CRAVINGS TRIGGERED

Dr. Stephen Jose sat at his desk and stared down at the pages of test results. He periodically made notes with his pen.

Stacey Finley sat across the desk and nervously twisted her wedding ring around her finger. She kept telling herself that she was making the right choice as she anxiously awaited the results.

After about a minute or so, Dr. Jose looked up at the beautiful mother and said,

"Mrs. Finley...I think Alex would be an excellent candidate for the WICK-Tropin program."

"You think so, Doctor?" Stacey smiled and replied.

Dr. Jose returned her smile and replied, "Yes, I do...I really do." Dr. Jose continued, "Your son appears to be quite healthy, and I see no reason why we should not proceed."

Stacey was by choice, a stay-at-home mom, and nothing was more important to her than taking care of her family. In addition to running a hectic household, she also kept busy with other meetings.

Stacey was now forty-three years of age, but no one would know by looking at her. She stood 5' 8" and had long brown hair, hazel eyes, and a voluptuous figure. She credited her youthful looks to a combination of good family genes and daily exercise.

She looked over at her son, Alex, who sat in the chair to her right. She patted his arm and said, "See Honey...finally, some good news!"

Alex smiled and replied, "Yeah...finally!"

Alex had just turned nineteen and was a junior in high school. He was born premature, and during his childhood, he battled severe health issues. Because of that, Alex was absent from school quite a bit and was held back a year. He was in good health now, but the condition had stunted his growth substantially. By appearances, Alex looked more like a twelve-year-old boy instead of a young adult.

Alex had inherited his mom's brown hair and hazel eyes, and he was a handsome lad, but his slight build and stature greatly affected his self-confidence. The endocrinologist who treated Alex had tried conventional growth hormones in the past, but they had little to no effect, and this left the Stacey very frustrated. Since then, they have been searching for alternatives.

Several months went by until one day, she heard about Dr. Michael Jose. He worked previously with the Center for disease control and prevention. His experimental research with glandular and hormonal abnormalities was well respected.

However, he was considered sort of a maverick. He had a reputation for bending the rules and, at times, breaking them.

Stacey reached over and squeezed her son's hand and asked Dr. Jose, "So...what's the next step?"

Dr. Jose sat back in his large leather chair and removed his reading glasses, "Well...if you agree to the treatment, we can begin right away."

"We will start with a series of WICK-Tropin injections twice a week for four weeks. This will help kick-start the effects. After that, we will change over to a pill version for the next three to six months."