Given the choice...what would you pick and why?
For background, 23F 5mm acoustic neuroma in IAC with moderate hearing loss & constant tinnitus. Recently my word recognition score went from a 95% (test done in February) to 86%, worse tinnitus and had to get hearing aid cranked up because I started losing more so in the speech frequencies. Other symptoms (may or may not be related), TMJ- facial pain, lock jaw/clicking, daily headaches, ear pain occasionally & TMJ worse on AN side.
Due to this recent drop in hearing, I am getting another MRI and pursuing treatment options. I am between gamma knife and middle fossa approach. Initially I think gamma knife but because of my age it seems like it I am signing up to be SSD. So surgery is appealing because it gives me my best shot but worst case scenario I will hate myself for losing all the years of possible hearing and unsure if I can handle the facial nerve side effects. I say this because I cracked my front tooth in half from grinding/clenching, November 2023, and the mental affects of having a missing front tooth has been really tough (had to get it pulled and undergoing implant process)..Additionally, I wonder if the AN is causing some of my pain so another reason I could see wanting it out.
If you were me, what would you do and why? I am definitely coming off watch and wait. & I know it's not normally advised to ask another person what they would do in this case but I would love some guidance because I haven't seen many cases like myself undergoing treatment in support groups. And obviously the side effects of surgery are sticking in my head more than anything...
Whatever treatment I do I am going to pursue at NYU. Thank you in advance!