(Thanks to Red Nanjing, Book Friend 110925063715694, and Village Guardian for encouraging with monthly tickets)

The CT scan was quick. Liu Banxia glanced at the images and sighed inwardly.

"Doctor, the doctor who gave me the images said that my brain is fine," the patient said.

Liu Banxia nodded, "Looking at it from this point, I should congratulate you; at least the possibility of a brain tumor has been ruled out."

"However, next we can only perform a cerebrospinal fluid test. For you now, we can basically narrow it down to the scope of peripheral neuritis."

"But as to what specific illness it is, we can only differentiate through tests. This is just the result of the symptoms showing up. Only when we find the cause can we make an accurate diagnosis and provide treatment."

"Still worried now? You just mentioned brain cancer earlier. I've noticed that you could come to work with me in the future; you could diagnose your own illness."

The patient smiled awkwardly, feeling a bit more at ease now, as it seemed they weren't related to cancer.

All the cancers I suspected one after the other have been ruled out.

"We will also give you local anesthesia during the lumbar puncture. To ease your concern, I'll personally do it for you. We'll conduct all the routine tests and cultures to save you from going through it twice," Liu Banxia continued.

"Actually, I think it's quite fortunate. If it weren't for your worry, maybe you wouldn't have paid attention to your leg. Although the concern was misplaced, our general direction is correct."

"See the diagram next to you? Let's pose according to this diagram. Then we'll administer the local anesthesia. Once it takes effect, I can perform the lumbar puncture."

"According to our old routine, recall if you've overlooked any symptoms. You often surprise me, maybe there's new information."

"Doctor, really nothing." The patient smiled bitterly.

"I was thinking about whether there were other symptoms during the CT scan. But that's all, my leg got worse only today. Previously, it was just fatigue and occasional numbness."

"No worries, this is our routine task. When you have time, think about it. You might get inspired." Liu Banxia said.

This is also to ease the patient's nervousness; for such patients, adjusting their mood is very important.

"By the way, doctor, my arm doesn't seem to have as much strength as it did during the day," the patient said.

"What do you mean by lack of strength?" Liu Banxia asked.

"When I was feeling my lymph nodes, I felt like I didn't have much strength," the patient said.

"Wow, you've secretly diagnosed yourself with lymphoma, huh? Here, grab my hand and squeeze with all your strength, as much as you can. Yes... just like that." Liu Banxia said while guiding the patient through the examination.

"Do you have that numbness like in your legs?" Liu Banxia asked after examining.

"I don't know, I seems like I do and don't," the patient said.

This was what Liu Banxia was concerned about. From the examination, it indeed seemed that the patient's upper limb strength had weakened.

But he couldn't determine if this was the patient's actual condition or if it was an effect caused by the patient's internal fears.

The most reliable method is naturally to do an electromyogram. However, Liu Banxia felt it wasn't particularly necessary since peripheral neuritis type diseases can also affect the upper limbs.

Considering the patient's situation, it's a process from bottom to top, from distal to proximal.

At this point, the patient's anesthesia took effect, and Liu Banxia carefully began the lumbar puncture.

The reason for doing it himself was to put the patient at ease. After all, he had the deputy director name badge on, which impresses patients.

"Alright, lie here for a while and wait for the test results to come out, then we'll see how things are," Liu Banxia said after completing the procedure.

The patient nodded, with a layer of sweat appearing on his forehead.

This wasn't due to pain, but nervousness. Anyway, he felt like he was hanging by a thread. As long as there was no diagnosis, he felt he might have some cancer.

Anyway, he already defined himself as being on the edge of cancer, constantly testing.

Actually, with long experience in this line of work, I also encountered many such patients. And after this experience, this patient will pay more "attention" to health.

As for Liu Banxia, there was nothing else to diagnose. All that could be done is to wait for the lumbar puncture results, which to a large extent provide a clear indication.

Of course, it's only to a large extent, doesn't mean everything can be detected.

"This guy, dealing with so many drunken patients every day. I think we should rename our emergency center to the detox transfer station," Liu Banxia quipped.

"Otherwise, what else can you do? Emergency departments in all hospitals are more or less the same now. Drunk patients are the main trend, a small skewer, a little drink, and just a bit and they get drunk," Wang Chao said.

