The latest

My ear:

I had a hearing test on Tuesday, which showed two things:
- I have significant hearing loss in my left ear....but
- there is no neural or brain damage related to this. It's just a lot of fluid backed up behind my eardrum. Dr. Gillis thinks the radiation may have played a part in it by drying out the wax in my ears, thus blocking the fluid's egress. Next Thursday Dr. Gupta will pierce the eardrum and install a tiny drainage tube. I should get most of my pre-brain tumor hearing back. Not having a hellaceous cold should help too

Cyberknife:

This morning, Kevin and I drove down to the Radiation Treatment Center where Dr. Gillis explained the procedure and its risks and had me sign the consent forms. Then we met Dr. Tse, who is a neurosurgeon in Redwood City and works with Dr. Gillis frequently on Cyberknife procedures. Dr. Tse explained the mechanics of how the Cyberknife works and that it's particularly good at zapping masses too deep in the brain to reach with a scalpel.

A new mask was created for my treatments,(to snap my head down to the board.) and a CT scan was taken. Tse and Gillis will use that scan together with the MRI that's being taken in Redwood City tomorrow to determine their "beam design". The actual treatments commence next Wednesday and end on Friday, 3 treatments in all, each lasting about an hour.

Good news on the Decadron front. I only have to take it on the three treatment days. This is very good news,since I'm only just now losing my toddler tummy and looking like my old self again.