Ximei was operated on 12th January 2010. She was wheeled into the operating theatre at 8a.m. A team of specialists comprising of gynecologists, surgeons, an urologists, invasive surgeons, anesthetists, vascular surgeons and respiratory specialists were present. The operation started at 8:20a.m., with anesthesia application and insertion of tubes into the respiratory tract. Abdominal incision was then performed followed by separation of the intestines. Finally the tumor was exposed in 15 minites. It was the size of a watermelon with uneven surfaces and a large number of cauliflower papilloma. Some fluid was slowly seeping through the entire surface of the tumor whose root was at the left ovary. The left urethra was enclosed by small intestines and uterus and small tumors could be seen at the right ovary. The genealogist removed the ovary, the urologist sealed off the urethra and the general surgeon removed the affected intestines. All the remaining small tumors were then killed by freezing and thawing by the cryosurgeon which concluded the whole operation. The tumor was sent to two pathology laboratories for diagnosis and both concluded it was ovarian cancer.
The tumors removed from Ximei were sent for pathology examination. The result was: ovarian cancer!
Ximei recovered fast from the operation. On 22nd January, she attended the Chinese New Year celebration organized by the hospital. The healthy-looking Ximei, dressed in white shirt with a red wool vest and wearing a jean, walked up to the stage; with her eyes sparkling in tears, she took a deep bow to thank all the doctors, nurses and staff who had come to celebrate with her.
On 27th January, Ximei went back to her home town to be with her dear parents. When she was asked whether she had hated any person for these two years of suffering, she answered “No”; she even did not had any hatred on her boy friend whom she lived together for two years and who deserted her after knowing she had cancer. She said, “It is love that has given me a new lease of life. I would like to imitate all who have given me love and to love everybody in return.”
The day after Ximei had left, I went back to my home town in Shanghai to spend good time with my wife, children and grandchildren for the once a year Lunar New Year holiday. During the New Year Eve, I was viewing the program “Story by Wang Gang” on Liaoning TV. The story was entitled: “The Mystery Woman with a Huge Stomach”. It was about Ximei’s suffering and her struggle for life. The story touched the heart of many people in China. A viewer sent me an email with this message: “The story reminds me that love still abounds.” The husband of an ovarian cancer patient who was treated in our hospital and who had passed away sent this message to me: “I realize how great love is and the power that comes with it. If my wife were still around, she would definitely be very happy to know this!” A surgeon from our hospital told me that his mother called him all the way from their home town asking him to follow me and to continue to work in our hospital which had a bright future.
I was very glad, happy and highly satisfied. I felt I had been very much blessed. We helped Ximei to have a new lease of life and in return our skill in cancer treatment was elevated to a higher level. In treating Ximei we learn what we should do for cancer patients, what should be done, what is rational but not favourable and what is irrational but favourable.