Chapter 405 Connecting with Steven
International Space Station, United States module.
Steven had just completed his fitness exercise. He ran for an hour on the combined weight-bearing external resistance treadmill and also did some other resistance training.
In a microgravity environment, it is easy to cause muscle atrophy and bone calcium loss. If you cannot maintain a certain amount of physical exercise, this phenomenon will be more serious.
After returning to Earth, you will be unable to walk due to muscle atrophy and prone to fractures due to osteoporosis.
Steven wiped his sweat, swam his light body, and returned to the living cabin, where various utensils were hung on the wall.
He checked the air pressure in the cabin, and there was no abnormality. Not long ago, a leak appeared in the Russian cabin, losing 220g of air every day. The magical Russians spent a month to finally find the leak, a breach of only 1 mm, and they used The tape was applied to seal it, and then he said he could sit back and relax.
If it were Steven, he would definitely do a spacewalk and perform extravehicular welding, otherwise it would be difficult to sleep peacefully.
Partner David Hawley is still looking at the Earth from the turret observation cabin. He loves photography. He always likes to take photos outside the cabin, and then selects some high-quality photos to post on Facebook.
David Hawley was in a relationship and he was just trying to attract the girl with these photos.
Looking from inside the cabin to the outside, there is no doubt that the turret, a dome cabin with seven observation cabins, is the best choice.
Steven opened his laptop and began to select photos. These were taken by cameras outside the space station. He promised his daughter to accumulate photos of different areas of the earth, and they must be photos taken by cameras outside, so that they would not be separated by a layer of transparent windows. .
At this time, Steven is the most relaxed. He has completed a day's scientific research tasks and done some personal things for his daughter, which he is proud of.
It's time to make a video call with my wife. With the help of three communication satellites, the International Space Station can connect to the Internet. Not only can it communicate with the ground control center in Houston, it can also make video calls with family members, browse the web, browse news, and send messages. Tweet, Facebook.
"My dear, I just came back from the supermarket. Look, my daughter is going to fill the refrigerator right now with all your favorite fruits. I told her to wait, there are still twenty days. Don't worry, she won't listen at all. "The wife kept the camera pointed at her while she was busy.
Steven's wife is a teacher at an elementary school in Houston. She is making dinner. There are steak, salad, and juice on the table.
"My dear, there are still twenty days before we can meet."
"We are waiting for you, my dear, it is like a year. I saw the news on NASA's official website. In twenty days, a Dragon spacecraft will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center, and you will complete the rotation."
"Daddy, daddy!" the voice of the eight-year-old daughter.
"Slow down, baby, what are you doing?" Steven saw his interesting daughter, wearing film gloves, with cheese-like things covering her face, hands, and clothes.
"I'm making a salad. When you come back, I'll make a plate of fruit salad for you to eat." My daughter danced with excitement.
"She is learning to make fruit salad. Look at her face. This is what she has done for you." The wife carefully wiped her daughter's cat face with a wet wipe.
"Dad, remember to help me save a set of photos. I promised my classmates, one for each person, and your signature. I must be a person of my word." My daughter reminds me every time.
"I'm picking it up, and it will be sent to your email in a few days." Steven has almost chosen it.
"She has prepared a speech topic - Viewing the Earth from Space. She speaks to our cats every day, and now I need your photos as material." The wife touched her daughter's face.
"Thank you, Dad! You guys can talk. I'm going to hide in my room now and give you fifteen minutes." The daughter said goodbye to Steven and hid in her room.
The wife was facing the camera: "Dear, I really miss you and I am also worried about you. Every day we use an astronomical telescope to look out the window to observe the sky, hoping that you will fly over our heads. Lin Keer compiled a form using The red pen marks the time you passed. Are you okay?"
"Thank you, dear, I'm fine, how are you?"
"Well, I'm pretty good too. Linkel wants to learn to surf, but I don't know how. She's waiting for you to come back."
The door secretly opened a crack, and Linker's eyes looked through the crack at her parents who were video chatting.
——
The lights are on in the administrative offices in Building 1 of the Johnson Aviation Center.
Members of the medical team and specially appointed experts from various places are having intense discussions.
The discussion lasted from 3pm to 7pm and is not over yet.
