I been short all my life and i'm tired of it. My mom is 5'1 1/2 my dad is 5'4 and my older brother is 5'7. I'm 5'2. About 10 months ago I got sent to a program or a boarding school. I spent 9 months at that boarding school and it was strict. THey make us sleep at a 9:30 and wake up at 7:45. We eat 3 balanced meals a day and they make us exercise by running and playing basketball. Before I got sent there, I was only 5'1 or 5'1 1/2. I grew at least an inch or a little less then an inch when I was in the boarding school. I don't know what it was that helped me grow...but I remember taking Centruum vitamins. I don't know if that helped me grow or not. I heard that Calcium pills makes your bone denser and stronger. My question is if calcium makes your bone denser, then does that mean growth? OH i forgot to mention, back in the boarding school they didn't let us drink any caffeine drinks. I stopped drinking caffeine drinks now and only water or juice. I also swim almost everyday and play basketball and I do this spine stretch that my cousin taught me. I'm 17 years old now and turning 18 in October. I am wondering if I can still grow or not. Another thing is when I was 15 I went to the doctors to take a picture of my bones to see if I can still grow and my doctor said my bone age is 17 and that I might not be able to grow that much anymore...he said that my bone is almost fused or something which can stop my growth. I'm scared to go to the doctors to take a picture and see if it fused already because I don't want to be discouraged. I want to know what's everybody's opinion on this. Do you think I can still grow? My goal is 5'4. I will be very grateful for 5'4. Thank you for taking your time to read this.

even if your growth plates are fused, which they might not be, you can always increase your height 1 or 2 inches by stretching on a daily basis. Other than that try to live a healthy lifestyle by eating well, sleeping right, and exercise often. I'm sure you can reach your goal or even beyond that if you put enough effort into it.