I Can Talk to the Internal Organs-Chapter 309 - 275: Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils

Chapter 309: Chapter 275: Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils

In traditional Chinese medicine, kidney failure is referred to as ’Guan Ge’.

This illness is characterized by the weakness of the Spleen and Kidney, impaired qi transformation, and turbid evil obstructing the Triple Jiao, resulting in symptoms such as urinary retention and vomiting.

Of course, the most typical symptoms are urinary retention and vomiting.

The name ’Guan Ge’ is derived from these main symptoms.

Urinary retention is called ’Guan’, while vomiting is called ’Ge’.

This illness is generally rare and only appears when conditions like edema, strangury, or urinary blockage persist and are not cured for a long time.

In simple terms, it’s when kidney function is initially damaged and remains untreated for too long, eventually developing into ’Guan Ge’.

The pathological nature of ’Guan Ge’ is based on deficiency with excess, with Spleen and Kidney weakness as the root, and damp-turbidity and toxic evil as the manifestation. The disease location is in the Spleen and Stomach, Kidney, and Bladder, especially the Kidney, but also involves multiple organs like the Lung, Liver, and Heart.

In the early stages, the disease is in the Spleen and Kidney, but in later stages, it can affect multiple organs.

If Kidney Yang fails and cold water invades, attacking the Heart and Lung, it leads to palpitations and chest pain; if the Yang harms the Yin, Kidney Yin is depleted, Liver Yang is hyperactive, and internal wind arises, it can cause dizziness and stroke; if turbid evil is strong inside, invading the Heart envelope, it leads to coma, delirium, and even Yin-Yang separation, endangering life.

To cure this illness, one must differentiate between Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency or Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency, as well as differentiate between cold-damp and damp-heat conditions.

Next, it’s necessary to identify the disease location, clarifying whether it is in the Spleen and Stomach, Kidney, Heart, or Liver.

The treatment of ’Guan Ge’ is challenging because it involves supplementation and drainage; treatment should be a blend of enhancement and drainage, addressing both root and manifestation.

Early treatment focuses on supplementation first, combined with clearing turbidity and promoting urination; in later stages, treatment should involve both supplementation and drainage, emphasizing both, supplementing after drainage, or long-term use of both methods.

Unquestionably, Xiang Ye can only be treated with the latter approach.

However, the antihypertensive drugs for the past six years, combined with four years of dialysis, have significantly weakened his heart. Whether the current disease location is primarily in the Spleen and Kidney or the Heart needs to be assessed by Lu Jiu.

Of course, the core idea of strengthening the Heart to treat the Kidney will absolutely not change.

Considering Xiang Ye’s current condition, although the heart is also damaged, it is evidently less severe than the kidney.

As long as this strength relationship remains unchanged, there is no need to alter the treatment approach.

Though the key idea exists, formulating a treatment plan isn’t easy either.

Additionally, Lu Jiu must consider that the patient has been taking antihypertensive drugs consistently.

A ten-year medication history is no joke.

Lu Jiu also worries that even if the herbal medicine matches the symptoms, it might not be able to restore the declining Five Viscera.

After all, the patient’s body has developed a dependency on medication!

Lu Jiu withdrew his hand, observing the marks left by his fingers on Xiang Ye’s wrist, and his bloated arm seemed like it was molded from clay, with the indentations remaining imprinted for a long time.

"Can you usually urinate?" Lu Jiu asked.

Xiang Ye looked distressed, "I can only urinate once or twice a week, and then only a little."

Lu Jiu asked, "Do you feel weak when urinating?"

Xiang Ye nodded, "Yes."

Lu Jiu continued to ask, "I see your palms are cold; your soles should be as well."

Xiang Ye nodded again.

Lu Jiu said, "Open your mouth so I can check your tongue coating."

Xiang Ye opened his mouth.

Almost instantly, a foul breath resembling urine assailed them.

Lu Jiu held his breath momentarily and carefully observed Xiang Ye’s tongue coating.

"Years ago, did you indulge in excessive eating and drinking, with a very irregular diet?" Lu Jiu asked.

