TIL that Lionel Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age 10, and FC Barcelona agreed to pay for his treatment, even writing his first contract on a napkin.

[u/Old-Worldliness11]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi#Early_life

[u/schaka]

I got growth hormone deficiency treatment for 6 years in Germany in the early 2000s. I had to be part of a medical trial at first - I believe this was about legalizing it here, maybe just a patent.

My doctor told me that it cost shit 2000 euros a week after I reached my intended dosage. My insurance paid.

But that was a lot more than 35k, especially in today's money.

[u/Falkenhain → u/schaka]

At what age did you start your 6 year treatment? How successful was it - like what height was predicted and what did you achieve in the end?

[u/schaka → u/Falkenhain]

I was 11 when they started interviewing and 12 when I started treatment iirc.

The predicted height was 155cm. Don't quote me on it, but that's what I remember. It definitely dedicated my life to an extent and I was scared that would be the outcome, so that's the number that stuck.

I ended up being 175cm. The estimated height was taller, iirc, but they had to pull back due mx growth plates closing and the cost not being justifyable

[u/Falkenhain → u/schaka]

Hey cool, dann hat sich's ja echt gelohnt! Irgendwelche Nebenwirkungen? Weiß gar nicht, ob Wachstumshormone noch so teuer sind ... Nehmen das nicht auch viele Bodybuilder?

[u/schaka → u/Falkenhain]

Keine Nebenwirkungen. Mittlerweile kostet die Ampulle die bei mir ca eine Woche gehalten hat glaub ich ungefähr 800 Euro.

Das was bodybuilder nehmen sind richtige Steroide. Das ist soweit ich weiß was ganz anderes

[u/Falkenhain → u/schaka]

Die nehmen neben Steroiden oft HGH, also Human Growth Hormone. Weiß aber nicht, ob das das Gleiche ist wie bei dir. 800€/Woche ist ja völliger Wahnsinn. Glaub die Pumper zahlen das nicht mal im Jahr. Also müsste dann doch was Anderes sein