Since 1974, **'s eyes have gradually lost their ability to see due to cataracts and other problems, which has brought great inconvenience to his daily work and life. In order to return to normal life as soon as possible, it was decided to assign a professional medical team to carry out the work.
At that time, there were many clinical methods for cataract in China, and traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine showed their magic in this field. And this task finally fell on Dr. Tang Youzhi, who is very good at cataracts. But when he received a task, he didn't sleep well for a week.
Time flies, and Dr. Tang Youzhi, who was born in 1926, is now in his 90s. So, in his memory, what kind of state of mind did he have in the face of such a special patient?
Patients who never show up.
On a Sunday before the Spring Festival in 1975, Tang Youzhi, then an attending doctor in the ophthalmology department of Guang'anmen Hospital, had a rare weekend to rest. He was busy with work and wanted to spend time with his family this weekend, but he didn't expect someone to knock on his door early in the morning.
Tang Youzhi thought that there was something urgent in the hospital, so he hurriedly ran to open the door, but he didn't expect that there was a PLA comrade standing at the door. Tang Youzhi was a little confused, how could a PLA comrade come to his house?
Before he could ask, the person standing at the door spoke first: "May I ask if you are Dr. Tang Youzhi?" ”
Tang Youzhi nodded: "Do you have anything to do with me?" ”
However, the PLA fighter did not answer his words directly, but said eagerly:"Doctor Tang, there are some things that require you to go out for a few days. ”
He didn't say how many days he was going to go, nor did he say what he was going to do, but simply and rudely ordered him to follow him. Such a situation can't help but make people a little hairy. Seeing this, Mrs. Tang Youzhi, who had been standing in the living room, also stepped forward and wanted to ask what was going on.
Before his wife could ask, Tang Youzhi suddenly thought of something, and hurriedly said, "I'll go with you." Please let me pack my things first. ”
It turned out,Since 1974, this strange way of seeing a doctor has been repeated many times. Tang Youzhi, an ophthalmologist, has been called to the 305 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army in Beijing several times for consultations.
During the consultation, there were not only ophthalmology experts from major hospitals in Beijing, but also many experts from ** department, respiratory department, neurology department, and otolaryngology department. However, the experts came to the basket, but the patient never appeared, and each time a young man who looked like a secretary systematically explained the patient's entire physical condition, and then asked the attending doctors of each department to ask questions.
As one of the top Chinese medicine ophthalmologists in China, Tang Youzhi has not participated in consultations, but it is the first time he has seen a patient like this.
Therefore, after the comrades of the People's Liberation Army came to the door this time, Tang Youzhi immediately thought that this special patient needed to be consulted. Just screaming so urgently, could it be that the patient's condition has deteriorated? Thinking of this, Tang Youzhi immediately packed his luggage simply, and hurriedly followed the visitor into the jeep and left.
The jeep carried Tang Youzhi and others all the way to Nanyuan Airport, and it was not until he entered the waiting room that Tang Youzhi saw that his colleague Gao Peizhi was also here. The two looked at each other and smiled, and sure enough, they guessed correctly, it was for the mysterious patient to do a consultation.
Until the plane took off, no one told Tang Youzhi that he was going there, and the staff just sent them on the plane very politely. Just as Tang Youzhi was quietly waiting for the plane to take off, he suddenly saw Wang Dongxing, then director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China and director of the ** Security Bureau, through the small window of the plane.
At that moment, Tang Youzhi's psychology produced a bold conjecture:"This patient who has never met will be ***Tang Youzhi didn't dare to say this idea, he sat quietly and enjoyed the scenery under the plane. According to the direction of the sun and the scenery of the earth, Tang Youzhi happily felt that this was the direction of returning to his hometown of Hangzhou.
Sure enough, after the plane flew for two or three hours, Tang Youzhi saw the old site of Leifeng Tower. And he was also arranged in a guest house near the Leifeng Tower.
Tang Youzhi and the others waited until the evening before they saw the people who came to contact them. In the conference room, the staff said the conjecture in Tang You's heart: ".Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for coming all the way from Beijing to Hangzhou. **'s eyes are a little uncomfortable, I think you have already understood it in the previous consultation, and this time I invited you to come here, that is, the chairman asked you to check his eyes.
