Charmaine Sahadeo, 42, says she finally ‘feels beautiful’
Charmaine Sahadeo, a 42-year-old mom from Chaguanas, Trinidad, has been battling a unique condition that has led to the growth of ‘thousands’ of tumors across her body.
This situation made it challenging for her to see her own face, but after enduring more than 60 hours of surgery while fully awake, she can now finally catch a glimpse of herself again.
The countless tumors covering her skin made everyday activities like breathing, eating, talking, and walking incredibly difficult for Charmaine.
She was terrified that she might ‘die’ without being able to call for help.
TLC
From her younger years, tumors of various sizes have invaded her scalp, mouth, face, legs, buttocks, genitals, and breasts. Even walking a few steps caused her immense pain.
Charmaine suffers from NF-1 neurofibromatosis, a rare multi-system disorder that triggers growths along the nerves in the body.
The impact of this genetic condition on individuals can greatly vary, but it often leads to significant skin issues, as highlighted by the NHS.
Symptoms of NF-1 neurofibromatosis can range from light or dark brown patches on the skin, soft, non-cancerous tumors on or under the skin, clusters of freckles in uncommon places, to issues affecting the bones, eyes, and nervous system.
Following the birth of her second child about two decades ago, Charmaine noticed her condition worsening significantly as ‘thousands of lumps’ developed.
One tumor almost blocked her nose entirely, hampering her breathing, while another inside her mouth, which she affectionately named ‘Frank,’ made eating and speaking a painful ordeal.
A particularly large growth on her leg restricted her mobility, forcing her to manually adjust some tumors just to sit down or use the bathroom.
TLC
Charmaine also shared how NF-1 neurofibromatosis led to the end of her 18-year marriage and financial struggles, as finding and maintaining work became increasingly difficult.
On TLC’s “Take My Tumor,” Charmaine expressed her fears: “All the bumps are getting so big. I am afraid that if I cannot breathe properly I will die.”
“I might not even be able to reach out to someone in time to tell them. This condition is very hard because people just like to stare and then have all kinds of negative things to say.”
But thanks to the skillful efforts of Dr. Ryan Osborne, Charmaine has been given a fresh start.
She sought help from the renowned head and neck surgical oncologist and director of the Osborne Head and Neck Institute, hoping that the Los Angeles-based doctor could offer her relief.
Dr. Osborne emphasized the urgency of intervention, stating that Charmaine was ‘encroaching on some dangerous territory’ as the tumors multiplied.
He saw the surgical intervention not as ‘high risk,’ but as ‘high impact.’
TLC
He shared his astonishment at Charmaine’s case: “She has an unusual presentation of neurofibromatosis. It’s literally everywhere.”
“I have personally never seen a patient clinically, and I have never seen one in a textbook, have it quite as bad as Charmaine. She appears to me to be a one-of-a-kind.”
Over two months, Dr. Osborne carried out multiple surgeries to remove the tumors, all while Charmaine remained awake due to difficulties in finding a vein for anesthesia.
Instead, she underwent the procedures under local anesthetics.
Dr. Osborne successfully removed many tumors, including ‘Frank,’ the tumor on her leg, and several on her face.
After 24 surgeries totaling more than 60 hours, Charmaine marvels at her transformation:
“Life is 100 percent better for me. I love the way that I look now. Before, I couldn’t see anything at all – like my face – but now you can naturally see my eyes.”
“You can see my nose. You can see my mouth. I can see properly and most important, I can breathe much better.”
Feeling rejuvenated, she added, “I feel beautiful. I really do feel beautiful now. I feel fantastic. I came back a different person.”
“I cannot expect anything better,” Charmaine concluded, grateful for her new lease on life.
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