Thank You Doctor Episode 38 Recap
> Thank You Doctor Recap
Lu Ping'an shared details about Li Minghui's condition with Jiang Shan. Li Minghui intended to cook a meal at his home with their daughter, Xiao Yu. Jiang Shan encouraged Lu Ping'an to spend more time with them, given that he hadn't in the past and Li Minghui was supposedly ill. As Li Minghui left, she cast a triumphant look at Jiang Shan.
Meanwhile, at Tongshan Hospital’s Emergency Department, Uncle Zhao arrived after experiencing sudden breathing difficulties and tachycardia during a routine check-up. He had previously undergone a coronary artery bypass graft and aortic valve replacement at a county hospital. Dr. Xu Yiran examined him and called in Dr. Bai Shu. Bai Shu suspected the patient's symptoms were due to an avulsion of a surgical stitch causing a perivalvular leakage. An echocardiogram, conducted by Xu Yiran, confirmed severe aortic regurgitation, necessitating immediate surgery.
However, Lu Ping'an expressed reservations, citing Uncle Zhao's advanced age and the high risks of a second open-heart surgery due to potential adhesions. He proposed conservative treatment and requested medical records from the county hospital. Bai Shu meticulously reviewed the surgical videos and records from the county hospital five times, finding no issues with the initial operation. He concluded that Uncle Zhao’s heart had sufficient healthy muscle and a robust vascular system to withstand another open-heart surgery.
He attributed Uncle Zhao's post-operative weakness to the stitch avulsion and subsequent regurgitation. Dr. Xiao Yan concurred with Bai Shu’s assessment, supporting the decision for re-operation. Shortly after, Uncle Zhao’s condition sharply deteriorated into respiratory failure. Bai Shu and Lu Ping'an rushed to his side, and the medical team successfully resuscitated him. Bai Shu again advocated for surgery, prompting Lu Ping'an to instruct him to discuss the options with Uncle Zhao and his family.
Bai Shu explained that while conservative treatment offered a chance to get out of bed, it would only relieve symptoms and not resolve the underlying leakage, requiring continuous hospital visits. Uncle Zhao, eager to resume traveling, preferred surgery over ongoing hospital visits. His old companion was gravely concerned about the risks of a second operation, including severe bleeding and even death.
However, when Uncle Zhao directly asked Bai Shu about his confidence, Bai Shu reassured him, promising to devise the safest possible plan with cardiac specialists. During the operation, Bai Shu and Xiao Yan discovered that Uncle Zhao's native valve annulus and the prosthetic valve were mismatched, leading to incomplete closure and blood reflux. Bai Shu promptly requested a new valve. The surgery was successful. Afterwards, Bai Shu thanked Xiao Yan, who encouraged him to continue his excellent work.
Later, Li Minghui and Xiao Yu returned. Li Minghui announced Xiao Yu had placed first in an exam, pressuring Lu Ping'an to buy her a plush toy, claiming he had never done so. Lu Ping'an proudly agreed to take Xiao Yu that weekend to celebrate and buy her a toy, but explicitly told Li Minghui to stay home and rest due to her supposed illness. Li Minghui then dramatically stated she didn't have much time left.
Lu Ping'an, exasperated, confronted her, revealing he had called Director Liu at Ruirong Hospital and knew she didn't have late-stage liver cancer, but merely uneven fatty liver. Li Minghui then tried to manipulate Xiao Yu, urging her to tell her father she didn't want a new mother and wanted her parents to reconcile. Lu Ping'an firmly told Li Minghui to stop using their daughter as an excuse. Li Minghui apologized, claiming she only wanted a complete family for Xiao Yu.
Lu Ping'an responded that while he once hated her, he no longer did, but the past was in the past, and they couldn't go back. He emphasized their shared responsibility as Xiao Yu's parents. Li Minghui angrily took Xiao Yu, but Xiao Yu tearfully pleaded with her father not to abandon her. Lu Ping'an lovingly reassured Xiao Yu that he would always be by her side and would certainly buy her a plush toy that weekend.
After this encounter, Lu Ping'an sought out Jiang Shan, explaining his complex history with Li Minghui. He recounted how Li Minghui had constantly blamed him for not earning enough money, complaining about their home and his lack of ambition. Their marriage deteriorated into frequent arguments, culminating in her divorcing him and taking Xiao Yu. The divorce left him feeling lost, and he coped by burying himself in work, hoping to distract himself from the intense emotional pain.
This dedication to his job, however, led colleagues to mistakenly believe he had become utilitarian and solely focused on personal advancement. Jiang Shan listened patiently and affirmed that he hadn't changed, citing his unwavering commitment to his patients as proof. She advised him not to dwell on others' misunderstandings, emphasizing that those who truly understood him didn't require explanations.
