(Thanks to book friends 20190625124024721, ICEfire, and I'm a book lover for voting with monthly tickets)

"Teacher Liu, here are all the patient's examination results. We also did a chest CT, but just like the brain CT, they're both negative."

Liu Yiqing rushed back around lunchtime.

Liu Banxia took the documents, and after reviewing them, frowned again.

The latest test results showed everything was normal. It's not lupus nor polymyositis, and the CT scans of the chest and brain are both negative. ECG and echocardiogram are also normal.

In other words, even after doing some additional tests, apart from anemia and muscle weakness, all other indicators are normal.

"Teacher Liu, the patient's parents are still here. They want to know if there's any other tests that can be done. If not, they're planning to transfer him to another hospital," Liu Yiqing said after a moment of silence.

"Having the idea to transfer is normal. In a small place like ours, it's definitely not as good as a real big city. They're not short on money, and actually, neither am I," Liu Banxia said.

"Teacher Liu, what should we do? What other tests can be done? What happens if they transfer?" Liu Yiqing asked helplessly.

"Transfer? They've come to my turf, do they think they can just leave like that?" Liu Banxia said.

Liu Yiqing was even more helpless. What's wrong with Teacher Liu? He's kind of gone mad and is still joking at this time.

"Alright, no more joking, help me analyze this," Liu Banxia's face became serious.

"This patient's condition is very special. He's been outrageous for more than twenty days, yet insists he hasn't taken any medication, but I don't believe him."

Liu Yiqing rolled her eyes, "I don't even have a boyfriend, how would I know what's going on?"

"Uh...well, there's that. Just listen to the conclusion then." Liu Banxia scratched his scalp.

"Whether it's me or Dr. Shi, we firmly believe that this patient definitely took medication. Because his actions are somewhat beyond physiological scope."

"Following this line of thought, he probably took some kind of drug, causing harm to his body. If he's like this at home, who knows what he's like in college."

"Ah...young, rich, with a good figure, probably doesn't lack girlfriends," Liu Yiqing added.

"Yes, he's someone who likes to work out, so how did he become anemic?" Liu Banxia pinched his brow.

"I've been considering whether muscle weakness is caused by anemia. Although his indicators are not very off, for a healthy person, if anemic suddenly, the body might not be able to adapt."

"And his current state of fatigue should also be influenced by his outrageous private life over these days. It all comes back to a particular drug."

"Let's not think about it for now. His parents probably have driven you crazy too, haven't they? Go and check if they've even been admitted yet?"

Liu Yiqing nodded, "If they find the diagnosis, they would've admitted him. Since nothing's been found, not scolding us is actually giving face."

Liu Banxia didn't say anything, it's been contemplated. Thanks to Bao Chunlai's referral, such patients are indeed difficult to handle.

Finally outside, the patient's parents were clearly anxious, though trying to control their emotions.

"Dr. Liu, can you figure out what's wrong with Bei?" the patient's mother asked.

"Based on the current tests, his muscle weakness is not due to the muscles themselves, but likely neurological," Liu Banxia said.

"Neurological symptoms are indeed harder to diagnose. We've done so many tests without finding anything, which to some extent explains the situation."

"Dr. Liu, if we hire an ambulance to transfer him elsewhere, will there be any impact?" the patient's father asked.

"I can't give you an accurate answer for this situation," Liu Banxia said.

"Because his current condition isn't very clear, his muscle weakness has worsened compared to when the emergency vehicle brought him in, but hasn't reached the stage of a myasthenic crisis."

"The reason we intubated him was actually as a precaution. I understand your feelings, but some diagnoses truly require time from initial consultation to confirmation."

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but do you understand his daily lifestyle, especially in terms of private life?"

The couple looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Let me put it this way, based on my current judgment, he may have taken some kind of drug, and that's causing some of his current bodily symptoms," Liu Banxia said.

"Or it could be that this drug is causing his anemia, and the muscle weakness symptoms caused by anemia are exaggerated."

"Impossible, Bei wouldn't randomly take drugs outside. I'm certain about this, he'd never dare," the patient's mother said.

"Every noon, I go to clean Bei's room and haven't found any medication packaging. I can assure this," she added.

