During yoga, Deanna Brown couldn’t keep her balance. Her vision is wavering. She had to lean against the wall to get dressed.
Is this an ear infection?
A trip to the doctor did not provide the answer. She was told there was no reason to worry. However, her symptoms continued. She was often dizzy and had double vision – bad enough that she had to stop driving.
Defending himself, Brown began calling neurology offices to make appointments. She was able to get an appointment with Chun Chu, MD, PhD at IU Health Arnett Neurology. With no clear diagnosis, he ordered an MRI out of an abundance of caution.
A serious diagnosis
Brown had an MRI on Friday afternoon. On Monday, she got a call from the neurology office of Garrett Jackson, MD, and nurse practitioner Sarah Roth asking her to come.
Brown knew something had happened.
A second MRI showed a tumor in her brain.
Brown worries about her upcoming stay in India, a trip where she leads a group of women to meet other women – to share their lives, stories and work on projects. for local villages. One trip was canceled in 2020. Jackson and Roth both agreed she could go because the tumor appeared to be growing slowly.
The next week, plans abruptly changed. Brown is suspected of having a schwannoma, which presses on the brain stem and appears abnormal. Brown’s symptoms have increased; Now she suffers from double vision and constant dizziness.
She was told she had vagus schwannoma, an extremely rare, benign tumor arising from the vagus nerve – the longest cranial nerve that controls involuntary processes such as the vocal cords.
The Arnett team provides comfort in the midst of uncertainty
“The appointments with Dr Jackson and Sarah were extremely helpful in understanding, assessing and making decisions about my treatment,” Brown said. “His communication was clear but calm. He gave instructions on what he wanted me to do and not do while waiting for surgery. It is very soothing.”
Jackson referred Brown to a specialist in Indianapolis, a neurosurgeon who had been his consultant.
She recovered quickly, except that her voice was still hoarse. Her vision problems and dizziness were gone. She hopes to be able to drive again soon. Meanwhile, she has relied on her network of friends and her husband, Brian Harley, pictured above with Brown.
“Wisdom comes from an experience like this,” says Brown.
Some tumors remained, because removing all of the tumor could rob her of her voice. A voice she uses to speak at national conferences and cultural exchanges.
A trip to India is planned for January 2024.
