The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 210

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 210

Sandro came down to Busan a week before the semester started.

Since observing now wouldn’t be very meaningful anyway, he decided to do just a brief observation and make plans for the future.

“Ah, this is awkward. Where will you stay? Would you like to come to our house?”

Ah, since I live in a detached house with many rooms, I asked if he’d like to stay.

But Sandro politely declined.

“It’s fine! My sponsor told me not to skimp on studying expenses and gave me plenty of money!”

Oh, Chairman Rich. He really is generous.

As a hotel business owner, he wouldn’t spare expenses on hotel costs, would he?

“What did Director Kim Chunsik and Professor Lee Minseok teach you? Did they tell you to prepare lots of strange things?”

By the way, I suddenly felt anxious.

Those two are too enthusiastic. They didn’t throw an enormous amount of study material at him, did they?

“Haha, no. First, they gave me a book to study Korean medicine terminology. They also gave me a list of textbooks from pre-med through first and second year of medical school, so I ordered them, but they’re still difficult. I’m planning to memorize all the terminology first and then read them.”

“I know which book that is. Don’t approach it trying to memorize everything – read through it once, then study while looking things up.”

“They said there would be a test.”

“…Ah.”

As expected, they threw an enormous study load at him all at once.

Even though it’s 2-3 years to get a master’s degree, it would be extremely tight to study properly and write a thesis for the degree.

“Everyone’s been very supportive, so I’m grateful. Haha, I’m more comfortable with things being decided clearly like this rather than being told to figure it out myself.”

So he’s someone who likes Korean-style rote education. Actually, I’m used to that too.

“Since you already have a lot of assignments, let’s take it easy with us. Are there any fields you’re interested in? Skin conditions perhaps?”

I shouldn’t pile more work on top of what he already has.

He was very enthusiastic before coming, but what if he runs away if I add more?

I should just talk about conditions he’s interested in and let him observe only patients who aren’t too complicated.

I vaguely remember him saying he had skin conditions and that he treated his mother’s knees.

When you or your family are sick, you naturally become interested in those areas.

“Um, I’m interested in skin conditions, and also musculoskeletal and psychiatry….”

“Want to look at some charts?”

I opened the chart program and showed him several patients scheduled for follow-up visits today.

Then he became fixated on one of them and clasped his hands together.

“Oh, there’s a hypertension patient too? I’m very interested in blood pressure treatment.”

“Oh?”

That was quite unexpected.

At his young age, his blood pressure probably isn’t high yet.

“Is it a family member?”

“Yes. My mother has been on joint medication and blood pressure medication her whole life.”

I thought so. There are quite a few students who want to become doctors because they want to treat their families.

“When I was in medical school, my supervising professor was very negative about blood pressure medication. He claimed that hypertension standards keep getting lowered due to pharmaceutical company lobbying, and that the stroke prevention effects aren’t significant. He showed us all sorts of side effects too… But honestly, how can you tell someone to stop? It’s scary.”

Ah, there were Italian medical professors like that too.

In the standard medical system, if blood pressure exceeds hypertension diagnostic criteria, long-term blood pressure medication is mandatory.

High blood pressure means blood vessels are under continuous pressure.

Over time, blood vessels thicken and narrow, and if they get blocked, it causes stroke.

If brain blood vessels can’t withstand the pressure and rupture, it causes cerebral hemorrhage – that’s the accepted theory.

‘It’s a convincing mechanism.’

It was content accepted as common sense rather than just a theory.

But strokes and cerebral infarctions still occur in patients who consistently take blood pressure medication.

Because hypertension isn’t the only cause of stroke.

And naturally, there are many patients with hypertension who never get strokes in their lifetime.

Some know but can’t take medication due to laziness, or in some countries, economic reasons.

Especially since many patients who start taking it continue for life, stories about pharmaceutical company connections never cease worldwide.

Accordingly, there are doctors and Korean medicine doctors who make strong claims different from standard medicine.

And there are far more non-medical people spouting all kinds of conspiracy theories.

“Right. When your mother’s blood pressure is high right now, how could you tell her to stop?”

I tend not to make statements I can’t take responsibility for.