Liu Banxia gave her a glance, "Perhaps there are some situations we still need to discuss."

"Dr. Liu, you can be direct," the patient's father frowned.

"From what I understand, the patient has been indulging in nightlife almost every night for more than half a month. This situation may also be a major cause of his current symptoms," Liu Banxia said.

"But according to what you've said, um, we still need to do a more thorough examination. Yes, we need to check it out, the situation is indeed a bit unusual."

After speaking, Liu Banxia entered the curtain and started examining the patient.

Liu Yiqing gave him a surprised look, not knowing what kind of examination he was doing.

"Young man, tell me, have you taken or injected steroid medications?" After the examination, Liu Banxia asked.

The patient lying there looked at him and nodded slightly.

"Sigh... silly boy, why ruin your body like this? Was it orally administered or injected? How long has it been?" Liu Banxia sighed.

"Dr. Liu, what are steroids?" the patient's mother suddenly got nervous.

She had just confidently said her son hadn't taken any drugs, but now it turns out he actually had.

"It's a synthetically produced hormone that has certain applications in medicine. Because of this, some people have developed other uses, like for bodybuilding or promoting the secretion of male hormones," Liu Banxia explained briefly.

The patient raised his hand, mimicking the action of pushing a syringe, then held up three fingers.

"Only three times, huh? That's not too bad," Liu Banxia nodded.

The patient blinked and wrote the word "year" in the air with his finger.

"What, you've been using it for three years?" Liu Banxia was now visibly unsettled.

"Dr. Liu, is it dangerous? Is it like drugs?" the patient's mother asked.

"Sigh... although it's not as extreme, the damage to the body is still substantial," Liu Banxia sighed.

"As I mentioned earlier, these drugs are synthetic hormones. Long-term use can have a significant impact on health."

"Some people who work out want to show off their muscles and use injections. However, muscles developed through these drugs will have certain responses when the drug is stopped."

"Also, the acne and rashes on his back, and even potential blood clots in his veins—his liver damage is likely due to this as well."

"And most critically, these drugs contain a lot of male hormones. In the short term, the effects may not be significant. But over time? It can disrupt the body's endocrine system, reduce the secretion of its own male hormones, and even affect growth and development."

"His anemia might also be due to this; these substances can stimulate red blood cell production. If there hasn't been a recent injection, it tends to create a drug dependence where the body's production of red cells isn't sufficient."

"Another possibility is impaired fertility. You need to be mentally prepared for this and consider specialized testing in the future."

Hearing Liu Banxia's words, the couple looked dumbfounded.

Initially, it didn't seem like much; these issues could be improved through health management. But what's this about affecting fertility? That's a no-go, especially since theirs is a single line of descendants!

"Dr. Liu, what should Bei do in the future?" the patient's father asked anxiously.

"For now, I think the focus should be on recovery. He likely hasn't sustained more severe effects yet, and further checks can be done after recovery," Liu Banxia said.

"These synthetic hormones have a metabolic cycle. As long as he stops injecting or taking them, his body should adjust. His current state coincides with my other guess—acute anemia, compounded by steroid use and his recent lifestyle, has led to these consequences."

Hearing his words, the couple felt somewhat relieved.

"Would you prefer he recuperates in our hospital, or after observation, returns home for recovery?" Liu Banxia asked.

"We'd like him to recover here; could you arrange a VIP ward for us? He would be taken care of better, wouldn't he?" the patient's mother asked.

Liu Banxia nodded, "Each VIP room has dedicated staff and specialized equipment. Let's do that; Liu Yiqing will assist you with the paperwork."

Ding! Task of unidentified myasthenia gravis complete

Gained 200 experience points, Glory Points +1

Liu Banxia couldn't help but want to complain inwardly—such stinginess. Although he didn't react immediately upon seeing the acne, the patient is still just a young man.

This time, the couple didn't hesitate. The mother stayed by the bedside, while the father followed Liu Yiqing to handle the paperwork.

Liu Banxia was also filled with emotion; could this be considered a "disease of affluence"? Those drugs circulating outside must be costly, considering three years of use—they must have spent a lot.

Moreover, judging by his condition, the dosage each time was likely substantial.