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[glenn]

"Find out what it is you want, and go after it as if your life depends on it. Why? Because it does!" -Les Brown

It was about two years ago that I first heard a recording of motivational speaker Les Brown by chance. At that time in my career and life I was quite comfortable with everything; I was coasting along and things were "good enough." My career was "ok," my dating life was "ok," my social life was "ok," even my level of contentment was "ok."

I'm sure many of you have also gone through the same thing in your own lives at one point or another. Nothing is wrong, and yet deep down inside you feel an indescribable tinge of restlessness within your soul. I remember having such boundless ambitions when I was young: I was going to do this and do that after finishing my Bachelor's degree and I was going to change the world.

I blinked, and a decade gone by and now I was 34.

Aside from the restlessness of my soul, there was also shame. Shame because I knew I wasn't pushing myself, I knew I wasn't choosing the road less travelled. I had grown too comfortable and was afraid of failing - afraid of getting out of my comfort zone and afraid that people would see through my carefully-crafted self image and see my insecurities for what they were. I had to make a change, or else my only legacy in this "ok" life would be a bucket list of regrets and un-chased dreams on my deathbed.

I had to make a leap; my life depended on it.

For many years I had told myself that, "someday I'll do LL when the time is right." It was like those people that say: "someday I'll go on a diet and start exercising" or "someday I'll quit my job and open that restaurant." But always I had an excuse, "after this project," "after the results for next fiscal quarter," "when I'm less tired." At some point I knew I had to stop giving myself excuses and I began to earnestly pursue my dream of LL.

The day I stopped making excuses and started taking responsibility for my dreams was the day that I started to truly live my life.

I took notes and re-read all the diaries, I started reaching out to doctors and asking questions, I began planning my finances for the surgery, I made it known that I was going to take a yearlong sabbatical at my job. Most importantly, I made a commitment to myself, that no matter what obstacles I'd encounter on this journey, I would never again give myself any excuse to not pursue my dreams.

And that, my dear reader, brings us here, to my diary. Whatever happens I hope this diary will serve as a documentary of the smiles and cries of my journey, and hopefully it can serve as a source of information for future LL'ers.

[glenn]

A bit about myself: I'm Canadian, 165cm, 55kg (urrr, let's say 55kg to 60kg )

I've been lurking in this forum and the "other one" for many years, but never really could decide on a doctor. As I progressed in my LL journey I begun to email doctors to ask questions. Some were friendly, some were hard to get a hold of, and some didn't even bother to respond. On this forum we spend so much time to debate the merits of different techniques we sometimes neglect to remember that part of a successful procedure depends so much on the human element.

One of the things that is important for me is the doctor's caring and compassion. No matter how much you prepare, you will have to entrust your life to your doctor come surgery time. Technical expertise aside, it will all be in his hands and you must have the confidence that your doctor cares enough to make the right decisions on your behalf. Dude, your doc's gonna be cutting your bones in half in multiple spots - you'd better hope you have a compassionate doctor!

Part of what led me to Dr. Monegal was because I felt he was a really caring doctor. Despite being verbally abused by some juvenile trolls on this forum, Dr. Monegal still returns to help provide info and answer questions. There used to be another doctor here on the forums trying to help and was driven off by baseless accusations. Cynical users will say that doctors coming to the forum are a ploy to drum up business; I would say reread the posts - no amount of money in the world is worth taking the type of sh*t that's been thrown at them. They are not doing it for money, that's for sure. I really feel it takes a special human being, and special doctor to put up with some of the stuff that's been accused in this forum.

Anyways, suffice it to say that I'm quite happy (and grateful!) to have Dr. Monegal as my doctor. I first emailed Dr. Monegal on May 17, and he replied very quickly. He was even nice enough to follow up a few days later when I failed to reply him. I took some x-rays and emailed them. Back and forth our emails went, mostly with rounds of me asking questions and him answering quickly and then patiently waiting for my follow-up questions. At some point all my questions were exhausted and it was time to decide: do or not do? I realized that the only thing holding me back was myself so I made a booking for when Dr. M was free. So now I am scheduled for August 25 at Clinica Diagonal. (Any stalkers please feel free to drop by and wish me luck on my big day! )

Below is my schedule so far. I put it together, but Dr. Monegal has already looked at it and said it was fine. However, knowing me, there is a distinct possibility that I've missed something, so I encourage you to question/criticize it.

