Acoustic Neuroma Patient Stories
Read stories from the ANA community and share your own acoustic neuroma story to help inspire others.
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Murmurations: Creating An Album About Recovery and Hope
By Dominic Forrest
London, UK
I remember it clearly. It was the first neurology appointment after my diagnosis and as I entered the room, I could tell from the doctors’ grim faces that it wasn’t going to be good news. They casually informed me that because my tumor was so large - 6 cm, they would have to operate within a few weeks. It had also grown around my hearing nerve, and the surgery would destroy the nerve and result in total loss of hearing in that ear. No ifs, no buts – this was just what was going to happen. I was stunned and felt the blood drain from me.
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My 50 Year Anniversary – 1975-2025
By Joann Yott
I recall crying as I drove home from the office of the ophthalmologist, who told me, “You have a brain tumor, which neurosurgeon in town do you want to see?” 10 days later, I was in surgery for the removal of a 3 cm acoustic neuroma. I was 29 years old.
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My CyberKnife Story: A Scientific Marvel Akin to Star Wars
By Laura Fay
In early 2019, I was in my home office when I answered a phone call. I drew the phone to my right ear, but the voice was so faint it was inaudible. The volume was at max. I switched the phone to my left ear, and the voice came through loud and clear. Uh oh!
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Gamma Knife in Serbia
By Maja Samardzic-Lukic
I am from a beautiful, small European country - Serbia. I am a physician by profession, specializing in pediatric nephrology. Dedicated to my daily work and always caught up in a busy schedule, I could never have imagined that everything would come to a sudden halt due to my own illness.
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Be Your Own Advocate
by Pamela Brown
I was diagnosed with AN in the early 2000s. My only symptom was twitching in my left eye. After the devastating news was confirmed, the neurologist discussed treatments, and I decided to have 24 sessions of radiotherapy. I was working full-time, so I went for treatments during my lunch hour. I experienced nausea near the end of radiation, but it diminished immediately after I finished my treatments.
