Mike ~
Thanks for the suggestions.
I'll add my own suggestion for helping to deal with your AN, especially for those contemplating surgery or radiation. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, rest home or other 'charity' venue where you can help those less fortunate and in the process, take your focus off yourself for a bit. You can volunteer through your church, civic organization or simply stop into a 'charity' agency. Some folks might find working at a Humane Society (or other) animal adoption agency for a few hours a week would be very emotionally rewarding. Teaching reading skills to inner-city children or those for whom English is a second language might be more to your liking. The possibilities are endless. Whatever one chooses, taking your attention away from your AN and whatever concerns you may have will very likely be beneficial and rewarding in ways you can't imagine. It doesn't have to be a long-term commitment but you may find that you want to make it one.
However, making the time to enjoy a ball game, play, movie or perhaps a boat ride can also be helpful to regaining a bit of perspective when one feels overwhelmed by the intricacies of dealing with an acoustic neuroma and how to address it. There are as many possibilities as there are AN patients but I suggest that finding something other than your tumor to think about for awhile is definitely good for one's mental health.
Jim
