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Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out - Season 2 Episode 7 - Backcountry Bump
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00:00The following program contains medical procedures and treatments involving dermatology.
00:04Viewer discretion is advised.
00:07Tonight on Dr. Pimple Popper, Breaking Out.
00:10It feels squishy.
00:12More like dough.
00:13I'm scared.
00:14What if they make a mistake?
00:15My bump looks like the tip of a volcano.
00:18This lump has taken so much from me.
00:20I just feel like I'm stuck.
00:22My nose reminds me of a witch's nose.
00:24It's not a good feeling to know that you're not what you were.
00:27Today, we have a rhinophyma case.
00:30I am going to have you take some of the lead here.
00:33You can always come back and take more.
00:35Right.
00:35It's not that easy to put it back.
00:37Am I, like, fully cut open?
00:39Yeah, but I can't see rain or anything.
00:41This lipoma does look a little different.
00:44Looks like muscle right there.
00:46All right.
01:03Once this is done, then I can drain it, and then we can start rolling after this.
01:08Well, it's delicious, baby.
01:10But, like, no.
01:11I love my handle.
01:12I'm Veronica.
01:13I am 58 years old.
01:15I am from Houston, Texas, and I have a large bump on my back.
01:25It's probably the size of a mango.
01:28In the beginning, it wasn't no bigger than probably the size of a half dollar.
01:32In 2016, it probably doubled in size, and it's been growing.
01:36It feels squishy, spongy, more like dough.
01:41I'd rather hide it than explain it.
01:44Me and my husband love to go camping.
01:47The first time we went on Father's Day, back in 1988, went to the Guadalupe River.
01:52Oh, my God.
01:52I just fell in love with it.
01:53My husband did, too.
01:54I said, we need to make this a tradition, and we did.
01:57I have three kids and ten grandkids.
02:00There's a total of 18 of us in my immediate family.
02:03Extended family goes.
02:05My sisters, my dad, everyone goes because it's a tradition that we started.
02:09But I actually think that camping caused these issues.
02:18I actually noticed the bump 12 years ago.
02:22One day we were camping, and I was coming out of our trailer.
02:26The steps were pretty high on the trailer.
02:28They're kind of like somewhat like this.
02:32As I was walking, oops, there we go.
02:36I slipped and just ate it all the way down.
02:43But I ended up pretty much sliding down with my back.
02:51And I could feel the stress on my back.
02:54That's how it happened.
02:55That's how I fell.
02:56And now that I reenacted it, I'm positive that's exactly what happened.
03:01We stopped going camping probably two years ago.
03:04Because now that it's gotten so big, I don't feel confident.
03:07So I don't want to be around people.
03:10And that's why I hate myself, because this bump, it's affecting my family as well.
03:15Because nobody goes camping anymore.
03:18If I used to be outgoing, but now I don't want to go anywhere, this is not me.
03:24This is not me.
03:24This is not who I used to be.
03:31To be honest, I do not go into doctors.
03:34I don't trust them.
03:36When I was nine years old, I was in the hospital for like seven days.
03:41Something bit my leg.
03:43They said it was a spider, but they didn't know what kind of spider.
03:45They made a mistake by giving me four sedatives, and it put me in a coma.
03:50They literally could have killed me.
03:52Since being nine years old, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen a doctor.
03:56To be honest with you, I was hoping, wishful hoping, that it would just go away.
04:00But it just kept growing and growing.
04:03Before this, I used to be an outgoing person.
04:06I worked in the accounting department.
04:08Ended up being their payroll manager for over 20 years.
04:11I loved it.
04:12I loved the challenge.
04:12But then the company decided to dissolve their accounting department.
04:17I'm anxious to get back to work, but I can't be myself because of this bump.
04:22I don't want to have to explain it to anybody.
04:28Tracking a lot of dirt.
04:31Babe, doing the bills here, just showing that we have this much left.
04:35No, this amount has to still come out of this money here.
04:38I got you.
04:39Just why am I sitting here trying to do this, and I should be having a broom?
04:44I miss the work.
04:45I do.
04:46I want to get back into the workforce.
04:48I just don't feel comfortable right now.
04:49No, I know.
04:50I know.
04:50I know you don't feel comfortable, but this is a distraction.
04:53I notice the change in you.
04:56We don't go to places like we used to.
04:58You hadn't gone anywhere.
05:00You were in the house for three weeks.
05:03God, Veronica was awesome.
05:04I mean, she was outgoing.
05:06So full of energy, just just the way she was.
05:08When the bomb started coming, you didn't see that no more.
05:12I really want you to take care of this, because I know it would make you feel much better.
05:17It'd make me feel much better, because knowing that you feel good about yourself, you know?
05:22I'm scared.
05:23I know you're scared, sweetie.
05:28But I can't live like this anymore.
05:31I still have this fear of doctors, but I see how it's affected me, how it's affected my family.
