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?
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.
Quote1) 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.
Quote2) 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.
Quote3) 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?)
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,
Hi G-Man,
Thanks! I hope my intro strikes a chord with others that are in a rut as well.
Quote from: G-Man on June 12, 2015, 08:35:35 PMHey 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?
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?)
Quote from: maximize on June 12, 2015, 07:33:17 PM2) 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.
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.
QuoteI 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.
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 
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.
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
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!!
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