ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: Tisha on July 31, 2009, 06:35:16 am

Title: 6 month MRI results - almost
Post by: Tisha on July 31, 2009, 06:35:16 am

I had my 6 month MRI 7/6/09.  I haven't posted because I'm waiting for an answer from Dr. Chang (had CK at Stanford), but I thought I'd go ahead a post anyway.

1 hour after my MRI, the neurotologist who diagnosed me (doesn't work on AN's as he's inexperienced in the area), called for an unrelated issue.  I told him I just had my MRI and he asked permission to go read it immediately online.  Wow, sure I said!

When diagnosed he measured if 1.7 x 1.0.  Dr. Chang measured it 1.6 x 1.1 and another Stanford Doc measured it 1.7 x 1.1 x .9.  So, with the margin of error, I was confident in the size of this tumor at the onset.

Local doc measured it now at the same measurements as before, and said he saw a little grey in the middle which probably indicates necrosis, but of course he deferred to Dr. Chang's expertise.  He said it looked like some slight swelling, but that can be microscopic and unreadable.

Dr. Chang's nurse e-mailed me 10 days after I sent the MRI and audiogram.  He measured it at 1.8 x 1.3 x 1.0.  Swelling, which I thought made more sense because of my sudden hearing loss in Feb, etc.  Since the margin of error can be up to 4 mm, this is considered stable. 

My audiogram hasn't changed since 4 months ago when my hearing loss came back, but I had medium loss in my high frequencies because of that.  Pre-ck, my hearing was darn near perfect in all frequencies.  So, even though it's not worse since that episode, to me I've lost hearing pre-ck...although not in the conversational frequencies.

The question that was not answered was about necrosis, so I'm waiting on his reply for that.

I have tinnitus in that ear now post-CK, but I could have eventually gotten than anyway even without it.  It really doesn't bug me at all, it's very soft constant static.

All in all, I'm pleased and am looking forward to the one year mark.

Tisha

Title: Re: 6 month MRI results - almost
Post by: sgerrard on July 31, 2009, 08:43:04 am

It sounds good to me, Trisha. It would be nice if CK was perfect and would restore all previous hearing, knock out the tinnitus, and quickly reduce the AN to a shadow of its former self. But realistically, we have to be happy if the tumor has stopped growing and the symptoms are not getting worse. I can live with that.

Congratulations on what looks like another CK success.

Steve

Title: Re: 6 month MRI results - almost
Post by: eab on August 02, 2009, 09:30:17 pm

I love reading about 3 successes right in a row - congratulations! and here's to more success and less side effects.

Beth

Title: Re: 6 month MRI results - almost
Post by: Jim Scott on August 03, 2009, 03:54:59 pm

Tish ~

Congratulations on your MRI results!  Thanks for letting us know the good news.  :)

Jim

Title: Re: 6 month MRI results - almost
Post by: GRACE1 on August 07, 2009, 11:09:54 am

Good news!!

Grace

Title: Re: 6 month MRI results - almost
Post by: mk on August 07, 2009, 06:51:31 pm

Tisha,

Congratulations on the good news. It seems that overall you have been doing quite well. Let us know if Dr. Chang provides any more input.

Best wishes,
Marianna

Title: Re: 6 month MRI results - almost
Post by: Kathy M on August 07, 2009, 07:01:18 pm

Congrats!  I just love good news, too, and I'll bet it feels really good that it's about you.  Thanks for the update.

Kathy