Oh by the way, I'll be doing internal fitbone for both my tibiae and fermurs. The first surgery will be tibia on one side and femur on the other. And then the second surgery will be for the remaining tibia and femur. I'm aiming for 11 cm or so (in total).

Note: One of the quirky things is that Canadians must spend 3 months outside of Schengen region for every (maximum) 3 months they spend in Spain. That's the reason for spending Nov, Dec, Jan in Canada and why the whole schedule is so rigid. Also, the below price for MIC Sant Jordi is for an individual, single room. Hopefully I can bring that number down if I can find someone to share with.

August 20, 2015:
Fly from Toronto to Barcelona (estimated budget 500 euro)

August 20 - 24, 2015:
Arrive in Barcelona, and do banking, transfer money, mobile card, pre-op scans...etc. (estimated budget 600 euro)

August 25 - August 31, 2015:
Surgery, stay at Clinica Diagonal for 7 nights (71,000/2 = 35,500 Euro)

September 1 - October 31, 2015:
(2 months post-op at MIC Sant Jordi, Barcelona)
MIC Sant Jordi (1260 euro/month x 2 months = 2,520 Euro)
PT (every Monday, Wednesday, Friday? estimated 35 Euro x 24 times = 840 Euro)
groceries (estimated 100 Euro per week x 2 months = 800 Euro)

November 1, 2015 - to February 1, 2016:
Fly from Barcelona to Toronto. Recovery in Toronto with family. (estimated budget 500 euro)

February 2, 2016:
Fly from Toronto to Barcelona, Check in one night somewhere. Mentally prepare for surgery. (estimated budget 650 euro)

February 3 - February 9, 2016:
Surgery, stay at Clinica Diagonal for 7 nights (71,000/2 = 35,500 Euro)

February 10 to April 9, 2016
(2 months post-op at MIC Sant Jordi, Barcelona)
MIC Sant Jordi (1260 euro/month x 2 months = 2,520 Euro)
PT (every Monday, Wednesday, Friday? estimated 35 Euro x 24 times = 840 Euro)
groceries (estimated 100 Euro per week x 2 months = 800 Euro)

April 10, 2016:
Fly from Barcelona to Toronto…(estimated budget 500 euro)

sometime 2018:
rods removal (+Clinica Diagonal fees)


What do you guys think; what have I missed?

[theuprising]

Hi Glenn I had a few questions

What are your total estimated costs?

Is fitbone weight bearing at all?

Most doctors recommend approximately
1 year between lengthening femurs and tibias. What does Dr Monegal have to
say on this issue?

Are you staying at the same job when you come back from lengthening? What do you plan to
tell people when you are 11cm taller?

Kind Regards

[Alittletooshort]

Hey Glenn,
Thanks for doing this, I really appreciate it!
Do you know your wingspan? Do you think your proportions can handle the large amount of lengthening?
You may need some extra budget for some unexpected expenses but I´m pretty sure you are aware of this.
Wish you all the best!
Cheers!

[glenn]

Hi Theuprising,

Thanks for your questions!

What are your total estimated costs?

As you can see from the above itinerary, it already adds up to over 82k euro. I'm thinking it will be closer to 90k when it's all said and done.

Is fitbone weight bearing at all?

Nope, fitbone is non-weight-bearing during distraction phase. According to Dr. Monegal I'll be needing to be in a wheelchair for 2 to 2.5 months after each surgery... (yikes!) I am afraid of this part just as anybody else, but I intend to soldier on and figure it out as best I can as I go along.

Most doctors recommend approximately
1 year between lengthening femurs and tibias. What does Dr Monegal have to
say on this issue?

I don't know what Dr. Monegal has to say on that issue. Maybe if he sees this message he will answer you here? As far as I'm concerned, if he sees no problem with my current itinerary then that's good enough for me.

Are you staying at the same job when you come back from lengthening? What do you plan to
tell people when you are 11cm taller?

I am staying at the same job after lengthening. I don't intend on having to explain myself when I return, nor do I think that anybody will even care.

