Growth hormones and camp

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amother

Fri, Apr 08 2022, 5:52 am

Has anyone sent a child on growth hormones to sleepaway camp? How does it work? We are about to discuss the options with the doctor and I want to be prepared with questions pertaining to this. Anything I need to know or be aware of? This is all new to me.

amother

Violet

Fri, Apr 08 2022, 5:59 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Talk to the camp mother and camp nurse. My friend was on growth hormones, the nurse took care of it.

Librarian

Fri, Apr 08 2022, 6:02 am

My son was on growth hormones in camp for years. I called the nurse before camp and he dropped off his shots at the infirmary when he got there. He went to the infirmary each night to give himself his injection. He said there where lots of other kids doing the same lol it's no big deal Smile

amother

Emerald

Fri, Apr 08 2022, 6:17 am

Camp nurse handles it.
Just be sure your child is responsible to get to nurse. One year in camp a child gave the wrong bag to the nurse to put in the fridge. When he went for his injection they found the bag was empty and the injections had been out too long…

My child will also be going to camp with injections this year (not hormones)

amother

Iris

Sun, Apr 10 2022, 12:03 am

We discussed w camp in advance. My son brought his supply to keep in the infirmary fridge at the beginning of the month. He went each evening before night activity. His brand actually didn’t need to be refrigerated and he could have kept it in his bunkhouse but we figured it was more secure that way. And as the nurse told us when we discussed before camp, he had lots of company each evening- at least 20% of the bar mitzvah age boys were doing the same thing!

amother

Begonia

Sun, Apr 10 2022, 4:22 am

I just wanted to put out there the option of skipping the injections for the month. Talk to your doctor -- this isn't a life or death drug.
Also, I'm utterly shocked at that figure. Have we reached the point that 20% ??!! of kids are receiving medical treatment to promote growth? Clearly, true growth hormone deficiency can't be that prevalent...

Librarian

Sun, Apr 10 2022, 5:10 am

amother [ Begonia ] wrote:

You can be sure the doctor will NOT let him skip a whole month. Not if he wants optimal results. And this will be every year in camp until he is around 17. It's so not a big deal don't stress!
I would think it would be difficult to get insurance to pay for GHI without a true growth hormone deficiency. These drugs are astronomical. My son had exactly Zero growth hormone when he was tested at 14 so we didn't even bother with a second opinion. BH he grew to 5'8.5" and it was worth every inconvenience

amother

Begonia

Sun, Apr 10 2022, 5:55 am

I personally took growth hormone as a teenager and skipped it for one month every summer, with the doctor's agreement. I do believe that I received optimal results. The dr calculated that I would lose 1/4 inch of future height for each month skipped and given this information, I was ok with it and preferred not to be running to the nurse every night. My adult height is "short end of normal".

Librarian

Sun, Apr 10 2022, 6:00 am

amother [ Begonia ] wrote:

For my son that loss would have aggregated to an inch which would not have been at all okay to us. We were going for the maximum results and he did not find going to the nurse a burden BH

amother

Clover

Sun, Apr 10 2022, 6:21 am

amother [ Iris ] wrote:

I work at a camp (girls not boys though) and while a lot of kids are on growth hormones there’s no way it’s anything close to 20%. Maybe it’s waaaaaaay more prevalent (to give growth hormones) to boys than girls?

Librarian

Sun, Apr 10 2022, 6:23 am

amother [ Clover ] wrote:

I have to admit my daughter only reached 4'11 we never considered GHI for her. But for my son we did not think twice.