“If it’s still pre-hypertension stage, it would be good to start herbal medicine while monitoring progress, but for patients already on long-term medication, I treat by combining treatments first, then gradually discontinuing Western medicine.”

Treatment should come first to eliminate the risk.

“Ah, so that’s how you do it! I really want to observe! There are quite a few papers showing blood pressure returning to normal levels after taking herbal medicine for 3-4 months, but the medications used are slightly different.”

“That’s because it’s Korean medicine treatment.”

Sandro nodded vigorously.

He was determined to study hard and make an appropriate pattern identification diagnosis for his mother.

“But I’m not sure if you’ll be able to observe. This patient is a bit difficult.”

I stared at the chart and tapped the desk.

While I try my best to connect with patients and most appreciate my sincerity, I can’t become friends with every patient.

There are patients who are sensitive, difficult, and rarely let their guard down, aren’t there?

This hypertension patient, Mr. Kim Jaegyu, was exactly that type.

“She comes like clockwork every Monday at 2 PM, so let’s wait and see. I’ll ask if it’s okay for you to observe, but she might refuse.”

“Ah, yes! Even just hearing about the case would be fine.”

As soon as the discussion about the hypertension patient ended, a notification sound rang out indicating someone had registered at the front desk.

Thanks to having no patients waiting since morning, they could talk comfortably, but now it was time to see patients.

“Ms. Hwang Sooni, it’s been a while. Your tailbone again today?”

“Oh my, same as always! But thanks to the Clinic Director, life is bearable!”

“Today, would it be okay if a doctor observes…”

“Why ask an old lady about such things! Just go ahead and do it! Oh my, an American young man?”

“Hello, thank you for allowing this. Please take care of me.”

“He’s from Italy.”

“Italy! I know it! How do you speak Korean so well?”

Like this, most patients readily allowed the observation.

In the middle, Grandmother Heo Sunnam also came by to express her gratitude for the bulk purchase at the gallery.

Well, it was probably Chairman Rich who actually paid for it.

“For a patient like Ms. Hwang Sooni just now, where do you think we should place the needles?”

“Ah, Piriformis… the piriformis muscle.”

I decided to go easy on him, so why do I keep asking surprise questions?

Still, Sandro answered well.

After the morning clinic hours ended, at 2 o’clock.

“Mr. Kim Jaegyu is here.”

The hypertension patient they’d been waiting for had arrived.

‘He really is peculiar.’

Since it wasn’t a disease that could be cured in a week anyway, I told him from the beginning to take medicine for 3-4 months, a month’s worth at a time.

But he insisted on paying extra dispensing fees to get medicine weekly, and came to the clinic every Monday to check his blood pressure and even get acupuncture.

Someone this stubborn and sensitive is usually difficult when starting treatment too.

Hypertension is also related to nerves, and he wouldn’t listen to advice about lifestyle management at all.

So I estimated there was quite a high possibility that effects wouldn’t appear easily…

Kim Jaegyu’s blood pressure improved at a mysteriously fast rate.

* * *

Kim Jaegyu was someone who spent his entire life as a high school physical education teacher before retiring.

What does it mean to be a PE teacher?

Though there are exceptional schools, it was easy to end up playing the role of the strict tiger teacher who maintains student discipline.

Kim Jaegyu willingly took on the role of student affairs supervisor from his youth, and showed even more authority as retirement approached.

He would shout at and subdue students on behalf of young teachers who were overwhelmed by ‘kids these days’ who didn’t know respect.

Of course, that was all before retirement.

It would be nice if he could live more peacefully now that he was retired, but old habits die hard.

“What is this mess in your room! Clean it up before your mother comes in!”

“Ah… Dad, Mom doesn’t even say anything about stuff like this.”

“How dare you talk back! Have it all cleaned up before I get back!”

“Come on, how old am I…!”

He would bark orders at his grown son at home.

“Hey student! Don’t smoke on the street!”

Even on the streets, he couldn’t just pass by delinquent teenagers without lecturing them.

“Ah, yes…”

His voice and presence were extraordinary.

Even teenagers who act tough would cower before a madman, wouldn’t they?

Most of them listened to him.

