A competent doctor can cure everything - Chapter 81

After overcoming the mountain called the semifinals, it seems the final gate is now a source of worry.

Director Han Mi-young grabbed me and began pouring out her concerns.

“Doctor, Ho-jeong and the other players are all exhausted. Our team has already been criticized a lot for lacking stamina because of our higher average age.”

The team’s athletic trainer (AT), who manages the players’ health, also voiced his concerns.

“At this rate, we’re at a significant disadvantage compared to the final match opponent, who has been resting since their game earlier in the day. Would giving them IV fluids help even a little?”

“It’s a waste of time to go to the hospital just for IV fluids, and it feels a bit off to leave needle marks during the tournament.”

However, the director dismissed the trainer’s suggestion, and the AT quickly agreed with her.

“True, it’s not ideal for international games. It wouldn’t be good for them to get into the habit of relying on IVs either.”

In domestic games, things aren’t enforced as strictly, but in international competitions, there’s a “No Needle Policy.”

Athletes with unauthorized needle marks observed on their bodies are suspected of doping.

‘That’s why professional athletes are so sensitive about needles.’

However, thin tools like acupuncture needles are allowed, which is one of the reasons many athletes prefer traditional Korean medicine clinics.

As I listened to their concerns, I spoke up.

“The players aren’t collapsing or unable to eat right now, so there’s no need for IV fluids.”

IV therapy is a treatment method used to quickly replenish electrolytes or fluids through a vein.

It’s meant for patients who are unable to take oral medication.

“Here, have them take this.”

At my signal, the players opened the icebox.

Then, I started handing out the chilled herbal medicine pouches to the players.

“What’s this?”

Inside the pouches was a translucent purple liquid.

“Is this herbal medicine?”

“Oh? It’s sweet and tasty!”

It was ‘Saengmaksan’, which translates to “a prescription to revive vitality.”

It is commonly used in the summer to combat heat, thirst, dehydration, and excessive sweating.

It quenches thirst and restores the body’s energy.

‘The ingredients are simple, too—just ginseng, ‘maekmundong’ (liriope roots), and ‘omija’ (schisandra berries).’

Because of this, it’s not the usual brown color of herbal medicine but a translucent, light yellow.

Its tangy and sweet flavor has also made it a popular herbal tea in the summer.

“But why is this purple? It looks like juice.”

The players expressed their curiosity at my explanation.

“I mixed it with a sports drink.”

“What?!”

The key component of sports drinks is carbohydrates (sugars).

Replenishing fluids and carbohydrates during exercise helps sustain physical activity for longer periods.

It also helps replenish the electrolytes lost through sweat.

‘That’s why I combined the herbal medicine with the drink.’

This method was taught to me by Professor Yeon Jae-wook.

Originally, I had only planned to prepare ‘Saengmaksan’, but Professor Yeon refined my plan.

He said it was a recipe he developed after many trials during his time as an active team doctor.

He laughed as he proudly called it his secret method, both delicious and effective.

“Does anyone get headaches from consuming ginseng or red ginseng?”

I also brought an alternative version that used ‘sasaeng’ (adenophora roots) instead of ginseng.

Ginseng is highly effective at boosting energy (‘bogi’), but…

‘Since it’s a hot-natured herb, it can cause headaches in people who naturally have a lot of heat.’

In such cases, ‘sasaeng’ is used as a substitute.

Watching the players happily drink the ‘Saengmaksan’, I made an announcement:

“Until tomorrow’s match, I’ll focus entirely on helping everyone recover their condition. Even small things are fine—please share any discomfort or symptoms you’re experiencing.”

—

At the Blue Whales’ lodging near the stadium.

“Is this a lodging or a hospital?”

Director Han Mi-young made this remark as she watched four oriental medicine doctors going from room to room treating the players.

The staff seemed both amused and reassured by the unusual scene.

“A room-to-room medical service? This is amazing.”

“We’re really living the high life here.”

Just as the director mentioned, the place felt more like a hospital ward than a lodging facility.

The interns paired up in teams of two and began visiting the players’ rooms.

Everyone had even brought their doctor’s coats for this moment.

I was teamed with Min-hwa, as well as Wonil and Haet-nim.

“Doctor! I always get constipated when I’m away from home. Is there anything you can do?”

“I have menstrual cramps…”

Judging by the muffled voices coming from the next room, it was clear that the female players were flocking to Haet-nim.

It seemed they were opening up about things they couldn’t tell me but felt comfortable discussing with a female doctor.

Haet-nim looked pleased with herself as more and more players sought her out.

“My back hurts.”

“Doctor, my fingers are bothering me.”

