The day after the surgery, during ward rounds, the child said he hadn't felt any pain all night.

The child's father confirmed that the root cause of the illness had been thoroughly removed. However, a new problem arose. The number of friends who asked him to contact Doctor Yang had increased to over ten, all of them were from G city.

He had only spoken a few words with Doctor Yang when discussing the child's condition, which wasn't enough to establish a friendship.

Unable to resist the temptation to brag, he casually mentioned to other people that he was familiar with Doctor Yang. Now his friends wanted him to arrange a consultation with Doctor Yang as soon as possible.

After finishing the rounds, the child's father followed Doctor Yang to her office, "Doctor Yang, I'm Zhang Zhe's dad—"

"Yes, what can I do for you?" Yang Ping noticed his hesitation.

"Doctor Yang, I have over ten friends, and their children have a similar condition as Zhang Zhe does. They would like to bring their children to see you, they all want to have the surgery to remove the root cause of the illness."

Over ten? They are probably parents worried about their children's 'growing pains.'

"Most children's pain isn't a serious problem. The situation with your son is relatively rare, not all children need this surgery."

Yang Ping realized he had misunderstood greatly. He assumed that if a child has 'growing pains', there must be a root cause, and after surgery to remove this root cause, the pain will naturally disappear.

"They're worried, Doctor Yang. Could you please see when you'd be available to help everyone take a look?" Finally, Zhang Zhe's father mustered up the courage to ask his request.

"Ask them to come at four-thirty in the afternoon. I'll provide a free clinic in the Teaching Room. Zhang Lin, you will be responsible for arranging the reception." Yang Ping saw how anxious he looked.

Any pain has a cause. If no cause can be found, at least some rare serious illnesses must be ruled out to reassure the parents.

Long-term, recurrent pain, some basic tests must be done, otherwise you fall into a low probability circle and the condition may be neglected until it is too late.

Medical science has gradually moved from vague to precise, from experience to evidence-based. An examination may not find an issue, but it can confirm that there is no feared problem, such as a tumor.

Hearing Yang Ping's agreement, Zhang Zhe's father immediately sent a message in the group: "Everyone hurry up, meet at the main entrance of Sanbo Hospital's Orthopedics Department at four o'clock this afternoon, no latecomers."

Zhang Zhe's father felt proud, after all, who has such a remarkable doctor as a friend? Everyone had to seek his help.

If it had been his own problem, he would have probably found various reasons to delay and wouldn't have been so enthusiastic. But when it comes to his child's health, not a second could be wasted.

In the afternoon, except for a few special cases, over ten parents, either fathers or mothers, had brought their children to the main entrance of the Comprehensive Orthopedics Department.

The security guard, thinking there might be a mass incident, came to ask about the situation. Learning that they were there to see a doctor, he didn't ask any more questions.

Zhang Zhe's father was guiding everyone to line up, reminding them to be disciplined and polite during the consultation. It was not easy to get an appointment, everyone should cherish it.

All the parents were deeply grateful. Zhang Zhe's father had never been in such a respected leadership position in a group. He felt like he had done a great thing for the people and was brimming with pride.

Everyone followed him, taking the elevator to the Comprehensive Orthopedics ward. Zhang's father would take the initiative to greet any doctors or nurses they came across, showing that he was well acquainted with this place.

Zhang Lin led them to the Teaching Room where Little Five was serving water. Nearly thirty people, adding up the parents and children, had gathered together, making it a small-scale gathering.

At four-thirty sharp, Yang Ping appeared. Her unique qualities, despite her young age, left everybody with a strong sense of trust.

Some had brought their test results, while others, who had never undergone any tests, were feeling somewhat worried and scared. Nevertheless, they thought it was only about removing the root cause of the disease, which didn't seem to be a big deal.

"Actually, the leg pain most children suffer from doesn't pose a serious problem, you all don't need to panic. The conditions vary from individual to individual; not everyone needs surgery. A child like little Zhang Zhe has a comparatively rare case. For cases with long-term recurring pain, necessary tests are required.

The purpose of tests is not only to confirm a particular disease but also to eliminate specific diseases. Necessary tests are not overtreatment."

Yang Ping started by explaining to everyone, easing their excessive anxieties.

Next, consultations were arranged in order, those without examination results went first, and those with the results went later.

Even though it was a rushed free clinic, Yang Ping was still conscientious and meticulous, showing no sign of insincerity.

He questioned every child about their medical history and personally conducted the examination. For every film, he diligently examined it under a viewing box, he never casually glanced over it by holding the film against the natural light.

"This child, most likely has an Osteoid Osteoma, experiencing pain at the proximal end of the left lower leg with night pain that is progressively worsening. Aspirin has been administered orally by the doctors at Fuer to relieve the pain.

You were suggested to take an X-ray due to the suspected Osteoid Osteoma, why didn't you take it?" Yang Ping wondered, the doctor's notes in the medical record were clear.

"X-ray exposes us to radiation, my child has never had this illness, and no one in my family has ever had this illness. I've researched online, it's just growing pains."

"Following the doctor's instruction is the right thing. Go take the X-ray soon. After confirmation of the diagnosis, we can proceed with the surgery to remove the tumor and conduct a pathological examination. Don't worry too much. If it is indeed Osteoid Osteoma, it's benign. As long as it is thoroughly removed, the chances of relapse after the surgery are quite low.

