Thank You Doctor Episode 9 Recap
> Thank You Doctor Recap
Fang Nan, an 18-year-old patient, was suffering from a massive posterior fossa hemorrhage. Medical experts confirmed that given the current medical capabilities, surgery was impossible, and pharmacological treatments were ineffective, with no successful cases known. They estimated he had only four to five days left to live, making further treatment pointless.
Distraught, Xiao Yan regretted not insisting on a brain CT scan earlier, believing that if she had, the condition might have been diagnosed and treated in time, preventing it from escalating. She expressed a strong desire to make a last attempt to save the young patient with surgery. However, Lu Ping'an suggested they should first consult with Fang Nan's mother before proceeding. Xiao Yan was consumed by self-blame, but Tang Hua and Lu Ping'an tried to reassure her.
Tang Hua pointed out that Xiao Yan had fulfilled all her duties as a doctor, and it was Fang Nan's family who refused the CT scan. Xiao Yan, however, felt that as a doctor, she should have anticipated all possibilities, especially for an 18-year-old.
Lu Ping'an sternly advised her to manage her emotional state, warning against showing guilt to the patient's family, as it could be exploited and lead to problems for her or the hospital, especially given the tense doctor-patient relationships. Bai Shu, overhearing, scoffed, implying Lu Ping'an was merely concerned about his own career.
Lu Ping'an defended himself, stating his priority was to protect doctors so they could focus on their work without distractions, emphasizing that self-protection was crucial for effective patient care. Undeterred, Xiao Yan tirelessly consulted foreign experts over the phone, searching for potential treatments for posterior fossa hemorrhage. Even after returning home, she continued her research online late into the night.
The next day, her preoccupation with Fang Nan's case caused her to nearly be hit by an ambulance outside the emergency center, but Bai Shu quickly pulled her to safety, though he sarcastically remarked about the Emergency Department becoming a "laughing stock." Her colleagues noticed her distress and tried to comfort her, urging her not to shoulder such immense pressure.
Lu Ping'an convened a meeting for all medical staff to discuss the "boundaries of medicine" and "the boundaries of a doctor." He asserted that neither medicine nor doctors are omnipotent, acknowledging that some illnesses are untreatable and some lives cannot be saved. Jiang Shan and Tang Hua encouraged Xiao Yan to stop blaming herself.
Xiao Yan shared a personal story from her internship: an experienced ER doctor told her that doctors are "in a race with death," sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but "continuing to run until the end of the race is the greatest respect for life." Inspired by this, Xiao Yan declared her intention to "persist until the very end" for Fang Nan, moving her colleagues to unanimously agree to join her in this final effort.
While Bai Shu did not explicitly voice his opinion during the meeting, he was later seen making calls to solicit help from various experts. Xu Yiran teased him, remarking on how similar he and Xiao Yan were in their relentless pursuit of medical solutions, a comparison Bai Shu attributed to helping the patient, not Xiao Yan.
The Emergency Department staff rallied, compiling medical papers from databases, sharing a video of a failed posterior fossa hemorrhage surgery from Ruirong Hospital for reference, and contacting international specialists, including the director of neurosurgery at Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany, whose contact information Lu Ping'an provided. Despite their collective efforts and Xiao Yan consolidating all the information, no viable treatment plan could be found, leaving her frantic.
Bai Shu then informed Xu Yiran that he had obtained an unpublished paper from Professor Ebben of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, which contained the latest research on massive posterior fossa hemorrhage. Bai Shu explained that Professor Ebben, who had once offered him a position during his academic exchange, readily provided the paper. He instructed Xu Yiran to pass it on to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan personally thanked Bai Shu for the invaluable, unpublished research, acknowledging the significant effort it must have taken to acquire it. Bai Shu, in his typical brusque manner, claimed he simply liked "helping the weak." Just then, an urgent call came: Fang Nan's condition had suddenly worsened, and his heart had stopped. Xiao Yan immediately rushed to the emergency. Despite two hours of resuscitation efforts, Fang Nan's life could not be saved. Xiao Yan was utterly heartbroken.
