Chapter 395: Chapter 395: Strange Symptoms
Just by hearing the symptoms, Liu Zheng felt they were somewhat inconceivable, and if it was indeed skin ulceration with pus formation, then surely it wouldn’t heal easily.
But he had managed to heal completely—what, then, caused this?
He stepped forward, took a look at the old man’s body, and could describe him as nothing but skin and bones; there seemed to be no flesh visible, just a layer of skin covering the bones.
The old man was very thin and judging by his age, he should be around 70 years old. His complexion was utterly pallid, without the slightest hint of color.
Liu Zheng glanced at his arm, four fingers, and the area around his belly; indeed, there were large patches of black spots, probably what he referred to as ulcerations.
"All these spots, are they the ones that healed?"
Finally, he pointed to a spot where the skin was darker and looked at Liu Zheng for an answer.
"Correct. Once they heal, that area will form a special mark so it won’t ulcerate again. However, if this cycle continues, the old man’s body simply can’t withstand it. What’s more, he has now begun to develop an aversion to eating and even to drinking water."
"How long has this condition been persisting?"
"About half a year, yes, almost six and a half months now. In fact, he wasn’t this thin before, right? Let me show you a photo."
As he spoke, the village chief Liu quickly walked forward, then took out a photo to show Liu Zheng. When Liu Zheng looked at the old woman in the photo, she indeed appeared to be well-fed and plump.
She didn’t look like someone who was sick, but within just six months, she had changed completely, and it felt as if he was looking at two different people.
What could have caused such a situation?
However, this photo didn’t actually explain anything; it only showed that half a year earlier, the old woman was still very healthy until suddenly, there was a drastic change.
"Before this, did the elderly lady have regular health check-ups? Or does she have any underlying conditions?"
"She has had high blood pressure and heart disease for almost twenty or thirty years now, but it has always been well-controlled with medication. Plus, I get her a health check every year, and there are usually no other issues with her health."
"Do you remember how she suddenly turned like this?"
"I remember that the next day when we woke up, my mother complained that her leg was hurting. I thought it was from walking too much the day before or from catching a chill, so I didn’t pay much attention. But on the evening of the third day, she told me her leg had ulcerated and started bleeding."
"So, you mean that it took three days from the onset of the disease to the appearance of the ulcerations?"
"I saw it on the evening of the third day, but she told me that from the morning of the third day, no, it should have been the night of the second day, there had already been slight changes. The skin color began to alter slightly. She didn’t take it seriously at that time, considering it was just old people’s skin, after all."
"Then what happened next? After discovering these issues, did you immediately go to the hospital for treatment?"
"Of course. She hadn’t done anything, and there were no signs; her legs just changed inexplicably. So I found it very strange and immediately took her to the hospital. However, after a series of examinations, the doctors didn’t find any pathological changes. They kept suspecting diabetes as the cause, but after a blood glucose test, it was clear she didn’t have diabetes."
"Indeed, people with diabetes can develop skin ulcerations, but that’s generally under certain circumstances with external factors, and the ulcerations should appear on the soles or the palms of the feet. Other parts of the body don’t usually develop ulcerations unless there are wounds that can’t heal."
"That’s why I find it quite strange. But after some dressing treatments at that time, the area began to heal gradually. Yet, unexpectedly, after a few days, another part of the skin ulcerated. Since then, I have been on a journey seeking medical advice and treatment for my mother."
"With the skin reacting consecutively like that, there must be some reason. Over the past six months, what tests have you undergone and what medications have you taken?"
"We have undergone all possible tests; besides those fundamental diseases, there was no part of his body undergoing such changes. Even the expensive PET-CT scan was performed on her, and a comprehensive examination showed that blood flow volume and velocity were all normal."
"What about medications?"
"Since she never had clear symptoms, no doctor prescribed medication, just symptomatic treatment. For instance, if there was skin ulceration, they applied some antibiotic ointment or something suitable for symptomatic treatment. Beyond that, they couldn’t do anything."
Upon hearing this, Liu Zheng simply nodded lightly and then began pacing back and forth in the room.
In fact, Liu Zheng’s thoughts were similar to those of the other doctors—his belief was that there shouldn’t be an issue with her body itself.
There could only be an external cause for such skin ulcerations, but what could it be? And why would it have such a devastating effect on human skin?
Moving closer to the window, he saw a very strange pot of flowers, blossoming intricately vivid. He bent over and sniffed hard. Yes, indeed, he could smell a floral fragrance.
"This flower seems very unique; I don’t remember seeing it before. Maybe I’m not the type who likes cultivating plants, so I haven’t paid much attention to them."
"Oh, that pot of flowers is indeed quite special. It’s a new breed imported from abroad, and currently, the cultivation area in our country is rather limited. However, it produces exceptionally bright flowers. It requires meticulous care and daily watering, but fortunately, my mother and I both like this kind of thing, so we have been taking good care of it."