05:38So the fear, I'm going to have to throw that out the window.
05:50You know, one time I did go camping with my dad.
05:53The day six, I happened to mention to my dad I hadn't pooped yet.
05:57And my dad flipped out.
06:00He thought I was going to have an impaction.
06:03I don't want to poop when I'm camping.
06:05Camping is a wonderful way to bond with your family.
06:08It's just camping is not for me.
06:19We're just going to go down the hall, okay?
06:21Okay.
06:22Today, I have mixed emotions.
06:26Yeah, my hair's perfect.
06:27Okay.
06:28But since I've watched Dr. Lee, I feel like I can trust her.
06:32I just have to put that fear aside.
06:37Hi, good morning.
06:39I'm fine.
06:40I'm Dr. Lee.
06:41It's very nice to meet you.
06:42Nice to meet you, too.
06:43Thank you for coming in.
06:44Oh, you're so pretty.
06:45Oh, so are you.
06:47Where'd you come from?
06:48Houston.
06:49You're welcome.
06:49What is going on?
06:50Because you look pretty darn good.
06:52Well, thank you.
06:53Nobody's hiding things lately.
06:54I don't see anything.
06:55Yeah.
06:56The bump I have on my back, yes, I'm always hiding it.
06:59And how long have you had it?
07:00I think it's been over 10 years.
07:02I'm trying to get a time frame because I was actually, I looked at some pictures because
07:07we used to go to camping a lot.
07:09And I kind of remember I was coming out of the trailer and I slipped down the stairs.
07:14It was like a toilet.
07:14Did you fall forward, you mean?
07:15No, no, I back.
07:16I was, I stepped on my back and I landed and my back was on the step.
07:22That could very well be the reason.
07:24But we all have to have a reason for it.
07:26Let's look at your back.
07:27Okay.
07:28There are often stories from patients who say that an event triggered this lipoma.
07:34But if we got lipomas everywhere we fell, I mean, I know I'd be covered in lipomas because
07:39I fell a lot.
07:39So who knows what Veronica is dealing with?
07:42Yeah, you have a bump right here, huh?
07:44Yeah, that's a big one.
07:45Can you like pull your muscles, your arms back like you're flexing your back muscles?
07:50I mean, this feels like a lipoma.
07:53I can see little dimples in it, which is where sometimes these bands are underneath the skin
07:58that keep it sort of tethered in that same place there.
08:01But that's what this, you know, looks like to me.
08:04A lipoma.
08:05It looks like this growth has pitched a tent in her back and it's here to stay.
08:09I don't love where it is and I don't really love the dimpling.
08:12It is soft and it moves around easily.
08:14That's good, but I'm not really sure what I have here until I make that first incision.
08:19If it's under the muscle, I don't really remove a lipoma like this.
08:23You know, I'll make a little incision first.
08:24Let me see if I can see it.
08:26If for some reason I look and I see muscle there, I might not remove it.
08:29I might just make it.
08:30And that's the worst thing for me.
08:32It's to like try to do something and not be able to.
08:35It sounds like, it looks like this is something that's really caused you a lot of emotional distress and stuff.
08:40Yeah, kind of.
08:41Yeah, I can imagine.
08:42It's hard, especially when you can't see behind you, you know, and you don't know what is, you know,
08:47and you feel like you're not sure what people, here, here's a fresh one for you.
08:52But I'll always make sure that you're nice and comfortable, okay?
08:55We'll take good care of you, okay?
08:58The last time I saw a doctor, I was very young, and that was traumatizing for me.
09:02So I feel nervous.
09:04I'm hoping that everything goes well and hoping nothing goes wrong.
09:12Okay, I'm going to just put some numbing here, okay?
09:14I'm a subcutaneous girl.
09:16I don't, I don't deal with muscle, okay?
09:18I guess it's like hiking.
09:20Stay on the trail and you won't get lost.
09:22And so in this case, stay above the muscle and all is good.
09:26Okay.
09:27Just going to see what you have before I make a large incision.
09:31Just checking this out and making sure that this is a lipoma here.
09:36Okay.
09:40It's a little bit like redder, like there's just a little blood in the area.
09:46I just want to be cautious here.
09:48Maybe it's partially under the muscle there.
09:51I don't know if that's muscle or not.
09:53I see it's like darker.
09:55It looks like muscle right there.
09:56Okay, well, this is a surprise.
09:58What I'm seeing here doesn't really look like a lipoma.
10:01I might have made a mistake here starting this procedure because if this is not a lipoma,
10:06I'm not going to be able to remove it.
10:10I'm just trying to evaluate this cautiously.
10:13No.
10:14I just wanted to make sure that we have a lipoma here.
10:27I see it's like darker.
10:30It looks like muscle right there.
10:32Just trying to evaluate this cautiously.
10:35I'm here with Veronica, who has a pretty huge bump and it's camping out near her spine.
10:41It turns out to be a lot deeper and it has a really weird color.
