(The tumor is the big white spot)

My husband Tyler has a tumor, here is the information he wrote about it:

On April 17^th I will have surgery done to remove a large tumor in my head known as a vestibular schwannoma or in a previous post called an acoustic neuroma (99% benign).  The surgery will last around 5 hours if all goes well, and the hospital stay will be close to 5 days.  During the surgery they will be severing the vestibular nerve that the tumor is wrapped around.   Because of the severance I will lose complete hearing in my right ear and the balance center on my right side will no longer work.  Recovery time will be 6 to 8 weeks during which I will be relearning to balance myself using only my left side balance center.   

Recently I went in for a routine hearing test, and it was recommended that a MRI be performed to rule out the type of tumor that the MRI confirmed.  The surgery itself will cost close to $80,000. Thank goodness we have insurance, but we still do not know what our out of pocket expenses will be.   Because of the costs associated with the procedure my wife has been painting like a mad woman, and will be having a silent auction to raise money to help pay for the hospital bills (detail will be available soon).   If you would like to purchase a painting prior to the event feel free. http://sheriwiseman.etsy.com    We have also set up a link to a PayPal™ account in my wife’s blog where people can donate if they wish.   Thank you all for you love and support.

(The donation link is on the right hand side of the screen.  If you are using your cell phone you need to view web version.)