Xiang Ye was taken aback, "Indeed, there were a lot of social engagements."

Lu Jiu nodded, "The reason seems to be dietary irregularities leading to Spleen and Stomach dysfunction, creating dampness and heat. This damp-heat then descended to injure the Kidney, causing impaired qi transformation, which results in poor urination, with manifestations such as scrotal dampness and uncontrollable desires. This lingering damp-heat, over time, led to further Kidney Yang deficiency and decline in the fire of life gate, weakening the steam transformation, further impairing qi transformation, and making urination increasingly difficult."

"When water and dampness cannot be expelled, toxic substances accumulate in the body, leading to dizziness. You may have thought it was hypertension and started taking antihypertensive drugs, not realizing this harmed your heart. So, after taking many antihypertensive drugs, you must have experienced symptoms like palpitations and chest tightness. At the same time, antihypertensive drugs couldn’t resolve water retention issues, leading to swelling in the body which initially would have appeared on the face and abdomen, spreading gradually to the entire body."

"By the time you were diagnosed with kidney disease, it was already very late. Had it been treated ten years ago, just three doses of herbal medicine could have resolved it. Now, I can only say we can give it a try; the outcome, I cannot guarantee. Do you understand what I mean?"

Hearing Lu Jiu’s words, Xiang Ye was utterly stunned.

Indeed, he originally had issues with his Spleen and Stomach due to disordered eating.

He had rarely mentioned the consistent sweating below to any doctor.

It was astonishing how Lu Jiu, just by feeling his pulse, understood his condition so thoroughly.

But what surprised Xiang Ye the most was that Lu Jiu said if it had been ten years earlier, three doses of herbal medicine could resolve the issue. Had he known, he would never have taken antihypertensive drugs.

After all, the side effects of antihypertensive drugs are well-known.

But when hypertension flares up, there’s really no other way but to take antihypertensive drugs, right?

Not taking them feels unbearable; although taking them has side effects, at least those side effects don’t manifest immediately. How could he have foreseen the long-term harm they would bring?

"Dr. Lu, what should we do now?" Xiang Ye’s wife asked, looking despondent.

Lu Jiu said, "First, I’ll try to maintain his cardiac and pulmonary function. Give me a week. If I can’t find a solution within a week, you can seek other doctors for advice."

A week isn’t long, but it’s not short either.

If his efforts don’t yield the expected outcome in a week, it indicates that the chances of Xiang Ye’s kidneys recovering are slim.

"Yes, Dr. Lu, we’ll follow your advice," Xiang Ye and his wife responded promptly.

The reason they sought out Lu Jiu was because years of dialysis had significantly deteriorated Xiang Ye’s physical condition.

Even doctors said that with his current condition, undergoing dialysis for another two to three years might become unbearable for him.

But if he stops dialysis, he won’t be able to hold on now.

Between two harms, choose the lesser one.

Doctors at the hospital naturally advised Xiang Ye to continue dialysis.

If not for knowing Lu Jiu, they probably wouldn’t have considered other options.

But they knew!

"Alright, please have a seat. I’ll give you acupuncture first," Lu Jiu said.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ye walked over to the small bed and sat down.

Lu Jiu took the needles and began to perform acupuncture on Xiang Ye.

At points such as Zhongwan, Neiguan, Bladder Shu, Zhongji, Triple Jiao Shu, Yinlingquan, Zusanli, and Sanyinjiao...

Zhongwan and Neiguan can harmonize the Stomach, descend counterflow, and stop vomiting; Bladder Shu and Zhongji regulate the bladder function to promote urination.

Triple Jiao Shu regulates the qi mechanism of the upper, middle, and lower Triple Jiao and regulates water pathways, Yinlingquan awakens the Spleen and drains dampness.

Combined with Zusanli which strengthens the Spleen and Stomach and supports Righteous Qi, and Sanyinjiao which strengthens the Spleen and Stomach and nourishes the Liver and Kidney.

This set of acupuncture is simply to provide a basic recovery effect, making Xiang Ye feel less uncomfortable.

Afterward, Lu Jiu has to prescribe a herb formula for Xiang Ye.

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