10:44And that's got me a little concerned.
10:47This lipoma does look a little bit different.
10:50I think the top of it, there was a little vein right over it.
10:53So it's kind of altering the appearance of it a little.
10:55I'm just trying to see what I'm going to do to head this thing off here so that it doesn't
11:00want to ooze on us.
11:01I'll also try to tie that for a second here.
11:04Sometimes pesky blood vessels do weird things.
11:07And this time, a few big ones just decided to like pitch their tent right over Veronica's
11:12lipoma.
11:13This went a little longer so that I know where that is right there.
11:17Okay.
11:17I got that vein tied off.
11:19Let's see if I can't even try to ease it out like this here.
11:22Come this way, mister.
11:24Come this way.
11:25Come this way.
11:28It's like I'm getting it out of a small little opening now because this vein is trying not
11:34to disrupt it.
11:36If I nick that vein, that can become a mess.
11:42That was a real nice chunk.
11:45This bump, it's a pain.
11:47I'm having to remove this lipoma from a smaller hole that's adjacent to this really big vein
11:52and I have to dig it out in pieces.
11:54It's really delicate work and it is a fight.
11:59Come on.
12:00Come on out here, dude.
12:04I mean, we're going in the right direction.
12:06Just taking us a moment here.
12:11I think that was the matriarch.
12:13We're going to call yours the matriarch.
12:16Maybe I can pop it out.
12:17Let's see.
12:18It's coming.
12:18It's just, I feel like it's holding on to you.
12:21But you are doing great and you make it so much easier because of that.
12:26Let's see.
12:27Oh, maybe I'll squeeze out.
12:28Look at that.
12:29Maybe squeeze out.
12:29Here we go.
12:35Pretty sure we got it all.
12:37Let's put stitches in it.
12:39Woo, man.
12:41We did it.
12:42And I did it through an incision that's half the size of what I normally would do.
12:46So in addition to having a smooth back, Veronica will only have a tiny scar.
12:51And that makes me happy.
12:52See, so it's a little bit swollen here because it's lying that way.
12:56Wow.
12:56I think we got it all out.
12:58Well, thank you so much.
13:00I'm so happy for you.
13:01I'm happy that it's gone.
13:03I was very scared because of the trauma I went through as a child.
13:08But Dr. Liu made me feel very comfortable.
13:10I feel good and knowing I think.
13:12That it's gone.
13:12You see it on the tail there.
13:14Yes.
13:15For 10 years I've been hiding.
13:17But now I feel free.
13:18I can finally have my life back.
13:20The first thing I'm looking forward to is getting back to camping.
13:23You know, socializing.
13:25I like doing a cartwheel, but I don't want to break anything.
13:27No, no.
13:28Not all cartwheels right now.
13:29Maybe in about a week or something.
13:30Right.
13:31I'm ready to get home to show everybody, my family and my husband, that this is the me.
13:37Or actually, it's the old me, but I'm back.
13:47Can you even begin to imagine what kind of stuff that they have here that we don't have at home?
13:51I guess it won't hurt to look.
13:53Okay.
13:54Ready?
13:55Ready?
13:56Have you considered being a blonde?
13:59I think you would be a great blonde.
14:01It's going to be so fun.
14:03You're going to love it.
14:04I had this blue wig as a kid and I just loved the way it looked.
14:08That's the beauty of it.
14:09I'll go in for you.
14:10My name is Thomas.
14:12I'm 34 years old from Georgia.
14:14This is my best friend Rossi.
14:15We met online a couple of years ago and we've been best friends ever since.
14:22Oh my god.
14:23Look at this.
14:25Oh wow.
14:26That's insane.
14:27It's our first time in LA and I found this really great wig shop because we love cosplay.
14:33I've done some cosplays from video games.
14:35I've cosplayed from comic books.
14:39We're here.
14:40You might as well try one on.
14:45I used to work at anime conventions across the United States and I'm really into cosplays
14:51but I don't really dress up because I have a big bump on my head.
14:59My bump looks like a huge water balloon stuck to the top of my head.
15:03The bump looks pretty veiny, pretty tight pulled.
15:07Feels hard around the sides, like very firm and then on the top, kind of like the tip of
15:13a volcano where it's really squishy.
15:15My bump kind of reminds me of this anime character called Fooly Cooly and he pretty much goes through
15:24most of the series with a bump on his head and a bandage covering it, just trying to hide
15:30it because he doesn't know what it is and by the end of it, robots come out of it.
15:37I've had the bump close to 15 years.
15:40I've never been to a doctor about the bump because I'm scared.
15:44What if it's something more sinister than just an easy slice and dice?
15:50I think you'd look so good as a platinum blonde.
15:54This is your near future.
15:56Would trying a few on, like, make you feel more hopeful?
16:00I think trying a few on right now would just make me sad, just because of how I know it's
16:07going to sit.
