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[zaozari]

As I had told in the forum I would have a normal consultation with an orthopedic surgeon who doesn't not perform exactly CLL this week.
I wanted to have a osteodensitometry to evaluate "quality" of bones and a panoramic 2 views of legs. He prescribed both and just added four things after I told him about my plans.
First the ever known story that appearance doesn't matter.
Second, indicated my a colleague of him more specialised in lenghtening to evaluate the exams and my case.
Third he advised me externals were preferable in case of calves which was not surprise to me.
And fourth that I had to be sure to have enough vitamin D in blood prior to any bone manipulation.

[zaozari]

Please share your experiences from professional sources while preparing for LL!

[HateLAPELoveSTEM]

Thx for your sharing useful informations man, though I think you can inquire advices about painkillers during the bone consolidation. That's also important.
If I were you I would've also asked him/her about the reason of occurence of preconsolidation.

[zaozari]

Yes, I plan to make more questions in the next consultation which will already be with an "elongation doctor" (but not CLL, there aren't allmost any, here), to whom I will show the Rx and densitometry. In fact I have already booked 2 consultations. It's an insignificant expense compared to surgery and in person I can question them more thoroughly and better clarify my mind and observe their real spontaneous views.

[zaozari]

So, I had my (2) second and (3) third steps towards almost certain CLL.

This journey is made harder due to lack of more money and also wishing for good preparation and trying to minimize risks, depression and suffering post CLL by going calmly towards it (I chose external only tibias, no nails, and it’s not money related).
I was in a second ''general'' orthopaedic surgeon with the Rx taken after the first one. In my European country ''nobody'' knows or does CLL but I heard about one that could consider it in severe cases of very low stature and obvious psychological suffering.

It wasn't time wasted: he saw I have ''genu varum'' which Ilizarov externals seem great to correct and just by doing that correction, besides giving me a better prognosis of the future in terms of articulation problems in my older age, would make me grow by about 1,5/2 cm, he said. He also simulated how much taller would make me ''happy'' and it was 7 cm! This is good and bad. Bad because it's slightly above the safety threshold agreed by many for tibias and because I'm really short, so 20% of tibias is less than that (you must be thinking I get happy easily...). But it's also good because it can liberate me from femurs’ lengthening which scare me more than tibias and I simply won't probably have money for that in the next years.

He also saw from the exams I did after the first consultation that have a very slight low bone density (where the value should be 1, I have 0,9). So, this is not unsurmountable but I will get more calcium now and more exercice also, to bring some more ''tension'' and physiological response to harden the bones.

The third step was to contact 3 psychologists online (free consultations just to ''explore'' the empathy, the approach, etc.). I’m in psychiatrist because of depression, the doctor says it's not up to him to decide for my CLL, just to rest assured that I'm not deciding that out of craziness. He told me I needed absolutely a psychologist whether I would do CLL or not. But he insisted that if doing CLL, it would be even more crucial because he doesn't know cases of CLL but it's an expert among other issues on body and self-image problems such as morbid obesity and he said all body and image transformations either good or bad, are very challenging for the patient and they all benefit from counselling.
I agreed to have clinical psychological help as part of the way to CLL, I want to have my mind clearer, get less depressed before, and have that support and contact during the possible suffering and anxiety journey before, immediately before and after surgery, all those months with those frightening, conspicuous, rings around my legs (I can't even yet sleep on my back yet).
So now I will choose one psychologist from whom I hope to get quick help for this hole I'm in with depression and height neurosis. The most probable one already told me she thinks, with all due respect and also repeating that she doesn't really know me yet, that I am completely disoriented and the first thing in my life has to be to accept me, even short, accept me as a complete human being. I think that despite years of introspection it's an interesting insight. I think I will take this ''uber'' to help take me through CLL if we get well in presential and online video consultation (by the way, she will be able and agrees that if I do CLL she will remain available to accept it and support me, online, from my country).
My last message today to all of guys, my buddies of this hard path, is to suggest you to think to have a psychologist, although I am perfectly aware that it won't almost surely cure height neurosis by itself.
But it wouldn't be the point to most of us, only to a minority (?) that is naturally afraid or don't have money at all unfortunately, or that are ''tall enough'' to get happy if something else happens in their lives.

