On November 24, 1967 I kept my appointment with ENT. He asked questions, did hearing test ("you're right. You're deaf in your left ear), poured ice water in my left ear ("don't have to do the right ear because you didn't throw up"), sent me for head x-rays (front, back, both sides). On December 6 I saw the neurosurgeon. December 10 or 12 entered the hospital. Four more head x-rays. December 14th, 5 hour surgery. Hearing was already gone so it didn't matter that they had to sever the 8th nerve. But they also had to sever the 7th nerve as well. Asked the doctor how big was the tumor and he made a loose fist : "About that big". (He didn't have small hands!) No headaches, no balance problems other than the minor ones I had before surgery. Started walking as soon as they let me out of bed. They were very surprised that I didn't require help with walking. I went home on December 23 only because I finally asked to. I hadn't really needed to be there for some time. Since my face was half paralyzed, I had difficulty talking. As far as I know, no physical therapy , speech therapy were available. None were mentioned, anyway. I forced myself to slow down my speech and enunciate.
In February, 1968 I had the 7/12 done. Five months later I felt a twinge in my left cheeck. Over time my face quit drooping and at rest looks fairly normal. My forehead and eye , however, were not helped. In June of 1969 I had a temporalis transplant. As a result, I have very little trouble with my eye. Maybe 3 to 6 times a yer I have to put in eye drops because of a little dryness (ususally caused by being in moving air or staying up too late).
I had no one to talk to about my condition, etc. until I discovered the ANA in 1984 or 1985. A group formed in Little Rock, Arkansas . We had the second or third symposium . I haven't been able to attend one since because of work.
We found the regrowth in the '80s because a hospital 60 miles away got a CT Scanner. I went back to my Kansas City neuro. and we watched and waited for a few years. Sometime during that period MRIs came into being. I had a couple of them before the second surgery in 1987. The hospital stay was much shorter. Again, no headaches or other problems.
In 1991 I felt the familiar slight "spinning" in my head, had an MRI here, took it to KC, and Dr. sent me to Dr. Brackmann in Los Angeles. Time in hospital was shorter still. Again, no headaches or other problems.
I didn't know about radiosurgery until I started reading posts on this forum.
The only thing I'm worried about at this point is having a headached problem as a result of removing the right side AN. Been watching it with annual MRIs since '93.
Maybe some day they will be able to zap these things and vaporize them?!