16:11A wig isn't really an option because it would be completely off.
16:20I'm always going to have to look a certain way and not be able to explore any other side
16:25of myself.
16:26It's gotten a lot bigger, like it used to be way easier to hide.
16:30The beanie might hide at best, so everywhere in public you can catch me wearing a beanie.
16:36I recently had to attend a funeral of my grandma.
16:41I wasn't able to wear a beanie to it and I did have a couple of family members that I
16:46haven't
16:47seen in years.
16:48And that was one of the first things they said was, what's that on your head?
16:52I felt like the guy with the bump to my family.
16:56I feel like an outcast.
16:58I just don't try to talk to anybody or make new friends or even look at people in public
17:05because I don't want them looking back at me.
17:07I mean, I just feel like this lump has taken so much from you.
17:11It's like, taken your ability to live your life authentically.
17:14It's taken your self-esteem.
17:16You're missing out on, like, so much.
17:18I just feel like I'm stuck and I'm still kind of scared about what it might be.
17:23I'm still not, I've never got it checked out.
17:26What if it is too late?
17:27It's really important that I get this bump looked at now because the bump is just physically
17:33in the way of me ever being able to express myself or feel like me.
17:46Are you excited?
17:48We're finally here.
17:49I'm nervous.
17:50My biggest fear of going into Dr. Lee's office is that she can't help me.
17:57I'm just scared that they are going to tell me it's my worst nightmare come true.
18:02Something huge.
18:05I had everything to know.
18:06I had everything to do, okay?
18:10Hello?
18:24Hello.
18:25Hi, guys.
18:25How are you?
18:26Nice to meet you.
18:27Dr. Lee, very nice to meet you.
18:28Hi.
18:29Nice to meet you.
18:30Nice to meet you, too.
18:32Welcome, you two.
18:33Did you come from far?
18:35North of Atlanta.
18:35Oh, okay.
18:36That was a little bit of a trip here.
18:38Well, what's going on?
18:40Because you look pretty darn good.
18:41I have a big lump on my head.
18:44Can we take a look at it?
18:46You don't like to show at all?
18:47I do not.
18:48Okay.
18:49Oh, I see.
18:51And how long you had that?
18:52Around 15 years, but it's only gotten so out of control for like maybe five or six years.
18:58Okay.
18:58Does it cause you pain?
18:59I mean, when it first started, I just kept picking and picking and picking every day.
19:04Wow, you really picked up.
19:05I really picked and it hurt a lot.
19:06So I stopped and I said, nope.
19:09Yeah.
19:09Have you ever seen anybody for it?
19:12Um, I've thought about it, but I've been tiptoeing around the idea instead of going through with
19:17anything.
19:18Okay.
19:18Okay.
19:19Um, how do you guys know each other?
19:21So we met online in a gaming group because we have like shared hobbies.
19:26That's really a wonderful way to make kind of have friendships and how often do you guys
19:30get to see each other?
19:31Oh my God.
19:32Significantly less often now that you've stopped vending at the cons because of the lump.
19:36I get it.
19:37I get it.
19:38Okay.
19:39Can I take a look at this?
19:41Yeah.
19:41Just put your head down just a little bit.
19:42Okay.
19:43I definitely see, and maybe Rossi can see this, see how it kind of kinks the hairs?
19:48Oh.
19:49See the hairs that are above it are sort of kinked a little bit?
19:52But I typically see that in a cyst that grows to about this size.
19:56So I think what you have there is a pilar cyst.
19:58And first of all, a pilar cyst is a benign type of growth.
20:02Most commonly, 90% of them occur on your head.
20:05And the issue is, is the larger that a cyst like this grows, the more that it could sort
20:11of liquefy.
20:12So it's like harder to remove.
20:14Or certainly if that one's been picked a lot, there's scar tissue, they sort of stuck
20:17to you, you know?
20:18So I would say, let's try to remove it if we can.
20:23Okay?
20:24I try to get the whole thing out so it doesn't come back.
20:27And again, that is not life-threatening.
20:29Okay.
20:30It just locally grows.
20:31I hope that we can get it all, but we'll see.
20:34Okay?
20:35Okay.
20:35All right, we'll get set up.
20:36We'll see you in a little bit.
20:37Okay?
20:37Okay.
20:38Of course.
20:44Deep breath.
20:45I feel super nervous and worried about the procedure.
20:49It would be a huge nightmare if part of it had to stay in and it was unable to come
20:54out
20:54right now and I just have to start completely over.
21:04So just a little baby pinch right here, just a pinch.
21:07Not too bad?
21:08No, not at all.
21:09We don't know what causes cysts to occur, but a cyst like this develops in a hair-bearing
21:16area.
21:17I know that it's an older bump and it's been picked at.
21:19And when that happens, sometimes they break down into a liquid.
21:22It's cleaner to get that liquid out first, that juice.
21:25Let me first just see if we can pull anything out of there.
