Reaching for Help: A Surgery Story

For years Elsy Dinvil wore puffy sweaters, tops and coats in public — not to warm up, but to cover the lump bulging out above her left hip. “It was humongous, easily the size of a tennis ball,” she recalls.

At first the lump wasn’t painful, so Elsy just put up with it. Then, out of the blue, it began growing aggressively. Every morning it looked and felt larger than the day before. And it began to hurt.

Bracing for the worst, hoping for the best

The fast-growing lump was just the latest in a string of challenges. Years prior, as a young woman living in Haiti, Elsy had been awarded a coveted college scholarship in the U.S. — a blessing but also a heart-wrenching move away from her family and homeland.

Earning a college degree proved to be rewarding, but it didn’t guarantee a magical future. In fact, after graduation Elsy struggled to find work and barely survived for a time with no home, no job, no car, no shoes and no money.

Ultimately, pushing through those hardships helped prepare Elsy for dealing with the lump above her hip. When she could have given in to fear, she held onto hope. And when she could have retreated to a pit of despair, she reached out for help.

Finding hope and healing

Elsy decided to see her doctor, who referred her to Dr. Ryland Stucke, a surgeon at Adventist Health Portland. He described the mass as a lipoma, a lump of fatty tissue growing just beneath the skin.

Fortunately, lipomas aren’t cancerous, Dr. Stucke explained. But if they become bothersome or painful, they may need to be removed. In Elsy’s case, the lipoma was very large, painful and growing fast, so Dr. Stucke recommended surgery.

The day of the procedure, everything went as planned. Early in the morning, a friend drove Elsy to Adventist Health Portland. Dr. Stucke removed the mass, and within a few hours Elsy felt well enough to go home.

Right away, she noticed a difference in how she felt. Her clothes fit differently. Without the large bulge, the area looked smooth. While she healed, she carefully guarded the area and followed Dr. Stucke’s instructions.

Confident and free

When Elsy met with Dr. Stucke at her follow-up visit, she thanked him for his patience, knowledge and expertise. He shared that the lab found no cancer cells in the mass — it was a lipoma, as expected.

“I cannot express the relief the surgery brought to my life,” Elsy shares. “I used to be so self-aware when I was in public with the lump popping out of my dresses and skirts. But now I don’t have that worry anymore. I’m happier and more content in my life, and I feel mentally freer.”

Today, Elsy is back in her happy place: cooking and baking, creating new recipes, catering events and teaching classes on cooking plant-based foods with pizzazz. She’s busy writing her fourth cookbook and expanding Creole Me Up, the business she founded in 2017. She also sells Haitian-inspired cooking vinegars, marinades, spreads and spice blends at local farmers markets, like the Montavilla Farmers Market near Adventist Health Portland.

Elsy credits the care she received at Adventist Health Portland for bringing confidence and peace of mind when she needed it most. “I am just so grateful for Dr. Stucke’s patience, knowledge and humility,” she says.

In turn, Dr. Stucke drew inspiration from his patient’s lifelong positivity. “Elsy’s story is amazing, and she was a pleasure to work with,” he shares.

To learn more about Dr. Stucke and the Adventist Health Portland surgical team, visit the Multi-Specialty Surgical Clinic online.