“Oh my, Teacher Kim. Were you at it again?”

“Well, those kids were throwing cigarette butts behind the restaurant, how could I just pass by?”

“Relax~ The vice principal is worried about your health too.”

“Hmph!”

But his former colleagues at the meeting place tried to stop him.

They were worried he might get into trouble outside school, and were also concerned about his health since he got angry so often.

“Come on, let’s eat and cheer up. Three servings of dakgalbi and one bottle of soju, please.”

“We should order three bottles.”

“We can order more after we finish eating.”

Peaceful retirement life after leaving work.

…Even so, he didn’t have many friends.

Everyone he knew was a former colleague.

They were teachers who had retired around the same time or were about to retire soon.

“How’s your blood pressure? Shouldn’t you quit drinking?”

Shin Yongmin, the vice principal of the last school where he worked, asked.

Though they were close friends, unlike Kim Jaegyu who played the scary role, Shin Yongmin was a caring teacher who listened to all the students’ stories.

Kim Jaegyu shook his head.

“It’s manageable if I take medicine.”

“How long are you going to keep taking it? Quit drinking and manage your health. You didn’t work until this day and age just to live unhealthily, did you?”

“I’ll have to take it for life.”

But why is he going on about blood pressure so much today?

Kim Jaegyu suddenly became suspicious.

‘It’s not some multi-level marketing scheme selling supplements, is it?’

Shin Yongmin noticed that suspicious look and quickly explained.

“Oh, it’s nothing weird. My blood pressure got much better while I was getting treatment at the oriental medicine clinic, so I told Teacher Kim we should check it out together.”

“Oh, you had high blood pressure too, Vice Principal?”

“Pre-stage. Pre.stage! It’s not even high blood pressure!”

“Lucky you. When I started treatment, I was at 135/84, but now it’s down to 110/72.”

“Oh, so that’s in the normal range now?”

The other teacher who came with them was amazed, but Kim Jaegyu snorted.

If his systolic blood pressure had been around 135, he would have tried it too.

Normal blood pressure is systolic below 120mmHg and diastolic below 80mmHg, with systolic up to 130 being cautionary and up to 140 being pre-stage.

“When it’s bad, mine goes to 200/100. They say I’d be in big trouble if I stopped taking medication.”

“200?”

“Numbers like that are even possible?”

The two teachers were shocked by Kim Jaegyu’s boastful statement.

“C-can you survive that? Doesn’t your head hurt? I had all sorts of symptoms even at 135.”

“Of course it hurts. My neck is always stiff and I can’t sleep well at night.”

“Are you okay when you take blood pressure medication?”

“When I take the pills and check, the numbers stay maintained at just under 130. At this age, you just live with illnesses.”

Shin Yongmin was horrified and snatched Kim Jaegyu’s drink away.

“Stop drinking right now! If it’s that severe, you should have managed it long ago! You smoke too!”

“I only drink when there are gatherings. I only smoke 10 cigarettes a day.”

“…Even just us meet once a week! Even if it’s not an enormous amount, you shouldn’t be saying that so confidently!”

Shin Yongmin even pretended to wipe away tears, saying he didn’t want to attend Kim Jaegyu’s funeral.

“Ha, why would you attend my funeral? I have a wife and son.”

“That’s exactly why you need to take better care of your health!”

The two teachers strongly urged him to go to the oriental medicine clinic they attended first thing tomorrow.

“The PE teacher who came as Teacher Kim’s replacement recommended it to us, and it’s really good.”

“You must go, you must!”

Shin Yongmin even emphasized that he would call to check up on it.

“No, my blood pressure is hopeless…”

“Hey now!”

Kim Jaegyu was overwhelmed by someone else’s momentum for the first time in a very long while.

Actually, he wasn’t really convinced.

It wasn’t like Shin Yongmin’s borderline high blood pressure – his sometimes went over 200, so what could they possibly do?

Alcohol, cigarettes, anger – he’d lived his whole life this way. He didn’t particularly want to change.

“Fine. I’ll just go and see.”

But he couldn’t help feeling a glimmer of hope.

Kim Jaegyu started treatment at the oriental medicine clinic his acquaintances had recommended.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————