In April 2012 I was dizzy and falling down all the time. An MRI showed I had an AN on my 8th nerve and it was already pressing on my facial nerve. I interviewed five doctors in two states as well as their former patients. After doing my homework, I drove from Indianapolis to Nashville to meet Dr. George Wanna (microsurgeon) and Dr. Kyle Weaver (neurologist) at Vanderbilt Medical Center. I had SO much faith in these two doctors that I booked surgery after meeting them and interviewing their patients.
On June 23, 2012, my retrosigmoid surgery lasted 9 hours. It could have gone faster but Dr. Wanna took his time to peel the "angry, bloody, sticky" tumor off the nerve. His patience paid off and I did NOT lose my hearing or sustain any facial paralysis! These two doctors and their entire team were absolutely wonderful.
However, if you choose to travel, as I did, I would strongly recommend that you have a local neurologist on call should you need help when you return. 30-days post-op I had meningitis and they cranked up the steroids. That was followed by CSF leak and two spinal taps...and more steroids. Unfortunately, the HIGH doses of steroids (to stop the swelling) allowed me to contract Cushing's Syndrome....and I'm still making my way through that illness.
Best of luck to you who are still in the decision-making process. Do your homework and after you make your decision, be 100% confident that you are making the right choice. Our bodies can sense stress - my blood pressure was 90/70 as I headed into the OR - I KNEW these two men would do the very best they could do... so I was at peace and my outcome was great!
Oh - to some of you this will sound weird but, I "talked" to my tumor everyday before the surgery. I reminded it that it was just another part of my body. I thanked it for making me aware that there was a problem in my body and finally I asked it to, "Go gently with the surgeon's knife and leave my facial nerve and hearing intact." Remember, our bodies are amazing and our cells "listen" to us. You have the ability to talk to your cells and instruct them as to what you want them to do - even shrink. But at the very least, you should learn to close your eyes, and "talk" to your tumor. It's not a foreign object in your body - it is in fact, part of YOU. Use your positive thoughts and feelings to ensure a positive outcome!
As the Bible says, it takes just the faith of a mustard seed to move a mountain. Talking to your mustard seed sized tumor and asking it to dissolve or go away easily with the surgeons knife can (and for me did) work!
Good Luck to you!
