Hi. I’m Marla. Gimme a Minute. It’s Acoustic Neuroma Awareness week. If you know me, that’s like every day.
If you don’t know me and have never heard of an Acoustic Neuroma, here it is. An Acoustic Neuroma is a benign tumor that grows on the 8th cranial nerve, the vestibular or balance nerve. The tumor is an overabundance of schwann cells, so sometimes it’s called a vestibular schwannoma.
Yeah. It’s considered a brain tumor. Sometimes, treatment involves brain surgery. Sometimes Radiation. Sometimes, patients can just live with it.
Live with it!
If you think you might have an acoustic neuroma, or know you do, this is for you:
Dear Newly Diagnosed person with an Acoustic Neuroma, (and/or person who doesn’t have their MRI results back yet,)
DON’T FREAK OUT.
If you have an AN, freaking out is not going to make it go away. (If you don’t have an AN, you still don’t know what’s wrong with you.)
I’m saying this to you because I wish someone had said it to me.
All that being said, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOU FREAKING OUT BECAUSE I DID TOO.
Breathe.
There are a lot of us here on the other side. And we are ok.
Research. Ask questions. Make your decision. And be aware.
Marla's Gimme a Minute 