ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: sempergumby on June 19, 2012, 05:44:40 am
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16 days to go and feeling odd. Not sure of the emotions. After my MRI, my primary doc said to dismiss the 4mm AN as too small to worry about. I did not take his advice and sought that opinion of a neurosurgeon that had performed spine surgery in past. She is my hero! She said size was very small, but, AN is in very rare locate and needs very swift attention. Surgery 5 July. I am glad I ignored my primary doc. He knows outcome of neuromonics consult, but hasn't commented. Guess I will be looking for new doc.
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I wanted to reply after reading the second sentence, yes get rid of that doctor - immediately !!
Good luck with your surgery, and keep us posted.
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Sempergumby ~
Unfortunately, some doctors are simply unfamiliar with acoustic neuromas because they are rare. Obviously, your PCP was one of those. Fortunately, you had the good sense to ignore his advice (based on his apparent ignorance about ANs) and will have the tumor removed. My neurosurgeon said that because these tumors are benign, were they in a different place in the body, they might otherwise be left alone. However, as your astute neurosurgeon noted, their location is what makes them problematic and necessary to remove or radiate. I trust your symptoms will abate once the AN has been resected.
Jim
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If only my growth had been diagnosed and treated at that stage instead of being left to grow to 5cm (or 50mm). Chances are I would have retained at least some hearing in the affected ear and not have suffered from hydrocephalus or cerebellar retraction (brain compression). Also, I probably would have been in and out of the hospital instead of having spent a total of four weeks in the hospital and one week in a rehab hospital, getting back on my feet.
It's good that you're getting it taken care of now!