Results!

The doctor called with the results from Blondie's tests. He said that she is growth hormone deficient. He said that there are two types of growth hormones, and that one of them is sensitive to environmental factors like nutrition, and the other one is not. He said that she has very low levels of both. I don't know what that means or what is causing it, but at least we have a reason for why she is so small.

He said that her bone age test showed her to be 6 years of age instead of 8.5. I asked him if this was good or bad and what it meant. He said that it is good, because it means she has more growing time. That means she can make up for some of the time she has lost.

He said that her thyroid is normal and that the tests didn't show any signs of a tumor in her head. He wants to run a couple more tests. One will be an MRI and the other will be a test to see if she will respond to growth hormone therapy. If she does, then we will be doing shots every day at home to help her grow. The chromosome tests have not come back yet.

It is a relief to have an answer. I've been mildly appalled at the reactions of some people that I told I was taking her to the doctor. They insinuated that maybe I didn't like her because she was short, or that I wouldn't accept her just the way she was. It really made me angry. I'm trying to help a child who obviously has a growth problem. No one in her past has seen fit to have her checked, but since I want to address the problem and help her, then obviously I'm not willing to accept her the way she is.

Whatever. If she doesn't grow, I will help her to learn to navigate her life as a small adult. My desire to help her had nothing to do with me not wanting her to be short if that was the way God meant her to be. But if she has a head injury that caused her to not grow, why shouldn't I try to seek help?! Sorry for the rant, but I found those insinuations to be quite insulting.