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[Android]

Great update YellowSpike!

Online dating is definitely a game changer for better or for worse, filters can be brutal if you're male and below average in height. I've read an entire profile of a 5'0" girl, only to see in closing: 6 ft and taller ONLY! Obviously not everyone is that blatant, but she wasn't alone; average and taller is a strong preference for many, but I don't blame them as there are plenty of men to choose from. We'd be equally picky if we were getting bombarded with messages too.

I know what you mean, I'm the shortest guy pretty much anywhere I go at 163 cm. Good to hear that you were able to escape that label (too bad for the new shortest guy).

And I didn't know online dating had already become the main form of dating in some places. Where I live, despite the rising popularity of apps like Tinder, people still seem to rely the most on shared social environments such as college, university, etc.

As a student, university is a great place to find a date, since you have a ton of people near your age that have similar interests. Changing classes presents you with a fresh roster, and there are frequent parties/gatherings to meet new people. You can even flirt during class!

As you get older, things slow down. If you work for a small company, your selection is also small. Even if you work for a large company, many are married, and dating a coworker has taboos that don't exist for students. If you land a stable career without a potential love interest, look elsewhere: bars/coffee shops, meet ups, introduction from friends, conferences, chance encounters, etc.

It has also been a huge contributor in pairing LGBTQ couples, since dating apps are also effective in thin markets. People who meet online seem to be divorcing less as well. Source.

Some fun statistics on online dating in the US!

[myloginacct]

Well, going by my circle of friends, I see online dating in two types: online dating through the use of those apps, and "online dating" in the sense that you first met and started talking to that other person online. The former hasn't worked out well on the long term for my friends, while the latter has led to strong, stable relationships. Granted, I don't have too many friends. But it's good to know that even Tinder apparently has led to stronger marriages than people who met IRL, on average. I have a very prejudiced notion of Tinder and similar apps and would have never expected that statistic from them.

But I guess the Tinder marriages are stronger because people think they had to settle for "less", as harsh as that sounds. If you are the desired one, you have such a large pool and you can pick among the best suited for you... in all traits possible.

[goldenegg]

Hey Yellow, I just read through your updates and am glad to hear you are doing well!

I very rarely get knee pain anymore, and when I do, it's very manageable. Only seem to get it when I run, so I don't run very often (I get my cardio from intense flow yoga, stairmaster, elliptical, etc.). And sometimes when I travel in airplanes, I get right leg pain. Dr. R believes removing the nails will help, so I'm doing that this fall. A bit nervous about that and not keen on having new scars, but whatever, I will deal.

Quick question- do you know if insurance will cover some of the cost of removal with Dr. R or did you ask him about it?

[W]

What I will say is that, having successfully done LL and ending my height neurosis, I seem to notice a lot more couples where the man is shorter than his woman, OR just generally short men who are very successful in life. I think before LL, I had so much pain due to my own height that I was sort of blind to all these things. Or maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.

Unfortunately, most dating nowadays happens online, and short men (below 5'7"/5'8" especially) are going to have a harder time. Many woman would totally be fine with shorter guys, but in my experience, thanks to social media/online dating, no one seems to talk to each other in real life anymore, so we all resort to online dating. This, in turn, makes women extra picky, and many have straight up told me that height is the first thing they'll use to quickly narrow down all their options.

I never wanted or needed to be the tallest guy around, I just didn't want to be the shortest. Doing this surgery has accomplished that for me. I almost never feel short anymore, and I rarely find women much taller than me, even in heels. And I definitely feel much more attractive from having done LL (I always had the facial aesthetics, but being 166cm just negated that entirely). My proportions aren't perfect, but no one has ever really commented on them except for one guy at my gym (who was watching me deadlift and squat) noticed my femurs were on the long side. But even women who've seen me nked haven't commented, and I think having muscular legs helps camouflage the proportions a bit.

I very rarely get knee pain anymore, and when I do, it's very manageable. Only seem to get it when I run, so I don't run very often (I get my cardio from intense flow yoga, stairmaster, elliptical, etc.). And sometimes when I travel in airplanes, I get right leg pain. Dr. R believes removing the nails will help, so I'm doing that this fall. A bit nervous about that and not keen on having new scars, but whatever, I will deal.

