Hi All!
My husband and I attended our first conference today in Cincinnati. The only session we attended was the breakout session on Acoustic Neuromas, due to scheduling conflicts, but it was worth the drive!! Both of my surgeons presented (Dr. John Tew and Dr. Myles Pensak), as did Dr. Jess Guarnaschelli - all from the University of Cincinnati Brain Tumor Center. Agnes Garino from ANA was there also and together, they gave a very informative session with lots of time for question/answer. It was terrific to meet so many people who were in various phases of treatment and recovery. They all spoke very highly of the ANA and I can only imagine how wonderful the Chicago symposium will be. Dr. Tew and Dr. Pensak will be there, too, and you can't meet surgeons more knowledgeable and compassionate than this pair. They have worked together as a team for a long time and I owe so much to both of them. I also got to see Dr. Tew's clinical nurse, Nancy - she was my anchor for several months post op and was very patient with my endless questions!
I don't think I'll be able to go this summer, but this little session today convinced me that I need to remain engaged with ANA and all of the great folks who are part of it. It has provided me with so much when I needed it desperately, and sharing experiences with others is very rewarding.
My first order of business on Monday morning, is to schedue an appt with Dr Pensak to start pursuing the BAHA. After his presentation, I am intrigued, and after reading so many positive stories from folks here, it's time to see what it's about! I have found that when I'm at work, being SSD is a real problem.
Anyway, just had to share - can't wait to hear about the Chicago symposium and I'm looking foward to meeting so many of my network of angels sometime!!!
Kathy