bmock,
Welcome to the Forum - but sorry you had to join this crazy AN club
I live in Virginia and have been both to UVA and John Hopkins.
These major medical centers have doctors who have more experience with ANs.
[My local ENTs dismissed my symptoms for over 12+ years...]
After being diagnosed in Oct. 2008, i continue to do research and decided to choose Watch & Wait for now.
The important thing is to have an MRI with contrast and then do follow-up MRIs - i have had 2 and will have my one year follow-up before the end of 2009.
My AN is approximately one cm and i have minimal symptoms right now, a feeling of fullness in the ear, some tinnitus, and one crazy bout of vertigo in late Jan. 09.
After everything i have learned in the last year, i am ever mindful that i don't want to get to the point where my symptoms increase/get worse - it's a roll of of the dice, but i think i know what kind of treatment i would have if i needed to do so in the near future.
Please keep posting and we will try to answer your questions/concerns.
You are now part of the Forum Family and will meet some of the most AMAZING, WONDERFUL FOLKS, ever!
This is one
AWESOME group!
Sincerely,
Sue
PS Were it not more for sister, i would not be here today - she was diagnosed in a matter of months, 6 months before me. I am grateful to HER ENT for recognizing the possible AN; and grateful to my doctor at UVA for writing my MRI script. As they say, knowledge is power!