Melony Aponte was just 20 when she first noticed subtle changes to her health—symptoms she would later realize were early warning signs of a rare brain tumor.

At the time, she brushed them off. It would take five years before doctors identified the cause: an acoustic neuroma, a rare, noncancerous tumor affecting about one in 100,000 people, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).

Now 26, the Chicago-based woman has shared her experience with Newsweek, including the six symptoms she says she “ignored” before her diagnosis.

Early Symptoms Dismissed

“It all began in 2020,” Aponte said. “I had mild hearing loss in my left ear and tinnitus but I brushed it off as I thought it may have been caused by listening to loud music.”

Doctors initially suspected a buildup of earwax and prescribed drops, but they didn’t help. Another doctor confirmed earwax wasn’t the issue.

“But nobody was worried so I wasn’t either,” she said.

The early warning signs she experienced were:

• Mild hearing loss and non stop ringing in one ear—given drops that didn’t work
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Migraines that “wouldn’t go away”
• Hating food

Anxiety and Migraines Take Over

Over time, Aponte began experiencing additional symptoms that appeared unrelated.

In July 2022, she noticed changes in her mental health and cognitive function.

“I started developing panic attacks and anxiety alongside horrible eating habits,” she said.

She was later diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, but she felt something still wasn’t right.

“Something felt off but I kept putting it down to stress,” she said, describing 2022 as an "awful" year.

'Eating Became a Chore'

Aponte’s relationship with food also changed dramatically.

She said she began to fear eating certain foods, believing they might “kill her,” and limited herself to “safe” options like pasta, chicken and rice.

“Eating became a chore,” she said. “I turned into a germaphobe and thought every food was going to harm me so I only ate safe foods. I lost almost 40 pounds."

Balance Issues and New Symptoms

As the years went on, additional physical symptoms emerged.

Aponte said she began to feel unsteady on her feet and developed unusual neurological sensations.

Her later symptoms included:

• Walking with what felt like “two left feet”
• Facial numbness

She also experienced body tremors and worsening panic attacks.

Diagnosis After Hearing Test

By the end of 2024, Aponte sought further help as her hearing problems persisted. She visited an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist and underwent testing.

“The symptom began during the coronavirus pandemic so my ENT said it could be a side effect from that, or a common flu or in a rare case, a brain tumor,” she said.

In December, she was diagnosed with asymmetrical hearing loss, meaning her hearing differed between each ear.

According to NORD, an acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) is a rare, noncancerous tumor that forms on the eighth cranial nerve, which connects the inner ear to the brain and controls hearing and balance. About 90 percent of people first notice hearing loss in one ear.

“I was adamant that it was caused by COVID-19,” she said. “I even tried to give myself benefit of doubt and thought my body was changing with age.”

'The World Turned Upside Down’

On March 12, 2025, Aponte underwent an MRI scan. Two days later, doctors delivered the diagnosis.

“I felt like the world turned upside down,” she said. “I thought my life was going to end. It was the size of a golf ball and pushing my hearing and balance nerve.”

The tumor measured 4.5 centimeters.

The Road to Recovery

On April 9, Aponte underwent a 13-hour operation to remove 99 percent of the tumor.

“They had to leave a slither left to protect the facial nerve as the tumor was wrapped around nerves,” she said.

She is now partially deaf in her left ear.

Recovery was long and difficult. She spent two weeks in hospital followed by rehabilitation.

“I had to relearn how to walk, eat, and literally do everything every day that we take for granted,” she said. “It humbled me.”

Life After Diagnosis

Now more than a year after her surgery, Aponte says her outlook has shifted.

“The diagnosis has changed my perspective on life, this is part of my story and testimony,” she said.

She has also regained her enjoyment of food.

“I lost part of my hearing but my tastebuds are stronger than ever,” she said.