Watch the incredible transformation of 33-year-old man who lived with a ‘giant, smelly, oozing’ tumor that grew from a ‘tiny pimple’

A VIDEO shows the incredible transformation of a man who had a giant tumor oozing foul-smelling pus and blood removed from the back of his head.

Arlin, of Murrieta, California, lived with the cantaloupe-sized tumor for more than a decade, with a growing, infiltrating mass making him feel “like a monster.”

5

5

Now 33, he stopped attending school as a teenager and cut ties with friends to escape merciless bullying.

Arlin sank into depression and withdrew further from the world when the lump began oozing blood and pus and emitting a smell so foul that one of her nurses nearly fainted.

Doctor after doctor told Arlin they couldn’t remove the growth, but the 33-year-old was given a chance at a normal life when he met Dr. Ryan Osborne.

The head and neck surgeon was able to meticulously remove the tumor from Arlin’s scalp and cover the wound with a skin graft from his belly.

Appearing on a recent episode of TLC Take my tumorArlin said: “Having this bump on my head has been really hard for me. I feel like a monster.”

Arlin began developing “small bumps” on the back of her head when she was 15, due to a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa.

The painful, long-term condition causes boil-like nodules and scars in areas near sweat glands, such as the groin, buttocks, breasts and armpits, as well as the back of the neck, waist and inner thighs.

Starting out as blackheads, pus-filled spots, and firm pea-sized bumps, the bumps disappear or rupture and ooze pus. If left untreated, channels can form under the skin that rupture at the surface and leak fluid.

Jaqueline said: “It’s not like we want [the tumour] to get so big, but we couldn’t get the help we needed and so it grew.

“It’s hard to see someone you love suffering or going through what they’re going through.”

Arlin and his mother Jaqueline said they visited 10 to 15 doctors about the tumor, but each one said they couldn’t remove it because of its size and anatomy and referred him to other specialists.

Because Arlin didn’t have health insurance, the family could never afford any treatment.

He began wearing a towel around his neck daily to prevent his clothes from getting pus or blood on them.

He also had to drain and clean his tumor daily.

Jaqueline kept a supply of candles around the house, Arlin’s growth emitted an unpleasant odor whenever it became infected or inflamed.

In addition to hidradenitis suppurativa, Arlin also began to suffer from anhidrosis, a condition in which the body is unable to sweat and is at risk of dangerous overheating.

Jaqueline thought it could be linked to the abscess in his head.

SOCIAL ISOLATION

Jaqueline said: “Arlin was a very extroverted person, very talkative. But after this condition happened to him, he kind of shut down.”

The teenager was teased mercilessly at school.

“Eventually, as the dough grew, he was teased more and stopped going,” his mother recalls.

Embarrassment over the smell of his tumor led Arlin to completely isolate himself from his friends.

“I was about 18 or 19 when I stopped talking to people or hanging out at their houses because of the bad smell,” he told TLC.

As Arlin’s isolation deepened, so did his depression.

A LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY

According to Dr. Osborne, hidradenitis suppurativa is poorly understood but often treated by dermatologists.

Treatment may include antibiotics, creams and ointments, steroids, and removal.

However, Dr Osborne said: “Arlin’s case is a bit out of control and because of this he has got cracks in his skin and they have become infected. It’s a hygienic mess.”

The surgeon examined Arlin’s growth to draw up a plan for his surgery, telling the 33-year-old he would need a skin graft after removing a large portion of the skin from his scalp.

Dr. Osborne planned to take a portion of tissue from Arlin’s belly and transplant it into her neck and head.

That mass on the back of his neck really took a lot out of Arlin. It was stealing your personality and your spirit

Dr Ryan Osborne

The surgeon was concerned about Arlin’s anemia, a disorder that occurs when the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells.

Because of this, Arlin had to undergo a blood transfusion before the procedure and Dr. Osborne said there was little “wiggle room” for blood loss.

The morning of the surgery, Arlin said, “It’s a huge relief to hear you say you can remove it. I’m feeling more confident that everything is going well.

“I can’t wait to finally remove this. Finally removing it today is a huge relief for me.”

Although the procedure went smoothly, a nurse in the operating room was so fainted that she nearly lost consciousness due to the putrid smell escaping from Arlin’s tumor.

‘AT THE FINISH LINE’

After the surgery, Arlin said he felt better.

“I have more energyless pain, less depression”, he explained.

And luckily, Arlin’s body didn’t reject the scalp skin graft.

Jaqueline said: “I am very happy to see that most of the skin graft has been removed and is much better.

“I almost started crying because I thought ‘we’re at the finish line’.”

Arlin said the surgery changed his life, saying he felt “huge relief.”

In addition to no growth on his scalp, Arlin also regained the ability to sweat and his chronic anemia stabilized.

The 33-year-old plans to go back to school and get a job once his head is fully healed.

Even Dr. Osborne noticed the change in Arlin.

“That mass on the back of his head really consumed a lot of Arlin. He was stealing her personality and her spirit.

“Since Arlin’s surgery, there have been significant changes. He’s been eating, making good choices, losing weight, making eye contact, and he’s coming back.”

5

5