From Vacation Vertigo to an Acoustic Neuroma Diagnosis

She and her husband, Brad, were flying with their extended family for an eagerly anticipated holiday in Hawaii when the nausea and dizziness began.

“I had been so looking forward to the getaway, but I got really sick and had a lot of vertigo,” Crowder recalled. “The entire time we were there, I made sure I always had a grandkid near me just in case I needed to grab onto someone!”

By the time they returned home to Bakersfield, California, the vertigo had subsided, but she was having frequent headaches and discovered she could barely hear out of her left ear. She consulted her primary care physician, who first ruled out some likely causes of the sudden hearing loss and balance problems, and then ordered an MRI.

“It turned out I had a vestibular schwannoma—and that treating it was not something my doctor was equipped to do,” Crowder said. “At that point, I called Cedars-Sinai.”

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What Is an Acoustic Neuroma?

A vestibular schwannoma, also called an acoustic neuroma, is a type of tumor that forms at the skull base between the inner ear and brain. The benign growth can squeeze nerves that are pivotal in hearing and stability.

Often mistaken for normal aging, acoustic neuroma symptoms can include:

• One-sided or uneven hearing loss
• Ear ringing (tinnitus)
• Lack of balance and clumsy gait
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Confusion
• Numbness or pins and needles in the face, when the facial nerve is compressed‍
• Facial weakness or paralysis (rare)

They made it easy and convenient, which I appreciated because I live out of town and didn’t relish the idea of going back and forth.

Personalized, Expert Care at Cedars-Sinai

During her initial appointment, Crowder saw Mia Miller, MD, and John Yu, MD, co-directors of Cedars-Sinai’s Acoustic Neuroma and Lateral Skull Base Tumor Program. They explained the diagnosis and reassured her that acoustic neuromas are often slow-growing, but they also suggested she have another MRI to get a better look at her particular tumor.

“I got the MRI right then, and they saw me again the same day!” she said. “They made it easy and convenient, which I appreciated because I live out of town and didn’t relish the idea of going back and forth.”

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The new images revealed that Crowder’s schwannoma was getting bigger at an accelerated rate, and in consultation with a robust multidisciplinary team comprising Miller and Yu, she decided to have it treated surgically.

“My youngest daughter was pregnant, and I wanted to have the surgery before the baby was born so I could recover in time to help,” she said. “My doctors fully removed the tumor without a hitch, and everyone was so comforting and wonderful. It was my first time receiving medical care at Cedars-Sinai, and I just can’t speak highly enough about the experience.”

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Back at Home in the Life She Loves

Crowder was back home in Bakersfield within a few days, and nearly six months later, she is well on the road to recovery. Today, the retired elementary school reading aide continues to spend time doing what she loves most: visiting with her grandchildren, swapping insights with members of her book club and working on assorted handcrafts.

“I’m not getting headaches anymore, the buzzing in my left ear is dramatically reduced and my vision—which I didn’t even realize at the time was being impacted—has improved,” she said. “I’m basically back to normal, and the quality of my life is high. I’m so grateful to the team at Cedars-Sinai!”