Good news

[SHunter59]

We had our appointment with Dr. McMenomy today and hubby is an excellent candidate for Gamma Knife. The date set is March 11th but before that we have a consult with Dr. Stephen Bader at Providence Medical Center in Portland where the Gamma Knife center is located, at which time we will also get a tour of the facility. Dr. Bader and Dr. McMenomy work as a team perfoming the procedure and I feel very confident in hubby's decision and both doctor's credentials. Dr. McMenomy even went as far as to say that he would have recommended the Gamma Knife before surgery if we hadn't mentioned it first. He also mentioned the BAHA system and thinks hubby would benefit from it, but that would depend on his insurance and whether they would cover it or not? I will keep everyone updated on what happens as we continue this crazy AN journey. Oh, one other thing before I forget, he said that hubby had probably had the darn thing in his head for about 8 or 9 years....YIKES!!!

[Larry]

Good news I guess - not good having an AN but radiatiopn is certainly my prefferred option to surgery (having had both).

As far as the BAHA device goes, there are alternatives (non invasive) search this site for Transear and soundbite. Soundbite is still in tril mode but there are options

Laz

[sgerrard]

I had a consult with Dr. Bader. He is the radiation oncologist of the team. Though I went to Stanford, I thought he was very good, and would have been fine having GK with him. Very professional, and my guess is he also has the typical interest in playing golf whenever he can.

Hope it all continues to go well.

Steve

[leapyrtwins]

This IS good news!

As far as the BAHA goes, there's nothing like it and those of who have one usually love it - me included 

If you need some advice on insurance coverage, check out a thread I started under the "hearing" section.  I posted a link to a brochure from Cochlear Americas, makers of Cochlear and BAHA devices.

Jan

[Sue]

I had Dr. Bader, along with my primary neurosurgeon, Dr. Modha, from Rebound in Vancouver.  They are very professional and the support staff at Providence was very nice and well informed.  They treated me with kindness and caring.  You'll have the new machine in their new building.  It should go swimmingly.  Or rather, for your husband, I guess.  Slow growing tumors can be in there undetected for a long time,  until they finally decide to cause trouble.  Mine was at 2 cm, so they said it may have been growing for 15 years.   On the plus side, I think that "we", the ones who have had these in there for years, have the benefit of the balance nerve on the good side to be slowing taking over for the impaired nerve.  I had just a wee bit of balance issues, and most were subtle.  I realize now that I'd had symptoms for a while, but didn't realize what was going on.  You might pop over to the Balance thread and find the "Article on Balance System".  It really explains how that all works and what happens when something goes amiss. 

Best of luck to your hubby,

Sue in Vancouver, USA

[SHunter59]

Thanks Jan, I already read the post on the Baha. It certainly sounds like something hubby would benefit from and I have also read all the insurance posts too, so we'll have to wait and see. Thanks Sue for the kind words and letting me know about your experience with Dr. Bader, I am quite sure that everything will go just fine. I think you are right about the balance nerve in the good ear compensating for the "bad" ear because hubby's balance issues only lasted about 3 days. If he couldn't hear on his left side you wouldn't know anything was wrong with him. I will continue to keep everyone posted

[Tumbleweed]

That's truly great news. Your husband is now past the hardest part of the journey: making a decision on the type of treatment and where to get treated, and setting a date.

GK is a great treatment choice. And it's admirable that you have shown your husband such dedication and love by coming to this forum in search of answers for him.

Best wishes,
TW

[SHunter59]

Thanks Tumbleweed, I really appreciate those kind words 

[SHunter59]

Hi all, well hubby had his Gamma Knife yesterday and I can't say enough good things about it. It was a piece of cake from start to finish, the doctors, nurses and staff at the Gamma Knife Center of Portland were fantastic. We were only in the place about 3 hours from start to finish, hubby declined the relaxing medication, he said he didn't want to feel drunk all day and wasn't anxious about the treatment, he just wanted it over with, LOL...Since they didn't have to wait for the meds to take affect we were only in there about 1/2 hour when Dr. McMenomy came iin to fit the frame. He didn't ask me to leave but when he started opening syringes I decided it was about time to scurry away, while not squeamish I really didn't want to watch so I went back to the waiting room until he was done with everything and hubby had been for his MRI. His actual time in the Gamma Knife machine was an hour and Dr. Bader had said that his tumor was a good size for the planning, which didn't take them long to do. Hubby is doing fine today and aside from a slight headache and two little spots on his forehead(our daughter has zits bigger) you wouldn't know anything had happened. There were two other patients of Dr. McMenomy getting treatment yesterday also, both Acoustic Neuroma patients, must have been AN day at the Gamme Knife Center, LOL...Since everything went so smoothly I HIGHLY recommend this avenue of treatment to anyone out there who still may have concerns. Hubby feels exactly the same way, he had some dental surgery a few months ago and said that was harder by far. Again, thanks everyone for your help and support, I guess hubby can be called a Postie now

[Larry]

Thats really good news.

I must say that my radiation treatment process and after effects were subsrtantially better than surgery. Surgery - a dirty 7 letter word in my book.

Laz

[GRACE1]

It was great to hear your good news.  I am glad your husband did so well.

Grace

[Debbi]

Excellent news - thanks for sharing it!

Debbi