Decision making is a struggle

[svaldez]

I am 63 year old and diagnosed with 2cm. AN in November, 2012 after experiencing sudden hearing loss in left ear.    Have consulted with Dr. Mark Syms in Phoenix, AZ and Dr. Peter Weiskopf, Phoenix, AZ.  Both docs are affiliated with Barrows Neurological Institute.  Have pretty much decided that surgery is my option.  Will be meeting with neurosurgeon in next few weeks and am very nervous about the surgery and recovery.
Has anyone had experience with either of these docs?  From research it seems both are extremely experienced.
Any comments will be helpful

[kmr1969]

I don't have any insight on these doctors, but I would encourage you to take your time with deciding your treatment and your doctors. Do your research and make sure you are comfortable with your decision.  I decided on surgery at the House Clinic and I had a lot of anxiety, but I can honestly say that the day off the surgery I was calm and confident.  I knew I had made the right decisions for me and it was out of my hands and in the hands of the competent and experienced doctors that I had selected.  The fact that I was fortunate enough to have a ton of family and friends thinking good thoughts and saying prayers for me also helped.

Good luck with your decision.  I am almost 7 weeks post surgery and returning to work on Monday.  It hasn't been easy, but everyday gets a little bit better.

Best wishes,

Ken

[leapyrtwins]

I don't have personal experience with BNI, but wanted to note that several on the Forum have had treatment there and it's an excellent place.

No need to travel to House when you have a great facility right in your own backyard.

I wasn't nervous before my surgery (locally in Illinois) but it's very common.  Part of the key to maintaining your "cool" is to have faith, trust, and confidence in your docs.  Go with your heart, your head, and your gut - and don't look back.

Best,

Jan

[Tdenmo]

I have been meaning to post my experience since I found it very helpful to read about others' experiences when I was figuring out what to do--and I saw this post and knew that I needed to reply as quickly as I could. I am 55 years old, and about 7 weeks post-op after having my 2.5 cm acoustic neuroma diagnosed at the end of last August. I had experienced facial numbness, but only a slight loss of hearing. I was very lucky to be referred to Dr. Robert Spetzler at Barrow here in Phoenix (we live in Phoenix, have several friends who are doctors here and in other places across the country and all describe Dr. Spetzler as a god!) and he and Dr. Weisskopf, who is also fabulous, did my surgery on Nov. 15th. They used the retrosigmoid approach and de-bulked the tumor, and I'll be following up with regular MRIs and perhaps will need to have radiation at some point, but I had no additional loss of hearing and although I still have some facial numbness, my smile is intact, no facial paralysis, which was important to me. Happy to provide you with any additional details that would help you make the decision that is right for you. I know it's a scary time, but the reality is that these people are fabulous at doing what they do. I can't say enough great things about my experience with these two wonderful doctors, and everyone at Barrow and St. Joseph's. It's also really nice if you live here to have the ability to use such a great facility right in your own backyard--it made coming home at night for my husband easier, and of course, easier on me when I got to leave the hospital. I had thought I'd investigage other options, but the reality was that this is one of the best if not the best places in the world to have an acoustic neuroma taken care of.