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[fivesix]

Thanks brother for the no-fluff description of the pain. I'm looking into lengthening and have been creeping on both forums for a year now. The one thing I'm worried about is pain and it sounds like a painful procedure breaking both legs and whatnot. I've seen the pain get described as an 8/10 here before so that's something that I think is individual to the person undertaking the procedure.

Do you think you would've had less pain if you did one segment at a time, or was it the fact that you did quadrilateral lengthening play a part in the pain for you?

Thanks,
-FiveSix

[Peaceout]

Well,i completely respect your opinion about it.Thank you for every previous pic and video.Also thanks for making a great diary.

[drvbmc]

Hey Iamready (or anyone else with insight into this question):

I am wondering what your thoughts are on level of pain comparing tibias to femurs. I have heard repeatedly on this forum that tibias are considerably less painful than femurs. I figure you would have good insight having both done. Perhaps yours may not be the best comparison, however, since you did them back to back, and were already in recovery mode during the second surgery.

Nonetheless, I don't think we should underestimate the importance of pain.

Pain represents the stress response of the body. Overwhelming pain can certainly affect probability of recovery. I have been a doctor for over a decade (not orthopaedic). In medical school, we are taught that the only 3 areas of the body that can lead to fatal bleeding are abdominal injuries, closed head injuries, and bilateral femur fractures. I feel that breaking the femurs would be dramatically more stressful on the body than the tibias. This could explain the reports of less pain and better sleep for those undergoing tibias.

Thoughts would be appreciated from those who have gone through either procedure.

[Iamready]

I would say Tibias are more painful. It's 2 bones you are breaking instead of 1. Also the physical therapy we had to go through could get very intense at times. The third reason is that we were required to wear dorsiflexion boots st all times which were incredibly uncomfortable. I had to get custom boots made because of how painful they were on my wide feet.

Also during recovery the femurs recovered quickly and I had no signs of pain in that region. However the ankle pains linger from the tibia operation and have just recently began to subside.

[Iamready]

So today concludes my very painful arm lengthening.  I should be at 5cm each arm, i'll have to wait for x-rays to confirm; the exact number doesn't really matter at this point.  I wouldn't say the actual lengthening was painful, it was first the trauma from the surgery, and the swelling.  Then as soon as that cleared I developed pain in my shoulder region and right after returning from my flight from Florida and starting my antibiotics, the pain traveled to the area between the shoulder and neck and was truly unbearable.  I didn't sleep for a few days because lying down would trigger the pain and being active would get rid of it.  So i stopped lengthening and stretched a lot for a few days until the neck pain went away.  What remained was the shoulder pain and the difficulty sleeping. I'm not sure exactly why laying down would trigger the shoulder pains but it always happened at night and it was horrible.  Some days I fell asleep sitting up on my bed while staring at the wall.  I would wake up every 15 minutes and pass out like that over and over. 

Unlike my leg lengthening, I had no flexibility issues.  At no time during the lengthening did I lose the ability to hyper-extend my arm and I never felt any numbness or loss of finger strength. 

What I think of the results: I'm thrilled. Totally exceeded my expectations.  After doing mock ups, I thought that I would have to stop early, 3-4cm because I would feel self conscious of my humerus to forearm ratio, but at no point did I look at my arms and think they looked worse off than what I started with.  It was where my hands fell on my body that I was unhappy with and when I hit 4cm I looked at photos of myself and knew I needed to continue.  After examining how long my humerus looked in various different poses I proceeded to lengthen to 5cm. 

Before lengthening my arms I didn't feel comfortable in anything but flat shoes, but now i'm back to wearing normal athletic shoes and soon enough i'll break out the old boot collection.  I am glad I wore flat shoes for the first few months though, because they helped me recover.  Learning to walk essentially barefoot is a lot more difficult than having the assistance of a cushioned shoe, and I attribute that to getting on my feet quicker than expected.