Overall, I'm happy I did LL.

The proportions issue is probably all in your head. If people aren't starring at it then it doesn't exist.

I think tinder is a godsend. Many women love tall guys IRL which does still translate on to tinder, but most don't actually care and there is also the opportunity to show who you are and your lifestyle which you wouldn't be able to do IRL. There have been numerous occasions when I chat up a girl, exchange IG (I usually try to do it immediately) and after she sees my IG I notice a dramatically higher interest level. You can show of your lifestyle in a way you wouldn't have been able to otherwise. It's like if you're a C-list celebrity and you ask a girl to google you. Suddenly being a bit short doesn't matter so much.

[YellowSpike]

Update:
It´s been 3 years since my op. I am doing fine.
Athletic recovery is around 99%, but I only lengthened very little (something around 5,7 to 5,9cm, i don´t know exactly) so i don´t know if athletic recovery is possible -in terms of 99%- if you lengthen 8cm.
It all depends on many different factors. Age, dedication, genes, body type, etc etc etc.

One guy -here or in the old forum- made some kind of LL compendium , trying to establish some kind of statistics about good and bad outcome of LL patients. He put me in the "bad outcome" department. This is ridiculous. My outcome is good, if you look at it from a medical standpoint. I was lucky. My complications were minor, compared to what happened to others and compared to what can happen in general.
My pre-LL-problems were mostly in my head, and LL cannot solve this (in most cases). So, maybe this guy who did the statistics chose to put too much emphasis on negative posts of mine that don´t have anything to do with the medical/physical outcome.

I generally advise against LL.
If you think this is your very last option and you are about to kill yourself, ok, do it.
But don´t expect to be happy after LL. This is rarely likely if you have been unhappy pre-LL (exceptions always exist, of course).
If you are an unhappy person, you are an unhappy person, a few centimeters more won´t fix that.
I am glad that I did the op, but I am still an unhappy person. This is my nature and the circumstances of my life.
But maybe my case is different. I did LL at 45 and I was pretty ok until then. Well: I must correct, I was pretty ok until 41 or 42. It was then when I realized that you cannot easily start all over again at that age, e.g. realizing you should have been an artist and ended up as a lawyer. Or the other way round.
So maybe, if you are young and do LL and you are unhappy, maybe LL can actually help you to become a happy person. I don´t know. Each person is unique , each case is different, each one has his/her own complications.
But, LL should be the very last remedy. Before, try everything else. You have got to realize that -doing LL- you finally and unchangeably decide to not accept the body that was given to you. This can be a huge burden for the rest of your life.
It all comes down to a very simple logic:
1. If you are happy, don´t do LL. You risk many things and you lose important things. What for? You are already happy, so stay happy and make the best out of your life.
2. If you are unhappy, chances are that you will stay unhappy after LL, just being a few centimeters taller. But maybe you are an exception and LL will actually affect your happiness. Nobody knows...

To all those who think they will have better chances with women: Your personality weighs way more than just a few centimeters. So, if you do it, do it for yourself and not for women.
Peace
OBG

I have been thinking about what OBG said in this post for a few months now. Overall, I don't regret doing LL. It did get rid of my height neurosis. But at the cost of less-than-perfect (although overall fine - even seeing me nked, no one's ever commented) proportions, recurring pain (although I still need to have the hardware removed), and the fear of running into/hanging out with certain people (7cm is a VERY noticeable increase, believe me). I get angry sometimes wishing I was 5'7" naturally. I honestly feel that, at a height of at least 5'7", while that's still "short," it's the height where a man starts looking normal/having normal proportions (at least,  in my opinion). I was about 5'5.5", so beneath that and at a height where I was undeniably short. But now that my height neurosis is gone and my "eyes are open," I do see a lot of men who are below 5'7" who are living great lives. Maybe they're not married to Heidi Klum or Kate Upton, but they do have attractive and kind wives, children, etc. They might get occasional jabs for their height, and while I can't comment on how that makes them feel or if they experience it in the workplace (where it would annoy me more), among friends, it's really not malicious. I think I was just hurting internally and those innocuous jabs hurt me more than they should have as a result.

