Chen Kai, who was returning to his heart like an arrow, was already waiting at the boarding gate, and couldn’t wait to get on the plane first. Soon I arrived at my long-lost hometown. It was already 10 o’clock in the evening when I got off the plane. Chen Kai, who was wearing a summer dress, shivered, ran quickly into the waiting hall, picked up his suitcase and opened it immediately, took out down jackets and put them on, his lips were so cold that his lips were purple and his face was pale.
After exiting the customs, I called a taxi and went straight to the hospital. It was already 1 am when I arrived at the hospital. The domestic hospital is indeed the busiest place in the city. Even at midnight, it is still very lively. Chen Kai, dragging a large and small suitcase, came to Ward No. 12 on the fourth floor of the inpatient department. There were eight beds in the small ward, eight lying patients and eight companions, plus busy nurses and nurses. Some idle people are waiting. There are more than 20 people in this small ward, which is unimaginable. In New Zealand, there are at most two beds in a ward of this size. Chen Kai, who has been abroad for almost two years, seems to have forgotten the domestic medical environment.
A woman in the corner extended her hand to greet him. Chen Kai frowned and saw that it was her aunt. She dropped her suitcase and large bags by the door and walked in quickly.
”You’re here? It’s pretty fast, it’ll be there in a day.” Auntie’s expression was serious and there was no smile. It seemed that the situation was very serious.
”Thank you, Auntie.”
Looking at his father lying on the hospital bed with an infusion bottle and an oxygen tube inserted, Chen Kai felt a little strange. He didn’t know if he had not seen him for a long time or had a sick face, which was not the same as the father he imagined in his daily life.
Later, I heard from my aunt that my father had done a comprehensive examination and was determined to have a cerebral infarction, and he has not woken up yet. The doctor said that it is still in the dangerous period, and the detailed explanation will be given after the doctor goes to work tomorrow.
Sitting down in the small space beside the bed, holding his father’s cold hands, Chen Kai began to burst into tears. He had never seen his father lying motionless on the hospital bed with an expressionless face.
Aunt Chen Kai went on to talk about money. The brothers and sisters in the family have discussed it, and she will manage all the money for the time being. Then he took out a bag of invoices and handed it to Chen Kai for a look.
Chen Kai, who was in a turmoil, was in the mood to read these bills, and kept complaining in his heart that seeing a doctor in China was really troublesome. Thinking about that in the future, there are still three old people who need to see a doctor, and I am abroad. It is really better to die than life. I really want to have the super power of avatar.
The small ward is not only very crowded, but also the sanitary conditions are extremely poor, there is not even a place to go to the toilet. This made him very confused, and he couldn’t help asking, where is the toilet?
It turns out that there is only one public toilet for men and women on each floor, turn left when you go out, about 30 meters away. This made Chen Kai even more confused. What should the patient do if he had to go to the toilet? Looking down, every patient has a catheter inserted, which is terrible.
There was a stench on the side, and when I turned around, the nurses and family members were helping a patient with stool. My God, these Chen Kai have never experienced it, I can’t imagine it.
The medical environment at home and abroad is really different. In the hospital in New Zealand, not only the wards are spacious, bright, clean and tidy, but also doctors and nurses take care of them 24 hours a day. Compared with this, it is a noble-level service, and the key point is that everything is free.
Due to the difference in the medical system, it is completely different in China, and Chen Kai is completely at a loss. Fortunately, the relatives at home have been arranged properly, and the carer is essential, but it is very popular, and there is no way to find it today, so my aunt will stay overnight for the time being and will be available tomorrow.
In the end, seeing a doctor in China is just money, a lot of miscellaneous medical expenses, and I don’t care, but a nursing worker charges 300 yuan a day, which is too expensive. This is also no way. The family does not have the experience and energy to serve, so they can only spend money, but after all, they earn hard money.
Early the next morning, a middle-aged man in his fifties came to the hospital bed and asked, “Are you looking for a nurse here?”
”Yes!” Auntie quickly got up and responded.
The middle-aged man took out an agreement, gave it to his aunt, and introduced his surname, Liang, with years of nursing experience. The agreement is very long, there are three or four pieces of paper, and Aunt Chen Kai has not read it at all. It is said that she just took a formality and directly took out one thousand yuan and handed it to him, saying that it was a necessary deposit.
