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Watch and Wait

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tsl:
With my recently diagnosed acn that is quite small and in the ear canal and not near my brain stem, I've decided for the option of watching and waiting.

I've had 2 visits with my local ENT.  I did tell him that it was important to me to have the option of radiation treatment or surgery, but since there was no immediate need to take action that I would watch and wait.  When the time does come, I will also be seeking a second opinion from some Boston doctors.  (I live in western Mass.).

This support group has helped me thru my panic/terrified phase.  Although I still have my moments and I have to work hard to not let myself be overwhelmed.

I was just wondering what advice you would have for dealing with adjustments like reduced hearing, the continual ear-blockage sensation, etc.

Thanks.

Lorenzo:
HI there,

Personally, I used to stay away from loud noise and keep the stress to a minimum!  HA! Easy to say... :) Reduced hearing unfortunately there isn't much I can think one can do, other than wait and adjust to it. And adjusting you will most likely!

Maybe others have better and more constructive ideas?

Ciao, Lorenzo

ppearl214:
Hi tsl and welcome. I'm just outside of Boston and please know that there are MANY options here locally, from Cyberknife at Beth Israel to Gammaknife at Providence (Dr. Noren) to some of the most wonderful AN surgeons at MGH/MEEI (Dr. Fred Barker). There are many of us here in New England and we also get together for quarterly brunches in Worcester at Maxwell's.  My AN was the exact same size as your's when I was diagnosed. Take your time to read the forums here.... so many wonderful suggestions, inputs, thoughts, debates, etc.  If it becomes too overwhelming, just take a deeeeeeep breath. We'll help you through it.

Hang in there and we're here for you... locally and from afar.

Again, welcome.
Phyl

krbonner:
Hi, tsl!

**bringing out the New England welcome wagon**

It's hard not to get overwhelmed.  I'm already post-treatment, and I still get overwhelmed!  (Though maybe that's just life in general for me...  Hmmm...)

I'm about 30 miles NW of Boston.  When I was first diagnosed I was also a happy watch-and-waiter.  The thought of actually dealing with treatment was too much for me.  Unfortunately, my AN grew much faster than most, and quickly became a problem for my brain stem - darn it!  In any case, if you're interested in a second opinion now I'd suggest seeing Dr. Michael McKenna at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.  He's currently following 300-400 ANs cases in watch-and-wait status (in addition to the countless patients he's had for surgery and radiation).  He's not one to push for treatment if you don't need it yet, which is refreshing in the medical community!  LOL!  He's also happy to have you do MRIs locally and send the results to him for monitoring (though you'd probably need to trek into Boston for an initial appt).  If it comes time for treatment, there are many good options in Boston/New England (Phyl seems to be Maintainer-Of-The-NE-Doctor-List) for most types of treatment.

Whatever you decide to do, if you do the research and make informed choices then you'll make the choice that is right for you.  I'm sorry you have to join our community, but I'm glad you found this group. 

Katie 

Desilu:
Hi tsl,

Good to hear that your AN is small (no pun intended). My AN was 4mmx3mm and I was able to watch and wait for 5 years before it decided to grow. This gave me plenty of time to research and make and educated decision. You have many options since your AN is so small. As time goes by, you will learn so much from this forum and be able to be at peace with your decision. I wish you the best!  Ann

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