Later, Bai Shu deliberately lingered in the cafeteria, seemingly waiting for Xiao Yan, but Xu Yiran informed him that she had immediately taken on a new patient. Meanwhile, Lu Ping'an had arranged for a male care worker, Old Pan, a relative from his hometown, to assist Jiang Shan with her paralyzed husband, Xian Yun. Lu Ping'an claimed the fee would be 3,000 RMB a month.
When Lin Zhi commented on Lu Ping'an's kindness, Jiang Shan privately cautioned her against such remarks. She explained that these jokes could cause misunderstandings with her husband, potentially harm Lu Ping'an's career as a respected leader, and disrupt their professional collaboration, which was vital for the Emergency Department. Lin Zhi apologized and promised to be more mindful. Lu Ping'an then met with Old Pan, who agreed to the arrangement.
Secretly, Lu Ping'an gave Old Pan 3,500 RMB, instructing him to tell Jiang Shan the monthly fee was only 3,000 RMB, with Lu Ping'an covering the difference, and to keep the additional amount confidential. However, when Jiang Shan discussed hiring the care worker with Xian Yun, he adamantly refused. He insisted he could manage alone and expressed strong reluctance about a stranger witnessing his vulnerability.
He confessed a "difficult to explain" reason: he did not want a stranger to see him in such an undignified state, fearing it would make his life feel meaningless, burdened, and unbearable. Understanding his emotional pain, Jiang Shan agreed not to hire the care worker. She later informed Lu Ping'an of Xian Yun's decision, which he accepted. Fang Nan’s mother later approached Xiao Yan, still distraught and convinced that her refusal of the CT scan had caused her son’s death.
Xiao Yan tried to comfort her, explaining that no one could control diseases. Bai Shu arrived and, after reviewing Fang Nan's medical records, clarified that Fang Nan's posterior fossa hemorrhage was caused by Masquille Syndrome, an "extremely rare congenital disorder." He explained that even if a CT scan had been performed before the bleeding, it would not have detected the condition, and once the hemorrhage began, it was incurable.
Bai Shu added that Masquille Syndrome remained an "unsolved problem in the world," and a cure might be decades away. Hearing this, Fang Nan's mother found some relief from her immense guilt. Xiao Yan later thanked Bai Shu, acknowledging that he had "saved a mother's life" by alleviating her self-blame, to which Bai Shu simply replied, "It's just a daily routine." Still reeling from Fang Nan's death, Xiao Yan rode her motorcycle to the riverside alone.
Concerned, Bai Shu followed her in his car. He confronted her, reminding her of her own words that doctors deal with patients, helping them fight disease and death, and staying with them even when fate is unchangeable. He challenged her despair, calling it "ridiculous" given the near 100% mortality rate of Fang Nan's condition, and questioned if she was "cut out to be a doctor" if she couldn't accept such deaths.
Xiao Yan confessed that after always fighting till the very end as a Doctors Without Borders doctor, she had "compromised" this time due to the parents, deeply regretting not insisting on the CT scan. Bai Shu reaffirmed that her treatment decisions were not wrong and quoted Doctor Trudeau's epitaph: "Sometimes treating, often helping, always comforting."
He then took her back to Tongshan Hospital's Emergency Department, showing her the constant influx of patients, urging her to "dry your tears and get on with it, or you leave." Xiao Yan thanked him and returned to work, showing signs of renewed resolve. Following this, Lu Ping'an announced a new, high-profile case: Ge Hong, the wife of Huaman Real Estate's chairman, whose breast cancer had relapsed and wished to transfer to Tongshan Hospital. Given her stringent requirements for an attending physician, Lu Ping'an and Dean Jiang decided to assign Xiao Yan to her case.
