The Journey Continues
Second consultation complete!
Yesterday, I had a telehealth consultation with Dr. Aaron Cohen-Godal from USC. Consistent with Dr. Theodosopoulos, he recommends debulking the tumor due to its size, location, and my age followed by stereotactic radiation to prevent further growth. However, he prefers to access the tumor via the retrosigmoid approach.
The recommendation
The retrosigmoid approach involves making an incision at the back of my skull behind the ear. Going this route does not disrupt the physical structures of the inner ear responsible for balance and hearing. However, the potential for hearing loss remains due to possible irritation or disruption of cranial nerve eight- the vestibulocochlear nerve- which translates physical sound waves into electric impulses that the brain interprets as sound.
Hearing loss is not the only potential consequence. Because the tumor sits so close to some of my other cranial nerves, there is a high change I would have some degree of facial weakness and/or double vision after surgery. These problems could be transient or permanent but there is no way to know for sure.
Dr. Cohen does not think radiation alone would be suitable treatment due to my tumor size, location, and age. But, he did recommend a referral to a radiation oncologist anyway just to obtain more information and insight. In the meantime, he suggested a referral to a headache neurologist for pain management as a reasonable treatment option until surgery is scheduled. He also encouraged me to take my time getting as many consultations as it takes to find the surgeon I am the most comfortable with performing my surgery. His kindness and professionalism were very appreciated!
Up Next
In about two weeks I'm scheduled for my third consultation with Dr. Linda Wenya Bi from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. She is highly qualified and experienced and I am really looking forward to meeting her! I'm also waiting to get a full consultation from Stanford. Hopefully I will have an appointment date scheduled by next week. Once I get the Stanford consult, I will review all my options and at that point will probably choose the treatment plan that fits best for me. There are a lot of factors to consider. Fortunately, I have some time to get more answers before I need to make any decisions.
Vacation cannot come soon enough! I can't believe I received my CT scan results over two months ago. There has been so much on my mind since then! Having some time off to decompress and relax will be very welcomed. I will be so happy to to make some good memories before such a life changing event. As always, I'll keep you updated on any new developments!
