I am new to this forum and actually can't start a new thread, so I thought I would just add to this thread. I recently completed limb lengthening (it has been about 11 months since my initial operation) and I gained in total around 7 cm on my tibias through an external fixation method. I do not want to disclose my doctor (for personal reasons), even though I feel that he is an excellent doctor.
I would just like to add to anyone seriously considering this procedure, to give it a second, third, twentieth consideration. The reason I say this is that before actually undergoing the operation, LL was all that I thought about for about three to four years of my life. It consumed me to the point that I knew that I needed to get it done. And eventually, I did get it done, but despite how desperately I thought that I needed it pre-LL (and how much I actually sacrificed to get it), I actually regret it to this day post-LL. I will explain why.
It's only been 11 months since my operation, and I am actually recovering very well relative to most patients, but I still have regrets. I do think that the primary source of my regrets stems from the fact that I actually changed myself to succumb to the perceived "pressures" of society. This makes me feel very weak and in a sense makes me feel more insecure than I was before my operation. I could have and should have just accepted who I was before the operation and found a way to live happily. Honestly, my life was really good before LL. I was already very athletic, well-proportioned and would get daily comments on how great I looked. Sure, I was pretty short and definitely did have some instances where my height got in the way, but I feel that I magnified these issues in my head because all I thought about was height 24/7. In retrospect, these situations were very minor and only became a big deal because of how I viewed and handled the situations. After doing LL, I have realized that yes height is important, but no one really gives a fk other than those who have height neurosis, which admittedly is a very small minority. Girls will DEFINITELY overlook your height if you are able to overlook it. Girls really value true self-confidence more than anything else and conversely are really turned off by men who have insecurities. Girls are very sharp and pick up on these subtleties very quickly.
It goes without saying that I was really obsessed with how I looked before LL and I think it was honestly my vanity and greed that pushed me to actually have my LL done: to really perfect my appearance. This brings me the second reason why I regret it. I don't think that I look as good as I did before. Truthfully, I don't feel proportional. I think my proportions were quite perfect before LL with the perfect build for my height, but now after lengthening 7 cm, my proportions seem out of balance. I can tell how differently people treat me these days compared to how people treated me before my LL. Strangely, people treated me much better before LL than they do now. Not to sound overly vain, but I get the sense that I was much more attractive than I thought I was before I had my LL done because people just aren't as receptive to me these days. Maybe it is because they can sense my not giving a fk these days, but I think at least some of it has to do with how I look. I now appear overly skinny and this is accentuated by the fact that my quads have not even gained 50% of the mass that I had before LL. I will admit that once my quads fill out that I will probably look more normal, and it has only been 11 months since my operation, but I have no idea when that will even happen. Who knows, maybe I'll be happier when my proportions begin to balance out, but at the moment, I do not feel normal because I do not look quite normal yet. Proportions really matter!! LL really does take a long time. It definitely takes years, and not months like some people say.
If you have questions, ask away.
Post LL Thoughts - Ellemcham123
ellem... how are you walking???
i eat awful, and a lot of calories,and i still seemed have lost a few kilos, so this definitely does make you skinnier
I am walking well. But I do notice that people stare at me on the street. I don't think they're staring at my walking, but rather at how skinny my thighs are; it doesn't match my upper body. My upper body is really built, but my legs are still twigs
You feel bad because you havent got muscle mass. That will change with time and going to the gym. Whats your height? At 165 cm in the morning im secure i will be more atractive after LL than im now
ellemcham123,
I understand what you are trying to say but I believe each person thinks differently though. When I do LL, I will not think of myself as ''weak'' just because I have changed myself to succumb to the perceived "pressures" of society. I will just ignore that and move on, I might as well forget I was short once upon a time.
I am probably the same as you as you were 11 months ago, desperate to get taller and feeling bad about myself because of the height. Thinking about it 24/7 and my height gets in the way in many things that occur in my life. It's sad to hear that your legs are now skinnier, that was my biggest concern to be honest and you really remind me of myself because I think the same way. I am also obsessed with how I look and I want to ''perfect'' my appearance.
Either way, I hope you recover and achieve your dreams, thanks for posting!
Quote from: ShortyMcShort on July 20, 2014, 05:10:17 AM168 and you're depressed and having suicidal thoughts? Cmon now, thats not even that short compared to some of us on here that are shorter and yet still living life normally.
Asses are over rated anyway, if you think CLL will really help your self esteem issues and help with the depression then save and get it done. You should and will heal properly, just pick a good Dr
Yeah, I guess it really affected me from a really young age. I was living a lie, being constantly told that I would grow taller when I actually wasn't since my bones had already fused. When I was young, I always wanted to grow tall and I am still frustrated that I haven't.
Hi sadboy,
I can empathize with you because I was in a similar boat. Despite my life being quite good, I could not get over my need to do this. Now that I have done it, however, I have regrets--even though I had my surgery with a top doctor. My advice to you is to TRY to make yourself happy without doing this surgery. It's a really really serious procedure and if I could go back in time, I wish that I had never even found out about this procedure. So many years of my life lost because of it. It is unfortunate, but true. What you imagine your life will be after will be far different from how it actually turns out. Your life CAN and WILL be good without LL if you really put in the effort. Go to the gym daily, meet new people, travel...use that money for other more noble endeavors. That's what I should have done instead.
I will say this though. Many people are completely satisfied post LL, it just so happens that I'm not one of them. If you do ultimately do it though, don't lengthen more than 5 cm on your tibias. In fact, I would recommend lengthening your femurs because in my opinion it looks more natural, despite what most people say. Long tibias just don't look as natural in my opinion.
Once one becomes aware of the surgery, its pretty hard to get it out of your head because you feel like you could and should be post LL height. I know since I found out about it a few months ago, I was researching and thinking about it nonstop until I locked myself in for surgery.
Assuming recovery goes well, I know I won't regret changing myself because its not just society(although you are kidding yourself if you think women don't take height heavily into consideration) but how I feel internally. I don't have the mindset or personality of someone who should stand at 5 8, below such a high percentage of the population.
My opinion is worth only so much since hey, you've done it, but I think it is silly to feel bad because you altered yourself when so many people in society are altering themselves in one way or another.
if you don't have regrets in terms of recovery and health, then i don't even take you into consideration simply because if the problem is mental , it's very veery very easy to get past it or ignore, but u have a point, when you stop having height neurosis you actually realize a couple of things which reminds you how lucky you were or that it wasn't that bad at all
When you mention dissatisfaction with proportions, are you bothered by the length of your tibiae relative to femurs, the length of your legs relative to your torso and arms, or the skinny and weak-looking appearance of your legs?
Do you feel that people may suspect you had LL?
Has anyone commented on any "weirdness" related to the appearance of your legs?
How do you know people are reacting badly to your proportions and not just your attitude?
How do you feel around people your new height? How do you think you compare?
I wish you the very best of luck with your physical and emotional recovery from this procedure.
Ellemcham123,
Thank you for replying again. You obviously know how I feel because you have been through the same thing. I believe my height ruins my image and I can't wait to be taller. I was going to follow your advice anyway (lengthening the femurs instead of tibiae) and probably 6cm or less. If I am not satisfied I might do a 2nd surery but it will definitely be 5cm, no more than that, on the tibiae.
What do you think? Is that a good idea?
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