Author Topic: Is it AN?  (Read 4706 times)

mschoen

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Is it AN?
« on: March 20, 2007, 05:18:38 pm »
Hello all,

Tomorrow I am having my MRI. The ENT is not sure what I have and has scheduled it. I have tingling on the exterior of my ear, like things crawling on it, and apparently have hearing loss on that side. The ENT tested the inner and middle ear and said they are fine. How long does it take to get results from an MRI? Does it sound like AN? If not what else could it be? I am worried.


M.

ppearl214

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2007, 08:09:02 pm »
HI M and welcome.

One thing I have learned in all of my medical woes, esp. in trying to obtain answers is this... for me, I have learned (and this is a toughie) to take a deep breath and never assume.  There have been many here recently that have attempted self-diagnosis and I would hate to see you stress over something you may or may not have until you have definative answers. 

Usually, MRI's can be "wet" read and results given to the ordering physician within 24 hrs... with potential (more detailed) final reports in 1 week or less.  I, personally, cannot answer your question about "if not what else could it be?" as I am not a physician and many issues/symptoms can mirror symptoms of other situations.....

Please keep us posted on your MRI update... and I do hope you take time for yourself... relax and know that if it is an AN, we are here for you. :)

Hang in there!
Phyl
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

Palace

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2007, 08:38:19 pm »
Hello:


We are always here for you and good luck.

I'm in CA. and it took a few days and nearly a week to get my results, from what I remember of the MRI experience.  I go again in about two months and will get a refresher of how long it takes, before I know it.

You're in Texas I believe and I wonder how long it will take.  (not that the state makes a difference)  Please keep us posted when you get the results right away and how long it took.



My best to you and good luck,



Palace
22 mm Acoustic Neuroma (right side)
Cyberknife, Nov. & Dec. 2006
Dr. Iris Gibbs & Dr. Blevins @ Stanford
single sided deafness

goinbatty

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2007, 09:03:26 pm »
I was given the MRI CD the same day.  Naturally I put it in my computer to view.  I'm a nurse, but had not seen MRI views before other than a few I ran across researching on the internet.  I saw what I thought was a tumor but didn't know for sure what it was until my follow-up appointment the following week.  I could have called the physician for the report but for some reason and I can't even tell you why, I just didn't.  In answer to your question, the physician could and in my opinion should have the report in hand at least within 2 business days following the MRI.  But of course, may factors can slow that process down.  Good luck and keep updated. 
1/2007 - 6 x 4.5 mm AN
8/2007 - 9 x 6 mm
CK at Georgetown 1/7/08-1/11/08; Dr. Gagnon
3/2008 - 10 x 7 mm
7/2008 - 9 x 10 x 6 mm (NECROTIC CENTER!!!!!)
5/2009 - no change/stable
4/2010 - 10 x 7 x 6 mm; stable/no change
5/2011 - 10 x 7; stable/no change
6/2012 - 8.1 x 7 mm
4/2014 - stable/no change

mschoen

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2007, 07:08:30 pm »
It was an odd experience being in an MRi for the first time, especially a closed one. The techs said I will have to wait a day or two for the results.

M.

Obita

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2007, 07:20:58 pm »
Hi M:

Lets hope you are the second one in a week that finds out it is not an AN. 

Kathy
Kathy - Age 54
2.5 cm translab May '04
University of Minnesota - Minneapolis
Dr. Sam Levine - Dr. Stephen Haines

er

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2007, 08:44:30 pm »
 Hi M
I'm also a Newbie. I had been having problems for a few years but I couldn't get any response from no one, all they would say,â€?I don't see anything wrong.â€? My ear felt like I had a pimple in it, it would hurt when I would lie on that side of my face, I was also having seizure like symptoms. I   had an MRI and it didn't show a thing. They took a test to see if I had seizures while I was having one of my symptoms and it was also was negative. I would slur my words, my mine could not function. For example, I would go to the copy machine to copy some papers and I ‘d stand there trying to figure out what I was doing and how to do it. At that moment in time I didn’t know how to run the machine. While having these symptoms I would get very tired and sleep for about four hours after the episode than then I would be fatigue for about a week after that. Then that last year I felt like I had something plugging the inside of my ear and it hurt (I thought it might be a bug), I started losing my hearing, then losing my balance a lot, my face was starting to get numb, my eyes starting seeing double so it got very hard to read, besides very tired a lot I would come home from work and sleep for a couple of hours. My one doctor said their wasn’t anything wrong with me, the asthma center said he couldn’t see anything but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything there but to go to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. I went to a very good doctor he order an MRI. After the MRI the young women that read the x-rays asked me if I had ever taken a blow to that side of my head. So I knew there was something wrong. When the results came back and he told me I had a tumor he admitted that he didn’t think there was anything wrong. I was told an acoustic naroma grows two mm a year my husband and I figured it had been there for five years it was 9mm 1.5x1.9 in size.
Good luck!! I would do the surgery over again to have it removed, except live the side effects out.
er
 ;D

