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| Acoustic Neuroma: Success Stories |
Elio G., San Juan, Puerto Rico
June 2, 2005
Technically, I am only 2 years old. Let me explain.
A little over 2 years ago, I suddenly started having trouble with my hearing. My wife immediately made me an appointment with an audiologist. After many tests, an MRI revealed an acoustic neuroma. I learned that, if untreated, it could cause death. This was an extremely hard blow to my family and me.
I started looking for solutions, but most of them required very invasive surgeries with high rates of risk and low guarantees of success. After many sleepless nights, I found a place that greatly caught my attention, the Skull Base Institute in California. I learned about their minimally invasive procedure with low rate of tumor recurrence. I got very excited. I sent them my MRI and from that moment on, everything started moving for the better. I live in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and even though I had to consider the inconvenience of traveling 4,500 miles, the advantages of the innovative procedure outweighed anything else.
From the moment I arrived, I noticed the quality of the people working for the Skull Base Institute. Dr. Shahinian himself greeted me and made my family feel welcome, even remembering where we were coming from, a detail I mentioned only once. He told his staff, "Make sure these people are extra comfortable, as they are traveling from afar." That little detail told me what kind of human being Dr. Shahinian is.
My surgery was a complete success. Dr. Shahinian and his staff are wonderful at making sure the patient's family feels as comfortable as possible and informed at all times. During my short recovery, they always kept in touch with me, even in Puerto Rico.
About a year after my surgery, Dr. Shahinian came to Puerto Rico on a personal trip, and he arranged a meeting so he could see in person how I was doing. I consider that an act way beyond the call of duty.
Thanks to God and Dr. Shahinian, my life changed from being scared to death of having a brain tumor to having an absolutely normal life again.
In the beginning of this letter I said that technically I am only two years old. That is because I can now celebrate my original birthday from 1970 and my 2nd chance in life from July 2003. Dr. Shahinian made it possible for me to see my daughters grow up and hopefully grow old beside my wife.
Dr. Shahinian is a person with a human character seen very seldom in doctors these days. You can tell he loves what he does and is extremely committed to his work and his patients. I sincerely hope he will live a long life so that other people with such terrible conditions as mine can benefit from his blessed skills and human quality.
Dr. Shahinian is more than a doctor who saved my life; he is a friend and a wonderful human being who will always have a very special place in my heart.
Sincerely,
Elio G.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
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