Hi everyone! My first post, but I've done a lot of helpful reading and now need help.
I'm driving myself up a wall with over thinking each new symptom. My 3 CM NA was removed 100% on August 31, 2023. I've been in Vestibular Therapy twice a week for 3 months, and my balance is not improving so at advice of Therapist, I'm giving it a break.
I've had a fluid pouch over my craniotomy site that hasn't gotten any smaller, and seems like every morning it is larger until I move around throughout the day.
The last couple of weeks, 4 months into healing I am waking up with stiff and painful neck, with pain going up over my surgical site and spreading up and forward over my ear. It seems to be more frequent and worse lately. It's not like a normal headache, more like tissue pain.
I was told by both surgeons that the fluid was CSF that would eventually go away. That it may take a year or two to totally absorb.
My PT is concerned that there is something that needs to be done, because she thinks I should have more progress with my balance issue. She suggested today that I go to ER, because she could tell I wasn't feeling well.
I have no fever, and Ibuprofen seems to take care of most of the pain within a couple of hours.
My head feels like it has pressure and is full, more so on NA side.
At 5 months in should I just wait see where I end up? The surgeons see no issue and when I have a concern they each tell me to see the other.
I've always been mostly healthy and now seem to tire easily, so this is wearing on me mentally more that people understand. Family and friends think I should be back to normal by now, whatever that is going to be.
Sorry for the rant, but am I overreacting to my lack of progress? Is the pressure I feel in my head just part of healing? No shunt or drain was used during or after surgery.