Ironically, if I do get backed into a corner, maybe I'll just tell them I'm wearing lifts! Wouldn't that be poetic justice? 

[glenn]

Hi Alittletooshort,

No worries, thanks for stopping by to read my diary in the first place! Funny that you should mention proportions. I actually had the following passage drafted as a future diary entry:

A note about proportions, wingspan, sitting height, etc:
I have no idea about these things, nor do I intend to find out. I'm 34 years old now, and NOT ONCE in my life have I ever looked at my legs and said, "hmmm, my femur's too long" or "hmmm, my tibia's a bit short."
 
For that matter I've never, ever, looked at other people and tried to gauge the proportion of their appendages. I'm insecure about my height, but I've never cared about proportions. It's just not something that was ever on my radar.

I think it was ShyShy that said, "Don't let your height neurosis turn into proportion neurosis." Word.

I can appreciate that other people have proportion neurosis, but's it's something that doesn't affect me psychologically at all. It's just not a big deal for me, and I hope to keep it that way.

...

About the unaccounted expenses. I'd like to try and include everything as best I can. The only thing I think I've missed is transportation costs (traveling to/from airport, or to/from MIC Sant Jordi). I haven't included these costs simply because - well honestly - I'll be in a wheelchair and not quite sure how I'm going to accomplish these feats currently, so I've left them blank for now. Eventually I'd like to re-update this itinerary with more details.

It would help if everybody here would help me brainstorm what costs I've missed that I should include in the budget.

[truthtell100]

A bit about myself: I'm Canadian, 165cm, 55kg (urrr, let's say 55kg to 60kg )

I've been lurking in this forum and the "other one" for many years, but never really could decide on a doctor. As I progressed in my LL journey I begun to email doctors to ask questions. Some were friendly, some were hard to get a hold of, and some didn't even bother to respond. On this forum we spend so much time to debate the merits of different techniques we sometimes neglect to remember that part of a successful procedure depends so much on the human element.

One of the things that is important for me is the doctor's caring and compassion. No matter how much you prepare, you will have to entrust your life to your doctor come surgery time. Technical expertise aside, it will all be in his hands and you must have the confidence that your doctor cares enough to make the right decisions on your behalf. Dude, your doc's gonna be cutting your bones in half in multiple spots - you'd better hope you have a compassionate doctor!

Part of what led me to Dr. Monegal was because I felt he was a really caring doctor. Despite being verbally abused by some juvenile trolls on this forum, Dr. Monegal still returns to help provide info and answer questions. There used to be another doctor here on the forums trying to help and was driven off by baseless accusations. Cynical users will say that doctors coming to the forum are a ploy to drum up business; I would say reread the posts - no amount of money in the world is worth taking the type of sh*t that's been thrown at them. They are not doing it for money, that's for sure. I really feel it takes a special human being, and special doctor to put up with some of the stuff that's been accused in this forum.

Anyways, suffice it to say that I'm quite happy (and grateful!) to have Dr. Monegal as my doctor. I first emailed Dr. Monegal on May 17, and he replied very quickly. He was even nice enough to follow up a few days later when I failed to reply him. I took some x-rays and emailed them. Back and forth our emails went, mostly with rounds of me asking questions and him answering quickly and then patiently waiting for my follow-up questions. At some point all my questions were exhausted and it was time to decide: do or not do? I realized that the only thing holding me back was myself so I made a booking for when Dr. M was free. So now I am scheduled for August 25 at Clinica Diagonal. (Any stalkers please feel free to drop by and wish me luck on my big day! )

Below is my schedule so far. I put it together, but Dr. Monegal has already looked at it and said it was fine. However, knowing me, there is a distinct possibility that I've missed something, so I encourage you to question/criticize it.

Oh by the way, I'll be doing internal fitbone for both my tibiae and fermurs. The first surgery will be tibia on one side and femur on the other. And then the second surgery will be for the remaining tibia and femur. I'm aiming for 11 cm or so (in total).

Note: One of the quirky things is that Canadians must spend 3 months outside of Schengen region for every (maximum) 3 months they spend in Spain. That's the reason for spending Nov, Dec, Jan in Canada and why the whole schedule is so rigid. Also, the below price for MIC Sant Jordi is for an individual, single room. Hopefully I can bring that number down if I can find someone to share with.

