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[naimah99]

Hello, I am a newbie to this forum and so glad I found it. I have been reading and just found a lot of useful info. I am going to post a somewhat lengthy bio about myself. Feel free to comment and answer my questions below.

Here it goes: 

My name is Naimah, and if you think you're having many issues with your height (not saying that your issues aren't valid)..... Tryyyy being a 19 year old girl who is 4'8"/144 cm and has been teased her WHOLE life for being short, despite her good qualities and personality?!? I was always smaller than the rest of my peers at school, and although my parents noticed this, when we would go to the doctors they never saw it as a issue. The doctors told my parents that when I reached a certain age I could start "Growth Hormone Treatment" to help me reach my normal height potential. This happened when I lived in Colombia (where I was born). My family and I moved to the United States when I was about 8 years old. At this point nobody really bothered to get in touch with any doctors since we were trying to adjust to a new place. I do remember that once in a while when I would go to pediatricians for a check up, I was told that I was below the 5th percentile in height. No doctors ever took an initiative in informing my family and I about growth treatments to catch the issue IN TIME. Time went by and we kept moving from state to state. Every time I would see different doctors that had no prior knowledge on my growing conditions but they would all notice that I was short. They'd say "Don't worry honey, you'll grow someday". I got my menstrual cycle at the age of 10 years old (in 5th grade). My parents did see that it was a bit too early for me to go through puberty but they didn't think much of it. Although it seems like I wasn't taken care of, my parents were always seeking growth treatments and even took me back to Colombia to see if the doctors could recommend some treatments at a more affordable price. But by the time they took me to Colombia and by the time I got checked here in the U.S. by an Endocrinologist, all the doctors told me that my growth plates were closed and that I COULD NOT grow any more. That was it! I would be 4'8" for the rest of my life. We didn't seek any second opinions or any further help after this (partly because insurance wouldn't cover it) and we just kept going with our lives. Today I am 19 years old and I am still 4'8". I am seeking a second opinion for myself. I've also dealt with Hypothyroidism in the past and due to an abnormal metabolism I gained weight easily and developed an eating disorder. Not growing has brought me so much tragedy. More tragedy than my parents expected when they told us that my issue was irreversible. I was bullied, teased, and even got into some fights at school all due to my height. Kids thought they could pick on me and I was so insecure because of this matter. I never had a boyfriend, went to prom, or experienced a normal teenage life. I am a singer-songwriter, performer, aspiring actress, and athlete and I can say that being short has affected ALL of these areas of my life. That is why I am done suffering and I want to take charge of this issue, so I can live the rest of my life in peace! I know that I might sound unthankful or ungrateful because there are people who are much much shorter than me (suffering from dwarfism) but although I'm not as short as some of these people, height is STILL a big burden in my life. I've spoken to therapists about this and they all tell me that I should just accept what I cannot change, and for a while I did, but I am not taking anymore of this. I've also done a lot of research on how stem cells can help adults increase their height, and how gene therapy (CRISPR) can help but mostly in embryos. All of these other options are NOT available to the public, and I've tried reaching out to scientists who do medical trials but they never got back to me. So I found this surgery and this forum, and I am strongly considering this surgery as an option. My parents think that I am obsessed with growing taller and they don't really want to hear about this procedure. They also think that LL surgery is unrealistic for me because neither they nor do I, have the money to cover any surgery with many of the well reputed doctors. We are just struggling musicians who perform for a living and are trying to get by (I am also a college student). But I've read that you can get loans and funding or just plainly save up. Although by the time I save up for a surgery like this I'll probably be 50 and it won't matter anymore.

I want to live. I want to date. I want to feel more confident singing on stage.
I want to STOP having to buy kids clothes (I'm a size 3 in shoes and can't even find heels my size to look a bit taller!). I want to stop looking so chubby due to my height. I want to get back ALL those years I feel like I've lost!
That is why I am willing to do anything it takes to achieve my goal of getting the surgery.

Ok. My lengthy biography is over. Hope that made you feel some type of way or inspired to keep fighting!

