My name is Bobby Gulrajani and I’m a 36-yr old audio engineer/video editor from Los Angeles. I’d like to use this opportunity to sincerely thank Dr. Derald Brackmann, Dr. Gregory Lekovic and the entire House Clinic staff for giving me back my life. In November 2018, after a night out, I removed my ear plugs and noticed significant hearing loss along with tinnitus. Several weeks later, I had an MRI. As a person who relies on his hearing, it was devastating to learn of a vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) diagnosis. I thought my days as an audio engineer were numbered, but then I was referred to the House Clinic for treatment.
My cousin was a patient of Dr. Brackmann in the late 90’s and has nothing but praise for his level of care. She too was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma that was successfully removed and because of this I felt confident going into my first appointment with Dr. Brackmann. The moment he asked me how I was taking all this in, I knew I was in the right place. All my questions were answered in depth and I was even given the doctor’s published academic journals to read, which put me at ease. After further testing, I elected to go with tumor removal. Several people advised me to get a second opinion, but I was at peace with my decision.
On March 4th, I had my pre-op and met the neurosurgeon, Dr. Gregory Lekovic, who also left me feeling confident and hopeful. He made sure we were on the same page and that I understood what was ahead. My pre-surgery anxiety was alleviated. On March 6th, I had surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital, which lasted 9 hours.
Throughout the surgery, doctors would come out to give my family an update. My mother expressed to me her gratitude for that. I woke up hazy, but the pain was
minimal. The doctors checked in on me daily. The hardest part was staying in bed for 12 hours straight. I was ready to go for a walk, but doctors restrict movement during that first night. I spent three nights in the hospital and was discharged.
My close friends and family tell me that it is a miracle to see me walking. They are shocked at how quickly I recovered. In less than 6 weeks I was back to work, driving, and working out. Thanks again to Dr. Brackmann and Dr. Lekovic for removing the tumor, preserving my available hearing, and leaving the facial nerves intact. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. My post-op hearing and tinnitus has improved to the point where I can continue being an audio engineer. I’m incredibly fortunate and grateful to be a House Clinic patient, where miracles can happen.