Dr. Pimple Popper (2018–…): Season 4, Episode 4 - Adventures in Pimplepopping - full transcript
Inoke has a huge, possibly life-threatening bulge on his shoulder. Delano returns with his back lump after Dr. Lee removed a liter of fluid from it. Reed has hundreds of bumps on his chest ...
Welcome.
This lump has been a constant
companion of mine
for probably 8, 9 years.
Just the word "cancer,"
it's practically a death
sentence, isn't it?
- Yeah.
- Did you go and see doctors?
The first one said that
it might be life-threatening.
Reed: I feel sad.
When I look in the mirror
and see these bumps,
I just feel sad
that I have them.
The thing is is that you
probably have over
100 of them, really.
Yeah.
Right now, I'm worried
that she can't get them all.
Delano was a patient that
we treated 18 months ago.
When he left, his lump was flat.
Since I saw Dr. Lee,
my lump has come back.
It's right back.
I can't get rid
of this for you.
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discovery communications
♪
My name is inoke.
I'm 51 years old.
I live here
in Sacramento, California.
I have a -- a lump
on my right shoulder
that is of
a softball size.
Welcome.
I first noticed it
when it was the size
of maybe half of a golf ball,
but I didn't think
much about it.
I thought it was just a little
something
that would go away in time.
And in the last five years,
it kind of just grew
to what it is now.
♪
The lump has restricted me
quite a bit.
I have knocked on the shower
doors when I go in it,
and that one hurts because
it's metal and sharp,
so I'm always reminded that,
"hey, you've got a buddy that's
coming to the shower with you."
Then when I'm putting
on clothes,
just putting on a t-shirt
like I normally do,
I will have to wiggle through
here to push it down, you know.
So that has happened
quite a bit.
♪
Being born and bred in Fiji,
I'm very much involved with
the Fijian community youth here
in northern California.
I used to be able
to dance traditionally,
but I haven't been
able to perform
in any of
the traditional dances
because of the limitations
I have.
It hurts my shoulder,
and that gets to me emotionally,
but I know there's nothing
I can do about it.
Now I just help teach.
Bill:
My dad doesn't dance with us
because he has his
traveling companion,
I guess, on his shoulder.
It's kind of sad to just see him
sit on the sidelines like that,
just watching us
instead of him doing it with us.
Your hand up, like she's doing.
Up here.
It is very important to me
to remind our kids
the rich heritage
that they belong to.
I would love to dance again.
♪
- Hi, sweetheart.
- Hi, babe.
I am blessed with my lovely wife
of 30 years, ateca.
Apart from this guy, she's been
my constant companion
through thick and thin.
♪
How's your shoulder?
It seems like
it's getting bigger, eh?
- It is, yeah.
- It's not getting any smaller.
Mm-hmm.
Inoke:
I visited at least a couple
of doctors
who weren't sure what I had,
but that it might be cancerous.
You got to start
looking after yourself.
I mean, you know,
just the word "cancer"...
We all know
what that is.
It's practically a death
sentence, isn't it?
Yeah.
It was tough telling your wife
and your kids that, uh...
Um, what I have could...
Could be cancerous, and...
Take me away from my family
earlier than I would like to.
Um...
I never got a biopsy
or any follow-up on it.
To me, that was it.
I was kind of scared to know
if that was right.
You still have small
children, you know?
They still need
their father around.
I need you around.
So we need, you know,
you to slow down.
You know, take time
for yourself, get things done.
Okay?
'Cause we want you around
for a long time.
It's really hard to see him
with that lump,
and, um, you know,
I'm angry.
Because it's just something
that he's ignored,
and I hope that inoke
hasn't waited too long
to get this checked out.
I will definitely
take care of it,
and I do apologize it has
taken a while to get it done.
Let's get it done.
♪
Yeah.
Come in front of you
really quickly.
Thank you.
♪
For me, being here today
is a true testament
that I am finally putting
myself first and foremost.
I'm hoping, praying that Dr. Lee
will remove my lump today.
It is something that I've been
quietly waiting for.
- Hello, good morning.
- Morning.
I'm a little worried
that what I may hear
from Dr. Lee will be the same
that I was told before.
I'll take it as it comes.
- Have a seat right over there.
- Okay.
Dr. Lee will be in
in just a moment, okay?
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
My wife told me
that she loved me.
That, uh...
That it'll all be okay.
Inoke, hi.
How are you?
- Good, thank you.
Where are you from?
I hear a little accent.
- Fiji.
- Fiji.
What can I do
for you today?
Well, I'm hoping
that you will, uh,
help me with my lump
on my right shoulder...
Uh-huh, yeah.
...that, uh, has been
a constant companion of mine
for probably 8, 9 years,
but it's kind of just
overgrown pretty quick
in the last five years.
- Okay.
Does it cause you pain,
discomfort or anything?
Discomfort, mostly.
A little pain
now and again.
Anything else that,
like, kind of affects you?
Like, what do you like to do
in your free time?
We used to do dances, like
traditional dances and stuff.
Okay, is that usually
shirtless, too?
Oh, we're shirtless, yeah.
This is hard to do then.
It is difficult.
Did you go and see
doctors for this?
Yes, I did see
a couple of doctors,
and they didn't know
what it was.
Okay.
It was sort of
a scary moment for me.
Yeah.
The first one said it might be
life-threatening or something.
- That's scary.
- Yeah, that is scary.
So that kind of just put me off
wanting to be seen.
Right.
I'm worried that his doctor
told him
that this bump
is life-threatening.
That is serious to me.
I need to make sure
that when I evaluate this,
that there are no signs that
this could really be dangerous.
- May I take a look?
- Of course, please.
Yeah.
- Okay.
I'm gonna lift
this up if you don't mind.
The most important thing
for me to do
is to touch this bump because
when something is adherent,
or stuck to your body,
that is a potentially bad sign.
This feels heavy!
Well...
The fact that you've had this
for a decade or so,
almost a decade, and it --
you're very healthy otherwise,
it really kind of tells me
this is likely benign.
- Yeah?
- You know?
Okay,
so that's a good sign.
But, you know, any time
we remove something,
we check to make sure
it's okay.
Inoke's bump is really big,
but the good news is it
moves around really well,
and I would think
if you had a bump
this big that was malignant,
you likely wouldn't
have survived this long.
But it is really big.
There's a lot of other
complications
that can arise
removing a bump this big.
I think this very possibly
could be a lipoma.
It feels pretty good.
I feel like today's the day
that you lose this --
this bump.
Thank you.
You're gonna use up
all my kleenex.
Inoke: I'm' hopeful that when
the test results come back,
that it will be benign
because that will take
a huge weight off my shoulder,
worrying too much about it.
Okay, I'll be back.
I am so ready to say goodbye to
my bump after all these years.
Okay, guys.
He is so sweet, inoke.
He's from Fiji, he dances,
and he hasn't done that
for I don't know
how many years.
How exciting would it be
to get him able to do that?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
I'm excited to take care of him,
and I'm hoping
this'll be a good pop.
We're going to need tumescent
anesthesia, towels,
big --
the big snip.
That thing's got weight to it.
All right.
- Okay.
All right.
Dr. Lee:
Okay, this area's gonna get
more full
because we're putting
numbing solution under there,
and it actually is
more comfortable that way.
♪
♪
Okay, you shouldn't
feel anything
other than
my touching you, okay?
Okay.
♪
Just gonna pull on you.
I feel like he's gonna fall
if I make one swift move.
Dr. Lee:
Look who it is!
- Hey.
- How are you?
Dr. Lee: Delano was a patient
that we treated 18 months ago.
When he left,
his lump was flat.
My lump has come back.
All the pain is back.
All the pain?
♪
Inoke's here today.
He is a sweetheart, a guy
with a big bump on his shoulder.
I don't know exactly what it is,
but I'm about to find out.
Are you
doing all right?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Dr. Lee:
It looks like a lipoma.
Just trying
to use my fingers,
which is very safe,
to move things around,
and just check areas, make sure
nothing's ever hurting you,
like I said
a million times.
I'm a broken record,
I know. You okay?
Yeah, yeah,
I'm good.
Just gonna
pull on you.
This lipoma is really
cooperating with me,
that's a good thing.
But the larger an area
that you remove under the body,
the more you are in contact
with other blood vessels,
other nerves,
and other issues there,
so I don't want to shear blood
vessels and cause a problem.