Here are my questions, goals, etc...:

1.) I want to get "quadrilateral leg lengthening", which from what I understand means both femurs at one time and then both tibias. Two surgeries spaced apart not all together. I want to lengthen at least 3 inches in both my femurs and tibias. I have heard that it isn't recommended to lengthen the tibia this much, but I've read about people who've done it. I also know that this all depends on body type, and individuality of the patient. Getting at least 6 inches would put me at 5'2" which for me would be a glory coming up from 4'8". Still short but not ABNORMALLY short (my whole family is taller than me by the way).

2.) Method: With that being said, I want to find a doctor that uses the "STRYDE or PRECICE 3" method. As I've read that this will revolutionize LL. I am also considering the "PRECICE 2" method. I am terrified of the external method and fortunately for me, I was able to read @unicorn888 's diary about her tragic experience with Dr. Guichet. THANK GOD, because he was on the top of my list, since as of now I can't afford Dr. Paley. Now, Dr. Mahboubian I might be able to afford in the future.

3.) Financial Aspect: What should I do about the fact that I have no money for this but as you can see, this 4'8" girl needs this or wants this pretty bad.

4.) Doctors: Once I find a way to get the money for this, what would be my options for a still somewhat cheap but good option. I know Dr. Paley is the LL god lol but I don't think I can afford him and also he doesn't let his patient lengthen the tibias farther than 5cm. Also Dr. Rozbruch is really good from what I've heard, but is also expensive and will only do the surgery once, not twice (I need one surgery for the femurs and one for the tibias). As of now, ruling out all the CRAZY fiascos I've read about European and overseas doctors (Betz, Guichet, and other), I DO NOT want to take ANY risks of amputation, paralisis, etc... With my legs. I love my legs! I need my legs because I am a crossfit athlete. I know I may not get to full recovery to do crossfit after this but for being taller, I think it might be worth it. My only option right now for a doctor is Dr. Mahboubian because I've seen his webinar, some patient diaries, and he seems like a caring and nice guy. I hope I'm right. I think that maybe I can get the money for the femurs first and then do the tibias later on in life, but I really don't want to do that. I want to suffer twice but close to each other if that makes sense.

What are my options? PLEASE help this 4'8"/144cm girl get to at least 5'2 or taller !

Sorry for this lengthy post, but the world needs to know that I exist and need help  :-Xlol.

Here is a link to my YouTube videos in case you're interested in hearing my music/covers:
Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/naimabk
One of my covers:

[Unicorn888]

Hi Naimah,

I have 2 potential CLLers with whom I've been in touch with who just drove to Munich to have a consultation with this doctor.  They like him a lot and the price points are reasonable.  He didn't try to evade difficult questions and was realistic with the maximum and recovery periods.  Perhaps you want to look at him?  He offers Precice and potentially Stryde when trial is over.

limblengtheningsurgery.com/cosmetic-limb-lengthening


And here are some questions I would ask :

QUESTIONS
1. How many have they done so far in total?
2. How many with Precice and Stryde?
3. Breakdown by male/female, race and age group?
4. What’re the oldest and youngest candidate?
5. What complications have they encountered?
6. What was the worst case?
7. What is the smallest lengthening, biggest lengthening, average lengthening?
8. Do they repair congenital deformities or trauma or are they uniquely cosmetic only?  % btw CLL vs trauma cases?
9. How many nails broke?
10. How many non-union?
11. What does the price include (are complications included in the package price?)
12. Can you speak to several candidates (current and successful or failed?)
13. How do they filter who is a good candidate for CLL according to them?
14. How do they monitor during lengthening to ensure safety?
15. How do they minimize duck ass and valgus?
16. What kind of painkillers do they use and supplements they recommend?
17. What are their preparation recommendation for undergoing surgery for potential CLLers?
18. What is the average months/years of their patients from surgery to normal walking gait?
19. What are the pros and cons of Stryde vs Precice vs ISKD vs externals?  What is their preference?
20. Do they prefer femur or tibia CLL?
21. Are pre and post xrays/medical testings/scans etc included in pricing?  What are extra costs to anticipate?
22. Have they turned away potential CLLers?  Why?
23. Do they let you go home to lengthen or do they insist you stay w them during the entire lengthening period?
24. What are the absolutely maximum length they'd let you do for tibia and femur?
25. Do they do unilateral and quadruple CLLs?
26. Are there ongoing lawsuits?  Past lawsuits?
27. Has the doctor moved hospitals/countries etc?  Why?