"Our core problem has been clarified. The reason for Steven's slowed heart rate is unknown. Will this unknown reason affect his return to Earth? Once he can return to the ground, everything will be easy to solve." Collins figured it out.
"Yes, you found the focus. I stick to my opinion and do not rule out tumors or other lesions in the intracranial brainstem."
"Everyone, I was in China not long ago and saw a patient in his seventies with a brainstem and medulla oblongata tumor. The first symptoms were slowed heart rate and breathing."
"What I mean is, if the lesion affects the heartbeat center, it may cause the heart rate to slow down, and if the lesion affects the respiratory center, it will cause breathing to slow down."
"I suspect that some kind of pathology is affecting Steven's heartbeat center. The probability is very low, one in a thousand, but we can't gamble. I suggest that we can't return to Earth until we figure it out. If it's a vascular malformation, the spacecraft will enter the atmosphere. , falling at high speed, ruptured blood vessels, and certain death.”
Johanathan stood up and made his point in an excited tone.
Dr. Eugene also stood up: "Judging from the current color ultrasound examination results, there is no problem with the heart. The blood sample test brought back last time did not find any abnormalities. However, I want to contact Steven and personally guide him to do it again. Cardiac color ultrasound, human health status is dynamic, and previous examinations cannot explain everything. ”
"When the meeting is over, we will connect with Steven and do the cardiac color Doppler ultrasound again."
Collins agreed with Dr. Eugene that the level of identification of color ultrasound images by doctors on the medical team was not even close to that of the professor of cardiovascular medicine at Johns Hopkins.
"At the same time, I support Professor Johannesson. He returned hastily without clarifying the reason, which is undoubtedly gambling with Steven's life." Eugene added in a serious tone.
Other experts also strongly agree with the two professors. Whether it is cardiac or intracranial disease, the cause must be clarified and the risk of return must be assessed.
"Our opinions are now unanimous. Further examinations must be carried out to clarify the cause and rule out some fatal diseases." Collins concluded.
Johannesson was very direct: "Yes, cerebral angiography must be completed. It is unrealistic to perform intracranial CT or MRI examinations, but as long as cerebral angiography is available, I can at least conduct a basic risk assessment. Dr. Eugene, I am afraid that you will be Dr. Massimo from the hospital came to Houston ”
Eugene also thought of this: "I'll contact Collins, you contact our hospital in the name of NASA."
Massimo, this genius interventional surgeon, since he was going to do a total cerebral vascular DSA, how could he not be present?
"No problem, I will contact Johns Hopkins as soon as possible, but there is no iodine contrast agent in our medicine box, and the simple X-ray machine on the space station cannot trust digital subtraction angiography." Collins knows the medicine box of the American module of the International Space Station well. .
He looked at the Russian doctor on the medical team. The Russian doctor also said he was helpless: "Unfortunately, although we have 18 medicine boxes, we do not have iodine contrast agent."
The Russians sent over a latest pharmaceutical manual, and Collins opened it.
As early as 50 years ago, when humans first entered space, astronauts had the habit of carrying medicine boxes into space. However, what should be packed in this small medicine box was not yet mature at that time. With the increase in the number of space flights and the advancement of space medicine knowledge, this list of drugs has become more and more mature.
In order to deal with health accidents of astronauts, the International Space Station has a large number of medicines in reserve. The medical team compiled a list of medicine names based on the list of injuries and diseases that may occur while stationed on the space station.
In addition to medicines, the space station also has some medical instruments: a small electrocardiogram meter, a pulse meter, a blood pressure monitor, an amplified stethoscope, and basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment.
The spacecraft that travels between the space station and the ground only flies once every two or three months.
If the astronauts have urgently needed medicine, the medicine box will not be available at this time.
Ground staff must prepare the amount of medicines that may be needed for the spacecraft to be sent to space.
Due to the load limit of the spacecraft, the drugs to be transported must be carefully selected, and try to select broad-spectrum and mature drugs.
The American module of the International Space Station has nine medicine boxes, but no iodine contrast agent, because no one would have thought that astronauts in space would need to undergo angiography.
Collins rubbed his temples: "If this is the case - I have to report it. This requires arranging a spacecraft launch in advance to transport medicines and instruments. In addition, Susan must be sent up."
