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If I am not mistaken, every girl who has Turners Syndrome has short stature.However, like
in normal girls, the exact height a girl with Turners Syndrome will reach is dependent on genetic buildup (ie: if
you come from a generally tall family, chances are you'll be tall yourself for a girl with Turners Syndrome) The
average adult height reached by a girl with Turners Syndrome is roughly 4ft 8 (142cm) However, this can be improved with growth
hormone. With treatment, a lot of girls are now reaching 5 ft tall at least.
An option of improving the final height of a girl with Turners Syndrome is growth
hormone.It is now a purely synthetic drug, so there are non of the risks associated with the previously used biological growth
hormone. Sorry though guys, but there is no way of getting around it, it must be injected! However, like most things, it really
isn't half as bad as it seems. There are loads of different injecting devices, including one that has no needle, and
best of all, most girls who inject themselves regularly will agree that it is PRACTICALLY PAINLESS! I was terrified of
needles before I started injections, but I very quickly got used to them, and I didn't think a thing of the fact
that I had an injection every night. It really did become a stressless routine, like brushing my teeth. And best of all,
it was so rewarding when I used to go to the hospital and see how much I'd grown.
I went on growth hormone for about 2 years. I wasn't
sure how much it would work, since I started it very late in life (I was already 15 before starting due to being diagnosed
so late) However, I could not be happier with the results! In those 2 years, I grew from 4 ft 7 to just
over 5 ft 1 I'm really pleased I chose to go on GH, because the extra height is a real bonus to me! My advice from my
experience of being short for my age and being on growth hormone would be;
- Don't expect GH to make you a giant!! By all means set yourself
a target height, but don't build all your hopes to becoming it, there could be disappointment at hand!!
- Don't let your height become your life and soul! Theres far more to anyone
than a few centimetres of extra height. Also, don't assume that being short makes you unattractive. A lot of the girls with
TS that I know are genuinely gorgeous, there are plenty of men out there who will be able to see that, and at the end
of the day, all we need are yellow pages!
- It's a sad fact that small
girls are a bully target. Learn to be assertive and stick up for yourself (easier said than done I know!) You may find a martial
art a useful skill to learn. In many of them, such as judo, short stature and small build actually work as an advantage, meaning
they are great confidence builders.
- This one comes from my friend Steph- If you are having trouble with a young child and
injections, try numbing the area of skin you are going to inject with ice.
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