My journey at 11
My journey into the unknown began when I was 11. My mom was very upset I was going to be short (true story), so concerned for the fact I might be bullied more over this she began looking for a way to help me grow. A few months into 1991 she stumbled upon a article about a prescription drug called protropin (192aa growth hormone). She began scurrying around looking for the phone to call my OI Doctor in Knoxville (where I lived) and set an appointment up. I remember being there and him looking at her as she was the most arrogant person ever (she is more of a narcissist), but he was close to the area. His only comment was how can you possibly do massive damage to his body even kill him early to only have a few inches of height. I can remember her thoughtfully pausing, cocking her head to left as she always did before she would tell you something you would always remember. "Well Dr. Madigan the way I look at it is sometimes it takes one person to see a mdifferent perspective. What I know about Jeff is he wants to try it. Considering all the surgeries including the real risky one you did on him two years ago, all of them without his thoughts or feelings accounted for, I figured we owed him
One in where he could make an active decision for once because one day he will be left caring for himself." Now is that what she said verbatim, pretty damn close actually, but the message was clear, my mom was tormented by what OI was doing to me more so mentally and emotionally. I have always been a strong person but at 11, words hurt and hurt deeP. To her, any chance no matter how small and risk no matter how high was worth it.
After the appointment she had a referral and off we went to the library, not home. I remember getting there and asking her why we're we at the library (a new Danielle Steele novel was not releasing soon) and she turned and looked at me and said "We have to research this and be educated on this growth hormone. It is the only way we can convince someone to give a chance with you." And off we both went, checking everything and anything. It was rather frustrating because everything we could really get ahold of was all based on research done in Russia with them using freshly expired human body donors. to extract the bodies from and injecting them into their athletes (Eastern Bloc before the fall of the wall had some of the best research ever on athletes and responses to everything imaginable) but the problem with the Russian research was the alarming high rate of getting this rare brain disease that was a death kiss. So the research stopped and the rest was all on anabolic steroids, insulin growth factors 1 and 2), insulin, beta 2 antagonists and estrogen manipulation. Needless to say we both delved into those as well. What my mom taught me how to research properly and hypothesize on my own has helped me so much over the years in my own pursuit of defiance that I cannot thank her enough. There was nothing to be found other than a few articles about the FDA allowing it to be utilized due to the fact it could now be synthesized safely and administered safely with what perceived to be at the time no risk for that nasty brain killing disease. So off we went - armed with lots of research and my fuck em all driven mom.
The doctors appointment. Oddly the only question the doctor asked my mom was how she felt about a 11 year old being so active in discussion of such things. To which she replied similarly like she did with others. The doctor was quiet for a few mins and read over the good and bad my mom was presenting - my mom believed in always expressing equal good and bad to rationalize your decision. After a few moments he said if she could get the insurance to sign off on it he would be fine with it. The reason for his insurance statement is the stuff I think was 2k a month back in 1991 so it would be what 12k a month in today's world if it was brand new to the market. My mom simply replied go ahead and get it together because you will hear from me later today. Now I do not know how my mom ever convinced anyone at Aetna to sign off on it but she did. I compare my mom to a Lion- predator by nature and a killer to protect herself and her young ones. I truly can say she taught me how to be relentless and always stronger than I had to be to get shit done.
Protropin is a 192 amino acid sequence which, at the time was synthetic growth hormone. It was a few years later that it was discovered the 191aa was the correct analogue of it and not the 192aa sequence which is what was leading to the antibodies building up and the drug eventually downgrading receptors so much it quit working.
There is more to write but I wanted to give background on me and what led me to bodybuilding and ultimately the understanding the benefit and positives of what we choose to play with for a better body.my