Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 169 - 120: Refusing the Surgery

Astor was terrified too.

Marita held Little Haaland and thanked him repeatedly. As she spoke, she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Her husband was severely injured, they had traveled thousands of miles to the unfamiliar United States to seek medical treatment, and now her youngest son had nearly choked. The immense pressure was causing Marita to break down.

Chen Yu rubbed Astor’s head and comforted him with a smile, "Don’t be scared. Your brother is fine. You have to be more careful next time, okay?"

Astor nodded blankly, still a bit shaken.

Chen Yu then said to Marita, "The clinic has caregivers who specialize in looking after children. They’re professionals, and you can trust them completely. Haaland still needs to recover, and he’ll require your care. It’s too much pressure for you to look after three people by yourself. You can entrust the children to the caregivers without worry."

The clinic was fully equipped, complete with a small daycare center staffed with professional teachers and caregivers, specifically to handle situations where patients brought their entire families.

However, perhaps because Little Haaland was so young, Marita hadn’t felt comfortable leaving him with a caregiver.

Marita wiped her tears, nodded, and thanked him again. She understood that she couldn’t possibly manage it all on her own.

"Go see your husband." Haaland was being wheeled out.

Chen Yu took Little Haaland, saying he would take him to the daycare center in a little while.

Marita thanked him repeatedly and ran to see her husband.

Chen Yu played with Little Haaland for a bit. The little guy recovered quickly, giggling as if nothing had happened.

After handing Little Haaland over to a caregiver to be taken to the daycare, Chen Yu prepared to receive Duncan and his party.

"Tim."

Chen Yu walked up and shook Duncan’s hand.

They had talked at the All-Star Game, so they weren’t complete strangers.

With him were Ron Bebei and Duncan’s fiancée, Amy Cheryl.

She had blonde hair and a sweet face, and she held onto Duncan’s arm, looking blissfully happy.

It seemed they had known each other since college; Duncan was on the school’s team, and Amy was a cheerleader.

Because of Hill, Chen Yu and Bebi had met many times. As they walked toward the consultation room, Bebi deliberately fell back a couple of steps and whispered to Chen Yu, "Chen, see what you can do. Try to persuade Tim. He’s actually not very keen on having the surgery."

Chen Yu asked why.

’Doesn’t Duncan miss his old high-flying days?’

Bebi glanced at Amy and said with some resignation, "He’s busy with the wedding and planning the honeymoon. He’s worried surgery will interfere with his plans. After all, the new season is only four months away."

Chen Yu understood.

Getting married was indeed a major life event.

"By the way, what do the Spurs think?" A core player getting offseason surgery wasn’t something he could decide on a whim. He had to consider the team’s position and at least communicate with the management.

Bebi said, "Actually, Greg is very supportive of him having the surgery, and he hopes you’ll be the one to do it. But in the end, the choice is up to Tim."

Chen Yu didn’t ask any more questions.

When they arrived at the consultation room, Chen Yu didn’t schedule any exams for Duncan right away.

"Tim, I’ve reviewed your medical records. Your current problem is that you’ve had a partial meniscectomy."

Chen Yu looked at Duncan’s left knee.

Only a small part of the red zone of his lateral meniscus remained after resection, and the medial side had also been reshaped.

"I can offer you an option right now: a meniscus transplant."

But as soon as Chen Yu said this, Amy let out a small gasp, interrupting him.

"Chen, a meniscus transplant? Are you sure? I’ve read papers saying that allograft meniscus transplants can have a series of problems, like mismatch and rejection, and their lifespan is very short."

Chen Yu looked at Amy, puzzled. ’This woman reads medical papers?’

Duncan quickly explained, "Amy is in medical school."

Chen Yu had a sudden realization. So he had a doctor-in-training for a girlfriend.

"Has she graduated?" Chen Yu asked casually.

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Amy’s face. She shook her head. "No, I haven’t passed the second exam yet."

The "second exam" referred to the two exams one must pass before graduating from medical school: Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS. Passing them qualifies you to enter a residency training program and potentially become a real doctor.

If you don’t pass, you have to stay back and keep retaking them.

Having gone through it himself, Chen Yu knew how difficult it was. It was safe to say you couldn’t pass if you weren’t a top student.

"How about this."

Chen Yu felt that words alone were a bit unconvincing. He picked up the phone on his desk and made a call.

Soon, Jamie arrived on crutches.

"This is Jamie, a doctor at our clinic. His situation was the same as yours. He had his meniscus removed as a child. On the 20th of last month, I performed a bilateral meniscus transplant on him, and he’s recovering very well now," Chen Yu said, gesturing to Jamie.

"Tim, I know you have wedding plans, but the recovery from this kind of surgery is actually very fast. You can make a full recovery in four to five months, which would allow you to be healthy by the start of the new season."

"You’re only 25. You might have another ten years in your career. If you don’t have the surgery and maintain the status quo, over time, not only will you develop problems with your knee cartilage, just like Hakeem, but there’s more. For an inside player like you, if you gain weight in the future, the pressure on your knees will increase. Combined with an imbalanced exertion of force, it’s highly likely to lead to a series of issues like plantar fasciitis."

"My recommendation is to have the surgery as soon as possible to resolve the knee issue."