August 20, 2015:
Fly from Toronto to Barcelona (estimated budget 500 euro)

August 20 - 24, 2015:
Arrive in Barcelona, and do banking, transfer money, mobile card, pre-op scans...etc. (estimated budget 600 euro)

August 25 - August 31, 2015:
Surgery, stay at Clinica Diagonal for 7 nights (71,000/2 = 35,500 Euro)

September 1 - October 31, 2015:
(2 months post-op at MIC Sant Jordi, Barcelona)
MIC Sant Jordi (1260 euro/month x 2 months = 2,520 Euro)
PT (every Monday, Wednesday, Friday? estimated 35 Euro x 24 times = 840 Euro)
groceries (estimated 100 Euro per week x 2 months = 800 Euro)

November 1, 2015 - to February 1, 2016:
Fly from Barcelona to Toronto. Recovery in Toronto with family. (estimated budget 500 euro)

February 2, 2016:
Fly from Toronto to Barcelona, Check in one night somewhere. Mentally prepare for surgery. (estimated budget 650 euro)

February 3 - February 9, 2016:
Surgery, stay at Clinica Diagonal for 7 nights (71,000/2 = 35,500 Euro)

February 10 to April 9, 2016
(2 months post-op at MIC Sant Jordi, Barcelona)
MIC Sant Jordi (1260 euro/month x 2 months = 2,520 Euro)
PT (every Monday, Wednesday, Friday? estimated 35 Euro x 24 times = 840 Euro)
groceries (estimated 100 Euro per week x 2 months = 800 Euro)

April 10, 2016:
Fly from Barcelona to Toronto…(estimated budget 500 euro)

sometime 2018:
rods removal (+Clinica Diagonal fees)


What do you guys think; what have I missed?

He's not caring with me. He was nice at the beginning, but then I had no good aftercare.

[glenn]

He's not caring with me. He was nice at the beginning, but then I had no good aftercare.

Thanks for trolling!

Please stop hijacking my threads unless you're prepared to back up your accusations with facts. Everybody is asking you to back up what you are saying but all you do is keep repeating the allegations.

Goodbye.

[maximize]

Congrats on your choice and decision. I'm leaning towards Monegal as well.

I'm curious about a few things.

1) How did you go about getting the needed 3-6 months off of work for this. Do you work in any sort of office? If so, what did you tell your human resources dept or boss (presuming you have one of some sort)?

2) MIC Sant Jordi seems like a great place to stay when recovering. Did Dr. Monegal's staff suggest it? How will you be getting grocery, as well as transport to and from physio?

3) What are your greatest expectations/hopes from the surgery? Where in life do you most hope for benefits and what benefits are you hoping for?

[KrP1]

Hope all goes well in your journey Glenn , i will be following your diary

[G-Man]

Hey comrade, great intro! 

I was reading on the Canadian embassy and it states: "To visit for longer than 90 days, Canadians must obtain a long-stay national visa."  So I'm curious to why you don't go that way?

[glenn]

Dear Maximize,

Thanks for the congrats. Yep, I'm feeling pretty scared (we must be insane to do these things to ourselves ) but I intend to put those emotions aside and power forward.

1) How did you go about getting the needed 3-6 months off of work for this. Do you work in any sort of office? If so, what did you tell your human resources dept or boss (presuming you have one of some sort)?

Yep, I work at an office. I told them I need to take a year off and go on sabbatical to travel and study (which is indeed true. I intend to take some online courses while in Barcelona and to study subjects that I've always been curious about). I told my superior, who is also the boss of the company, that if he was unwilling to give me a year off then I will resign, no hard feelings.

I've been with the same company for close to a decade, so perhaps that was a factor. Of course, to be a little pessimistic, there is a distinct possibility that they only agreed so I wouldn't make a fuss. If that turns out to be true I'm not worried. For me, it's not the end of the world: There will always be other jobs. What is a J-O-B compared to pursuing one's dreams? It will be a new me anyways, ready to start a new chapter in my life.

