Wang, I'm counting on you. I absolutely refuse to undergo chemotherapy. If it's really hopeless, then so be it. At over 70 years old, I've lived a long life anyway."

  "Dad, what are you saying?" Chen Tianhua spoke up, and Chen Zhongwen became displeased: "You don't just think about yourself, but also consider us. For your illness, we've been running around everywhere, transferring from Xijiang to Zhongjiang, all for the sake of your recovery."

  "Alas, the crime is indeed unbearable for humans." Chen Tianhua sighed and looked at Wang Xu with hopeful eyes: "Doctor Wang, if there's any medicine that can replace chemotherapy, no matter how bitter it is, I'm willing to drink it."

  Listening to the old man's muttering, Wang Xu remained silent and carefully listened to the old man's pulse, beginning to sink into quiet contemplation.

  The elderly patient has colon cancer. Objectively speaking, the effect of chemotherapy is indeed very good, and the surgery was successfully performed. If chemotherapy is successful, the disease will be basically half cured, and the probability of recurrence in the future is very small. As for using traditional Chinese medicine to replace chemotherapy, to be honest, it's not easy at all.

  Since it is impossible to replace chemotherapy, from now on, this chemotherapy is also the best way. Wang Xu then shifted the problem to how to help the elderly get through chemotherapy. This question was much simpler than the previous one, and soon he had a clue.

  With a thoughtful expression, Wang Xu's eyebrows relaxed and he looked at Chen Tianhua: "Old man, your situation is very special, mid-to-late stage colon cancer, and the surgery was successful. If you skip chemotherapy, it would be a clear loss, so my opinion is to insist on chemotherapy."

  When Wang Xu said to insist on chemotherapy, Chen Tianhua's mouth corners trembled and asked: "Really, is there no other way? Acupuncture, taking medicine won't work?"

  Chen Zhongwen also hastily said: "Doctor Wang, if we insist on chemotherapy, my dad simply can't hold on, the reaction is too severe."

  "Director Chen, don't be in a hurry, let Dr. Wang finish what he has to say." The other three people were all anxious, but Tang Fei saw through it, and had noticed the expression on Wang Xu's face earlier. Insisting on chemotherapy was definitely not that simple, otherwise Wang Xu wouldn't be so optimistic.

  "Director Tang is still meticulous." Wang Xu smiled and said, "Although I insist on continuous chemotherapy, it will absolutely not be like before. I will use methods to control the adverse reactions of the elderly at home and let him pass through the chemotherapy period safely."

  "Doctor Wang, is it true? Can I really get through the chemotherapy period safely?" Chen Zhongwen asked excitedly. Although Wang Xu insisted on his father undergoing chemotherapy, if he could control the reaction to chemotherapy, that would be solving a big problem.

  "Not bad, and this method is simple, no pain at all." Wang Xu said with a smile.

  "Dr. Wang, I don't know what method you use to alleviate the reaction caused by chemotherapy?" Tang Fei asked anxiously, and was also a little curious. They couldn't find any effective way, but Wang Xu seemed so natural. In fact, he had given up on chemotherapy and only hoped that Wang Xu could provide an alternative treatment, but unexpectedly, Wang Xu turned out to be another solution.

  "This method is simple, and accurately speaking, it's just four words: 'drink porridge, foot therapy'." Wang Xu said with a smile.

  "Porridge! Foot bath!" Chen Zhongwen and Tang Fei exclaimed in unison, what kind of relief method is this?

  "I understand, the elderly person's body has gas bubbles, which is just an allergic reaction to chemotherapy drugs, a kind of damp toxin. I'll give you a prescription for a medicinal congee, which will include Chinese herbs that clear heat and dampness. Cooking it into a porridge will not only warm the stomach but also alleviate the allergic reactions to chemotherapy. It's better than taking a large dose of medicine, as the side effects are smaller. During chemotherapy, it's not suitable to take large doses of other medicines." Wang Xu said with a smile.

  "Next is foot therapy, the elderly are most unbearable with itching all over their body, this 'itch' is also caused by allergens, chemotherapy drugs are highly toxic and can easily cause dampness to linger on the skin surface. As long as we can expel these residual toxins from the body in time, we can alleviate the reaction of chemotherapy. At the same time, I use traditional Chinese medicine to prepare a medicinal water, every day after chemotherapy is finished, let the elderly soak their feet for two hours, the efficacy of the medicinal water will pass through the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of the feet from the foot heart upwards, achieving the effect of invigorating yang qi. Combining these two methods can absolutely ensure that the elderly can safely pass through the chemotherapy period."

  Listening to Wang Xu's explanation, Tang Fei excitedly said: "Doctor Wang, is your method really feasible?"

  "It doesn't matter if you try it or not, these two methods are harmless to the human body even if they can't alleviate the reaction of chemotherapy. If they really can't alleviate it, I'll think of another way." Wang Xu said.

  "Alright, let's do it this way. Drinking porridge and foot therapy, who would have thought of that? This method really is thanks to your creativity." Tang Fei said with a smile, Chen Zhongwen also breathed a sigh of relief, praying in his heart that Wang Xu's method would work.

  Wang Xu wrote down the prescription for medicinal diet and foot bath on a table by the side, detailing various precautions, before handing it to Chen Zhongwen: "During chemotherapy, in addition to drinking porridge and foot baths, diet should also be noted. I have written clearly above, reducing dampness and toxins in food can also promote chemotherapy."

  "Dr. Wang, I've taken note of this. Thank you so much for this time. If my dad gets through the chemotherapy period safely, I'll personally bring him to thank you again." Chen Zhongwen said as he took the prescription.

  "Director Chen, no need to be polite. If the old man can recover, I'll be happy too. Our goal is the same." Wang Xu smiled and waved his hand, stood up to bid farewell, and reminded that if there's anything, he can be found at any time.