Chen Kai knew nothing about domestic routines, and had never seen a serious illness before going abroad, so he had to stay obediently on the side. After receiving the deposit, Lao Liang started his own work. Everything was in order, like a veteran. First, he changed the urine bag, and then wiped his father’s face and body. At the same time, he learned about the condition of the disease. Even the nurse came to give a patient guidance and supervise him, like a professional leader.
Seeing that everything was arranged properly, the exhausted aunt went back to rest, leaving Chen Kai and the old nurse Liang behind. This is the first time Chen Kai has hired a nurse. I wonder if 300 yuan a day is excusable and reasonable.
Since Lao Liang came in the morning, he immediately started his duties. The work was not as expected, but he just sat on a stool and watched. There is still a lot of work to do. Feeding at the appointed time, through the esophagus inserted in Chen Kai’s father’s mouth. Every once in a while, check whether the urine bag is full, or whether the infusion is finished, and then check the condition of the father, and report to the doctor and nurse in time.
The nurses who came in and out also talked and laughed with Lao Liang, chatting about everyday things, and they looked very familiar. Under the careful care of Lao Liang, Chen Kai sat on the side with nothing to do and nothing to do, just stayed by his father’s side, held his hand, and stayed quietly.
Soon after, the doctor started to go to work. A doctor’s assistant came in, called Chen Kai to the office, and threw him a pile of diagnostic documents for him to sign. Chen Kai carefully read the ten-page diagnosis report, which was relatively general, mainly saying that his father’s symptoms were cerebral infarction and blocked blood vessels. Surgery cannot be performed, the risk is high, and conservative treatment is required.
This report made Chen Kai confused. It only explained the cause, and there was no detailed follow-up treatment plan. It had to be signed and approved. Then the assistant doctor asked Chen Kai to wait in the office. The attending doctor was in the process of consulting and came back after finishing.
There are also family members of many other patients waiting at the door of the office, holding cases, whispering and whispering.
After waiting for more than two hours, the doctor appeared, just like a celebrity being interviewed, everyone swarmed and asked questions. The doctor was quite patient, and everyone simply replied a few words and dismissed them.
The doctor was about the same age as Chen Kai. After entering the door, he closed the office door. Seeing Chen Kai obediently sitting at the desk, he asked with a slight smile, “You should be the one from New Zealand, right?”
Chen Kai was a little surprised, nodded and replied, “Yes.”
The doctor sat down at the desk, opened the teacup and took a few sips. It seemed that he was very busy, and he didn’t have time to drink water.
”Yesterday, your father’s brothers and sisters said that you were rushing back from New Zealand, and I knew it was you at first sight. Unlike them, you blocked me at the door of the office and scrambled to ask questions.” The doctor admired Chen Kai’s courtesy very much. , said with a smile.
Then the doctor introduced himself and explained the situation of Chen Kai’s father. The doctor’s surname is Liu, and he is an attending specialist doctor. Chen Kai’s father died of brain cells due to extensive ischemia due to cerebral infarction. Now that he is out of danger, when he wakes up, he will lose most of his memory, and it seems that he will still be half paralyzed. In the days to come, he will need people to serve him.
Chen Kai turned pale with fright after hearing this, “Is it like this for the rest of my life? Is it impossible to recover?”
Dr. Liu nodded, took out the brain scan picture of Chen Kai’s father, pointed to the large black area on the right brain and said, “This black part is the ischemic part, so the memory stored here is lost, not only will it not be able to remember people, but also It will lose the ability to live on its own. It’s like a computer hard drive, half of the data is damaged and broken.”
Chen Kai nodded sadly, accepted this helpless reality, and said, “I understand, thank you, hard work.”
Seeing that Chen Kai was very polite, Dr. Liu comforted him a few words, “After your father’s condition is stable, find a nanny to take care of him for the rest of his life, there is nothing else to do, so don’t worry too much. You can solve the problem with money. Set him up properly.”
Chen Kai nodded, got up to shake hands with Dr. Liu, expressed his gratitude, and turned around and left the office disheartened. Passing through the crowded corridor, entering the crowded and cramped ward, and sitting down helplessly in the corner.