Collins decided that it must be reported. This problem was no longer something that could be solved by the medical team. It should be decided by the director of the Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The medical training that astronauts receive is very limited, and it only covers basic treatment and first aid. To complete a cerebral angiography, it must be completed by a more professional person, and this person is Susan.
She is not only an astronaut, but also a surgeon. She has professional medical qualities and can perform some basic surgeries independently.
Collins raised his head. The soreness in his cervical vertebrae made him feel his head was heavy. "Do you have any other opinions? The situation is going to escalate now. What if we have to do this? A special flight must be arranged to send Susan and the medicine to the space station."< br>
"One launch, based on the load of two people, costs at least more than 100 million US dollars."
"This is Musk's price. In the past, the average cost of each launch in the United States was US$450 million."
Two engineers who attended the meeting reminded everyone whether there are other better ways.
"This is Mr. Director's math problem. Our problem is how to turn a one-thousandth risk into zero."
Johannesson said seriously that considering the monetary cost in front of human life is contempt for life.
The words of the two engineers aroused the hostility of all the doctors, and they immediately shut up. They appeared at the meeting just to answer the questions the doctors might have about space station engineering.
"Yes, this issue is left to Mr. Jimbasa. Maybe he can lower the price with Mr. Musk."
"I will prepare a report tonight and report it to the chief medical officer and director of the Washington headquarters, requesting an extra express delivery to send Susan and the medicine up for us. Gentlemen, sorry for the hard work, everyone, we will go to the ground immediately. Control center, connect with Steven, and conduct color ultrasound examination again. Finally, we have to make a detailed plan together, such as a list of drugs and equipment for express delivery, whether Susan needs to undergo enhanced training, and we can only use work fast food for dinner. Solved, I'm very sorry." Collins ended the meeting and immediately took everyone to another building - the ground control center.
There were eight staff members busy there, all staring at the screen.
The ground control center implements a nine-hour shift system to ensure that seven or eight staff are on duty 24 hours a day.
"Emergency medical line, line Steven, now!" Collins told the shift leader.
"Connect with Steven!" the team leader shouted.
The staff responsible for communications immediately connected to the space station's video system.
A few calls later, Steven's face appeared on the screen.
"Hello everyone, I'm Steven, I'm fine, what happened, Collins, your team seems to be here?" Steven greeted.
Collins kept smiling: "Don't worry, we just held a meeting to slow down your heart rate. Now Dr. Eugene needs to guide you to do a color ultrasound again. Do you need David Holly's assistance?"
"No, no, I can do it on my own. I don't feel any discomfort. I completed an hour of running today. I don't think there is anything wrong with me. Either you are wrong or the equipment is wrong. In short, it is not my fault."
Steven swam around, started to open a storage box, and pulled out the color Doppler ultrasound machine.
"From now on, you have to stop exercising." Dr. Eugene warned Steven.
The reason has not been found. If it is a myocardial problem, exercise will increase the load on the heart, which will cause arrhythmia and the consequences will be disastrous.
"Johns Hopkins, Dr. Eugene, expert in cardiovascular medicine." Collins introduced.
Steven straightened out the wires and turned on the switch: "Although I strongly disagree with what you say, I will listen to your opinion because you are a doctor. Can you start?"
"That's it." The staff in charge of communications adjusted the screen so that the color ultrasound image of the space station was synchronized with the screen in front of them.
"That's enough. Now follow the steps to do a color Doppler ultrasound of your heart." Collins ordered.
Dr. Eugene and everyone gathered in front of the communication screen to look at the image frame of the color ultrasound.
Left and right ventricles, left and right atria, various valves, aorta, vena cava, pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein——
Dr. Eugene carefully observed the color ultrasound image of the beating heart, and he asked Steven to repeat it several times.
No problem!
"Are you feeling any discomfort? For example, chest discomfort, feeling of hypoxia, general weakness, and lack of exercise ability? This is related to your return." Dr. Eugene was still uneasy.
"No, I don't have any discomfort." Steven was optimistic and didn't think there was anything wrong with him.
"Headache, dizziness, muscle discoordination, anything wrong?" Johannessen asked.
"No, if possible, I would like to challenge Tyson."
"Okay, have a good rest and contact us anytime if you have any questions."
Dr. Eugene couldn't see anything wrong with the cardiac ultrasound.
Can only wait for the next step of inspection.
The two chapters together are more than 4,000 words, thank you all!
(End of chapter)