Now, as her daughter’s condition persisted into her teenage years, it had become a source of emotional strain for both of them.
The reason for the conflict that morning was that Brisa wet the bed again. Abena , already stressed from work, had to wash the bedding first thing in the morning, which naturally put her in a bad mood. A few harsh words were exchanged, and in a moment of despair, Brisa ran to the rooftop, threatening to take her own life. Thankfully, Abena managed to pull her back in time.
Abena didn’t want to put so much pressure on her daughter, but the bedwetting issue at her age worried her deeply. While Abena could tolerate it now, what about in the future when Brisa got married? Would her in-laws accept it? Would any man be willing to share a bed with a woman who still wet the bed every night?
This anxiety had been eating at Abena , but she never realized how deeply her daughter had been suppressing her emotions until the suicide attempt.
Fortunately, a neighbor intervened and recommended Sophia’s clinic. That’s how they ended up here today.
—
Sophia noted everything down in the medical record before asking, “Has the bedwetting been ongoing since childhood?”
“Yes,” Abena replied. “When she was little, she had a high fever once, and after that, the bedwetting started.”
“How’s her overall health?”
“Not great. She was very weak as a child, constantly catching colds or running fevers.”
Sophia nodded thoughtfully. “When did she first start menstruating?”
“At 17.”
Sophia paused to reflect. Brisa’s first menstruation was much later than average. Nowadays, many girls experience their first period in fifth or sixth grade. Starting at 17 was a clear sign of underlying health issues.
“Do you urinate frequently?”
“A lot,” Brisa replied in a low voice.
“Do you drink a lot of water?”
“Not really.”
After clarifying her condition, Sophia placed her fingers on Brisa’s wrist to check her pulse. After a moment, she furrowed her brows slightly.
“Your hands are cold, which indicates severe kidney deficiency. Your body is also full of cold energy.”
She then instructed, “Lift your shirt and show me your abdomen.”
Brisa hesitated but eventually lifted her shirt. Sophia rubbed her hands together to warm them before gently pressing around the girl’s navel.
“This area which governs the urinary and reproductive systems. Have you noticed that this area around your navel always feels cold?”
Brisa nodded. She’d long been aware that her abdomen felt cold, even in summer.
“Your system was damaged when you were a child, likely due to illness. It wasn’t addressed at the time, and over the years, it has led to this persistent bedwetting issue.”
Brisa’s eyelashes fluttered as she nervously asked, “Doctor, can this condition be cured? Other doctors said there isn’t really a solution…”
Sophia smiled without directly answering. Instead, she said, “The beauty of Traditional Medicine lies in its ability to diagnose conditions from over a decade ago and understand the lingering effects those conditions have on the present. Given that, do you think curing this condition is truly impossible?”
Brisa blinked, her disbelief giving way to a glimmer of hope. “Are you saying it can be cured?”
Sophia glanced at her with a knowing smile. “What will you do if it can be cured?”
“If it can be cured, I’ll…” Brisa thought for a moment before resolutely declaring, “I’ll study Traditional Medicine! I want to be as skilled as Dr. Smith someday.”
Sophia chuckled. “That’s wonderful! Our TM field will gain another excellent doctor.”
She then wrote down a prescription on paper.
As Sophia listed the ingredients, she explained their roles in warming the kidneys, tonifying the body, and expelling cold energy. The mother-daughter duo watched in admiration, finally feeling a sense of hope for the future.
Sophia finished preparing the prescription and added some Evodia along with other herbs, which she fried in vinegar to create a warm paste for making navel patches. She instructed the patient:
“Use these patches externally, placing them around your navel, especially on the acupoint. At the same time, take the herbal medicine internally. Use both methods for one week, and if you’re better, there’s no need for a follow-up visit.”
Brisa was stunned. She exchanged a glance with her mother, Abena , feeling almost incredulous at how straightforward this seemed. What felt like a life-shattering problem to them was treated by Sophia with the same ease as prescribing for a common cold. Her confidence and natural demeanor when writing out the prescription gave the impression that bedwetting at 18 wasn’t a significant issue at all.
This attitude was infectious, filling them with newfound hope and confidence.
