Saturday, March 21, 2009

Help needed

So I looked up the neurologist that will be assisting Dr. Selesnick during the surgery. I think it took me over 15 minutes to read his biography. Check this out.

http://www.weillcornell.org/pstieg/

It really seems that everything is going at a snails pace now. If my vision would just go back to baseline I may be able to convince myself that I just made this whole thing up.

Just to clarify----the type of tumor that I have is 99% benign meaning that is is not cancerous.

Acoustic Neuromas
The acoustic (eighth cranial) nerve includes branches that mediate the sense of balance and head position (the vestibular nerve), as well as hearing (the cochlear nerve). Acoustic neuromas are benign tumors that arise from the vestibular portion of the acoustic nerve. Surrounding each nerve fiber are Schwann cells that form a substance called myelin that insulates nerves and facilitates electrical conduction. It is from Schwann cells in the vestibular nerve that an acoustic neuroma, also known as a vestibular schwannoma, arises. Schwannomas also may be referred to as neurilemomas, neurolemmomas, and peripheral fibroblastomas.
Acoustic neuromas occur at a rate of one per 100,000 people and make up eight percent of intracranial tumors.
Symptoms
Because of the location of acoustic neuromas, the initial symptoms of these tumors involve hearing and balance. ( I thought I was just fat and clumsy!!) Tinnitus (ringing in the ears--I only have once ina while), hearing loss(slow for about 5 years), disequilibrium, and vertigo are common and caused by compression of the eighth cranial nerve. As the tumor enlarges, it expands in the space of the cerebellopontine angle, a region near the brainstem, and the seventh cranial nerve, which controls the facial muscles. When a tumor is large enough to compress surrounding structures, it may cause headaches, facial numbness and/or weakness, double vision, nausea, vomiting, and hydrocephalus, a blockage in the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.

1 comment:

  1. Oh my gosh Patty!!! This makes it all sound so awful. I'm glad that there is such a high percentage that it isn't canerous. I hope all goes well with the surgery and the time leading up to it.

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