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Headaches when I wake in the morning --

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patt:
Hi to Everyone ---

I am new to this board and I am very happy that I found all of you.   I have been reading the posts and there is alot of good information that is shared by all of you.   I was just diagnosed with an "acoustic neuroma" on the 22nd of March.  I am in the process of getting appointments for Radiation and also a Dr for surgery.  On the 4th of March, I lost my hearing on my Right side.  100% loss of word recognition.  A repeat hearing test was taken after I was on a large dose of steroids  --  word recognition was improved alittle.     My tumor is 2.7 CM.  My balance seems to be OK, but at times I feel alittle dizzy.

My question --- do or did any of you experience headaches in the morning when you first wake up.   I look back and I had  headaches before I lost the hearing in my Right ear.   It goes away on its own once I am up for awhile.   During the day -- I will get a headache -- not really bad, but there.

I have been reading and trying to understand my options.   When you decided the approach that you took  --- how did you decide that??

Thanks for listening to me.  I am sure that I will be back with more questions.

I am from Minnesota.  Are there any of you out there that are from Minnesota  -- if so ----- where did you have your surgery??

Thanks again ---
Patt from Minnesota

nancyann:
Hi there Patt:  nice to meet you.   I never had headaches pre-op.  Headaches have always been a rare thing for me.  Post surgery I had excrutiating headaches for about 2 weeks, then. luckily, they subsided.  My hearing on the AN side was also about nil.
My decision to go the surgical route was very quick & without a thought about it after a friend who happened to be a neurologist said to go the surgical route,
'they'll be able to pluck it right off the nerve.'  Who knows how things would have ended had I chosen radiation....
 Anyway,  keep reading away on this discussion forum.  Unfortunately I didn't get a computer until about 2 months post op. You are in a great position having found us pre-op.
Always good thoughts,  Nancy
ps:  I live in Florida.

leapyrtwins:
Patt -

headaches are not a symptom I experienced prior to being diagnosed and I thankfully don't suffer from them post op either.

Drs. Link & Driscoll @ Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have a very good following; you may want to consult with them.

As for treatment option, it's a very personal choice.  One size does not fit all.  I had the option of radiation and surgery, and although I initially thought there was no way I'd choose surgery that was my ultimate decision.  It was the best choice for me, but that does not mean it's the best choice for you.

The size of your AN is very close to the threshold where most doctors won't do radiation (usually 3 cms) so that may or may not be a factor in your decision.

If you haven't already, you should contact the ANA for their informational brochures.  In my opinion, they are very educational, explain a lot about ANs, and will help you in your decision-making process.

Best,

Jan

Cheryl R:
Hi Patt,    This may depend on what part of Minn you are in but Univ of Iowa has Dr Bruce Gantz who does approx 60 ANs a year.    There have been many on the forum who have been there.     He is not big on radiation but a very good neurotologist.        I live in central Iowa and have got to know him well as I in time found I had NF2 which is ANs on both sides and can have other tumors too.   I have had 3 removed so far.                   I know also that Iowa has had many out of state pts.           
www.uihealthcare.com and go to otolaryngology section.   
                      Good luck on your AN journey.                  Cheryl R

Pooter:
Hi Patt and welcome to the forum..

Looking back, I did have a lot more headaches than usual.  It seemed I was taking ibuprofin a LOT..  Also, I had 4 sinus infections in the year leading up to diagnosis (which could have contributed to the increase in headaches)...  After surgery, I rarely take anything for headaches.  Like you, they seemed to just be there when I would get up and then would taper off through the day.  So, I feel your pain (pun intended)..

Unfortunately, I didn't have much choice on the treatment front.  Mine was large enough and interfering with the brainstem enough that my doctor ruled out radiation immediately and I basically deferred to him on what type of approach to use for the surgery.  My hearing was gone already, so it didn't matter to me if translab or retrosigmoid approach was used; whatever was best to hopefully get all of it out.

I'm not in Minnesota, so I can't help you with local doctors..  If you ever get down to Houston, Tx, then I have a few for you though.  :)

Welcome aboard!

Regards,
Brian

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