Chapter 210
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Sandro's Observation Begins
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Sandro had come down to Busan a week before the semester started.
Since observing now wouldn't make much of an impression anyway, he'd done a quick session and planned to continue later.
"Ah, this is awkward. Where should I stay? Want to come to my place?"
Ah, since I lived in a detached house with plenty of spare rooms, I'd offered.
But Sandro politely declined.
"I'm good! My sponsor told me not to skimp on my studies and gave me plenty!"
Oh, Chairman Rich. As expected, he was generous.
As a hotel magnate, he wasn't about to stint on accommodations.
"What did Director Kim Chunsik and Professor Lee Minseok teach you? Did they dump a ton of weird prep material on you?"
Suddenly, I felt a twinge of worry.
Those two were overflowing with enthusiasm. They hadn't overloaded him with study material, had they?
"Haha, no. They gave me one book to start memorizing Korean medicine terms. They also shared the textbook list from pre-med through second-year med school, which I ordered. It's still tough, though. I plan to memorize all the terms first and then read it."
"I know that book. Don't try to memorize it—read it once, then look up terms as you study."
"But they said there'd be a test."
"...Ah."
As expected, they'd dumped a massive load on him at once.
Even if it took two or three years to get a master's, he'd have to study rigorously while writing a thesis for the degree—it would be tight.
"Everyone's taking such good care of me—I'm grateful. Haha, I actually find it easier when they set clear tasks like this rather than leaving it up to me."
He was the type who liked Korea's rote-learning style. Honestly, I was used to it too.
"You already have plenty of assignments, so let's keep it light. Any fields you're interested in? Skin conditions, maybe?"
Still, I shouldn't pile more work on him.
He'd been super eager before coming, but if I pushed too hard and he bolted, that'd be a problem.
I'd just chat about diseases he liked and let him observe simple patients.
I vaguely remembered him mentioning his own skin issues and treating his mother's knee.
Naturally, you'd get interested in fields that affected you or your family.
"Hmm, skin conditions, sure, but also musculoskeletal stuff and psychiatry..."
"Want to see some charts?"
I opened the chart program and showed him a few follow-up patients scheduled for today.
His eyes locked onto one, and he clasped his hands together.
"Ah, a hypertension patient too? I'm really interested in blood pressure treatment."
"Oh?"
That was unexpected.
At his young age, his blood pressure probably wasn't high yet.
"Family history?"
"Yeah. My mom's on joint and blood pressure meds."
I figured as much. Plenty of students decided on medicine after wanting to treat family members.
"My med school advisor was super negative about blood pressure meds. He said pharma lobbying keeps lowering the hypertension threshold and they don't prevent strokes much anyway. He showed all these side effects... But honestly, how do you tell someone to stop? It's scary."
Ah, so there were Italian med school profs like that too.
In standard medicine, once blood pressure hits the hypertension threshold, long-term meds are recommended.
High blood pressure means constant strain on blood vessels.
Over time, they thicken and narrow, leading to blockages and cerebral infarcts.
Or if vessels burst under the pressure, cerebral hemorrhage— that's the orthodoxy.
'Makes sense mechanistically.'
It was less a theory and more common sense.
But even patients diligently managing with meds still got strokes or infarcts.
Hypertension isn't the only cause.
And plenty never got them despite high blood pressure—either too lazy to care or couldn't afford meds in some countries.
Especially since starting often meant lifelong use, pharma connections were a global constant.
Hence doctors and Korean docs challenging the standard line.
And even more non-medical conspiracy nuts.
"Right? How do you tell your mom with high blood pressure to stop?"
I didn't make promises I couldn't keep.
"If it's pre-hypertension, starting herbal meds and monitoring is fine. But for long-term Western med users, we combine treatments first, then gradually taper off the Western drugs."
Treat first to eliminate risks.
"Ah, so that's how it's done! I've seen papers where blood pressure normalized after three or four months of herbs, but the formulas varied."
"That's Korean medicine for you."
Sandro nodded vigorously.
He was determined to study hard and diagnose his mom's pattern properly.
"Not sure if you'll get to observe this one, though. This patient's a bit tricky."
I stared at the chart, tapping the desk.
I tried to connect with patients, and most appreciated it, but you can't win them all.
Some were sensitive, picky, and kept their guard up.
This hypertension patient, Mr. Kim Jaegyu, was one of those.
"He comes sharp at 2 p.m. every Monday, so let's wait and see. I'll ask if observing's okay, but he might say no."
"Ah, sure! Even just hearing the case is fine."
As we wrapped up the hypertension talk, the reception bell chimed.
No early birds today, so we'd chatted freely, but now it was patient time.
"Ms. Hwang Sun-i, long time no see. Hip again today?"
