The "ROCKS IN MY HEAD" (a little history)

The title of this post is a bit odd, I know.  Neil and I have joked about me having "rocks" in my head.  Gotta try to keep things on a lighter note :-)  The so called "rocks" are actually my tumors that I'm told are benign.

I started this blog due to the overwhelming support and questions I've had with my surgery coming up for my Acoustic Neuroma (AN) removal on the 9th.   Well, here is some more history how this all got started.  (sorry it's not just short & simple....but I think it covers most all the questions I've been asked)

On February 12, 2007 I started to pass out & hit my head on a door jam.  Neil ended up taking me to ER.  (They said the passing out was due to severe muscle tension in my neck), BUT  they did a cat scan, that later lead to an MRI due to an abnormal finding.  Well, the MRI actually showed several abnormal findings (per my 1st neurologists words).  At that time the main concern was a Choroid Plexus mass measuring 2.3cm x 1 cm.  I was told this was likely a benign tumor and needed to follow with MRIs every 3-6 months.  (I originally found out about this with a phone call from the nurse at the doctors office "Hi Denise, I'm calling to tell you that your Brain Tumor doesn't look malignant, but you need to see a neurologist"......My heart sank....I wasn't told anything at ER about any tumors, just an abnormality!!!  UGH, my heart was in my stomach, and the nurse (the doctors wife) felt terrible....they all thought I knew (I will NEVER forgot that moment).   I went to the neurologist, and then referred to a Neurosurgeon in Muskegon.  He ''watched'' it and nothing was changing, that was great news.  During that time and at one of my visits to one of my doctors, I was told of another concern of a small growth/enhancement in my left internal auditory canal.   (no one seemed too concerned over that, so neither was I.....I did always get copies of my reports, but that one was only 3mm and sounded like nothing to me). 

Skip forward to January 2, 2009 (still plenty of doctor visits, etc. in between).   I thought I was done with MRI findings and everything was stable...NOT!  I was referred to my ENT (whom I've been to before).  He went over the MRIs with me again and was VERY good at pointing things out and explaining them.................off to my next post, a little more detail on this newest growing tumor.