Hi Suboo,
My AN was found by accident, and I wasn't having any problems. My ENT sent me to an AN doctor, and he discussed the three options: watch and wait, surgery and radiation. He suggested that I W&W since my AN was small, in a safe area, and I wasn't having any symptoms. He said if it grew or if I started having symptoms, he would recommend GK. But, in the meantime the AN would be monitored with the initial 6 month MRI and annual ones after that. I was fine with his recommendation, and I went about my way. Of course there was the initial shock of having found the AN in the first place, but I figured I would be one of the lucky ones and never have any problems with it. When I had my MRI in May, the AN had grown slightly, and I was beginning to have some symptoms. The doctors I consulted recommended radiation over surgery, but they said W&W was also an option with a follow-up MRI in 6 months. Knowing that the AN was growing and starting to act up was wearing on me mentally, and after a lot of research, getting second opinions, consulting this board and communicating with another person I found on this board who had had GK here in Denver, I finally got to my decision point. I was not comfortable with my AN doctor at the time so I decided to get a second opinion from the doctor the guy here on the board used. I felt an instant connection with this doctor. He gave me the pros and cons of GK, and I went from there. I had aready canceled surgery off my list....just didn't feel right for me. My new AN doc, as I stated in my earlier post, does all three treatments (a package deal). However, he felt strongly about GK over CK, but he would go either way. I also felt like he was very well trained. He trained at Stanford for CK, and he trained at Pittsburg for GK. These two institutions are supposed to be the "pioneers" in each respective treatment. I didn't feel a need to go out of area for my treatment. My AN doctor said he does about 20 GK procedures each year. That seemed reasonable to me. I never asked about CK. There is only one CK center in CO, and it is relatively new. I get the feeling that my doctor has not used CK as much as the GK so perhaps his recommendation for GK was more in his comfort zone. I just accepted his recommendation....went with my "gut" feeling. But, I think CK is a good choice, also. For me, however, I liked the idea of the head frame. The head frame freaks a lot of people out, but I felt like I needed to have my head secure in the frame so I wouldn't move around. I didn't do very much research on CK. I have heard from people here and read some research that with CK there is a better chance of hearing preservation. My doctor wasn't convinced of this claim, but he said it is possible. Like I said people will argue about this one. And many will give you research data. I put my AN in the hands of my AN doc and the rest of his team who were also trained to do CK and GK.
You will get to your decision, and I think it is a good idea to consult with the CK board. I would definitely recommend getting a second opinion.
One other thing that put it in the bag for me also was the fact that my AN doc and the rest of the team didn't try to tell me what to do. They gave me the pros and cons and said it was my decision. I was lucky, though, because my AN was small and the location was not an issue. I didn't need to make a decision right away. My original AN told me right off to have GK. He said if it was him, he would have GK. Another doctor I went to said he would watch and wait if it was him. These two different opinions really "messed" with my mind. I liked that the new AN doc put the ball in my court. I think some would like to know what their doctor would do if it was him/her. When I made the decision on my own, it gave me a sense of control.
Best wishes to you as you continue on your AN journey. This is my story. Now you will be on the journey to finding your own story.
Nancy
