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| Seeing the Doctor |
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| What kind of doctor will I see? |
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| First, you will probably go see your pediatrician or family doctor, the same one that you always see. He or she might want to have someone else—a special kind of doctor called a pediatric endocrinologist—take a closer look at your growth. |
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| What will the doctor do? |
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| Going to the doctor to find out about your growth usually isn’t very different from other types of doctor’s visits. The doctor can find out why you are not growing normally, and, if you need treatment, get the right treatment for you. You might not like going to the doctor but if it can help you grow, it will be worth it! |
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| These are the things the doctor will probably do: |
- The doctor will talk with you and your parents about whether or not you have been healthy and whether or not anyone in your family has had any problems with their health
- The doctor or nurse will take a number of different height measurements. These measurements will then be plotted on a chart, which shows the range of heights for other kids your age. You will then be able to see where you are compared to other kids
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| Also, on the first visit to the doctor: |
- The doctor will examine you—you know, stuff like listening to your heart, looking into your eyes and ears, and feeling your tummy
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| This is another thing your doctor MAY do, if he or she needs to know more to figure out why you are not growing: |
- The doctor may request a blood test. You may have had blood tests before—it’s where a doctor takes a little bit of blood from a vein in your arm. In some people, this doesn’t hurt at all. In other people, it hurts a little, like a pinch
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| If you go to a special doctor, called a pediatric endocrinologist, more tests may be done: |
- The doctor may take X-rays. One of the X-rays will be of your left hand. X-rays are used to see how old your bones are. The bones in your body sometimes grow at a slower rate than your actual age. This is important for the doctor to know, as it will tell him or her how much time you have left to grow. This doesn’t hurt.
It's just like having a picture taken. You have to hold still, just like for pictures
- The doctor may want to do an ultrasound or an MRI or a CT scan. These are all fancy names for ways to get different kinds of pictures of your body. You may have to be still for a while, but none of these things hurt
- One special kind of blood test the doctor may do is called a growth hormone stimulation test. This is a test where the doctor puts an IV (a needle with a little tube at the end) into a vein in your arm. This may hurt a little when it is inserted, like when you get a blood test. Then the doctor will measure the amount of growth hormone that your body makes. Growth hormone is one of the chemicals that causes your body to grow. If your doctor wants to do this test, he or she will explain the whole thing to you and your parents, so you will know exactly what to expect
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| How long will it take to figure out why I’m not growing as I should? |
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| Sometimes you will go to see your family doctor, and you will know right away what is happening. Other times, it will take a little longer to figure out what is going on. For example, with some of the tests the doctors might do, they may have to wait a little while to get the results. |
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| Be patient! Once you go to see your doctor, you are on your way to figuring out what’s going on—and doing everything you can to grow as much as you can. |
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| Should I ask questions? |
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| The answer is yes!! This is all about YOU. YOU are important, and any questions you have are important. |
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| If you have questions, you can ask: |
- Your doctor
- Your nurses
- Your parents
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| Also, if you get shy around adults, you can tell your parents the questions you have ahead of time, and they can ask your doctor or nurses for you. |
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| Also, you may want to write your questions on a piece of paper, and take it with you to the doctor, so you don’t forget. The Way to Grow! “High Five” Program (PDF) can help you if you want to do this. |
