A VIDEO shows the incredible transformation of a man who had a giant tumour that leaked foul-smelling pus and blood removed from the back of his head.
Arlin, from Murrieta, California, lived with the melon-sized tumour for over a decade, with growing, seeping mass leaving him feeling “like a monster”.
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Now 33, he stopped attending school as teenager and cut ties with friends to escape the merciless bullying.
Arlin sunk into depression and retreated further from the world as the lump began to leak blood and pus and emit a smell so foul one of his nurses nearly fainted.
Doctor after doctor told Arlin they couldn’t remove the growth, but the 33-year-old was given a shot at a normal life when he met Dr Ryan Osborne.
The head and neck surgeon was able to painstakingly remove the tumour from Arlin’s scalp and cover the wound with a skin graft from his belly.
Appearing on a recent episode of TLC’s Take My Tumor, Arlin said: “Having this bump on my head has been really hard for me. I feel like a monster.”
Arlin began sprouting “tiny bumps” on the back of his head when he was 15, due to a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa.
The painful, long-term condition causes boil-like lumps and scarring in areas close to sweat glands, such as the groin, bottom, breasts and armpits, as well as nape of the neck, waistband and inner thighs.
Starting out as blackheads, spots filled with pus and firm pea-sized bumps, the lumps will either disappear or rupture and leak pus. If not treated, channels can form under the skin that break out on the surface and leak fluid.
Jaqueline said: “It’s not like we wanted [the tumour] to get this big but we couldn’t get the help we needed and so it grew.
“It’s hard to see anybody you love in pain or going through what they are going through.”
Arlin and his mum Jaqueline said they visited 10 to 15 doctors about the growth, but each said they couldn’t remove it because of its size and anatomy and referred him to other specialists.
As Arlin didn’t have health insurance, the family could never afford any treatment.
He began having to wear a towel around his neck daily to stop his clothes from getting soiled with pus or blood.
He also had to drain and clean his tumour daily.
Jaqueline kept a stash of candles around the house, Arlin’s growth emitted a foul odour whenever it got infected or inflamed.
Aside from hidradenitis suppurativa, Arlin also began suffering from anhidrosis, a condition where your body can’t sweat and is at risk of dangerously overheating.
Jaqueline thought it could be linked to the abscess on his head.
SOCIAL ISOLATION
Jaqueline said: “Arlin was a very outgoing person, very talkative. But then after this condition happened to him, he kind of shut down.”
The teen got teased mercilessly as school.
“Eventually, as the mass grew, he got teased more and he stopped going,” his mum recalled.
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Embarrassment about the smell of his tumour lead Arlin to totally isolate himself from friends.
“I was about 18 or 19 when I stopped talking to people or hanging out at their place 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 can include antibiotics, creams and ointments, steroids and removal.
However, Dr Osborne said: “Arlin’s case is sort of out of control and because of that he’s had breaks in the skin and they’ve become infected. It’s a bit of a hygienic mess.”
The surgeon examined Arlin’s growth to map out a plan to his surgery, telling the 33-year-old that he’d need a skin graft after removing such as large section of skin on his scalp.
Dr Osborne planned to take a portion of tissue from Arlin’s belly and transplant it onto his neck and head.
That mass on the back of his head really took a lot of Arlin. It was robbing him of his personality and of his spirit
Dr Ryan Osborne
The surgeon was concerned about Arlin’s anaemia, 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 prior to the procedure and Dr Osborne said there was little “wiggle room” for blood loss.
On the morning of surgery, Arlin said: “It’s a huge relief hearing him say that he can remove it. I’m feeling more confident about things going well.
“I can’t wait to finally get this removed. To finally have it removed today is a big relief for me.”
While the procedure went smoothly, one nurse in the operating room grew so faint she almost lost consciousness due to the putrid smell escaping Arlin’s tumour.
‘AT THE FINISH LINE’
Following the surgery, Arlin said he already felt better.
“I have more energy, less pain, less depression,” he explained.
And fortunately, Arlin’s body didn’t reject the skin graft on his scalp.
Jaqueline said: “I’m so happy to see that most of the skin graft took and it looks so much better.
“I almost started crying because I’m like ‘We’re just at the finish line’.”
Arlin said the surgery had been life-changing for him, saying he felt “huge relief”.
Aside from not having the growth on his scalp, Arlin also regained the ability to sweat and his chronic anaemia stabilised.
The 33-year-old intends 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 took a lot of Arlin. It was robbing him of his personality and of his spirit.
“Since Arlin’s surgery, there’s been significant changes. He’s been eating, making good choices, losing weight, he’s making eye contact and he is making his way back.”
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