Hi and welcome, Tamara:
We can all sympathize with your SSD as most of us have the same condition. My hearing in the 'AN ear' (my left) slowly diminished over five years so, like you, I've throughly adjusted - but it remains a handicap. Not being able to differentiate where sound is coming from is sometimes maddening. My wife would call to me in a store and I would do a 360 degree turn trying to tell where she was. I felt foolish doing that but had no choice, unless she was close by. Now, when we're shopping in a big store or a mall and going our separate ways, we use walkie-talkies to communicate and find each other, usually by simply designating a place to meet, such as the snack bar or entrance, then setting a time to meet, say in ten minutes. This way, we don't 'lose' each other or waste time waiting unnecessarily.
With a 7mm AN, you have options. One option may be radiation ('radiosurgery') which is non-invasive (no cutting) and requires no more than an overnight hospital stay. In many cases, it can be done on an outpatient basis (no overnight stay). This is something you'll want to discuss with your doctor as location is almost as important as size when choosing a treatment. In some cases, radiation isn't feasible due to the location of the tumor, so surgery is strongly advised by the medical experts. However, be aware that some doctors are biased against radiation and some are just as biased against surgery. You have to discern who is being totally honest with you and not simply take the first doctor's advice without asking specific questions and doing some research which is fairly easy, using the internet.
On these forums, you'll often see the comment
'every AN case/patient is different' for good reason...its true. That truth should be a constant when you read the various posts. Posters can and do willingly offer their personal experience with surgery and/or radiation (I had both) but because one patient with a similar-size AN had a good or not-so-good post-op experience, whether undergoing surgery or radiation, doesn't mean you'll have the same experience, for better or worse. One size does not fit all.
Should you choose surgery, there will be a recovery period when you will simply be unable to function normally due to fatigue. That could last days, weeks or even longer. This is the unknown part. Much depends on the surgeon's skill and the location of the tumor. The after-effect of the anesthesia will linger for a few days and whatever steroids you're given (to reduce swelling) will also have a deleterious effect on your body. In addition, performing this kind of very invasive surgery definitely takes it's toll on you and thus, fatigue is usually a very real after-effect. Radiation has it's own risks and is easier to bear but not a panacea or a treatment that can be guaranteed. The imbalance issue varies with the individual but it is often something the AN post-op/post-radiation patient has to deal with to some degree. With time and effort, imbalance can be overcome. I had some imbalance issues, post-op (see my signature, below, for details) but I was able to surmount them and have negligible balance problems, today. Headaches are become less common with surgery and while not entirely eradicated, they are manageable and probably not a major concern, but you have to be aware that post-op headaches
can occur and they can be debilitating. Fortunately, I had no postoperative headaches.
The reality is that with any surgery or treatment,
especially when dealing with an acoustic neuroma, there are no guarantees. An acoustic neuroma, even a tiny one, like yours, can present you with a minefield of possibilities. Odds are, you'll be a candidate for non-invasive radiation treatment if you want it, and experience a fairly smooth and swift recovery, but no one, including a doctor or anyone here, can promise that rosy scenario with any degree of honesty. I wish I could.
I would suggest that if you haven't already done so, you try to do as much AN research as you can to educate yourself, have more than one surgical consultation and prepare yourself and your family for a six-week recuperation period following surgery. If you come through with no complications, you'll simply get back to your normal routine that much faster. If not, you'll be somewhat prepared, as will your family. Of course, we stand ready to offer you whatever advice and information we can, as non-physicians.
Tamara, we wish you all the best. We're definitely sorry you have one of these AN buggers but pleased you found this website (it's loaded with excellent information) and that you've engaged the members of these message boards. Please stay connected.
Jim
