As a school teacher, I witnessed a third grade girl blossoming into a perfectly shaped miniature woman.  In my twenties, I knew nothing about CAH and just thought she was different in some exceptional way.

A few years later I saw her at her home and she saw me about the same moment.  I was aghast at what had transpired in just those few years - she wasn't much taller than in the 3rd grade, but she had grown huge around the middle and looked as masculine as her father.  She had been "beautiful" as a mature-miniature and now she HID herself behind her mother, she was so embarrased to let me see her shape and what had become of her once pretty face.  I felt equally embarrased to recognize her as the little girl-woman I once taught - I almost felt sick at what cruelty nature can inflict so unjustly.

What is the point of this sad reflection on my part?  Do whatever you can before time takes its toll!  Don't take NO from any doctor.  Get some pictures of your daughter all along her developmental pathway.  Get some other pictures of poor souls that have been dealt unjust blows by nature and make your points that you don't want this to happen to your daughter - place them in his or her face!

Collect physical evidence of any kind you can - accumulate terminal hairs if she plucks them out.  Take pictures showing developmental progress.  Learn what tests should be done to get an accurate diagnosis.  Doctors don't listen to anecdotes.  They are "scientists" they claim.

Unfortuantely, HMOs pay doctors to prevent medical claims except for life and death cases, it seems.  I'm sorry if I sound so negative - been there.

I ask everyone's forgiveness if I have written too strongly or "graphically".  My feelings of the unjustness of it all get the better of me and I'm sometimes accused of being my own worst enemy when trying to be persuasive.  But time is not waiting for anyone and hormones are powerful stuff.  Just nano-grams of the wrong ones can spoil a young growing life's rightful health, happiness, and prosperity.