My son was evaluated for many years for short stature and no diagnosis or medical condition was found by several physicians...ultimately attributed to relative heights of his parents and family. A new physician came to town and felt she could justify the prescription of growth hormone covered within the parameters for insurance purposes, and my son took the medication for about 1 year, 15-16 y.o. My son stopped taking the medication because he didn't feel concerned about his height, 5'5'' and missed many doses when traveling or just not a priority. How should this be described to DoDMERB, and what are the ramifications, if any?
Growth Hormone for short stature
- Thread starter smithneck
- Start date
- Joined
- May 31, 2008
- Messages
- 7,992
If you send me an email at Larry.Mullen@dodmerb.tma.osd.mil, I will ask you fora copy of your son's medical records from age 14 to present. I will be able to give you a more accurate determination at that time. 5"5" in and of itself, is not a issue that would prevent accession to a Service Academy and/or ROTC program
Doctor's reply
All endocrine and metabolic testing was normal; epiphyses were open and height was 2 sd below "normal"; formal diagnosis is idiopahic short stature (normal-variant short stature). Because we could affprd GH we opted to go with it for a year. She tells me that it is not considered a disease, more a pyschosocial issue related to height difference with respect to others. Thoughts?
All endocrine and metabolic testing was normal; epiphyses were open and height was 2 sd below "normal"; formal diagnosis is idiopahic short stature (normal-variant short stature). Because we could affprd GH we opted to go with it for a year. She tells me that it is not considered a disease, more a pyschosocial issue related to height difference with respect to others. Thoughts?
- Joined
- May 31, 2008
- Messages
- 7,992
My thoughts remain the same:
If you send me an email at Larry.Mullen@dodmerb.tma.osd.mil, I will ask you for a copy of your son's medical records from age 14 to present. I will be able to give you a more accurate determination at that time. 5"5" in and of itself, is not a issue that would prevent accession to a Service Academy and/or ROTC program. That is the only way I can be accurate.
If you send me an email at Larry.Mullen@dodmerb.tma.osd.mil, I will ask you for a copy of your son's medical records from age 14 to present. I will be able to give you a more accurate determination at that time. 5"5" in and of itself, is not a issue that would prevent accession to a Service Academy and/or ROTC program. That is the only way I can be accurate.