Hi Jay.
Welcome to LL forums.
Most of us spend at least a year researching Leg Lengthening surgery and I suggest you do the same. There is no right or wrong answers when it comes to this surgery. Only you and your doctor can decide what method is best for your body and your goals.
I cant speak for much because I am not a medical professional nor have i even done LL surgery yet. I am still 'lurking' after a year and a half of research. I can only tell you what I have gone through personally.
The moment I found out you could become permanently taller I was so overjoyed I was prepared to have the surgery immediately. Like an impulse purchase of a new Laptop or flat screen TV.
However, once I read some stories on anold forum , I became alarmed at how barbaric , time consuming, expensive it really is. These guys BREAK your legs and leave you a cripple for months as your legs grow. Then after that your leg bones have to 'harden' so that they are as good as new. Wheelchair and crutches and a ton of painful physio therapy are involved.
You need to get a visa to get into a country, shots if applicable, and a substantial amount of time off in the foreign country . You will need to find accommodation there and hire a physio therapist . Then you will need to return there after a year or so to have the internal nails or rods out unless you do a specific kind of external device which comes with its own physical challenges.
Some like myself plan to do internals and come right home to do the distraction. You will need a sympathetic doctor at home who is proficient in orthopedics.
Then after it is done, you will have to endure your family and friends asking why you are taller and to admit you didnt want to be short anymore might cause them to think you were too insecure. However, some of us are so young we can claim we had a late growth spurt.
You and I are the same size. 171cm. You may even be 1cm taller. For me, being 5ft 7 is a joke . It requires me to 'know my place' as a little guy . I am not taken seriously in social situations that I prefer. I cannot date the women I want either. I spent my whole life being second rate because society continually shoved me in that corner regardless of my attempts to use other skills to get around it. Our society is very cut and dried when it comes to prejudice.
So for me, this surgery is a necessity. Not because I am going to cry a river if I stay 5ft7. I came to terms with it years ago in my 20s. Its important to me because I feel that my life will drastically improve . Not only will my self confidence rise, the way others percieve me will be noticeably different.
This is the key. If you feel I am being to melodramatic about it all, and its not that drastic, then you seem to be ok with your height. If I was ok with my height, there is no way I would get by legs broken (twice) in two surgeries and spend the better part of 2 years going through physical and emotional duress.
Give it some thought. Check out all the doctors. Read the patient diaries. Do not make a decision for at least a year.
Cheers
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Topic: Been preparing for this for a very long time! Just need some answers, please. :) (Read 6160 times)