Re: Hilary, Sharon or any other RSS adult

[Guest guest]

>

> My son is 3 with RSS. We will have to make a choice about GH. My

> question to you is, If you could go back in time and make the

> decision your self, whould you take GH? The reason I ask is, there

> are no long term studys on the effects of GH. and all the GH

> manufaturers have a line that says in a small percentage of cases

> LEUKEMIA was reported but they don't know if it had anything to do

> with GH. Would you, actually having RSS, take the chance of the

> potential health risks to be taller? I have to make a decision for

> my son and want to hear from you guys, because you know how if

feels

> to have RSS, you know what its like to be smaller. Again it makes

me

> so happy to hear how well you are doing, What would you do?

[Guest guest]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I appreciate the time you took. Your

right it would be great if a male RSS adult would respond.

Re: Re: Hilary, Sharon or any other RSS adult

>

> I agree with Ana that it is really difficult to second guess what my life

would

> have been like with gh (or, for that matter, if I never had RSS at all).

I

> personally have never really regretted not receiving gh. I love my life

and

> the path that I have found. The problems that I do have are your typical

> 20something dramas of work, school, friends and significant others. They

> rarely have to do with my height, and the few problems that I occasionally

> encounter are definetly on the minor end of the spectrum. Being short has

> become a very intrinsic part of who I am and I don't honestly know what I

would

> do with myself if I woke up tomorrow a foot and a half taller. It's just

not

> something that I can even fathom.

>

> With all that being said - while I do not regret never having tried gh

when it

> was finally offered to us when the FDA approved a synthetic version, I do

not

> believe that is probably the right decision for everyone. I think you

have to

> take several factors into consideration including gender, family height

and

> long term risks (which I am woefully ignorant of). So, I believe that a

happy,

> fulfilling life is definitely possible no matter what size you are and

that I

> have suffered no ill effects for not receiving gh BUT I recognize that

what has

> been true for me will not be true for everyone. I have no idea whether

I'm the

> norm or the exception, and in all honesty, I'm not really sure it matters.

I

> think that the most important thing about making a decision such as this

one is

> that you really believe in and that you and your spouse/family are

comfortable

> with the decision you make. I also think that this decision should be

> something that you talk through with your son when he is old enough. I

know

> that it was really important to and for me personally to understand and

have

> some level of control over the medical care and treatment I was receiving

when

> I reached an appropriate age. Anyway, I know that was long, sorry, but

that's

> my two cents .

>

> ~Hillary

> 22, RSS

> 4'1 " -4'2 " (depending on who's doing the measuring!)

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm one of those " other " RSS adults.

It's really difficult to second-guess how my life would be different

if I'd had GH growing up. I'm happy where I am now (almost 4'8 " ) and

wasn't terribly unhappy growing up (no more so than any " normal " 13-

year-odl girl, anyway).

But a different question I've asked myself is, if I have an RSS

child, would I treat with GH? not having children, it's another

tough answer (who knows what would happen when that " mother instinct "

thing kicked in?!). But as Pat said, GH really seems to help with so

much more than just height!

But there are height issues too... not big ones... but it does

require more work for me to buy a car (that fits me AND my 6'1 "

husband), to find clothes that are appropriate in a business setting,

to grocery shop, to heave our trash into the big dumpster (but that's

a nice excuse to make the hubby do it!), to reach the overhead bins

on planes (but I have plenty of foot room....), etc, etc. Now, I can

do all these things, but if I were another couple inches taller,

these things wouldn't take quite so long, or pre-planning.

I think another consideration is what your child's predicted height

would be without RSS. My (younger) sister is 5'7 " , so I figure

I " lost " about a foot due to RSS (someone else can give us the actual

calculation based on mom and dad's heights -- but both my parents

are " average " ). If there were a smaller difference in predicted

heights, I don't know a daily shot for years would be worth it. But

since my hubby is so tall, if we had an RSS kid, I think GH could

really help make up some of the difference.

Honestly, I also think gender would play a role too. I don't think

the decision would be nearly so tough if I had a boy. As annoying

as " perpetually cute " (to use Sharon's phrase) is as a woman, I can't

imagine how horrible that label would be for a guy!! And of course

in our society it's so much more important for males to be tall and

strong than for girls. I wish it weren't that way, but it is.

Anyway, those are my rambling thoughts on the subject. Good luck

making the decision!!

-Ana

RSS adult (27, 4'8 " , ~85 lbs)

[Guest guest]

I agree with Ana that it is really difficult to second guess what my life would

have been like with gh (or, for that matter, if I never had RSS at all). I

personally have never really regretted not receiving gh. I love my life and

the path that I have found. The problems that I do have are your typical

20something dramas of work, school, friends and significant others. They

rarely have to do with my height, and the few problems that I occasionally

encounter are definetly on the minor end of the spectrum. Being short has

become a very intrinsic part of who I am and I don't honestly know what I would

do with myself if I woke up tomorrow a foot and a half taller. It's just not

something that I can even fathom.

With all that being said - while I do not regret never having tried gh when it

was finally offered to us when the FDA approved a synthetic version, I do not

believe that is probably the right decision for everyone. I think you have to

take several factors into consideration including gender, family height and

long term risks (which I am woefully ignorant of). So, I believe that a happy,

fulfilling life is definitely possible no matter what size you are and that I

have suffered no ill effects for not receiving gh BUT I recognize that what has

been true for me will not be true for everyone. I have no idea whether I'm the

norm or the exception, and in all honesty, I'm not really sure it matters. I

think that the most important thing about making a decision such as this one is

that you really believe in and that you and your spouse/family are comfortable

with the decision you make. I also think that this decision should be

something that you talk through with your son when he is old enough. I know

that it was really important to and for me personally to understand and have

some level of control over the medical care and treatment I was receiving when

I reached an appropriate age. Anyway, I know that was long, sorry, but that's

my two cents .

