AN removed in 1997

[Sidro55]

My AN was 4.5 cm and was all but a small peice removed in 1997. I was already deaf in my left ear and the surgons said it was best to leave the small amount to keep some hearing in my right ear (50% hearing with a hearing aid). I have had MRI's every year to check growth and it has stayed the same size. I was 47 when I had the surgery and was never able to return to work. I still have the weakness, dry eye, droppy rt side of my face and almost no balance so I uese a quad cane. Doctoes did not know the deafness in my left had also screwed up the balance nerve in it, so removing the balance nerve in the rt side really caused major problems with my walking. What drives me nuts is the tinnitus! The last few months it has been getting worse. The static and ringing is bad but the screeching is the thing that really gets me climbing the walls.

I had the surgery to try to fix my face in 1998 without success. I later found out the doctor that tried to repair my face had only done no more than one of these and that was my own fault for not finding out more about his before I said ok.

Later in 1998 I had the gold put in the rt eye lid and it stayed in for 4 1/2 years but then it started comming through the lid to the outside so I had it removed.

Sorry to be so long winded but this post makes me feel a little better. Hadn't been on the forun since the new format.

Thanks for reading,
Sid

[LaMar]

There is no problem with you venting.  It does help, doesn't it.  I have surgery in a month or so and have had so many questions.  This website has been a great help.  And having someone who had it done a few years ago really helps to put into perspective how long this could effect you.  No one really wants to tell you what will really happen, they jsut say that you will be fine after the surgery.  Have they since talked about doing surgery again.  they have new devices called bone hearing aids that can help you reserve your hearing and still gett rid of the tumor.  What about the gamma knife procedure?

LaMar

[Sidro55]

LaMar, I wish you all the best and don't let my negitive results keep you from having the surgery. Most are much luckier than I was and a lot of improvements have been made. Again good luck.

Sid

[nannettesea]

Sid,
So sorry to hear about your outcome.  I'm confused,though--was the neuroma in the left ear so they severed the balance nerve, so what happened in the right ear?

My story is that I'm still extremely dizzy (was pre-op, which was how they discovered the tumor), worse than before, can't get my balance back and am fearful it will be permanent.

I'm 44, had what I think was a good outcome of surgery, no facial problems except don't cry from the right eye (and believe me I've cried a lot before and after surgery), but SOOOOO dizzy.  Can walk ok, look alright to everyone else except lose my balance when really tired.

Keep coming to the site.  These folks are really supportive.  Wish I'd known about it before surgery, might have done radiation or something else.
Nan

[Sidro55]

Sorry I got you confused Nan. I have been deaf in the left all my life. Doctors say I was probably born that way. The AN effected my right ear. The surgeons knew I was deaf in my left ear but didn't know there was equilibrium nerve damage on that side. So when they removed the AN and the equilibrium nerve on my right side it really left me without any equilibrium nerve on either side so I have to depend on my eyes for balance.

Sid

[nannettesea]

Boy, Sid, what a tough go.  Guess there was no way for them to know about nerve damage in the left ear before the AN surgery, but that's so tough.


I admire your tenacity with your illness.  I've been struggling with depression, fatigue, trying to work but very hard due to fatigue with dizziness.  Have applied for disability, but the more I work, the longer I wait.  Hard decision.

Keep on keeping on and my best to you.
Nan