I somewhat regret changing myself. It's a weird catch 22. I'm such a damn perfectionist (something I'm working on) and I KNOW I'm more attractive at 5'8" than I was at 5'5" and some change. And I also think that, if I had never done LL, I'd always be wondering what being taller would be like, and would regret missing the chance to do it when I was relatively young. So, knowing me, either way, I'd have some regrets.

I guess I just want others to know that life is really largely the same after LL (assuming you don't have any serious complications). You're just taller. That's about the only thing that's changed for me. LL will NOT magically fix all of your life problems or make you happy. You might be happier, or at least, content with your height - but that's it. Be cognizant of this.

[myloginacct]

I have been thinking about what OBG said in this post for a few months now. Overall, I don't regret doing LL. It did get rid of my height neurosis. But at the cost of less-than-perfect (although overall fine - even seeing me nked, no one's ever commented) proportions, recurring pain (although I still need to have the hardware removed), and the fear of running into/hanging out with certain people (7cm is a VERY noticeable increase, believe me). I get angry sometimes wishing I was 5'7" naturally. I honestly feel that, at a height of at least 5'7", while that's still "short," it's the height where a man starts looking normal/having normal proportions (at least,  in my opinion). I was about 5'5.5", so beneath that and at a height where I was undeniably short. But now that my height neurosis is gone and my "eyes are open," I do see a lot of men who are below 5'7" who are living great lives. Maybe they're not married to Heidi Klum or Kate Upton, but they do have attractive and kind wives, children, etc. They might get occasional jabs for their height, and while I can't comment on how that makes them feel or if they experience it in the workplace (where it would annoy me more), among friends, it's really not malicious. I think I was just hurting internally and those innocuous jabs hurt me more than they should have as a result.

I somewhat regret changing myself. It's a weird catch 22. I'm such a damn perfectionist (something I'm working on) and I KNOW I'm more attractive at 5'8" than I was at 5'5" and some change. And I also think that, if I had never done LL, I'd always be wondering what being taller would be like, and would regret missing the chance to do it when I was relatively young. So, knowing me, either way, I'd have some regrets.

I guess I just want others to know that life is really largely the same after LL (assuming you don't have any serious complications). You're just taller. That's about the only thing that's changed for me. LL will NOT magically fix all of your life problems or make you happy. You might be happier, or at least, content with your height - but that's it. Be cognizant of this.

Yellow:

"I demolish my bridges behind me - then there is no choice but forward."
  - Fridtjof Nansen

A quote I find really useful. Thought I should share.

[Android]

Even with the "what if" second guessing and dealing with existing friends that don't know about your CLL, the elimination of height neurosis sounds like a net positive. Thanks for your candid thoughts!

[Constantine]

Hey yellow,
a very inspiring diary, I read it right now all in once . Thank you for that and your honestly. 

I wish you the best for your life !

C

[Alu]

I have been thinking about what OBG said in this post for a few months now. Overall, I don't regret doing LL. It did get rid of my height neurosis. But at the cost of less-than-perfect (although overall fine - even seeing me nked, no one's ever commented) proportions, recurring pain (although I still need to have the hardware removed), and the fear of running into/hanging out with certain people (7cm is a VERY noticeable increase, believe me). I get angry sometimes wishing I was 5'7" naturally. I honestly feel that, at a height of at least 5'7", while that's still "short," it's the height where a man starts looking normal/having normal proportions (at least,  in my opinion). I was about 5'5.5", so beneath that and at a height where I was undeniably short. But now that my height neurosis is gone and my "eyes are open," I do see a lot of men who are below 5'7" who are living great lives. Maybe they're not married to Heidi Klum or Kate Upton, but they do have attractive and kind wives, children, etc. They might get occasional jabs for their height, and while I can't comment on how that makes them feel or if they experience it in the workplace (where it would annoy me more), among friends, it's really not malicious. I think I was just hurting internally and those innocuous jabs hurt me more than they should have as a result.