21:29See what we have here.
21:33Yeah, there is fluid in there.
21:36It is liquefied.
21:37That volcano was going to erupt on us.
21:40Mm-hmm.
21:40All right, let's see if we can take that little friend of yours out.
21:44So just as I thought, the cyst is liquefied.
21:47And this is what happens when you get like a neglected old bigger cyst.
21:51I hope it's not stuck to their head.
21:53I just want to really get the whole sack out so that Thomas doesn't have to worry about
21:57it growing back.
21:59Am I like fully cut open?
22:02Yeah, but I can't see your brain or anything.
22:04Just to make sure.
22:05This is insane.
22:06I mean, I've always heard, you know.
22:08What do you hear?
22:09Legendary Dr. Lee.
22:10You don't feel a thing.
22:11My name is Painless Lee.
22:14I feel like there should be a pimple popping cosplay character.
22:17Mm-hmm.
22:18Then I could go to the thing in San Diego.
22:23Let me see.
22:24You saw that, huh?
22:25Yeah.
22:26At least the fluid up.
22:29There's more fluid in there.
22:33Go and get us.
22:35Someone's got my shoes.
22:38So you're just going to feel me pulling on you a little bit, okay?
22:44Really stuck.
22:45Now that I've really gotten all the liquid out of the cyst, I'm trying to pull the sack
22:49wall away from their scalp and it's really stuck.
22:52If I start cutting the pieces off, it's going to be harder to make sure that I get all of
22:56it out.
22:57I'm hoping that I can get this out in one piece, but if I can't do that, then there's
23:01the possibility of other issues.
23:02Better for me to tug than to use something sharp.
23:05You know what I mean?
23:05Yeah.
23:07Hold on.
23:08It might squeeze out when I clamp it.
23:11I'm going to tear it that way.
23:15Eek.
23:16It tears.
23:25I'm going to tear it that way.
23:28Eek.
23:28It tears.
23:30I'm here with Thomas and their sweet friend, Rossi.
23:32Thomas has a big pile of cysts on their head and I'm trying to remove it all in one piece,
23:37but I'm having a tough time getting a good grip on it because it keeps tearing.
23:40I'm hoping that I can find the sweet spot and get this whole thing out in one piece.
23:46Okay, now it's starting to wiggle.
23:47Wait.
23:48Do you want to see right here?
23:49You can come up here and just search so you can see it.
23:51Is that the sack?
23:52Yes, this is the sack wall.
23:54In fact, I'm going to keep inside it instead so I'm going to grab it.
23:56Oh my God.
23:57Is it going to come out as mostly one piece?
23:59I think so.
24:00We're going to try to get it out in a piece, but I mean, some of the stuff came out
24:03of it.
24:03But it's just stuck in there.
24:10You just had a baby.
24:14Oh wait, is it out?
24:15Yeah, he's out.
24:16Oh my goodness.
24:17Let's just make sure the area is all cleaned out.
24:20It's literally just like a little bit of loose skin.
24:23Oh, okay.
24:23Yeah.
24:24Maybe you can work this into a cosplay outfit.
24:27It could be the Pylor Cist Destroyer and I'll be the Cist.
24:31I was going to say I would be the Cist and he would just chase me around with it.
24:34Okay, okay, I can do that.
24:36I'm so happy that I was able to get all of Thomas' Cist out.
24:40Now that it's gone, Thomas is going to be able to wear all the wigs their heart desires.
24:48I'm so excited for you.
24:49Do you want to reach up and feel this area?
24:51It's going to be a little numb.
24:52You have a gauze on top of it.
24:54You got it.
24:58Oh my God.
25:01You did awesome.
25:04So did you.
25:05Now that the bump's gone, I don't feel like the guy with the lump.
25:10And it's going to be like that for the rest of my life.
25:13Do you want to present the cyst?
25:15Oh my God.
25:16I'll put it in your hand on the gauze.
25:18Are you ready?
25:19This is your baby.
25:20Oh my geez.
25:22That thing is huge.
25:24The world's longest pregnancy.
25:25It's like a brain.
25:26It looks like some kind of Pokemon.
25:29Do you want to hold it?
25:30I don't want to hold it.
25:31I don't know.
25:31He barely tolerates you with that.
25:34Do you want to take a look at your head?
25:40Looking at myself in the mirror is completely different.
25:44I've had the bump for what feels like my whole life.
25:46And now that it's gone, I feel way more confident than I have in years.
25:51It feels like I'm starting a whole new life.
25:53All right.
25:53Nice to see you both.
25:54Thank you for everything.
25:56Bye.
25:57I can't believe you watched it.
25:59I can.
26:14You ready for this?
26:16I am.
26:18I'm Ken.
26:19I'm 65 years old from Houston, Texas.
26:21I'm here with my wife of 31 years, Diane, and I've got some thickening skin of my nose.
26:29My nose sometimes reminds me of like a witch's nose during Halloween.
