Well, it is official - I am now post-treatment! What a great feeling to have the worst behind me. I had been in the W&W category for 3+ years with no growth. But last December my annual MRI showed growth in two dimensions; I can't remember the specific size but the tumor had grown to approx. 2cms x 1.8 x ?. After much research and angst I made a wise choice to go to House Ear Clinic/St. Vincent's for microsurgical removal of the tumor via retrosigmoid approach. Dr. Friedman(neurotology) and Schwartz (neurosurgeon) were my docs; their expertise, knowledge, and availability for questions truly made the pendulum swing to this choice. Frankly, I hate flying - and flying across the country to have brain surgery was not an easy choice. But in all of my health care experience thus far- both as a patient, and a nurse, I have not experienced the caring bedside manner & attentiveness that these docs displayed. I also cannot say enough good stuff about the staff at House Ear Clinic. The testing that I received there on my pre-op day revealed more information about my hearing and balance that I had learned in the three years followed by another doc in my town. I learned that day that my so-called "good ear" was not really so good; in fact my neuroma side had better hearing. So the decision was made to do the retrosigmoid approach to tumor removal, in order to reserve the possibility of hearing preservation on my tumor side.
Surgery was July 14th & the results were excellent - better than expected. My facial nerve is 100% intact, and hearing on the tumor side was almost the same as pre-op. After a few days from the surgery a normal side effect of surgery - fluid in the ear - occurred making my ear feel clogged but I am told that within a few weeks/months that should clear up. The care I received by both the House Docs and the staff at St. Vincent's was wonderful.
I had at one point been strongly encouraged to have fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for my tumor. I had the tumor size that allowed for many options for treatment - a blessing and a curse for the indecisive. One doc I had consulted (not at House) had given me the impression that no one should be offering a surgical option for my tumor size. (?) The variety of opinions about how to handle these things is dizzying! Anyway, I am now SO glad that my tumor is gone and I can focus on recovery and the rest of my life! If I had chosen FRST then I would be having MRI's and living with this for the remainder of my life. The idea of radiation treatment for a benign tumor never felt right to me; but I was so darned scared of the surgical option. Now that it is behind me, I can say that it is scary but you can get through it! And I am so glad to have it behind me. I hope that I haven't said too much here. I have not been on the discussion board for a long time and really have alot to say! If anyone is considerring a trip to LA to House Ear Clinic for treatment please feel free to "pm" me I would be happy to share more about my experience.
