Re: RSS Adult Teri

[Guest guest]

Teri:-)

Thank you for sharing. I am so glad your parents fought for you and got up

to do those 2 hr feedings... I hope you know how much they love you and how

they are very thankful for you and how positive you remained through it all.

You made it easier for them to help you. Your story touches me.

J

> From: tmshorty75@...

> Reply-To: RSS-Support

> Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 23:26:56 EST

> To: RSS-Support

> Subject: RSS Adult

>

> Hello, I'm a 28 year old Adult with RSS. I read all of ya'lls emails

> everyday and I'm glad ya'll have somewhere to come to swap stories and advice.

> I

> wish growing up I had someone to share my experiences with. I just wanted to

> share alittle bit of my history with you. I was a month late and weighed 3lb

> 3oz. I spent 2 1/2 months in an incubator. Doctors told my parents I

> probably

> wouldn't make it and if I did I would never live a " normal " life, but my

> parents made up their mind they would never hold me back. It was very

> difficult for

> them, I had to be feed every 2 hours for months, but I never had to have a

> tube. The doctors said I would never walk - I started walking before I was a

> year old wearing a triple 0 size shoe, which had to be specialty made. My dad

> got so tired of everybody staring and asking questions he had me a shirt made

> that said " I'm not little, everybody else is just big " Against the doctors

> wishes I started school the same time as all the other kids. Even though I

> was

> always a foot shorter than all my classmates, I always had a smile on my face

> and had a great outlook. I didn't see my height as a problem. By the time I

> was diagnosed with RSS I was in early elementary school. I had a wonderful

> doctor, some of you might know her, Joyclyn Elders, she went on to become

> Surgeon

> General. I started GH shots when I was in the 3rd grade. I wish they had

> the research earlier so I could have started them early on, but they helped me

> some never the less. Even though it cost my parents $10,000 a year with no

> help from insurance, I am so grateful. I am 4'8 now, which isn't as tall as

> some

> RSS kids get, I'm just thankful to be this tall. No matter how much I ate I

> couldn't gain weight ( I wish I had that problem now) 10 years ago when I

> graduated high school (12th in my class with honors) I weighed 60 lbs...now

> I'm

> up to 90. Even though I wore braces for 4 years, I'm gonna have to have them

> again thanks to my wisdom teeth coming in. I'm also gonna have to have my

> jaws

> broken and fixed to make my mouth open up wider, which I'm not looking

> forward to. I know I have been very fortunate that I haven't had many

> problems up

> until now. I realize that I was & am very lucky. I am so grateful that my

> folks were so supportive. Thanks to them I am the most independent one out of

> the family. I work 2 jobs, own my own place and have everything I could ever

> want, especially a very loving family. I admire all of you and I have seen

> all

> the pictures of your children. They are all just adorable, they look a lot

> like I did. Never count us out, we may be little, but we are very tough kids

>

> God made us all special for some reason. Even though I've been through so

> much, I am so blessed. I'm sorry this is so long and I hope I didn't bore any

> of you to death. Thats my experience, feel free to ask me anything.

>

> Teri

>

>

>