Author Topic: New with questions.  (Read 3438 times)

arcticrose

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New with questions.
« on: November 03, 2011, 04:26:56 pm »
Was just told Monday I have AN.  Here in Alaska there are no Dr.s treating this.  My ENT suggest House in LA.  Sounds great by what everyone here says, but I was wondering about Florida.  I have a winter home there which would help with recovery costs being in my own home.  Is there good Dr's at the Mayo Clinic there?  Also how soon can you fly after surgery?  That would make a difference too.  I am full of questions and you guys seem to have the answers.  Thanks so much for already helping me over my fears. 
4mm x 8mm right side AN found 10/30/11
imbalance, ringing and fullness in ear
CK 3/16/12 San Diego Dr. D. Smith

CHD63

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Re: New with questions.
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2011, 04:52:20 pm »
Hi arcticrose and welcome to this forum .....

Your physician gave you an excellent suggestion to go to House Ear Institute in LA.  The docs there are fantastic and are used to treating all types of acoustic neuromas on a daily basis.  They are top notch.

I do not know anything about the docs in Florida but several on this forum have experience there.  You might go back to this forum's home page and type Florida in the search box to see some posts/results, etc.

Best wishes and tell us a little bit more about the size of your tumor and your symptoms that sent you for an MRI.

Clarice
Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

Silver Sonnet

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Re: New with questions.
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2011, 08:56:56 pm »
Hi, and welcome!  And let me say that I envy your life--living in Alaska and wintering in Florida; that's just cool :)

It seems I've heard of someone good at Mayo.  I'm sure someone will come along soon who knows for sure.

As for flying, I flew a week to the day after my surgery.  I had a 17 hour ret sig procedure.  While the experience of flying home wasn't pleasant,  the problem was more with airports and long, long, LONG very hot waits sitting on tarmacs.  If you are going to be passing through busy airports and/or catching connecting flights without long layovers, you might consider arranging for a wheelchair.  I was capable of walking, but my doc insisted on a wheelchair to keep me from getting stressed (yeah, right!) and to reduce the possibility of my getting bumped or falling.

Keep us posted!

chloes mema

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Re: New with questions.
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2011, 06:13:06 pm »
Hi.  I'm brand new to this and having been diagnosed today with a 10.2 mm AN.  I live outside of Tampa where my ENT referred me to Dr. Bartels.  He has a great website www.tampabayhearing.com.  All the research I did on him and local medical people I've talked to highly recommend him.  My ENT said we are lucky here in the Tampa Bay area because we have three specialist that can handle AN, two of which are at Tampa Bay Hearing and Balance.

Good luck.
Diagnosed October 2011
Oct '11-9 X 6 mm left ear
Mar '12 - 1.25cm
Tinnitus, imbalance, and mild dizziness (ditsy)
My AN = Annoying Nuisance
Jan'12 W&W
May'12 CK completed
Oct'12 hemifacial spasms
Dec'19 It's back

cindyj

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Re: New with questions.
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2011, 12:08:07 pm »
Hi, arcticrose and welcome...one of our fellow forumites, Ernie (EJTampa) had surgery a couple of years ago and Dr. Bartles, who Chloes Mema mentions, was his surgeon.  Ernie had one of the shortest hospital stays ever seen around here!  Everyone's experience is, of course, different, but just wanted to pass the info to you and include a link to a thread discussing his recovery. Chloe, you may find it helpful also.  Ernie is not around as much these days, but I'm sure if you sent him a personal message, he would be glad to "talk" with you.  Fair warning, however, there are some pics of his scar in the thread, so don't look at it if that might bother you  ;)

http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=8882.255

Best of luck to both of you,

Cindy
rt side 1.5 cm - Translab on 11/07/08 Dr. Friedman & Dr. Schwartz of House Ear Institute,
feeling great!

"Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you do hold."  Josh Billings