Dr. Lee:
And just make sure we catch
something if anything falls.
So, maybe after we do this,
maybe I could convince you
to show us a little dance,
teach us a little --
a couple of moves.
Oh, my gosh,
he's almost there,
but I feel like he's gonna
fall if I don't --
if I make
one swift move.
So close!
You got it all, right?
You got it.
I got it.
♪
Dr. Lee:
That was a satisfying one.
There we go.
I think that's one
of the first times
we've filled that tray
and it's, like, overflowing it.
Look, it's, like,
peeking out the top.
Yeah. I would say
definitely more
than what I had
originally thought.
Had it for 10 years, out in
maybe a little over 10 minutes.
Thank you so much.
We're not finished yet.
After removing some extra skin
so I can make this
lay really nice and flat,
I really do
an extra check underneath,
making sure there's
no little blood vessels
that need to be tied off
or cauterized
because this is
a really mobile area.
The shoulder, you know,
you move it up and down,
and if there was a bleed
under there,
this area would swell up again
with blood,
and that is a big mess.
Got to make
you look pretty.
Okay. Get ready
to take a look.
♪
Inoke:
I feel way lighter.
My arm feels amazing.
I'm trying to contain myself
right now.
Dr. Lee:
Oh, you got the award.
9 pounds, 2 ounces.
Oh, [bleep].
Congratulations!
- Thank you so much.
- That is a baby.
- That's a big baby.
- That is a baby.
I'm excited to get back home and
just dance like I was meant to.
Now you're gonna
be able to dance.
You like me to show you --
teach you how to dance?
I'd love to.
Fijians are known for
their fierce warrior dances.
- Yes.
- But I don't want to do it
because I might break something
in here right now.
So, I will do a Fijian
folk dance.
- Okay.
- You and I, while we sing.
So, "bula" is greeting
in Fijian.
- Bula.
- Bula, maleya.
♪ Bula maleya kei viti talega ♪
♪ bula
cauravou era yalo qaqa ♪
I feel overwhelmed with joy
and blessed and grateful.
- Bula!
- Bula!
Bula to you.
Bula.
Thank you.
♪
Dr. Lee: Delano is back
to see me today.
I haven't seen him in a while,
but he is really one of
my most memorable patients
because about 10 years ago,
he developed a quite
remarkable bump on his back
and it really affected his life
in so many negative ways.
When I was 19, I had a small
knot in my shoulder,
and as it was getting bigger,
I noticed
my self-esteem dropping.
One day, I picked up a shirt,
and I put it over my shoulder,
and the shirt has always
been my security blanket.
Most jobs is not gonna let you
wear the shirt on your shoulder,
so the people that's hiring me,
I never hear from them again.
That's hard, me not being able
to provide for myself
to the point where I was
sleeping at bus stops,
park benches...
And, like, just being hopeless,
you know?
Not having nobody to give
a lending hand, you know.
I came to see Dr. Lee for the
first time a few months ago,
and I was really hoping that
she could give me some help.
- Delano, is that right?
- Yes.
Dr. Lee:
Delano came in to see me,
and when I initially
saw that black shirt
tossed over his shoulder, I knew
that he was hiding something.
I'm just gonna see
if I can pull out
any fluid
from there, okay?
Dr. Lee:
I drained nearly a liter
of fluid from delano's back.
It really wasn't a cyst
or a lipoma.
It was something that
I've never seen before.
27, 28, 29, 30,
31, 32, 33.
So, almost a liter.
Look at that.
It ended up being
a lymphangioma,
a sac that's created from
drainage of lymphatic fluid.
There's a chance
that this can come back.
I cannot
remove a lymphangioma.
It would have taken a team
of specialists
to completely remove
this lymphangioma for him.
But I was able
to successfully drain it
and improve the appearance.
You know that I got
your back, right?
I literally got
your back here, too.
Dr. Lee:
It was so nice to be able
to help delano.
He was at a literally
stand-still.
He had so many aspirations,
but he couldn't make anything
with his life
because the bump
was in his way.
I am so gonna burn this
when I get home.
Dr. Lee:
But I knew that was he was gonna
have much more confidence,
so I'm really excited
to see how he's doing.
Hey, how you doing?
I'm here to see Dr. Lee.
Delano: Since I saw Dr. Lee,
my lump has come back.
It's come all the way back,
as you can see.
I've started hiding it again.
I said I was never gonna put
this shirt back on my shoulder,
and I'm back wearing it.
So I kind of relapsed on it.
And I'm in the same pain
I was before.
- Delano.
- Yes.
Delano: I'm really grateful
for having Dr. Lee.
She's kept in contact with me.
And today, I'm hoping
that Dr. Lee
will figure out a solution
for this problem.
- Look who it is!
- Hey.
- How are you?
- I'm good, how are you?
- Nice to see you.
- Nice to see you, too.
- You look great!
- Thank you.
You look like you've been
taking care of yourself.
Yeah, I have.
That's wonderful.
I've been more active.
Yes, good.
Things have been okay?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
I do see you're wearing
the shirt again, though.
Yeah, I relapsed.
Yeah, I was concerned about
that because of what this is.
It's a lymphangioma.
My lymphatic system,
right?
Yes.
Right.
Can I take a look at it?
Is that okay?
Oh, yeah, it is.
It's right back.
As if I were
never there.
Right.
Dr. Lee:
I'm so happy to see delano,
but this lymphangioma
has grown back.
There's a space that has
been filled up
with fluid for many years,
and we drained it.
But if it's going to continue
to fill up again,
it's gonna look just the same.
So I'm not surprised it looks
just the same as it did before.
If you don't seal
that connection of where
it's being created,
it's going to keep doing that.
So, unfortunately, it's not
surprising that it recurred.
All the pain is back.
All the pain?
You're probably interested
in me trying to --
and I'd be interested
in trying to help you out.
I mean, I don't want you
to come back and say --
- deflate it.
- You want me to deflate it?
Is that what you want me to --
that's what you want me to do?
Mm-hmm.
Because that'll decrease
the pain and discomfort?
- Mm-hmm.
- My problem with draining it
is that it's not gonna
solve the problem.
My concern with this is the fact
that if you keep draining this,
every time you do this, there is
a definite risk for infection.
And if that happens,
that is bigger
than an infection
in your skin.
It's a tough situation
for delano
because I really
want to help him,
but pulling that fluid out
would just be
a temporary band-aid, really.
And each time you do that,
you run the risk of infection
in the area, and infection
would be a terrible thing.
The bad news for delano is
that he needs to get a surgery,
and unkink this lymphatic
system vessel
that is causing a build up of
this fluid on his upper back.
This is an area
that I can't get to.
I mean, we can't just
keep meeting like this.
Right.
And me just pulling out
liquid there each time,
and it just reforming.
I'm just shocked.
This bump is like a curse now.
Like something that's never
going to go away.
You know, I can't get rid
of this for you.
I've been living with these
for 15 years.
They'll just keep growing
and growing,
and they eventually
swell up and burst.
Nobody has been able to do
anything for them in the past,
so I don't want to get
my hopes up for this.
My problem with draining it
is that it's not going
to solve the problem.
About 18 months ago,
I met delano,
who has this huge
balloon-sized lymphangioma.
I was able to drain it,
and it was filled with fluid,
but recently,
it has recurred.
A lymphangioma is not a type
of growth
that I can fully remove.
This is an area that I can't
really get to, it's too deep.
You know, I can't get rid
of this for you.
So, I have a different
idea for you.
I have worked really hard
behind the scenes
since I've seen you last
to talk to other doctors
and see if somebody
could help you.
So, I just want to tell you
we found a doctor.
Yeah?
Who is gonna remove this
for free and forever.
Wow.
We found somebody
who's gonna do this for you.
Isn't that so wonderful?
It gives me chills.
Yeah, it does.
I just got the chills.
They're gonna get rid
of this forever for you.
I didn't really expect delano's
bump to return this fast,
but I'm not surprised
that it did
because really, you have to fix
the source of this problem,
and that is repair the damage
to his lymphatic system
so that he doesn't have
this continued build-up of fluid
which is why
I've actually been working
really hard behind the scenes,
and I'm really pleased
that I was able to find somebody
who was gonna take
care of delano,
because this is an expensive
surgery that he cannot afford,
but it will be truly
life-changing for him,
and I can't wait to see him
after his surgery.
