"I am angry: nobody has the right to put something on the market that endangers people's lives."
Ashley was prescribed Elidel in 2003 by her dermatologist for a skin condition called Rosacea and used it for about four months before finding out that she had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Ashley was only 22 years old; she underwent three surgeries and four months of chemotherapy."When I started using Elidel I had flu-like symptoms but the drug maker had listed this as a possible side affect so I thought it was normal; nowhere on the package or information sheet was there a warning for lymphoma," says Ashley. "It cleared up my skin problem but I had a pain in my chest so I went to ER at the university hospital (I was a full-time college student at the time). I had a CAT Scan and was immediately referred to an oncologist for further tests. Just two days later, it was determined that I had lymphoma in my chest. They admitted me into the hospital right away and I stayed there for two weeks.
I was in shock - you can't really think too much about the future while this is happening; I thought to myself that I would deal with my life later, once I got out of the hospital. Luckily I had just graduated. The chemo made me sick for about six months and during that time I stayed with my parents. My hair fell out and it took about a year to grow back in. As well, I am in a large amount of debt and have to continuously receive follow-up PET scans and CAT scans.
All this time, I was still using Elidel and had been using it daily for about a year. Luckily for me, I needed a refill. This time, I went to another dermatologist to get a refill (she was recommended by my parents). She told me that there could be a connection between Elidel and lymphoma and she wouldn't prescribe it. Prior to this, no doctor had said anything to me about Elidel.
My dermatologist confirmed my suspicions. When I found out that Elidel likely caused my cancer, it really made me disenchanted, knowing that drug companies can sell a product that can harm people to this extent.
I contacted the FDA after I found out and filed a complaint online. I kept close tabs to see what happened - to see if anyone else had cases like mine. Nobody contacted me except a lawyer through this site. The law firm is getting my medical records together and I am hopeful that, through this process, Elidel will be taken off the market. That is what I want."
There is a happy ending to this story.
Amazingly, something positive happened from Ashley's illness. It made her re-evaluate her career path (she was planning on becoming a marine biologist) and Ashley now works for the American Civil Liberties Union.
"Having cancer and feeling so helpless really had an effect on me; coming to terms with my mortality at such as young age was a moment of awakening," Ashley says. "I realized that I wanted to change the focus of my life and use it to help people. There is nothing that you can do to take away the feeling of not knowing your future -- that is what cancer gives you. And no one in the world should be able to do that to someone else."