Hi Ren,
I'm also new, hurrah! I would definitely get a second opinion/second MRI with contrast. It could be something completely unrelated, or not, but better to know oui? I can tell you that two years ago my hearing dropped off significantly in my right ear. In May this year, overnight the right side of my face went numb (as did the right side of my body, but that's a weird thing where a cyst inside the AN grew suddenly and hit the brain stem causing the numbness to the body - or so they think!! The body numbness only lasted a week). Face is still numb, inside the ear, inside my mouth, inside my nose - all over the right side. I had an MRI in June with contrast, finally got the results recently and I have a 2.4cm acoustic neuroma/vestibular schwannoma which is starting to press into my brain stem. It's not small and it's not large, but my neurotologist likes to call it "significant". So time to deal.
I saw the MRI they did before they injected me with the contrast and you can hardly see anything, so the contrast is needed to see something.
I hope this hasn't scared you, you may not have an AN at all - but it's better to find out hey? I can tell you that I lost SO much hair between May and my diagnosis just from the worry of not knowing - I feel a lot more calm now and relieved in a way that I know what's going on and that there's a way forward.
All the best Ren, hope to hear from you soon, there are lots of people here who can help you whatever happens.
Joe