Min-hwa and I were also busy addressing the players’ various discomforts, big and small.

As they received acupuncture, the players chatted away cheerfully.

“What was that drink earlier? It completely quenched my thirst and gave me a boost of energy.”

“It was delicious! Can I have more?”

“Not now. I’ll give it to you during tomorrow’s match.”

There was a limited supply, and although it tasted good, it’s still herbal medicine and shouldn’t be overused lightly.

Ginseng can increase body heat, and ‘maekmundong’ (liriope roots) can cause indigestion.

If taken excessively without caution, it can lead to nausea, headaches, indigestion, or diarrhea.

As I made rounds through the lodging, I eventually reached Jeong Ho-jeong’s room.

Ho-jeong was treating her ankle using the RICE method—Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Each step involves rest, cold compresses, pressure application, and keeping the injured area elevated.

“I’ll check your ankle with the ultrasound.”

Using a portable ultrasound device, I examined the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), calcaneofibular ligament, and other ligaments on the outer side of the ankle.

The ATFL is particularly important to check, as it’s the most commonly injured ligament in ankle sprains.

Thankfully, there were no signs of ligament tears, and the bones looked fine as well.

“The ultrasound shows no ligament tears, and everything seems fine.”

“Doctor, does that mean I can play in tomorrow’s match?”

“Normally, you should rest, but considering the situation, we’ll make it work for you to participate.”

In general, Grade 1 sprains take 2–4 weeks to recover, Grade 2 takes 6–8 weeks, and Grade 3 takes 8–20 weeks.

However, since there’s time to rest until the regular league in October after tomorrow’s game, we can aim to manage for just one more day.

‘The goal here isn’t fundamental treatment but rather pain management.’

The first step was ‘yakchim’ (herbal acupuncture) therapy.

Although bee venom acupuncture is effective for reducing inflammation, it can initially cause more pain. So, I opted for ‘jahageo yakchim’ to alleviate pain and promote recovery.

This is the same medicine recently used by Ms. Jo Na-kyung for abdominal injections.

I carefully inserted needles around the ligaments and adjusted the direction slightly to spray the medicine evenly.

‘’Jahageo yakchim’ is widely used not only for gynecological issues but also for tissue regeneration.’

Next was electroacupuncture therapy.

This method involves running electrical currents through the needles to effectively control pain.

I inserted needles into acupuncture points such as Hyun-jong, Ku-heo, Jok-im-eup, Gon-ryun, Shin-maek, and Jok-sam-ri around the outer ankle and calf. Then, I connected wires to the needle handles (‘chimbyeong’).

‘For acute pain, it’s best to use high-frequency, low-intensity stimulation above 100Hz.’

After the treatment, Ho-jeong moved her ankle and exclaimed in surprise.

“Wow! It feels so much better!”

“This treatment was for pain management, not a full recovery. If you push yourself too hard tomorrow, you might end up struggling for a while. Please be careful.”

“Hehe, I got it, Doctor.”

“And to prevent future ankle sprains, it’s good to train your proprioception.”

Proprioception refers to the ability to sense the position and movement of your body parts without looking, like touching your ear with your eyes closed or typing without watching your fingers.

This sense can be improved through training.

“Oh, like balancing on that thing that looks like a half-cut exercise ball, a BOSU ball, or practicing standing on one leg?”

“Exactly. Strength exercises like squats are also helpful in preventing sprains.”

I reiterated to Ho-jeong, who was testing her ankle with a light jump, that she must not overexert herself tomorrow.

—

Bzzz!

My phone on the desk kept vibrating incessantly.

It was undoubtedly the interns’ group chat.

[Intern Ye Wonil: Hey! What’s the SBC waiting room like?]

Instead of replying, I snapped a picture of the room and sent it.

[Intern Go Min-hwa: Whoa, amazing! *’ᗜˋ’]

[Intern Ye Wonil: OMG~!! Are you nervous?]

[Intern Ye Wonil: Then again, it’s probably less
nerve-wracking than watching yesterday’s finals.]

[Intern Ye Wonil: The opposing team kept sending the ball toward Jeong Ho-jeong’s injured ankle. That was so dirty!]

[Intern Go Min-hwa: That was awful ｰ̀εｰ́]

[Intern Go Min-hwa: I get wanting to win, but using someone’s injury against them is just low!]

[Intern Leader Lee Haet-nim: True, it was too much. But thanks to that, they ended up paying for it, didn’t they? ㅎㅎ]

[Intern Ye Wonil: That was epic, haha.]

[Intern Ye Wonil: They must’ve thought he couldn’t handle the ball coming toward his injured foot.]