Talking about preparation, I also updated a post about supplements because it seems we can benefit from very special supplements of collagen for recovery.

Take care.

[TranslatingWithWriting]

So, I had my (2) second and (3) third steps towards almost certain CLL.

This journey is made harder due to lack of more money and also wishing for good preparation and trying to minimize risks, depression and suffering post CLL by going calmly towards it (I chose external only tibias, no nails, and it’s not money related).
I was in a second ''general'' orthopaedic surgeon with the Rx taken after the first one. In my European country ''nobody'' knows or does CLL but I heard about one that could consider it in severe cases of very low stature and obvious psychological suffering.

It wasn't time wasted: he saw I have ''genu varum'' which Ilizarov externals seem great to correct and just by doing that correction, besides giving me a better prognosis of the future in terms of articulation problems in my older age, would make me grow by about 1,5/2 cm, he said. He also simulated how much taller would make me ''happy'' and it was 7 cm! This is good and bad. Bad because it's slightly above the safety threshold agreed by many for tibias and because I'm really short, so 20% of tibias is less than that (you must be thinking I get happy easily...). But it's also good because it can liberate me from femurs’ lengthening which scare me more than tibias and I simply won't probably have money for that in the next years.

He also saw from the exams I did after the first consultation that have a very slight low bone density (where the value should be 1, I have 0,9). So, this is not unsurmountable but I will get more calcium now and more exercice also, to bring some more ''tension'' and physiological response to harden the bones.

The third step was to contact 3 psychologists online (free consultations just to ''explore'' the empathy, the approach, etc.). I’m in psychiatrist because of depression, the doctor says it's not up to him to decide for my CLL, just to rest assured that I'm not deciding that out of craziness. He told me I needed absolutely a psychologist whether I would do CLL or not. But he insisted that if doing CLL, it would be even more crucial because he doesn't know cases of CLL but it's an expert among other issues on body and self-image problems such as morbid obesity and he said all body and image transformations either good or bad, are very challenging for the patient and they all benefit from counselling.
I agreed to have clinical psychological help as part of the way to CLL, I want to have my mind clearer, get less depressed before, and have that support and contact during the possible suffering and anxiety journey before, immediately before and after surgery, all those months with those frightening, conspicuous, rings around my legs (I can't even yet sleep on my back yet).
So now I will choose one psychologist from whom I hope to get quick help for this hole I'm in with depression and height neurosis. The most probable one already told me she thinks, with all due respect and also repeating that she doesn't really know me yet, that I am completely disoriented and the first thing in my life has to be to accept me, even short, accept me as a complete human being. I think that despite years of introspection it's an interesting insight. I think I will take this ''uber'' to help take me through CLL if we get well in presential and online video consultation (by the way, she will be able and agrees that if I do CLL she will remain available to accept it and support me, online, from my country).
My last message today to all of guys, my buddies of this hard path, is to suggest you to think to have a psychologist, although I am perfectly aware that it won't almost surely cure height neurosis by itself.
But it wouldn't be the point to most of us, only to a minority (?) that is naturally afraid or don't have money at all unfortunately, or that are ''tall enough'' to get happy if something else happens in their lives.

Talking about preparation, I also updated a post about supplements because it seems we can benefit from very special supplements of collagen for recovery.

Take care.

Thanks for you sharing your experiences, zaozari! Glad to absorb what informations you taught to us.

So you are resolved to get only 7cm tibias and give up femurs? Also what surgeon were you referring to? I was kinda surprised he could have sympathy about your height and broke the rules to allow you to lengthen 7cm on tibias.

It seems to me either was he a butcher or he was really good at emtional resonances.

Anyway best wish on you!

In Poland due to the high prices of psychiatric counselling even though what you said makes great sense I gave up finding a psychiatrist...

