Where is Tim now? 'Take My Tumor' Dr Osborne removes ‘watermelon-sized’ tumor amid facial paralysis risk
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Take My Tumor' patient, Tim has been expressing his joy at having finally been able to overcome the "obstacles" that were stopping him from having the tumor that is the size of a "watermelon" removed from the side of his face. Tim was eventually allowed to see Dr Ryan Osborne about the growth on his face, which turned out to be potentially fatal.
Although salivary gland cancer is rather uncommon, individuals who do get it must make a very tough decision. They may run the danger of suffering from a severe cosmetic deformity, a paralyzed face, or both to have their tumor removed.Tim had complete tumor removal and no facial nerve impairment when Dr Osborne performed this operation on him.
Who is Tim on 'Take My Tumor'?
Tim, a patient on the TLC show 'Take My Tumor', which centers on Dr Osborne's assistance in treating growths in people all around the world. The patient describes how the lump on the side of his face, which "mutated" from his ear, makes it difficult for him to go about his everyday life. He also discloses that he was previously unable to get treatment because of financial obstacles. But thanks to the initiative, he may now obtain assistance at last, and he's prepared to take the chance even if the procedure has risks.
Tim describes his development as a "friendly little tumor," pointing out that the cartilage and blood vessels in his face had "intertwined" to form a "dead mass."He revealed, "It started as a little pimple by my ear in 2007. I tried to squeeze it, obviously, it didn’t break, and then when it was the size of a pea, I tried squeezing it some more and had somebody else try, and it wouldn’t break, and then one morning I woke up, and it was about the size of a small superball." People assumed it was only a cyst, so Tim was advised "not to worry," but when he looked in the mirror, it was bigger and "continuously kept getting larger and larger."
What happened to Tim on 'Take My Tumor'?
The latest episode of 'Take My Tumor' showed a 62-year-old man named Tim from Scottsdale who had a tumor weighing 5.5lbs that was growing on the right side of his face and neck. Tim first noticed a small mass near his ear, but over the course of 16 years, it grew significantly in size, eventually causing discomfort and putting pressure on various areas of his head and neck.
Due to its large size, the tumor was causing Tim's face to become deformed, affecting his ear, jaw, cheek, and eye by pulling and stretching them. He experienced daily headaches and certain movements made him feel as though his face was tearing apart. Due to his lack of health insurance and financial resources, Tim was unable to have the tumor removed, which restricted his eating habits to only using the left side of his mouth and eating while standing up to avoid discomfort.
Dr Ryan Osborne gave Tim hope that he could finally lead a normal life by offering his services as a head and neck surgeon. "Hopefully Dr Osborne is fully capable of removing the beast. You’ve got to put your faith in somebody and… I’m giving Dr Osborne the go ahead to [do his] magic. At the end of the day I just want to be semi-normal and I don't often feel that way," Ryan said.
Tim traveled to Los Angeles to meet with a head and neck surgical oncologist at the Osborne Head and Neck Institute. Dr Osborne explained that although they had video chatted previously, it was essential to see the tumor in person to understand its size fully. The doctor concluded that the tumor was most likely originating from Tim's parotid gland, which is responsible for producing saliva. Tumors in the gland are typically small, but Tim's was unusually large, resembling a watermelon. The surgeon was worried about potential facial paralysis he accidentally cut the wrong nerve while removing it.
Dr Osborne informed Tim that even if the surgery went well, it might take up to six months for him to fully recover the use and feeling in his face. Despite not being very excited about the possibility of having slight deformations in his face, Tim was determined to have the tumor removed. The doctor also told Tim that the most worrisome information was that there was a small possibility that the mass could be cancerous. Although his instincts indicated that it was not harmful, there was a possibility that the cells could have changed and turned into cancerous cells due to its extended growth.
Dr Osborne and Dr Hamilton performed a five-hour surgery on Tim's face and neck two days later. During the surgery, Dr. Osborne successfully located and avoided important nerves in the face. He removed the entire growth and Dr. Hamilton was able to reconstruct Tim's cheek without any sunken appearance. Tim woke up with his ability to smile and move his entire face intact. One week after, Dr Osborne informed Tim that the pathology results were the best they could be. The tumor was found to be non-cancerous and resembled a benign parotid tumor known as a pleomorphic adenoma.Pleomorphic adenomas are the most frequently occurring benign salivary gland tumors, making up 70 to 80 percent of such cases. They are particularly prevalent in the parotid gland. The NIH reports that each year, there are two to 3.5 cases of these growths for every 100,000 people.
Seven weeks post-surgery, Tim felt comfortable going out in public without fear of being judged, and he was able to shave properly for the first time in twenty years. "Since surgery, I feel lighter. I’ve had zero pain. It has been far easier than I expected... It feels fantastic. When the tumor was there, damn that thing was ugly. It’s good that it’s gone. Sixteen years was long enough. Everywhere I go everybody’s really happy for me," Tim said.
After the surgery, Tim can now put on shirts correctly, eat normally, drive without needing to lift his tumor to see, and has been headache-free since the day of the operation. He is capable of efficiently repairing customers' cars without being hindered by the tumor. Tim expressed his excitement about being able to start living his life now that the tumor has been removed.
Tim continued, "'I have to say now. I don’t have a tumor anymore. You’re back to normal so now move on in life. Let’s get going.”’
'Take My Tumor' airs Wednesdays on TLC at 10 pm ET.