Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 155 - 107: Baggio’s Medical Records

On the clinic’s fitness trail, Olajuwon was jogging in a tracksuit, bathed in the morning sun.

He gradually picked up his pace, and beads of sweat soon appeared on his forehead.

For the Rockets, the season was already over, which meant Olajuwon could begin a long, five-month vacation.

But at his age, daily exercise was essential to maintain his athletic condition.

Especially since he wanted to play for another two years and chase one more championship.

As he was jogging, Olajuwon saw a car approaching.

He stopped, and the car stopped as well.

The door opened, and Chen Yu got out, greeting Olajuwon.

"Chen, you didn’t go to Sacramento?" Olajuwon asked, puzzled.

Today, April 22nd, was the official start of the Phoenix Suns’ playoffs.

Olajuwon hadn’t seen Chen Yu since yesterday afternoon and had assumed he’d traveled with the team to Sacramento.

Chen Yu shook his head.

Normally, he could have gone with the team.

Although he couldn’t help the team on the court, he could have provided support off the court, like giving massages to relieve post-game fatigue.

But considering he had more to do in Phoenix, Chen Yu decided to stay behind.

Besides, Nelson and the others were there, which was enough.

Plus, there was Physical Fitness No.1. The Phoenix Suns had been using the formula for a while and had maintained their condition well.

Even if he went, the help he could provide would be limited.

It was better to stay in Phoenix, grind for more experience, and prepare for the surgeries for Olajuwon and the others.

With no players on the team injured, Chen Yu didn’t actually have much to do.

"Hakeem, you can get ready today. I’ve scheduled your surgery for tomorrow morning." Chen Yu had already "ground out" the necessary surgical treatment effects.

Two Gold Level effects, one for each leg. That would be enough.

His ligaments were fine; the main issue was cartilage debridement.

After considering all the factors, Chen Yu decided to perform a localized microfracture surgery on Olajuwon and then use the post-operative recovery effects to help him repair the cartilage.

Simply trimming the damaged cartilage would only make it thinner, and it would just wear down again over time.

Cartilage doesn’t regrow easily, so microfracture surgery was the only way to repair it.

Olajuwon’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.

Chen Yu hesitated for a moment, deciding not to mention the intervertebral disc issue.

He wasn’t yet sure if the annulus fibrosus suture surgery he had performed earlier was effective.

After telling Olajuwon to continue his workout, Chen Yu went to check on the patient who had undergone the annulus fibrosus suture surgery yesterday.

He was a middle-aged man.

At his age, the water content in the annulus fibrosus decreases, so even with sutures, there was no possibility of it healing on its own.

While dealing with the family members, Chen Yu looked at the patient.

When he got a clear look at the sutured area, his eyes brightened. ’The system’s treatment effects really are useful.’

The annulus fibrosus itself has no blood vessels; it relies entirely on the blood supply from its periphery and the inward permeation of lymph.

This is how the nucleus pulposus is nourished.

In younger people, some capillaries still permeate the outer layer of the annulus fibrosus, so surgery and suturing at that stage offer a hope of full recovery.

But with age, these permeating capillaries dry up.

After all, the annulus fibrosus is cartilage, and like bone, it degenerates with age.

But now, likely due to the treatment effect, Chen Yu noticed that the number of capillaries in the affected area had increased. They were growing around the wound and even permeating into the annulus fibrosus.

Chen Yu wasn’t sure what the final result of this growth would be, but for now, at least, healing seemed hopeful.

As long as the healed annulus fibrosus could maintain sufficient strength, the probability of the disc herniating again would be greatly reduced. In that case, the goal of the treatment would be achieved.

’Looks like I can go ahead with Olajuwon’s surgery,’ he thought.

The last time he had seen him, it was just a bulge, but this time, his disc bulge was already very severe.

The tear in the annulus fibrosus was only paper-thin, barely containing the protruding nucleus pulposus.

Under these circumstances, if suturing was effective, it would be better to just perform the suture procedure directly.

It was best to handle it during the off-season. Once the season started, there would be no time for it, even if he wanted to.

After leaving the hospital room, Chen Yu went to check on Hardaway and the others as usual.

Their daily rehabilitation therapy was indispensable.

He also had to make adjustments at any time based on their recovery progress.

He saw them one by one, and it was almost ten o’clock by the time Chen Yu arrived at Ronaldo’s residence.

Just like at the sanatorium in France, he was living alone. Occasionally, Milanee would bring the kids over to stay with him for a few days.

It was also a small courtyard. When Chen Yu entered, he saw Ronaldo chatting with someone in the yard.

Ronaldo greeted him, and the man with his back to Chen Yu immediately stood up.

He was wearing a striped polo shirt, had a mess of curly hair, and deep-set eyes. He took the initiative to step forward, shake Chen Yu’s hand, and greet him.

He also handed over a business card.

Vittorio Petrone.

’He must be Italian,’ Chen Yu thought.

"He’s Robert’s agent," Ronaldo explained.

Baggio.

Ronaldo had mentioned before that Baggio’s knee injury was also very serious and that he wanted to recommend Chen Yu to him for treatment.

Nothing came of it, so Chen Yu hadn’t pursued it.

The Serie A season wasn’t over yet, so even if he were to get treatment, it wouldn’t be now.

’But now his agent has come to my door. Does he want to start treatment?’

Petrone sighed and explained the reason for his visit.

He was indeed seeking treatment.

"Ronnie and Robert talked about this before, but Robert wasn’t in a hurry at the time because the season hadn’t ended. But things have changed recently," Petrone said with no small amount of vexation. "Actually, a lot of fans support Robert returning to the National Team for the ’02 World Cup."