26:33When I look in the mirror, I see myself.
26:35And then when I get to my nose, it does not look like me.
26:37What a beautiful morning.
26:39He takes on his mother back with us to Texas.
26:42One side of my nose looks like it has a raisin attached to it.
26:44And the other side looks like a small brain.
26:47The tip of my nose, as well as both sides, are kind of bulbous.
26:50I believe this started happening probably about 12 to 15 years ago.
26:54And then just slowly progressed.
26:57When you see something every day, it's not as noticeable.
27:00And then it just snuck up on us.
27:07I would say in the last two years, it's grown faster than the first 10 or 12.
27:11There seems to be some type of pus underneath.
27:14It'll have like a pimple rupture, and it's like it makes new skin.
27:19So it just keeps developing.
27:21There will be a discharge that comes out of the pores.
27:24And it doesn't smell particularly good.
27:27Probably like a wet sock.
27:28Good to see Dr. Lee.
27:29All right.
27:30Go ahead and sign in for me.
27:31I do feel embarrassed with my condition.
27:34Thank you for doing this with me.
27:36I wouldn't miss it, Ken.
27:38Give me a kiss.
27:42Hopefully that's the last time you got to take your glasses off.
27:44I hope so.
27:45I know he would feel better about himself if he looked more like himself when I met him.
27:50We'd both like each other probably better.
27:52I got to lose 40 pounds then.
27:55There we go.
27:57Not sure exactly what caused it.
27:59It might be due to overexposure to the sun.
28:02Growing up, I played golf every day as a PGA member and a head golf professional.
28:08I played on the PGA Tour for two years.
28:09I played with Jack Nicklaus.
28:11I played with Laura Palmer in front of large crowds, playing in front of television with my old nose.
28:16Playing golf, I was always seen working at country clubs,
28:21teaching and giving golf instructions in front of people.
28:23And I just didn't want to be there anymore once the condition worsened.
28:27He makes himself conscious.
28:29Yeah, it's not a good feeling to know that you're not what you were
28:31and you're not sure if there was anything that could fix it.
28:34In public, someone sees someone with an affliction and they will kind of move away.
28:40Or stare.
28:40And that's wrong, but that's the way it is.
28:43It makes me feel like I'm not worthy or shouldn't be wanted.
28:49Ken?
28:49Yes.
28:51I visited three different dermatologists and then called probably another 40.
28:55All right, right down to the left.
28:58And everyone was referring me to somebody else and it was just a chain reaction.
29:02It is frustrating.
29:03Dr. Lee will be right in, okay?
29:05You're welcome.
29:06One worry that I do have is that it may impair my breathing.
29:11No one was willing to help me, so we reached out to Dr. Lee and hopefully she can do something.
29:17This is a preemptive strike to try to fix the problem before it occurs and years down the road, it
29:24will be even worse than it is now.
29:40There you are.
29:41Hi.
29:42How are you?
29:42How are you?
29:43You look busy over here.
29:43Nice to see you.
29:44Always busy, you too.
29:45Today I have something special in mind for Dr. Lindsay.
29:49She wants to learn how to perform rhinophyma surgeries.
29:51And last year we treated a case together, which was a great introduction to how we do these.
29:56I'm trying to get this flush, you know what I'm saying?
29:59So today I've handpicked a perfect patient who has a more approachable case.
30:04So today we have a rhinophyma case.
30:07It's a pretty minor one.
30:09Okay.
30:10The last time was your first time doing rhinophyma.
30:12And since you've already gotten your feet wet, I am going to have you take some of the lead here.
30:17Okay.
30:17Like certainly that is the way I think you can learn the best.
30:20How do you feel about this?
30:22A little apprehensive.
30:23I know you're going to be there, but I just keep thinking about taking off too much.
30:27And you can't put it back on.
30:29Treating rhinophyma is super, super difficult.
30:31We don't learn this in residency.
30:33Not very many dermatologists do this.
30:36Dr. Lee is one of very few who performs rhinophyma treatment.
30:40This is a niche that I may be able to carry on.
30:44So I got to do this.
30:47Hello.
30:48Hi.
30:48How are you?
30:49Hi, I'm Ken.
30:50Nice to meet you.
30:51This is Dr. Lindsey.
30:53Nice to meet you.
30:53Hi, nice to meet you.
30:53She's another dermatologist.
30:55Nice to meet you.
30:55She works with me.
30:57Welcome.
30:58How long has this been going on?
30:59About 12 to 15 years, but the last two years it's really accelerated.
31:03Okay.
31:04From what he was when I met him to who he is now.
31:08He's the same person, but you can color your hair, you can lose weight, but you can't change.
31:16You can't hide that easily, like you can hide a bump underneath your shirt, you know what I mean?
31:21Yes.
31:21Any treatment?
31:22I went to a couple dermatologists in Houston and they said, well, it's probably rhinophyma.
