On February 1st of 2022, I reported to a local hospital at 5:15AM for surgery to remove a tumor from my brain. The surgery took 10 hours. The two surgeons - a neurologist and an inner ear specialist worked together to remove the growing obstruction in my brain. The tumor was not cancer it is something known by multiple names - but was referred to as an acoustic neuroma or a vestibular schwannoma.

After experiencing issues of sudden dizziness and a strange feeling of being off-balance as well as I thought that I had swimmer's ear... I was having a hard time hearing in my right ear, and it felt like when you have been swimming, and you get water in your ear - I finally went to see a doctor. This led to a couple of MRIs and numerous doctor visits with specialists and the diagnosis of a tumor. 

When I first looked at the tumor in an MRI, it looked like a small marble, 6 months later on a new MRI it looked like a small mushroom.

The tumor was growing on the nerve that controls hearing and balance on my right side. The fear was that it would eventually attach itself to the nerve that controls the right side of my face which would cause major issues.

The surgeons decided that the best path was to remove the tumor and not use radiation.

I was told that I would most probably lose all hearing in my right ear they were correct.

Elizabeth Splaine is an author, voice teacher, voice actor, and a former professional opera singer. I interviewed her about her novels - Steel Butterflies (Episode 593) and Swan Song (Episode 461) - see links below. Elizabeth talks with me about why I had the surgery, what happened, and the recovery process.

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Links for the show:

Elizabethsplaineauthor - Books, Writer, Books

My interview with Beth about her novel - Steel Butterflies

https://stevenmiletto.com/593

My interview with Beth about her novel - Swan Song

https://stevemiletto.com/461

Length - 01:28:34