Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Discussions => Topic started by: lokariototal on April 11, 2022, 06:15:34 PM
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Hello guys,
Im very interested in doing this procedure for me, but I wonder for those who have had the surgery:
How has your family/friends/co-workers reacted to your surgery?
Did they make fun of you? Did they notice? Did they like your new look? Tell me your experiences please!
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They will notice and they will ask questions and talk about you behind your back if you're not upfront about it. They'll say it's unnecessary and will think you're weird and insecure, probably crazy too. Proceed only if you are OK with this.
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This topic is one major factor making me hesitate undergoing this surgery... I don't wanna tell anyone, even my family. They won't understand.
I plan to only lenghten a rather conservative amount, although it will obviously still be noticeable. I will probably have to come up with a convinceable white lie the first couple of months that my ankles or legs were broken and that I'm wearing supportive insoles or something. I might sound crazy but I am also planning to buy those plastic castings specifically made for sprained/broken ankles just to make it more convinceable. I feel really bad for lying, especially to close ones but I feel like I have no choice. My parents would literally disown me if I admitted to undergoing LL.
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Who really cares what these people will say if LL fixes a major problem in your head?
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My family was shocked when I told them I was considering this procedure. It is very difficult to have them onboard when doing this.
Most folks think you have a psychological issue when you are considering this procedure even though some might understand the difficulties that come with short height.
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My family was shocked when I told them I was considering this procedure. It is very difficult to have them onboard when doing this.
Most folks think you have a psychological issue when you are considering this procedure even though some might understand the difficulties that come with short height.
Some families don't like their kids to do LL because they are worried about something like complications or side effects after LL. The risks is lower now thanks to the advancement of science. Have you tried to explain that this surgery is usually very safe?
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Who really cares what these people will say if LL fixes a major problem in your head?
It's not a problem exclusivley in the patient's head. Short = bad is in a lot of heads, unfortunately. :'(
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I told my friends after the fact and they were supportive. I've not told most of my family, but I think they would ultimately be supportive as well. The main worry anyone has (until dispelled) is the risk of complications.
I must say that I have a strong support network, unlike most people. It's quite possible that if your friendships are not very strong, you won't get as good a reaction.
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It's not like everyone is going to turn on you. Their words and their behavior likely will be the same as before, once their initial reaction has passed, whatever it may be. But their estimation of you will likely go down.
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For people with whom you don’t see each other often, if possible, come up with some kind of legend (something like that you got a double open fracture, in such cases surgeons sometimes put something like LON), say that you have become taller due to bone displacement (this is by the way is also actually possible with a real fracture, even a few centimeters gain).
It’s more difficult with a family, most likely you won’t be able to lie like that. Do not expect that they will understand you, they will call your desire strange and crazy. Try not to pay attention and remember that there are people like us who just want to have long legs / be taller for peace of mind. This is your body and your desire, your full rights.
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For people with whom you don’t see each other often, if possible, come up with some kind of legend (something like that you got a double open fracture, in such cases surgeons sometimes put something like LON), say that you have become taller due to bone displacement (this is by the way is also actually possible with a real fracture, even a few centimeters gain).
It’s more difficult with a family, most likely you won’t be able to lie like that. Do not expect that they will understand you, they will call your desire strange and crazy. Try not to pay attention and remember that there are people like us who just want to have long legs / be taller for peace of mind. This is your body and your desire, your full rights.
Not sure with the term bone displacement. Does surgery for artificial joint count?
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This is a big issue for me as well. I don't in which way should tell them that I am thinking to have this surgery. I am not even sure if I should tell or not tho. Could you give some advise pleasee?
My family was shocked when I told them I was considering this procedure. It is very difficult to have them onboard when doing this.
Most folks think you have a psychological issue when you are considering this procedure even though some might understand the difficulties that come with short height.
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This is a big issue for me as well. I don't in which way should tell them that I am thinking to have this surgery. I am not even sure if I should tell or not tho. Could you give some advise pleasee?
How much height do you wish to gain? Your age?
You could just tell them you grow a few inches if you are younger than 22, which could happen to some.
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Just gaslight them. If they say that you grew taller just tell them that they remembered your height wrong. Remember, growing as an adult is an absurd claim, and the onus of proof is on the accuser. It’s not easy for them to prove that you got taller.
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Just gaslight them. If they say that you grew taller just tell them that they remembered your height wrong. Remember, growing as an adult is an absurd claim, and the onus of proof is on the accuser. It’s not easy for them to prove that you got taller.
