Man’s incredible transformation after decade with mass

The man who lived with the melon-sized tumour for over a decade says he felt “like a monster” before it was removed.

A video shows the incredible transformation of a man who had a giant tumour 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”.

Now 33, he says he stopped attending school as a 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 emit a bad smell, The Sun reports.

Arlin has a huge mass on his neck. Picture: TLC

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 stomach.

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.

Before and after shot. Picture: TLC

Starting out as blackheads, spots filled with firm pea-sized bumps, the lumps will either disappear or rupture. If not treated, channels can form under the skin that break out on the surface and leak fluid.

Arlin and his mum, Jacqueline, 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.

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.

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.”

It's since been removed. Picture: TLC

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. The surgeon was concerned about Arlin’s anaemia, a disorder that occurs when the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells, which meant 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 faint due to the putrid smell escaping Arlin’s tumour.

Following the surgery, Arlin said he already felt better, saying he had more energy, less pain and less depression. His body didn’t reject the skin graft.

Arlin as a teenager. Picture: TLC

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.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and reproduced with permission