I feel like I'm going to be able
to be the person
that I always wanted to be
but never could be
because of this.
- Yeah.
You changed my life, for real.
When Dr. Lee told me that she --
she found a doctor for me
to do my surgery,
it just took my breath away,
it blew my mind, for real.
I was working on saving for it,
but it's a lot of money.
We'll burn
the shirt together.
Yes.
We can do that,
for sure.
I want to thank you,
for real.
Oh, I didn't do it.
You did it.
I told you you're like
my guardian angel.
Aww.
For Dr. Lee to have gone
as far as she's gone for me,
this is amazing.
I'm the happiest man on earth
right now, for real.
♪
♪
My name is Reed Olsen.
I'm from Las Vegas,
and I have eruptive vellus
hair cysts on my chest.
They just sort of developed
when I was 17,
and I've been living with these
for about 15 years.
I didn't really think
much of them
because they would pop
like a zit.
The only thing is they would
come right back.
Once they become agitated,
they'll just keep
growing and growing,
and they'll start
itching and hurting,
and once they're
a pretty good size,
they eventually swell up
and burst.
So, wearing a shirt
really agitates it.
So, is the one that grew up
to about the size of a grape.
They had to cut it out,
but it left a pretty
decent-sized crater right there.
I've seen three doctors
about this.
One didn't know what they were,
the second doctor
misdiagnosed them,
and the third doctor said
she could cut them all out,
but it would leave a scar
underneath all of them,
and so I opted not to do that.
I love making pizza
in my spare time.
One of my goals is I want
to start a food truck
that makes pizza.
But when these bumps
get really big,
they start showing
through my shirt,
and it's just harder to hide.
I don't want people to think
that I'm dirty,
especially when
I'm making their pizza.
If I can get rid of these bumps,
I would have more
self-confidence
to start a food truck.
My embarrassment would diminish
and I would be ready
to take on the world.
I have a girlfriend named tiani.
She's the love of my life.
The first time I showed
her my bumps,
she was pretty surprised,
but she said it was nothing
to worry about,
and she loved me
no matter what.
Are you gonna
come in with me?
No, I don't think so.
All right.
The worst part about
his condition
is that it affects
his confidence a lot.
You know, he feels like kind
of inferior
than everybody else
because of his skin condition.
It's all I can think about
is my bumps.
I want you to be
confident in yourself
and I want you to not have
to think about them so often.
Even when nobody else is around,
I still feel gross about myself.
You think people are gonna
judge you for it?
I judge myself for it.
Wow.
♪
♪
Reed:
I'm here at Dr. Lee's office,
and I'm a little nervous
that, uh --
that she won't be able to do
anything with these bumps.
Nobody has been able to do
anything for them in the past,
so I don't want to get
my hopes up for this.
Reed.
Hi.
I feel sad.
When I look in the mirror
and see these bumps,
I just feel sad
that I have them.
Okay. So, have a seat
and Dr. Lee will be
in shortly.
- Okay, thank you.
- You're welcome.
Reed: I know she's the best
in the business,
and if she can't take care
of these, then I --
there's just
no hope for me.
Hello.
How are you?
- I'm fine.
- You are Reed.
- Yes.
- It's really nice to meet you.
- Very nice to meet you.
Thanks for coming
out here.
What can I do
for you today?
You're looking pretty good.
- Well, thank you.
What's going on?
Something's under there?
I don't know what to do with
these little bumps on my chest.
Ah. That looks like one
got a little angry, too.
Mm-hmm.
What do you think these are?
Do you know?
I self-diagnosed it
as eruptive vellus hair cysts.
You did? How did you
get that diagnosis?
You're pretty smart
then,
because I think that's a hard
diagnosis for somebody to make.
Yes, eruptive vellus
hair cysts.
This is kind of
a condition
that mainly dermatologists
know about.
So it looks like sometimes
some of them get inflamed?
- Yeah.
- Right?
So this one
got enflamed,
grew up to about
the size of a grape,
and then they had to...
- Somebody had to I.N.D. It --
incise and drain it?
- Yes.
- Okay.
So, there's, like,
a continuum, we say.
There are eruptive
vellus hair cysts,
and then also on the other side,
there are steatocystomas.
Some people have a condition
called steatocystoma multiplex,
which is probably
what we would maybe call this.
There are people
who have these conditions --
e.v.h.c.s or steatocystomas,
and some people kind of
have predominantly
one kind versus another.
So he has really what I would
call steatocystoma multiplex,
and that just means
more than one steatocystoma.
The thing is is that you
probably have over
100 of them, really.
But I think by maybe
removing some of them,
the biggest ones, you know,
we can maybe help prevent them
from getting inflamed,
or getting irritated.
So maybe in the future,
you'll have fewer of these kind
of issues with breakouts
and things like that.
Sure. Cool.
It's good that Reed is getting
out these steatocystomas
before they get inflamed,
because inflammation can really
lead to permanent scarring,
but also before
they get too big,
because steatocystomas
tend to kind of push
all your regular tissue
away under the skin
so, it's like it's taking up
its own little area,
and when you remove it,
the bigger it is,
the bigger a depression
you're left with.
All right.
You ready?
I'm ready.
Okay, let's do it, 'cause we got
to start working on you.
Because even though it's not
that huge of an area,
it could take us
a while.
- Yeah.
- Okay?
All right,
I'll be back.
Okay, guys, we got
a cute one here.
We got one of my favorites,
steatocystomas, or e.V.H.C.S.
We need our numbing,
we need our glue,
our little steri-strip
and glue.
All right,
let's get started.
You want to get joceline,
have her do this one?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Joceline.
Dr. Lee's gonna do
steatocystomas,
so we're show you
everything you need.
Okay.
Kristi: Joceline is one of
our other assistants here.
She will be taking my place
while I am on maternity
leave with my baby.
Does he have a lot?
I -- I haven't
seen his chest,
but I do think
that he has quite a bit.
I think joceline's
gonna do a great job.
We all love her,
she's a hard worker,
so I know that she's gonna
take care of Dr. Lee,
and val is gonna have
a good partner to work with.
Take a little
steri-strip
and just put that
across the incision.
That's all you gotta do.
- Yeah.
And we'll be right outside
the door if you need us.
♪
Dr. Lee:
Okay, let's get you numb here
and comfortable.
I'm gonna lean your head back.
All right.
Right now, I'm worried
that she can't get them all,
especially in one sitting.
But I'm hopeful that she can get
the ones that look like
they're gonna grow up
to be larger
so they don't get agitated,
inflamed,
and have to be cut out later
to leave craters in my chest.
Dr. Lee:
Okay, so if you feel anything
other than us
touching you right now --
you don't have to look yet,
but in a little bit,
you can look.
♪
Dr. Lee is going to look
at my back today
and make sure everything is
how it's supposed to be.
I have a concern, like,
if it is gonna come back.
There's always that risk.
♪
Dr. Lee:
Okay, so if you feel anything
other than us touching you
right now, I want --
you don't have to look yet.
But in a little bit,
you can look.
Reed is here and he has
hundreds of steatocystomas
and eruptive vellus hair cysts.
I want to get as many of them
out as I can,
but I know that there is
a limiting step --
it's my hands.
My hands get really tired
because I've got to squeeze
these really hard,
and I need to get
as many of them out
before my hands give out.
Dr. Lee:
There.
- Ooh.
- Uh-huh.
You're now a pop-aholic,
I can see it.
- I am.
- You got it in you.
You turned me
into a pop-aholic.
I'm going to
in a second.
Yours are going to be nice.
Yours popped out.
See that little sac?
That's a steatocystoma.
Two more little squeezes.
There's my --
here you go.
At least it doesn't
smell, right?
♪
Isn't that cool, joceline?
- Yeah.
- Kind of cool, huh?
- Okay, five down, 50 more to go.
Can you raise my head up
just a little so I can see it?
Sure.
Actually, yes, we can.
Reed, I could see the obsession
right there, it's growing.
Now it's starting.
This is like a pivotal moment
in his life.
- There we go.
- Is that better?
- Yeah.
- Oh, now look at you.
Now you really got
a front-row seat.
Now I'm interested.
All right.
This is gonna be
a good day for Reed
because I'm just
getting started.