"Aigoo, always is! But thanks to you, Doc, I can get by!"
"Mind if a doctor observes today...?"
"Why ask Granny stuff like that? Just do it! Aigoo, an American lad?"
"Hello, thank you for allowing it. Nice to meet you."
"He's from Italy."
"Italy! I know it! How's your Korean so good?"
Like this, most patients happily agreed.
Ms. Heo Sun-nam stopped by mid-morning too, thanking me for the bulk Hwalang purchase.
Well, Chairman Rich footed the bill.
"For a patient like Ms. Hwang just now, where would you needle?"
"Ah, piriformis... the piriformis muscle."
I'd planned to go easy, but why was I quiz-snipeing him?
Still, Sandro nailed it.
Morning clinic wrapped, and at 2 p.m.:
"Mr. Kim Jaegyu's here."
The hypertension patient we'd been waiting for arrived.
'He's really one of a kind.'
Not a quick-fix illness, so I'd told him from the start: three or four months, a month at a time.
But he insisted on paying extra for weekly refills, coming every Monday for BP checks and acupuncture.
With that stubbornness and sensitivity, starting treatment was tough.
Hypertension ties to nerves, and he ignored lifestyle advice.
I'd pegged low odds of results...
Yet Mr. Kim Jaegyu's blood pressure improved bizarrely fast.
Kim Jaegyu had spent his life as a high school PE teacher before retiring.
What do you expect from PE teachers?
Exceptions exist, but they often played the tiger disciplinarian role.
Kim Jaegyu gladly took on class duties from youth, peaking near retirement.
He'd roar for young teachers overwhelmed by disrespectful "kids these days."
Of course, that was pre-retirement.
Now retired, calmer days would suit, but old habits die hard.
"What a pigsty your room is! Clean it before Mom gets home!"
"...Dad, Mom doesn't care about that."
"Don't talk back! Have it spotless before I get back!"
"I'm not a kid anymore...!"
Barking orders at his grown son.
"Students smoking by the roadside!"
Even scolding delinquent teens on the street.
"Y-yes, sir..."
His voice and presence were formidable.
Even tough kids shrank before the madman.
Most obeyed.
"Aigoo, Mr. Kim, at it again?"
"Kids tossing butts behind the restaurant—pass by like nothing?"
"Relax~ The vice principal worries about your health."
"Hmph!"
But colleagues at the meetup reined him in.
Worried about trouble outside school, and his frequent rages harming health.
"Come on, eat up and chill. Three dakgalbi, one soju."
"Make it three bottles."
"Order more after."
Retirement bliss...
...or so, but he had few friends.
Acquaintances were ex-coworkers: retired or soon-to-be teachers.
"How's the BP? Time to quit booze?"
Shin Yongmin, vice principal at his last school, asked.
Close friends, but opposites: Kim the terror, Shin the gentle listener.
Kim shook his head.
"Meds keep it okay."
"Forever? Quit drinking, manage it. You worked this long to live long and healthy, right?"
"Gotta take 'em lifelong."
Why harp on BP today?
Kim grew suspicious.
'Not some MLM supplement scam?'
Shin caught the glare and clarified.
"No weird stuff. My BP improved at this Korean clinic, so I told you about it."
"Vice principal had hypertension too?"
"Pre-stage! Pre. Stage! Not hypertension!"
"Brag on. Mine started at 135/84, now 110/72."
"Oh, normal range now?"
The other teacher marveled, but Kim scoffed.
He'd have tried at 135 systolic.
Normal: systolic <120, diastolic <80; caution to 130 systolic; pre-HTN to 140.
"Mine hits 200/100 bad days. Quitting spells disaster."
"200?"
"Possible?"
His proud claim startled them.
"H-how do you survive? Headaches? I had symptoms at 135."
"Of course it hurts. Neck always stiff, insomnia."
"Meds help?"
"Recheck post-meds: around 130. At our age, ailments are par for the course."
Shin freaked, snatching his soju.
"Quit now! That severe, you should've managed sooner! You smoke too!"
"Booze only at meets. Ten cigs a day max."
"...We meet weekly! Not huge, but don't brag!"
Shin fake-cried about not wanting to plan his funeral.
"Ha, why would you? Got wife and son."
"Exactly—manage health!"
They urged him to their clinic tomorrow.
"My successor PE teacher recommended it—great results."
"Go, go!"
Shin even offered to call ahead.
"No, my BP's hopeless..."
"Hey!"
For once in ages, Kim yielded to another's force.
Truth be told, he wasn't convinced.
Not middling like Shin's—200+ spikes. What could they do?
Booze, smokes, anger: lifelong habits. No urge to change.
"Fine, I'll check it out."
But faint hope stirred.
Kim started treatment at the recommended Korean clinic.