Sunday Snapshot - Update

First of all I want to again thank everyone for all the encouraging and supportive comments on Our LITTLE Lizzie Sunday Snapshot that I posted back in June. 

It helped so much and helped me get her through the STEM test the very next day. 

I posted about it here. 

It took a while to find out the results of the test and as it turns out, Lizzie is not deficient in her growth hormone!! 

However, she is low in her IGF factor which we knew from her many (sigh) blood tests.  I was not quite sure how I was going to feel if her growth hormone test came back normal because Lizzie had (according to our doc) experienced "negative growth."

If she had been low in growth hormone, the doctor would have recommended a daily injection of a synthetic growth hormone.  A bit scary, right??

Even scarier to me, however, was the possibility that her GH might be fine and it was the IGF that was off, which would mean a recommendation of daily injections of a synthetic IGF drug.

Neither scenario was comforting to me but the Growth Hormone drug has been around for a very long time and it has been used for children for a very long time.

The IGF drug has only been around and used for kids for 6 years!!!! 

SIX years!!!!  That is like a hiccup in time as far as medicine goes and I did not want my little Lizzie to be somebody's guinea pig!!!

So.....  When I got the news, I really did not know how to feel about it all and started my research again and my list of questions for her Pediatric Endo doctor. 

Fast forward a bit to Lizzie 4 year old check up with our regular and wonderful Pediatrician.  This is a courageous woman who has had to talk me down MANY times!!!!  Hehe!!

The nurses weighed and measured Lizzie and we waited.  When Dr. C. came in her first words were, "Lizzie, you have gotten bigger!!"  Say what???

According to their measurements, Lizzie had grown 2 inches since we had been in there last! 

TWO INCHES!!!!  That is huge, people!!!!!

She was actually, just barely, by the skin of her teeth, ON the growth chart - the American growth chart!!!

Again, what???

I explained to wonderful Dr. C. that the Ped Endo doc told us that Lizzie had experienced "negative growth" and that she had better remeasure Lizzie herself!

She did and sure enough - TWO INCHES!!!!

WOW and what a minute here!!!

Lizzie's appointment with the Endo doc had been about a month before this visit (with the wonderful Dr. C.).  Had Lizzie grown 2 inches in a month???

I - don't - think - so!!!  That we would have noticed!

The only other explanation is that the nurse at the Ped Endo doc (you know, the GROWTH doctor), measured her wrong, and that the doctor recommended that awful STEM test for Lizzie based on those measurements!!!  UGH!!

I should have listened to my Mommie instincts on this one.  As soon as the Endo doctor said, "negative growth," I felt as if I had been blindsided.  I just knew she had grown, at least a little bit and this really threw me.  Now I know why!

Hubby thinks that I am dwelling on the negative and not the fact that Lizzie GREW TWO INCHES!!!!

I know he is right but I still have a hard time thinking about Lizzie going through that test when she may not have had to.  She has been through enough!

I am, however, very happy that she has grown and that we may not have to inject her tiny little body everyday and that she may not be at risk for any of the health problems associated with low GH.

She is still my little Lizzie and that's OK by me.

As they were leaving for their first dance class (soon after these appointments),

I was reminded of how small my tiny dancer actually is.  I honestly did not think I would be able to find tap and ballet shoes in her size, but I did and boy are they cute!!!

  The difference in the girls' size is so very apparent some days but,

it seems to work for them...

and they really do not like doing something new without the other!

Everything is an adventure with these two opposite ends of the spectrum - even the grocery store!

and I would not have it any other way!!!

Thank you again to everyone who offered words of support and wisdom!!!

To join in on Stefanie's Sunday Snapshot, go here: