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A Personal Story
Being Growth Hormone Deficienct as a Child
I was short. My baby sister was taller than me. Kids at school picked on me and called me names - like shorty, shrimp and pee wee. It hurt my feelings and I know my mom and dad felt bad for me. My doctor sent us to a specialist to see why I was not growing and why I was so much smaller than my friends in school.. The specialist said I would have to take a test to check my growth hormone. My mom didn't know what growth hormone was. The specialist took a long time to explain it to her.
The day for the test came. I wasn't scared but I think my mom was. They did have to put an IV in my arm. It only pinched for a few seconds. The test took quite a few hours and I fell asleep for awhile. Before I knew it the test was over. But the specialist told my mom it would be 2 to 3 weeks before we would know how the test came out.
The specialist called about 2 weeks later and told my mom to come back with me so they can tell us about the test results. They told us that I had growth hormone deficiency and would need to take growth hormone shots every day for me to grow. Boy did my mom have a lot of questions!
I don't think she liked it when they told her that the parents give the shots. I wasn't scared so much. They said the shots would help me grow, and I wanted to grow, but my mom looked scared. I told her not to worry, it would be okay, but she even cried!
We went back to the specialist a couple of weeks later to get my growth hormone and for them to teach my mom how to give the shots. I was a little scared even though they told me it was only a pinch. They were right - it was only a pinch! I think it hurt my mom because she thought I was scared. We went home ready to take my growth hormone shots. It took my mom awhile to get used to giving me the shots. Funny, she didn't seem scared any more after our first visit back to the specialist to find out I had grown almost 1 full inch. I guess this growth hormone really works!
Not too long after I started growing we had to get new shoes. My mom said it was the first time my feet grew in 2 years. Then my pants were above my ankles, so off to buy new pants too! Before growth hormone there were times I was sad, but after a few years of the shots I was catching up to other kids my age. They didn't call me names anymore and they let me play in all the games.
There were times I didn't want to take my shots. You know us kids can get stubborn at times! I was almost as tall as my friends, so why did I have to keep taking the shots? Well, my mom wouldn't listen. She had to make me understand that when I stopped taking the growth hormone shots I would also stop growing again. I guess she was right, so I didn't stop the shots.
I'm almost grown now. I'm in the normal range on a growth chart. Growth hormone is like a miracle drug to me. Back when I was six years old the specialist told my mom I was never going to be 4 feet tall without growth hormone shots. Today I'm 19 inches taller than I would have ever been, thanks to growth hormone! Was the testing, all the doctor visits, and all the shots worth it? You bet it was!!
If you need help, or want to speak to a parent of a child with Growth Hormone Deficiency in childhood contact us at (708) 383-0808 or here online.
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ADDITIONAL Pages commonly requested by growth hormone deficient parents:
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Remember, MAGIC is made up of parents of affected children. If you need to speak to someone about about your child's growth hormone condition-feel free to call us (9-4 Central time) or email us anytime! |
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Want to learn more, talk/network with a parent with an affected child or read more personal stories from affected families? These features and much more are available for our Members areas. See also Foundation Information/ Family Services (drop down link at the top) for more details. |
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