Looking around at other patients and family members, and looking at the father beside him, I feel that I am not so unfortunate. Some patients around are destitute, and they are surrounded by their wives and children who take care of them day and night. They are in a hurry. The nurses on the side couldn’t stand it anymore, and often took the time to go over to help give pointers. Some patients are very wealthy, and there are two nurses beside them, one is taking care of the daily life by the bedside, the other is running errands to take out snacks, and the wife is sitting on the edge nibbling on melon seeds, and keeps complaining that he needs to move to a clean private ward. .
Chen Kai’s head began to hurt a little. I don’t know if it was because of the long journey without rest, or because he was disgusted by the chaotic and complicated medical environment and the strange phenomenon caused by the gap between the rich and the poor.
In his spare time, Chen Kai chatted with Lao Liang about his daily life and learned that Lao Liang had been working as a nurse for more than ten years and worked in this hospital for seven years. He knew all the nurses and doctors in the hospital. Often instructs the bumbling little new nurses. With an experienced nurse by his side, Chen Kai gradually calmed down.
When it was time for breakfast, the hospital workers brought the cart. Chen Kai thought that, like the New Zealand hospital, one hand was free, which was just a dream, only if you paid in advance to make a reservation. Seeing Chen Kai’s puzzled face, Lao Liang asked curiously, “Have you ever been hospitalized? Listen to the accent, you are a local.”
The patient next door interjected, “He came back from abroad, and he doesn’t understand domestic affairs.”
Lao Liang nodded, understood, and said to himself, “Ginger.”
”No, I’m Chinese, but I don’t know much about the medical environment in China after working abroad for a few years.” Chen Kai defended, for fear that others would know that he didn’t understand domestic routines and would make a fool of him. I don’t know how many somersaults I’ve had in the hands of foreign compatriots before.
This nurse, Lao Liang, is kind and kind. After knowing the situation, he began to educate Chen Kai about science.
If you eat in the hospital, you have to pay for it in advance. The money is deducted from the hospital deposit. If the deposit is not enough, the hospital will ask you to fill it up immediately. People are waiting for admission, waiting for beds.
If you don’t want to eat in the hospital, you can go to the snack bar next to the hospital. There are relatively many choices, but the price is more expensive. There is also a staff cafeteria in the hospital. To enter and eat, you must first apply for a card. If the patient needs to be hospitalized for a long time, it is a good choice. After eating, the patient will be packaged and returned, and the same price is more abundant.
Nurses have an hour break at noon every day, which is to go to the hospital cafeteria to eat. To change the unspoken rule, if Chen Kai ordered takeout for the nurse and asked the nurse to eat, the nurse would eat at the bedside and continue to take care of the patient.
At the beginning, Chen Kai tried to let the nurses rest for an hour and went out to eat, but in this short hour, Chen Kai was in a hurry, and his father was lying on the hospital bed before he woke up, and he couldn’t stand it. How to change the urine bag? How to intubate feeding? Where are the medicines placed? what medicine? Wait, I don’t know at all. In the end, I had no choice but to order a takeaway to invite the nurse to eat at noon every day, and told him not to leave beside the hospital bed. This is also reasonable and reasonable. The nurses did their best and didn’t leave for a moment. After more than ten days, they didn’t even have time to take a shower.
In the evening, the nurse took out the reclining chair he prepared and unfolded it in the small space beside Chen Kai’s father’s bed, as did the other nurses around. There are eight beds in the ward, which are already small enough, and now there are eight more reclining chairs, and there is almost no place to walk. Lao Liang greeted Chen Kai to go back, let him rest assured and come back tomorrow.
Chen Kai was of course uneasy, and the patients around him comforted, “Go back and have a good rest, come back tomorrow, the nurses here will do their best to take care of it, don’t worry.”
Lao Liang also got up and comforted, “Don’t worry, I didn’t sleep to death at night, I rang the alarm clock and got up every 15 minutes to check.”
Chen Kai then left with peace of mind, dragging a large bag and a small bag, and took a taxi back to his mother. My father’s condition has long been greeted by my mother, and I pushed open the long-lost door. I didn’t feel strange at all, and the furniture arrangement was exactly the same as before. She hadn’t seen her child for almost two years, and Chen Kai’s mother was a little excited. There was already a table full of Chen Kai’s favorite meals.
The mother and son hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and the two chatted while eating.
After taking a shower and going to bed, Chen Kai was already exhausted, but he couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. The last time I lay on this bed was before marriage, and now I have an inexplicable sense of time travel, as if I had returned to the single life many years ago.