Having said all this, this journey has been extremely personal; I did the arm lengthening for myself.  No one noticed my proportions being off before my arm lengthening, but it was something that nagged at me and the satisfaction of the collective journey is finally hitting me.  Unfortunately, the first time standing in front of the mirror after having lengthened my femurs and tibias was unsettling.  I was upset at myself for not thinking about my arm length, but I knew I was being a brat because I had achieved my dream of getting taller.  Despite my efforts to forget about the issue that I had fabricated, I knew eventually I would want to lengthen my arms.  But it was tough, because there was so little information to go off of and no reference photos besides a music video of Apotheosis.  Even though I was excited to get my humerus lengthened there was a part of me that was nervous of how I would feel about the result.  Would I only be able the lengthen a little? Would that be enough? Would I develop another complex?  So many questions clouded my ability to appreciate that I was going to fix what was bothering me.

Well, now I stand in front of the mirror completely content with how I look.  Some of you mentioned at 4cm how surprised you were at how natural it looked.  My honest opinion is that I can tell, and it's not so much that it looks natural, it just doesn't look wrong.  It looks good, and especially for having gained 2 inches in a segment of the arm.   I'm still a bit puzzled at how I was able to pull it off without having to stop myself, but I won't complain. 

Lastly, one thing I learned from this journey is that I am a little crazy.  I can't lie to myself anymore about this.  It's a shame I couldn't just be grateful with the 4.5 inch gain in my height and just continue on with my life.  But things didn't turn out that way and I felt the need to take things a little further by lengthening my arms.  I hope you guys realize that there are people who have lengthened as much as I did and were happy without arm lengthening.  This isn't a requirement, it's just the choice I made.

I really hope this diary helped you guys out and provided some insight in the complete limb lengthening journey.  Please remember when posting on this message board; this is a place for information and for support.  Don't tear each other down, help each other grow.

Peace

[TIBIKE200]

Congrats man. You made one hell of a journey. You truly are the 1 million dollars man haha.
. Wish you a speedy recovery and afterwards to just move on from this chapter in your life. Good luck mate:)


P.s in the future whenever you will feel like it, a full body pic would be interesting to see. I admit i just want to see it out of pure curiosity

[Peaceout]

Great update man,Thanks!

[drvbmc]

Many congrats to you for what you have gone through. I have been completely at odds to consider a single 5 cm LL (which I am still not sure if I will ever undergo). Yet here you are, accomplishing 3 separate LL within a 2 year period. It is really quite remarkable, and a demonstration of both craziness and bravery 

Congrats on your journey. Wishing you the best of success in your recovery. You deserve it.

Happy holidays to everyone reading this as well.

[willsa]

Hey man, congrats on finishing the journey! Will you still make a video about your thoughts on the whole thing as a big reflection?

Also, what are some things you don't feel comfortable doing still with your legs?

Last question, before the surgery, what did you think would be the biggest difference or change you'd experience after gaining 4.5 inches, and now that you are taller, how much of that was accurate? Any surprises or things you didn't think would happen now that you're taller? Differences you notice in social or work settings?

[Iamready]

Thanks again for the comments and well wishes.

First and foremost, I haven't really been going out much, except to the gym, daily.  Towards the end of my lengthening, I was aggressively working out my legs and now that I am done with my lengthening and off the painkillers, I feel as if my legs took a beating.  The tibias, in general.  A lot of the tenderness I get in my legs is where the screws are located- the screws that fixate the nail to the bone.  Also there are screws that were added when they needed to straighten out my tibia, and I definitely feel the bone being stressed under heavy activity- while I try to jump or jog.  So I think it's best to keep my level of activity modest- jogging, light jumping- until next fall when I get the rods taken out. 

The following could be important information to other people who have done the tibia and are experiencing some tightness in their leg and ankles.
Before I began lengthening my arms, my lower legs- specifically ankles- were still tight.  So much so, that when I would sit for a minute and then get up, I would need to re-calibrate- stand up for a few seconds before walking to loosen up. 

I noticed, the second day after the surgery, that getting up and walking was already easier.  And I couldn't attribute this to painkillers yet, because I had refused to take them until I took my first crap- I had a horrible experience the time before so the risk outweighed the reward.  Every morning the stiffness became less and less until it was non existent.  At the time I had no idea why I was recovering so quickly in my ankles but my concerns were mainly focused with my arms and the physical therapy that I needed to be done at the time. 

Now, that the process is done, and I have nothing to help me sleep, I am back to my old position of sleeping- on my stomach.  And I can 100% tell you that the reason the tightness in my ankles went away was because I was sleeping on my back and there was no pressure on my feet to fall flat- as it is when you are sleeping face forward.  It may seem trivial or unimportant but I urge anyone who experiences that tightness in their ankles to change their sleeping position to their back- and I understand it could take time, but at least give it a chance because it really helps.  Alternatively, I would recommend you wear dorsiflexion boots to sleep- to keep your feet in the stretched position. 

