Im absolutely not saying I didn't do the stretches. However I didn't have a family member there to stretch me every day, or a personal assistant. As I've said, if I could change something, it would have been to bring a friend to help stretch me during the process in addition to doing the personal stretches.
I dedicated a large amount of time to stretches/PT in the pool, solo ones, and never missed a PT session at the center. I was told explicitly when I had my consult that it was possible to do it this way and one complaint I have about going to Paley was how ok they were with me doing it solo before I paid, and how one of the PA's acted after I had paid when I said I was doing it solo.
However, when I finished lengthening I was told my range of motion was fantastic for 8 CM, which is proof my stretching regimen was working for mostly everything.
5 8 is a fine height, and I never really faced heigh discrimination(unless you count dating websites where people will post height preferences). I was successful, had quite a strong social group, and a robust sex life at 5 8. The problem was mostly just internal.