tumor growth btw diagnosis and surgery?

[anissa]

I am getting really scared here.  I know that I had hearing/speech discernment decreases between 3 monthly hearing tests and realized the other day at the Dr.'s office that I get dizzy when visually trying to follow the Dr.'s finger from side to side.  I didn't notice any numbness in my face then but I feel it today, tingly and not the same sensation as the left side of my face.  Is it growing quickly?  I don't really expect an answer to that because who knows but did you feel the changes like that?  All of my symptoms have come on in 4 months, March starts month 5.  I wish my surgery was tomorrow.  My Dr. is still trying to move the date up but was waiting on some lab results which he should have tomorrow.  Just venting I guess, thanks for listening.

[kenneth_k]

Hi Anissa.

Well this is the right place to ventilate
It is very normal to be anxious before surgery. Luckily, it is rare for AN's to grow fast. But changes in symptoms may occur, even though there is no growth at all.

I hope you can have your surgery date changed to an earlier date.

Kenneth

[joebloggs]

Hi Anissa,

I wouldn't be too worried, the docs wouldn't have scheduled your surgery for April unless they were sure you'd be ok by then.  I first had an MRI in May, the AN was 2.3/2.4cm then, in Dec it was 2.7cm.  I haven't felt any real increase in symptoms - although I do notice some symptoms now that I didn't notice before but I'm sure that's just me now being aware that they are related to the AN rather than I've developed them recently.  I have numbness in my face and I have had that since May when I first had my MRI.  My surgery is a week away.  You will be fine, April isn't that far away.

x
JB

[wendysig]

Hi Anissa,

I'm sorry to hear you are having more problems.  While it is possitble, though as Kenneth said, rare for  an AN to grow suddenly, it is more likely that your vestibular nerve  and facial nerve areacting up, which is not unusual.  I know the wait before surgery can be very stressful, to say the least.  I hope your doc manages to move your surgery u but even if he doesn't it won't be long..  Hang tough.

Wendy

[anissa]

Thank you so much for responding.  I haven't had a very good day today.  I'm starting to realize that this is happening to me.  Thanks again.

[tenai98]

Hi Anissa
We all know what you are going thru. My surgery is schedule right behind you for April 7.  Even thou my tumor did not grow the symptons did...These symptons come and go except for the tinnitus ( which actually went away in Mexico) and my balance issue as well as the hearing loss....Most of my "increased" symptons are due to balance issues...
This is the place to vent, cry and lean on shoulders...
April will be here soon enough..try to relax (ha easier said than done)
JO

[satman]

hang in there anissa ,might be your mind playing tricks on you, being that you know it's there and your extremely nervous.
all will be fine before you know it,hang tough.

[mk]

Hi Anissa,

The numbness you are describing is due to the trigeminal nerve. These symptoms appear once the AN starts to touch the trigeminal nerve. When this happens, the onset of "nubmness" is very rapid. In my case it spread quickly from the area around the mouth to the entire right side of my face, in a matter of days. This rapid change in sensation does not indicate rapid growth however, so don't worry about it - it only shows that your trigeminal nerve has started to respond to the pressure by the AN. Even when there is no growth, the presence of the AN will affect the nerves due to pressure and decreased blood flow.
On the "brighter" side, usually these symptoms are very mild. Be watchful about your eye though, because the decrease in sensation will also cause a decrease in the sensation in the cornea, meaning that you might experience dry eye. If this happens eye drops help a lot.

Marianna

[Pembo]

HI Anissa, my 4 cm tumor was diagnosed in May 2004. I didn't have symptoms until the Feb before. It started with a little facial tingling in late Feb, then dizziness in March that got worse until my surgery in June. Looking back I had lots of little symptoms. For me the symptoms came quick even though the tumor was very large. Stay strong the time before surgery was the hardest.

[yardtick]

Great explanation Marianna.  Better than I heard from any Doctor.  Gosh this forum is such a wealth of information. 

Thank you,
Anne Marie

[kmancini]

I had my surgery last April and I experienced the same as you.  I called the doctor and they told me I would have good days and bad days.  The symptoms would get bad then go away.

Karen

[Sue]

Like Marianna, my trigeminal nerve became involved.  I told my doctor the first of January 2006 that there was a numb spot up by my ear.  That sent me, finally, to a neurologist.  But the time I was finally able to see the neurologist, it was the first of March and the whole side of my face was feeling the effects.  Like Marianna, this hasn't gone away, nor do I expect it to, and it is annoying to say the least.  I don't know if it would have made a bit of difference for my treatment to have been sooner, but I suppose I'll always wonder if it would have ever gotten this bad if my ENT had figured this out 6 months previous.  Maybe not, but I'll never know that, will I?

Hang in there,

Sue in Vancouver USA

[anissa]

Thank you very much, I'm learning more everyday.  The symptoms are just so unnerving.  They leave me constantly wondering what else is going wrong in my body and is it something thats going to get better?  I needed to hear that there are good and bad days and that this is typical.  Its so true, some days I feel completely under control and some days its like a little cloud of doom following me around. 

Marianna, thanks for explaining that, it makes sense.  Just like my ear and knowing how long the tumor has been there, its just now getting to a point where things are being affected. 

You guys are so great.  I already don't know what I'd do without you.  Probably be on 4 weeks of freak-out, ha ha.

[MAlegant]

Anissa,
My only symptoms were caused by the trigeminal nerve (that's where the tumor was growing) but they did come and go and didn't really alarm me until I was diagnosed. After that, everything alarmed me! So I get how you are feeling.  The waiting must be driving you batty!  It does that to all of us.  I even asked one doctor to just remove it under novocaine in the office and dispense with the surgery. That's when  I found out that few neurosurgeons have a sense of humor when they're dealing with serious situations.  My sense of humor was in hyperdrive; mostly to calm myself but also to make others feel less ill at ease.  Hang in there.
Marci

[anissa]

My sense of humor was in hyperdrive; mostly to calm myself but also to make others feel less ill at ease.  Hang in there.

This is exactly where I've been since diagnosis but I never thought about why I do it.  Makes sense.  Thanks for helping me not feel alone.