After the staff finished explaining, they left the conference room, and only Tang Youzhi was quietly sorting out the notes in their hands. Although no one made a sound, everyone's hearts were excited. What an exciting thing it is for them to be able to see *** and do tests for ***!
At this time, Tang Youzhi was 48 years old, but he was still so excited that he couldn't sleep. When I thought of what kind of person I was listening to others in the newspaper and on the radio, what a great honor it was to be able to meet his old man in person!
Early the next morning, Tang Youzhi and his colleagues were taken to a villa on the edge of the West Lake. As soon as they entered the door, they saw *** sitting on the sofa at the door, and this experience of meeting *** for the first time left an extremely deep impression on Tang Youzhi.
The first meeting by the West Lake.
The *** in the newspaper and on the radio has always been red and radiant. But now the old man sitting on the sofa was wearing only a towel pajama full of patches, a pair of long, long slippers on his feet, and his gray hair was messy. The old man's face was not even as radiant as others had described, but rather grayish-white with the effects of many chronic diseases.
Hearing the sound of the door, the ***, who could barely see anything in his eyes, turned to the side of the sofa and asked, "Who's coming?" Zhang Yufeng, the confidential secretary standing aside, replied softly: "Chairman, it is the doctor comrades who have come to see you." ”
Hearing this, ** struggled to get up from the couch: ".It turned out to be Comrade Doctors, I should welcome you to this sick number.
At this time, *** had long been unable to get up from the sofa smoothly by himself due to physical reasons, so he had to rely on Zhang Yufeng's strength to support him. Seeing that *** was about to stand up to welcome them, several doctors hurriedly ran to ***'s side: "Chairman, we are juniors, you don't have to get up to welcome us!" We're here today to get your eyes checked. ”
Hearing the voices of the doctors, ** sat back on the sofa and quietly cooperated with the doctors' examinations. This examination lasted for a total of four days, and not only did the eye examination for ***, but also did all kinds of examinations. The results were not satisfactory.
In addition to cataracts in both eyes, he also suffers from cor pulmonale, coronary heart disease, pressure sores on the right arm, and low oxygen levels in the blood. When the various examination reports were handed over to the attending doctors, Tang Youzhi's eyes were red.
In everyone's eyes, ** is still the great leader who led the new Chinese people to a new life. But in the doctor's place, this 81-year-old old man, time has left many indelible marks on him. Tang Youzhi sighed in his heart:"** will be old too. ”
On February 19, 1975, a meeting on the body was officially held in Huairen Hall.
At that time, the news of ** feeling unwell was only known to *** and *** and others, and even the vast majority of Politburo members did not understand the situation at all. When medical experts, including Tang Youzhi, elaborated on various physical problems at the meeting, many Politburo members still couldn't believe that these reports were true.
At that time, the cataract in both eyes had reached a very serious level, and his vision was almost completely lost, and he could only feel the light and could not see specific things clearly, even if it was a fist-sized word, there was no way to see clearly, and even documents and reports and other things needed to be read to him by the confidential secretary word by word.
** cataract has developed to a certain extent, and conventional medication has no way to play the desired effect. In order to regain his sight as soon as possible, the only way is to perform cataract surgery for ***. What kind of surgery method was used became the most controversial point at that time.
In China in 1975, there were two surgical methods for senile cataracts, one was cataract removal surgery advocated by Western medicine, and the other was cataract acupuncture research by traditional Chinese medicine. There are pros and cons to both types of surgery, and the choice of which one becomes the most critical issue.
In fact, as early as 1953, when he was working in Hangzhou, he said to the staff around him:"China has three major contributions to the world, the first is traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine is a great treasure trove, which should be explored and improved. ”
It can be seen that the research and development of Chinese medicine has always been encouraged. Therefore, combined with their own physical condition, the members of the Politburo have very high expectations for the cataract acupuncture of traditional Chinese medicine.
