I realised that in my fight against cancer, where it had spread so much and caused me so much problems, having a poor knowledge of the anatomy worked to my disadvantage.
Lungs - I didn't know lungs have lobes. I do know liver has lobes, though I don't know how many. My CT chest report mentioned right middle and lower lobes. Lobes? Is it referring to lungs or liver? The other parts of the report looked like it was referring to lungs, but why lobes? I googled and found that lungs do have lobes. Left lung has 2 segments (lobes) and right lung has 3 segments or 3 lobes. Thanks to the internet.
I had thought that the fluid was outside my lungs and in the chest cavity. I didn't know that there is a pleural lining (sac) protecting the lungs. I studied my reports and googled and finally got the records straight - the fluid is in the pleural lining. Then people said 'water in the lungs', and I thought I also had water in my lungs, that's why I am coughing up so much phlegm. So, I asked my onco if the water is in my lungs also, why don't they take it out? And she said, no lah, the water cannot go into your lungs. Duh? So, it's not water in my lungs, but water in the linings of my lungs. But, if the fluid is outside my lungs and in the pleural linings, then how did I cough out so much phlegm? I better go google some more.
Metastases to the liver and bones - I asked the onco why are they only checking for CA 153 (cancer marker for breast cancer) when I have cancer cells in my bones and liver too. I had known that there are different cancer marker tests for bones and liver. Onco said that the cancer cells in my bones and liver are those that spread from my breast cancer and did not originate from the bones or liver itself. Oh! Okay, now I know.
Heart - In the course of studying my reports, I also found that there is a lining round the heart called the pericardial lining and that the fluid can go in there too.
It didn't matter what my onco will think of me or my ignorance, I needed answers and to get them I had to ask.
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