Man who had lump on head for 30 years after being hit by ball finally discovers what it is
Being belted in the head with a cricket ball at close range is obviously going to leave a mark, but this bloke had no idea that his injury would accompany him for a whopping 30 years.
It's no wonder that Clyde couldn't wait to get rid of the giant lump sitting in the middle of his forehead after three decades of it weighing him down, while getting to the bottom of what it actually is was an added bonus.
In the second episode of the new series of The Bad Skin Clinic, the 57-year-old visited dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne in the hopes of finding a solution to get rid of the lump.
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While visiting the expert in her London practice alongside his wife Caroline, Clyde explained that although the strange bump had been in his life for 30 years, he still found it 'unusual'.
"I know it’s not going to go away," he told Dr Craythorne. "Sometimes I’ve laid in bed and just thought, 'Why have I got this?' Plus my dog, she wakes me up in the morning and is licking the lump on my head.
"I say 'Cheers Bonnie, you’re reminding me the lump’s there!'"
Although you might think the contusion can simply be attributed straight back to the cricket ball incident, you'd be sadly mistaken - as the lump actually appeared two whole years after Clyde was walloped in the head.
He explained that he had previously travelled to Turkey with the intention of having the bump removed there, but ultimately, doctors were unable to shift it.
"I came home with a scar and a lump," Clyde said.
Caroline said that she has 'never known' her husband without his unusual forehead feature - but told Dr Craythorne she was aware he had become a lot 'more conscious' about it in the last few years.
The medic took a closer look at the lump before informing the patient about her diagnosis and the best course of action.
She told Clyde: "So, undoubtedly this is a lipoma. 'Lipo' means fat and 'oma' is a benign tumour.
"The only way to get rid of this is to have it surgically removed."
According to the NHS, lipomas are 'soft, fatty lumps that grow under your skin' - and although they are 'harmless' and don't usually need treatment, it's best to get any strange bumps checked out by your doctor.
Dr Craythorne explained she would have to make a vertical incision into the lipoma due to the failed procedure the patient had undergone in Turkey, which would allow her to 'pop' it out.
But she warned that due to the first removal attempt, the procedure would be inherently 'more complicated' to complete.
After getting her game plan together, the dermatologist took Clyde into the surgical suite and explained that she was aiming to 'ease out' the lipoma from an incision she had made in his forehead.
Gently applying pressure to either side of the wound, she said: "Alright, let’s see if we can squeeze it out. Sorry for the pressing Clyde… there it is!"
And just like that, a huge bulk of the lipoma slipped out - but after having another feel around, Dr Craythorne realised she might have missed a bit of it, as some was hidden behind scar tissue from Clyde's initial operation on the bump.
She went on to find another 'little bit of lipoma' and removed it with her surgical tools.
Clyde's forehead wound was then stitched up and he was handed a mirror so that he could admire Dr Craythorne's work and his much flatter forehead.
He beamed: "Oh my God! I’m speechless… It’s round!"
The dermatologist then told her patient it was 'perfect', before adding: "You’ve got a great shape of a skull."
What a compliment, eh?
"Caroline isn’t going to recognise me," Clyde told the camera. "It’s going to totally change the way I feel about myself.
"Dr Emma certainly works her magic, doesn’t she?"
He went on to say he felt 'a million dollars' after getting rid of the lump, while his wife also had an incredible reaction to bidding the bump bon voyage.
Seeing Clyde for the first time, Caroline gasped: "Oh my God, you look so different! Your face, you look so happy!"
He then joked that he intended to spend his evening 'taking a few selfies' or staring 'in the mirror' while admiring his new appearance.
The Bad Skin Clinic airs on Really on Tuesday's at 9pm and is also available to stream on Discovery+.
Olivia Burke