He's got a lot of steatocystomas
to see and revel in.
I can't believe that came
out of me.
I know.
That's like butter
or something for your toast.
You just ruined toast for me.
Sorry.
You're just going to town
on these.
I'm trying.
Before my hand gives out.
You like them, huh?
They're growing on you.
- Yeah.
I want them back.
- You do?
No, I doubt it.
♪
I think my hand is done.
I just removed a whole stick
of butter from Reed's chest.
I mean, that was how
many steatocystomas
I squeezed out, and my hands,
my fingers, they're exhausted.
Imagine if you're typing
on your keyboard,
and instead of typing on it,
you had to squeeze each key
hard over and over again.
It messes with your fingers,
it messes with your head.
That's gonna look
a lot better.
It doesn't look that great
right now.
- It will, though.
- Yes.
- You see the potential, right?
- Definitely.
Reed:
I've had these since I was
17 years old,
so just watching them
disappear like that,
it really helps
my self-confidence,
and it's making me smile.
When they heal up, is there
gonna be a lot of scarring?
I think with your light
complexion,
they'll heal in
really well.
You may always know
something's there,
but I think that most people are
not gonna be able to see them.
Reed: I was really thankful
that Dr. Lee
got almost all
of these bumps out
so I know that they're not
gonna leave craters in my chest.
All right, you're all set.
You're ready to go.
I think you're gonna
feel a lot better,
you're gonna look
a lot better
once these
all certainly heal up.
Give me a hug.
- Thank you.
Nice to meet you,
sweetie.
I'm glad I converted
another pop-aholic.
Have a good one, okay?
- You too.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye.
♪
Kristi, who's one of my main
assistants, is really pregnant.
She's about to go on leave.
So we're all really excited
and quietly
trying to plan
a baby shower for her.
Val has been working really
hard behind the scenes
to make it something special.
This is going to be kristi's
4th child, her first girl,
so we're very excited for her,
and we can't wait to shower her
before she goes
on maternity leave.
So cute, you guys.
Look at the cake.
Oh, my god,
I'm so excited.
Who's gonna get her?
Hey, can you, um,
lock the front door?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
Of course.
- Dr. Lee!
- Don't break anything.
What is this?
All: Surprise!
Surprise!
I need help coming out.
Ugh!
We all popped out.
Did we all pop out?
- Yes.
- Surprise!
Look, it's all pink this time,
your first girl.
I know.
Look, you better send us
pictures all the time.
I'll be around.
And you better bring
your little baby around,
your little first girl.
We're so happy.
I'm so happy for you.
We're all happy for her.
- Thank you.
- We love you so much.
Thanks, you guys.
I'm really happy that
you're having a girl
because I wanted you
to have a girl last time,
and now you're
finally having one.
We're really gonna miss you
and I'm really happy.
I'm gonna miss everybody,
of course, because we're close.
You know, I won't be able
to see them
because I'm gonna be gone
my whole maternity leave.
So, I have to make my trips
down here to come
and say hi
and bring the little baby.
You know that we love you,
and I'm so happy for you,
and I wish you an easy
pregnancy, an easy pop.
And...
And -- and come back soon.
Here's to kristi!
All: Kristi!
I'm here today to see Dr. Lee.
I'm a little worried that it
could possibly come back.
All: Yay!
Yay!
Inoke: It has been two and a
half months since I saw Dr. Lee.
My shoulder is healing
very nicely,
and my life
has changed dramatically.
♪
I'm here today to see Dr. Lee.
I had a big fluid-filled lump
on my back.
Dr. Lee found me
a surgeon who removed it.
Dr. Lee is gonna look
at my back today
and make sure everything is
how it's supposed to be.
I'm' a little worried that it
could possibly come back,
so I'm hoping
that the surgery worked.
I'm so happy that I was able
to find delano a specialist,
because there's not many people
who do this type of surgery,
and it's been a few months
since I saw delano,
and I'm so excited to see
how delano's doing now.
I have been
waiting to see you.
You look fantastic!
- Thank you.
And just my little
initial peek,
I don't see something
over your shoulder.
I'm gonna be careful
hugging you,
but it's so nice
to see you.
Nice to see you, too.
So, how did things
go for you?
- It went good.
- Okay.
So was it a success
as far as you know?
Yeah, it was
a success.
Great.
That's awesome.
They removed the whole sac.
Do you want to see it?
Really?
Yeah, I would love to see it.
Here, let me see.
Wow, that is crazy!
I mean, it's intact.
- Yeah.
They got it all in one
piece it looks like,
and there's still
fluid in it.
- It looks like jello.
- It does.
But that's fluid, that
yellowish fluid we saw.
So, you don't want
to pop that.
So that's quite
some skill.
Much like I remove a cyst,
these surgeons had
to remove this sac.
But here, they had to actually
seal the connection
that created this fluid
in this space in his body.
I would've loved to see
how they got
that entire sac
out like that intact.
I mean, that thing must've
been very thin-walled.
I don't know what you're gonna
do with all those shirts
that you used to put
over your shoulder.
- I'm burning them.
- Oh, you're burning -- okay.
I think this is going to turn
his life around 180 degrees.
I hope they realize how much
they have changed
his life
for the better.
I have a concern, like if it
is going to come back.
I mean, I think that that's
a worry no matter what,
even with the things that
I do here in the office
that are much smaller,
there's always that risk.
But I think that we should
be really assured
by the fact that they got it
out completely intact.
That is a very good sign.
Do you mind if I take a look
since I'm a skin doctor?
I hope the scar looks nice
and beautiful
and as minimal as it can be.
I want to see his back without
this big fluid-filled mass.
This looks fantastic,
though, so far.
That looks good.
Even though this is a little
bit, like, sticking up,
it is not
watery like last time.
Like, it was very fluctuant,
we say, where it's fluid-filled.
And so it feels stiffer,
which means
that it's probably just
inflammation of your muscle.
I'm gonna guess that they left
a little area open
to allow
for some more drainage.
You have to have
a big excision there
to really remove that
lymphatic sac completely,
and I think his scar
looks really great.
It's Dr. Pimple popper approved.
I think you're gonna
do really, really well.
- Okay, cool.
- Okay?
I'm really pleased
with this.
So they did
a great job.
I wish delano all the best.
This is something that has
prevented him
from continuing
with his life.
And now that it's gone, I mean,
he's got the whole world
in front of him.
I'm so happy that we were able
to find somebody to help you,
and I'm just so excited
to watch you,
and see how
your life changes.
This really means
the world to me.
It means the world
to me, too.
Thank you.
Thank you, sweetheart.
I adore you.
Dr. Lee really gave me
a new start on life.
I lost 11 years of my life
to this bump,
but I refuse to let it
hold me down anymore.
I really want to pursue
fitness training.
Working out is one
of my passions.
Sky's the limit.
Nothing can stop me now.
♪
Dr. Lee: It's been three months
since delano's surgery,
and he is looking fantastic.
His scar has healed up so well.
He is going back
into personal training,
his lymphangioma has not
come back, and he's so happy.
Reed: It's been four weeks
since I've seen Dr. Lee.
The bumps on my chest
are starting to heal.
It was never a possibility
that Dr. Lee
can remove all of these,
but I'm very confident that
with a few more treatments,
they'll be completely gone.
I'm very happy that I found
a good doctor
that really knows
what she's doing.
I'm excited not just about
my bumps being done,
but a lot of new changes
in my life.
Tiani: I can smell it!
It smells good.
Reed:
I just bought a food truck.
The food truck's name is
"rockin' Reed's pizza."
Even with my shirt on,
I still have more confidence,
and I just started
this business,
so I need all
the confidence I can get.
Knowing how quick and painless
each bump
was to remove,
it was like,
"oh, wow, so this can
be taken care of."
- Cheers!
- Cheers.
♪
♪
Inoke: It has been two
and a half months
since I saw Dr. Lee.
Since then, my shoulder
has been healing very nicely,
as you can see.
For that, I'm really grateful.
All: Yay!
Yay!
Inoke:
Since the procedure, my life
has changed dramatically.
I was angry with inoke because
he never took care of himself.
But now he's taking much
better care of himself,
so I am just over the moon.
I used to catch my shoulder
on this doorway
when I come around
this corner...
But not anymore.
I'm able to put on my shirts
and wear clothes
a little bit easier.