[Intern Ye Wonil: But then Ho-jeong kicked it right back with that foot, lol.]

That’s right. Ho-jeong had kicked the ball away with his injured foot, cleanly and powerfully.

The unexpected play completely turned the game around, causing an uproar in the stadium.

Thanks to that, the opposing team, caught off guard, ended up conceding a point.

[Intern Leader Lee Haet-nim: I didn’t even know you could use your foot in volleyball until that moment.]

[Intern Go Min-hwa: Even the audience was buzzing, wondering how a sprained ankle could heal in just one day! ˊᗜˋ Some people were saying it might have been a strategic act all along.]

[Intern Ye Wonil: No, it was just a masterful healer doing their job too well, idiots, lol.]

While I wasn’t thrilled by the play, worrying instead that the sprain might worsen, for the spectators, it must have felt like sweet revenge from the underdog.

A short clip of Ho-jeong kicking the ball away with her injured foot was already circulating online.

[Intern Ye Wonil: And the fact that Ho-jeong didn’t even win MVP… ㄷㄷ ]

[Intern Go Min-hwa: Who would’ve thought that player would perform so spectacularly… ๑°ㅁ°๑ ]

[Intern Leader Lee Haet-nim: Middle blockers usually don’t get the spotlight compared to spikers, but Ji Young-sook was incredible. Her quick attacks and blocking points were just phenomenal.]

A quick attack is an offensive move where the spike is delivered before the ball reaches its peak height. The key is finishing the play before the opposing blockers catch on.

Scoring by blocking involves stopping the ball and simultaneously redirecting it into the opponent’s court.

This move not only saves a potential point but also scores one, effectively creating a two-point swing, making it a coach’s favorite play in volleyball.

It’s also a sure way to demoralize the opposition.

[Intern Leader Lee Haet-nim: Her victory speech was so touching, too.]

After Blue Whales secured their win in the finals, the reporters swarmed them with cameras.

Team captain Jeong Ho-jeong was the first to take the microphone.

“You suffered an ankle injury yesterday, yet you delivered such an amazing performance today.”

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to our team doctor that my ankle didn’t bother me much.”

“As the captain, you’ve led the Blue Whales to win this KOVO Cup. Many are calling you the ‘reliable ace Jeong Ho-jeong.’ Can we hear your thoughts?”

In response, Ho-jeong attributed the victory to their coach and the team’s senior player.

“Coach Han Mi-young has been advocating for ‘total volleyball’ to align with global trends, and in total volleyball, the middle blocker plays a particularly important role. In that sense, our team’s oldest sister, Ji Young-sook, took on such a vital part.”

“Are you saying Ji Young-sook should be MVP? And what about your nickname, ‘young breadwinner’?”

“Of course, Sister Young-sook was crucial, but every single one of our players gave their all this tournament. So, I think the nickname ‘young breadwinner’ doesn’t really fit anymore.”

Next, the spotlight turned to Ji Young-sook.

“After giving birth, I struggled with postpartum syndrome. I gained a lot of weight, felt heavy, and had aches all over. I even wondered if coming back to volleyball was a mistake.”

When the laughter died down, the “eldest sister,” Young-sook, continued.

“At that time, I met a team doctor who felt like a lifesaver. Thanks to them, I successfully lost weight and treated my postpartum issues. I’m so happy to show that you can keep playing volleyball even at 40, even after having a baby. It’s not just me—Ho-jeong and Emma here also recovered without needing surgery, all thanks to that doctor. And after yesterday’s game, we were all exhausted, but we quickly regained our strength because our team doctor worked tirelessly late into the night.”

As my name kept coming up, the reporters’ eyes sparkled with curiosity, and one of them asked,
“Since we’re on the topic, the Blue Whales have another person who’s been in the spotlight. Could we hear the players’ thoughts on Dr. Seon-Joon, the team doctor?”

“Hold on.”

Just as the players eagerly began to speak, Ho-jeong cut them off.

“We made a promise to our team doctor. We agreed to talk about them during our victory speeches, but we’ll save it for another time.”

“???”

“Thanks to the doctor, we’re in such great shape that we can’t stop with just the KOVO Cup. The regular league and the championship finals are still ahead of us, right? When we win those too, we’ll shout their name loud and proud on that stage!”

[Intern Ye Wonil: Man… that was such a cool moment.]

I’ll admit it—it truly embodied the spirit of sports: their determination and audacity.

That moment also helped me decide which team to use Professor Yeon Jae-wook’s recommendation for.

As I reminisced about the intensity of yesterday, nodding to myself, the waiting room door opened.

“Doctor, are you ready? We’re about to start filming.”