Hi,
Brandy and welcome to the ANA discussion forums. Of course I'm sorry that you were diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma but I'm glad you discovered the ANA website and decided to register and post your questions.
I did not have my AN surgery at HEI and so I cannot comment on Dr. Wilkinson but, as you know, 'House' is renowned for their collective expertise in AN procedures so you're on the right track.
Following my AN diagnosis, I had feelings similar to yours about facial paralysis. Fortunately, I found a neurosurgeon with decades of AN surgical experience that shared my concerns. He devised a plan to minimize the chances for facial paralysis by debulking the tumor (
a 9-hour operation using two neurosurgeons) then, after a 90-day 'rest period', having me undergo fractionated radiation (FSR) over a 5-week period totaling 26 'sessions'. My surgery went well - no complications - and I recovered relatively quickly. The radiation was uneventful (
no ill effects). Later MRI scans showed it had proved successful. I consider myself blessed but I'm not an anomaly. Many AN surgical patients have similar outcomes. Many post on these forums.
My best advice is to do your research and choose a doctor you can feel totally confident about. This will make the decisions easier and you'll be less anxious facing the surgery. Well, that worked for me.
By the way: your web page is terrific. Kudos to you and Logan for your decision to adopt an Ethiopian baby girl.
Jim