In the end, after more than half a year of observation and comparison, it was officially decided: "Dr. Tang Youzhi will perform cataract acupuncture for ***." ”
After this news came down, the burden on Tang Youzhi's body suddenly became heavier. Although the various techniques of cataract acupuncture have been very mature, as a person with many years of medical experience, Tang Youzhi has also done this kind of surgery for many patients, but he is still very nervous when he thinks that the object of his surgery this time is *** Tang Youzhi.
Even, in the interview many years later, Tang Youzhi can clearly remember the nervous state of mind back then:When the notice came, I thought to myself that the task had really fallen on my head. It's a great honor. But when I remembered the importance of this mission, I was nervous and couldn't eat or sleep well for a week. ”
Chair who is reluctant to have surgery.
In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the operation, the medical team headed by Tang Youzhi began to go to Zhongnanhai to observe the chairman's diet and daily life, understand the chairman's daily life, and formulate an operation plan on this basis.
When Tang Youzhi went to Zhongnanhai for the first time to observe ***'s eating habits, although his movements were already very gentle, ***, who has always been very sensitive to hearing, immediately felt that there was an extra person in the room: "Who is coming?" * Ask your confidential secretary, Zhang Yufeng.
Zhang Yufeng said with a smile while serving the food to ***: "Doctor Tang came to see what you were eating." ***, who had already smelled the fragrance of chili peppers, couldn't see it, so he could only greet Tang Youzhi by hearing: "Has Doctor Tang ever eaten?" Why do you even want to watch me eat? ”
Tang Yuyi explained the reason with a smile while observing the dinner table of ***. **The menu of the day was very simple, a section of Wuchang fish tail, a plate of vegetables, three slices of white cut meat and a plate of Hunan's unique chili sauce.
Although he is the leader of the People's Republic of China, the diet has always been simple, generally a very small portion of four dishes and one soup, and the staple food is mostly sweet potatoes, corn, sorghum and other grains, never very luxurious things, at most a few pieces of braised pork occasionally made in the small kitchen.
Such a simple life made Tang Youzhi's admiration for *** a little more, and the idea of curing cataracts for *** was much more urgent.
However, after a long period of contact, Tang Youzhi found that although the cataract had reached the stage where surgery could be done, the heart of the company was still very resistant to surgery.
In the heart of ***, people can overcome the pain by mobilizing the resistance in their bodies, and even the former chairman had a cold and fever by exercising to let his body heal itself. He has always disliked that his work is affected by medical treatment.
Although cataract surgery is considered by many people to be a very small operation, it is not cost-effective for *** to spend a few days on an operation, so he has been reluctant to have surgery.
In order to let *** do the operation with peace of mind, this work of persuading him naturally fell on the head of Tang Youzhi, the attending doctor. Tang Youzhi started from the occurrence of cataracts, and introduced the condition and plan of this disease to *** little by little.
Knowing that he was very interested in traditional Chinese medicine, Tang Youzhi also introduced the development process and principle of cataract acupuncture to the chairman, and even borrowed Bai Juyi's poems to prove to the chairman how long the history of this technology is.
It is precisely because of what Bai Juyi's poem describes:"The case is full of Nagarjuna, the cassia pill is stored in the box, and the prescription medicine in the world should be useless, so try to scrape the golden grate. ”Let *** realize that when his cataract develops to the point that "the prescription in the world should not be beneficial", he can only try to "win the golden grate and try to scratch it".
Under Tang Youzhi's patient explanation, ** finally agreed to the ** plan of surgery. The date of the operation was chosen as July 23, 1975, and Tang Youzhi also took his medical team to Zhongnanhai and began the preoperative preparations.
disobedient".
Affected by ***'s identity and physical condition, the location of the operation was chosen in a study room in Zhongnanhai. Tang Youzhi even customized a full set of surgical instruments and medical equipment from Suzhou, Shanghai and other places to ensure the smooth implementation of the operation.
Since he was stationed in Zhongnanhai, Tang Youzhi knew that the chairman's daily time was so full. Even if his eyes are almost unable to see anything, he still insists on letting the secretary around him read books, newspapers and even all kinds of documents, and it is not easy to squeeze out a few days for surgery.
