Hi CeeCee,
S'ok, I know what it's like to get out of CK and feeling like 'not up to much today'. I was like that, remember?
Weather being lousy is also something that is with me, and for good I suspect. By the intensity of my tinnitus and headache I would forecast overcast, with moderate winds from the west turning south west, light drizzle. lol
Swelling / shrinking and effects of same. I included swelling because the effects were basically the same I felt. A good while back, about 18 months ago I think I had these episodes of sharp short stabbing pains behind my AN ear, some tingling down my face and at times some sharp pains there too. Nothing that would last for more than a few seconds, maybe a minute at the most. These could happen a few times a day, never regularly and never prolonged. I also had increased tinnitus and a decease in hearing. I eventually asked my doc what that could be and he suggested it might be swelling. I was close to MRI date when I asked, so a few weeks later it was confirmed, swelling by 10-10%.
Then the swelling stabilised. The tinnitus stabilised at a louder level too. The pains subsided slightly. Then when the little feck started shrinking back, yikes, here we go again! Same story, but in terms of tumour in reverse. The waiting period between inflation and deflation was minimal, not sure how long, but I wasn't really aware of there being one.
I guess all those nerves being stretched a bit more and then released creates havoc with them and they are NOT happy. Now, nearly three years post CK, I have none of the above mentioned effects (they lasted for about 3 months I think, nothing unbearable) and the tinnitus has gone back to it's normal 'rushing brook' sound and level. HEaring is still down but it's useless anyway, so no great loss.
As far as I can understand the mechanics, but I could be wrong in this, the tumour swells and nerves stretch. Then the tumour shrinks, and the nerves relax back. A bit like an elastic band on a balloon? I'm guessing here, somebody might have a more scientific and true explanation.
Hope your cold behaves this time CeeCee. Obviously they didn't give you enough rads to make you dangerous to bugs!
Ciao
Lorenzo
