Arizona man develops watermelon-sized tumor on his neck that began as a 'little pimple' - and now feels like his face is being 'ripped off'

An Arizona man's cervix tumor that had been increasing for astir 2 decades became truthful ample he struggled to eat, bathe and moreover move his caput side-to-side.

Tim, a 62-year-old from Scottsdale, had a 5.5lb tumor increasing from nan correct broadside of his look and neck. 

While nan wide started retired arsenic 'a small pimple by my ear,' Tim said it continued to turn for 16 years, evolving from a play shot to a tennis ball.

Eventually, it became truthful ample it began putting unit connected his ear, jaw, cervix and throat.

Because of its size, nan tumor was distorting Tim's face, pulling connected and stretching his ear, jaw, feature and eye. He had a headache each time and immoderate movements made it consciousness for illustration his look was 'ripping.'

He could only eat from nan near broadside of his rima and had resorted to taking his meals opinionated up, different nan maturation would deed into nan array and bump into his food.

Tim was ne'er capable to get nan tumor removed because he didn't person wellness security aliases nan money to money nan room himself. 

But erstwhile caput and cervix surgeon Dr Ryan Osborne reached retired to him, Tim was talented dream he could yet unrecorded a normal life. 

He said connected nan latest section of TLC's Take My Tumor: 'Hopefully Dr Osborne is afloat tin of removing nan beast. You’ve sewage to put your religion successful personification and… I’m giving Dr Osborne nan spell up to [do his] magic.

'At nan extremity of nan time I conscionable want to beryllium semi-normal and I don't often consciousness that way.’

Tim's tumor first appeared successful 2007, erstwhile he was 46.

Thinking it was a pimple, he squeezed it to spot if it would pop. When thing happened, Tim moved on. 

Then it grew to nan size of a pea and he asked personification other to effort and popular it. Still, thing happened. 

One day, he woke up and it was nan size of a bouncy ball: ‘You look successful nan reflector 1 time and you’re for illustration “oh, it’s gotten bigger."'

When he turned to nan net successful hunt of answers, he said each nan accusation added up to a sebaceous cyst, nan astir communal type of a tegument cyst. 

This type of cyst is simply a non-painful bump nether nan tegument that grows slowly. It is usually harmless and tin look connected nan face, neck, scalp, backmost aliases groin area. 

The growths are reasonably communal and impact astatine slightest 20 percent of adults. They tin shape if a sebaceous gland - a microscopic gland connected to hairsbreadth follicles that secretes an oily aliases waxy constituent - go damaged aliases blocked. 

Most of these cysts will not request curen and should beryllium near unsocial and kept clean. 

However, if nan maturation is causing discomfort, a expert tin region it pinch section anesthetic. 

Over nan years, Tim utilized joke arsenic a defense system and 'security blanket' to woody pinch his 'friendly small tumor' and make group consciousness little uncomfortable astir him and his growth. 

But nan 4lb to 6lb wide still interfered pinch his life.

The mechanic said he had to assistance nan tumor up and complete his enarthrosis to move his caput while driving and nan maturation sewage successful nan measurement erstwhile he tried to maneuver nether cars to work them. 

All of his apparel were stretched to fresh them complete nan maturation and he often didn't get capable sleep, having to position himself connected his near broadside pinch his correct elbow underneath nan tumor to support nan weight from crushing his neck. 

But pinch Dr Osborne's help, Tim had an opportunity to region nan growth, which a friend nicknamed 'Little Timmy.'  

So he flew to meet pinch nan surgeon, a Los Angeles-based caput and cervix surgical oncologist and head of nan Osborne Head and Neck Institute.

While nan 2 had video chatted before, Dr Osborne said: ‘To really admit nan size of this tumor, you person to spot it successful person.’

After examining nan growth, nan expert said his suspicion was nan tumor was coming from Tim's parotid gland - a gland that makes saliva. 

Having tumors successful this gland is not uncommon, but they are usually nan size of a walnut. One arsenic ample arsenic Tim's is 'unusual' and looked much for illustration a watermelon, Dr Osborne said. 

While nan surgeon was comfortable pinch removing nan mass, he expressed interest astir tampering pinch facial nerves moving done it - cutting nan incorrect 1 could consequence successful facial paralysis.

No matter what, Dr Osborne would person to trim a ample nervus that supplies emotion and sensation to nan correct ear. 

Following nan surgery, location was besides nan anticipation of a ample divot successful nan broadside of Tim's face.

Additionally, nan expert told Tim that moreover if nan room was successful, it could still return six months earlier regaining afloat usability and sensation successful his face. 

While Tim was 'not overly thrilled' that he could person flimsy deformations successful his face, he was still adamant he wanted nan tumor gone. 

The astir concerning item Dr Osborne told Tim, however, was that location was a flimsy chance nan wide could beryllium cancerous. 

While instincts told him it was benign, because it had been increasing for truthful long, location was a chance cells could person mutated and go malignant. 

Regardless, nan tumor had to beryllium removed, and soon, Dr Osborne said.  

Tim said: 'It's nan first clip that I've had anyone really opportunity that location is simply a anticipation that it's cancerous. It benignant of throws a small protector complete nan parade, but there's not a damn point I tin do to alteration it. 

'And successful bid to find retired if location is crab there, nan tumor still has to travel out.’

Two days later, Dr Osborne and his colleague, integrative surgeon Dr Jason Hamilton, operated connected Tim's look and cervix for astir 5 hours. 

Over nan people of nan surgery, Dr Osborne was capable to place and debar awesome facial nerves. He removed nan full wide and Dr Hamilton was capable to reconstruct Tim's feature without immoderate concavity. 

Tim woke up still capable to grin and move his full face. 

One week later, Dr Osborne told Tim nan pathology was 'as bully arsenic you are going to get.'

The tumor was wholly benign, pinch nary signs of cancer. The results showed nan maturation was 'consistent pinch a benign parotid tumor called a pleomorphic adenoma.' 

Pleomorphic adenomas are nan astir communal type of salivary tumor, accounting for 70 to 80 percent of benign salivary gland tumors and are particularly communal successful nan parotid gland. 

Per year, these growths dress up 2 to 3.5 cases per 100,000 people, nan NIH reports. 

Seven weeks aft his surgery, Tim went retired without worrying group would look aliases make nosy of him and he was capable to get his first existent shave successful 2 decades. 

He said: ‘Since surgery, I consciousness lighter. I’ve had zero pain. It has been acold easier than I expected... It feels fantastic.

‘When nan tumor was there, damn that point was ugly. It’s bully that it’s gone. Sixteen years was agelong enough. Everywhere I spell everybody’s really happy for me.’

Now, he tin put shirts connected properly, eat pinch his full mouth, thrust without lifting his tumor to move his caput and hasn't had a headache since nan greeting of surgery. 

He tin besides activity connected customers' cars decently without nan tumor getting successful nan way. 

With nan tumor gone, Tim said he tin statesman to unrecorded his life. 

He added: 'I person to opportunity now: “I don’t person a tumor anymore. You’re backmost to normal truthful now move connected successful life. Let’s get going.”’ 

Take My Tumor airs Wednesdays astatine 10/9c connected TLC.