Chapter 383: Chapter 383: Living with Cancer

Li Xu walked into his specialist consultation room, hung up his white coat, and sighed. "I came here today to get some peace and quiet. My clinic is packed to the gills with patients every day, especially cancer patients. They treat me like a real Divine Physician and insist I cure them... but there are some illnesses I’m powerless to help with."

Hearing this, Miaoli said with understanding, "Yeah, you’re just too famous now. It’s good that you’re holding consultations at the hospital. At least you can have a quiet environment."

The two chatted for a few more moments.

Soon, it was time for work to officially start.

The nurse in the consultation room, Xiao Li, had already prepared everything in advance, and the number-calling system was turned on.

"Dr. Li, we can start calling numbers now."

Xiao Li said with a smile.

Li Xu nodded, adjusted his mindset, and prepared to greet the day’s patients.

...

"Patient number 7, Tang Zhanhu, please enter the specialist consultation room."

The number-calling system emitted a clear chime.

The consultation room door was pushed open, and a father and daughter walked in.

The father, Tang Zhanhu, looked to be nearly sixty. His hair was graying, and his face was etched with the marks of time.

His complexion was terribly unhealthy, a sallow, ashen yellow, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion.

He was thin and gaunt. Although he tried to stand up straight, his steps seemed unsteady.

The daughter, Tang Xiaoxia, was not yet forty. She wore a professional suit and looked capable and shrewd.

But right now, her face was also filled with exhaustion.

She held a registration slip in her hand and was carefully supporting her father.

"Dad, slow down. Don’t fall."

Tang Xiaoxia urged him gently.

Hearing this, however, Tang Zhanhu seemed to have a nerve struck.

He abruptly shook his arm free, trying to break away from his daughter’s support, and said irritably, "I’m not so feeble I can’t walk. I can manage on my own. You don’t need to help me."

When her father shook her hand away, a flicker of helplessness crossed her eyes.

But she quickly grabbed his arm again, stubbornly refusing to let go.

"Dad, can’t you just stop for a moment?"

Tang Xiaoxia’s voice was filled with both complaint and heartache. "If it weren’t for your stubbornness, insisting on not going for your regular check-ups, how could your condition have suddenly gotten this bad? We agreed you’d go to the Capital City for a follow-up, but you just wouldn’t listen."

Being scolded by his daughter in front of the doctor, Tang Zhanhu felt his face flush with embarrassment.

His face turned red, but he couldn’t refute his daughter’s words.

"Treatment, treatment, treatment! For all these years, what has it done besides waste money and make me suffer?"

Tang Zhanhu’s tone grew more and more agitated, his voice rising. "Chemotherapy, radiation therapy—haven’t they all tortured me to death’s door? I’d be better off dead! Just stop throwing money down the drain. When the time comes and you’ve lost both me and the money, what will you do?"

He gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently. He was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

Hearing her father’s words, Tang Xiaoxia’s eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Her eyes red, she retorted through sobs, "Dad, how can you say such a foolish thing? You’re the only family I have left. If we lose the money, I can earn it back. But if I lose you, I’ll truly have no mom or dad. Don’t you know how scared I am?"

Looking at his daughter’s tear-reddened eyes, Tang Zhanhu’s irate mood gradually subsided.

A complex look flickered in his eyes—a mix of heartache, helplessness, and a hint of guilt.

The atmosphere in the consultation room grew heavy.

Neither Li Xu nor the nurse said a word.

’Tang Zhanhu likely has some kind of malignant tumor, and it’s progressing rapidly. The patient himself has lost faith in treatment and is even thinking of giving up.’

’I can’t just let this father and daughter keep arguing.’

Li Xu took the initiative and said, "Sir, please have a seat. Take your time and tell me what’s going on."

He gestured for Tang Xiaoxia to help her father to the chair opposite the consultation desk.

Tang Xiaoxia wiped her tears and composed herself.

Then, she explained her father’s condition to Li Xu.

"Dr. Li, two years ago, my dad was diagnosed with an abnormality in his left kidney. He had surgery for renal cancer at the time."

Tang Xiaoxia’s voice was a bit hoarse, but she tried her best to keep her tone calm. "After the surgery, he underwent three months of consolidation therapy with interleukin and interferon. But he’s very proud and hates being a bother, so he was never willing to go for his regular follow-up check-ups."

As she said this, she couldn’t help but glance at her father, her eyes filled with reproach.

Tang Zhanhu kept his head down and said nothing.

"Over the past few months, he’s been constantly feeling unwell—back pain, fatigue, and his energy levels have been getting worse and worse."

Tang Xiaoxia continued, "I had to drag him to the hospital for a PET-CT scan. The results showed... a mass on his right adrenal gland, and it has also metastasized to both hip bones."

When she said the word "metastasized," her voice began to choke up again.

"We went to see his previous doctor, who said there’s no longer a surgical option. The next steps could be immunotherapy or targeted therapy."

Tang Xiaoxia said despairingly, "But... my dad refuses to take Western medicines with strong side effects. He’s had enough of the torment from chemotherapy and radiation. He says he’d rather die than suffer anymore."

Tang Xiaoxia looked up at Li Xu, her eyes filled with earnest pleading.

"Dr. Li, I saw a report about you in the news. You cured that patient with late-stage lung cancer. Everyone says your medical skills are extraordinary and that you specialize in treating all sorts of difficult and complex illnesses."

"We made a special trip from out of town. We went to your clinic first, but no one was there. Then we heard you were holding consultations here today, so we rushed to bring my dad over."

She started crying as she spoke. "Dr. Li, I’m not expecting you to completely cure my dad’s illness. I just hope that with conditioning through traditional Chinese medicine, you can extend his life. Even if it’s just for another year, six months, or even one month... I... I just want more time with him, to help him fulfill his wish of seeing the Great Wall in the Capital City and boating in North Sea Park..."

Tang Xiaoxia sobbed.

The nurse’s eyes reddened as well, and she silently passed over a tissue.

Tang Zhanhu sat there, his head still lowered, but his body was trembling.

Clearly, he was suffering too.

...

Tang Xiaoxia wiped her tears and asked again, "Dr. Li, looking at my dad’s condition, can it still be managed with Chinese medicine? Roughly... roughly how much longer could it extend his life?"

Li Xu fell silent.

For a late-stage cancer patient who had been given a "death sentence" by Western medicine, any promise could become an additional burden.

"Ms. Tang, you’re asking how long Chinese medicine can extend his life. To be honest, I can’t give you a precise number."

Li Xu said calmly, "It depends on the effectiveness of the subsequent treatment, as well as the patient’s own physical condition and state of mind. When treating cancer with traditional Chinese medicine, there’s a very important concept called ’living with cancer.’"

He paused, observing Tang Xiaoxia and Tang Zhanhu’s reactions.

Confusion appeared in Tang Xiaoxia’s eyes.

Tang Zhanhu lifted his head, seemingly intrigued by the term.