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Author Topic: Tumbleweed's 6.5-year followup MRI  (Read 3155 times)

Tumbleweed

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Tumbleweed's 6.5-year followup MRI
« on: December 12, 2014, 07:23:46 pm »
Hi, everybody:

Sorry I haven't been on the forum in months; I've been extremely busy. And I suppose as my former troubles with my AN recede farther into my memory (due to a successful treatment that's reversed many symptoms), the forum has slipped farther and farther off my radar. Still, I thought it would be helpful to some if I posted my latest MRI results.

This latest MRI was taken 6-1/2 years after CyberKnife treatment at Stanford University Medical Center, performed by the masterful Dr. Steven D. Chang. My latest MRI shows my AN and hypoglossal schwannoma to both be stable in size (after my AN shrank roughly 70% in volume in the first few years following treatment).

My latest audiogram shows no change except for an improvement in word recognition on my AN side (now 100%). My audiologist explained to me that wearing my hearing aid stimulates and trains the brain to recognize words more readily without it. My hearing has been stable now for the past three years, and I've passed the critical 6-year mark at which point, statistically at least, the risk of losing my hearing on my AN side becomes less likely. I did lose some hearing both before and soon after treatment, but I seem to have established a nice and stable plateau of serviceable hearing on my AN side now.

CyberKnife turned out to be a near-miraculous treatment for me, as I've regained around 90% of my balance function and rarely feel wonky-headed anymore.

I regrettably probably won't have much time to be on the forum going forward, at least for awhile, as I'm entering a really busy period with work.

Life is good!

Best wishes to all,
TW
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L. AN 18x12x9 mm @ diagnosis, 11/07
21x13x11 mm @ CK treatment 7/11/08 (Drs. Chang & Gibbs, Stanford)
21x15x13 mm in 12/08 (5 months post-CK), widespread necrosis, swelling
12x9x6 mm, Nov. 2017; shrank ~78% since treatment!
W&W on stable 6mm hypoglossal tumor found 12/08

jaylogs

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Re: Tumbleweed's 6.5-year followup MRI
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2014, 01:30:41 pm »
Hey TW, it's good to see you on again.  I know what  you mean about time on here.  It's been interesting to see folks come and go...some stay some go.  But that's what this place is for, to get everything you need when dealing with this stuff.  Glad to hear your extremely good outcome using cyberknife.  A definite testimony to the wonders of modern medical science.  Take care and thanks for sharing!
Jay
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8.1mm x 7.8mm x 8.2mm AN, Left Ear, Middle Fossa surgery performed on 12/9/09 at House by Drs. Brackmann/Schwartz. Some hearing left, but got BAHA 2/25/11 (Ponto Pro) To see how I did through my Middle Fossa surgery, click here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jaylogston

MNTim

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Re: Tumbleweed's 6.5-year followup MRI
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2014, 02:20:20 pm »
Congratulations
It's great for all of us to see the possibilities.

Tim
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8/31/09 hydrocephulus-emergent drain
9/2/09 5 cm AN debulked, Retro Sig Abbott NW
5/18/10 Second debulk, Retro Sig Abbott NW
1/31/11 Translab, 7/12 Graft Mayo Rochester, MN
2/12/11 Lumbar drain
3/14/11 Eustacian tube packing procedure for CSF leak
2/28/13 Platinum weight & Tarsorrhaphy

Anomar11

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Re: Tumbleweed's 6.5-year followup MRI
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2014, 07:17:48 pm »
Congratulations TW.  I'm having my 6 yr MRI tomorrow.  I haven't had a hearing test since diagnosis.  Hearing is markedly diminished but I still have some.  What kind of hearing aids do you use.  Thanks.  Anomar
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L An diagnosed 5/08 2.0 x 1.1 x 1.3 cm.  Cyberknife Stanford Drs Chang and Gibbs Nov '08.  One yr: 2.1 x 1.4 x 1.6, Two yr: 2.2 x 1.5 x 1.8, Three yr: 1.9 x 1.5 x 1.5, Four year 1.6 x 1.1 x 1.1, Six yr: 1.4 x .7 x .9

Tumbleweed

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Re: Tumbleweed's 6.5-year followup MRI
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2014, 12:36:33 am »
Hi, Anomar:

Good luck with your MRI!

The hearing aids I use are Oticon Agil Pro. Gotta say I love them. They took a couple weeks to get used to, as I had not heard high frequencies very well in several years. Now that my brain has adapted, I would be hard-pressed to go without them.

Best wishes to all,
TW
Logged
L. AN 18x12x9 mm @ diagnosis, 11/07
21x13x11 mm @ CK treatment 7/11/08 (Drs. Chang & Gibbs, Stanford)
21x15x13 mm in 12/08 (5 months post-CK), widespread necrosis, swelling
12x9x6 mm, Nov. 2017; shrank ~78% since treatment!
W&W on stable 6mm hypoglossal tumor found 12/08

PaulW

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Re: Tumbleweed's 6.5-year followup MRI
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2014, 02:33:20 am »
Congratulations tumbleweed...
Great to hear things are travelling well...
4.5 Years for me post Cyberknife and lifes good
Logged
10x5x5mm AN
Sudden Partial hearing loss 5/28/10
Diagnosed 7/4/10
CK 7/27/10
2/21/11 Swelling 13x6x7mm
10/16/11 Hearing returned, balance improved. Feel totally back to normal most days
3/1/12 Sudden Hearing loss, steroids, hearing back.
9/16/13 Life is just like before my AN. ALL Good!
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