I went straight away. I had to wait in the waiting room whilst the scheduled patients had their turns. Finally, an hour later, I went in. He said that he had called me to come in straight away because the MRI scan was "not normal". He then went through the six or so films showing me a growth in my head - a vestibular schwannoma (otherwise known as an acoustic neuroma).
A vestibular schwannoma is a noncancerous (benign) tumor that develops adjacent to your brain on a portion of the eighth cranial nerve, which runs from your brain to your inner ear and controls balance and hearing. Although it is one of the most common types of brain tumors, these tumors are still rare, occurring in about one person in 100,000. For a good article on vestibular schwannomas see:
http://www.emedicine.com/ent
The tumour was clearly visible on my films, especially the ones in which the contrast dye had been used. As the neurologist said, it was "shining like a Christmas tree light". He felt that it was this that was causing the TN.
His secretary made an appointment for me to see a neurosurgeon in two days time (Friday) so that I could have the diagnosis confirmed and discuss the options.
Here is a story of a young fashion model who, after struggling with one misdiagnosis after another, finally discovers the truth: she has a large acoustic neuroma. The following journey would either save her life or end it in the process.
You can read more about my fight with an acoustic neuroma in my About Acoustic Neuromas blog.
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