Hi, everyone:
I'm happy (make that thrilled) to be able to report with confidence at this point that my balance has very significantly improved since getting CK. I've waited this long (now 9 months post-CK) to "officially" report this in a post because my balance function fluctuates from day to day, and I wanted to establish a trend before pronouncing any firm conclusions.
Immediately after getting CK, my balance worsened by about 15 to 20% (subjectively). I had intermittent waves of dizziness occurring one or more times per day for the first six months after treatment (I didn't have this before receiving CK). But after about 7 months, not only had that symptom disappeared, but my balance function seemed to improve to where it was better than it was before getting treated in one important regard. Read on.
For the past 8-1/2 years, since the onset of symptoms, I'd been experiencing what another forumite aptly described as "the invisible hand." That is, I'd be standing still or turning while standing, and I'd start to fall over to one side, almost as if an invisible hand just gave me a gentle nudge. (I wouldn't feel the "hand" on my body, but the inertia would be the same as if someone had pushed me.)
To my surprise, that annoying and chronic symptom has been virtually gone for the past 2 months (i.e., beginning about 7 months after I received CyberKnife treatment). A few times, I've had the very slightest tipsy moment, but nothing that couldn't possibly be chalked up to normal, momentary imbalance. I have to conclude that that symptom, at least for now, is no more!
I still have a nearly constant sense of disequilibrium or "wonky head," as it is commonly referred to on this board, when I walk and sometimes even when at rest. But the more dramatic tendency of suddenly beginning to fall over to one side without warning, that's seemingly gone.
Hopefully this report will be an inspiration and comfort to those in watch-and-wait mode who are considering CK, as well as to those who recently underwent CK treatment and are struggling with worsened balance symptoms. There
is hope!
Best wishes to all,
Tumbleweed