A woman has left the internet speechless after revealing the diagnosis she received at age 35 but now she realizes it could explain many underlying issues she’s experienced throughout her life.
Jodi Powell of Atlanta, Georgia, was visiting the doctor’s office to discuss some joint pain she’d been experiencing, and she wondered if her weight or height was contributing to it. Standing at 4 feet, 6 inches, Powell was used to being the shortest in a group, but when the doctor took her measurements, he astounded her with an unexpected revelation.
After the measurements of her body and limbs were recorded, Powell told Newsweek that she “was in shock” when he diagnosed her with dwarfism. She explained that her height has always been a running joke among friends and family, but she never thought she actually had a form of dwarfism.
@baribombshell / TikTok
“I wanted to prove my husband and best friend wrong about me having it,” Powell said. “Well, the joke was on me because I do have it, but I should have known due to my limbs and trunk.
“I don’t look any different if you were to look at me with a regular eye, so it was always a joke, nothing none of us took seriously.”
Powell says her “height limitation” has always caused difficulties, such as not being able to reach certain shelves and joint pains. But she added that she’s always just learned to “adjust and make do.”
What Is Dwarfism?
Dwarfism is defined as an adult height of 4 feet, 10 inches or less. Cases are split into disproportionate dwarfism in which parts of the body are small while others are average size, or proportionate dwarfism, meaning all parts of the body are small to the same degree.
While every case will vary, the Mayo Clinic highlights that common symptoms include short arms and legs, short fingers, limited elbow mobility, short trunk, development of bowed legs, and potential vision and hearing problems.
Little People of America, a non-profit organization, suggests there’s about 65,000 people in the U.S. with dwarfism, with 400 children born with the condition each year. Notably, some prefer the terms short stature or little people, so it’s important to be sensitive to each preference.
Dwarfism is usually discovered at an early age, but obesity medicine physician Dr. Jennie Stanford told Newsweek that it’s not uncommon for it to be discovered later in life. Receiving a diagnosis in adulthood could be the result of variability in symptoms or having a milder severity.
“More severe cases of dwarfism are much more likely to be diagnosed in childhood, specifically related to delayed growth,” said Dr. Stanford, a medical contributor for Drugwatch. “Many of these cases of dwarfism are not proportional, which can be easier to recognize.”
Another important factor is “genetic perception,” as Dr. Stanford said many people just assume being short runs in the family and that it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
“Some people will think that short stature is noted in the family, so that’s likely what it is,” she said. “This is true in many cases. However, proportionate dwarfism may also present this way.”
@baribombshell / TikTok
During her appointment, Powell underwent several tests before receiving the diagnosis. But she’s also undergoing a gene test to find the cause for her dwarfism.
“The doctor did a measurement of my body and limbs, and did a calculation to determine if I am disproportionate,” Powell said. “They swabbed my cheeks for the first round of testing, and that one didn’t turn up with anything, so now we are working on the gene test.
“I feel OK with the diagnosis because it’s provided me with answers, which I wanted. It’s allowed me to understand that this could be the underlying issue for so much that I never thought about, and now I’m enjoying knowing that things like this happen no matter the age.”
To her knowledge, Powell is the first person in her family to be diagnosed with dwarfism. But after looking through family photos, she says she’s “started to see where it may come from.”
While her family couldn’t believe it, Powell’s friends were a little less shocked by the revelation.
“They all looked at me and said they knew it, they were just waiting for me to come out of denial,” Powell joked.
How Did Social Media React?
On August 5, Powell posted about her unexpected diagnosis on TikTok (@baribombshell) and the video has gained more than 3.8 million views and 387,000 likes at the time of writing.
She never imagined that she’d go viral for this reason, but Powell hopes her story will encourage others to advocate for themselves and know that it’s never too late to receive a diagnosis.
“The reaction has been a journey, and it’s got so many people interested in the who, what and when of my diagnosis,” she said. “I just want people to know that it’s never too late to find out your history because you just never know.
“We should always listen to our bodies, and if you feel unheard keep going until you are finally heard.”
Powell’s discovery has astounded many social media users, leading to more than 1,900 comments on her TikTok video. One comment reads: “Wait they could do that? I have questions.”
Another person joked: “See that’s why I don’t go to the dr.”
While one TikToker wrote: “That comes with benefits. A win is a win Queen.”
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