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New Member w/ AN diagonose 3.5mm NEED Suggestions Please

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peacefull:
Well I didn't sleep all night after the phone call I received. Dr's office said my MRI showed a 3.5mm AM on my right side. Is the 3.5 mm size small-med ?? The waiting is sooooo.. well you know...uggh...before I meet the ENT surgeon the end of this month..  It looks like the University of Minnesota is where I will have some form of treatment/surgery done. The only symptom I have is hearing loss to right ear & that hissing sound..it seems to be getting louder..is there anything I can do to help that... I've read as much as i can find for encouragement & direction..I will be 62 in December..good health otherwise. encouragement and suggestions are welcome. thank you for this board...God Bless...Daniel

Echo:
Hi Daniel and welcome!

AN's are typically classified as small if less than 1.5cm, medium 1.5 - 2.4cm, or large if more than 2.5cm.  If your AN is 3.5mm it's small and something that you can consider "watch and wait" or "radiation" (Gamma Knife or Cyber Knife) treatment for rather than the more invasive forms of microsurgery if that is your preference.  I will be 60 in December and I opted for Gamma Knife treatment last year for an AN which was 2.4cm in size.  With a small AN you have time to research and choose your treatment path.  It's wise to have more than one consult.  You want to find a specialist with plenty of AN experience.

The hissing sound you are referring to is Tinnitus which I'm sorry to say there's not much you can do to relieve that symptom.  Some people find it comes and goes or just stays without changing or it can become worse over time.  Mine has pretty much stayed constant and is at a level that I can easily ignore.  I can tell you that being in noisy environments or drinking to much caffeine will increase my tinnitus levels, so I monitor both of those triggers.

You will find lots of valuable info on this forum.  Many of us have had treatment and are doing great, many others are struggling with pre and post treatment issues. You will find lots of great support here and understanding.

Take care,
Cathie.

clere:
Peaceful,
A 3mm AN is considered small. I had a 6mm AN removed surgically last January and that was considered small.  However mine had shown growth and the decision was made to remove it.  It is a good idea to get several opinions and take your time doing your research. I also had (have) tinnitus and had lost basically all my hearing in that ear.  I am from northern MN, saw doctors at U of M, Mayo, and sent my scan to HEI in CA. I ultimately chose HEI for a variety of reasons and had a good outcome. I wish you luck and keep us posted. 

ANGuy:
At the rate these tumors grow, and your age, it is entirely possible you may decide not to have any treatment.  Beware of Drs. that are looking to treat you right away.  3.5mm is smaller than small.

As for symptoms, the odds are pretty good that surgery won't do anything to improve your symptoms.  AN'a aren't like a torn ligament in your knee where it won't be fixed unless they operate and then when they do operate you will be "fixed".  Tinnitus and hearing loss in that ear are likely going to be with you for the rest of your life regardless of what treatment options you choose.

The first neuro-oto Dr. I was referred to not only wanted to hurry up and operate on my 1cm AN, he couldn't even understand why I would consider waiting and observing it.  The next team I saw, at Duke, thought it was perfectly reasonable to wait and watch things.  A personal friend who is a plastic surgeon and has opened up many peoples' heads told me he would never advise cutting open someone's skull unless they had to.

Just to clarify, yours is 3.5 millimeters and not 3.5 centimeters, correct?

KeepSmiling:
Proton therapy could be an option for you. Here is a YouTube video about Proton Therapy which features our doctor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Of8FmaDqT8 
If you click on the Keep Smiling profile I created here, you can see my posts about my husband, who is 58 and has had an outstanding outcome from the Proton Beam treatment he got in July -Aug 2013. (Unfortunately we cannot provide long term outcome details just yet.)
As a newly diagnosed patient I would encourage you to read as much as you can and to keep an open mind. Knowledge is power.  Seek medical consultation about all the different treatments. Realize that you are going to get conflicting opinions from all the doctors. This is what happens. It is a shame, but it is reality.  Reach out to forum members, sending private messages and asking to speak with them. Arrange for telephone conversations when possible with forum members. Keep in mind that staying optimistic is good. There is power in positive thinking. You will forge this path and you will find a solution that is best for you. Whatever treatment you select, the good news is that we are here for you.

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