~Hillary

22, RSS

4'1 " -4'2 " (depending on who's doing the measuring!)

[Guest guest]

Ana,

Besides not taking GH, did you take any other drugs to stimulate

growth?

Thanks, Jill

>

> Hi, I'm one of those " other " RSS adults.

>

> It's really difficult to second-guess how my life would be

different

> if I'd had GH growing up. I'm happy where I am now (almost 4'8 " )

and

> wasn't terribly unhappy growing up (no more so than any " normal "

13-

> year-odl girl, anyway).

>

> But a different question I've asked myself is, if I have an RSS

> child, would I treat with GH? not having children, it's another

> tough answer (who knows what would happen when that " mother

instinct "

> thing kicked in?!). But as Pat said, GH really seems to help with

so

> much more than just height!

>

> But there are height issues too... not big ones... but it does

> require more work for me to buy a car (that fits me AND my 6'1 "

> husband), to find clothes that are appropriate in a business

setting,

> to grocery shop, to heave our trash into the big dumpster (but

that's

> a nice excuse to make the hubby do it!), to reach the overhead

bins

> on planes (but I have plenty of foot room....), etc, etc. Now, I

can

> do all these things, but if I were another couple inches taller,

> these things wouldn't take quite so long, or pre-planning.

>

> I think another consideration is what your child's predicted

height

> would be without RSS. My (younger) sister is 5'7 " , so I figure

> I " lost " about a foot due to RSS (someone else can give us the

actual

> calculation based on mom and dad's heights -- but both my parents

> are " average " ). If there were a smaller difference in predicted

> heights, I don't know a daily shot for years would be worth it.

But

> since my hubby is so tall, if we had an RSS kid, I think GH could

> really help make up some of the difference.

>

> Honestly, I also think gender would play a role too. I don't

think

> the decision would be nearly so tough if I had a boy. As annoying

> as " perpetually cute " (to use Sharon's phrase) is as a woman, I

can't

> imagine how horrible that label would be for a guy!! And of

course

> in our society it's so much more important for males to be tall

and

> strong than for girls. I wish it weren't that way, but it is.

>

> Anyway, those are my rambling thoughts on the subject. Good luck

> making the decision!!

>

> -Ana

> RSS adult (27, 4'8 " , ~85 lbs)

[Guest guest]

>

> Ana,

>

> Besides not taking GH, did you take any other drugs to stimulate

> growth?

>

> Thanks, Jill

Jill-

I'm not Ana but I'm piping in anyway <G>.

I didn't take anything. However, my pediatrician recommended my mother add a few

drops

of wine to my baby formula as an appetite enhancer. Fortunately, I didn't

become an

alcoholic from the daily dose of booze.

Nor did my appetite get any better <wink>.

Ah....the 1960's....<grin>

-Sharon-

Just an RSS kid who grew up

Perpetually cute

38y,9m, 4'6.75 " , 97#

[Guest guest]

Hi Jill,

nope, the only thing my mom did differently for me than she did for

my sister was to feed me every two hours ('round the clock) for the

first couple years of my life! A nutritionist once suggested putting

sugar in everything I ate (and I was an " eater " but never much at a

time)... Mom decided against that.

-Ana

[Guest guest]

Hillary,

So many parents choose to use GH. I have chosen not to. You are one of the

reasons why. I want to express my complete support for parents who have opted

for GH .However, For my dauughter wiith a mild phenotype I think GH is not

necessary, Small as she iis likely to be as an adult I think it is part of who

she is. You are a great mentor for our small kids

, I Re: Re: Hilary, Sharon or any other RSS adult

I agree with Ana that it is really difficult to second guess what my life

would

have been like with gh (or, for that matter, if I never had RSS at all). I

personally have never really regretted not receiving gh. I love my life and

the path that I have found. The problems that I do have are your typical

20something dramas of work, school, friends and significant others. They

rarely have to do with my height, and the few problems that I occasionally

encounter are definetly on the minor end of the spectrum. Being short has

become a very intrinsic part of who I am and I don't honestly know what I

would

do with myself if I woke up tomorrow a foot and a half taller. It's just not

something that I can even fathom.

With all that being said - while I do not regret never having tried gh when it

was finally offered to us when the FDA approved a synthetic version, I do not

believe that is probably the right decision for everyone. I think you have to

take several factors into consideration including gender, family height and

long term risks (which I am woefully ignorant of). So, I believe that a

happy,

fulfilling life is definitely possible no matter what size you are and that I

have suffered no ill effects for not receiving gh BUT I recognize that what

has

been true for me will not be true for everyone. I have no idea whether I'm

the

norm or the exception, and in all honesty, I'm not really sure it matters. I

think that the most important thing about making a decision such as this one

is

that you really believe in and that you and your spouse/family are comfortable

with the decision you make. I also think that this decision should be

something that you talk through with your son when he is old enough. I know

that it was really important to and for me personally to understand and have

some level of control over the medical care and treatment I was receiving when

I reached an appropriate age. Anyway, I know that was long, sorry, but that's

my two cents .

~Hillary

22, RSS

4'1 " -4'2 " (depending on who's doing the measuring!)