[YourSpaceBoyfriend]

Are you going to train your arms later on? I mean more than just standard rehabilitation.

Since i'm working out i'm quite curious how much impact AL has on your arms.

[Iamready]

Hey man, congrats on finishing the journey! Will you still make a video about your thoughts on the whole thing as a big reflection?

Also, what are some things you don't feel comfortable doing still with your legs?

Last question, before the surgery, what did you think would be the biggest difference or change you'd experience after gaining 4.5 inches, and now that you are taller, how much of that was accurate? Any surprises or things you didn't think would happen now that you're taller? Differences you notice in social or work settings?

I really would love to get back into making videos, but I am just not sure about it yet.  Maybe in the future.

I don't feel comfortable jumping off steps.  Or running full speed.  Even when I try and go quickly downstairs, my right shin feels tender- where the screws are. 

Regarding the last question: I think the biggest difference or change I thought I would experience after gaining 4.5 inches- or just getting taller, because I didn't have a goal at the time- was comfort.  And by that I mean, feeling comfortable at my height without shoes.  Being able to stand barefoot with 100% confidence is something I was not able to do.  I wasn't one of those mentally strong short guys, I was very aware of my height difference- sensitive- and it made me so uncomfortable, that I ultimately changed my height. 
.
It's 100% accurate, that getting taller, specifically to my current height did alleviate my concerns about being comfortable barefoot.
I guess if i'm going to be 100% honest, I am surprised about people's reaction to my new height. Both to people who knew and didn't know.

People who knew are blown away, they just can't stop talking about how amazing the transformation is.  I'd say that since I was there every step of the growth, it's refreshing to see and hear raw reactions from people who knew me at 5.5 to my current height of nearly 5.10.  People who don't know of my operation but knew me before are utterly confused and flustered when they see me.  Understandably so, but besides the obvious response from people- did you get taller? how? - I do get- You lost a lot of weight- just as much.

Because I had my operations so close together, I haven't had as much time to hang out in public or at night to give a proper assessment of how my life differs but my experiences have been great.  Sometimes, when I go out, and i'm looking out above 50% of the crowd at a venue, I just want to high five the crowd and tell everyone what I did and how difficult it all was.

This final area I want to touch upon, i'm always hesitant to talk about because no 2 people are going to have the same experience.  Growing up, I had a lot of girls tell me bluntly, that they wished I was taller.  And I guess I wasn't strong enough to really take that to heart. I took it to mind though and started wearing boots and what not, to appear taller.  Even then, I was still shorter than most people and it wasn't quite the game changer I was expecting. 

Perhaps, I underestimated 4.5 inches, or I didn't want to fully accept that changing my height would make me so much more attractive to certain women. I still don't want to generalize that taller= better because fortunately, I had good experiences with women who loved me at my previous height.  But to be honest, those women are not the 90%.  There are times where I feel like I literally stepped into another dimension- where people are friendlier- and women are much less difficult to get along with- romantically speaking.  Sometimes, i'll expect a girl to walk away once I say something dumb or because of an awkward silence, but I feel as if I have been given a second chance with every failure that simply wasn't there before.  I'm trying my hardest to write this without suk ing my own dck but what the fk, it feels like I have been given a second life.  As if attraction was a game that I had saved last October and resumed just now- with a patch that made everything easier.  I don't know- maybe I have been lucky, maybe I smell different, but things have gone way beyond expectation. 

The fantasies I had when coming back taller, were of me seeing old acquaintances, family members, girls I was interested in, whatever, and seeing their reactions.  But that's just the tip of the iceberg.  So much has changed.  Just a few inches, but a world apart.

[Iamready]

Are you going to train your arms later on? I mean more than just standard rehabilitation.

Since i'm working out i'm quite curious how much impact AL has on your arms.

Tremendous impact on my arm strength.  I am weak beyond belief.  However, recovery is completely unpredictable.  One day my calf muscles began to grow in strength and size, so much so that I noticed it on a daily scale.  This however was not the same experience with my quads.  All I can say is stay tuned for honest updates but I wouldn't expect me to gain my strength back until an absolute minimum of 6 months.  I am however open to miracles.