A meniscus transplant isn’t like a ligament repair. He would be directly transplanting a healthy meniscus, which meant less trauma and a faster recovery.

Chen Yu’s estimate of four to five months even included the time needed to wait for a suitable transplant.

Duncan studied Jamie, his brow slightly furrowed, his thoughts unreadable.

Beside him, Bebi quickly chimed in, "Tim, you have to trust Chen’s judgment. He’s a professional, and he’s one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country. Don’t forget, Greg also called you before you came, supporting you to get the surgery."

Duncan’s resolve seemed to waver.

The main reason was that he hadn’t expected Chen Yu to suggest a meniscus transplant.

Before coming, Duncan had truly thought Chen Yu would be like the Spurs’ team doctor who operated on him, David Schmidt, and also opt to just trim the meniscus.

He was smart and had his own opinions. He knew Chen Yu was right; for the sake of his future career, he should have the surgery sooner rather than later.

Just as he was about to speak, Amy cut in, "Tim, this is a big decision. We should really think it over some more."

Duncan hesitated for a moment, exchanged a look with Amy, and then said to Chen Yu, "Chen, like Amy said, this is a big decision. I need time to think about it."

"Of course. How about this: I’ll arrange some tests for you today, and you can go home and think it over." Chen Yu contacted a nurse to schedule Duncan’s tests.

The two of them left, but Bebi stayed behind.

"He just listens to Amy too much," Bebi sighed, venting with a hint of frustration.

Chen Yu chuckled to himself. ’Isn’t this just a man who loves his wife?’

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yu said, "From our talk just now, I got the feeling Tim was tempted, but his wedding plans are a major complicating factor. How about this: you talk to him, see if they can get married sooner, then go on their honeymoon. I think a month should be enough for that, right?"

It was mid-to-late June. They could totally get married at the end of the month or early next month, take a month for their honeymoon, and then have the surgery.

"Once the new season starts, he’ll be out for a month. I don’t think the impact on the Spurs would be too great."

The new season starts in November. Being out for a month would mean a December return. The timeline was perfectly feasible.

"Okay, I’ll go talk to him." Bebi nodded. He had also considered this solution before coming.

After the detailed examination was finished, Chen Yu saw Duncan off.

Chen Yu had thought Duncan would need a day or two to make a decision—perhaps to consult other doctors or discuss it further with his family and the team.

Unexpectedly, Duncan rushed back to the clinic the very next day.

"I’m sorry, Chen. I don’t think I can go through with the surgery," Duncan said, his face full of apology.

Amy hadn’t come today; he was with Bebi.

Chen Yu’s first instinct was to look at Bebi.

Bebi’s face was taut, and he said nothing. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Duncan continued, "Chen, I’m very grateful that you took the time to diagnose me, and your advice was very helpful. But this summer is just too important to me."

A blissful smile appeared on Duncan’s face.

"I’ve been preparing for this summer for a very, very long time. I want to give Amy a perfect memory. And we can’t change the wedding date; the impact would be too great. So I have to choose to pass on it for now. Besides, I’m in decent shape right now. My knee feels fine."

Chen Yu remained silent. ’You feel fine now because you’re still young,’ he thought. ’With your condition, just wait. Let’s see if you can still say that after you turn 30.’

Duncan continued, "So this summer, I really don’t have the time. Next year... how about I come to you for the surgery next summer?"

Chen Yu sighed to himself.

"Tim, have you thought this through?"

Duncan nodded firmly. "Amy has been looking forward to this wedding for a long time. She’s put a lot of thought into it, prepared so many things... she even went to many different places to pick out the flowers for the ceremony herself. I don’t want to ruin all of her efforts because of me."

"Alright then." Chen Yu nodded with a smile.

If this had been before he became famous, Chen Yu might have pushed a little harder, like he did with Hill.

But now, successful and famous as the Miracle Doctor, he didn’t exactly need Duncan as a patient, to be honest.

The man had gone to great lengths to prepare for his wedding. Since he didn’t want the surgery, Chen Yu would respect his decision.

Besides, he had said that if not this year, he would come back next year for the surgery.

’Postponing it for a year should be fine for his condition. It probably won’t be a huge problem.’

Chen Yu bent down, pulled a gift box from a cabinet in his desk, and handed it over. "I can see you love Amy very much. I wish you eternal happiness together. This is a small gift I prepared. Congratulations in advance on your wedding."

Knowing Duncan was getting married, Chen Yu had specifically had someone prepare it.

Duncan opened it, and his eyes lit up.

Inside the box was a large Chinese concentric knot with two little kissing figures hanging from it. Chen Yu had sent someone to Chinatown specifically to buy it.

"Thank you, I love it." Duncan was instantly fond of the two cartoon figures. He thanked Chen Yu profusely, pleasantly surprised, and then invited him to his wedding.

Chen Yu actually wanted to go.

"But the clinic is too busy. You know it’s the offseason, and I have a lot of patients scheduled. I just don’t have the time."

It wasn’t just the regular patients he treated to gain experience, but also VIP clients.

For example, Baggio.

Calculating the time, the Serie A season should be over by now, so Baggio would be arriving soon.

At a time like this, Chen Yu really couldn’t get away.