"Originally, I brought my father to the Zhongyin Hospital just to have some traditional Chinese medicine prescribed to alleviate his symptoms. I never imagined... Not only did the surgery succeed, but the recovery after the operation was so good!" Holding his father's re-examination report, Mr. Zhang's son's voice trembled with excitement, and the light in his eyes dispelled the gloom that had persisted for several days. Who could have imagined that the father who was moving freely and chatting cheerfully before them was once in a desperate situation due to highly malignant glioma. When a tertiary hospital told him that "the risk is extremely high and surgery is not recommended", it was the Brain and Thoracic Surgery Department of Yantai Zhongyin Hospital that used its strength to rewrite the "prediction" of the condition. 
Not long ago, Uncle Zhang suddenly experienced severe headache and the condition persisted for three days without relief. Subsequently, he suddenly lost consciousness and was rushed to a nearby hospital by ambulance for emergency treatment. The head examination results showed that there was a mass occupying the left frontal lobe - corpus callosum area of Uncle Zhang, which was considered a tumorous lesion; further enhanced examination confirmed it as a highly malignant glioma. Doctors from another hospital believed that this location was too special, close to the hypothalamus, midbrain, motor center and language center. If there was any slight mistake during the surgery, it would cause nerve damage, and there was a high probability of paralysis and even cognitive impairment, that is, becoming mentally retarded. Therefore, they did not recommend the surgery.

Such a conclusion was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the entire family's hope. "If no surgery is performed, the malignant tumor will grow extremely rapidly. Before long, my father will have difficulty breathing, and eventually he might even be unable to recognize his own family members. He will only be able to slowly exhaust his life in pain; but if surgery is performed, there is a fear that something might go wrong and he might end up paralyzed or mentally impaired. It would be better to undergo conservative treatment, as it would cause him less suffering." Uncle Zhang's son was in a dilemma. Looking at his father lying on the hospital bed in pain, he was unwilling to give up so easily. "I heard that traditional Chinese medicine can alleviate the pain. Even if it can make him a little more conscious and suffer less, that would be fine. So we came to Yantai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the intention of giving it a try." 
When Doctor Mu Yuejun of the Oncology Department received the patient, Mr. Zhang appeared disoriented and his responses were somewhat sluggish. "The family clearly stated that they just wanted to take some traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate the symptoms and had given up hope for the surgery," Doctor Mu recalled. However, after carefully reviewing the patient's test results and physical condition, she had a different opinion. "Although the patient is over 60 years old, he has a good physical foundation and no serious underlying diseases. There might still be a chance for surgery." 
In order to secure a better treatment plan for the patient, Director Mu promptly invited Director Shan Baochang from the Brain and Thoracic Surgery Department for a consultation. Director Shan carefully reviewed the patient's imaging films, confirming the location, size of the lesion and its relationship with the surrounding nerves. "The frontal lobe-cingulate gyrus area is not an absolute surgical area. As long as a precise surgical plan is formulated before the operation and the operation is carried out meticulously during the procedure, the risks can be minimized to the greatest extent." After comprehensively evaluating the patient's heart and lung function and other examination results， he gave a clear conclusion： "The operation can be performed."

When Mr. Zhang's son heard this news, he thought he had misunderstood: "Can this really be a surgical operation? Can my father really recover?" In response to the doubts of the family members, Dr. Shan patiently explained: "We have performed many similar brain tumor surgeries before, and we have mature techniques and experience. We will do our best to ensure the safety of the operation." Finally, Mr. Zhang's son made up his mind to undergo the surgical treatment. 
The entire operation lasted for 4 hours and was a complete success. On the day after the surgery, Uncle Zhang regained consciousness and could accurately answer the questions from the medical staff. On the third day after the surgery, he was able to eat normally, chat, and his memory and orientation gradually returned. On the seventh day after the surgery, he was able to get out of bed and walk independently, with a stable gait.

" I never expected the recovery to be so quick! Now my dad not only can walk by himself, but also can joke with us. He doesn't look at all like someone who has undergone brain tumor surgery." Uncle Zhang's son, observing his father's changes, couldn't hide his excitement. 
During the postoperative care stage, the nursing team of the brain and thoracic surgery department also formulated a personalized traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation plan for Uncle Zhang. Through traditional Chinese medicine therapies such as umbilical moxibustion and TDP, they promoted the recovery of his postoperative physical functions. After 30 days of the surgery, the neurological function assessment showed that Uncle Zhang's motor, cognitive and language functions had basically returned to normal. 
"Now my dad plays chess with his old friends every day, just like he did before he was ill." Uncle Zhang's son said with a smile. "A few days ago, he even took the bus by himself to the market to buy vegetables. Then he made jujulei dumplings for us and the taste was just as good as before."

In response to the gratitude from the patient's family, Director Shan said frankly: "For patients with brain tumors, as long as there is even a glimmer of hope, we cannot give up the surgical opportunity easily. Instead, we should conduct precise evaluations and employ superb techniques to strive for a better prognosis for the patient." 
From "giving up hope for treatment and only wanting to alleviate symptoms" to "the surgery was successfully carried out without any complications", Mr. Zhang's recovery journey was full of surprises. This was not only a reversal of his condition, but also a vivid demonstration of the technical strength of Yantai City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the future, the hospital will continue to light up the hope for recovery for more patients with difficult and serious diseases, using professionalism and responsibility to safeguard the dignity of every life.