[IwannaBeTaller]

Thank you again for the detailed description you made about how you feel with your new height. I could relate very well to the comfort thing. A lot of the days when I'm out in the city all day, I think to myself how easy life must be for taller people - they work just like I do, and they go outside just like I do, and they will be just as tired as I am when coming home, but they can go out on the street, to any place whenever they want, and never feel like inferior human beings because of their height. This is what I can't do, and it seems that you can successfully do it now. Good for you, you deserve that feeling.

There have been a lot of reports in media on how terrible LL is, but a fact that is observed in this forum is: For some people, it can really improve life.

[TIBIKE200]

I wonder IamReady, with how many women have you slept between you started dating after LL and since you started your arm lengthening?

 From the looks of it, seems alot hihi. Good for you man! I really mean it!

[willsa]

Thanks so much for the reply!! This is very generous of you to share your experience and not sugarcoat anything.

Please do us a favor and check in once in a while. The biggest question I have is how is it 5 years down the line, 10 years, long term, etc. Once you get the rods taken out and the bone fills in, is there a point where you don't even realize/think about it.

I can understand if you don't want to do a video or wait till youre more healed, but your thoughts on the process and Dr. Paley are invaluable. You could just not show your face like in the beginning

[Alu]

Quick question about the whole compliments thing: Do you feel they say you look better because of the nature of getting taller? Or because your body looks better with your more longer arms, legs, and loss of weight?

Thanks as always. Happy you've been feeling this good man. It's awesome knowing you're already feeling comfort.

[Peaceout]

Hey its been a while man,how are you?

[Iamready]

Doing well.  I'm about to go to Universal Studios this weekend.  Which is something I haven't been able to do in a while.  I'm working out everyday; my arms are still insanely weak but at least I can lift light weights now.  I don't really go out that much to bars, clubs, etc. because I would hate to slip and fall and land on my arms that are still consolidating.  It's winter anyway, so i'm not missing much.  I look forward to the spring time, but I have to be careful to cover my scars from sun exposure because I made a mistake with my tibia scars; exposing them to the sun, thus taking longer to fade.  It's not a big deal, they are covered with hair anyway but obviously that's not the case with my arms so I must take special precautions.

To Alu:  Yeah I think people say I look better because I am taller.  Even before the arm lengthening, I was getting the same compliments.  I don't think it has to do with loss of weight because I had a sculpted body a few years back and never got the same praise for my looks.  It also probably has to do with the fact that people don't know what to expect when you come back from this surgery.  And I understand, because I didn't expect to look like a whole other person.  I was trying on an outfit yesterday and I thought- HOLY  - this is me.  It's pretty insane.  I do look like a better version of my previous self.  My thighs are still a bit skinny, I might have to start lifting with heavier weight, but I don't want to rush things and hurt myself.

I'm still in the WHO? ME? phase when it comes to attraction.  I'm just not used to having this much attention. It's almost depressing that a few inches has changed everything for me. 

I understand why some people lengthen extreme amounts or even lengthen when they are already average height.  They see how much of a difference a little height makes in their life and they want more, knowing well that despite their proportions or difficulties in athleticism and recovery, they will be seen as more attractive. 

Personally, i'm very happy with my height, and very lucky I stopped where I did.  Even with 2 inches added to my arms i'd say they are still roughly 2 inches shorter than someone whose legs are naturally my length.  I actually saw someone on the way to the gym the other day who was my height and had even longer legs than I, naturally- his arms were really long as well- but it was really surprising to see.  I would say my proportions are very similar to Henry Cavill's.  Anyway that's enough rambling. 

Peace.

[IwannaBeTaller]

I'm still in the WHO? ME? phase when it comes to attraction.  I'm just not used to having this much attention. It's almost depressing that a few inches has changed everything for me. 

I understand why some people lengthen extreme amounts or even lengthen when they are already average height.  They see how much of a difference a little height makes in their life and they want more, knowing well that despite their proportions or difficulties in athleticism and recovery, they will be seen as more attractive. 

This might also be a mental effect though. People do the surgery and because it's such a grave procedure, they automatically feel that something has changed. It's like a placebo effect. People feel better after swallowing little pills that actually do nothing, and LL surgery will be a big confidence boost no matter what your final height might be. This confidence boost also makes you more attractive to other people, even though the height also makes things better, objectively.
 
