Over the past three years I have experienced pain in my ear and a fullness feeling in my ear . My family doctor treated me for an ear infection. I experienced some crazy month long dizzy spells, my doctor blew it off. I noticed how people are not speaking UP! Got a hearing test and they told me to wear ear plugs when playing my guitar and mowing the grass. I felt like maybe I am going crazy and this is just how you're supposed to feel. Also during these strange feelings I'm starting to notice that the right side of my lip is feeling strange, right in front of my ear is feeling numb and half of my tongue is also getting numb. Once again my Doctor finds that my Thyroid is low and I should also start taking vitamin B complex. Finally last summer I tell my DENTIST about my strange numbness in such a random place's of my face and he sends me to see the only guy he knows, a jaw surgeon. He is also baffled by my symptoms and says let's do a MRI just to double check. Guess what they found? He told me I had a Tumor and needed to go see a Neurologist to have it taken care of. Now starts the PANIC. after a few weeks of being put on waiting list, I got in the see a very well know Neurosurgeon in the area through a friend of the family. He told me that my tumor was 2.7cm(27mm or 1-1/8" ) it was growing on my 7th and 8th cranial nerves and that it was also pushing on my brain stem. He very frankly told me that given my age(33) and the size of the tumor I was only faced with having it removed to prevent ultimate complications from the tumor that has been growing approximately 2mm per year. I was referred to his old school buddy who just happened to be one of the leading Neurosurgeons in the country and located at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN.
After meeting with Dr Link and Dr Neff they pretty much told me the same thing. After telling me about the possibility of facial paralysis and almost certain hearing loss along with other possibilities from major surgery, I went back 3 weeks later for my 9 hour surgery. They were pretty happy being able to actually save some of my hearing and my facial nerve. They in fact got ALL of it! and My next MRI isn't for 2 years. From the years of being misdiagnosed my body had already compensated my balance and I did not experience any of the vertigo and nausea! My face feels a bit tired to move,but you would never tell by looking at me. All in all I feel blessed to be alive.
Only All of the blessed people who have gone through the recovery process will know what is in store for someone that is facing this journey. Your mental strength will be tested. You will experience pain. You will be worn down. MOST importantly you will get through it!
Over the past 11 months I have visited this site. From the beginning when first diagnosed (after 3 years of being misdiagnosed) and being scared out of my mind and absolutely no idea even how to proceed in finding treatment or even what a Acoustic Neuroma is? To now where I have been through the toughest times of recovery and on the downhill slope where at the end of the day I look back and recognize just how great it is to not have any headaches,or say 'huh I didn't notice that jet engine that has been running in my ear that shouldn't hear anything', and just how good that feels. To feel just how a pain free day is a milestone after months of nonstop head pounding and fighting to keep a sense of a normal day. I just want to finally tell my story and most importantly THANKS to all who have been brave enough to want to help others on this site and just be there to listen or give any advice that may help someone find answers.
God Bless you
Dismas72
