My Sebaceous Cyst reaches landmark 50,000 views online
In 2005, I had a benign clump of tissue that was situated square in the middle of my back removed by a dermatologist. The process was fairly straightforward, but I wanted to document the cyst with my camera so I asked the nurse if I could take it home and they obliged. Using my Canon Powershot mounted with a macro lens attachment, I took several pictures of it as well as they stitched in my back and posted them on Flickr. Views came in slowly but steadily and at this point, I average 100 views a day. There's a reason for this: if you go into Google or Yahoo images and type in the word "sebaceous cyst," guess who shows up right at the top of the page?
Well, I guess a lot of people are trying to self-diagnose cysts out there because it is undoubtedly my highest viewed picture in my photo stream on the site. In October of last year, someone wrote to me from Vice magazine for an online feature about "gross stuff." The interview is included below...
How did you first notice it?
I noticed it in 2002 when I felt a bump on my back between my shoulder blades. I thought it was a pimple at first or an ingrown hair and so spent a lot of time putting pressure on it and trying to squeeze it out. I also had my girlfriend give it a go, with no success.
Were you worried about removing it?
I was only worried about removing it myself, which is why, once I had health insurance, I went to the dermatologist and had them check it out. They explained it was a cyst and could be surgically removed without too much fuss.
Did it hurt when you had it removed?
No, they shot in a local anesthetic and then went about carving a hole in my back while i lay on my stomach. I remember the doctor saying at one point, "Wow, this is more blood than I expected," which is exactly what you don't want to hear as they're cutting into you, but they got it under control and it was over soon enough. After stitching me up and putting my shirt back on, I asked the nurse if I could see it. She looked at me blankly and opened the trash can and pulled out a little bloody tissue holding the small nub of flesh that was my cyst. "Would it be possible to take it home with me?" I asked her, and after laughing about it, she fetched a small vial and placed the extirpated cyst in it with some formaldehyde, advising me not to drink this as it would make me sick.
Where do you keep it?
I kept the vial in a small jewel box located on my coffee table. It sat there for a month or two when I finally got around to taking pictures of it with my macro lens. I then popped it back in the vial and returned it to its sacred box.
Why do you keep it?
I keep it as a reminder of that which is foreign that emerges from within. I'm actually a fairly squeamish person, but I can be obsessed with infectious diseases, skin conditions and/or malformations of the body. I have surgically removed skin tags from my scrotum using a Swiss army knife pair of scissors, but they are not nearly as photogenic as a sebaceous cyst. I also keep a pin cushion filled with cat whiskers that my kitties shed that I find laying around the apartment.
OK, truthfully, I did embellish my answer about "keeping it" etc as I tossed it in the garbage a short time after I got my picts of it. I mean, after all, what sort of things can I expect from the cyst in the future?
Well, in honor of my cyst's enormous success online, I am posting a picture of a raw tooth nerve that I had removed earlier today during a root canal. Funny timing, huh?
Well, I guess a lot of people are trying to self-diagnose cysts out there because it is undoubtedly my highest viewed picture in my photo stream on the site. In October of last year, someone wrote to me from Vice magazine for an online feature about "gross stuff." The interview is included below...
How did you first notice it?
I noticed it in 2002 when I felt a bump on my back between my shoulder blades. I thought it was a pimple at first or an ingrown hair and so spent a lot of time putting pressure on it and trying to squeeze it out. I also had my girlfriend give it a go, with no success.
Were you worried about removing it?
I was only worried about removing it myself, which is why, once I had health insurance, I went to the dermatologist and had them check it out. They explained it was a cyst and could be surgically removed without too much fuss.
Did it hurt when you had it removed?
No, they shot in a local anesthetic and then went about carving a hole in my back while i lay on my stomach. I remember the doctor saying at one point, "Wow, this is more blood than I expected," which is exactly what you don't want to hear as they're cutting into you, but they got it under control and it was over soon enough. After stitching me up and putting my shirt back on, I asked the nurse if I could see it. She looked at me blankly and opened the trash can and pulled out a little bloody tissue holding the small nub of flesh that was my cyst. "Would it be possible to take it home with me?" I asked her, and after laughing about it, she fetched a small vial and placed the extirpated cyst in it with some formaldehyde, advising me not to drink this as it would make me sick.
Where do you keep it?
I kept the vial in a small jewel box located on my coffee table. It sat there for a month or two when I finally got around to taking pictures of it with my macro lens. I then popped it back in the vial and returned it to its sacred box.
Why do you keep it?
I keep it as a reminder of that which is foreign that emerges from within. I'm actually a fairly squeamish person, but I can be obsessed with infectious diseases, skin conditions and/or malformations of the body. I have surgically removed skin tags from my scrotum using a Swiss army knife pair of scissors, but they are not nearly as photogenic as a sebaceous cyst. I also keep a pin cushion filled with cat whiskers that my kitties shed that I find laying around the apartment.
OK, truthfully, I did embellish my answer about "keeping it" etc as I tossed it in the garbage a short time after I got my picts of it. I mean, after all, what sort of things can I expect from the cyst in the future?
Well, in honor of my cyst's enormous success online, I am posting a picture of a raw tooth nerve that I had removed earlier today during a root canal. Funny timing, huh?
posted by Mugs at 6:00 PM
11 Comments:
cool nerve, but could you mesure it up? or put a ruler beside it and take a pic?
yo cool cyst, I had mine removed today after 10 or so years of noticing it at the middle of my left bun, the doctors surprised me by obnoxious and weirdly volatile behaviour through out this long ordeal (more so than the benign cyst). overcoming the sadnesss of the missing weight and mass(app. 3cm x 1.5 x 1.5), Im hoping that they were happy while being here through out the trauma, from here moving on now. more power to beauty, cool if you can send any more info about this. neurospan@gmail.com
I don't doubt that you had a sebaceous cyst, but what they gave you is not the cyst. That looks like a plug from a skin-punch biopsy.
1Yes, if you look at other pictures of sebaceous cysts, they are all encapsulated in a sac, not connected to the skin layer as yours appears to be, maybe the nurse just gave you the first thing she found! Also, I am suprised they would just "throw" away any kind of tissue!! Isn't any human tissue usually put into a "red bag"? And I would think the cyst would be sent for biopsy just to be on the safe side!
The cyst was probably so small that a skin-punch was enough to remove the whole thing. My guess is that the sac is actually within that chunk of flesh there.
Actually, my dad had one like that, it was the size of a marshmallow and he was nice enough to let me have a go at it, but it was too solid so he had to get it surgically removed - age pus for 30-40 yrs and it becomes a hard mass. Ick. The doctor was estatic, he said he never had one of that size and firmness, and kept it in a jar.
WAS THIS YOUR LAST NERVE(LOL).HAD TO ADD A LITTLE HUMOR.MINE WAS VERY SORE.AND HAD TO HAVE A COUPLE STITCHES. GLAD YOU TOOK THESE PICS. GOOD FOR SELF DIAGNOSING AND MED STUDENTS.
Yeah I hate to break it to you but that is NOT a cyst in the picture. That just looks like a skin plug. Unfortunately everyone will THINK it's a cyst since that's what all the tags say, and that's what google will bring up when you type it in. I have a picture from when I removed a sebaceous cyst from my face by myself. I would be glad to send it to you if you're interested...
agreed. that is NOT a cyst
Sebaceous Cyst is a tiny it is relatively easy because it causes very clear symptoms of sebaceous cyst. Sebaceous Cyst Natural Treatment reduces the pain bumps under the skin.
http://www.herbs-solutions-by-nature.com/Sebaceous-Cyst.php
priceless
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