Cranial Nerve Schwannoma Treatment in India

Myra Roy, a 58-year-old retired music...

Myra Roy, a 58-year-old retired music teacher, had always been active and independent. Over the past year, she began experiencing a persistent, high-pitched ringing in her right ear and noticed she was struggling to hear conversations on that side, especially during her weekly choir rehearsals. Initially attributing it to age, she grew concerned when she started feeling off-balance while walking her dog. An MRI, ordered by her ENT specialist, revealed a small vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) on her right 8th cranial nerve. The neurosurgeon, Dr. Evans, explained that while the tumor was benign and slow-growing, its location near the brainstem and its impact on her hearing and balance warranted surgical removal via a retrosigmoid craniotomy. Myra was terrified of brain surgery and the potential for permanent hearing loss. The procedure went smoothly, with the team using intraoperative monitoring to preserve facial nerve function. She spent three days in the hospital, managing post-operative dizziness and headache. While she lost most of the hearing in her right ear, her balance recovered fully with vestibular therapy. Emotionally, Myra journeyed from fear and grief over her lost hearing to profound gratitude. She learned to adapt, using a hearing aid for her left ear, and found new joy in teaching music theory, focusing on the vibration and feel of music rather than just the sound.