Anyway, I'm happy that you're doing well and hopefully you will keep us updated.

[Peaceout]

I'm still in the WHO? ME? phase when it comes to attraction.  I'm just not used to having this much attention. It's almost depressing that a few inches has changed everything for me. 

i believe that also applies for money too you know,its quite shocking to see the change on people when it comes to money..

and,thanks for the update.Im really happy for you man!

[Iamready]

This might also be a mental effect though. People do the surgery and because it's such a grave procedure, they automatically feel that something has changed. It's like a placebo effect. People feel better after swallowing little pills that actually do nothing, and LL surgery will be a big confidence boost no matter what your final height might be. This confidence boost also makes you more attractive to other people, even though the height also makes things better, objectively.
 
Anyway, I'm happy that you're doing well and hopefully you will keep us updated.

I just want to preface this by saying I am open to the idea that this is all happening in my head or is a result of confidence from being taller.  But, i'm a pretty sensitive person and I notice the little details in life.  And I just want to say there's a possibility I am wrong, but I really think people underestimate how much 4.5 inches is.  And add to that, my arms are longer by 2 inches.  These little details make quite the difference.  I'm telling you, it's completely different.  All I am doing here is documenting the truth.  This is my experience; real life. 

You don't just go through major surgery on 8 bones and walk around with more confidence.  I am not there.  At any point I could trip and land on broken arms.  It's kind of hard to attribute attraction to something mental when I am walking around careful and paranoid.  So I really don't think it's my confidence women are attracted to.  I went from having to approach girls to being approached by girls.  That's a big jump.  It's an entirely new game, and I am still trying to learn the rules.  And once again, I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure it has to do with my new body.

But even after all that I still accept your theory that this could be placebo affect.  All I did was present my argument for why it isn't. 

 

[TIBIKE200]

People do underestimate how much is 4 inches (and it is A LOT). You don't need to be on the defensive... You went from very short to average. You went from having a "defect" to not having one which is a huge gain. It should be also noted that you compare your 5'5 self to a 5'9.5 self. I believe the difference wouldn't be as extreme if you went from 5'7 (you post tibia height) to your current height (but there would still be a difference).

And again, 4 inches is A LOT. I saw a few months ago on the o'brien show, the host measuring an actor. The actor was 5'11.5. Conan is 6'3. The difference between them was that the 5'11.5 guy had his eyes at his shoulder level. If that's a 4-5 inch difference, even a 2-2.5 inches difference in a lot.
  This is why also people here tend to exaggerate the average height... They have no idea just how much a 2 inch difference in height is.

[CaptainAmerica]

I just want to preface this by saying I am open to the idea that this is all happening in my head or is a result of confidence from being taller.  But, i'm a pretty sensitive person and I notice the little details in life.  And I just want to say there's a possibility I am wrong, but I really think people underestimate how much 4.5 inches is.  And add to that, my arms are longer by 2 inches.  These little details make quite the difference.  I'm telling you, it's completely different.  All I am doing here is documenting the truth.  This is my experience; real life. 

You don't just go through major surgery on 8 bones and walk around with more confidence.  I am not there.  At any point I could trip and land on broken arms.  It's kind of hard to attribute attraction to something mental when I am walking around careful and paranoid.  So I really don't think it's my confidence women are attracted to.  I went from having to approach girls to being approached by girls.  That's a big jump.  It's an entirely new game, and I am still trying to learn the rules.  And once again, I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure it has to do with my new body.

But even after all that I still accept your theory that this could be placebo affect.  All I did was present my argument for why it isn't. 

 

I am freaking ROOTING for you bro wishing you a FULL recovery. You are the best diary and best procedure I've seen of LL on any forum to date, you are HOPE for ALL of us.

How was Universal? Were you able to 100% enjoy yourself easily with no problems? Lol I actually liked Universal in LA because it's quite diverse and I didn't feel so short. Can't imagine how great you felt.

[Iamready]

People do underestimate how much is 4 inches (and it is A LOT). You don't need to be on the defensive... You went from very short to average. You went from having a "defect" to not having one which is a huge gain. It should be also noted that you compare your 5'5 self to a 5'9.5 self. I believe the difference wouldn't be as extreme if you went from 5'7 (you post tibia height) to your current height (but there would still be a difference).

