When a “late bloomer” does not bloom

I did not start puberty on time and was labelled as a “late bloomer”.

By the age of 15, I still had not started puberty.

An examination by a school nurse resulted in a trip to the local doctor. He just said I was a “late bloomer” and I should just “wait and see”

No blood tests, no other physical examination.

At the age of 18 I saw two hospital consultants, a urologist and a general medicine consultant but the answer came back the same.

No doctor I spoke to picked up on the fact I also had poor hearing and no sense of smell.

I did not know it at the time but both these symptoms were linked to my lack of puberty.

I went to University to study biomedical sciences. I still had not started puberty.

I started work in the my first real job as a Biomedical Scientist at the Royal Free Hospital in London. A chance lunch time meeting with an endocrinologist (Dr Richard Quinton) working there changed everything.

After I first described my symptoms, he asked if I had a sense of smell. That one question led to my diagnosis of Kallmann syndrome.

I have been on testosterone therapy every since. I have to be on some form of hormone replacement. I still did not go through normal puberty but at least got most of the physical changes that should have happened. I would have to take a different form of treatment should I wish to be fertile.