31:26Let's give you an antibiotic or some cream.
31:29Okay.
31:30But it didn't help at all.
31:32From here it looks to me like you have rhinophyma.
31:34And rhinophyma is sort of a more severe form of rosacea.
31:40Do you want to explain a little bit about rosacea and rhinophyma?
31:43It's mainly about the overgrowth of blood vessels underneath the skin.
31:46So you already have a lot of dilated pores, so it's important just to wear oil-free sunscreen every day.
31:52It helps with the redness.
31:53If you don't mind, we're both going to try to treat you together, if that's okay.
31:57We'll take a look at it.
31:58Sounds good.
31:59Is that okay?
31:59Okay.
32:00Let's see.
32:03So yeah, he's got a rhinophyma nose and he has it along his nostrils too.
32:08And you can see where the normal skin is here, right?
32:10Underneath this nostril right here, where it kind of stops.
32:12So there's oftentimes a little bit of demarcation.
32:14I know your nose feels very large, but there's actually not a lot of the thickening there.
32:20We can try to surgically thin out your nose a little.
32:24I mean, we just want to get like about this much of the thickening off.
32:27Taking that fullness down will make a very big difference for him.
32:31But underneath that, it's like your normal nose.
32:34Sure.
32:34So we're trying to like stop there.
32:35That's what we want to do.
32:36Rhinophyma takes extreme precision.
32:38So I'm going to be here helping the whole way to make sure that Dr. Lindsey can hone her skills
32:43of knowing exactly where his rhinophyma tissue ends and his true nose begins.
32:49So we're going to sculpt you together.
32:51Perfect.
32:51Okay.
32:51We'll see you in a little bit.
32:52Outstanding.
32:53Okay.
32:53I love you.
32:56I love you too.
32:57It's kind of scary.
32:58What if she takes off too much?
33:01What if it's not proportional?
33:02One side's taking more off than the other.
33:05A little apprehensive.
33:06Then it might turn out worse than I am now.
33:15Is it okay?
33:17It works so good.
33:19I like that Dr. Lindsey is being really gentle and very calculated with the amount of numbing
33:23that she's using.
33:24If she injects too much in, it's going to really puff up this nose and distort it and really
33:29make this more difficult to see what the final result is.
33:34Goodbye for now.
33:36Yeah.
33:36I will see you later.
33:42I'm going to start on this side myself.
33:44We'll be using the loop electrocautery that uses electricity to really cut through the skin
33:50like a hot knife through butter.
33:52I'm just going to put a little bit here, okay?
33:54Just going to test it a little bit.
33:55I am going to start the procedure on Ken's right nostril.
33:58Before I hand things over to Dr. Lindsey for his left nostril, I'm going to see where his
34:03real nose starts and where all this rhinophyma tissue ends.
34:06This not only cuts it, it shrivels it a little bit too.
34:10I really want to remind Dr. Lindsey how to use the right amount of pressure to debulk
34:15this rhinophyma.
34:16There's a lot of like three-dimensional knowing where your hands are at all times and making
34:21sure you don't get any area that's not numb.
34:24I already see it.
34:26It's like sculpting.
34:27You can always come back and take more.
34:30It's not that easy to put it back.
34:32I see.
34:33I see your vision.
34:34Now that I've gotten the bulk of Ken's right side off, this is the perfect time for Dr.
34:39Lindsey to get a try.
34:40The key is just gliding that cautery over the tissue without pressing hard enough to create
34:45a divot, all while ensuring that the patient is comfortable.
34:49I want to get it to look like this side, essentially.
34:55Dr. Lee makes it look so easy.
34:58She looks like this artist that's like creating a nose out of clay.
35:02But one slip up of this and there goes my career.
35:05No patient's going to trust that I know what I'm doing.
35:08I'm sorry.
35:08Let me just hold it.
35:12Are you feeling that?
35:13You should check around it to make sure he feels it.
35:16But if you just bowl the scenario, you're not, you've got to numb up that surface.
35:20So making sure he feels it.
35:21You okay?
35:21Is that all pinchy?
35:23I feel the shock.
35:24You feel the what?
35:31I'm sorry.
35:32Let me just hold it.
35:41I don't want you to feel anything.
35:43I'm here with Ken, who is a moderately severe case of rhinophyma, and Dr. Lindsey, who's
35:47helping with this procedure.
35:48She is really nervous, so I'm still ready to step in at any point if she needs me.
35:53So it's not just a flat plane.
35:55You kind of curb the edges, right?
35:57Like a little bit.
36:00It's going to be hard to match.
36:03See, this is more of a crease here.
36:05Let me do a little bit right here.
36:06Okay.
36:07You have to round the edges a little.
36:08You tend to like, take off the top of it, and you've got to like, see the whole thing
36:12has to come off.
36:13Okay.
36:14I just have to press a little harder.
36:16I'll go a little slower with it.