2) MIC Sant Jordi seems like a great place to stay when recovering. Did Dr. Monegal's staff suggest it? How will you be getting grocery, as well as transport to and from physio?

During my initial Q&A emails with Dr. Monegal I had mentioned that I intended to stay in Barcelona for a little bit during post-op. Previous info on Dr. Monegal's thread never mentioned providing short-stay accommodations, so I just assumed it was up to me to figure it out on my own.

Dr. Monegal replied my email and and was nice enough to point me in the right direction and recommended MIC Sant Jordi because it was catered to take care of disabled people and the phsyio room was also a plus.

I tried to compare rents in Barcelona, and although it's possible to find cheaper shared accommodations online, there are no guarantees they accept short-stay, nor that the building will have elevators. So after weighing the pros and cons, I currently feel that MSJ is worth the extra premium because it saves you from a lot of other hassles.

I asked about groceries as well; apparently online grocery shopping and home delivery is prevalent over there. Dr. Monegal recommended www.mercadona.es . It's got good prices, and English, but the only thing that irks me is that there's no pictures. You have to buy based on the description of the product. I looked further and I prefer the interface for this grocer: www.alcampo.es . The site seems more polished and easier for English readers to navigate. Another one I thought might be ok is www.carritus.com .

Also, I haven't explored the options mentioned on this page yet. But I have a feeling I will find this page useful in the future.

3) What are your greatest expectations/hopes from the surgery? Where in life do you most hope for benefits and what benefits are you hoping for?

Of course, there are all those petty insecurities and injustices in the world that all of us short people on this forum will know all too well. But for me, what is most important I feel is to die without regrets in this life. LL is something that I've always dreamed about doing. I don't want to be one of those guys that will be regretting about not doing this or not doing that when I'm old and on my deathbed.
 
I suppose I'm trying to say that the greatest benefit I am hoping for will be simply knowing that I achieved something that I've always wanted to do. I hope to explore new depths in my humanity - to know that I dared to challenge the cards that nature dealt me, and that I was not afraid of suffering the hardship to make my dream a reality.

Also, I want to add that during my whole life, I still have this nagging feeling that "I'm not who I'm meant to be yet." I don't know if any of you guys (and girls) know what I'm talking about or if you have the same feeling. It's as if I haven't fully matured yet physically. So it's also my hope that LL will help me "get there" to that stage in my life and help me move one step closer to self-actualization.
 
(I don't know if that answer does justice to your question... let me know if not; also, I'm curious as to how you and others would answer that question yourself?)

[glenn]

Thank you KrP1 !

Yes, I do hope people will continue to follow my diary. I suspect that I'll be going through a lot of emotional turmoil during this process. It's kind words like yours and from old forum users that will keep me sane when the pain and stress kick in.

Cheers,

[glenn]

Hi G-Man,

Thanks! I hope my intro strikes a chord with others that are in a rut as well.

Hey comrade, great intro! 

I was reading on the Canadian embassy and it states: "To visit for longer than 90 days, Canadians must obtain a long-stay national visa."  So I'm curious to why you don't go that way?

Honestly, it's simply partly because of my own tunnel vision and previous bad impression.

For the longest time I was set on doing Ilizarov in Russia, but difficulties in navigating visa issues really turned me off. Because of this bad impression, I started looking for countries where I wouldn't need a visa, so it was sort of providence that led me to Dr. Monegal.

You're right, I can still apply for a long-stay visa anyway. But the hoops I need to jump through seem like 
too much of a hassle. I just figured it is easier for me to just fly back home for 3 months and then come back. Lot's of disabled people fly everyday. I'm no more special than any of them, so if they can manage it then why shouldn't I be able to?

[glenn]

Maximize, you asked about physio and I forget to answer that part in my previous reply, sorry.  (Admins, does that mean I can only 'modify' my posts once, and then after that they are locked?)

2) MIC Sant Jordi seems like a great place to stay when recovering. Did Dr. Monegal's staff suggest it? How will you be getting grocery, as well as transport to and from physio?

I was told by Dr. Monegal that the physiotherapist can come to MIC Sant Jordi. Cost is 30 to 40 Euro per session for approximately 1.5 hours.

[JConnor]

It's too bad you aren't waiting one more year, I would have roomed with you! Just emailed Dr. Monegal myself for potential CLL next year.