I somewhat regret changing myself. It's a weird catch 22. I'm such a damn perfectionist (something I'm working on) and I KNOW I'm more attractive at 5'8" than I was at 5'5" and some change. And I also think that, if I had never done LL, I'd always be wondering what being taller would be like, and would regret missing the chance to do it when I was relatively young. So, knowing me, either way, I'd have some regrets.

I guess I just want others to know that life is really largely the same after LL (assuming you don't have any serious complications). You're just taller. That's about the only thing that's changed for me. LL will NOT magically fix all of your life problems or make you happy. You might be happier, or at least, content with your height - but that's it. Be cognizant of this.

Yup pretty much how it's starting to feel like as I'm making my decision on it atm. I'm content with my life, being away from the forums was the real antidote I needed and pretty much what got rid of my neurosis.

It is hard though not to do it. It's pretty tempting all around and just knowing I can get rid of this nagging behind my head (which as I alluded too is pretty much a fraction of what it was years ago), is the biggest pull. I would say if anything I'm not that desperate to do it; Ill have to do it before my late 20s because of recovery reasons, but I'm not frantic about it anymore.

[Penguinn]

the fear of running into/hanging out with certain people (7cm is a VERY noticeable increase, believe me).

I found it hilarious that almost nobody (that didn't know about what I did) commented on my height increase. Maybe a 5'2 and 5'5 person don't look very different to the 5'8 & 5'9 friends I have?  Or maybe people thought I just grew naturally.

[Johnson1111]

I found it hilarious that almost nobody (that didn't know about what I did) commented on my height increase. Maybe a 5'2 and 5'5 person don't look very different to the 5'8 & 5'9 friends I have?  Or maybe people thought I just grew naturally.

You grew 7cm too? And nobody noticed?

[Penguinn]

You grew 7cm too? And nobody noticed?

7.5 actually
The people who knew I did it definitely noticed it. But friends I met once in many months didn't. Maybe they just assumed I grew naturally or didn't give a fk.

[fokid]

but don't they notice from lack of willingness to engage in physical activities like hiking, traveling which involves a lot of walking?

[LAGrowin]

but don't they notice from lack of willingness to engage in physical activities like hiking, traveling which involves a lot of walking?

I just lengthened 7cm, and surprisingly less people than I thought have noticed the change.  The. people who have said anything attribute it to the weight loss I had with my "fractured" legs.  Most will leave it alone after a few comments.

[Johnson1111]

Is it because we over estimate how much 7cm  really is?

[LAGrowin]

Is it because we over estimate how much 7cm  really is?

Maybe, but to me and any other LLer I've talked to, 7cm is very significant.  It is definitely a night and day difference to me. 

[Body Builder]

I just lengthened 7cm, and surprisingly less people than I thought have noticed the change.  The. people who have said anything attribute it to the weight loss I had with my "fractured" legs.  Most will leave it alone after a few comments.

Exactly the same happened with me.
I lengthened 7.5 cm and although all of my friends said I seemed bigger, noone thought that I am so much taller than before.
Maybe because I was short (1.68) and I just became as tall as them or still shorter.
Also I was 22 so many would think that I grew naturally.

Anyway, 7.5 cm IS a big difference and being 1.75 to 1.68 is a whole new world. However, when I become from average to tall after my second LL (when I will end up at about 1.82-2) I am sure that everyone will notice how tall I became. But I dont care, on the other hand I want a drastic change so as to finally feel completely ok with my height.

[YellowSpike]

It's funny you guys have been having this convo in my diary...here's an interesting story..

Just this past weekend, I hung out with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. One negative side effect of this surgery, at least for me, is that I sorta avoided certain people because I didn't want them to know I had the surgery. Some people I told, some I didn't. It really depended on the person and what I thought their reaction would be.

