How Long Before I Feel Better After Acoustic Neuroma / Vestibular Schwannoma?

Hi Everyone!  Very often we get common questions at the Schwannoma Survivors page - many people understandably want to know what recovery times are like for the various kinds of Schwannomas located in different parts of the body.  We've received this question so many times, I thought I'd like to organize a series that would attempt to answer them using direct answers given by friends of the Schwannoma Survivors & Schwannoma Fighters page.

When we posed the question "How long before I feel better?" to those with Acoustic Neuromas / Vestibular Schwannomas, here are the answers that came in on the page...we hope you find them useful! - Neil
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Question: "How long before I feel better (or resume my normal life) after Acoustic Neuroma / Vestibular Schwannoma?"

Answer 1:

I had a VS/AN removed on April 7th of this year. I was very asymptomatic no vertigo, tinnitus, no balance loss that I was aware of(but a VNG showed I had 30% loss) and I only noticed that I was a little hard of hearing. MY hearing loss is asymmetrical which is what threw up the red flag. My tumor was small to medium, very dense and very very close to my brain stem. I had the Translabryrinthine procedure done. The procedure took 7 hours. Part of mastoid bone was removed and then belly fat extracted to fill in where the bone loss is, silastic put on top of that and then a titanium plate screwed on. My Neurologist and Neurosurgeon drained spinal fluid so brain would shrink and would not have to be touched during the procedure. I lost whatever residual hearing I had in my right ear, I have to agree that one sided hearing is very awkward but I am learning to cope. I have had temporary facial nerve loss which has not recovered fully as of yet. I feel bruised inside of my forehead, alongside my nose, upper lip and chin on the affected side. I guess that bruising will take e a while to heal. I have started to loose my taste sensation a bit and have a very dry mouth. I go back to the Neurologist in August. I also have a swollen cornea( surgical trauma?) and am dealing with that. Have to do eye drops every couple of hours and ointment in the eye at night with a patch over it as I can to close the eye voluntarily. Right eyebrow is much lower than left and my eyelid is not visible. It has improved a bit. I am driving again. Having difficulty with eating and chewing. I have to cut everything is small pieces. My balance is improving each day and I am back to walking for an hour a day without assistance. I am also looking forward to going on A European River Boast Cruise in around 30 days . MD gave ok ,phew ,as I has it paid up last year. I am a Baby Boomer so because of the age I am expecting this to take awhile. I am going on with my life and feel blessed to be here to talk about it. I live in Northern Virginia(Loudoun County). If anyone on here lives near me I would love to connect. Hope this helps.

Answer 2:

I had an acoustic neuroma removed in October 2014, I went deaf on one side and did return to work. I am struggling pretty bad, but I don't really have a choice, I must provide! Single sided deafness is hard and I have balance issues pretty bad, but j think I am getting better with time.

Answer 3: 

I had an acoustic neuroma removed through translab approach April 7, 2015. I returned to work (teacher) 5 weeks post op. I felt back to normal after 6-7 weeks. My tumor was 2 cm and my symptoms were loss of hearing in one ear, a change in migraines (20 year migraine sufferer), facial tingling, metallic taste in mouth, fatigue, and tinnitus. Post surgery I feel the best I've felt in years. Running roughly 6 miles 4x a week and will start lap swimming when we return from vacation. Deaf in right ear and a very low tinnitus, but feeling great!

Answer 4: 

My AN/VS (egg size) was pressing on my brain stem...They got all of it but left me totally dead (SSD) with loud tinnitus, equilibrium is better than pre op but still have issues, some facial paralysis and half of my tongue is numb (very dry mouth!). My vision is off a bit and i have a slight nystagmus when i look to the right. I can't look left and right (like looking for traffic) as i become very dizzy and can't keep focus - so i make alot of right had turns and do u turns. I went back to work 8 weeks after surgery, am in school and run as much as i can fit in my busy schedule. Still aware of my limitations but know it is just my new normal so i don't dwell on it. I feel blessed to still be able to do what I can, even if sometimes it is frustrating. Back to normal - I don't know if that will ever happen - but I got stronger each day after surgery - probably 6 months after is when I was really good physically.

Answer 5:

AN/VS of 3.45 cm removed March 2015 just starting return to work modified. SSD, tinnitus and grade 3/4 left sided facial paralysis but some improvement. Eye droop/dryness is frustrating as well as not being able to smile.

Answer 6: 

I had my AN removed a year and a half ago. I am a teacher. I came home from a 5 day hospital stay and was very proactive about my recovery. I had right side facial paralysis, mainly in the eye and forehead. I looked up exercises, on the internet, and did them 3 times a day. I also took pictures and video daily to mark my progress. This routine was was imperative in my physical recovery as well as my mental recovery. I drove within the first week after being home. I didn't drive far and I was always accompanied by my Mother. I am a teacher and was given an 8 week recovery period. I started to feel "normal" in the 6 week mark of my recovery. It took about 2 weeks to get to the point where I could sleep in my own bed, the neurosurgeon recommended sleeping sitting up, as to preempt headaches. I took medicine throughout the night for the first 2 weeks because I simply could not sleep through the pain. I felt as though I could go back to school and teach the little ones at the 6 week mark but was told to not push it and take the time I needed for my body to heal. What is important to convey is that you develop a "new normal" during this time. You learn to compensate for things that were taken from you during the surgery. I still have headaches from time to time and ringing in the ear. I am slowly regaining the ability to cry out of the eye that was on the same side as the AN. The facial nerve was intact but "stunned" and had to be given time to wake up. I went back to school and while I was very tired at the end of the day, I was ready to be back to my normal.

This experience has made me stronger and given me a more rounded perspective of things in general.