I tried to compare rents in Barcelona, and although it's possible to find cheaper shared accommodations online, there are no guarantees they accept short-stay, nor that the building will have elevators. So after weighing the pros and cons, I currently feel that MSJ is worth the extra premium because it saves you from a lot of other hassles.

I definitely think you're making the right decision staying there instead of somewhere else. Being wheelchair bound is going to be incredibly difficult, and having a bathroom and shower designed to accommodate the disabled will be absolutely priceless, not to mention the in-house PT center!

I found a website that has short term rentals within walking distance of a gym and supermarket near the clinic, so I plan to go that route, but I'd only be doing femurs one at a time.

Good luck! And thank you for starting this diary, it's going to be immensely helpful.

[glenn]

Hi JConner,

Good luck on your CLL journey as well! Thanks for the vote of confidence on MSJ. I don't know about you guys, but LL is a scary stuff: There are so many decisions that one has to make, and I suppose it's human nature to be fearful of choosing wrong and constantly second-guessing oneself. Honestly, the only thing I'm trying to do is hang on tight for this rodeo and not make poor decisions. 

That's why I think choosing a caring doctor is so important. You said that you are doing one leg at a time. In fact, one of the things that drew me to Dr. Monegal in the first place was the mention of doing one-leg-at-a-time for simultaneous tibia-and-femur (this was mentioned in Dr. Monegal's thread). I, along with some other users like TomD, would actually prefer to do it this way. I loved the idea of being mobile (urrr, limping ) during distraction and negating Fitbone's non-weight-bearing factor. Neither did I have a problem with one leg being longer than the other for a few months.

However, Dr. Monegal said that doing cross-leg procedure is better in my case, because of the lengths involved. I was devastated at first. I even wrote an impassioned plea ("Doc, you're suggesting cross-leg, but I reallyyyyyyyy want to do same-leg").

After I calmed down a bit, I decided to defer to Dr. Monegal's expert opinion and go with cross-leg instead. I realized that my initial concerns for mobility were a result of my own insecurities and subconscious fears: I'm a seasoned travel backpacker (living out of a backpack and touring different cities for months at a time) so you can imagine that I'm the type of guy that's fiercely protective of my freedom and independence. I realized that I preferred same-leg because I was afraid of being tied to a wheelchair, but Dr. Monegal suggested cross-leg because medically a it's better choice in my situation.

That's what I mean about choosing a caring doctor: a caring doctor is going to suggest what's best for you, even if it's not what you want to hear, because he has your interests at heart.

I'm still absolutely terrified at the thought of being immobilized for a couple of months, mind you, but I intend to forge ahead. According to my rough calculations, my legs should be weight-bearing I think after three months (lengthen for two months, and slowly add 15kg/week in the third month). Hopefully my fingers will survive all the nail-biting in those few months 

[glenn]

Just a quick update. I had some questions about living details at MIC Sant Jordi and asked Musicmaker if she knew. Musicmaker was very nice and gracious enough to email them and ask on my behalf. Here are the clarifications:

- Yes, there's wifi in the apartment.
- The kitchen is low enough to cook from the wheelchair. Yes there is a fridge with a little freezer.
- The price of the room includes electricity, water, AC, technical elements necessary for the patient and daily cleaning.
- In the second floor there is a washing-machine and a dryer

Thank you Musicmaker! Hope this helps others that are also considering MSJ.

[Aturro]

Hi Glenn, I am lying in the hospital in Munich waiting for my surgery tomorrow and reading your postings.
Just wanted to tell you how much I agree with all the things you wrote. Wish I could write as poetic as you do but at least I want to congratulate you to your honest mind. I´ve gone through all the very similar thoughts throughout the last couple of years.

No more regrets!

good luck

[glenn]

Dear Aturro,

Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad there are people that also feel the same way as me, doesn't make me feel so weird :-)

I want to wish you good luck on your surgery tomorrow, and a speedy recovery. I will be here if you need me to motivate you if you feel emotional in the next few days after your surgery.

This is the first step in the rest of your life, stay strong!!

[Aturro]

Dear Glenn, thanks for your kind words and offer. motivation is really key, I can feel that every day now!
I write some regular updates in my posting and will follow yours too.
all the best for the moment!

