NEED HELP

[barney]

MY AUNT WHO IS 89 WAS DIGANOSED THREE YEARS AGO. HER TUMOR IS NOW THE SIZE OF A EGG. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF HER TUMOR BETWEEN THE 2 AND 3 MRI. IT ALMOST DOUBLED. BETWEEN THE 3 AND 4 THERE WAS NO CHANGE. SURGERY IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. HER SYM. ARE GETTING WORSE IE WALKING HEARING LOSS OF VOICE ETC. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR. I AM HER PRIMARY CARE GIVER. THE DOCTORS HAVE NO MORE INFO FOR ME. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT SYMPTOMS THE END STAGES OF THIS TUMOR MAY CAUSE.
THANK YOU TO ANYONE WHO CAN HELP

[shoegirl]

Hi,

Depending on the size of her tumor, she may be a candidate for radiosurgery.  Check out the cyberknife support group - there are doctors who will answer posts - www.cyberknifesupport.org

Not sure what "the size of egg" is in mm or cm, but worth looking into radiation.

Good luck and Best wishes!

[Boppie]

Barney, I am 64, female, and researched this a bit when considering my own tumor's behavior.  

You might expect to see symptoms similar to those of a stroke patient.  I mean a stroke on the brain...also, symptoms related to hydrocephalis, brain pressure/swelling/fluid build up on the brain, headache pain, etc.  God be with you.  

I elected for surgery.  I would not even consider the long brain surgery for my own Mom who is only 84.  At the very minimum Mom would end up in a wheelchair forevermore, and possibly would not be able to swallow after the recovery.

[tony]

I saw your note you must be very concerned.
The Hydrocephalus mentioned may occurr - more likely if the tumour is over 4-5 cms
 - but it can be dealt with separately from the AN itself.
There is  medication for this, or a small surgery (relative to an AN OP, it is small)
maybe required - but they are not going to do anything until symptoms
appear - and these may yet be along time coming, or never.
As a general rule the symptoms from AN tumours almost entirely depend
on how big they are - and WHERE they are. The nerves which are closest
are at the greater risk.
There is no "end stage" as such - these tumours only take a life in 1-2% of
cases - many folk pass on of natural causes without ever knowing they
had one.
Given the age of the lady  its the poor balance (which may lead to falls)
which could be the biggest issue.
Basically the balance will get progressivey worse - so you may need to
change routines around the house to allow for this
who does the shopping, who carries things, movement on the stairs etc
My suggestion is you try to attend any of the medical consultations
to get a better understanding of the issues
You will need permission etc but worth it for sure
Best regards
Tony

[Sue]

There is a little bit of information in regards to your question on this site I found:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Acoustic_neuroma?open

I am sorry about your aunt. This is a terrible thing to have at age 89. I'm 60 and I don't like it one bit!!  I wish you both the best of luck and hope there will be some solution to her AN. Everyone here recommends people trying for a free consultation with House Ear Clinic in LA. Maybe they would be better at giving you some answers. 

Sue in Vancouver, WA