Anyway...this guy is about 5' 7.5". So he was definitely taller than me pre surgery, and I'm a little taller than him after the surgery. I've noticed that women (almost all of them, no matter what their own height is - since they instinctively value or are attracted to height) and guys around my height (either a bit shorter, the same or a bit taller pre-surgery) tend to notice the most. Guys 5'10" and up haven't seemed to notice. I was worried this guy would notice both because he wasn't that much taller than me, and also because I figured he'd react negatively. Thankfully, I think just the fact that I'm a lot more well-built and have different facial hair and longer hair in general (and the fact that it had been years) all threw him off. But a few times, I caught him looking at me with confusion in his eyes. He looked at me a few times as if he knew something was different about me, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. But I loved it!  And I loved being taller than him. I know I only lengthened 7cm, but I'm wondering if yoga has given me some more (even if only temporary). My doctor recently measured me at 5'8.5", although I think my evening height is closer to 5'8" or maybe a tad above that.

[Penguinn]

but don't they notice from lack of willingness to engage in physical activities like hiking, traveling which involves a lot of walking?

I can walk long distances, I could trek/hike if I wanted to. I just can't play sports yet but I think that'll change in 6 months or so (I'll still wait a year). Not a soul can see me walking and find anything wrong. I didn't play that much of sports before, so they probably just think I'm being lazy

[Penguinn]

It's funny you guys have been having this convo in my diary...here's an interesting story..

Just this past weekend, I hung out with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. One negative side effect of this surgery, at least for me, is that I sorta avoided certain people because I didn't want them to know I had the surgery. Some people I told, some I didn't. It really depended on the person and what I thought their reaction would be.

Anyway...this guy is about 5' 7.5". So he was definitely taller than me pre surgery, and I'm a little taller than him after the surgery. I've noticed that women (almost all of them, no matter what their own height is - since they instinctively value or are attracted to height) and guys around my height (either a bit shorter, the same or a bit taller pre-surgery) tend to notice the most. Guys 5'10" and up haven't seemed to notice. I was worried this guy would notice both because he wasn't that much taller than me, and also because I figured he'd react negatively. Thankfully, I think just the fact that I'm a lot more well-built and have different facial hair and longer hair in general (and the fact that it had been years) all threw him off. But a few times, I caught him looking at me with confusion in his eyes. He looked at me a few times as if he knew something was different about me, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. But I loved it!  And I loved being taller than him. I know I only lengthened 7cm, but I'm wondering if yoga has given me some more (even if only temporary). My doctor recently measured me at 5'8.5", although I think my evening height is closer to 5'8" or maybe a tad above that.

That's hilarious. Feels sneaky as f*ck, doesn't it?

[Android]

One negative side effect of this surgery, at least for me, is that I sorta avoided certain people because I didn't want them to know I had the surgery. Some people I told, some I didn't. It really depended on the person and what I thought their reaction would be.

I've told a few people IRL that I'm doing this soon, and I find it much easier to tell women or men that are taller than me. I've yet to tell my very close male friends that are about my height because it feels like I'm betraying them in a weird way. They'll find out eventually, looking forward to the reactions!

[myloginacc]

It's funny you guys have been having this convo in my diary...here's an interesting story..

Just this past weekend, I hung out with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. One negative side effect of this surgery, at least for me, is that I sorta avoided certain people because I didn't want them to know I had the surgery. Some people I told, some I didn't. It really depended on the person and what I thought their reaction would be.

Anyway...this guy is about 5' 7.5". So he was definitely taller than me pre surgery, and I'm a little taller than him after the surgery. I've noticed that women (almost all of them, no matter what their own height is - since they instinctively value or are attracted to height) and guys around my height (either a bit shorter, the same or a bit taller pre-surgery) tend to notice the most. Guys 5'10" and up haven't seemed to notice. I was worried this guy would notice both because he wasn't that much taller than me, and also because I figured he'd react negatively. Thankfully, I think just the fact that I'm a lot more well-built and have different facial hair and longer hair in general (and the fact that it had been years) all threw him off. But a few times, I caught him looking at me with confusion in his eyes. He looked at me a few times as if he knew something was different about me, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. But I loved it!  And I loved being taller than him. I know I only lengthened 7cm, but I'm wondering if yoga has given me some more (even if only temporary). My doctor recently measured me at 5'8.5", although I think my evening height is closer to 5'8" or maybe a tad above that.

http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=5552.msg86400#msg86400

You can definitely squeeze maybe up to 2 extra centimeters if you want!

