Hi, waypoint:
I'm sorry you have a reason to be here but welcome, anyway. Unfortunately, I'm a long way from Texas and cannot offer any local recommendations as to doctors or medical facilities. I'll just offer you some information, advice and hopefully, perspective.
Feeling overwhelmed when first diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma tumor is normal. Most of us have been in your situation and can relate. However, knowledge and understanding of your options for dealing with this problem will eventually help to alleviate your very justified concerns. It certainly helped me (and many others).
Your AN is relatively small and can very likely be treated with non-invasive radiation. Ask your doctor about this. The cold, hard fact remains that, yes, even non-invasive treatment (radiation) carries some inherent risks. There is no treatment that any responsible physician can guarantee will not carry some possible adverse consequences. The trick is to read the literature available on this website (and elsewhere) that can show you the 'odds' of hearing loss, facial paralysis and other problems associated with AN treatment, including radiation. You'll be surprised by how much the odds are actually in your favor. However, this condition (AN) always leaves some residual effects, even if they are relatively mild.
Maintaining our quality of life post-treatment is always a paramount concern. I was adamant about that - and my AN was almost 3 times larger than yours and required both surgery
and radiation. However, I came through the experience with my quality of life pretty well intact. Unfortunately, my hearing in the AN-affected ear was lost prior to my diagnosis and is not going to be restored. You are fortunate to have an AN diagnosis while the tumor is still fairly small and your hearing is usable.
Please understand that forums such as this will have a wide variety of AN patients from around the nation and even the world, posting messages. Occasionally some of those folks will suffer from severe post-op complications. This forum allows them to vent, seek solutions and to just have an understanding 'audience' that can personally relate to their suffering, concerns, fears and frustrations. The popular cliché is
'we're all different', and it remains valid. AN patients - men and women - come in all sizes, ages, nationalities and economic backgrounds. Some undergo surgery, some radiation, some both. Yes, some have complications but some come through their AN experience relatively unscathed. There is no 'typical' AN patient.
The best you can do is to become educated, learn about all of your options, go slowly - don't allow any doctor to 'push' you into a specific treatment - and make an informed decision as to how you'll address this medical problem. We're here to help in whatever way we can. I wish you all the best and hope you'll find the answers you seek, soon.
Jim
