Hi Jim,
Thanks for the prompt response! I'll probably be going to Sacred Heart in Eugene. I'm a Medicare patient and disabled. I also live alone and have no local support...so traveling isn't really a viable option. Your tumor was pretty large...what was your post op like? What can I expect in the first few days? What is the length of time for surgery, realizing again, this is all dependent on many factors. I watched youtube and that was fascinating. Lots of people, lots of outcomes. Somehow I had it in my mind this was gonna be a no brainer, easy breezy surgery. I'm thinkin I was in deep denial! I'm super proactive and want to know everyone's story!!
Hi again, Debbi ~
My large AN was 'debulked' (
basically hollowed out and it's blood supply severed) and was approximately 2.5 cm after the neurosurgeon was done. My pre-op symptoms, i.e. dizziness, intermittent 'stabbing' pain at the AN site, loss of the sense of taste (
and 35 pounds) as well as heavy fatigue all disappeared almost immediately after the surgery (
the AN had been seriously pressing on my brainstem, hence, the urgency to debulk it). I later underwent 26 FSR treatments (
low-level radiation) to destroy the remaining tumors DNA. Apparently, it all worked. My last MRI (
2008) showed tumor necrosis (
cell death) and the beginnings of shrinkage. It's 5 years since my surgery and I feel great!!
Immediately following the surgery I was super-tired and slept - a lot. By Day 3 post-op, I began to eat and sit up in a 'recliner'-style chair for 30 minutes at a time. By Day 4 my appetite was returning, my double vision abated and I was sitting up for 45 minutes and attempted a few strolls around the hospital hallway, with my wife holding on to me (
unnecessarily, as it turned out). By Day 5 I was feeling pretty good and anxious to go home. My doctor released me but the hospital insisted that I pass some balance tests, first, i.e. walking up and down stairs, walking a straight line, etc. I passed and was released. My wife drove me home (30 miles) and we stopped and had a nice brunch on the way. Once home, I was still a bit fatigued and mostly sat around and watched TV or napped. Within about 5 days I was feeling stronger and we began taking 2 mile walks at a nearby park. My doctor gave me permission to resume driving within two weeks of my hospital discharge. As the weeks rolled on, I did more and more (
but no heavy lifting) and within a few months I felt pretty much 'back to normal'. Fortunately, I was retired and did not have to deal with returning to a work environment, as many AN patients do. I had lost all hearing in the AN-affected ear prior to the surgery (
the price of denial and procrastination) and, as expected, the hearing did not improve, post-op. Frankly, I didn't really expect that it would but my neurosurgeon did hold out a tiny hope that it might. Oh well. My experience was one of the better ones but not really an anomaly Some AN surgery patients do experience headaches (
I had none whatsoever - before or after surgery) and some have to deal with facial immobility (
one sided) which can be problematic. 'Dry eye' is a common issue for many and of course, being SSD (
single side deaf) is always a challenge. If you desire even more details on my AN surgery experience, please send me a PM and I'll try to accommodate your request as best I can. One thing I can tell you with certainty: AN surgery is not 'easy breezy' by any means - but it isn't the end of the world, either. You'll get through this, Debbi and we'll be here to support you - all the way.
Jim 
