When the Answer Is: Just Give It Time

They were just a regular family planning a vacation to Orlando, not expecting to end up in a hormone clinic during their trip. When mom called, I could hear it in her voice, something was heavy. They’d been noticing their daughter falling behind. A twelve-year-old who hadn’t started changing like the rest of her classmates. Her body still looked (and felt) like she was eight.

They’d heard the usual lines:
“She’s just little.”
“She’ll catch up eventually.”
“Let’s wait and see.”

But mom’s gut kept saying something wasn’t right. So I asked her, “Can you come the day before your vacation starts, and again the day after? We’ll squeeze the test in.”

And that’s what we did.

What came next caught us all off guard: she passed.
Her growth hormone levels were right where they should be. Solid. Strong. Enough to say, without hesitation: there’s nothing wrong. She was simply a late bloomer.

I watched her mom take that in. Her face shifted as I told her it wasn’t bad news—it was just different news. Her daughter didn’t need medication or long-term treatment. She was going to grow, just not yet. We had ruled out the scary stuff. What she needed now was... time.

But let’s be honest; time isn’t always easy. Especially when your kid is 12, heading into middle school, and watching her peers grow up around her—physically, emotionally, socially.

So we talked through the options.

We could do nothing—just wait and let her body lead the way, knowing she’d catch up eventually.
We could give puberty a little nudge—with a short course of estrogen, just enough to help her feel more in step emotionally.
Or we could land somewhere in the middle.

Her parents decided on a light dose. The goal wasn't to make her grow faster, but to help her feel more comfortable with her friends. To bridge the emotional gap while her body took its natural course.

This is what I love about my work.
It’s not always about making a diagnosis or starting treatment. Sometimes, it’s about offering reassurance. Giving families space to exhale. Turning years of “what ifs” into a plan that says: “You’re okay. She’s okay. We know what’s going on.”

And here’s the twist: late bloomers often end up as big bloomers.
Their growth plates stay open longer.
They grow later—and often, they grow more.
Sometimes, they end up taller than anyone expected.

So yes, the clock moves slower—but it’s working in their favor.

This isn’t about doing nothing.
It’s about knowing what you’re doing by waiting.
And sometimes, that’s the most powerful decision of all.