I SHRRRUNK...

Most of you probably wouldn't freak out if you lost a tiny bit of height as you aged, right? 

RIGHT. 

So when my dear orthopaedic surgeon had the audacity to inform me I had lost a whole TWO FRIGGIN INCHES IN FIVE YEARS I VERY POLITELY, RESPECTFULLY, AND TOTALLY FREAKED OUT!😱

I mean after all, I only have so many inches in height as it is and I worked very hard to acquire my TALL 4'3" in height!  

As a kid I would hang AND HANG by my arms from 

tree branches, swing sets, rope swings, and various other objects to lengthen the short long bones in my arms, then do the same hanging upside down from the same objects by my legs to lengthen my short long leg bones.  

You see my friends and I had explicit faith I would gain considerable height this way.  So this alone had to give me added height!  And trust me it's not fun spending so much time hanging from objects like that especially when upside down but I was a very determined kid you see.🤣

Now then, to the moment with my current orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Havnor...

"Adelaide, since we last measured your height you've lost two inches and I..."

"WHAT?!!  WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'VE LOST TWO INCHES IN HEIGHT?"😱

..."see from your recent scan your lumbar vertebra have collapsed onto each other and fused.  Inaddition, you're lacking cartilage throughout your body including the spine so the vertebra throughout the thoracic level are grinding down on each other without anything there to prevent this.  That you are still walking at all with this problem alone is astounding to my colleagues and me."

"OH."

"But look, you're still considered as being a Little Person on the tall side even at the 4'1" height!"

"That's easy for YOU to say!"

"Besides doing the demanding work you did you've spent your life riding horses!  How many people can ride horses?  I'm 6'4" and horses scare the hell out of me!"

"Have YOU had a scan lately?  What if you suddenly discovered YOU had lost TWO INCHES in five years because your bones are collapsing?"🥴

"OH."

"Ahh well, Dr. Havnor, I'll eventually accept this.  I have no choice.  I have to.  Besides, many other Little People would give anything to be even as tall as this.  Or to just have the normal sized hands and feet I do."

But you see my dear ones, I really must confess I still haven't quite accepted it yet.  I forget and keep writing 

I am a very TALL 4'3" Little Person.  Then when I do remember I keep hesitating because I cannot bring myself to write I am a TALL 4'1" Little Person!  Why 

not?🙃

Obviously my vertebra and other bones collapsing on each other is a huge medical reason why and is another aspect of living in a body like mine.

However I think being 4'3" so long (49 years) since I ceased growing is a lot to do with it too.  I just simply cannot get used to saying I am a very TALL 4'1" Little Person yet.  

Sigh.  I am STILL a Little Person regardless.

I daresay the fact is no matter how short I am (and by now I am likely to be even more shorter!😂) does not make me less a person anyway because my attitude remains TALL!  And...I am STILL a force to be reckoned with.🤣  

So my dear ones, the time has come for me to accept the fact that yes, though I may be shrinking physically this is not true about my attitude or spirit!🐎 

I am Adelaide, and I am a very walking TALL 4'1" Little Person!💫🐎😃🐎💫