There was even a survey where over seventy percent of fans believed Baggio should be on the National Team.

"But Trapattoni never made his position clear. And just last week, he announced the National Team roster for the World Cup qualifier against Georgia in June. Robert wasn’t on it."

"This was a huge blow to Robert. The whole reason he went to Brescia was to stay in game shape and play in this one last World Cup. But now, it’s clear Trapattoni doesn’t want him at all."

Petrone’s tone was heavy.

Chen Yu could sense his frustration and pain, but he didn’t really understand the intricacies of the situation. After a moment’s thought, he asked, "So what now?"

’Serie A shouldn’t be over yet, right?’ he thought.

Petrone said, "Robert thinks he still has a chance. He can still fight for it."

As long as the World Cup hadn’t started, there was still a chance.

"So Robert wants to seek treatment from you, Doctor Chen, to see if he can regain some of his form and fight for a spot on the National Team again."

’They say my form is bad? Fine, I’ll get treatment. Once I’m healed and my form is good, what reason will you have to reject me?’

This was Baggio’s reason for seeking treatment from Chen Yu.

But he would still have to wait until after the Serie A season ended.

That would be in June.

This time, Petrone had also brought Baggio’s medical records.

He turned, lifted a sizable suitcase in front of him, and patted it. "These are all of Baggio’s medical records from over the years. Everything is in here."

Chen Yu took it, opened it, and was startled.

Such a large suitcase was practically stuffed full.

Chen Yu picked up one of the medical files, which looked quite old. It was entirely handwritten.

It was a medical record from 1984.

Chen Yu opened it. The yellowed pages were covered in dense writing.

Unfortunately, it was in Italian, which Chen Yu couldn’t read.

’Looks like I’ll have to find a doctor fluent in Italian to study these properly,’ he thought.

Of course, it would be best to see the man in person.

’With a sweep of the Eye of All-Seeing, I’d know everything about his condition.’

"Alright. I’ll keep these records and take a look at them," Chen Yu said, closing the suitcase.

Petrone thanked him profusely and got up to leave.

After seeing him off, Ronaldo sighed with emotion.

The former "Prince of Italy" had fallen to such a state, not even being granted a graceful exit. It just went to show how cruel professional sports could be.

"Chen, do you think one day I’ll end up like Robert, not even wanted by the National Team?" Ronaldo asked forlornly while receiving Acupuncture.

’How would I know?’ Chen Yu thought to himself. After a moment, he said, "In that case, you should learn from Fernando and just announce your retirement from the National Team."

After a pause, Chen Yu added, "But I remember you’ve already won a World Cup, haven’t you?"

Ronaldo pouted. "I won, yes, but I didn’t even play in the ’94 World Cup. Even though I got a FIFA World Cup trophy, it doesn’t count. I have to win one myself."

"And the Champions League. Sooner or later, I’m going to win the Champions League trophy too."

He clenched his fist and spoke with conviction.

The moment he finished speaking, he grimaced and yelped in pain.

Chen Yu said, "You want to win championships, huh? Then just obediently follow my instructions. I told you to go to bed early and wake up early. The night before last, at eleven o’clock, your room light was still on. What were you doing?"

The guy was relatively self-disciplined, but his personality was a bit lax.

And his wife wasn’t even here. ’What are you staying up so late for?’

Ronaldo gave an embarrassed smile and immediately shut his mouth.

It was hard to say if he had actually taken it to heart.

In this respect, Redondo was much better than him, meticulously following Chen Yu’s rehab plan every day and resting at the exact times he was told.

After finishing the rehab sessions, there were still surgeries to be done today.

He worked like crazy until evening. Still in his scrubs and holding a meal box, Chen Yu went to Hardaway’s place to watch the Phoenix Suns game with him.

Lexi hadn’t left either. She had been assisting Chen Yu in surgery all day and was exhausted. After a hasty bite to eat, she fell asleep in Chen Yu’s arms.

On the TV, replays of two finished games were being shown.

The Lakers had a big win over the Pioneers, 106 to 93, and the Bucks narrowly beat the Pacers, 103 to 97.

"By the way, did the Magic win or lose yesterday?" Lost in his work, Chen Yu hadn’t paid much attention to the Magic’s game.

Their series started yesterday.

"They lost." Hardaway had clearly watched it; after all, he cared a great deal about his little superfan, Tracy McGrady.

After a pause, Hardaway analyzed, "Grant played too ’by the book.’ I don’t know what he was thinking. The Digital People are strong on defense, especially in the paint. They have Mutombo. Tracy’s shot isn’t reliable yet, so he can only score by attacking the rim, but with Mutombo there, it’s not that easy for him to score."

"In a situation like that, Grant should have taken over himself instead of always looking to pass to his teammates. He’s the team’s leader. He should have dropped 30, or even 40 points, for the Magic to have a chance to win."

Chen Yu thought for a moment and said, "Then why don’t you give Grant a call and share your advice with him?"

That one sentence shut Hardaway up. He defended himself awkwardly, "It’s just my personal opinion."

’Well, there you have it,’ Chen Yu thought.

"By the way, did the Heat win?" Chen Yu asked.

The Heat also had a game yesterday. Moning should have played, right?

"The Heat?" Hardaway thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, they lost. Lost to the Wasp by a full 26 points."

"How many?"

Chen Yu was shocked.

Who was supposed to be the third seed in the East, anyway?

And it was on their home court, too. Moning made his much-anticipated comeback, and they still lost—and by that much.

Twenty-six points!

Was the gap in strength between the two teams really that big?