This is how you will get the worst possible response. People are stupid about a lot of things, but recognizing height and forming judgements about people aren't among them. They will know you're full of **** and hiding something.
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This is how you will get the worst possible response. People are stupid about a lot of things, but recognizing height and forming judgements about people aren't among them. They will know you're full of **** and hiding something.
Lol it’s worked really well for me so far, but I live pretty far away from family and don’t see them often. I also moved cities so I don’t see my old friends much either. I think they can “feel” the height difference but their brain also “knows” it’s impossible to grow. I believe this cognitive dissonance is perfect for just denying it and telling them that they’re wrong. It’s like they’re balanced on the middle of a seesaw and you’re giving them a push in the direction you want them to think.
Memories definitely fade over time, so they’ll definitely doubt their previous memories of you. Unless you had some specific defining moment together in the past as adults, like “you’re 2 inches shorter than me” or “your license says 5’7” I doubt they’ll be confident enough about your exact height to push back.
Out of dozens of friends that I’ve met, I think maybe three have been suspicious. None of them can say a thing though, because they can’t prove it. I guess it also helped that I did it during the pandemic when people weren’t meeting up anyway.
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If you want to keep everything low-key, wearing elevator shoes ahead of surgery could be a good idea. Creep up your height before LLing, and after LLing, go with shoes that have virtually no elevation. Then slowly creep back up?
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If you want to keep everything low-key, wearing elevator shoes ahead of surgery could be a good idea. Creep up your height before LLing, and after LLing, go with shoes that have virtually no elevation. Then slowly creep back up?
Or change hair style that makes one look almost an inch or two taller may work ahead of LL?
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Tell em you been working on your posture - but only if they directly ask...otherwise let em be confused.
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Tell em you been working on your posture - but only if they directly ask...otherwise let em be confused.
Something like I am doing yoga or stretching exercise when they ask?
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I feel like the issue with being upfront and telling people is this:
They will always think of you as “that guy who did LL”. When they talk about you to other people, this will be what defines you in their minds.
When your old classmates gather you will be that guy who was so insecure about his height that you had to do this crazy surgery. These kinds of secrets always end up slipping out, if one person is told, and everyone finds out.
And the entire purpose with LL is to try and escape height or anything related to it being such a strong thing impacting your social life.
I think the best thing to do would be move to somewhere far away, do LL, and then maybe come back after several years.
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Something like I am doing yoga or stretching exercise when they ask?
not gonna work if they do know you for years, might work for those who barely know you or they know you for a couple of years and then don't see you regularly for years. Again, most ppl do 5-8cm that's a lot, a lot of height gained
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I am 24 and my goal is 7 cm on Femur. I'm quite sure that they will notice the difference if I don't tell them about this. At the same time I don't want to tell a lie but it is hard to expect anyone to see from our perspective.
How much height do you wish to gain? Your age?
You could just tell them you grow a few inches if you are younger than 22, which could happen to some.
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There are a few things you can say. Depending on your age, delayed growth spurt, which is scientific proven. You can also say that you a back adjustment, stretching exercises, and restored your cartilage back to full health, if you only gained a few inches in height. There are people that gains a few inches (depending on how bad your back is) from back adjustment and also better posture.
I have heard that people only start to notice if you gained more than 2 inches in height.
Let me know if I got anything wrong.
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Are most of your friends your size now? Or are they still an inch or 2 inches taller on average?
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Keep in mind people are somehow very sensitive to height differences of a person, usually they notice even a 1.5-2 cm increase due to height insoles
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To put it bluntly, no one should know that you performed this operation. Don't talk about it when you're sober or drunk. No best friend, no family, no girlfriend/boyfriend. Otherwise, literally everyone you know at least a little will find out about it: such and such interesting news, this crazy man is so notorious that he specially cut his bones for a lot of money in order to become a few centimeters taller
This topic annoys me too. Let's find the best way to hide the fact that we made LL, including from the family. I have heard that LON is set up for severe double open fractures. Can anyone delve deeper into the topic?
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Keep in mind people are somehow very sensitive to height differences of a person, usually they notice even a 1.5-2 cm increase due to height insoles
I'm pretty sure it's only those who are insecure about their height who might notice small height gains like that. Most people don't fixate on height as much as we do
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Omg, my family and all my friends know about my two surgeries. My friends said it's cool to be taller and supported me. My girlfriend has been supporting me from the beginning, like my family. I freely told my radiologist about it. the world has not collapsed. Why are you so afraid to tell someone about it? There are 7 billion people on earth, no one cares about you. And true friends and family will support you.
