Thank You Doctor Episode 7 Recap
> Thank You Doctor Recap
Zhang Gui Rong's condition took a turn for the worse, and his medical report confirmed a pulmonary embolism, requiring immediate thrombolysis. His wife, Xiao Lian, pleaded with Doctor Xiao Yan to cease aggressive treatment, believing it only prolonged his suffering and wishing for him to pass away peacefully and with dignity. Xiao Yan, however, insisted that there was still hope and decided to proceed with thrombolysis, stating they should await Zhang Da Hai's arrival for a family discussion.
Xiao Lian stayed by Zhang Gui Rong's side, urging him to let go of his worries. Moved by her husband's lingering attachment and unable to bear watching him succumb, Xiao Lian soon changed her mind and begged Xiao Yan to continue treatment. Suddenly, Zhang Gui Rong began to suffocate. Xiao Yan and the medical team immediately initiated CPR and defibrillation, administering epinephrine. His condition remained unstable, and his heartbeat became erratic.
Despite knowing that after thirty minutes of CPR without autonomous circulation, death could be declared, Xiao Yan refused to give up, continuing the efforts for forty minutes. Doctor Bai Shu arrived and took over the chest compressions, but Zhang Gui Rong ultimately passed away at two minutes past midnight on November 12, 2018, due to the inability to restore a stable heartbeat.
Doctor Chen Zhi tried to console a distraught Bai Shu, but Bai Shu reflected on the fragility of life and the painful reality of medical limitations. Shortly after, Zhang Da Hai rushed into the hospital, dramatically lamenting his grandfather's death. Xiao Yan approached Bai Shu to thank him for his assistance in Zhang Gui Rong's final moments. Bai Shu, attributing his actions to Xiao Yan's own teachings, quickly excused himself but invited her to use his coffee machine.
Moments later, Zhang Da Hai was arrested by the police for illegal gambling. Hospital Director Jiang Zhong Jing reprimanded both Bai Shu and Xiao Yan for extending Zhang Gui Rong's CPR beyond the standard thirty minutes, which resulted in three fractured ribs, and issued a hospital-wide criticism report.
Doctor Tang Hua defended Xiao Yan, while Doctor Xu Yiran took the opportunity to jokingly mock Bai Shu, suggesting he was trying to make a name for himself by linking his name with Xiao Yan's. Xiao Yan later questioned Bai Shu about his decision to continue CPR, asking what constituted the greatest respect for life and death—adhering to a patient's wishes or fighting for life itself.
Bai Shu explained that while medically the prolonged resuscitation might have seemed futile or even cruel, it was necessary for the patient and his family to fight until the very last moment. He believed that doctors should never give up as long as there's a heartbeat. Bai Shu then invited Xiao Yan to a barbecue as an apology for her reprimand, suggesting they bring other colleagues, but Xiao Yan declined, stating she had other commitments.
Xiao Yan's commitments led her to an elementary school, searching for "Smoke Alley," a place Lin Zhi Yuan had mentioned. She met his former homeroom teacher, Wu Gui Fang, who fondly recalled Zhi Yuan's childhood dream of becoming a doctor. Xiao Yan informed her that Zhi Yuan had indeed achieved his dream as an outstanding Doctors Without Borders physician before his accidental death.
Wu Gui Fang, however, could not recall any place called "Smoke Alley" near the school but offered to contact Zhi Yuan's old classmates for any leads. Meanwhile, an elderly patient named Cheng Guo Dong, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, was brought into the emergency room by his eldest son, Cheng Wei Liang. He was running a high fever, coughing incessantly, and belligerently refused treatment, claiming he needed to urinate.
Cheng Wei Liang, frustrated by his father's perceived antics, accused him of feigning, only for Cheng Guo Dong to urinate on himself. Angrily, Cheng Wei Liang changed his father's soiled clothes and bedding, declining help from the nursing staff. Doctor Tang Hua was quick to criticize Cheng Wei Liang's "unfilial" behavior, but Nurse Jiang Shan urged her to understand the immense difficulties of caring for someone with Alzheimer's.
Xiao Yan's examination revealed severe pneumonia, with a high risk of acute respiratory failure. She recommended transferring Cheng Guo Dong to the EICU for specialized care, despite the higher costs, and Cheng Wei Liang agreed. In the EICU, Cheng Guo Dong repeatedly called for his younger son, Cheng Wei Jie, and daughter, Cheng Wei Xiu. Cheng Wei Liang, disheartened, told his father they were too busy to visit and then called his siblings.
He explained their father's severe condition, assuring them he didn't need their financial help but wanted them to visit. Cheng Wei Jie, however, lashed out, blaming Cheng Wei Liang for not caring for their father properly. Back in the EICU, Cheng Guo Dong continued to refuse his medication, causing a commotion. Cheng Wei Liang rushed back to his father's bedside, forcefully trying to administer the medicine.
When Cheng Guo Dong resisted, Cheng Wei Liang lost his temper and slapped his father across the face. Witnessing this, Xiao Yan intended to call the police, but Director Lu Ping'an intervened, advising her to understand the complex family dynamics. He gently counseled Cheng Wei Liang, acknowledging the immense strain of caring for an Alzheimer's patient but emphasizing that violence was unacceptable. Lu Ping'an suggested Cheng Wei Liang take a much-needed break, offering support from hospital staff.
Xiao Yan also urged Cheng Wei Liang to let his siblings experience the demanding nature of their father's care. When Tang Hua informed Jiang Shan about the incident, Jiang Shan was shocked. Soon, Cheng Wei Jie and Cheng Wei Xiu arrived. Upon seeing their father's swollen cheek, they immediately accused Jiang Shan and the other nurses of hitting him. Cheng Wei Jie forcefully pushed Jiang Shan, causing her to fall and scrape her arm.
Xiao Yan intervened, sending Lin Zhi to assist Jiang Shan. Cheng Wei Liang then stepped forward, admitting that he was the one who had hit his father. His siblings, however, reacted with outrage, verbally assaulting him and questioning his filial piety. Director Lu Ping'an, upon hearing of Jiang Shan's injury, showed deep concern and offered her time off. Lin Zhi playfully teased Jiang Shan about Lu Ping'an's evident special care, jokingly referring to him as "Mama Lu."
Outside the ward, Cheng Wei Liang confronted his siblings. Exhausted and frustrated, he challenged them to take over their father's care if they believed he was doing a poor job. He recounted years of neglect from his siblings, highlighting their lack of visits and financial contributions since their father's diagnosis.
In response, Cheng Wei Jie and Cheng Wei Xiu accused their father of favoritism, claiming he had always pampered Cheng Wei Liang, giving him the factory position and the family home. Cheng Wei Liang vehemently refuted their claims, explaining that the factory job was undesirable, and that their father had, in fact, used his life savings to support his siblings' ventures—helping Cheng Wei Jie start his business and Cheng Wei Xiu attend a training course where she met her husband.
He concluded by asserting that if they couldn't care for their father, he would, but they had no right to criticize his methods. After he walked away, his siblings tried to call him, but his phone was off. Xiao Yan then intervened, falsely telling them that she had called the police and Cheng Wei Liang had been arrested for assault.
