Anyone had these symptoms?

[dgrummer]

My husband was diagnosed a little over a week ago with a 2.5 cm AN.  His symptoms were - mild change in hearing, numbness around his mouth and temple area, and the tip and right side of his tongue was numb – which all seem to be consistent with other folks.

But he also has numbness in his upper right thigh and complained a few months ago when we were signing all the papers for our new house – that he had trouble signing his name.  Described it as a ‘glitch’ – like his name just wouldn’t ‘flow’ like normal.  Not that you could EVER read his chicken scratch handwriting :)….but I thought it was odd.

However, he did get hit pretty hard with a softball last year in his thigh – so we were wondering if the leg numbness was related to the AN or something else.  Any ideas??

The AN is touching his brainstem – so I wondered if that might cause some of these other symptoms.

We don’t get to see the Dr for another week or so and I’ve got sooo many questions.

Thanks
Dana

[barbjo]

Hi Dana,
 My first AN I had symptoms of facial numbness:right cheek and around my right eye and major pain and numbness on my tongue, and numbness around gum area on right as well. Balance problems,  I didn't notice then much hearing loss.  I thought I was crazy for having my tongue have such feelings and felt kind of silly telling a doctor.  My AN was 2 cm and was also touching the brainstem. 
You need to ask those questions, my biggest fault the first time around was not asking those questions.  I just wanted to pretend it would go away.  Alot of great information on this site, I have become more enlighted on AN myself for my next dr visit.  I had my first surgery March 2004, and only lost minimal hearing and my tongue and face cleared of any weird feelings after surgery.  Best wishes for your husband and youself.  Please let us know how the doctors visit turns out next week!
Barb

[Frying2Knights]

Hey Dana

I can't comment on the symptoms but I would suggest (apologies if you have probably already thought of it!) you write down anything and everything you want to know about and take your list with you to see the doc.  You may well be bombarded with info and it's easy to forget something or think something too trivial to mention.

Very best wishes

[russ]

Hi Dana
  Just wondering if the softball injury has produced a 'peripheral neuropathy' ( nerve damage ) of sorts which produces the leg numbness?
  Re: Difficulty writing. I have that and chalk it off to 'cognitive impairment' related to loss of vestibular function.
  Dr's visit will be interesting. I wonder about a Neurologist...
  Best wishes!
  Russ

[dgrummer]

Thanks guys.

I've started my list and have visited the other website that had suggestions of questions to ask.  Now - if I can just remember to take my notebook with me.

Our first visit was with a neurologist who said 'yeah - you've got a brain tumor - I don't know anything about this kind - go see a neurosugeon'....we picked ourselves off the floor and went to the neurosugeon who said...'yeah - you've got a brain tumor - I don't know anything about this kind - go to Dallas'.  So we wait for an appointment in Dallas.

The neurosurgeon I think suggested the leg thing might be unrelated - but I was so much in shock - I didn't really hear half of what he was saying - so thought I'd ask here and see if anyone else had something similar.

My husband hasn't mentioned to any Dr about the handwriting thing.  He has a habit of leaving out symptoms.  I'm just learning of a few he's had I didn't even know about.

Thanks!!

[Mary]

Dana,

I've learned a lot from talking to doctors, nurses, and people from this forum.   The tumor can affect any part of the body depending on what nerve it is involved with.   There are 12 main nerves that come from the brain stem.   

My mother has the tumor and it's 3 x 3.5 cm in size.   I always thought her hand writing was so pretty.   Now she can hardly write her name.   It's so sad.

Our story is under " my mother has AN ".   All I want to say is research every way and get more opinions from more doctors before you have anything done.

Best of luck
Mary