I don’t know how my wife and children are in New Zealand now. My wife has not yet obtained a driver’s license and can’t drive. My son has to take him to kindergarten every day. In today’s society, a small husband-and-wife family with a family of three really can’t stand the wind and waves. I really can’t imagine the tragic situation in which four elderly people fell ill at the same time in the news that was published in the newspapers in the past.
Chen Kai contacted his wife before going to bed. Fortunately, Xiongjun was there to help him. Not only was he responsible for taking Chen Kai’s children to the kindergarten, but he also helped to purchase food and daily necessities from the supermarket. friend.
Early the next morning, Chen Kai got up and went to the hospital. He heard from his mother that the traffic was crowded in the morning, and the earlier the departure, the better. Just after 7 o’clock, the subway was full of people, and Chen Kai, who was squeezed in and squeezed out by the crowd, missed the leisurely life in New Zealand, which was sparsely populated. It seemed that he was not used to the busy and noisy days in China.
In the morning, the hospital was even more crowded and crowded. The convoys picking up patients at the gate of the hospital lined up a long street, and the densely packed bicycles were tightly parked, blocking the pedestrian paths. The weather forecast indicated that it would be sunny today, but when I looked up, the haze had already enveloped the entire city like a torrential rain.
Wearing a mask, Chen Kai came to the fourth floor of the inpatient department again, walked through the busy corridor, and came to his father’s ward. The father was still lying still and didn’t wake up. Old Liang with red and swollen eyes leaned on the side and breathed, a scene of a loving father and a filial son, but this son was not Chen Kai, but a paid nurse.
When Lao Liang saw Chen Kai come in, he immediately got up and rubbed his eyes and said, “You take care of it, I’ll go to the toilet to have a bowel movement.”
The patient next to him said that Lao Liang took care of the patient with all his heart, not only did he not sleep well at night, he did not even have a bowel movement. Looking at the back of Lao Liang leaving in a hurry, Chen Kai was very moved. It seems that the job of taking care of patients is indeed not easy. Money, in other words, making money.
Sitting next to his sleepy father, holding his cold and swollen hand, watching the nurse mechanized inserting and pulling the needle, Chen Kai felt a little numb in his heart, has it always been like this? No further treatment options? Is that just lying down and taking a needle?
”Look! Your father’s hand is swollen, what should I do if it goes on like this! Should I insert an arterial tube?” the nurse said to Chen Kai while changing the hanging needle.
What is an arterial tube? Chen Kai looked confused, and shouldn’t all these treatment problems be the work of nurses and doctors? How can I ask a family member who doesn’t understand at all?
The nurse said impatiently on the side, the arterial tube is to insert an injection tube into the artery, so that you don’t have to poke the blood vessel every time an injection is given, whether to make her father suffer again, or not to install an arterial tube, let Chen Kai decide.
Chen Kai was of course overwhelmed, and he was also very annoyed. It was so troublesome to see a doctor in China. What medicine to use and how to treat him had to be decided by himself. Anyway, doctors and nurses were not only responsible for anything.
In desperation, Chen Kai consulted the circle of friends and family, and got unanimous responses. Don’t use intra-arterial injections. Those are all tricks to deceive people and spend money. This made Chen Kai even more angry. The hospital should be a place to save lives and help the wounded, how could it become a place where people cheat and make money?
Lao Liang came back from the toilet and said that he had not eaten breakfast, so he borrowed two steamed buns from the other nurses nearby and ate them. It is said that the nurses take care of the patients, but those who are responsible for them cannot walk away even a single step. Even if you have to leave temporarily for a few minutes, you have to let other caregivers help take care of it. This money is not so easy to earn, it is hard money. While nibbling on the steamed buns, he observed Chen Kai’s father’s bloated arm, and calmly said to Chen Kai, “You don’t need to use an arterial injection, your hands are swollen, and you need to change your feet. That nurse is inexperienced and nonsense.”
Chen Kai nodded, very grateful, and a little scared in his heart. He felt that no one in the hospital could be trusted, and he had to rely on himself for diagnosis and medication control. The hospital did not give him the feeling that he had been rescued and could recuperate with peace of mind. Instead, he was worried, for fear of being over-treated and becoming a screw in the medical industry.