Hi everybody, I suppose this is my formal introduction here and I'm glad I found this place. I'm an eighteen year old male with hypopituitarism. When I was a baby I stopped growing and became incredibly fat so that around the age of one, my mother tok me to see several doctors who didn't know what to do until she found a specialist (Endo) who diagnosed me with hypopituarism. Basically, my parents gave me Growth Hormone injections from then on and I know that I was the subject of many studies, b/c i was one of the first to be treated from childhood on. The condition hadn't ever really affected me too much, i just began giving myself the shots at around 8 and regularly taking my medication for hypothyroidism. Then, around ten, fatigue became an issue and after a stay in the hospital I began to take hydrocortisone twice a day and still am taking these meds. At age 14, puberty was 'induced' by shots at the doctor's every two or three weeks and since age 16 I have been using testosterone gel packs each night (7.5g). It is beginning to upset me. While my voice changed at an early age and thanks to the growth hormone I reached an incredible height of 5'10"--before unthinkable--and i can cope with stress, etc. and have not many problems with fatigue, I am behind all other boys I know. I have no facial hair and almost no body hair. I worked out for four months every day last semester with almost no improvement, which frustrated me incredibly. My sexual functions are somewhat fine when I take the testosterone regularly, although my testicles are much smaller than others'. A year ago I was taken off GH, b/c the insurance company refused to cover it. I am still taking all other medication. I have always had incredible appetite but have been scrawny and I still am, although now my appetite has lessened. I am beginning to really worry about the future. My joints are starting to hurt and crack a lot, my skin is dry and irritated, i am skinny and cannot gain muscle, my bloodpressure is very low-i have quite a few symptoms and a general feeling that something isn't quite alright with my body. So far I haven't been different from classmates, etc. but I'm afraid the gap is getting wider and I'm worried what will happen healthwise in the future after reading everyone's entries. My endo is talking about switching me to an adult endocrinologist-which i'm scared of-and I will take a test in order to see if I should take Growth Hormone again beginning this summer. Ugh. I'm sorry this is even so long but this is really just now getting to me after 18 years although I'm incredibly thankful that I've received so much help and everything has been made much easier by treatment. I hope someone still reads this and gives me some advice. Again, I'm very thankful for having found this chat. Love, Philipp | 