I'm able to do things that
I hadn't been able
to do
for quite some time.
I wish to thank Dr. Lee for
giving me back my life.
I have a second chance at life.
For that, I'm really grateful.
This lump has been a constant
companion of mine
for probably 8, 9 years.
Just the word "cancer,"
it's practically a death
sentence, isn't it?
- Yeah.
- Did you go and see doctors?
The first one said that
it might be life-threatening.
Reed: I feel sad.
When I look in the mirror
and see these bumps,
I just feel sad
that I have them.
The thing is is that you
probably have over
100 of them, really.
Yeah.
Right now, I'm worried
that she can't get them all.
Delano was a patient that
we treated 18 months ago.
When he left, his lump was flat.
Since I saw Dr. Lee,
my lump has come back.
It's right back.
I can't get rid
of this for you.
captions paid for by
discovery communications
♪
My name is inoke.
I'm 51 years old.
I live here
in Sacramento, California.
I have a -- a lump
on my right shoulder
that is of
a softball size.
Welcome.
I first noticed it
when it was the size
of maybe half of a golf ball,
but I didn't think
much about it.
I thought it was just a little
something
that would go away in time.
And in the last five years,
it kind of just grew
to what it is now.
♪
The lump has restricted me
quite a bit.
I have knocked on the shower
doors when I go in it,
and that one hurts because
it's metal and sharp,
so I'm always reminded that,
"hey, you've got a buddy that's
coming to the shower with you."
Then when I'm putting
on clothes,
just putting on a t-shirt
like I normally do,
I will have to wiggle through
here to push it down, you know.
So that has happened
quite a bit.
♪
Being born and bred in Fiji,
I'm very much involved with
the Fijian community youth here
in northern California.
I used to be able
to dance traditionally,
but I haven't been
able to perform
in any of
the traditional dances
because of the limitations
I have.
It hurts my shoulder,
and that gets to me emotionally,
but I know there's nothing
I can do about it.
Now I just help teach.
Bill:
My dad doesn't dance with us
because he has his
traveling companion,
I guess, on his shoulder.
It's kind of sad to just see him
sit on the sidelines like that,
just watching us
instead of him doing it with us.
Your hand up, like she's doing.
Up here.
It is very important to me
to remind our kids
the rich heritage
that they belong to.
I would love to dance again.
♪
- Hi, sweetheart.
- Hi, babe.
I am blessed with my lovely wife
of 30 years, ateca.
Apart from this guy, she's been
my constant companion
through thick and thin.
♪
How's your shoulder?
It seems like
it's getting bigger, eh?
- It is, yeah.
- It's not getting any smaller.
Mm-hmm.
Inoke:
I visited at least a couple
of doctors
who weren't sure what I had,
but that it might be cancerous.
You got to start
looking after yourself.
I mean, you know,
just the word "cancer"...
We all know
what that is.
It's practically a death
sentence, isn't it?
Yeah.
It was tough telling your wife
and your kids that, uh...
Um, what I have could...
Could be cancerous, and...
Take me away from my family
earlier than I would like to.
Um...
I never got a biopsy
or any follow-up on it.
To me, that was it.
I was kind of scared to know
if that was right.
You still have small
children, you know?
They still need
their father around.
I need you around.
So we need, you know,
you to slow down.
You know, take time
for yourself, get things done.
Okay?
'Cause we want you around
for a long time.
It's really hard to see him
with that lump,
and, um, you know,
I'm angry.
Because it's just something
that he's ignored,
and I hope that inoke
hasn't waited too long
to get this checked out.
I will definitely
take care of it,
and I do apologize it has
taken a while to get it done.
Let's get it done.
♪
Yeah.
Come in front of you
really quickly.
Thank you.
♪
For me, being here today
is a true testament
that I am finally putting
myself first and foremost.
I'm hoping, praying that Dr. Lee
will remove my lump today.
It is something that I've been
quietly waiting for.
- Hello, good morning.
- Morning.
I'm a little worried
that what I may hear
from Dr. Lee will be the same
that I was told before.
I'll take it as it comes.
- Have a seat right over there.
- Okay.
Dr. Lee will be in
in just a moment, okay?
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
My wife told me
that she loved me.
That, uh...
That it'll all be okay.
Inoke, hi.
How are you?
- Good, thank you.
Where are you from?
I hear a little accent.
- Fiji.
- Fiji.
What can I do
for you today?
Well, I'm hoping
that you will, uh,
help me with my lump
on my right shoulder...
Uh-huh, yeah.
...that, uh, has been
a constant companion of mine
for probably 8, 9 years,
but it's kind of just
overgrown pretty quick
in the last five years.
- Okay.
Does it cause you pain,
discomfort or anything?
Discomfort, mostly.
A little pain
now and again.
Anything else that,
like, kind of affects you?
Like, what do you like to do
in your free time?
We used to do dances, like
traditional dances and stuff.
Okay, is that usually
shirtless, too?
Oh, we're shirtless, yeah.
This is hard to do then.
It is difficult.
Did you go and see
doctors for this?
Yes, I did see
a couple of doctors,
and they didn't know
what it was.
Okay.
It was sort of
a scary moment for me.
Yeah.
The first one said it might be
life-threatening or something.
- That's scary.
- Yeah, that is scary.
So that kind of just put me off
wanting to be seen.
Right.
I'm worried that his doctor
told him
that this bump
is life-threatening.
That is serious to me.
I need to make sure
that when I evaluate this,
that there are no signs that
this could really be dangerous.
- May I take a look?
- Of course, please.
Yeah.
- Okay.
I'm gonna lift
this up if you don't mind.
The most important thing
for me to do
is to touch this bump because
when something is adherent,
or stuck to your body,
that is a potentially bad sign.
This feels heavy!
Well...
The fact that you've had this
for a decade or so,
almost a decade, and it --
you're very healthy otherwise,
it really kind of tells me
this is likely benign.
- Yeah?
- You know?
Okay,
so that's a good sign.
But, you know, any time
we remove something,
we check to make sure
it's okay.
Inoke's bump is really big,
but the good news is it
moves around really well,
and I would think
if you had a bump
this big that was malignant,
you likely wouldn't
have survived this long.
But it is really big.
There's a lot of other
complications
that can arise
removing a bump this big.
I think this very possibly
could be a lipoma.
It feels pretty good.
I feel like today's the day
that you lose this --
this bump.
Thank you.
You're gonna use up
all my kleenex.
Inoke: I'm' hopeful that when
the test results come back,
that it will be benign
because that will take
a huge weight off my shoulder,
worrying too much about it.
Okay, I'll be back.
I am so ready to say goodbye to
my bump after all these years.
Okay, guys.
He is so sweet, inoke.
He's from Fiji, he dances,
and he hasn't done that
for I don't know
how many years.
How exciting would it be
to get him able to do that?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
I'm excited to take care of him,
and I'm hoping
this'll be a good pop.
We're going to need tumescent
anesthesia, towels,
big --
the big snip.
That thing's got weight to it.
All right.
- Okay.
All right.
Dr. Lee:
Okay, this area's gonna get
more full
because we're putting
numbing solution under there,
and it actually is
more comfortable that way.
♪
♪
Okay, you shouldn't
feel anything
other than
my touching you, okay?
Okay.
♪
Just gonna pull on you.
I feel like he's gonna fall
if I make one swift move.
Dr. Lee:
Look who it is!
- Hey.
- How are you?
Dr. Lee: Delano was a patient
that we treated 18 months ago.
When he left,
his lump was flat.
My lump has come back.
All the pain is back.
All the pain?
♪
Inoke's here today.
He is a sweetheart, a guy
with a big bump on his shoulder.
I don't know exactly what it is,
but I'm about to find out.
Are you
doing all right?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Dr. Lee:
It looks like a lipoma.
Just trying
to use my fingers,
which is very safe,
to move things around,
and just check areas, make sure
nothing's ever hurting you,
like I said
a million times.
I'm a broken record,
I know. You okay?
Yeah, yeah,
I'm good.
Just gonna
pull on you.
This lipoma is really
cooperating with me,
that's a good thing.
But the larger an area
that you remove under the body,
the more you are in contact
with other blood vessels,
other nerves,
and other issues there,
so I don't want to shear blood
vessels and cause a problem.
Dr. Lee:
And just make sure we catch
something if anything falls.
