The Sound of Survival

In this deeply personal episode of Brain in Progress, Medical journalist and brain champion, Seema Mathur shares the story of surviving a life-threatening Acoustic Neuroma at just 19 years old — It was a golf-ball-sized brain tumor pressing against the brainstem that controls breathing, consciousness, and life itself.The surgery that saved her life was performed by legendary neurotologist Dr. William House, the pioneering physician whose work transformed Acoustic Neuroma surgery and developed cochlear implants, allowing people who otherwise would have been deaf to hear.More than 30 years later, Seema sits down with Dr. John W. House — Neurotologist, House Clinic physician, and nephew of Dr. William House — for an intimate conversation about the House family legacy, the evolution of brain surgery, hearing loss treatment, tinnitus, cognition, balance disorders, and the mysteries of the brain itself.Together, they explore:• What Acoustic Neuroma/ Vestibular Schwannoma patients want to know• How to catch these brain tumors before they become life-threatening or disabling• Facial paralysis, identity, and resilience• How hearing loss affects cognition and isolation• Tinnitus and the connection between sound and the brain• The pioneering spirit and personalities of a family of physicians that revolutionized hearing medicine and brain surgery• Why attitude, hope, and purpose matter in healingThis episode is both a tribute to medical innovation and a reflection on survival, gratitude, and what it means to fully live after trauma Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.