36:18This is a smart concern on Dr. Lindsey's part.
36:21You know, you're not just trying to shave something off, and you're trying to recreate
36:24a nose.
36:25So I'm going to walk Dr. Lindsey through this section, and see how she does on a more
36:29flat portion of the nose.
36:31This has to be taken down this, but also remember the contour.
36:35You don't want it just to be flat.
36:37And then this whole area will need to be taken down to some degree.
36:46Oh yeah.
36:46I think that's nice what you're doing there.
36:48Yes.
36:48Okay.
36:49It's like artwork, you know, so.
36:52Okay.
36:52I see Dr. Lindsey picked up some momentum.
36:55Practice is the only way.
36:57She's getting a lot of great game time experience.
37:00Always have to know when to stop.
37:02Just a little bit, like right where my, you know, right there.
37:06Ken's nose doesn't look vastly different right now, but I'm going to have to see it once
37:09it's healed.
37:10And Dr. Lindsey is one step closer to doing rhinophyma on her own.
37:15I think we're good right now.
37:16Everything looks nice and even.
37:18Great job, Dr. Lindsey.
37:20His nose will look smaller in the end, but from before and after photos, I do see the difference.
37:26So I'm very proud of myself.
37:28Can you open your eyes?
37:30Hi.
37:30You look good.
37:31There you go.
37:33What do you think?
37:34Doesn't look that much different, but smoother.
37:36You see overall.
37:37Not bad for your first time.
37:39And it might take just.
37:40Second time.
37:42Feeling really good.
37:45I can already tell that the bumps are gone and it's smooth and I was just a little inflamed.
37:50His nose is bigger, but more even.
37:54It's just a numbing.
37:55And also the treatment makes it swell.
37:58I can see where this is smaller on this side.
38:01But it wasn't too bad.
38:02He's tough though.
38:04Thank you very much.
38:05It was a pleasure.
38:07Of course.
38:07We're going to see you again.
38:08We're going to check up on you and do a little touch-up if we need to.
38:10Sounds great.
38:11Perfect.
38:11But I look forward to seeing what this nose looks like when the swelling goes down.
38:15Bye.
38:17Dr. Lee is not only a great dermatologist, but she's a good artist.
38:23I was very happy with the outcome that Dr. Lindsey did.
38:26I feel like I'm pretty close to being back to normal.
38:28I'm just really happy about Ken being more confident with himself.
38:33I think I'll have my husband back now.
38:35How do I look better?
38:37Yeah.
38:38Okay, good.
38:39I am very appreciative.
38:40Dr. Lee not only gave me a new nose, she gave me a new lease on life.
38:54It's been three months since I saw Ken, and his nose looks so good.
39:00Boy, what a difference.
39:02The texture of my nose is back to normal.
39:04It's soft and supple.
39:06Now I feel good about myself.
39:07He looks much more like the young golf pro he remembers.
39:11I'm back on the golf course, swinging the clubs, and I can't see my nose throughout the day.
39:16He's back out in the world with more confidence than he's had in years.
39:21Looking good, Ken.
39:25It's been three months since I saw Thomas, and they are so pleased to have that bump gone from their
39:30head.
39:30Now that the bump's gone, I'm not wearing a beanie every single time I want to leave the house.
39:35They have been living their best life, and now they can dress however they want and be whoever they want.
39:42Hey.
39:43Hi.
39:44Oh, my God.
39:46Is that your wig?
39:48That's great.
39:49I am so, so, so proud of you.
39:51I'm pretty excited to go meet up with Rossi and cosplay together.
39:55This all wouldn't be possible without the help from Dr. Lee to make me feel like I can express myself
40:01freely.
40:02Congrats.
40:03I'm so happy for you, Thomas.
40:12Hey, babe.
40:13Hey, baby.
40:14Hey, sweetie.
40:14Look what I bought.
40:16Do you like it?
40:17I love the blouse.
40:17It's beautiful.
40:18You look so gorgeous.
40:19Give me a hug, sweetie.
40:21It's been two months since Dr. Lee removed the bump on my back, and I feel incredible.
40:29I'm so happy that that giant thing is gone, and it was ruining my life.
40:33My scar is small.
40:35It doesn't even hurt.
40:36Jesse's flirting with me more.
40:38He's kissing me more and thinks I look even more sexy.
40:41I'm back to being me, a strong, confident woman.
40:48You look, you're ready to get back to work.
40:50I am.
40:51That way we can have some extra money.
40:52Get back to camping four or five times a year like we used to.
40:55I know.
40:55I know.
40:56For the first time in years, I actually want to get out of the house.
41:00Am I clear?
41:01You're good.
41:02I'm camping again and having fun again.
41:05I'm ready to go.
41:06I'm Dr. Lee.
41:07You have no idea how this changed my life.
41:10Adios, Houston.
41:11Bye.
41:12Bye.
41:13Bye.
41:15Bye.
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