Thalidomide
was developed in the 1950s and marketed as a mild sedative. It reduced morning
sickness so it became popular with pregnant women. Then it was discovered the
drug caused babies to be born with malformed limbs and consequently it was
banned in 1961. But it didn’t completely go away. In the 1990s studies
indicated that thalidomide might inhibit the growth and survival of myeloma
cells. The combination of thalidomide and dexamethasone is now a common regime
for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. To be eligible to receive
thalidomide, I had to sign a form indicating I could not get pregnant, nor
would I give the drug to someone who could potentially get pregnant. Because of
the high incidence of blood clots associated with thalidomide, I was also
prescribed 100mg of aspirin daily.
I found a list of
thirty-four side effects of thalidomide and those are only the ones that affect
the nervous system. There are also side effects to the hematologic,
immunologic, dermatologic, metabolic, gastrointestinal systems and more. But
the one that affected me the most, as usual, was constipation. It was worse
than ever. So I was back to carrying a bowling ball in my stomach most of the
time. At the end of my first cycle on thalidomide I was so constipated I looked
pregnant. No, I looked more than pregnant I looked like octo-mom. For the first
time ever in my life, when I put a shirt on, the material pulled hard away from
the buttons as it stretched around my waist, like trying to put clothes on a
pumpkin. It made me feel sick and tired and ugly. I was prescribed three
different types of laxatives but in spite of trying them separately and all
together, doubling the dose and increasing my exercise, I still got no relief.
In five days I would be lucky to pass anything more than the size of a peanut.
I added some over the counter dulcolax and a liquid enema without much relief.
So I turned to colonic hydrotherapy. In this therapy a tube injects water into
the colon through the rectum. I took four sessions from mid-November to
mid-December. It is not something I ever thought I would do and it is not something
one speaks about at dinner. The therapist who helped me with my “session” said
when she explained what her job was to others their first reaction was “euw”.
It was that sort of thing. But it helped. So except for ironically looking
pregnant all the time and having to wear stretchy pants, I was fine. I mean I
couldn’t complain really considering the alternative.
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