Hi Kilo
It’s been eight or so years for you. I have a few questions if you have the time
1.) would you overall say it was worth it for you? I am exactly the same height as you pre-LL and would increase by the same amount. Just curious on how it’s impacted your life
2.) would you say that you are physically back to normal? Any changes for yourself?
3.) would you recommend the route you took (India and the doctor) to others?
4.) what do you think the total spend was?
1. A night and day difference. Here in Los Angeles, nobody bats an eye at seeing someone who's 5'7". Heck, even when I visited Texas I wasn't ever called out for height particularly. I'm still on the shorter side no doubt, but it's no longer something that controls my life. I bartend at 2 nightclubs now and getting laid is never an issue. Part of that is just the environment, but no longer being roughly 5'5 also helps.
2. My legs get tired faster while running and they also fall asleep easier than before. The first would have killed any chance at being an athlete at a pro level, so I say those with those aspirations should avoid this. Any amount of lengthening, you'd be fooling yourself thinking you'll reach pre-lengthening stamina through training. Not gonna happen. Since I'm only interested in recreational sports it's not an issue.
On the plus side, my calves increased in size permanently and I constantly have people in the gym asking how to get calves as big as mine. The other day a pair of bicyclists at Coffee Bean told me I had cyclists legs (even though I haven't ridden a bike in years).
3. I maintain that Dr. Parihar is a phenomenal surgeon and even though his clinic looks outdated is still a better option than most Western docs. Especially if you'll be doing externals or LON, which many docs in the West don't even offer. He's been doing Ilizarov since the early 90's and offers India's version of a TSF frame, which ensures proper alignment at the end of your lengthening.
4.
Here's the list of expenses I put together after I returned home (2014 exchange rate):
Surgery - $14,977 / 900,000 INR
X-Rays & Appointment - $240.00 (charges at front desk ranged between 1,000 - 3,000 INR. I think it depended on how much time I spent in Dr's office)
Physiotherapy at Hotel - $17.00 / 1,000 INR per session (Mr Chaudhary's rate)
Medications - $40.00
Zimmer Frame - $60.00
Wheelchair through Mr Shringare - $434.00 / 26,000 INR (I bought the most expensive wheelchair in the catalog but there were many cheaper options available)
Mr Shringare's Custom Splints - $55.00 (I recommend each patient to get splints made through him. The splints from local carpenters would eventually break from tension but Mr Shringare's were very sturdy and never did)
Dressings - $265.00 (each box cost 600 INR and had enough gauze for 2.5 changes)
Hotel Stay - $1,500 per month (at Hotel Maharana Inn)
Do you have the constant feel of harmstring stretch or no?
Nope.