I just saw Dr Mark Whitaker at Geisinger in Danville PA. He was the first doctor I'd seen after my primary care physician said "whoa...we can't treat that here, you have to go to Danville". His bio on the Geisinger website says his focus is "acoustic neuroma management". I researched treatment options before the visit, so I knew pretty much what to expect, just not how it applied to my AN. Dr Whitaker is very attentive and kind. He spent so much time with me that I'm sure his schedule was wrecked for the rest of the day. From what I'd read on the internet, I expected his advice to be biased one way or the other, depending on what makes more money for the hospital, but he was refreshingly neutral. He said he sees about one new AN per month. When I left, I understood each option as it pertained to my particular situation. Dr W doesn't perform the surgery or radiosurgery; he referred me to Dr Gergel, also with Geisinger in Danville. I'll be seeing him later this week, along with Dr. Cohen who is a neurosurgeon. Then probably on to Baltimore or Philly for the actual treatment. I'd love to keep it closer to home, but the level of experience just isn't here. My AN is about 1cm with slight hearing loss, so I don't need to make a decision today, but I'm not putting it off either. Thank you and best wishes to everyone who posts here....you're my support group!
