I too had my AN surgery just over 2 years ago and things have seemed to be going down hill ever since. I work (or should I sayd worked) in the banking industry, as a credit card customer service representative taking inbound phone calls from folks like you and others who have a credit card problem, and wait on hold for what seems like forever.ÂÂ
MY STORY:
I had been growing a tumor unaware a couple of years prior to when I was diagnosed with a AN in July 2002. It caused me extreme dizziness, hearing loss, ear pressure fullness, facial numbness, and headaches. I was working as an inside sales person using the phone daily with a manufacturing company at that time. It was misdiagnosed that the symptoms I was having were from a residual ear infection from a previous bad cold I had earlier in the year. Strangely, I was laid-off about 2 months later due to a downturn in that company's business, so I had to seek employment elsewhere(Go figure). June 2002 I started work with the bank.ÂÂ
I took a pay cut, but a job is a job. July 2002, I was correctly diagnosed with a AN after going to a better and different doctor. This was one month after starting my job at the bank. I was told to wait & watch until they had to remove the tumor due to the type of job I had and the fact that good communication & hearing was a prerequisite for my job. Since I had most of my hearing and just started my job, I agreed to his advice. The Neurologist scheduled a followup MRI for August 2003.ÂÂ
May 2003, I continued to have more balance/hearing/headache problems so,... back to the doctor.  He found the tumor to be growing much faster and larger than expected in less than 1 year. Worried that it my not be a AN but a Malignant tumor, I wanted to go ahead with Micro surgery. I researched all my options for the different ways to remove a tumor and felt this the best choice for me. You may or may not agree but using the Gamma Knife approach and frying your good brain cells surrounding the bad just didn't appeal to me as a final solution.  Moral of the story,....don't wait. Your chances of losing your hearing only increases the longer you wait.
I was told things will get better as you recover and for the most part they haven't. I don't have the headaches as much, and my balance and hearing initially were terrible before surgery, but have now plateaued and
not "getting better". I actually think my hearing is getting worse. I am getting a hearing test in late May just to see. I have trouble going down stairs, driving, walking, talking, thinking, heavy eyelid, and the worse part is my hearing. Given the 80% chance I'd be deaf, I felt the 20% chance I wouldn't be was worth the risk. After surgery, I initially lost 40% of my hearing. I too am single-sided hearing now, but I do wear a hearing aid. I tried doing the Customer Service without it. That wasn't working.  I asked my employer for a double-sided headset. That helped, but I still have problems hearing certain conversations and pitches with a lot of background noise. I work in an open cubicle and the noise from co-workers is loud. You credit card customers really get upset and yell when your representative has to ask you to repeat your name or address because they can't hear your tones of certain speech. (Now you know why customer service is sometimes so bad) Stress can make you depressed especially when you can't perform your job the way you did.ÂÂ
THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK:
I finally gave it up when I hurt my neck for the 2nd time in my life. This was a double whammy. First the Brain Tumor and now this!! I was working at home on a chain-link fence repair when I ruptured my C6-C7 cervical disk. I have 2 disks fused and after 7 months from that surgery, I'm still in physical therapy for that injury which has effected my nerves in the right hand, fingers, back, and shoulder. I tried to return to my job for 2 months, but with the combined injuries, I couldn't handle the mean customers, nerve damage, balance issues, and hearing loss. I am depressed and at one point, nearly suicidal. So,...I'm now going to counseling for depression/anxiety. I couldn't decide if I should try to continue to work again or file for SSD.ÂÂ
I finally filed Social Security Disability. To top it all off, the bank has cut off my short-term disability insurance due to the fubar of paperwork not sent by my physicians on time or so they say.  I'm appealing that decision and should hear something in the next week or two, but after reading some of the threads here, it sounds like they are going to drag that out too. OOh,...and they threatened to fire me since my FMLA ran out. My attorney said let them try!!! So far, they haven't terminated me, but I'm not getting any disability insurance pay either while in the appeal process. For a percentage and fee, the attorney would help me collect that too. I'm going to give them a few weeks.
My wife wanted to work 2 jobs. She teaches Special Ed and in the summer works at a Major Department store. If we didn't have her income, we'd be bankrupt. My first denial of social security came in the mail about 2 weeks ago. My attorney who specializes in SSA told me we wouldn't take your case unless we thought you'd win and not be alarmed by the denial. I am 53 and I don't feel I am disabled in my mind but my body says I am. So,...why doesn't Social Security?
??? I am playing the waiting game right now and hoping my attorney can prevent this from going to an appeals judge. I will let you know the outcome.....