[informationispower]

Why are you so afraid of internal femurs Zaozari?

[zaozari]

I think that tibias are more aesthetical specially in people like me, very short, that have them also in relative terms shorter than taller people. A guy here in the forum who lenghtened 8 to 10 cm, I don't remeber exactly says he gets ridiculous when seating in a chair (but it was the only one I read saying that). I have also chosen external Ilizarov (which I would't bear in femurs) which have several advantages, I think: basically it's more ''manouvrable'' for example to help correct my genum varum and avoid misalignements.

Regarding femurs I don't have money but in fact it's also true I am more afraid because it's not decades tested as tibias, dangerous clots seem to more easily go up to crucial organs because they are closer to them and its bone marrow has more fat, and currently I don't find a satisfactory nail.

I would choose maybe Guichet's since there is no Stryde or Novasive yet, but I want the nail to be able to be reversed if needed for exemple for better ossification or to solve other possible issues. I think I would also stress a lot when learning the clicking if and when I would be alone. I also am afraid (intuitively) to lenghten a huge mass of muscle and other tissues.

I could say more but this is the more important that I remember and I am aware there are all sorts of different opinions about all this.

[zaozari]

Thanks for you sharing your experiences, zaozari! Glad to absorb what informations you taught to us.

So you are resolved to get only 7cm tibias and give up femurs? Also what surgeon were you referring to? I was kinda surprised he could have sympathy about your height and broke the rules to allow you to lengthen 7cm on tibias.

It seems to me either was he a butcher or he was really good at emtional resonances.

Anyway best wish on you!

In Poland due to the high prices of psychiatric counselling even though what you said makes great sense I gave up finding a psychiatrist...

Is it a psychologist cheaper than a psychiatrist? The problem with psychologists is that it's hard to find a good one in my country and many others in Europe because lack of some regulations.
The psychiatrist I am going to is in the national health service, free, but basically, he gives me very general advice and the prescriptions for some drugs.
Maybe you could afford only a few consultations even if you don't find one in the nhs: a private one that understands the situation and don't charge you just for renewing prescriptions all the time you need one.
I think mine is helping and I am deciding to trust him; but I will have to consult him and the orthopaedic surgeon to see if I can keep taking the same ''smoothie'' of drugs during CLL...

Regarding the 7 cm in tibias, I trust the surgeon because of several reasons.
He's really not a butcher, but I am sorry I don't want to disclose his name yet because I disclosed already so many information about me here in the forum that with one or two more key elements I get easily identified and I never know when people I know or even the surgeon's team are reading this forum out of curiosity, although I don't think so, we aren't still very famous... (himself surely doesn't read, I can see he doesn't care or even has time, and this forum as far as I saw in years was never ''contaminated'' by people close to him and critics are almost never replied. And me, as you see, don't even say his name...).

But although I trust him so far, you may need or want to report less positive experiences that may arise and come to the forum to vent frustration and look for support. Maybe I make a diary that I think may be useful anyway because it will be the story of a CLL process anyway, but only when everything is ok, after the goodbye to him, I disclose his name. Sorry, but I'm sure you all understand.

The 7 cm are not guaranteed, he is honest! I will be closely monitored. But he is used to lengthen more than 25 cm and more (I think I am not mistaken) in people with achondroplasia or victims of serious accidents that sometimes only start by a few cm left by the accident.
The 15/20% rule is not mathematical or absolute and anyway with 7 cm I would lengthen maybe 20 to 23% of the tibias, it’s not so ''violent'' in numerical terms. The trust I built on him, linked to how I will react to physiotherapy and the rest that I will   experiment make me think I can achieve 7 cm although I am also a bit sceptic. Maybe I do 6 cm, and maybe my body doesn't even tolerate 1 cm (it happened at least to one guy who couldn't stand the pain and in others, the bone simple doesn't grow enough...).

And in this moment, I am not even 100% sure I will choose this one. I am still in a ''process'' I want to be carefull and I am still depending on money for example to know to how far I can travel... :-(