The story of Ren
Hi, I’m Ren, & the pituitary gland in my brain is purely there for decoration! While that’s a little humour I like to use, living with Congenital Panhypopituitarism (CPHP) isn’t so funny.
Born in 1982, it took 18 months for doctors to figure out what was going on—because my tiny, pea-sized pituitary gland simply never worked. No tumour, no damage, just… not switched on. That meant my body didn’t produce the essential hormones needed for growth, metabolism, stress response, or puberty.
As a kid, I was always the smallest in my class. Daily growth hormone injections (starting at 1 year old!) helped me grow into my 153cm (5ft) frame over 14 years. I also took daily steroid & thyroid pills—lifelong essentials to stay alive.
But being a kid, I didn’t always appreciate how critical they were. At 12, I secretly squirted my growth hormone solution out my bedroom window for months. The result? A plateau in my growth chart. That, & mum’s silence—a hard lesson learned!
Another major challenge? Adrenal insufficiency. I’ve had more Addisonian crises than I can count—some life-threatening. The scariest? Nearly going into cardiac arrest in 2022 due to an adrenal crash. My Apple Watch showed my dangerously low heart rate, which led me to the hospital just in time.
One of the hardest realities I faced was absolute infertility. My AMH level (egg reserve) was 0.02—essentially none. It was devastating.
But with time, support, & egg donation, I was able to carry and give birth to my beautiful daughter, Kaydes, in 2021. She arrived a little early at 35 weeks, spending two weeks in NICU, but now she’s my vibrant little travel bff—15 countries before turning 3!
I’ve never met another woman with Congenital Panhypopituitarism. It’s isolating at times, but sharing my journey helps me connect with others, raise awareness, & offer hope.
BTW, I write more about my condition, life & travels on my website: https://loreandtempo.com
Instagram: @loreandtempo