Scottie:
Thanks for the excellent recounting of your 'AN Experience' - and thanks for omitting the medical jargon that we are all pretty familiar with but which too often makes reading other's AN stories difficult, as we are patients, not physicians. Your story is written in a very clear style and in some parts, for me, was very easy to relate to, even though I have not experienced the same post-op complications. Walking into the hospital at some ridiculous hour (I went in at 5:30 AM) 'whole' (pre-surgery) and knowing they are going to cut into your brain - and, worse yet, NOT knowing exactly how that will turn out for you, even though the AN has to be removed, no question, is, easily, as intimidating as you relate. It was for me, and I totally trusted my surgical team.
Realizing the value of friends and family is another thing I'm certain we can all relate to in some manner. Like you, just having my wife either next to my bed or near me while I was in the ICU was very comforting. From the time I checked in for my surgery until I finally was moved to a 'regular' room (for about 18 hours before discharge), my wife never left the hospital, sleeping in a nurses lounge area overnight. She never once complained and she simply told the nurses (that kept urging her to go home) that she had no intention of leaving the man she had been married to fo 36 years when he was in ICU following brain surgery. They eventually stopped trying to get her to leave, as it was obviously futile. Fortunately, I had almost no complications and came out of surgery in very good shape, considering my age (63) and lack of prior physical conditioning, although I was otherwise healthy with none of the usual physical conditions such as heart, diabetes, joint or back problems, etc that are all-too common to folks my age. My neurosurgeon was amazed and delighted with my rapid post-op progress. He still is, almost 12 weeks later.
Like you, Scottie, even with only 5 full days spent in the hospital, I always longed for home, my recliner and my own bed (with my wife in it). Also like you and every other AN patient, I wanted very much to be 'normal' again. That was my motivation for religiously doing all the balance exercises and resting (as needed) the first few weeks at home. After 4 weeks, my neurosurgeon gave me the O.K. to drive again, and within six weeks I was pretty well back to normal, with just a few restrictions, such as avoiding heavy lifting. I'm retired, so returning to work was not an issue and my only child is an adult son (27) who lives at home and needs nothing from me except occasional good advice, which he usually ignores.
My wife was a bit over-protective at first but I explained to her (after my first few weeks post-op) that I actually wanted to do all the mundane little things I used to do, like take out the garbage, etc. and that having her now do those things made me feel useless. She understood and immediately stopped doing all my former household chores which I resumed taking care of, something I very much needed and wanted to do. My stamina isn't what it once was but otherwise, I'm good. I lost my hearing in my left ear (the 'AN side') some years ago, so I've adjusted to that handicap. I feel great and am told quite frequently how 'good' I look, probably as opposed to looking dead, which is what most people assume will happen to you when they learn that you have a BRAIN TUMOR.
Having an AN and subsequent removal surgery does strengthen one's spiritual faith (it did for me, anyway) and certainly makes you appreciate life and re-set priorities, as you learned - and as we all learn. 'Benign' tumor or not, having an Acoustic Neuroma definitely is a life-altering event. Thanks again for your moving, informative personal account of how it affected yours.
Jim
