Dwarfism

I would like to educate everyone on dwarfism and spina bifida.

My son is a dwarf, and has spina bifida. There are an estimated 200 types of dwarfism. The only two types that I know of is Hypochondroplasia and Achondroplasia. I didn't know that my son was a dwarf until he was less then a year old. The doctor came in to the room and told me that he didn't know what was wrong with my son so, he said that he was going to send my son to Shriner's Hospital, where I first found out what was going on with my son.

The doctor came in and ask me if there was anyone on my ex-husband side of the family that was a dwarf, and I told them no. Then he asked me if there was anyone in my family that was a dwarf, and I said, "not that I know of." He told me that he wanted to do some tests on my son, for the type of dwarf my son was. I said, "o.k. lets do the test." I ask the doctor which one did I wanted my son to have and he said, "we want your son to have Achondroplasia instead of Hypochondroplasia. Then I ask the doctor why we wanted him to have Achondroplasia, he said "because with Achondroplasia, your arms and legs are shorter then your torso. I said "o.k. and what is Hypochondropasia". He told me that Hypochondropasia is where I would have to bring my son into the hospital so many months, or years to get a shunt put into his brain, to drain the fluid off his brain. I said "o.k. then I want the Achondroplasia. " The doctor also told me that his legs might be bowed and that he might need surgery on his legs. The test came back and my son has Achondroplasis. I was so, happy that he was Achondroplasia instead of Hypochondroplasia. Then I found out that he had to have surgery one his legs because they was bowed.

So, I had the doctor do the surgery. I told my son that he has to have surgery on his legs to fix them and he said "o.k mom." He was so brave when it was time for him to go into the operating room. I'm the one that was crying because he was going into the operating room to have the surgery done and I couldn't do nothing but wait. The nurse came out and told me that they had the right leg done and that they was getting ready doing the left leg. When they was done they called me. I got to see my son, he was still coming out of the anesthesia.

The Shriner's driver that took us up there came to check on another little boy to see if he could go home, and he couldn't, so- the driver came by my son's room to see how he was doing and to see when we was able to go home. I told him that the doctor is letting us go home today. The driver said, "that is good that he is letting you guys go today that way we don't have to come back the next day or the day after that to find out when you guys are coming home. They drove us home. When we got home, we was welcomed by my other son, my boyfriend. My son had casts on his legs but that didn't stop him from getting around. He just had to figure out a way to get around the house and he did a good job of figuring it out.
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[edit on 7-6-2010 by Gazrok]

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He was in Preschool and his teacher wasn't comfortable with my son coming to school because she was afraid that she would hurt him so, I had to go the first day my son went back to school. All of the kids was happy to see him back at school. The teacher and I was talking and she ask me how she was suppose to get my son out of the wheel chair and I told her not to worry about that because he can get out of the wheel chair by him self. I go oh look he is doing it right now. She said"wow." I go the only trouble that he will have is getting back into the wheel chair. Then it was lunch time and I showed her how to get him out of the wheel chair to a regular chair, and after the day was over she felt comfortable in taking care of my son by her self the next day. Then I was in the store shopping with my kids, my boyfriend and his son.

" I didn't hear it, and my oldest son and my youngest son told me that the little boy or little girl
that said"mom what is wrong with that boy?" I told my kids that if I had know that the little girl or boy said that to his mom. I would have said "something to the mom"
My son knows that he different from the other kids and the other kids at school knows that he different too. The other kids call my son name and other stuff. I told him that he could teacher and principle when someone made fun of him. But he don't want to tell the teacher or principle that he is getting picked on. When he is home we don't treat him any different from his brother. We treat him like he is a normal size boy. He don't like asking for help at all so, if he needs something that he wants he will figure out away to get what he wants.
Here is some information on about dwarfism.

Dwarfism

While dwarfism is sometimes used to describe achondroplasia, a condition characterized by short stature and disproportionately short arms and legs, it is also used more broadly to refer to a variety of conditions resulting in unusually short stature in both children and adults. In some cases physical development may be disproportionate, as in achondroplasia, but in others the parts of the body develop proportionately. Short stature may be unaccompanied by other symptoms, or it may occur together with other problems, both physical and mental.

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spina bifida


Spina bifida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spina bifida (Latin: "split spine") is a developmental birth defect caused by the incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through the opening in the bones. There may or may not be a fluid-filled sac surrounding the spinal cord. Other neural tube defects include anencephaly, a condition in which the portion of the neural tube which will become the cerebrum does not close, and encephalocele, which results when other parts of the brain remain unfused.

en.wikipedia.org...

Sorry that this is so, long, I had to get it off of my chest. Thanks for listening.

Hi, tinkerbell79, good post on Dwarfism, I have known a few Dwarfs in my time. I tend to believe they came up from the Faire Race, or Gnomes of ancient times, but of course I could be wrong too. I hope the little guy get through his surgeries OK and all is good with him.
Like your username, do you believe in the Faire Race too, Tinkerbell? Just asking.