Any medical activity is a choice made after weighing the pros and cons. If you refuse to do the necessary tests, it will delay the identification of the disease." Yang Ping had to explain.

"Doctor Yang, there is something I don't understand. Can you explain in detail why you can make a judgment just by looking at it? If you are so sure, why do we need to take an X-ray? Besides, isn't there a way to treat this illness with medication? Why does it have to be surgery?" The parents liked to question thoroughly.

It was his turn first, yet he questioned so much. When the doctor gives an examination, one should just follow the instruction. If everyone was to dig deep, would those in line behind him ever get their turn?

"You want to understand completely? Firstly, you need to study all the undergraduate medical textbooks dealing with clinical medicine for five years, then study all the orthopedic master's and doctoral textbooks, and read a hundred academic papers on bone tumors. Find a hospital's orthopedic and oncology departments, and learn under them for a few years.

After all this, we can have a slow discussion about this. Right now, everyone's time is precious, it's not the right time for a discussion. Little Five, can you arrange for him to get a knee X-ray quickly? Hurry up, the radiology department will be closing soon."

The child's parent still wanted to discuss a few more points, but Little Five led him away. The next parent with their child immediately filled the vacancy, and Yang Ping started examining the next child.

"Your child has flat feet, which cause overpronation during weight-bearing walking. Having custom-made flat foot orthotic insoles to support the arch of the foot will correct overpronation and ease the pain." Yang Ping advised the parents.

"Flat foot deformity? No way, that's supposed to be hereditary, isn't it? Check if I have it too?" The child's father immediately took off his shoes and stepped onto a piece of paper Yang Ping provided.

"Your foot arch is normal," Yang Ping took a glance.

The child's father was bewildered, "I don't have flat feet, then why does he have flat feet?"

"Flat feet have a tendency to be hereditary, but it's not a guarantee," Yang Ping explained in case the man misunderstood. Some people can jump to the wrong conclusions very quickly, and are too sensitive.

Next was a girl brought by her mother, ten years old, complaining of pain on the inside of her right thigh which was particularly severe after sports. Yang Ping asked a nurse to accompany them to the treatment room for an examination. When they returned Yang Ping said, "The girl has injured her adductor muscle from overstretching during dance class.

Take her to the rehabilitation department for adductor muscle rehabilitation exercises."

"No problem, the pain is a result of lactic acid buildup or minor muscle fiber injuries after physical activity. Take a warm bath at night."

"Observe, there's a minor deformity in her chest, and her lower limbs are slightly bowlegged. Did she have rickets as a child? Encourage her to participate in outdoor activities, expose to the sun, and take calcium supplement."

After examining more than ten children, Yang Ping finally finished. A few of them had other illnesses but most were fine. They suffered from lactic acid buildup or minor muscle fiber injuries due to too much physical activity. Generally, a warm bath can help soothe the discomfort.

The parents were all pleased and felt more assured. They understood the causes of the pain and how to address it. The only exception was the parent of the child suspected of having an Osteoid Osteoma, whose face was pale.

Yang Ping asked Little Five to assist in scheduling the X-ray as soon as possible. After it was done, they should come back to the orthopedics department with the results. Yang Ping would then personally explain the diagnosis to the child's father. This sort of disease, if not explained properly, could cause sleepless nights for the whole family.

With Little Five's help, the X-ray was quickly completed. The adults returned to the orthopedics department with the films and report, holding their children's hands.

Yang Ping opened the X-ray on the electronic viewer screen. As expected, there was a small Osteoid Osteoma at the proximal end of the left tibia. Combining the medical history, physical examination, and X-ray results, there was little doubt that the diagnosis was Osteoid Osteoma, but the final confirmation depended on the pathological examination after the surgery.

"Where is your child?" Yang Ping only saw the parents. For a child this old, they should be encouraged to understand the condition themselves. Otherwise, it might cause psychological stress.

The father, seeing a point of protrusion on the bone surface from the X-ray, sighed deeply with a sorrowful look on his face, "Doctor, you were right. It really is a bone sarcoma. Doctor, it's such a big deal, I'm not sure I can accept it yet. Don't try to comfort me. Just tell me how it is. I just researched it on Baidu.

The bone sarcoma is malignant, it is severely malignant, and it is incurable."

As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Don't be too upset. Look carefully at these words: Considered Osteoid Osteoma, it's not osteosarcoma, they are completely different things," Yang Ping corrected him.

"Isn't it almost the same? One grows inside the flesh, the other inside the bone," the child's father rubbed his eyes.

"Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor, whereas Osteoid Osteoma is benign. For Osteoid Osteoma, a thorough removal through surgery will suffice. You are scaring yourself unnecessarily. Pick a time, have the child admitted to the hospital for the surgery, it takes three days. Admit the child on day one, perform surgery on day two, and discharge on day three. Afterwards, have a pathological examination.

This way, everyone can feel at ease. Don't unnecessarily search online at night."

At this moment, Zhang Lin brought out a textbook called "Surgery" and pointed out the chapters on Osteoid Osteoma and Osteosarcoma to him: "Look, this is Osteoid Osteoma, and this is Osteosarcoma. Read it yourself."

The child's father read each word carefully, then broke into a smile: "They are indeed different."

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