Calling all my lumpy friends... :D

[bin_tenn 1252]

How many of you are really lumpy? Kind of weird asking that, but it's a serious question. 😛 I have several lipomas in various places. For the most part they are invisible, and can only be felt. However, I have two in my right thigh that are visible, and four or five visible in my right forearm. Here is a little bit of my history with them.

It seems like I incidentally find new ones on a regular basis. They're often about pea size, and in numerous places. Abdomen, back, thighs, arms, etc. If they've grown, they've done so extremely slowly and they've not noticeably grown in several years. Even the ones in my right arm which are very much visible. It seems they stopped growing a few years or so ago.

The ones in my right arm, at least a few of them, were first noticed about 11 years ago. I thought nothing of them. Then, a few years or so ago, I was worried about lymphoma - because my health anxiety was really picking up. I eventually got over that irrational fear and have not worried since.

I showed them to my doc in 2015. He felt of them, asked a few questions, then said they're lipomas and he wouldn't pay them any mind unless they start causing problems (e.g. they grow to the point where they're putting pressure on surrounding areas and possibly causing pain).

All of these lumps, new and old and regardless it size, generally fit the same (lipoma) description: overall soft, roll around under the skin, not attached to anything (I can pinch my fingers around them), slow growing or not at all, etc.

Who else here is a lumpy person? Feel free to share your own story of discovery, experiences with them, etc, but of course don't feel obligated to! I think I've seen at least a few others here, but I'd like to know how many of us are here.

[Leah1976 301]

MEEEEEE I am lumpy everywhere and I didn't even know there was a word for it LOL..... I feel it in legs mainly along the IT Band...also below my belly button....  I can feel it in my daughter too.... I thought everyone was like that???

[LilyLabVA 56]

My husband is! He has at least 2 on one arm and one on another. They are either lipomas or cysts. Small perfectly round and cause no pain. He does not go to the doctor but like 1x every few years so we don’t know exactly what they are but they have not changed in years. Several ppl have looked at them and agreed they are pretty harmless looking (people we trust) but he won’t get them looked at. Oh well what can I do? 

 I see my doctor frequently and he never does- yet the root fear is the same. 

[mollyfin 366]

I've never gotten lipomas, but I've got the ovarian cysts, a cyst under my scalp, I've had underarm cysts, the noncancerous half of my thyroid was a mess of cysts...combine with shotty nodes, underarm and groin scarring from abscesses and that fibroid I've had removed...I'm pretty lumpy I'd say.

[NervUs 140]

I am lumpy but they are not lipomas.Just weird random sh*t all over the place.

Some of them have been suspicious for cancer, and I have had to go through various diagnostic processes. I feel like I've learned a whole lot more about cancer and how cancer is discovered since I've been through the "oh, the differential for this is cancer so we need to check" about 4 times. Benign everytime though!

[Shanowl80 73]

My husband had a couple on his back while he was still active duty. The military docs called them fat deposits. He had them removed and they have not grown back. 

A few of the guys he served with also had them. Makes me wonder if they had anything to do with the ton of shots they got while they were in, or something they were exposed to while in combat. 

[bin_tenn 1252]

Wow, a lot more replies with similar experiences than I expected. Rather quickly, too! 😛

2 hours ago, Leah1976 said:

MEEEEEE I am lumpy everywhere and I didn't even know there was a word for it LOL..... I feel it in legs mainly along the IT Band...also below my belly button....  I can feel it in my daughter too.... I thought everyone was like that???

Well, everyone is lumpy in a sense, I suppose. But are you also referring to little pea size lumps seemingly directly below the skin? That's what I'm talking about. Either way, thanks for sharing.

1 hour ago, LilyLabVA said:

My husband is! He has at least 2 on one arm and one on another. They are either lipomas or cysts. Small perfectly round and cause no pain. He does not go to the doctor but like 1x every few years so we don’t know exactly what they are but they have not changed in years. Several ppl have looked at them and agreed they are pretty harmless looking (people we trust) but he won’t get them looked at. Oh well what can I do? 

 I see my doctor frequently and he never does- yet the root fear is the same. 

Interesting! I've wondered if several of mine are cysts rather than lipomas as well. The ones I know are lipomas basically feel like they're described: fatty deposits. The others do feel more like a cyst, being somewhat "firm" and not as rubbery as the lipomas. Weird!