And again, 4 inches is A LOT. I saw a few months ago on the o'brien show, the host measuring an actor. The actor was 5'11.5. Conan is 6'3. The difference between them was that the 5'11.5 guy had his eyes at his shoulder level. If that's a 4-5 inch difference, even a 2-2.5 inches difference in a lot.
  This is why also people here tend to exaggerate the average height... They have no idea just how much a 2 inch difference in height is.

Thanks man.  It's a big jump.  I used to wear lifts; at least 1.5-2 inches worth.  And even then, people who see me are shocked.  I literally saw someone have a nervous breakdown in front of me in the gym because he couldn't believe that I was taller than him now.  He was convinced I was my own older brother. 

[Iamready]

I am freaking ROOTING for you bro wishing you a FULL recovery. You are the best diary and best procedure I've seen of LL on any forum to date, you are HOPE for ALL of us.

How was Universal? Were you able to 100% enjoy yourself easily with no problems? Lol I actually liked Universal in LA because it's quite diverse and I didn't feel so short. Can't imagine how great you felt.

Hey man.  Universal was a fking dream come true.  The whole park was rented out for the party.  THe chainsmokers played a concert.  And every single food place was all you can eat for free.  I ate so fking much, and I couldn't stop because it was all so good.  We got to check out Harry Potter land, and it was magical, there was alcohol everywhere.  I never felt so comfortable in my own skin.  I was having so much fun, being obnoxious, there's whole new me that is coming out of its shell.  I went with an old roomate of mine and her husband, and when she first saw me she was like, "who is that tall guy?"  She was just gushing how different I was.  I don't know what to say anymore.

The only place that I had difficulties was when we were on the escalator going down and my friends wanted to run down the stairs.  If I do that now, I feel a tenderness in my shin where the blocking screws were put to straighten out the knock knee that I got.  So it hampers my confidence when running down stairs and I err to caution.  I think I won't be back to 100% until I get all this garbage off my bones.  It's just an insane amount of metal in there. 

[CaptainAmerica]

Hey man.  Universal was a fking dream come true.  The whole park was rented out for the party.  THe chainsmokers played a concert.  And every single food place was all you can eat for free.  I ate so fking much, and I couldn't stop because it was all so good.  We got to check out Harry Potter land, and it was magical, there was alcohol everywhere.  I never felt so comfortable in my own skin.  I was having so much fun, being obnoxious, there's whole new me that is coming out of its shell.  I went with an old roomate of mine and her husband, and when she first saw me she was like, "who is that tall guy?"  She was just gushing how different I was.  I don't know what to say anymore.

The only place that I had difficulties was when we were on the escalator going down and my friends wanted to run down the stairs.  If I do that now, I feel a tenderness in my shin where the blocking screws were put to straighten out the knock knee that I got.  So it hampers my confidence when running down stairs and I err to caution.  I think I won't be back to 100% until I get all this garbage off my bones.  It's just an insane amount of metal in there.

Lol that sounds fantastic man. I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourself and have a normal time. No one else ever writes about stuff like that in their diaries. They just disappear and say life is good or life is good but they have some minor aches sometimes. But it's very motivating to know that you were able to enjoy yourself at a theme park fully 100% without having to worry about anything functionally going wrong. (As I would assume theme park / festivals are a pretty good test for nobility and standing / walking for the average person).

I believe you'll get there. Even your walking videos in those early months looked really good for having done quad lengthening. And lol honestly i'm just as cautious with stuff like that now because I'm wearing lifts because of the instability they cause. Imagine being the dude who falls down while running up the stairs, breaks his ankle, and has his lifts go flying out in front of everyone leaving the park lmao.

Happy to hear from you, good luck on the rest of your recovery.

[IwannaBeTaller]

I just want to preface this by saying I am open to the idea that this is all happening in my head or is a result of confidence from being taller.  But, i'm a pretty sensitive person and I notice the little details in life.  And I just want to say there's a possibility I am wrong, but I really think people underestimate how much 4.5 inches is.  And add to that, my arms are longer by 2 inches.  These little details make quite the difference.  I'm telling you, it's completely different.  All I am doing here is documenting the truth.  This is my experience; real life. 