Lu Ping'an expressed his gratitude, confessing that he had been holding these feelings inside for years with no one to confide in. Jiang Shan reassured him that suppressing his feelings could lead to illness and offered to lend an ear whenever he needed to talk. Lu Ping'an was deeply appreciative of her understanding. In another part of the hospital, Zeng Xu Ming, who was left paralyzed after a car accident, was preparing for discharge.
His partner, Chen Li Shuang, planned to take him back to their hometown of Qingdao, believing the sea air would aid his recovery. However, Zeng Xu Ming left without a word, leaving a note suggesting she should let go for her own peace. Chen Li Shuang, finding the note, tracked him down in his wheelchair outside the Emergency Department.
She confronted him, telling him he was wrong to think she was only staying out of guilt for not saving him first. She acknowledged initial regrets but quickly realized that if the roles were reversed, he would have made the same choice. Zeng Xu Ming, humbled, apologized for his narrow-mindedness, and they shared an embrace. Xiao Yan and Bai Shu observed this poignant scene from afar.
Later, Xu Yiran brought skewers to Bai Shu and reflected on Chen Li Shuang's profound words. The medical team faced another critical case with Sun Fang Min, who again experienced hemoptysis, terrifying her husband, Li Hongwei. Lu Ping'an, Bai Shu, Xiao Yan, and Xu Yiran discussed inducing labor to save Sun Fang Min, as the growing fetus was putting immense strain on her heart and lungs.
However, Sun Fang Min adamantly refused, insisting on waiting until 37 weeks, unwilling to risk losing her baby, which was only 28 weeks old. Lu Ping'an respected her wishes but prepared contingency plans for an emergency C-section if her condition worsened before full-term. As expected, Sun Fang Min's cardiopulmonary function deteriorated, prompting Lu Ping'an to call for an urgent multidisciplinary consultation involving obstetrics, pediatrics, respiratory, and cardiac surgery.
He then explained the severe surgical risks to her parents, including potential blood pressure drops, irregular heartbeats, and even cardiac arrest, stressing the doctors would do their best but they needed to be aware of the possibilities. Sun Fang Min became overwhelmed with fear, crying in her husband's arms. Li Hongwei, distraught, offered to tell the doctors they wouldn't have the baby, but Sun Fang Min stopped him, calming herself and asking him not to worry her parents.
Shortly after, she experienced sudden, severe abdominal pain. Li Hongwei rushed to call for help. Xiao Yan coordinated with the obstetric team for an emergency C-section. After the baby was delivered (weighing 1500g and immediately sent to pediatric intensive care), Sun Fang Min suffered a massive uterine hemorrhage. Doctors frantically worked to stop the bleeding, transfusing blood and other clotting agents. Outside, Li Hongwei and his parents waited anxiously as a nurse informed them of the life-threatening hemorrhage.
After intense efforts, the bleeding was eventually brought under control, and Sun Fang Min's condition stabilized. Though out of immediate danger, Sun Fang Min remained in a critical state. Lu Ping'an explained to the team that while she had passed the challenges of pregnancy and delivery, the postpartum period, particularly the first month, was the most dangerous due to the immense burden on her heart and lungs as her body recovered.
Li Hongwei showed Sun Fang Min pictures of their newborn, marveling at his cuteness. Tears welled in Sun Fang Min's eyes, unable to speak. The doctors, including Xiao Yan, Xu Yiran, and Bai Shu, remained vigilant, closely monitoring her unstable vital signs, as her oxygen saturation was still low and dropping. Xiao Yan, ever cautious, chided Xu Yiran for speculating on further complications.
The next morning, Xiao Yan arrived at work to find Xiao Xu, a young man, waiting for her with flowers. He gave her a warm hug. A card fell from the bouquet, which Bai Shu picked up, reading "With love, Xu." Seeing this, Bai Shu became visibly flustered, prompting Xu Yiran to playfully tease him about a "romantic rival" and remark that "women never say what they really think."
Xiao Yan, noticing Xiao Xu's persistent cough, insisted on a medical check-up, despite his protests that he just had a cold. She made him undergo routine blood and urine tests, and a flu throat swab. After the tests, Xiao Xu invited Xiao Yan to dinner, mentioning he would be returning to Switzerland the next day. Xiao Yan declined due to her night shift and suggested the hospital cafeteria.
Later, Bai Shu, still perturbed, approached Xiao Xu at the nurses' station and, attempting to seem supportive, encouraged him in his "pursuit" of Xiao Yan. Xiao Xu quickly clarified, "She's my sister!" Upon hearing this, Bai Shu's expression instantly shifted to one of profound relief and joy, and he immediately offered Xiao Xu water.
