My response to the DD ELL

[Guest guest]

I posted it just now there, and thought I would share it all with you:).

And always, you can disagree with me, with no fear of lose of

friendship. That is, if we were friends to begin with-the key. haha:P

My post:

Now these are only my opinions, and I too am an little person. I feel

that Tiffanie is still an lp, even though the news article here says

she is 'no longer'. To me, she's now an e.l.p. now. No, not an

Emerson, Lake and Palmer fan, haha, but an Extended Little Person with

the same facial, hand, elbow, hip dysplasia, back, and feet

appearances and sad to say, the same inherent problems that come with

those too. Because this surgery does and did not address, correct or

'elongate' those (such as her fingers as one example only). Thus, she

is vertically taller, true, or further from the ground... but she is

still a little person with the same ol' inherent problems associated

with her type of dwarfism, which is Diastrophic... and she will be for

life. Another example: I have a Hypopituitary friend, who in his last

year of High School or at age 17, he was 4'2 " tall. I have been 4'6 "

tall since 17 on. So, he was even shorter than me at that age. Then

his parents enrolled him into a hormonal treatment program that

included growth hormone along with other hormones such as testosterone

as he was a male obviously and thyroid, and he was in it for 4 years.

From those 4 years he gained 11 inches, he grew to 5'1 " , but ALL of

him grew. He even can grow facial hair now too, whereas then he

couldn't. My bringing this up is thus, if this Tiffanie's surgery

addressed the 'whole' little person or dwarfism, as did hormone

therapy for the Hypopituitary little person friend, then I would be

100% for it:). Still, I wish Tiffanie the best , to each their own.

But, for me, no thanks... or until science and medicine addresses the

spinal and hip dysplasia problems along with rigid elbow and knee

problems inherent in 'genetic' dwarfism, such as it in Diastrophic

Dwarfism, and not in hormonal types-the key here. Because gaining

inches off the ground is NOT a cure, or even a fix it, in my mind...

it just gives one a higher view from where they used to stand.

~grady