So, maybe after we do this,
maybe I could convince you
to show us a little dance,
teach us a little --
a couple of moves.
Oh, my gosh,
he's almost there,
but I feel like he's gonna
fall if I don't --
if I make
one swift move.
So close!
You got it all, right?
You got it.
I got it.
♪
Dr. Lee:
That was a satisfying one.
There we go.
I think that's one
of the first times
we've filled that tray
and it's, like, overflowing it.
Look, it's, like,
peeking out the top.
Yeah. I would say
definitely more
than what I had
originally thought.
Had it for 10 years, out in
maybe a little over 10 minutes.
Thank you so much.
We're not finished yet.
After removing some extra skin
so I can make this
lay really nice and flat,
I really do
an extra check underneath,
making sure there's
no little blood vessels
that need to be tied off
or cauterized
because this is
a really mobile area.
The shoulder, you know,
you move it up and down,
and if there was a bleed
under there,
this area would swell up again
with blood,
and that is a big mess.
Got to make
you look pretty.
Okay. Get ready
to take a look.
♪
Inoke:
I feel way lighter.
My arm feels amazing.
I'm trying to contain myself
right now.
Dr. Lee:
Oh, you got the award.
9 pounds, 2 ounces.
Oh, [bleep].
Congratulations!
- Thank you so much.
- That is a baby.
- That's a big baby.
- That is a baby.
I'm excited to get back home and
just dance like I was meant to.
Now you're gonna
be able to dance.
You like me to show you --
teach you how to dance?
I'd love to.
Fijians are known for
their fierce warrior dances.
- Yes.
- But I don't want to do it
because I might break something
in here right now.
So, I will do a Fijian
folk dance.
- Okay.
- You and I, while we sing.
So, "bula" is greeting
in Fijian.
- Bula.
- Bula, maleya.
♪ Bula maleya kei viti talega ♪
♪ bula
cauravou era yalo qaqa ♪
I feel overwhelmed with joy
and blessed and grateful.
- Bula!
- Bula!
Bula to you.
Bula.
Thank you.
♪
Dr. Lee: Delano is back
to see me today.
I haven't seen him in a while,
but he is really one of
my most memorable patients
because about 10 years ago,
he developed a quite
remarkable bump on his back
and it really affected his life
in so many negative ways.
When I was 19, I had a small
knot in my shoulder,
and as it was getting bigger,
I noticed
my self-esteem dropping.
One day, I picked up a shirt,
and I put it over my shoulder,
and the shirt has always
been my security blanket.
Most jobs is not gonna let you
wear the shirt on your shoulder,
so the people that's hiring me,
I never hear from them again.
That's hard, me not being able
to provide for myself
to the point where I was
sleeping at bus stops,
park benches...
And, like, just being hopeless,
you know?
Not having nobody to give
a lending hand, you know.
I came to see Dr. Lee for the
first time a few months ago,
and I was really hoping that
she could give me some help.
- Delano, is that right?
- Yes.
Dr. Lee:
Delano came in to see me,
and when I initially
saw that black shirt
tossed over his shoulder, I knew
that he was hiding something.
I'm just gonna see
if I can pull out
any fluid
from there, okay?
Dr. Lee:
I drained nearly a liter
of fluid from delano's back.
It really wasn't a cyst
or a lipoma.
It was something that
I've never seen before.
27, 28, 29, 30,
31, 32, 33.
So, almost a liter.
Look at that.
It ended up being
a lymphangioma,
a sac that's created from
drainage of lymphatic fluid.
There's a chance
that this can come back.
I cannot
remove a lymphangioma.
It would have taken a team
of specialists
to completely remove
this lymphangioma for him.
But I was able
to successfully drain it
and improve the appearance.
You know that I got
your back, right?
I literally got
your back here, too.
Dr. Lee:
It was so nice to be able
to help delano.
He was at a literally
stand-still.
He had so many aspirations,
but he couldn't make anything
with his life
because the bump
was in his way.
I am so gonna burn this
when I get home.
Dr. Lee:
But I knew that was he was gonna
have much more confidence,
so I'm really excited
to see how he's doing.
Hey, how you doing?
I'm here to see Dr. Lee.
Delano: Since I saw Dr. Lee,
my lump has come back.
It's come all the way back,
as you can see.
I've started hiding it again.
I said I was never gonna put
this shirt back on my shoulder,
and I'm back wearing it.
So I kind of relapsed on it.
And I'm in the same pain
I was before.
- Delano.
- Yes.
Delano: I'm really grateful
for having Dr. Lee.
She's kept in contact with me.
And today, I'm hoping
that Dr. Lee
will figure out a solution
for this problem.
- Look who it is!
- Hey.
- How are you?
- I'm good, how are you?
- Nice to see you.
- Nice to see you, too.
- You look great!
- Thank you.
You look like you've been
taking care of yourself.
Yeah, I have.
That's wonderful.
I've been more active.
Yes, good.
Things have been okay?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
I do see you're wearing
the shirt again, though.
Yeah, I relapsed.
Yeah, I was concerned about
that because of what this is.
It's a lymphangioma.
My lymphatic system,
right?
Yes.
Right.
Can I take a look at it?
Is that okay?
Oh, yeah, it is.
It's right back.
As if I were
never there.
Right.
Dr. Lee:
I'm so happy to see delano,
but this lymphangioma
has grown back.
There's a space that has
been filled up
with fluid for many years,
and we drained it.
But if it's going to continue
to fill up again,
it's gonna look just the same.
So I'm not surprised it looks
just the same as it did before.
If you don't seal
that connection of where
it's being created,
it's going to keep doing that.
So, unfortunately, it's not
surprising that it recurred.
All the pain is back.
All the pain?
You're probably interested
in me trying to --
and I'd be interested
in trying to help you out.
I mean, I don't want you
to come back and say --
- deflate it.
- You want me to deflate it?
Is that what you want me to --
that's what you want me to do?
Mm-hmm.
Because that'll decrease
the pain and discomfort?
- Mm-hmm.
- My problem with draining it
is that it's not gonna
solve the problem.
My concern with this is the fact
that if you keep draining this,
every time you do this, there is
a definite risk for infection.
And if that happens,
that is bigger
than an infection
in your skin.
It's a tough situation
for delano
because I really
want to help him,
but pulling that fluid out
would just be
a temporary band-aid, really.
And each time you do that,
you run the risk of infection
in the area, and infection
would be a terrible thing.
The bad news for delano is
that he needs to get a surgery,
and unkink this lymphatic
system vessel
that is causing a build up of
this fluid on his upper back.
This is an area
that I can't get to.
I mean, we can't just
keep meeting like this.
Right.
And me just pulling out
liquid there each time,
and it just reforming.
I'm just shocked.
This bump is like a curse now.
Like something that's never
going to go away.
You know, I can't get rid
of this for you.
I've been living with these
for 15 years.
They'll just keep growing
and growing,
and they eventually
swell up and burst.
Nobody has been able to do
anything for them in the past,
so I don't want to get
my hopes up for this.
My problem with draining it
is that it's not going
to solve the problem.
About 18 months ago,
I met delano,
who has this huge
balloon-sized lymphangioma.
I was able to drain it,
and it was filled with fluid,
but recently,
it has recurred.
A lymphangioma is not a type
of growth
that I can fully remove.
This is an area that I can't
really get to, it's too deep.
You know, I can't get rid
of this for you.
So, I have a different
idea for you.
I have worked really hard
behind the scenes
since I've seen you last
to talk to other doctors
and see if somebody
could help you.
So, I just want to tell you
we found a doctor.
Yeah?
Who is gonna remove this
for free and forever.
Wow.
We found somebody
who's gonna do this for you.
Isn't that so wonderful?
It gives me chills.
Yeah, it does.
I just got the chills.
They're gonna get rid
of this forever for you.
I didn't really expect delano's
bump to return this fast,
but I'm not surprised
that it did
because really, you have to fix
the source of this problem,
and that is repair the damage
to his lymphatic system
so that he doesn't have
this continued build-up of fluid
which is why
I've actually been working
really hard behind the scenes,
and I'm really pleased
that I was able to find somebody
who was gonna take
care of delano,
because this is an expensive
surgery that he cannot afford,
but it will be truly
life-changing for him,
and I can't wait to see him
after his surgery.
I feel like I'm going to be able
to be the person
that I always wanted to be
but never could be
because of this.
