“Not even medication?”
“Not necessary.”
The patient left, still confused.
—
Nancy finally stepped forward, calling out, “Sophia.”
Sophia had already noticed her. After Nancy explained the purpose of her visit, Sophia glanced at Anderson Tina and said, “I have too many patients today. I can only see your friend after finishing the rest.”
“No problem. We’ll take a walk and come back in the evening.”
“Alright.”
Anderson Tina ended up waiting for over five hours. Since becoming a celebrity, it had been a long time since she’d had to wait for anyone like this. Ironically, people tend to value what they can’t easily get. Initially, Anderson Tina had little hope for Sophia, but after witnessing the state of her clinic, she began to treasure this opportunity. Without Nancy’s help, she might have had to wait a week or longer and still might not have been seen.
That evening, Sophia was exhausted. She had just returned to her residence when Nancy showed up with some porridge.
“I brought you some food. I noticed you hadn’t eaten properly all day.”
Sophia smiled. With Livinus away on a business trip, no one had been bringing her lunch, so she’d been relying on patients to bring her whatever they had.
After eating a little, she had Anderson Tina sit down so she could take her pulse.
“Have you gone to the hospital for a checkup?”
“No.” Anderson Tina removed her mask and whispered, “I’m too scared to go.”
Sophia gave her a quick once-over. Anderson Tina was indeed very beautiful—someone with such looks that they alone could command attention. No wonder she had risen to fame at such a young age.
Sophia conducted a simple gynecological examination. After finishing, she contemplated for a moment and said:
“Technically, this illness needs hospital tests for confirmation. But if you can’t go, I’ll treat it based on my understanding.”
“Okay!” Anderson Tina nodded eagerly. “I really can’t go to the hospital. If the media finds out, I’ll be finished!”
“Don’t worry too much. It seems to be gonorrhea.”
“Gonorrhea? Are you sure it’s not genital warts? The symptoms seem a bit…” Anderson Tina was panicking.
Gonorrhea was among the most treatable sexually transmitted diseases, but genital warts were a different story. Even with repeated laser treatments, they often recurred. The treatment process was painful, and warts could grow anywhere—even in the mouth after oral contact. If she had this disease, the psychological pressure would be unbearable.
Nearly all STDs were contagious. If she infected her family or, heaven forbid, future children, the consequences would be devastating. Her life would essentially be over.
Anderson Tina often hated herself for compromising her integrity in pursuit of fame, but who truly understood the pressure she bore? Sometimes, she wanted nothing more than to end it all, but the thought of her family relying on her held her back, leaving her with a heart full of grievances.
“Don’t stress yourself out,” Sophia reassured her. “Sometimes STDs can be transmitted through non-s****l means, like public restrooms, shared towels, or sitting on contaminated surfaces in hotels. Of course, practicing safe s*x is always important.”
She continued, soothingly, “This illness is very treatable. Don’t worry too much. Usually, antibiotics will suffice. I’ll prescribe some for you, along with herbal medicine to boost your immune system and detoxify your body from a traditional medicine perspective. With this two-pronged approach, you’ll be fine in no time!”
In traditional medicine, gonorrhea is considered a damp-heat condition and falls under the category of lin syndrome. It often manifests as purulent discharge from the urethra, sometimes misdiagnosed as urethritis. From a TM perspective, it’s caused by internal damp-heat toxins, requiring heat-clearing and detoxifying treatments, as well as dampness elimination and fire suppression.
In fact, gonorrhea has been documented in ancient TM texts, and medicine has long had effective treatments for it.
“Really?” Anderson Tina’s voice broke with emotion. “It’s really that easy to treat? I don’t have any other illnesses, do I?”
“Not that I can see,” Sophia replied.
“Doctor, are you sure this can be cured?”
Sophia smiled. Seeing how panicked Anderson Tina looked, she continued to comfort her. “It’s a minor illness! Don’t demonize it, and don’t stigmatize yourself.”