Stretching has definitely given me 1 extra centimeter. I don't mind it if it's temporary, as I do the stretching exercises everyday, anyway.

[LAGrowin]

But a few times, I caught him looking at me with confusion in his eyes. He looked at me a few times as if he knew something was different about me, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Exactly !! This has happened a few times to me.  Funny!

[Johnson1111]

Fxck the reactions and what people who I know think. If they see me they see me. Not going out of my way to see anyone I knew just so I can see their reaction to my height even if it would be positive. Fxck them.

[YellowSpike]

Just had my rods taken out on Friday. Someone on here mentioned not to underestimate the rod removal surgery, and boy were they right. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck and my walking is now back to penguin status lol. But at least the surgery went well and had no complications. Happy to be hardware free. Just need this soreness to go down! Ugh!

[Mariobro]

Just had my rods taken out on Friday. Someone on here mentioned not to underestimate the rod removal surgery, and boy were they right. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck and my walking is now back to penguin status lol. But at least the surgery went well and had no complications. Happy to be hardware free. Just need this soreness to go down! Ugh!

Hello Yellowspike3, why you waited so long for removal?

[YellowSpike]

Hello Yellowspike3, why you waited so long for removal?

I had delayed consolidation on my left femur and the timing just was never right. I considered keeping them in, but didn’t want to deal with the pain I always got on airplanes. And everyone who has had them removed says you feel so much better after the soreness from the removal surgery wears off. So I chose this month, as I’d rather be sore/moving slowly during fall/winter as opposed to spring/summer.

[cool]

Hope you get recovered soon YellowSpike!

Any chance you can post a deadlift / squat video because I read that you lift insane amounts. I want to see how it looks with lengthened femurs.

[YellowSpike]

Hope you get recovered soon YellowSpike!

Any chance you can post a deadlift / squat video because I read that you lift insane amounts. I want to see how it looks with lengthened femurs.

I’ll think about it. I do have some vids of my heavy lifts, but obviously have to take it easy for a while as I recover from nail removal 

[Purushrottam]

Congratulations!

I looked at your May 30th entry. I saw that confused look so many times when I met people who used to be taller than me (and were now my height). I think I'll never forget that. I have traveled a lot in the past year and have met most of my friends/family from before LL. I can't wait to meet he last group of friends who haven't seen me after LL to see their reactions.

The people who were taller than me before and who are still taller didn't notice anything. The dudes who were my height/are my height now noticed and were confused. The ladies DEFINITELY noticed.

Did you have your rods removed by Dr. Rozbruch? I'm thinking of doing the same. I have really good insurance. How much did it cost you (with and without insurance)?

[YellowSpike]

Congratulations!

I looked at your May 30th entry. I saw that confused look so many times when I met people who used to be taller than me (and were now my height). I think I'll never forget that. I have traveled a lot in the past year and have met most of my friends/family from before LL. I can't wait to meet he last group of friends who haven't seen me after LL to see their reactions.

The people who were taller than me before and who are still taller didn't notice anything. The dudes who were my height/are my height now noticed and were confused. The ladies DEFINITELY noticed.

Did you have your rods removed by Dr. Rozbruch? I'm thinking of doing the same. I have really good insurance. How much did it cost you (with and without insurance)?

Thanks man! Yeah it was weird that women of all heights in my life (those that were already shorter than me, those the same height as me, or those that used to be taller or are still taller than me) ALL noticed the height increase. Most of my male buddies didn't unless I passed them from LL. Just goes to show that ALL women, even if they are ok with dating me that are short, at the very least NOTICE a man's height. They may value it at different levels, but they ALL notice.

Yes, Dr. R took my rods out. I don't have the numbers yet as my insurance is still doing the claim as we speak. PM me in a few weeks and I should know (I'd rather not post it on here). The cost without any insurance is $10,000 (not including hospital fees, but those are 90% covered, so not worried about those).