I've still a 'newbie', and am so grateful for the booklets, past newsletters, discussion forum, people willing to talk - just everything that ANAUSA provides. After receiving the latest newsletter, my check's in the mail also.
I'm still pre-treatment (waiting a response on CK) and reading the cover article on emotional impact took several sessions to get through - just because it did stir up all those feelings I'm so good at suppressing. I usually go into the 'business' mode, i.e. analyzing info. I'm accustomed to advocating for others, not myself. Reading the article encouraged me to face my feelings and to realize I need to address them as well as the tumor.
Raydean, thank you for suggesting the journal. I don't have your particular issues, but with 'foggy' thinking, it helps me keep things straight and provides needed perspective on progress in decision-making.
The Voyages article "Learning to Turn a Deaf Ear" was helpful for me too. I was aware of slight hearing problems and tinnitis, but I didn't think much of it. Away from home, I went to bed one night normal and awoke changed. I had severe vertigo, nausea, double vision. During 4 days in the hospital they poked for heart problems and found the AN while looking for signs of a stroke. Because the symptoms came on so suddenly, they diagnosed Acute Viral Labyrinthitis (and oh by the way, you have a small brain tumor - but don't worry about it) and sent me home. The spinning is better, but the dizziness is constant. Three months later, I'm convinced the whole episode was because of the AN. Amy's description of sudden hearing loss confirmed that maybe I'm not crazy to think that. ÂÂ
I also appreciated her encouragement to take responsibility for our own health. After returning home, neither my primary physician nor ENT provided any information on ANs or treatments. The ENT gave me the names of three local neurosurgeons. None of his recommendations were on our local Gamma Knife team. At the time I didn't even know there were such things as Gamma Knife or Cyberknife. If it weren't for ANAUSA, the message boards and internet information, I wouldn't have even known there were options. I've learned so much and have still have more to learn. Many thanks.