1 hour ago, mollyfin said:

I've never gotten lipomas, but I've got the ovarian cysts, a cyst under my scalp, I've had underarm cysts, the noncancerous half of my thyroid was a mess of cysts...combine with shotty nodes, underarm and groin scarring from abscesses and that fibroid I've had removed...I'm pretty lumpy I'd say.

Haha, I would say so as well! 😛 when you say abscesses, are you talking skin abscesses? My gf has had a couple in the groin area. Any idea what causes them? She's been trying to figure it out but no luck!

1 hour ago, NervUs said:

I am lumpy but they are not lipomas.Just weird random sh*t all over the place.

Some of them have been suspicious for cancer, and I have had to go through various diagnostic processes. I feel like I've learned a whole lot more about cancer and how cancer is discovered since I've been through the "oh, the differential for this is cancer so we need to check" about 4 times. Benign everytime though!

Oh, I see! I'm glad it's been benign every time at least. That's a relief. I learn more every day about the body can evolve over time, and how common it really is for people to experience seemingly "bad" things and they're usually just fine. Weird!

41 minutes ago, Shanowl80 said:

My husband had a couple on his back while he was still active duty. The military docs called them fat deposits. He had them removed and they have not grown back. 

A few of the guys he served with also had them. Makes me wonder if they had anything to do with the ton of shots they got while they were in, or something they were exposed to while in combat. 

That's an interesting thought! I suppose it is possible it is something they were exposed to. I never served, but I was in karate classes, played baseball, played basketball and was otherwise very active when I was younger. Used to walk and ride my bike or rollerblades EVERYWHERE. Maybe the physical activity could even contribute? 😮

Lipomas are "benign fatty tumors / deposits", so that makes sense that the doc would call it as such. I've heard of people having them removed for cosmetic reasons. Sometimes they grow back, sometimes they don't!

I've also read in the past about "familial multiple lipomatosis", which, as the name implies, means there is potentially a hereditary predisposition to developing multiple lipomas. My mom had at least one, and my brother has two, I think. So I believe mine may be genetic.

 

[mollyfin 366]

@bin_tenn I think mine usually start as ingrown hairs or blocked glands.  I get the underarm ones when I use certain deodorants, so in that case I'm guessing it's causing some kind of blockage then.  The rest I guess are ingrown hairs or bacterial infections, since I get them in sweaty areas a lot.  Last time I got one I ended up in the ER having it lanced at 3 am.  (I noticed some red streaking when I checked on it after my shower that night; nurse helpline told me to go in immediately.  Long story short, did not have blood poisoning, could have waited and gone to urgent care in the morning, learned my lesson about leaving these things to fester when they refuse to pop on their own.  Thought I could save money by not going to the doctor.  That...did not work out for me.  Oops.)  But for the most part they just come and go.  I have some pretty gross scarring though.

[bin_tenn 1252]

29 minutes ago, mollyfin said:

@bin_tenn I think mine usually start as ingrown hairs or blocked glands.  I get the underarm ones when I use certain deodorants, so in that case I'm guessing it's causing some kind of blockage then.  The rest I guess are ingrown hairs or bacterial infections, since I get them in sweaty areas a lot.  Last time I got one I ended up in the ER having it lanced at 3 am.  (I noticed some red streaking when I checked on it after my shower that night; nurse helpline told me to go in immediately.  Long story short, did not have blood poisoning, could have waited and gone to urgent care in the morning, learned my lesson about leaving these things to fester when they refuse to pop on their own.  Thought I could save money by not going to the doctor.  That...did not work out for me.  Oops.)  But for the most part they just come and go.  I have some pretty gross scarring though.

Hmm, strange. My gf has had them in the groin area as well as behind one of her ears.

[Wingnut 13]

I dont know if its considered Lumpy but every now and then Ill get a really big deep cyst-ish type of bump. Usually they form around my shoulderblades or shoulders. My girlfriend has lanced a couple of them, and even stuck a needle almost all the way into one...they seem to come from an internal issue as they leave an open hole all the way to my muscle layer! I havent had one in awhile but OMG they are annoying.

[bin_tenn 1252]

2 hours ago, Wingnut said:

I dont know if its considered Lumpy but every now and then Ill get a really big deep cyst-ish type of bump. Usually they form around my shoulderblades or shoulders. My girlfriend has lanced a couple of them, and even stuck a needle almost all the way into one...they seem to come from an internal issue as they leave an open hole all the way to my muscle layer! I havent had one in awhile but OMG they are annoying.

Wow, that's crazy! Haha. Thanks, @Wingnut. Hope you're doing well.