- Yeah.
You changed my life, for real.
When Dr. Lee told me that she --
she found a doctor for me
to do my surgery,
it just took my breath away,
it blew my mind, for real.
I was working on saving for it,
but it's a lot of money.
We'll burn
the shirt together.
Yes.
We can do that,
for sure.
I want to thank you,
for real.
Oh, I didn't do it.
You did it.
I told you you're like
my guardian angel.
Aww.
For Dr. Lee to have gone
as far as she's gone for me,
this is amazing.
I'm the happiest man on earth
right now, for real.
♪
♪
My name is Reed Olsen.
I'm from Las Vegas,
and I have eruptive vellus
hair cysts on my chest.
They just sort of developed
when I was 17,
and I've been living with these
for about 15 years.
I didn't really think
much of them
because they would pop
like a zit.
The only thing is they would
come right back.
Once they become agitated,
they'll just keep
growing and growing,
and they'll start
itching and hurting,
and once they're
a pretty good size,
they eventually swell up
and burst.
So, wearing a shirt
really agitates it.
So, is the one that grew up
to about the size of a grape.
They had to cut it out,
but it left a pretty
decent-sized crater right there.
I've seen three doctors
about this.
One didn't know what they were,
the second doctor
misdiagnosed them,
and the third doctor said
she could cut them all out,
but it would leave a scar
underneath all of them,
and so I opted not to do that.
I love making pizza
in my spare time.
One of my goals is I want
to start a food truck
that makes pizza.
But when these bumps
get really big,
they start showing
through my shirt,
and it's just harder to hide.
I don't want people to think
that I'm dirty,
especially when
I'm making their pizza.
If I can get rid of these bumps,
I would have more
self-confidence
to start a food truck.
My embarrassment would diminish
and I would be ready
to take on the world.
I have a girlfriend named tiani.
She's the love of my life.
The first time I showed
her my bumps,
she was pretty surprised,
but she said it was nothing
to worry about,
and she loved me
no matter what.
Are you gonna
come in with me?
No, I don't think so.
All right.
The worst part about
his condition
is that it affects
his confidence a lot.
You know, he feels like kind
of inferior
than everybody else
because of his skin condition.
It's all I can think about
is my bumps.
I want you to be
confident in yourself
and I want you to not have
to think about them so often.
Even when nobody else is around,
I still feel gross about myself.
You think people are gonna
judge you for it?
I judge myself for it.
Wow.
♪
♪
Reed:
I'm here at Dr. Lee's office,
and I'm a little nervous
that, uh --
that she won't be able to do
anything with these bumps.
Nobody has been able to do
anything for them in the past,
so I don't want to get
my hopes up for this.
Reed.
Hi.
I feel sad.
When I look in the mirror
and see these bumps,
I just feel sad
that I have them.
Okay. So, have a seat
and Dr. Lee will be
in shortly.
- Okay, thank you.
- You're welcome.
Reed: I know she's the best
in the business,
and if she can't take care
of these, then I --
there's just
no hope for me.
Hello.
How are you?
- I'm fine.
- You are Reed.
- Yes.
- It's really nice to meet you.
- Very nice to meet you.
Thanks for coming
out here.
What can I do
for you today?
You're looking pretty good.
- Well, thank you.
What's going on?
Something's under there?
I don't know what to do with
these little bumps on my chest.
Ah. That looks like one
got a little angry, too.
Mm-hmm.
What do you think these are?
Do you know?
I self-diagnosed it
as eruptive vellus hair cysts.
You did? How did you
get that diagnosis?
You're pretty smart
then,
because I think that's a hard
diagnosis for somebody to make.
Yes, eruptive vellus
hair cysts.
This is kind of
a condition
that mainly dermatologists
know about.
So it looks like sometimes
some of them get inflamed?
- Yeah.
- Right?
So this one
got enflamed,
grew up to about
the size of a grape,
and then they had to...
- Somebody had to I.N.D. It --
incise and drain it?
- Yes.
- Okay.
So, there's, like,
a continuum, we say.
There are eruptive
vellus hair cysts,
and then also on the other side,
there are steatocystomas.
Some people have a condition
called steatocystoma multiplex,
which is probably
what we would maybe call this.
There are people
who have these conditions --
e.v.h.c.s or steatocystomas,
and some people kind of
have predominantly
one kind versus another.
So he has really what I would
call steatocystoma multiplex,
and that just means
more than one steatocystoma.
The thing is is that you
probably have over
100 of them, really.
But I think by maybe
removing some of them,
the biggest ones, you know,
we can maybe help prevent them
from getting inflamed,
or getting irritated.
So maybe in the future,
you'll have fewer of these kind
of issues with breakouts
and things like that.
Sure. Cool.
It's good that Reed is getting
out these steatocystomas
before they get inflamed,
because inflammation can really
lead to permanent scarring,
but also before
they get too big,
because steatocystomas
tend to kind of push
all your regular tissue
away under the skin
so, it's like it's taking up
its own little area,
and when you remove it,
the bigger it is,
the bigger a depression
you're left with.
All right.
You ready?
I'm ready.
Okay, let's do it, 'cause we got
to start working on you.
Because even though it's not
that huge of an area,
it could take us
a while.
- Yeah.
- Okay?
All right,
I'll be back.
Okay, guys, we got
a cute one here.
We got one of my favorites,
steatocystomas, or e.V.H.C.S.
We need our numbing,
we need our glue,
our little steri-strip
and glue.
All right,
let's get started.
You want to get joceline,
have her do this one?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Joceline.
Dr. Lee's gonna do
steatocystomas,
so we're show you
everything you need.
Okay.
Kristi: Joceline is one of
our other assistants here.
She will be taking my place
while I am on maternity
leave with my baby.
Does he have a lot?
I -- I haven't
seen his chest,
but I do think
that he has quite a bit.
I think joceline's
gonna do a great job.
We all love her,
she's a hard worker,
so I know that she's gonna
take care of Dr. Lee,
and val is gonna have
a good partner to work with.
Take a little
steri-strip
and just put that
across the incision.
That's all you gotta do.
- Yeah.
And we'll be right outside
the door if you need us.
♪
Dr. Lee:
Okay, let's get you numb here
and comfortable.
I'm gonna lean your head back.
All right.
Right now, I'm worried
that she can't get them all,
especially in one sitting.
But I'm hopeful that she can get
the ones that look like
they're gonna grow up
to be larger
so they don't get agitated,
inflamed,
and have to be cut out later
to leave craters in my chest.
Dr. Lee:
Okay, so if you feel anything
other than us
touching you right now --
you don't have to look yet,
but in a little bit,
you can look.
♪
Dr. Lee is going to look
at my back today
and make sure everything is
how it's supposed to be.
I have a concern, like,
if it is gonna come back.
There's always that risk.
♪
Dr. Lee:
Okay, so if you feel anything
other than us touching you
right now, I want --
you don't have to look yet.
But in a little bit,
you can look.
Reed is here and he has
hundreds of steatocystomas
and eruptive vellus hair cysts.
I want to get as many of them
out as I can,
but I know that there is
a limiting step --
it's my hands.
My hands get really tired
because I've got to squeeze
these really hard,
and I need to get
as many of them out
before my hands give out.
Dr. Lee:
There.
- Ooh.
- Uh-huh.
You're now a pop-aholic,
I can see it.
- I am.
- You got it in you.
You turned me
into a pop-aholic.
I'm going to
in a second.
Yours are going to be nice.
Yours popped out.
See that little sac?
That's a steatocystoma.
Two more little squeezes.
There's my --
here you go.
At least it doesn't
smell, right?
♪
Isn't that cool, joceline?
- Yeah.
- Kind of cool, huh?
- Okay, five down, 50 more to go.
Can you raise my head up
just a little so I can see it?
Sure.
Actually, yes, we can.
Reed, I could see the obsession
right there, it's growing.
Now it's starting.
This is like a pivotal moment
in his life.
- There we go.
- Is that better?
- Yeah.
- Oh, now look at you.
Now you really got
a front-row seat.
Now I'm interested.
All right.
This is gonna be
a good day for Reed
because I'm just
getting started.
He's got a lot of steatocystomas
to see and revel in.
I can't believe that came
out of me.
I know.
That's like butter
or something for your toast.
You just ruined toast for me.
Sorry.
