Lily Kay's Height

Lily Kay and I went for her to get a blood draw on Friday morning.

 

She did great, as always.  She is still using the numbing cream, but she says that she doesn't have to use it anymore, starting next time (we'll see).

This blood draw followed quickly behind the previous one because we made a medicine dosage change after her most recent Endocrinologist appointment, and we're checking to see how her levels are now. 

At LK's appointment in December she had grown just enough that the Endo was satisfied and didn't insist that she start taking growth hormone shots.  

But this time?  She had not grown.  At all.

(sigh)

These pictures I took of LK and E last week right before haircuts remind me how big a difference there is in their height now.  

It hasn't always been that way.

In China bringing LK home, Feb. 2010

Annual Beach Trip, June 2010

One of her levels was quite a bit lower than it should be.  Which means that her adrenal function is over suppressed.  This could lead be the cause of the no/slow growth.  So the doc asked if I wanted to adjust the medicine and see?  Or go ahead and start daily growth shots?  

We chose the dosage change.  We'll see if her level has come back into the target range...and then in 3.5 more months we'll check her height again, and if she hasn't grown any more...it will definitely be time to start shots.  

I had someone ask me recently why did LK's height matter.  Just go ahead and let her be short!  If - genetically speaking - she is supposed to be short, then that is great and fine.  But stalling growth is a known side effect of her medicine.  We just don't want her to end up significantly below her genetically predisposed height because of a side effect of medicine she is taking for another condition.