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There are 7 billion people on earth, no one cares about you.
That's the problem. Everyone only gives you the minimum amount of thought because they don't care. Want those precious few thoughts they think about you to be that you're insecure and crazy? :-[
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That's the problem. Everyone only gives you the minimum amount of thought because they don't care. Want those precious few thoughts they think about you to be that you're insecure and crazy? :-[
I guess it's better living in mental torture for the rest of your days just so your grand-uncle doesn't think you're crazy and insecure because you wanna be tall and lead a better life and get the respect you deserve from a heightist society.
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Keep in mind people are somehow very sensitive to height differences of a person, usually they notice even a 1.5-2 cm increase due to height insoles
I think that’s only the case if you’re around the same starting height. If you’re a quite few inches taller or shorter than them before surgery they won’t notice.
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Is there any very rare condition in which the epiphyseal plates remain open and we could tell we found it out and really did an "hormonal cure", by absurd? (Of course it would be probably totally contra indicated in an adult, in reality). A purely "pharmacological" treatment wouldn't "display" so much insecurity...
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Haven’t had the procedure yet but I really don’t want any future girlfriend to know. But also it feels weird to keep a secret like that from someone who I’m going to share my whole life with? Definitely conflicting.
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You will have the feeling if and when the time comes to share your secret and it may even strengthen the trust between the two. If you choose the secret you'll feel a burden in your shoulders and she may one day discover by other means but you can "erase" scars with laser or tell her you had an accident. However, I wouldn't invent any lie.
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I appreciate this advice, thank you man.
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When LL patients are able to have laser treatment after the lengthening? Is there a specific time range for that or it depends on the recovery? If I choose to cover it up that can be really good option.
You will have the feeling if and when the time comes to share your secret and it may even strengthen the trust between the two. If you choose the secret you'll feel a burden in your shoulders and she may one day discover by other means but you can "erase" scars with laser or tell her you had an accident. However, I wouldn't invent any lie.
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I don’t know, I suppose there is not a specific time range and that would depend more on the skin and scar evaluation by a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist. It would be important to know previously if one should do it allmost immediately after removal of any apparatus or if one should let the scar "consolidate" first.
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Another data point: recently met a friend who I hadn’t seen in two years. He always claimed 5’11” and I believed him but he’s actually the same height as me now. He didn’t notice my height change at all and we talked about everything else completely normally.
Also a few months ago I met another 5’11” friend who is actually 5’11” barefoot. He hadn’t seen me in over two years as well and didn’t say a thing about my change in height. We actually hung out for a few days as part of a group trip so he had plenty of chances to bring it up but he didn’t.
I think the only people who might notice are the ones who are obsessed with height like us or have categorized you in the “short” bucket in their brain, otherwise they won’t even notice. I sometimes get a second glance from guys I surpassed in height but never from guys who are already decently tall.
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I think the only people who might notice are the ones who are obsessed with height like us or have categorized you in the “short” bucket in their brain, otherwise they won’t even notice. I sometimes get a second glance from guys I surpassed in height but never from guys who are already decently tall.
One interesting thing I've noticed over the years is that taller guys just don't think about height at all & are actually decently aware of heightism and its absurdity. Of course, it makes sense given that they don't deal with heightism themselves and so they can't even really understand it. But it is interesting that the height obsessed in terms of judgement of others are often well, the shorter ones like us.
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Just returned from a trip where I caught up with 7 friends who I hadn't seen in a year, and not one of them mentioned anything about my height. I was taller than three of them who used to have an inch or two on me before LL. I did not meet them all at once (about 2 at a time)
I kept leaning back on one of my legs and wore flat shoes without insoles to minimize my height, but I still had a net 1.5-2 inches that way
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It’s really interesting. Before I started seeing everyone again I was terrified I would be outed as doing LL, but only a handful of people have noticed and mentioned it and it’s been quite easy to brush off. The people who tend to mention something are / were similar in height. Other people may have noticed but not said anything. Interestingly my 6’6 friend who I hadn’t seen in 3 years said “what the hell man have you grown?” as soon as he saw me. But his height is a large part of his personality is his height so he may be attuned to everyone’s height. For everyone worrying, most people won’t notice. I would say 70% of people haven’t mentioned anything.