"Director Liu, Director Liu."

Liu Banxia was just about to say something when he heard someone calling him. He turned his head and saw it was Old Zhou, who had developed an aortic dissection from drinking too much, under Liu Haibing's watch.

"How come you're wandering here? Even though you've been transferred to a general ward now, don't move too much, and don't tire yourself out," Liu Banxia said.

"Much better now, I can breathe easier," Old Zhou said.

"I really had a brush with death. From now on, I'll take my medication on time and stay away from cigarettes and alcohol. Otherwise, who knows when this life of mine might get lost."

"That's pretty good, I drink too, but just a little bit to spice up the atmosphere," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"At the dinner table, if there's no alcohol, there's no atmosphere at all. The worst is when people drink competitively or cause trouble, drinking too much does harm the body," he added.

"Ah... When will the country come out with a policy to ban cigarettes and alcohol like they were illegal, stop producing them," Old Zhou sighed.

"Haha, that's a bit extreme. Although they can be addictive and cause some harm to the body, if consumed in moderation, the impacts aren't particularly significant," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Because you're older, you spent a long time in the ICU, so your recovery will take longer. But you'll be able to leave the hospital in a few days, you could even leave now."

"I'd better be safe and sound until fully recovered," Old Zhou said.

"I don't dare to take risks anymore. Even though I'm the one who got sick, I feel somewhat guilty towards Haibing and the others. They tried to persuade me to drink less during meals, but I just couldn't control myself, a drink led to more, and more made me want even more."

"So now, even though you're confident you can quit drinking, it's still quite challenging," Liu Banxia said.

"No matter what addiction you try to quit, it's the relapse that's most feared. If you truly want to quit, don't drink a drop. Whether it's liquor or beer, if it has any alcohol, don't drink it."

"You have an illness now, so even if you have some cravings, you can resist for the moment. But when you're fully recovered? Then the thoughts might change, and before you know it, you might think a little beer or a taste wouldn't hurt."

"The final result goes without saying, you'll pick it up again. You have high blood pressure and underwent such a major surgery, keep alcohol far away. Brother Liu and the others are concerned as well, let them help keep an eye on you."

Old Zhou nodded, "Haibing said from now on, no one will drink during meals. I know it's for my sake, they don't actually drink much usually."

"His health isn't great either, he shouldn't be drinking really. It's good, take this opportunity to quit if you can, it's much better for your health," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Alright, I won't disturb you here any longer. Looking at them reminds me of my past self. When I was young, I used to be brought here often," Old Zhou said, looking at the drunk patients in the hall, feeling even more emotional.

"We have our regulars here too, no idea what they're after. Spending money on drinks, and then more money for sobering up," Liu Banxia joined in with a complaint.

It's not uncommon to occasionally see patients who had too much to drink. Some people end up drinking more during gatherings with friends in high spirits. Others, like Old Zhou, drink voluntarily when they're happy.

It's within the realm of understanding; they overestimate their capacity for alcohol. But for some regulars, it's hard to comprehend.

Anyway, from Liu Banxia's perspective, it's just a way to spend money unnecessarily. Going through the costs at the hospital isn't cheap either; wouldn't it be better to spend that money on meat?

After making a round and thanking Liu Banxia, Old Zhou had to go back to sleep.

"Doctor, was that guy drinking to that extent?"

Just as he turned around, the patient's wife curiously asked.

Liu Banxia nodded, "He had high blood pressure and drank himself into an aortic dissection. It was quite dangerous, and even with medical insurance, it cost quite a bit."

"How much did he drink? Did he drink every day?" the patient's wife asked.

Liu Banxia chuckled, "He just occasionally drank heavily during social gatherings, but whenever he drank, he overdid it. Mainly, his high blood pressure made it much riskier."

"In normal cases, moderate drinking isn't a big deal. But excessive drinking can indeed lead to other health issues, which can be very dangerous."

Hearing his words, the patient's wife's expression turned a bit conflicted.

Initially, Liu Banxia didn't pay much attention, but when he saw the patient's wife seemed hesitant to speak, his heart slightly tightened.

"Does your husband drink? Often?" Liu Banxia asked tentatively.

The patient's wife gently nodded.

"Ah... why do they always play hide and seek with us doctors,"

Liu Banxia sighed.