Three weeks post-op and just returned to work today.  Only did 4 hours because  I started getting tired and didn't want to overdo it.   But I was really happy to get back out there even if it's just half a day.  Had video follow up today, and surgeon was very pleased with my progress and cleared me to drive and light work.

Carrie,

I would echo Michelle thoughts.  We all react differently and we should not stress.  For other reasons my first was at 8 months and my second will be at 26 months. My my doctor and I are comfortable because if it grew he would recommend staying in the observation mode for longer. No mention of action for several more years if I need it. I would ask your doctor how long they observed before recommending action or how much does it need to grow before recommending action.  My SRS surgeon did talk about the swelling (a little too much) before the surgery.  She wanted follow up much more often and I asked why.  She did not have a good answer so I went back the the ENT for my monitoring. All he said was if if I have more symptoms let him know.  It is now 19 months post and I have no new symptoms, still tinnitus and loss of hearing, but no change.

Good Luck,
Dan

Hi I think there is a video by Dr Chang that mentions this in the webinar library. So he says that swelling (pseudo progression) can go on for about 3 - 5 years. I would think that your AN is responding well to the treatment and its not growing. I think Chan says he defers monitoring for the first 3 years because of this aspect. In any event I think your is still responding and should settle down and shrink. Paul Wellens another member mentions how 'My tumour started at 10x5x5mm At 6 months got bigger 13x6x7mm if my memory serves me correctly at 2 and 3 years it shrank a little at 4.5 years it had grown to 16x8x8 and I was told radiation had failed by my Australian Specialists. I then spoke to my treating surgeon Dr Muacevic in Germany at the European Cyberknife Centre and he said it was still too early to tell and we should continue to watch and wait. At 7 years it had shrunk to 14x7x7 My last MRI was at 12 years and it was down to 12 x 6 x 5.' I hope Paul doesnt mind me sharing- but it does show that response is not predictable and you should not stress!

I haven’t had middle fossa surgery myself, but someone close to me did it a few years ago, also in their early 50s. Hearing preservation was a big goal, and they went through a ton of research before choosing a surgeon. It wasn’t easy finding someone in Canada that had a lot of experience with the middle fossa approach, and that was kind of frustrating. Eventually, they went with a doctor in the U.S. just to have that higher confidence in the surgeon’s familiarity with the procedure. The idea of preserving hearing pushed them to go ahead with it, even if it meant the travel and extra cost. On a totally different note, if you do ever look into logistics or international moves related to surgery or follow-up stays (some folks combine it with recovery elsewhere), I came across this page on how much does it cost to move to Japan:

Hello everyone, I had an AN surgery 6 months ago (25mm_23mm) have lost hearing in the side and developed facial paralysis right after the surgery!

Too tough! I couldn’t even look in the mirror or take photos for more than 5 months!

The first improvement was almost after 3 months (nobody could tell I had palsy in rest)

Pronouncing some letters got a bit better, on top of that I  see some considerable movement in my cheek, which is very promising, remember that having hope, PT sessions and exercises in front of mirror have helped me unimaginably!

Don’t force your face to have any movements, be so gentle in everything


And last but not least! Never compare yourself with anyone! Trust the process