ANA Discussion Forum
Watch and Wait => For those in the 'watch and wait' status => Topic started by: Grassi on January 25, 2013, 01:04:56 pm
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My 89 year old mom was diagnosed with a schwannoma a few years ago and it was very very tiny and still is as of 5 months ago. But in the last month she has become dizzy throughout the day (it comes and goes), her hearing has gotten worse in the affected ear, and all her doctors believe it's the schwannoma. Her blood pressure is good, etc. and they don't think it's any of the medications she is taking. Could the schwannoma affect her in this way even though it hasn't grown any larger? Would someone of her age be a candidate for stereotactic radiosurgery?
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Hi ~
Like everyone that posts on these forums, I'm not a licensed physician and so cannot answer your question. Because guessing could be risky - I won't.
I can state that at 89, I seriously doubt any surgeon would consider your mother a good candidate for the invasive, lengthy AN surgery. However, if the tiny schwannoma is the source of her dizziness, I would assume that radiation would be the recommended treatment. Frankly, the only way to find out is to ask her doctors. Please let us know their response. Thanks.
Jim
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Your mother will certainly be able to have radiation treatment, but the real question you need to ask the doctors is will it help with the dizziness or the hearing loss?
If you read about peoples experience with radiation, it often comes with increased balance problems, and hearing loss.
Eventually the problems stabilize but at 89 her ability to recover will not be as good as a younger person.
Clearly we are not doctors and cannot provide advise, however based on my personal experience with a small AN, hearing loss and balance issues and radiation treatment I will say the following.
Knowing what I know now.
Would I have radiation again at 46 years of age. Yes absolutely.
Would I have radiation at 89 years of age, for a small non growing AN. No
My concern would be that the increased symptoms typically caused by radiation, would not diminish in time, for me to have any improved quality of life.
The short term pain of increased symptoms is typically two years for a much younger person.
My balance was poor, for a few months post radiation.
At 46 these balance problems were inconvenient.
At 89 I reckon the balance problems would be frightening, the risk of a fall, a hip fracture, I suspect would be high if your mum felt the way I did.
So as Jim said we cannot give advise, and we are not doctors.
However based on my personal experience at 46, would I do it at 89 no, I would remain in watch and wait.
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Hi! I would also agree with what Jim has said. @almost 65 I`m W+W for close to 6 years and my best scenerio is to stay that way forever. If my MRI indicates growth I probably would radiate it. Minor symptoms @ 89 can come from a number of age related things. If symptoms are minor, I would just stay the course with a AN that is stable. Best wishes, Mickey
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Hi,
I just wanted to pipe in and let you know that I had radiation (Gammaknife) about 2 years ago. Since then, I have had an increase in hearing loss and I do have dizziness quite often. I'm not sure if it is related to the AN but assuming it is as I did not have it prior to the radiation. I am 42 years old.
My point being, though I am not a doctor, just a regular stay at home mom, I would have to say that the radiation has caused my increased hearing loss and dizziness. The only reason I had radiation was b/c the AN was small enough to do it, and I have 3 small children, and I wanted to preserve my hearing (so much for that). So, if the AN is not growing, at her age, I would not do anything. My ear dr recommended vestibular therapy for the dizziness. That may be something she could look into?
Good Luck!
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Thanks for your replies. She is already going to vestibular balance therapy twice per week. Just a side note, it seems she only gets dizzy when she gets up from a sitting position and then it only lasts for a minute or so. She is not dizzy when sitting down.
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There are lots of things that can cause dizziness, and what you are describing does not sound like it is caused solely by the AN
Changes in blood pressure to the head can also make you dizzy, which may be an indicator of a heart issue, and at 89 pretty much everybody has a heart issue so no need for concern. The AN by restricting blood flow to the cochlear may make this worse, or exagerate the problems. Just like arteries of the heart thicken, so do arteries to the cochlear, this also causes problems with age.
Being dizzy just when standing up does not sound like the classic AN symptoms.
While the problems may well be initiated by the AN it appears to me that it has brought other age related deficits into play, and the problems maybe more complex than just the AN. Being old and being dizzy when standing up is not unusual even for those without an AN
This is my personal opinion only, I am not a doctor and you should always seek professional advice.
What I write maybe complete garbage.
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I totally agree with you.