🌲AlpineCatster🌲

"Why are you so short?"

Hypothyroidism Is a condition in which the thyroid (a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck) is underactive and cannot release enough hormones into the bloodstream in order to create energy, stay warm, and keep other organs in proper condition. It is a chronic disease and can't necessarily be cured, but does have treatments available. I was lucky to have it diagnosed earlier in my teenage years, but it is definitely something I still struggle with. Some of the symptoms include fatigue, temperature sensitivity (mostly getting cold easily), dry skin, muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat, depression / mood swings, poor memory, and as aforementioned poor growth that leads to short stature.If you've ever seen me in real life (fursuiting or not), you know for a fact that I appear to be really small and get mistaken as a minor fairly often. Ever since my diagnosis I realized I wasn't going to be getting any taller than 5'1" and I still easily get upset about it when people tease or make jokes. A majority of the time its people immediately assume I am not of-age when I go to adult spaces, whether it be security at a music venue IDing me several times or bartenders extremely hesitant on serving me. Sometimes its something as simple as not being able to reach something or others thinking I'm weird for wearing sweatshirts in high heat. I try not to say anything immediately when I get upset, but it bothers me a lot. Even if I am already doing basically everything I can in order to cope with having hypothyroidism I still feel the need to put in the extra 100% to prove my worth. I don't want the novelty if my height surpassing me as a person and the efforts that I make.So please, if you are reading this please understand the jokes and jabs I get very frequently bother me a lot. I am extremely self conscious about this and I want to be respected as a grown adult that I am. I hope that this was educating and that you please respect my boundaries and my condition. 💙🦋