Hearing return?

[mimoore]

Is it possible for hearing to return? Has this ever happened to anyone - I had the surgery behind the ear (oh can't remember what it is called). Sounds so dumb when I am typing this but... after surgery I could not hear at all and then a tiny I mean tiny bit came back 5% maybe (haven't been to the ENT yet). Just thought I would ask...
Thanks
Michelle 

[leapyrtwins]

Michelle -

it's possible, but it largely depends on the treatment you had.

As far as surgery goes -  the general rule for translab is usually 100% hearing loss.  With mid fossa, I think the odds are fairly good of keeping what you've got going into surgery.  Retrosigmoid is iffy - chance of losing it; chance of keeping what you've got.

I'm thinking radiation usually means you keep what you've got going into treatment - but I'm not totally sure this is correct.  I'm sure someone who had radiation will either agree - or correct me if I'm wrong.

Jan

[mimoore]

I had the retrosigmond and had good hearing prior to surgery so I guess I need to find out from the surgeon what happened. 

[leapyrtwins]

Retrosigmoid doesn't guarantee hearing.

I had retro and I came out of surgery SSD.  My AN had wrapped itself around my hearing nerve and in order to remove the entire tumor, my hearing nerve had to be "sacrificed".  Not the surgeons' fault at all - doctors can guarantee anything 100%.  They are humans, not Gods.

I knew going into my surgery that there was only a slight chance of saving my hearing, but I figured we should at least "go for it". 

So bottomline - you may or may not be SSD.

Jan

[jtd71465]

I had retro and went in with all of my hearing.  After 14 days I was at around 12%...at 6 months at around 30%...and at 1 year at 42% speech recognition....I go for my two year in January and hope to report more improvement.

Joe-

[mimoore]

Thanks Deb - yeah I know no guarantees but I lost hearing and got facial paraylsis - guess you can't make a deal eh? I pick door number one - loose hearing and keep face! On did I open door two - loose hearing and loose face - poop that's not what I wanted. It was a gamble - one I had no choice. It was a live or slowly die situation.

Well that is encouraging Joe. I wonder if the loss of the 7th nerve function has anything to do some of it? I know hearing is the 8th but just courious. Here's hoping for return of it all - wouldn't that be nice.
Michelle 

[Syl]

Hi Michelle,

Isn't it a wonderful feeling to have even a slight improvement in your hearing?
If your hearing is returning, you probably had retrosig or middle fossa. Translab sacrifices hearing, so it couldn't have been that.

I had retrosig 6 weeks ago. I had very little hearing post-op, most likely due to the stretching of the hearing nerve during surgery. In the past few days I have noticed improvement in my hearing and the feeling of fullness in the ear has diminished. So to answer your question...yes, it is possible to have hearing return to how it was pre-surgery.

Syl

[leapyrtwins]

Thanks Deb - yeah I know no guarantees

You know, I've been called a lot of things on this forum - mostly by Lori and Jim - but I've never been called "Deb" before 

JAN

[mimoore]

Sorry Jan I did have brain surgery ya know!!!
hahahahahaahaha 

[leapyrtwins]

Good comeback, Michelle 

[Jim Scott]

Michelle:

Hearing does return after AN surgery (not Translab, obviously) but it is often diminished.  There are always going to be exceptions.  This is why we emphasize that every AN patient is different.  They are.  Just because 10 AN surgical patients lose all hearing in the affected ear, that doesn't guarantee that patient number 11 will.  You may be 'patient number 11'.  I hope so. 

Jan:

O.K., now you're an inveterate, droll maven called 'Deb'....with a tattoo  This is getting weird. 

Jim

[leapyrtwins]

Jan:

O.K., now you're an inveterate, droll maven called 'Deb'....with a tattoo  This is getting weird. 

While I don't mind being inveterate, droll, or a maven, I think I'll pass on the Deb part.  There are just so many Deb's (Debbi Bifulco, DebbieL, oHIo, probably others I'm forgetting) on the forum.  I think I'll keep Jan 

And, yes, this IS getting weird 

Jan

[oHIo]

[/quote]

While I don't mind being inveterate, droll, or a maven, I think I'll pass on the Deb part.  There are just so many Deb's (Debbi Bifulco, DebbieL, oHIo, probably others I'm forgetting) on the forum.  I think I'll keep Jan 

And, yes, this IS getting weird 

Jan
[/quote]

Jan...being a Deb is not as bad as you might think     For all we know, Deb could be Jim Scott's real name.  Maybe Michelle was using DEB as an acronym for Delightful, Entertaining (or Enthusiastic) Bunch.

Debbie, not Jan, Jim, Debbi, or DebbieL 
Yes, it IS getting VERY weird

[leapyrtwins]

For all we know, Deb could be Jim Scott's real name. 

You know, I never thought of that possibility.  Maybe Tumbleweed is named Debbie also 

Jan

[ppearl214]

hi all. Can we get back on topic please?   Thanks!

Phyl