Of course, Du Heng didn't care whether they started a fire; he was here to see patients, not to warm himself.
"Grandma, please don't trouble yourself. Find a place to sit, and we'll give you a check-up."
"You just need to examine my old man. I don't need one."
"It's alright, both of you need to be examined."
Although the Old Lady said this, her movements were remarkably deft. Before Du Heng had finished speaking, she had already pulled over two stools, leaving him stunned.
"Buwei, you check the Old Lady's blood pressure and pulse first, and I'll examine the old man."
"Yes, Brother."
They had come out this time for universal health screenings. Measuring blood pressure and pulse were basic procedures. Moreover, in the disease record, these were fundamental requirements and had to be included.
Du Heng left Wu Buwei to his task, took off his shoes, got onto the bed, and began to examine the old man seriously.
"Sir, I'm a doctor from the Health Clinic. My name is Du Heng, and I'm here to give you a check-up."
Du Heng greeted him warmly, but the old man just lay there stiffly, neither approving nor opposing. A simple "Hmm" escaped his nostrils, and his expression was somewhat dark.
Can't he speak, or doesn't he want to?
Regardless, Du Heng felt the old man's internal fire was a bit excessive and needed to be calmed.
Paralysis can be caused by two types of reasons. One is external factors, such as car accidents, falls, or injuries resulting in a broken back or legs.
The other is internal causes, which traditional Chinese medicine calls a stroke.
A stroke, in this context, isn't caused by external 'wind.' It stems from an internal imbalance—primarily excessive heart fire and deficient kidney water—which is considered the root of this self-generated illness. This condition can create dampness. Dampness, in turn, can generate phlegm; phlegm can produce heat; and extreme heat can give rise to internal 'wind.'
This 'wind-phlegm' then obstructs the meridians, leading to an inability to speak or loss of use in the hands and feet.
After a thorough check-up, Du Heng was sure this was a case of post-stroke sequelae.
However, the check-up also showed that the Old Lady took excellent care of her husband. His paralyzed left leg and arm showed no obvious signs of degeneration or atrophy.
He presumed the Old Lady often gave her husband massages, and that the old man himself probably used a cane or something similar to move around a bit.
When Du Heng finished the check-up, the others—Zuo Liangliang and the Old Lady—looked at him with anticipation. The Old Lady, in particular, gazed at Du Heng with hopeful eyes.
"Doctor, how is my husband's condition? Can he recover?"
Zuo Liangliang wore a similar expression. "Doctor Du, can my Uncle stand up again?"
Du Heng sat up. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the old man, on whose face he also saw a flicker of hope.
Du Heng quickly searched his medical knowledge, comparing it piece by piece with the old man's check-up results. He concluded there was hope, but first, he needed to confirm two things.
"Sir, when did this start?"
The old man finally spoke, his voice surprisingly strong. "It was the twenty-fourth of the twelfth lunar month. I was picking something up, stood up too quickly, and just fainted. I was in the hospital for half a month, but I didn't get any better, so I came back."
He can speak. That's good. However, the timing seemed off. If Du Heng remembered correctly, Zuo Liangliang had just said it had been half a year.
Zuo Liangliang noticed Du Heng's questioning look and immediately explained, "He fainted once about half a year ago. His hands and feet weren't working properly then, but he could still barely stand. Then, he fainted again in the twelfth lunar month, and after that, he became like this—completely unable to move his left side."
One really needs the whole story; hearing only half leads to mistakes, Du Heng thought. After all, the twelfth lunar month had passed just over a month ago.
"Grandma, you've taken very good care of him," Du Heng said. "The muscles in his legs and arms haven't atrophied, so there's still hope he can stand up again. However, quite some time has passed, so the treatment might take a long while. Ultimately, the extent of his recovery will depend on the patient himself and the care his family provides."
"Yes, yes! As long as he can stand, feed himself, and go to the toilet on his own, we'd be so grateful!" The Old Lady's face was filled with gratitude, her hands clasped as she thanked Du Heng repeatedly.
Du Heng, still on the bed, quickly waved his hand. "Grandma, please. I only said there's hope."
"Hope is good! Hope is good!"
Du Heng felt a little helpless. From the moment they entered, both the old man and the Old Lady had worn grim expressions; they had probably just been arguing. The Old Lady must have been weary of caring for him, so hearing there was a chance for recovery had evidently made her a bit emotional.
"Buwei, bring me the needles from my medicine box."
Wu Buwei began disinfecting the needle utensils. Meanwhile, Du Heng used the time to write up the old man's disease record, not wanting to leave everything to Wu Buwei.
This time, the choice of acupoints was extensive. LI-11, LI-04, Huan Tiao, and ST-36 were essential acupoints. For instance, to maintain vitality in the finger joints, the Eight Evils points were necessary, and similar logic applied to other areas. Du Heng mentally calculated that he would use more than ten acupoints this time.
Although needling so many points was tiring for Du Heng, there was good news: the old man's leg and arm reacted strongly. This gave Du Heng a significant boost of confidence.
The most feared thing in paralysis is a lack of reaction or sensation in the affected area; that truly is a dire sign.
After a busy half an hour, Du Heng removed the needles and began dictating the prescription for Wu Buwei to record.
Blood deficiency stroke affects the left side, so the left becomes impaired. Qi deficiency stroke affects the right side, so the right becomes impaired. Wind in the sinews and vessels causes rigidity. Ying deficiency with wind causes numbness; Wei deficiency with wind also causes numbness.
After a moment's thought, a prescription specifically for hemiplegia surfaced in Du Heng's mind: "Sojutsu var, 6 grams; codonopsis, 15 grams; gastrodia, 15 grams; agarwood, 6 grams... plus a few slices of ginger. Decoct in water and take three times a day."
Wu Buwei's pen flew across the paper, quickly recording the dozen or so medicinal ingredients Du Heng listed. When Du Heng finished, Wu Buwei had also finished writing and handed the completed prescription to him.
Du Heng reviewed it, found no issues, signed his name, then tore off the duplicate sheet from the bottom and handed it to the Old Lady. "Grandma, this is the prescription. Have the medicine prepared according to this. Six doses constitute one course of treatment. Take three courses first, then either call me or come find me at the Health Clinic on any Friday."
The Old Lady carefully took the prescription and placed it in a shoebox at the head of the bed. Opening it, she revealed neatly arranged medicine bottles inside.
"Grandma, you'll need to put in some effort every day," Du Heng instructed. "Massage your husband's arm and leg twice daily, morning and evening. Come here, I'll show you. There are a few spots you need to press harder."
Du Heng called the Old Lady to his side and patiently, repeatedly, taught her the key acupoints to focus on, ensuring she remembered them.
The Old Lady was very diligent in her learning, but being elderly, her memory wasn't the best. She'd often learn three new points only to forget the previous ones, and her attempts at massage would become haphazard. Only when the Old Lady had finally learned them all did she stop, satisfied.
"Oh, dear, look at me! My mind is so muddled. I didn't even offer you a cup of tea. Please, sit for a moment, and I'll pour you some water."
Du Heng and Wu Buwei exchanged a subtle glance, both thinking the Old Lady's shift in demeanor was remarkably quick—it was a shame she wasn't an actress.
"Grandma, please don't trouble yourself," Du Heng said gently. "I still need to give you a check-up, and then we must be going. There are many other families we haven't visited yet."
"You're not staying for a drink? How could I let you leave like that?"
"It's quite alright, Grandma. Please, come and sit down, and I'll do your check-up now."
"Very well. Thank you, Doctor."
Du Heng got off the bed, put on his shoes, and sat down beside the Old Lady, preparing to give her a check-up.