Chapter 358: Chapter 358: The Unexpected Ectopic Pregnancy
Liu Zheng nodded and then took a stethoscope out of his medical bag. He moved her hand away and looked at the spot she had been covering, which was situated right in the middle of her abdomen, not on the sides.
If it had been on the sides, he would have been more inclined to suspect acute appendicitis. However, realizing that the location wasn’t quite right, he wondered if it could indeed be related to her diet or something she ate.
"Does it hurt right here? If you feel pain where I press, then tell me, or if you prefer not to speak, just nod your head," he said.
After speaking, Liu Zheng pressed down with his hand, but upon completion of the examination, he found she didn’t have a specific point of pain; rather, her entire abdomen was in severe pain.
"When was your last menstrual period?" he asked directly, bringing up a very private matter. The woman just froze for a moment, then shook her head lightly. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell him—perhaps her memory was a bit foggy.
"I need to tell you that this is very likely a gynecological issue. Therefore, you must tell me everything with utmost honesty. Can any of your family members help her recall when her last period was?"
"I remember now. It should have been last month, yes, around the third or fourth; I was the one who bought her sanitary products at that time," said Er Xiaozi’s mother, who seemed to quickly recall the details. Hearing this, Liu Zheng simply nodded. More than 20 days had passed since the third of last month. Could this be a symptom of dysmenorrhea?
"What about this month? Did you have your period this month?"
"Yes, it came, doctor, I—I am in so much pain, I really am in so much pain."
"All right, I will relieve your pain first, and after the pain is managed, we will look for the cause of the problem," he assured her.
As for pain relief, Liu Zheng was very proficient. No matter how much pain you were in, he just needed a few needles and could insert them into your nerves, and soon after, the pain would gradually begin to subside.
After Liu Zheng’s treatment, he saw the woman finally begin to settle down, her breathing becoming much smoother.
"How are you feeling now, wife? Are you okay? Feeling better?" Er Xiaozi hurriedly went over to her, anxiously inquiring with concern. The new bride just nodded gently.
Only then did Liu Zheng notice that this bride could be considered fair-skinned and beautiful. He couldn’t help but wonder what good deeds this fellow had done in a past life to marry such a beautiful wife.
"Alright, the pain is temporarily gone, but I must tell you that this is only a temporary solution. I can only stop it temporarily, but it will surely recur later. First, tell me, are you pregnant?"
"Pregnant? We’ve been married for half a year and haven’t conceived yet. I’ve been urging her to go to the city to work with Er Xiaozi, which wouldn’t impede childbirth. But this girl just wouldn’t listen," said her mother-in-law.
"Mom, please, that’s so embarrassing," the bride protested weakly.
"Ah, now we are in front of the doctor; what’s there to be embarrassed about? Besides, these are facts. If you don’t tell the doctor the truth, how can he diagnose you?" the mother-in-law retorted.
"That’s right, your mother-in-law is correct. There’s no need to feel embarrassed or hide anything from the doctor. Just tell me exactly what’s going on," Liu Zheng urged.
"There’s nothing. I—I am not pregnant. That much is very clear to everyone in the village," she replied.
"Not pregnant? Then tell me, when was your last period, I mean the most recent one?"
"It should have been last Tuesday. But I never used to suffer from painful periods before. However, this time it was somewhat painful and felt different from before," she explained.
"And the color of the menstrual blood? Was there any difference compared to before? This includes the duration of the cycle, the volume of the flow—you must tell me everything in detail," Liu Zheng requested.
"This... this..."
As the young bride lay in bed, she seemed to struggle to speak—after all, discussing such private matters with a stranger, and a man at that, was indeed a huge challenge for her.
"How about this: I will briefly interrogate the patient and then perform an examination. Family members, please wait outside the room. This way, it won’t affect the patient’s responses to my questions."
"Wife, I’m your husband. What are you afraid of with me here? Just speak up and say whatever you need to, right?"
"Listen to me, Er Xiaozi, you should also step out. I will tell you the results afterward. Now, please wait outside," Liu Zheng insisted.
Suddenly, Liu Zheng had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but to figure out what it was, he had to take the time to question the patient alone and in detail. He was confident he would be able to clarify everything.
"Alright, wife, hold on in there. Doctor Liu is the best doctor in our village. There won’t be any problems as long as he’s here. Well then, Doctor Liu, we’ll leave her in your hands. Parents, let’s go outside," Er Xiaozi said, seeming oblivious to any issues.
Once they had left, Liu Zheng turned back to the woman.
"Truly, you don’t need to hide anything from your doctor because hiding will only worsen your condition."
"Doctor, what are you talking about? What am I hiding? Didn’t I already tell you everything? I did get my period these past few days.... Oh, now I remember, it was shorter this time, lasting about three days in total. And the color... yes, now that I think about it, it was very dark, definitely different from before. Do I have some gynecological disease?" she asked worriedly.
"Based on your description and your current symptoms, I can preliminarily guess that you might have an ectopic pregnancy."
"What did you say? Ectopic pregnancy? Are you joking? My husband has been away and only just came back last night. How could it happen so quickly?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