[Adonis]

Hi Glenn, I'm a foreigner but living in Barcelona since 2000. I have a consultation with Dr. Monegal next Tue. Would like to meet you (and help you out, if you need it) when you're in town.

[glenn]

Dear Adonis,

Thank you so much for your kind and gracious offer, I would love to meet you! Most people I know in my social circle are taller than me and most times I suffer in silence so it would be amazing to meet another LL'er in person.

I am arriving to Barcelona August 17 morning and having my surgery August 25. Feel free to let me know what schedule works for you.

Also, I would be grateful if you could share some knowledge with me: How do I move such a large sum of money to Spain within a week? My current plan is to arrive in Barcelona and immediately go to my bank (citibank), open an account under my name and then link it to my overseas citibank online banking.

But I have heard conflicting stories. Can foreigners open a bank account in Spain? Can I just walk into a bank and open a new account with my passport? Do I need an NIE number first? Do I need to register with the local police station first? I've heard that international transfers will take a long time to clear, is that true? I'd be very grateful for any wisdom you give on the issue.

[Adonis]

The dates you mentioned are good for me. We could meet one day after work in Barcelona. Where will you be staying when you arrive?

Regarding the money transfer, I assume you want to move CAD to EUR in Spain. I think you should ask your bank in Canada (Citibank) about the fees and exchange rates they use (be aware they are hidden fees depending on the rates they use), and then compare with an online agent such as Transfer Wise (regulated by the UK FCA). If you are a good customer of Citibank I guess you could get a good rate with them but I would check and compare anyways. International transfers take at the most 1-2 business days.

Foreigners can of course open a bank account in Spain. In fact, very often it is a requirement before starting school, university or getting a residence permit. All you need is a passport. However, because you will be here for longer than the standard tourist, I would also get the NIE. And yes you will need to go to the local police station first for the NIE. If you need help with the language I can go with you.

[glenn]

Hi Adonis!

Thank you so much for getting back to me, and with giving me your valuable advice on the banking issue. I'm sorry it took me a while to get back to you.

I've been working on trying to transfer the Euros BEFORE I arrive, so maybe I will not have to arrive so soon; instead I might just arrive a few days before surgery. Nonetheless, I am still very much looking forward to meet you! I will PM you my email right now.

Best,
Glenn

[glenn]

Hey All,

I'm currently waiting at the boarding gate now for my connecting flight to Barcelona. My surgery date was moved to Thursday, August 27, so I changed my flight to arrive on Monday instead. I'll be spending my first three nights in Barcelona at an Airbnb near Clinica Diagonal.

I'm anxious and happy at the same time. It's almost as if I'm dreaming and I still haven't woken up. I've been waiting for years for this and now everything is happening so quickly it seems. There are still a million random things that I'm worried about (what if my debit card doesn't work in Barcelona? what if I run into pickpockets? what if the mobile SIM card doesn't fit my phone? what if I get off at the wrong bus stop? how am I going to get home from the airport when I fly back to Canada? etc etc). But I think for now the best thing for me to do is just take a deep breadth and realize that everything will be ok. I need to just relax and enjoy the process. Barcelona, here I come!

...Boarding now, talk to you guys later. Wish me luck!

[Freewill]

Hey All,

I'm currently waiting at the boarding gate now for my connecting flight to Barcelona. My surgery date was moved to Thursday, August 27, so I changed my flight to arrive on Monday instead. I'll be spending my first three nights in Barcelona at an Airbnb near Clinica Diagonal.

I'm anxious and happy at the same time. It's almost as if I'm dreaming and I still haven't woken up. I've been waiting for years for this and now everything is happening so quickly it seems. There are still a million random things that I'm worried about (what if my debit card doesn't work in Barcelona? what if I run into pickpockets? what if the mobile SIM card doesn't fit my phone? what if I get off at the wrong bus stop? how am I going to get home from the airport when I fly back to Canada? etc etc). But I think for now the best thing for me to do is just take a deep breadth and realize that everything will be ok. I need to just relax and enjoy the process. Barcelona, here I come!

...Boarding now, talk to you guys later. Wish me luck!

