Hi all! Hopefully people still lurk on this thread...

I am recently diagnosed - 2.5x2.6x3.4cm AN on the right side. I am Active-Duty Air Force and looking for some advice for dealing with Tricare and MTF's.

I was told by my case manager that I could get a referral to a civilian provider, however I would not receive any travel pay unless I followed a few steps which basically amount to:
1) Get a referral to an MTF, which would probably be Balboa or Walter Reed?
2) If the MTF cannot treat, get referral to providers in the local area
3) If local providers cannot treat, get referral to the closest non-local provider that can provide adequate care (probably not the place I want to go).

So I know somewhere in that chain of events that must happen, people are going to say they can provide the treatment - which is probably technically true, but I don't want someone who does this like once a year working on me. Does anyone have experience dealing with Tricare or MTF's to throw the "BS" flag?.

I can of course always just get the referral to a civilian provider of my choice, but I would like to keep the door open to getting paid to travel if possible...

FWIW I am in Las Vegas, so relatively close to UCSD, UCLA, Stanford, Mayo etc

I fully understand your hesitation to do anything, and the decision is totally yours, but that being said, my opinion would be to go out of watch and wait and get something done.   It is growing and one thing for sure is that the bigger it gets, the more likely you are to develop additional symptoms that may or may not be permanent.  Personally, I went with the surgery.  I felt it was the right decision for me and I still do.  I am 5 months post op now and feel better than I have in years.  I'm not going to try and convince you one way or another,  just do your research and decide which option you are most comfortable with.  I wasn't comfortable with radiation, some people are.   Just remember that no matter which method you consider, the doctors are going to warn you of the possible worst case scenarios.  But the chances of you being in that category with a small tumor are very slim.  By the way, I am 56 so I am not a young person, but I am physically active.  If you do lean towards the surgery, being physically active is a huge advantage in your recovery. 

Recovering from acoustic neuroma surgery can be overwhelming, but there’s a lot of support available. My ear cleaning staten island visit after treatment helped more than I expected — I didn’t realize how much buildup can distort balance and hearing. The clinic was gentle and used irrigation instead of scraping. It really improved my comfort and clarity on the good side. Keep up regular care and follow-ups. Small steps really help over time.

I was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma in November of 2024. Size about 18x15mm. Besides tinnitus I have some hearing loss but no change in hearing from initial diagnosis. I have had one balance related episode. To preserve the hearing I have and avoid additional symptoms I am considering the rectosigmoid approach for treatment at Stanford by a team led by Dr Jauna Carlos Fernandez-Miranda. I do have opinions from two other facilities; those surgeons basically recommend a similar approach. I am very anxious about all this and would like to know if anyone has had experience with Stanford and Dr Fernandez-Miranda that they would be willing to share.

Thank you

Hello and welcome,

I was like you had a rather small tumor, hearing loss, tinnitus and a little older when it was discovered.  I stayed in the watch and wait for several years. When it grew a little I made the decision to treat it.  Not that my symptoms changed from the growth it was that I did not want further issues (balance).  These are all personal decisions and that was mine.  I could have stayed in the watch.  My ENT was fine with not doing anything.  However when I decided to treat it he is a surgeon hence the push for surgery.  After doing research I choose radiation as the best path for me.  (If you want the research please email me dan4att@gmail.com).

VS are interesting as the patient makes some of the major decision.  When to treat it.  How to treat it (surgery/radiation). The best advice I received from a Doctor in the research is, "No decision is bad, make the decision you are comfortable with and more forward, do not second guess yourself."

Good luck on your decision journey,
Dan