Hi, My name is Christine and I had an AN removed in Aug of this year after being misdiagnosed for 10 years. In 1997 I awoke with a ringing in my left ear. It was driving me nuts, then the phone rang and I answered it. But, could not hear anyone respond, this happened 3 times before I switched the phone to the other ear and my sister wanted to know what the heck was going on as I kept saying "hello...hello" then hanging up. Come to find out I could not hear her when I put the phone on my left ear. I called my doctor who sent me to the ENT who was treating my sinuses issue. I saw him 2 days after the ringing started he did a hearing test and found a 20% loss of hearing. He placed me on steroids for a membrane issue and ordered a follow up hearing test in 1 month. I had the follow up visit and he stated that it was a little lower and ordered another follow up in 2 months. I went to the next visit and he advised me that I had a ruptured membrane in my left ear. That there was no surgery to correct it, I was not a candidate for a hearing aid, I did not require any follow up hearing test, and the ringing would go away. The ringing went away I thought, but really you just get use to it.
Over the years I continued to see him for my sinuses and my normal comment to "how are you today" was "great I can't hear and I can't breathe". He never requested a hearing test no matter how many times I responded with that comment. In 2003 he performed surgery for a deviated septum which never fixed my breathing issue. He stated that even after the surgery I had non-allergic rhinitis that there was nothing but nasal inhalers for that.
I continued to have hearing and breathing issues. Saying "excuse me", "can you please repeat that" until this year. I was awakened by a bird outside of my window and turned over on my good ear (right ear). I could not hear the bird at all from my left ear. In the past I could just not as clear. I called the doctor for a hearing test and a recheck on my sinuses. When I saw him he states that I need to stop taking my nasal inhaler that I did not have non-allergic rhinitis and there were no issues with my septum. That I had weakened cartilage in my nose and they need to take cartilage from my ear and graph it into my nose to fix it. That he would discuss it more after my hearing test. I have the test and they found a 65% hearing loss. That audiologist stated "I have nothing to compare it to as your last hearing test was in 1997". I stated to her " Dr. Bartel's stated that I did not require follow up hearing test", she stated "I see that". Anyway she stated that a hearing aid would help which she tested and I noticed that WOW I can hear. I go back to the room and wait for the doctor and he states that he needs to do an MRI to rule out a tumor. That it was just procedure and as I had a ruptured membrane it was not an issue.
I have the MRI and hear nothing from him in a week and a half. Then while driving home from work he calls me. Tells me I have a tumor, that these are always benign and slow growing. That as long as I see the ear surgeon within a month it will be fine. I was not prepared with questions as I was on the highway and in shock. I go home and start looking up tumors of the ear and find what seems to be the tumor that he was describing. The next day I call him and ask questions. He confirms that I have an AN, but it was really small and slow growing so it was okay if I waited no longer then a month to see the surgeon. I told him that I read that it can affect the facial nerve. He stated "it can but yours is so small it would not be affecting that" at this I told him that for approx 1 month I have been having a twitch on the left side under my eye. That I scheduled an eye exam but felt that this was not an eye issue and was related to the tumor as it was only on the left side. He now was more concerned and made it more urgent for me to see the surgeon. Funny thing as soon as he told me it was a tumor I heard the ringing I was ignoring for the last 10 years. No wonder why I said huh? excuse me? etc all those years. I told him I was hearing the ringing again to which he says "it never went away?"
Long story short both the ENT surgeon and the Nero surgeon asked "You never had a scan" and my response was "NO" not until this year. The ENT surgeon stated we cannot save your hearing, that the main concern was my facial nerve. I was not a candidate for watch and wait. That my tumor was consistent with a tumor that has been growing for 10 years. My tumor was out of the ear canal and into the space below the brain. It was attached to my facial nerve. During the surgery they could not remove it all from my facial nerve and had to leave a small piece. Removing it would have caused facial paralysis. They had to remove my left inner ear in the 10 hour long surgery. I have balance issues, eye issues (see double looking to the left), I bite the left side of my lip all the time, I do not produce tears in my left eye, issues driving and I work 45 miles from home, and now headaches.
Will this get better……………………
