Zhou Wei had seen some reports about sclerosis on the Internet.
The probability of this disease occurring in the country was about 4 in 100,000. In other words, there were about 40,000 to 80,000 patients out of a population of more than one billion.
At this moment —
Dr. Phil in front of him gave an event with an even lower probability of happening.
A mutated disease.
Ossen Mer.
Even among ALS patients, there was only a three in a thousand chance of happening.
Three thousandths out of a hundred thousandths.
"One in a million …" Zhou Wei murmured almost subconsciously. For a moment, he felt his heart tighten slightly.
The world was so big.
There were tens of billions of people.
The probability of one in ten million was originally a negligible number.
But when it fell on a specific person … What kind of feeling, what kind of helplessness and despair would that person feel for that individual suffering from the disease?
It was as if …
It was a kind of destiny.
"Scary luck, isn't it?" Dr. Phil looked at Zhou Wei. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, revealing an expression that seemed to be smiling. "It's even rarer than winning the lottery."
It sounded like he was telling a joke.
Perhaps it was because the stereotypical Englishmen were not good at humor, or perhaps it was because of the cold atmosphere caused by the storm in the garden, when the joke was told, neither the speaker nor the listener was in the mood to laugh at it.
Silence.
Then heavy.
Zhou Wei tried hard to adjust his mood. While wondering if Vice President Chu, who was in the country, also understood this matter clearly, Zhou Wei looked at Dr. Phil again. "This … Ossen Mer is more serious than ordinary sclerosis?"
This was to confirm and verify once again.
Just as expected, Dr. Phil nodded.
"Yes."
"It's also more troublesome."
"In terms of latency time and duration of the disease, its characteristics seem to be similar to ordinary ALS. But the treatment drugs we can provide for ordinary ALS patients only have less than 30% of the effect on Ossen Mer."
Zhou Wei was vaguely enlightened.
"So —"
Dr. Phil took a deep breath. "So, the pain that patients with Ossen Mer need to endure during the course of the disease … is also far greater than that of ordinary ALS patients."
Zhou Wei felt his eyelids twitching slightly. He suppressed his emotions and asked again, "What kind of pain is it exactly?"
Dr. Phil glanced at Zhou Wei. His face was calm, and his answer was extremely simple.
"Pain."
"Physical pain."
In ordinary ALS patients, apart from dysphagia and breathing disorders in the middle and later stages of the disease, in the early stages of the disease, the muscles in the limbs would gradually weaken, but at least it would not reach the level of physical pain.
But Orson Moore knew that the sufferer would understand.
"From the moment the illness acts up, it means that you have to endure constant pain."
Dr. Phil's tone was calm, as if he was just stating a plain fact, but at this moment, his eyelids also trembled slightly.
"The 30% effect of the medicine is only limited to relieving the problem of muscle weakness."
"But in this case of physical pain —"
"There's nothing I can do."
When Zhou Wei heard this, he felt an uncontrollable chill rising from his back to his forehead. He felt a little numb. Even though it was just Dr. Phil's verbal description in front of him, he could imagine what kind of situation it was.
The pain that medicine can't solve is always accompanied.
The body and limbs are weakening bit by bit.
What kind of despair was that? It was simply capable of tormenting even the most resolute person to the point of collapsing.
And now, the person who is suffering all of this is only a girl who may not even be twenty years old.
How much pain did she go through … to be able to persevere until now?
Suddenly thinking of something, Zhou Wei looked at Dr. Phil.
"This disease … How long has that girl been suffering from it?"
Dr. Phil's eyelashes trembled slightly. He lowered his eyes and slowly answered, "From the beginning of the disease until now … It has been a whole year. It should be half a year since she was hospitalized."
"In other words, in the first half a year … She didn't even go to the hospital for treatment?"
Zhou Wei could not help but widen his eyes, almost unable to believe such a thing.
Getting this disease …
Enduring that kind of pain …
She didn't even go to the hospital immediately. She only started the formal and serious treatment after half a year. That girl … Or rather, what was her family thinking?!
Shaking his head, Zhou Wei temporarily put aside this inexplicable anxiety and anger. Once again, he persevered and asked with anticipation,
"Then this disease … Is it possible to cure this Ossen Mer?"
Unknowingly, even Zhou Wei himself did not realize that he seemed to have far more worry and concern for the girl he had never met than a stranger should have.
However, such an expectant question could only be answered with a bitter smile by Dr. Phil.
"Even ordinary ALS can't be easily cured."
"There are very few other cases in the world that we can learn from for Cassie's Ossen Mer, so there's no reference. Even here in St. Edin … We can only try our best to control her condition and not worsen further while continuously trying to use experimental drugs."
Zhou Wei was stunned.
"Experimental drugs?"
Then, he suddenly realized, "Doesn't that mean we're treating people as …"
"Lab rats," Phil interrupted him and admitted bitterly and helplessly, "Yes, that's the only thing we can do now."
"Then … Is it effective?" Zhou Wei gulped.
Phil was silent.
After a while, he shook his head with difficulty.
"It's negligible."
"Even because they're experimental drugs that have not been confirmed, many of them have side effects on patients after taking them. For example, they may worsen the pain —"
As he spoke, as if he had recalled something, Dr. Phil sighed.
"Even Cassie's parents couldn't take it anymore, but that good girl … never cried out in pain. She didn't even complain once."
"The gradual weakening of the muscles in her limbs requires continuous rehabilitation exercises."
"There are also all kinds of injections."
"The pain caused by all kinds of experimental drugs, as well as the pain caused by her own illness."
"Yes, sir. You should be able to imagine how unbearable it is. No adult male would be able to endure it. I've even seen people break down and cry, but that girl —"
"She's always just smiling."
Zhou Wei could not help but tremble slightly when he heard that.
Dr. Phil was looking at him, and his tone was unprecedentedly serious.
"You can never see pain or sadness on her face. She always uses that warm smile that's like the sun to infect, comfort, and encourage everyone around her."
"To be honest, before I met Cassie … I never thought that there would be such a pure, flawless, and perfect girl in the world."
As if he was infected by Dr. Phil's description, Zhou Wei's mind could not help but waver. He nodded subconsciously.
"Indeed."
"That's really amazing —"
But in the next moment, Zhou Wei, who suddenly came back to his senses, remembered something, and his mood suddenly sank to the bottom.
"But the surgery this morning?"
The expression on Dr. Phil's face became serious and solemn again at this moment.
"Yes."
"As I said, some accidents happened —"
"So, sir, perhaps this is not the right time for us to stop and talk slowly. Let's hurry over first."
*****
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