what they're saying is that they think there is something inside my ear, rather than inside my brain.

i was thinking that something was structurally damaged - a broken bone, or perhaps a severed nerve. something lodged inside my ear is kind of half way between both theories.

i'm going in for a second mri at the beginning of september - without the ions. until then, they can't say if it's a growth or a foreign object, or if it's benign or not.

but, it seems like my brain is safe. for now, anyways. it may be one of those "caught it early enough" things. or, it may be earwax.