Nand Lal Meena grew from a regular 5 feet 7 inches to a gigantic 6 feet and 3 inches in about a year. A medical miracle? Or a case of pesticide poisoning?
Nand Lal Meena grew from a regular 5 feet 7 inches to a gigantic 6 feet and 3 inches in about a year. A medical miracle? Or a case of pesticide poisoning?
Nand Lal Meena hadn't heard of the Hulk. But as the fictional tale of the green giant was narrated to him, he couldn't stop jumping out of his seat with a loud: "that's what happened to me!"
May be not the green skin, but Meena too is of gigantic proportions, having shot up from a modest five feet and seven inches at 31 years of age to a towering six feet and three inches at 34. As his height increased so did the width of his entire body. Within a couple of years, Meena's palm and feet tripled in size and his neck took on the frightening proportions of a wrestler's girth. Dreadfully, as his body grew uncontrollably, so did his temper.
Giant proportions
"The first change I noticed was the swelling of my fingers. Mujhe laga bus mein latakte, latakte mere haath bade ho rahein the (I thought as I regularly hung on to bus railings, my hands were expanding.) Then, my feet started bulging and my shoulders and neck became extraordinarily broad," said the soft-spoken man, who works with Life Insurance Corporation of India's Daryaganj office.u00a0
Weak limb
Along with the highs, came the lows. Meena became increasingly forgetful, his hearing capabilities decreased and his blood pressure started soaring. "I used to suffer from regular headaches and my legs became very weak. Walking even a few steps was a torture. But what worried me the most was my anger. I would get angry at the slightest things and used to be irritated throughout the day. It was then that I decided to visit a doctor."
Medical miracle?
A visit to a local doctor confirmed what Meena had been fearing he was suffering from a disease. "I first went to a hospital in Alwar and the doctor diagnosed I was suffering from some hormonal problem. Then I noticed an advertisement in a Hindi newspaper about an ailment called Acromegaly. The symptoms matched mine."
Meena first approached Dr AK Ajmani at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, who advised surgery but the waiting period at the hospital was long. So Meena went to St Stephen's Hospital, where he was operated upon. "When Meena came to us, Acromegaly or Gigantism had set in. A disbalance in the pituitary that secretes growth hormones generally causes Acromegaly. In Meena's case, a tumour in the pituitary was causing the unnatural growth," said Dr Deepak, who was part of the team at St Stephen's that treated Meena.
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Left: Nand Lal Meena at 30.
Right: A gigantic Meena today |
In Acromegaly, the pituitary produces excessive amounts of growth hormones. "Usually, the excess growth hormones come from benign or noncancerous tumours in the pituitary. The ailment is technically called Pituitary Adenoma. While it can be controlled by medication and radiation therapy, surgery is often advised," said Dr Deepak.
"People can live with Gigantism but longevity decreases and there is threat of other complications. As the body increases in size, vital organs are stretched beyond their limit. The heart too weakens," said Dr Sanjeev Srivastava of Kailash Hospital.
Pesticide poisoning?
Interestingly, in Meena's case, doctors suspect Acromegaly could have been caused by slow food poisoning.
"These cases are very common in rural India where pesticide poisoning is rampant," said Dr Baldeep Khurana, a general physician.
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Meena's palm vs a regular one |
"The doctor in Alwar had said I could have been poisoned by pesticides in the vegetables I used to eat," said Meena. If experts are to be believed, pesticide levels are threateningly high in the ground water in villages of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. "Excessive use of pesticides in farming is creating health problems in these villages. These chemicals seep into human bodies through food and drinking water and can cause many complications, including Gigantism. The local administration should take care of this," said a scientist working with the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow, wishing anonymity.u00a0
However, today, after a successful surgery, Meena is leading a normal life. "My size hasn't decreased but at least my anger has. I am a gentle giant now," said Meena with a smile.
Diet bustingBefore the surgery, Meena used to have eight to nine rotis for every meal and he would have five meals a day.u00a0
What causes Acromegaly?
Acromegaly is caused by the uncontrolled hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) by the pituitary, a tiny gland about the size of a pea - located just below the brain, behind our eyes. The pituitary controls normal growth, metabolism, and reproductive activity. In most cases, the cause of this excessive production of GH is a noncancerous tumor on the pituitary.
Here comes the giant"My face became broad and my nose became a bulbous appendage. Even my close friends who hadn't met me for a few months had trouble recognizing me," said Meena, adding he had become a scary figure in his village Bagar Ka Baas in Alwar, Rajasthan.
"A man who had borrowed Rs 1 lakh from my brother and was refusing to return the money for six months, paid up just a week after I visited his house. Mothers used to warn their children saying, 'baat mano warna uncle pitenge. (Obey me or I will ask uncle to beat you up),'" said Meena. Even a slight slap made adults fall unconscious.
