Author Topic: Just an introduction 22 years later  (Read 2220 times)

STW

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Just an introduction 22 years later
« on: December 12, 2017, 04:53:39 pm »
I stumbled upon this forum because I was curious about AN incidence by age. I can appreciate its importance because I'm a member of a similar forum for prostate cancer.

My story.

I was diagnosed with an AN/VS in late summer 1995. Originally, I thought I'd developed swimmers ear. I swam five days a week and such things were not unknown. I saw a doctor, got treated, and went on my way. Approximately one month later, 3000 miles from home, I woke up with vertigo. The world heaved and rolled and I had serious concerns about being able to get back to my own doctors. The vertigo was gone the next day. As I understand it this was the death throes of my inner ear.

I returned home, was referred to an ENT who did some tests, scheduled an MRI, made a diagnoses, and scheduled surgery. An I recall, he was planning on a translateral approach since there was no hearing to save. I met with a neurosurgeon as a last step before surgery and he suggested I consider Gamma Knife treatment instead. First I heard there was an option to surgery. I jumped on it since we still had children at home and I could not afford to be out of work to recover from surgery. The neurosurgeon said he got paid either way so he didn't care.

I went in (under?) the GK in San Diego, missed two days of work, and sang in a Christmas concert three days later. I had tinnitus for the first year or three and was bothered by noisy rooms. That all seems to have passed. I was 41.

The biggest bother is when I'm forced to find something like a ringing cellphone if it's somewhere other than my pocket. Second is not being able to trust my balance and (related) getting off track if I let my attention wander when it's dark and I'm not getting the visual cues to keep me on a straight line. Handiest, when I sleep with my good ear down distracting noise disappears.

I'll probably only visit the forum occasionally. I'm long past where I have many questions and I suspect my answers are out of date.

 

Freelander

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Re: Just an introduction 22 years later
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2018, 07:49:58 am »
Thanks for sharing your story.   I don't know how old you were or the size of your AN when you opted for GK, yet I suspect I am older and being directed toward considering radiosurgery or radiotherapy for my AN.   Do you mind sharing the name of the hospital where you had your procedure, and the name(s) of the doctors in San Diego?   

I was also curious if you had the similar symptoms pre and post the GK?