Not really sure whether this fits into the "survival of the fittest" category, but figure that if the SHTF, and we don't have regular doctoring services, this sort of thing could be a concern. Honestly, after going through the removal of a sebaceous cyst, yesterday, at the VA hospital, I wonder whether anyone without at least minimal medical training would want to attempt it on their own? Had this bugger for 5-6 years, now. Got to calling it my "Marty Feldman hump" (as in, "Eye-Gore", from the movie Young Frankenstein). Went to my annual appointment with my VA dermatologist, just before Christmas, and she asked whether I'd ever considered having it removed? Said it was looking bigger, and might be on the verge of a blowout. Problem with a sebaceous cyst, is that you can drain all the fluid out, but the sac still remains, and can fill back up again. She offered, and I requested a referral to the surgical clinic at the hospital, and went there, yesterday morning, to get my "Marty" removed. Took about an hour and a half, as it had really ingrained itself in amongst the surrounding tissue. So they had to keep cutting the sac away from that tissue, a little bit at a time. Some internal (dissolving) stitches, and some "skin glue", to close things up, with a pressure dressing over top of it. Just took that off, a little while ago, and like the "doc" said, I've got a divot, where my hump used to be! Before and after photos. I won't share the picture of what they removed, as it's probably not something anyone here wants to see! No real pain, as, between Tylenol and Jim Beam (yeah, I know.....don't mix the two! ), I'm not suffering at all. Dealing with the VA isn't always great....but they DO have some great people working for them. You just need to spend a bit of time, finding them. BEFORE (left side, center). Lumpy cyst was about the size of a half of a ping-pong ball, under the skin. AFTER. Internal dissolving stitches, and "skin glue" on the outside, to hold everything together, until the skin knits itself together.
that's actually small compared to some of the one's that Doctor Pimple Popper does UTubes on >> I remember a huge hump across the shoulders - she did a double hand scoop into a few surgical trays - had quite the excess skin pouch back there afterwards ....
Yeah, that just shows how much it had tied into the surrounding tissue, as well as how large it had gotten. Used to be the size of a quarter, maybe? The literally were cutting it away from the surrounding tissue, so needed a large opening, to keep from popping the sac. Pretty sure the "doc" actually ended up draining it, in order to get to the last part of where it was attached, in order to minimize how much more they would have had to open things up, in order to get under it. Today, no real pain. But it's starting to itch! Guess that means things are knitting back together. Good thing it's in a hard to reach part of the back, so I won't pick at it!
