Byron's story - Acoustic Neuroma Patient Archive

I was diagnosed on 2/03 at age 62, with a 12 x 7 x 4 mm acoustic neuroma on the right side. My symptoms were 2 days of severe vertigo about a month apart with other days of light-headedness and feeling a lack of balance, and tinnitus. Follow up MRI's at six-months and one year showed no change. Hearing remained at 92% word discrimination. After months of research, decided on FSR. HMO took 5 weeks to answer the out-of-state request for treatment. They said no – treatment available right here. During that 5 weeks, balance continued to improve. Instead of appealing the decision, changed medical plans to be able to go for immediate treatment if necessary.

I have prayers and Bible verses that are helping me deal with this diagnosis. They can be found in A Time to Heal with my hope that they help others on their AN journey.

Then in May of 2005 I experienced sudden hearing loss. 12 days of steroids worked to bring my good hearing back. Even though the dimensions of my tumor did not change, it did puff out a bit. The local doctor told me I need to consider hearing loss a wakeup call and decide on treatment. It just happened that the AN national conference in Orlando was the next month and I went. That was a great decision -- so much information!! Like my husband said, "It's like your small support group meeting on steroids."

At the conference after talking to lots of patients and listening to all the lectures, I decided on radiation. If I didn't have my hearing, I would have seriously thought about the one-shot gamma radiation. I learned at the conference that odds favored hearing preservation with the fractionated radiation.

We were already scheduled to attend a wedding on the west coast in August, so I decided to combine that with a consultation /treatment at Stanford University. I felt very comfortable there. Like everyone always told me, "You will know when a doctor & place feel right for you". I felt good about Dr. Adler because he does surgery and now radiation. Who better to give me a fair opinion on my treatment? He told me he can't make absolute guarantees. It came down to numbers for me and my faith in a God who can handle any odds.

Dr. Adler treated me last August (2005). In February of 2006 I had my 6-month post radiation MRI. It showed the tumor to be 1 mm smaller and very slight darkening in the center. I have had some hearing loss 6 months after treatment, but am hopeful it will improve.

©	To Deb's entry in the Patient Directory
A Wait-and-watcher Who Became a Cyberknife Patient Deb Vellines's story