In order to ensure that the operation is successful the first time,Starting from July 13th, Tang Youzhi has to rinse the tear sac and eye drops every day, and do a conjunctival sac culture every three days. Although *** did not show the slightest impatience, he never mentioned the operation to the people around him, as if the operation would not happen at all.
Time flashed, and it was July 23, which was the date of the operation determined by the Politburo after detailed discussions. Therefore, early in the morning, all the medical staff, including Tang Youzhi, were waiting in the temporary operating room in Zhongnanhai before dawn, for fear that they would not be ready when the *** arrived.
However, the medical staff waited from sunrise to sunset, from more than five o'clock in the morning to nearly ten o'clock in the evening, and no one saw the shadow of ***.
Everyone knows that *** is reluctant to have surgery, but if there is no surgery, there is no way to cure the eye. The medical staff could only stand there and wait anxiously for the arrival of ***.
I don't know how long it took, the assistant standing next to Tang Youzhi gently tugged Tang Youzhi's snow-white surgical gown:"Doctor Tang, the chairman is familiar with you, why don't you go and ask the chairman?" ”
Tang Youzhi knows that as the chief surgeon, he has the obligation and responsibility to remind him, but at this time, no one knows what *** thinks in his heart, if *** really doesn't want to do this operation, is it possible to tie his old man to the operating table?
However, watching the clock hands hanging on the wall move forward little by little, Tang Youzhi's heart became more and more anxious, and finally he walked to the door of the bedroom of ***.
In fact, on this day, I had a rare good night's sleep, and I slept for more than six hours at once. Now that he has woken up, he is concentrating on his work there.
After seeing that ***'s mental state was very good, Tang Youzhi plucked up the courage to step forward:"Chairman, today is the 23rd, which happens to be the tenth day of preoperative preparation, and you can have eye surgery. ”
**According to the voice**, look at "Tang Youzhi, he knew that Tang Youzhi was here to persuade himself to have surgery, so he asked rhetorically:"Are you all ready?
Although Tang Youzhi said in his previous report that he was 85% sure, he was actually very sure that he had done this kind of surgery for countless patients"Ready. ”
**Hearing Tang Youzhi's self-confidence, he smiled at Tang Youzhi after thinking about it for a long time, and then waved at Tang Youzhi"Do! ”
After getting a response, Tang Youzhi immediately ran back to the operating room and announced it to the members of the medical team"Comrades, ** is coming! ”
The medical staff, who had already been in place and ready for their own division of labor, couldn't help but get nervous when they heard Tang Youzhi's words. Suddenly, there was a "snap", and the sound of something breaking resounded in the "operating room".
It turned out that Wu Xudong, who was responsible for testing the heart of the *** in this operation, accidentally dropped the irrigation pot on the ground. Wu Xudong was originally an expert in cardiovascular diseases and had done many surgeries, but he had never participated in surgery for a big man like ***. When he heard the news that *** was about to come, Wu Xudong's heart was full of nervousness.
Tang Youzhi, who was originally checking the surgical equipment, hurriedly looked back when he heard the voice, and when he saw Wu Xudong cleaning up the debris on the ground in a panic, Tang Youzhi cleared his throat and explained to everyone very calmly"Don't be nervous, everyone is in place, just like a rehearsal, and go through everything you need for the surgery again." ”
Seeing that Tang Youzhi was so calm, everyone was relieved and continued their work. But only Tang Youzhi himself knew how nervous he was at this time, and he even secretly touched his heartbeat, which reached 120 beats per minute!
In order to calm himself down, Tang Youzhi took a few deep breaths. Together with Zhang Yufeng, he helped *** from the bedroom to the temporary operating room.
Unexpectedly, halfway through, ** suddenly spoke"*Ready?" ”Tang Youzhi, who heard this appeal for the first time, was slightly stunned, and immediately said with some embarrassment:"I didn't expect this! ”
Hearing this answer, *** did not have any dissatisfaction, but was very happy to allow Zhang Yufeng to get the lyrics of Yue Fei's "Man Jianghong".
