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During all these days Lao Chiu was lying on the bed suffering continual pain. The doctors and nurses did their utmost to reduce his suffering to the minimum, but they could not completely relieve it. Even the chief surgeon said once, 'When we were healing him I often thought that if another person was in his place he certainly would not have stood it so long, but Lao DChiu endured everything. When I saw him grinding his teeth to suppress his groans, I felt so touched that the tears feel from my eyes.' Indeed he suffered great pain for a long period. While changing the dressings even laughing gas anaesthesia could not keep him quiet. Sometimes these pains were so intense that his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Ba Jin#24

SufferingMedicalResilienceEnduranceLimits

About this quote

What does it mean?
Lao Chiu endured continuous pain that even anesthesia could not fully relieve, showing remarkable resilience.
In plain terms
He stayed strong through pain that could not be fully stopped by medicine.
What can you take from it?
True endurance is shown when pain cannot be fully relieved by medicine.

Where it applies

  • severe pain management
  • medical treatment
  • personal endurance

Putting it to work

  • showing human resilience
  • illustrating medical limits
  • highlighting care efforts

Questions to consider

  • What drives someone to endure such pain?
  • How do medical staff react to extreme suffering?

Another view

The quote relies heavily on the surgeon's emotional reaction rather than just facts.

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