Good Luck pal, be Strong be Brave. trust in God everything will be alright !

[concernedmom]

Hey All,

I'm currently waiting at the boarding gate now for my connecting flight to Barcelona. My surgery date was moved to Thursday, August 27, so I changed my flight to arrive on Monday instead. I'll be spending my first three nights in Barcelona at an Airbnb near Clinica Diagonal.

I'm anxious and happy at the same time. It's almost as if I'm dreaming and I still haven't woken up. I've been waiting for years for this and now everything is happening so quickly it seems. There are still a million random things that I'm worried about (what if my debit card doesn't work in Barcelona? what if I run into pickpockets? what if the mobile SIM card doesn't fit my phone? what if I get off at the wrong bus stop? how am I going to get home from the airport when I fly back to Canada? etc etc). But I think for now the best thing for me to do is just take a deep breadth and realize that everything will be ok. I need to just relax and enjoy the process. Barcelona, here I come!

...Boarding now, talk to you guys later. Wish me luck!

I am sure you will be ok. Good luck. We are waiting to hear from you soon.

[glenn]

Thanks Freewill and Concernedmom! Really appreciate the well wishes!

After I sent off my previous post I boarded my flight to BCN. A seven-hour flight and I was sitting directly next to the lavatory :-) The beneficial tradeoff was that the two adjacent seats were empty, though. I made use of them and slept on the whole flight using the three seats as a bed. As I disembarked the plane during landing, I chuckled to myself passing through the business class cabin. Those puny seats were no comparison to what I had, ha!

It was a long lineup to pass through immigration, but the line moved very quickly. I barely had time to utter a warm-hearted "Bon dia!" before the immigration officer quickly thumbed my passport to the last page to give me my entry stamp. It was the most efficient international entry I'd ever been in.

Initially, I was going to get into town first and then buy a prepaid SIM card because it's cheaper that way, but I ended up just getting a 3G card from a mobile reseller called Labera at the airport for just 15 EUR. It had everything that I needed it to do (Vodafone network; 500 minutes I think; 1GB data).
It works like it's supposed to. No complaints so far at all.

At the airport I also bought a T10 ticket to take the #46 bus into the city. If I'm not mistaken I think it's the most cost effective way to get into the city from the airport and drops you off at Placa d'Espanya.

From there I walked to University Hospital where Dr. Monegal was on call at the ER. It was really good to finally meet Dr. Monegal in person. I could really feel his passion as he discussed past cases and the nuances of each case. It totally put me at ease of the upcoming surgery. He talked about the post-op PT with such enthusiasm that it actually made me look forward to the MIC! Even now, I can't wait to get settled into the MIC and start doing PT stretching, biking, parallel bars, pool walking.

He also told me to be mindful of the second to third day after surgery. That's when the anesthesia wears off and you go from 0 pain to alarm bells in your body waking up. (So if I start going a bit crazy a few days after surgery, you guys please be sure to remind me of this!)

After my meeting with Dr. Monegal I walked around a bit more throughout the city. I was mindful to stay out of touristy places because I didn't want to be prey to pickpockets since I was walking around with all my bags. I would have been an easy target, I'm sure.

I bought some simple groceries and made my way to the Airbnb where I'm staying. It's near Can Vidalet station, which is walking distance to Clinica Diagonal. My host family for the next three nights is with Elena and her family. Only Elena speaks a little English and my Spanish is atrocious, so our interaction is mostly based on smiling and pointing. Her young toddler son, Leo, and I have taken to playing a never-ending game of peek-a-boo with each other as as we repeatedly say "Hola!" to each other behind cover.

Anyways, I've got WIFI here, a cool breeze coming from the window and clean sheets. What else does a man need?

Tomorrow I'll probably visit some tourist spots during the day. In the early evening user Adonis has been nice enough to come by my area and hang out for a bit, looking forward to it!

[TrueSpartan]

good luck glenn, I will be keeping close eyes on your thread. I hope you will keep us updated on everything.

What is going through your mind right now? are you more nervous then before, are you anxious or scared. do you dream of things gong bad?

[TrueSpartan]

Glenn, when you get second surgery, the first leg will not be fully consolidated. Will u be wheel chair bound?