mschoen

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2007, 03:49:49 pm »
I have both good news and bad news. The good news is the MRI came up normal. The bad news is my ENT is at a loss for what is wrong with me. Thank you for all the support and if anyone knows of what else it might be it would be greatly appreciated.

M.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2007, 04:00:48 pm by mschoen »

Evan

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2007, 04:04:19 pm »
M.

My situation was the reverse.  My MRI was initially read as my having an AN.  My symptom history did not correlate with that, and two separate experts did not think it was an AN.  It could be nothing, it could be something else.  If by chance it was an AN, my docs also said that it is slow growing and there is no need to rush to do something, so we will rescan you in a couple of months.

In your situation, you should probably have a neurosurgeon look at the MRI him/herself.  Depending on the MRI facililty and depending on the "pics" they took it could very well be that that the MRI was not as clean as perhaps a Neurosurgeon would have liked.  The quality of MRI's has a lot to do with the facility, the technicians, and even you as a person stuck in that tunnel.  If there was a lot of movement by you, it could affect the quality of the scan.

So, if I were you, I would first inquire of your ENT or neurosurgeon, whether the Scan was a clean one.  If not, you may have to be rescanned.  If it was a clean scan, and no tumor appeared, then from my perspective, even though you may be having ear problems, at least it is not caused by a tumor.  But as you see from the people in this forum, no two situations are the same, and no two people are the same.....but at the very least, we are all united here to try to help each other.

Evan
1.5 cm x 1 cm x .5 cm/Diagnosed March 8/AN Right Side as per MRI/Upon further review, docs do not know what it is.  Could be Facial neuroma/could be nothing.  Repeat MRI in 6 weeks.

rezski

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2007, 10:00:24 pm »
My 1st MRI was a "regular" one and I had to wait for the results.  My 1st follow up last summer was a digital one and the results were available the same day!  Due to the distance I have to travel for my current doctor I was able to have my MRI and appointment the same day which was great.  I am on watch and wait as my tumor hadn't grown and was small enough to take my time.
1.2 x .6 cm rt side AN diagnosed July 2005
Watching and waiting - not growing for now...Patient of Dr. Backous @ Virginia Mason
2012 8 x 5 mm @ Group Health - still WW

Stevey

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2007, 11:34:55 pm »
M.,

Relative newbie here as well, Had my AN removed about 8 weeks ago, when I had my MRI, I was told it would take two weeks t hear results and got a call 45 minutes later from my ENT, even during christmas break.  Good Luck with whatever is ailing you, if you have an AN, I recommend the WTT list distributed by ANA, also my neurosurgeon had his own list and they were candid abut their experiencee.
Cheers,

Steve
2 cm Left Acoustic Neuroma Remved on 1/31/07
Via Retro Sigmoid resection at Hospital of U of Penn - complete removal by Drs. Judy and Bigelow.
Deaf in Left ear.  Looking at TransEar for dealing with SSD

TP

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Re: Is it AN?
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2007, 07:17:35 am »
After having a great deal of pain in my neck and arm I had a neck MRI ordered by my pain DR. The radiologists only sent him the results (not the actual films) and it showed some spine issues, nothing serious. Several months later when I noticed my hearing was gone and pain still in my neck and arm, my pain Dr ordered a brain MRI. When I picked up the results of both MRI's I could see on the Neck MRI there was a blob on the top of my neck (blob was the tumor). The brain MRI was very clear showing the tumor . Bottom line, if you have pain and your gut is telling you something is wrong, my suggestion is I would insist on seeing a neurosurgeon and have them read the MRI or get another one perfomed by a facility that performs these on a regular basis.

Also, now my MRI results are immediate. In fact I have one scheduled for tomorrow and I see my neurosurgeon immediately after my MRI. 
4+cmm left retromastoid of cerebellopontine angle tumor removed 6/5/06; Dr. Eric Gabriel, St. Vincents, Jacksonville, FL
Left ear hearing loss, left eye gold weight, facial paralysis; 48 year old female. Dr. Khuddas - my hero - corrected my double vision