Medical Human Story

    Part III: The Moment of Decision, and the Crumbles of Boundaries   I held the surgical consent form in my hand—a familiar piece of paper. Countless patients had signed their names on this line. Yet, this paper always feels heavy. “Doctor… I’ll do the surgery.” She spoke more calmly than I expected. But I knew that behind that calm lay many sleepless nights of worry.   The Reason for the Decision   “The pain is part of it… But I really want to have another child.” I nodded. Now, this surgery wasn't just a treatment. It was a choice for her future.   Pre-operative Preparation   “We’ll proceed laparoscopically,” I began. “We’ll release the adhesions and drain the trapped fluid.” She listened in silence. “But…” I stopped. I had to say it. “It is difficult to make everything completely clean.” She closed her eyes. It was the moment of confirming a reality she already knew.   The Essence of the Surgery   PIC is not a disease you "cut out...

    Part II: The Start of Treatment and the Unforeseen Cracks   Time flows slowly, but a patient’s pain does not. When she opened my office door again, I already had a premonition: this story would not be a simple one. “I feel like it’s getting a little better… but then again, maybe not,” she said with an ambiguous expression. It had been six weeks since she started hormone therapy. This is always a precarious milestone. It’s too early to see definitive results, yet too early to give up. I flipped through her chart and asked, “How is the intensity of the pain?” “It’s less intense than before… but I feel it more frequently.” I paused to reflect. This wasn't necessarily a bad sign—but it wasn't a good one either.   Healing is Never a Straight Line   In medicine, treatment is often represented as a graph. But in a patient’s actual life, it’s never a straight line. It’s a series of peaks and valleys—better than worse—a cycle of hope and anxiety. She was standin...

    Part I: The Moment the Invisible Illness is Revealed   I dimmed the lights in the reading room. Images always speak more clearly in the dark. Her name appeared on the monitor. 36-year-old female, chronic pelvic pain, s/p C-section x2. I gripped the mouse. This moment is always tense—not because of the images themselves, but because someone’s life is hanging in the balance.   The First Cut — Axial T2    As I scrolled through the images, I stopped. “...Just as I thought.” The left pelvis. A fluid signal that seemed to spread out softly. And within it—something was trapped.   I zoomed in. Boundaries that looked like thin membranes. A structure intertwined like a spiderweb. And at its center—the ovary. I whispered to myself, “Spider in a web…” It was a textbook finding.   The Patient’s Voice Resonated Again   “It feels like a constant pressure…” Now it made sense. Her pain wasn't just a sensation; it was physical pressure coming from a...