This song is ***'s favorite word, every time the impassioned voice of "Man Jianghong" comes to mind, **'s heart is always surging. How many poems and songs have been written throughout the ages, none of Yue Fei's Man Jianghong can express the heroic feelings of a patriotic hero and the spirit of a husband who regards death as home.
With the magnificent tone of "Man Jianghong", Tang Youzhi quickly performed retrobulbar anesthesia for *** and operated on his left eye. Only a few minutes passed, and Tang Youzhi breathed a sigh of relief: "Chairman, the operation has ended, and it was very successful. ”
Hearing Tang Youzhi's voice, ***, who was originally lying quietly, was a little surprised"That's it?" I don't think I started yet! ”
Tang Youzhi, who was praised by the chairman, couldn't help but be a little happy, but the operation is only the first hurdle, and postoperative care is also very important, especially not to get infected. Therefore, after the operation was completed, Tang Youzhi was directly on the couch outside the bedroom, and he had to observe his patients at all times.
Unexpectedly, on the second day, ** began to play "Laipi". The surgery was done at 11 p.m. on July 23. Originally, after the surgery was completed, ** had to wear gauze for three days.
However, ** actually told Tang Youzhi: "Although I only had last night's surgery at 11 o'clock, it will be the next day after 12 o'clock, so I can remove the gauze in another day!" In the early morning of July 25, he hurriedly called Tang Youzhi to his side and told him to remove the gauze himself.
Hearing ***'s remarks, Rao is Tang Youzhi, who has seen countless patients, couldn't cry or laugh"How can you change the dressing like this? ”
But ***, who hasn't seen anything for more than a year, has become even more "disobedient" after discovering that his left eye power has returned to normal. After the gauze that should be replaced is removed, ** says that he is not willing to wrap new gauze anymore.
Tang Youzhi stood aside helplessly, even if he pretended to "ignore" him, Tang Youzhi still stood there motionless. In the end, ** even a little angry: "Do you have to wrap my eyes before leaving?" ”
Tang Youzhi, who was still very nervous, saw *** such a "scoundrel", so he had to reply to the meeting in a more "scoundrel" tone: "I am a doctor, you are a patient, you have to listen to me!" ”
Seeing that Tang Youzhi didn't let him take a step, he had to turn out the glasses that Tang Youzhi had customized for him from his desk, a glasses that could cover all of his left eye. **Seems to be a little helpless to spread his hands:"I wear glasses, dirt can't get in, my hands can't touch it, that's all right? ”
Seeing that *** had regressed, Tang Youzhi had no choice but to exit the room. But he did not dare to leave his patient for a single step, so he sat on the steps at the door of the room, and sat for four or five hours.
Four or five hours later, the secretary of ** hurriedly walked out of the room, shouting as he walked: "Doctor Tang, the chairman's eyes are uncomfortable!" ”
Hearing this, Tang Youzhi immediately stood up from the steps, startling the secretary. Tang Youzhi hurriedly approached the room to check his left eye, and sure enough, without the protection of gauze, the left eye that had just undergone surgery was slightly red, but fortunately, the glasses were still there, and there was no infection.
Tang Youzhi immediately cleaned the wound of ***, and then bandaged the wound with sterilized gauze. ** Helplessly said to Tang Youzhi: "You have won!" ”
After this uncomfortable ***, he honestly wore gauze for three days, until Tang Youzhi felt that the wound was almost recovered, so he took off the gauze under the doctor's arrangement. At this point, **'s left eye has finally fully recovered its health.
After getting this satisfactory result, ** proposed to Tang Youzhi several times that he wanted to have surgery on his right eye. Tang Youzhi is also very much looking forward to completely curing his eye disease through the traditional Chinese medicine methods that he has been supporting. But I didn't expect that just a year later, ** passed away due to a variety of diseases.
In September 1976, Tang Youzhi, who heard the news of his death on the radio, burst into tears instantly, and his voice and smile seemed to be still in front of his eyes, but such an amiable, thrifty, and always remembered countless people in New China could never come back.