I thought id write about something that I have not known many people to talk about but that I know can affect alot of people with CF
Why dont you hear many people talk about it?
Well Maybe im a one off?
Maybe it doesnt affect that many people
OR
MAYBE some people are to shy or embarrassed to talk about it?
But why when there will be others out there affected by the same thing who will be looking for guidance or other peoples stories but too afraid to ask as they are worried someone may laugh at the them or be bullied
Or simply that they just havent spoke to someone whos been through it themselves
Im talking about
CF and how it can affect growth in a person with cf.
Here I thought id write about it and say YES CF AFFECTED MY GROWTH
So for people reading this blog thinking "is that me" or "Am I the only one out there who has noticed this" "Is there someone out there who can help?"
Your not alone
I will be the first to admit that as I reached my early to mid teens I noticed something wasnt right and althought I never told me friends about it at first I decided that I would seek help.
And before you ask
I was only about 13-14 when I started to think stuff it im going to ask.
At 13-15 I was still a what some people might call a puny teenager.
I was about no more than 4ft tall at least a foot or more shorter than anyone else, my voice was showing no signs of breaking and I was sure I wasnt developing like my friends especially in the Genetals area.
It started to affect me quite bad as I was at an age where girls were starting to become a real interest to me and I was starting to convince myself i was not going to catch up with everyone else physically and would have to ignore girls and hide from my friends until things started to happen.
Some People used to jokingly think I might be gay as I wasnt showing the usual interests in girls (Infact some people still think I am now but thats another joke entirely)
Mentally i was feeling left behind like I should stick to a quiet corner so I didnt get noticed and physically I knew I had no chance.
Well after about a year of worrying about it I think near my 15th birthday I decided to tell my parents about my worries and after my dad joking about saying I was destined to be short like my mother (He was correctly slapped by my moher im sure although he was right now im taller than my mum I can say my mum is just short but no doubt my mum would reply "The best things come in small packages" You keep thinking that mum) My mum and dad spoke with my paediatric CF team who booked me in to see a growth specialist.
The CF Team were brilliant and his all happened within a matter of weeks of me voicing my worries to my parents and to my cf doctors.
Well sure enough after a few tests with the growth specialist who was a very nice person and helped me feel better about my situation and even more confident, that yes I would catch up with my growth
PHEW
Well it wasnt all plain sailing from there I wont lie
I started on growth hormone tablets but after six weeks not a sign of growth or any movement for that matter
So back to the growth specialist who decided that tablets were not going to work so I went on to Growth hormone injections.
This was done 1 injection every 6 weeks for about 6 months.
Well what I can tell you is that I didnt grow to the height of peter crouch but I did notice growth changes within a week or two of my first injection.
I think when I started I was 4ft or even shorter and size 4 in shoes and after the six months of treatment everything moved on
Physically I had grown to over 5 feet (Im not 5 foot 6)
And my shoe size had shot up to nearly an 8 in six months. Im now 8 and half to 9 in shoe size
Oh and when I say growth hormone injections they were no more than what you receive when you have a flu jab. Over and done in seconds.
So by the age of 15 and a half I was back on track with all my friends and I never had to receive anymore treatment and mentally I was so positive and open I was able to start to enjoy the things I had become interested in without thinking I was behind everyone else
At the time when I first was worried about my growth i really thought it was going to be really hard to overcome.
But I found by being open and honest it was sorted out quickly and help arrived and the results were just what I thought id never see.
So what im trying to tell people who may be having the same troubles or have noticed their children may be going through the same thing
TALK TO SOMEONE
When I voiced my worries my CF Doctors couldnt be more helpful
The growth doctor was brilliant and swift in helping me
And all in all my whole worries of the previous year were starting to go away by doing one simply thing
Asking for Help.
Dont be shy
You will be amazed how many cfers are affected by this and I hope the help others receive now is just as good as it was if not better then when I first asked for help over 12 years ago
Thanks for Reading
I hope this helps others.
And if you have any questions please ask i will be more than happy to help