You're just going to town
on these.
I'm trying.
Before my hand gives out.
You like them, huh?
They're growing on you.
- Yeah.
I want them back.
- You do?
No, I doubt it.
♪
I think my hand is done.
I just removed a whole stick
of butter from Reed's chest.
I mean, that was how
many steatocystomas
I squeezed out, and my hands,
my fingers, they're exhausted.
Imagine if you're typing
on your keyboard,
and instead of typing on it,
you had to squeeze each key
hard over and over again.
It messes with your fingers,
it messes with your head.
That's gonna look
a lot better.
It doesn't look that great
right now.
- It will, though.
- Yes.
- You see the potential, right?
- Definitely.
Reed:
I've had these since I was
17 years old,
so just watching them
disappear like that,
it really helps
my self-confidence,
and it's making me smile.
When they heal up, is there
gonna be a lot of scarring?
I think with your light
complexion,
they'll heal in
really well.
You may always know
something's there,
but I think that most people are
not gonna be able to see them.
Reed: I was really thankful
that Dr. Lee
got almost all
of these bumps out
so I know that they're not
gonna leave craters in my chest.
All right, you're all set.
You're ready to go.
I think you're gonna
feel a lot better,
you're gonna look
a lot better
once these
all certainly heal up.
Give me a hug.
- Thank you.
Nice to meet you,
sweetie.
I'm glad I converted
another pop-aholic.
Have a good one, okay?
- You too.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye.
♪
Kristi, who's one of my main
assistants, is really pregnant.
She's about to go on leave.
So we're all really excited
and quietly
trying to plan
a baby shower for her.
Val has been working really
hard behind the scenes
to make it something special.
This is going to be kristi's
4th child, her first girl,
so we're very excited for her,
and we can't wait to shower her
before she goes
on maternity leave.
So cute, you guys.
Look at the cake.
Oh, my god,
I'm so excited.
Who's gonna get her?
Hey, can you, um,
lock the front door?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
Of course.
- Dr. Lee!
- Don't break anything.
What is this?
All: Surprise!
Surprise!
I need help coming out.
Ugh!
We all popped out.
Did we all pop out?
- Yes.
- Surprise!
Look, it's all pink this time,
your first girl.
I know.
Look, you better send us
pictures all the time.
I'll be around.
And you better bring
your little baby around,
your little first girl.
We're so happy.
I'm so happy for you.
We're all happy for her.
- Thank you.
- We love you so much.
Thanks, you guys.
I'm really happy that
you're having a girl
because I wanted you
to have a girl last time,
and now you're
finally having one.
We're really gonna miss you
and I'm really happy.
I'm gonna miss everybody,
of course, because we're close.
You know, I won't be able
to see them
because I'm gonna be gone
my whole maternity leave.
So, I have to make my trips
down here to come
and say hi
and bring the little baby.
You know that we love you,
and I'm so happy for you,
and I wish you an easy
pregnancy, an easy pop.
And...
And -- and come back soon.
Here's to kristi!
All: Kristi!
I'm here today to see Dr. Lee.
I'm a little worried that it
could possibly come back.
All: Yay!
Yay!
Inoke: It has been two and a
half months since I saw Dr. Lee.
My shoulder is healing
very nicely,
and my life
has changed dramatically.
♪
I'm here today to see Dr. Lee.
I had a big fluid-filled lump
on my back.
Dr. Lee found me
a surgeon who removed it.
Dr. Lee is gonna look
at my back today
and make sure everything is
how it's supposed to be.
I'm' a little worried that it
could possibly come back,
so I'm hoping
that the surgery worked.
I'm so happy that I was able
to find delano a specialist,
because there's not many people
who do this type of surgery,
and it's been a few months
since I saw delano,
and I'm so excited to see
how delano's doing now.
I have been
waiting to see you.
You look fantastic!
- Thank you.
And just my little
initial peek,
I don't see something
over your shoulder.
I'm gonna be careful
hugging you,
but it's so nice
to see you.
Nice to see you, too.
So, how did things
go for you?
- It went good.
- Okay.
So was it a success
as far as you know?
Yeah, it was
a success.
Great.
That's awesome.
They removed the whole sac.
Do you want to see it?
Really?
Yeah, I would love to see it.
Here, let me see.
Wow, that is crazy!
I mean, it's intact.
- Yeah.
They got it all in one
piece it looks like,
and there's still
fluid in it.
- It looks like jello.
- It does.
But that's fluid, that
yellowish fluid we saw.
So, you don't want
to pop that.
So that's quite
some skill.
Much like I remove a cyst,
these surgeons had
to remove this sac.
But here, they had to actually
seal the connection
that created this fluid
in this space in his body.
I would've loved to see
how they got
that entire sac
out like that intact.
I mean, that thing must've
been very thin-walled.
I don't know what you're gonna
do with all those shirts
that you used to put
over your shoulder.
- I'm burning them.
- Oh, you're burning -- okay.
I think this is going to turn
his life around 180 degrees.
I hope they realize how much
they have changed
his life
for the better.
I have a concern, like if it
is going to come back.
I mean, I think that that's
a worry no matter what,
even with the things that
I do here in the office
that are much smaller,
there's always that risk.
But I think that we should
be really assured
by the fact that they got it
out completely intact.
That is a very good sign.
Do you mind if I take a look
since I'm a skin doctor?
I hope the scar looks nice
and beautiful
and as minimal as it can be.
I want to see his back without
this big fluid-filled mass.
This looks fantastic,
though, so far.
That looks good.
Even though this is a little
bit, like, sticking up,
it is not
watery like last time.
Like, it was very fluctuant,
we say, where it's fluid-filled.
And so it feels stiffer,
which means
that it's probably just
inflammation of your muscle.
I'm gonna guess that they left
a little area open
to allow
for some more drainage.
You have to have
a big excision there
to really remove that
lymphatic sac completely,
and I think his scar
looks really great.
It's Dr. Pimple popper approved.
I think you're gonna
do really, really well.
- Okay, cool.
- Okay?
I'm really pleased
with this.
So they did
a great job.
I wish delano all the best.
This is something that has
prevented him
from continuing
with his life.
And now that it's gone, I mean,
he's got the whole world
in front of him.
I'm so happy that we were able
to find somebody to help you,
and I'm just so excited
to watch you,
and see how
your life changes.
This really means
the world to me.
It means the world
to me, too.
Thank you.
Thank you, sweetheart.
I adore you.
Dr. Lee really gave me
a new start on life.
I lost 11 years of my life
to this bump,
but I refuse to let it
hold me down anymore.
I really want to pursue
fitness training.
Working out is one
of my passions.
Sky's the limit.
Nothing can stop me now.
♪
Dr. Lee: It's been three months
since delano's surgery,
and he is looking fantastic.
His scar has healed up so well.
He is going back
into personal training,
his lymphangioma has not
come back, and he's so happy.
Reed: It's been four weeks
since I've seen Dr. Lee.
The bumps on my chest
are starting to heal.
It was never a possibility
that Dr. Lee
can remove all of these,
but I'm very confident that
with a few more treatments,
they'll be completely gone.
I'm very happy that I found
a good doctor
that really knows
what she's doing.
I'm excited not just about
my bumps being done,
but a lot of new changes
in my life.
Tiani: I can smell it!
It smells good.
Reed:
I just bought a food truck.
The food truck's name is
"rockin' Reed's pizza."
Even with my shirt on,
I still have more confidence,
and I just started
this business,
so I need all
the confidence I can get.
Knowing how quick and painless
each bump
was to remove,
it was like,
"oh, wow, so this can
be taken care of."
- Cheers!
- Cheers.
♪
♪
Inoke: It has been two
and a half months
since I saw Dr. Lee.
Since then, my shoulder
has been healing very nicely,
as you can see.
For that, I'm really grateful.
All: Yay!
Yay!
Inoke:
Since the procedure, my life
has changed dramatically.
I was angry with inoke because
he never took care of himself.
But now he's taking much
better care of himself,
so I am just over the moon.
I used to catch my shoulder
on this doorway
when I come around
this corner...
But not anymore.
I'm able to put on my shirts
and wear clothes
a little bit easier.
I'm able to do things that
I hadn't been able
to do
for quite some time.
I wish to thank Dr. Lee for
giving me back my life.
I have a second chance at life.
For that, I'm really grateful.