You don't just go through major surgery on 8 bones and walk around with more confidence.  I am not there.  At any point I could trip and land on broken arms.  It's kind of hard to attribute attraction to something mental when I am walking around careful and paranoid.  So I really don't think it's my confidence women are attracted to.  I went from having to approach girls to being approached by girls.  That's a big jump.  It's an entirely new game, and I am still trying to learn the rules.  And once again, I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure it has to do with my new body.

But even after all that I still accept your theory that this could be placebo affect.  All I did was present my argument for why it isn't.

Mate, I absolutely agree that the physical changes do play a role. You went from short to average, which surely is a huge change, and people notice, even if subconsciously. All I said was that the mental aspect also plays a rule, a huge role at that. This is probably the reason why people here report that they feel this surgery was worth it, even if their post-LL height is still below average. It's because they feel that such a grave procedure must have an effect and because they "paid off their mental pain with some physical health" and did something very serious to combat their depression, they do feel a massive improvement. Mental and physical effects play hand in hand. It's good that you get to enjoy the benefits of finally being taller, no matter if mental or physical.

That being said, let's not get hyped up about the guy in the gym who almost had a breakdown because you are now taller. He might also struggle with his height and have bad feelings, and now have the feeling that everyone is getting taller than him.

[Iamready]

Mate, I absolutely agree that the physical changes do play a role. You went from short to average, which surely is a huge change, and people notice, even if subconsciously. All I said was that the mental aspect also plays a rule, a huge role at that. This is probably the reason why people here report that they feel this surgery was worth it, even if their post-LL height is still below average. It's because they feel that such a grave procedure must have an effect and because they "paid off their mental pain with some physical health" and did something very serious to combat their depression, they do feel a massive improvement. Mental and physical effects play hand in hand. It's good that you get to enjoy the benefits of finally being taller, no matter if mental or physical.

That being said, let's not get hyped up about the guy in the gym who almost had a breakdown because you are now taller. He might also struggle with his height and have bad feelings, and now have the feeling that everyone is getting taller than him.

Hey I was trying to be careful with how I worded my response because I didn't want it to seem like it was combative.  I just wanted to clarify why I felt it was more physical then mental.  I totally understand that there is a mental element to it all.  But it's too soon for me to be benefiting from all of it. 

Onto the guy at the gym.  Fortunately he is a 40 year old guy and he must be around 5 8 to 5 9; he's an alpha type of guy so I never felt he struggled with his height.  He is just very observant and couldn't believe that a 33 year old guy could grow a few inches.  It was just a hilarious response, all in fun.  When it comes to shorter people, I am always super conscious about their feelings because I too was short.  It's a very serious subject to me.  Believe me if a 5 foot 5 guy came up to me and asked how I got taller I would tell him straight up and let him decide if he wants to go pay for this procedure and go through the pain.  There are times when I feel like it's appropriate to share with people my procedure and that instance would be one of them.  I sincerely felt like the guy who freaked out was more surprised at how a 33 year old seemingly grew taller than him and wasn't sure if his memory and mind was playing tricks on him.  That's all.  It's hard to tell when you're on a forum with text but I am genuine and sensitive to people's feelings, so I apologize if it didn't come across like that.

[TIBIKE200]

Did the change in proportions (after AL) also improved the reception you got from women? Or regarding arm length it was all in your head? Do people who saw you before and after AL (and knew you did AL) said now you look better than before?

[Iamready]

Well, it's a subtle difference.  People don't really size up someone's arms to their body- something I learned while asking people if my arms looked short.  But for me, it has made me more comfortable with my body, and allowed me to wear shoes with thicker soles, such as boots with confidence that my arms don't look too short.  Even though I must say I prefer the aesthetic of flat shoes, it's still fun to wear boots and get an extra 1.5 inch. 

I did ask my dad what he thought after I got my arms lengthened- he was adamant that I looked perfect before, but he agreed that I looked better after my arms were lengthened.  Anyone who wants to gain over 4 inches should be wise enough to set some money and time aside for the possibility that they will want to lengthen their arms.  I can't predict how someone is going to react to their body proportions after ll so it's a very personal issue.  And it very well might be that I have some body dysmorphic disorder where I don't see things as they really are but it's pretty easy to see that your arms are shorter than average when you stand next to people your height, so some of it must have been real.