The lump on my back turned out to be a lipoma

Hello guys!I've been contemplating to whether  or not share with  you about the operation  I had (it was a minor one so do not worry about it hahaha), although its not that serious & complicated..as a woman I feel as if I am stripping myself naked in  front of millions of people. But for the sake of awareness and for people to become familiar with it, I will share it with you remember knowledge is power!  =D hahaha

             

            back view side my noticeable lump

and I looked so masculine ahahah

I had a lump on my back and it was diagnosed as a Lipoma ( I think you pronounced it as "Lie-pow-mah") and I was able to finally get rid of it 2 months ago yay!

So what is a lipoma? Based on my research it is benign tumor or  an overgrowth fat tissues that got trapped in a fibrous capsule that can be found below your skin.  Think of it as fats that were not able to disperse properly and got stuck in one place forming a lump kinda thing.... yep  lipoma is an overgrowth fatty tissues.

Is it cancerous? Lipomas are not cancerous and they do not turn into cancer. In fact Lipomas are the most common noncancerous soft tissue growth.

Where do they usually grow? They can grow in almost any part of your body including your face however they are most common in the following areas:

◘torso

◘ neck,

◘upper thighs

◘ upper arms,and armpits

◘back

How big can they get? They can get big and lumpy.. I first noticed mine when it was the size of a five peso coin. You can also get multiple lipomas at the same time.

Is it painful? Actually when I had mine It was not really painful unless you press it realllly hard.. over the years I hardly noticed it. It was a little bit uncomfortable but it was tolerable.

How do you know if it really is a Lipoma you have?

Here are the common symptoms based on my research and my experienced

◘ They are Are small [0.4 in. (1 cm) to 1.2 in. (3 cm)] and you can feel it just under the skin.

◘They are movable and have a soft, rubbery consistency ( Seriously It feels like a rubber lump under your skin lol) They also move easily with slight finger pressure.

◘ They relatively do not cause major pain ( unless you press them really hard)Lipomas can  also be painful if they grow and press on nearby nerves or if they contain many blood vessels.

◘ They remain the same size over years or grow very slowly.

The most bothersome symptom for me was the location of it.. my partner kept on teasing me that I had a santol seed on my back, at times he will change it to avocado seed or he will ask me  If I was the  "kampenerang kuba" ( A Filipino drama with a hunchback woman as the protagonist) ahahaha , on a serious note it was really embarrassing to show my back because of the lump, I was not able to really bare my back because of it. 

What are causes of lipoma? 

The causes are unknown some research say that it tends to run in the family so genetic factors can play a major role in its development.

How can it be removed?

◘ It can removed by a minor operation by your GP

◘ Based on my research it can also be removed via  liposuction

So how did you find out about yours?

Well! I am not even sure it this was related to it but it was about 5 years ago, I remember doing an exercise using my jumping rope..  I was not really sure but I had a back pain which I thought  was something really normal because I didn't really bother doing some stretching. My partner then noticed  a lump on my back. Thinking  it was just a swollen skin because of the jumping and skipping I've done I ignored it. Days and months passed I forgot about it.. until one day my partner once again saw it and told me that I still have the lump on my back.. I tried to feel it and I felt rubbery and I even played with it!

What was your initial reaction?

 It scared the hell out of me! I mean feeling something abnormal on your back wouldn't you feel nervous?! I started thinking is it cancer? am I gonna die early? but of course I was so afraid to know  about it so I  never dared to go to the doctor for check up.. I was afraid they might really say the words I never would have wanted to hear in my life.... 

What did you do? 

I started searching the possible reasons behind this rubbery movable lump  I was feeling on my back.. I wasn't feeling anything out of ordinary so that helped me relax a little bit.  So  I spent sleepless night , worrying thinking about it  and tried to research about it.. I came across many things some were really scary and it nearly made me want to go to the E.R. I tried to look for the symptoms and I found out about lipoma...  after doing a thorough research I was 80% sure that what I had is a lipoma so that made me feel better. 

Fast forward year  2015 I finally have decided to get rid of this annoying lump on my back.. why? 

◘My sister convinced me to do it

◘I finally noticed that it gotten bigger that it was very noticeable.. It was sooo embarrassing!

◘ The pain started to get a little bit stronger, I was thinking that It was hitting some of my nerves at the back

Going to the hospital

I first  went to the hospital to finally have it checked by a surgeon, and the doctor confirmed that it is indeed a Lipoma. The doctor said that since Its a benign tumor I have two options: 

◘ I don't have to get rid of it as it won't do any major harm to me but the lump may still grow.

◘ Have it removed however there will be a scar depending on the size of the lipoma.

So after the findings I chose the latter because I felt a little ugly having it on my back.. I immediately set a schedule for the operation.

Where can you get it removed? 

You can have it removed from any hospitals public or private by a surgeon.

I had mine removed at Medical Centre Imus  by Doctor Dumlao and Dra. Alvar.

How much would it cost you?: 

Depends on which hospital you will have your procedure done. I made some inquiries before it was one of the top clinics ( cosmetic clinic) they said I may have to shell out 40-50,000PHP for my lipoma to be removed. It will be cheaper if you go to a public hospital  I think..mine costed under 20,000PHP and also  make sure you have your Philhealth updated as it will give you a huge benefit. I could've paid higher than that If it wasn't for my Philhealth

Th procedure:

◘ The procedure was done via General Anesthesia since it was a minor surgery.. I was awake while they were removing it.

◘ It took 1-2hours for the whole procedure.

◘ I went back home the same day yay!

Biopsy result..  :)

some of the things that were used during my operation

After care: 

The after care was generally a common one:

◘I was not allowed to take a shower for 3 days

◘ I had to take anti biotic for one week

◘I I had to apply an ointment twice a day for one week

Now I feel much better  Although I have a scar from  the operation.. I can flaunt it proudly.. :) so for you ladies and gentlemen! If you think you have a lump that feels rubbery in any part of your body and have the same symptoms above do not panic! It might be a lipoma, Its not cancerous and you are still safe :) Do not be afraid to have it checked. Don't be like me who waited for it to become bigger compared to when I noticed it the first time.. I could have gotten rid of it earlier and it would probably cost cheaper. 

after the surgery  no more santol seed =D