[naimah99]

 Hello @unicorn888 !

   I’m so glad you replied to my post, it truly means a lot! I checked the link you sent to the Bavarian Limb Center and they seem like a good option. They offer both bilateral femur and tibia lengthening for a total price of $83,000 dollars. According to the website it includes all the surgeries and if I am correct from what I understand it includes the nail removal as well, which sounds way too good to be true. It also includes the regular x-rays of the check ups during the whole treatment! Like I don’t know what could be better than this! The price is reasonable for both the femurs and tibas (a little too good to be true), and they offer precice which it’s fine if they don’t have precice 3 (I would prefer it but as of now only Dr. Paley uses it  ). What I am wondering is why their website doesn’t include any testimonals/past cases or other information (that doesn’t look very professional), also I’d like to know about their reputation and maybe get in contact with some of their patients as you said you were speaking to. Do they have diaries on this forum? Also what is the name of the surgeons I don’t think it was mentioned on the website? The website also didn’t specify if the bilateral femurs and tibias surgeries are done at different times or all together? It is NOT recommended to EVER do them at the same time, that is very important to know. Now I just need to find some more info and figure out how I’m going to stay in Munich for this long. But this is very good news that there’s a doctor who is offering Precice and seems good, at a reasonable price, I just need to find the surgeon’s name and contact them. I HOPE the communication isn’t difficult because I only speak english and spanish. Once again, thank you very much for your detailed reply, for the questions you left in order to ask to the doctor, and I really do hope that you’re doing better. I’m going to hop over to your thread to see your process if you’re still positing on there. Thanks again!

[taller_in_Kiev]

Hi Naima
Very good questions you ask. Why isn't the doctor name even mentioned?

Agree with the list of questions.

I did bilateral femurs back in 2004 with the pioneering internal method, the Bliskunov/Jamal internal rod, fully weight bearing. Precise 2 is not fully weight bearing as far as I know.

I gained just over 4 inches and am now fully recovered and lead a normal life. You can have a look at my diary and photos here:

http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9000.0

http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9023.0

Please ignore the stupid vid about keloid scarring in the first link. Someone scarred my diary with that after I initially refused to post scar photos. 

I would not recommend you do femurs and tibias at the same time. The surgery is a huge strain on the body and my advice is to start with femurs first.
Having said that, I did meet one patient who did just that, he was a male in his 30's and did it with the same method and doctor, but he was physically very fit and lean.

As a girl, scarring should also be a consideration for you. How would you feel about that?

If you're going to do this surgery, spend a good couple of months just preparing. Go to gym, eat well, stretch, stretch and stretch! Your muscles should be as flexible.

Hope you get the money together and realise your dream. Wishing you the best.

[montahn]

You can try Dr Amar Sarin from India.

here is good thread about LL with Dr Sharin - http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=8944

[naimah99]

Hi Naima
Very good questions you ask. Why isn't the doctor name even mentioned?

Agree with the list of questions.

I did bilateral femurs back in 2004 with the pioneering internal method, the Bliskunov/Jamal internal rod, fully weight bearing. Precise 2 is not fully weight bearing as far as I know.

I gained just over 4 inches and am now fully recovered and lead a normal life. You can have a look at my diary and photos here:

http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9000.0

http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9023.0

Please ignore the stupid vid about keloid scarring in the first link. Someone scarred my diary with that after I initially refused to post scar photos. 

I would not recommend you do femurs and tibias at the same time. The surgery is a huge strain on the body and my advice is to start with femurs first.
Having said that, I did meet one patient who did just that, he was a male in his 30's and did it with the same method and doctor, but he was physically very fit and lean.

As a girl, scarring should also be a consideration for you. How would you feel about that?

If you're going to do this surgery, spend a good couple of months just preparing. Go to gym, eat well, stretch, stretch and stretch! Your muscles should be as flexible.

Hope you get the money together and realise your dream. Wishing you the best.

Hello @taller_in_Kiev . I'm glad you answered to my post! I was actually not considering to ever do both femurs and tibias at the same time. As I've heard that this can lead to any complications such as "fat embolism", poor lengthening, you cannot lengthen as long as you could by doing it separately, maybe even paralysis, ect... I am already a bit terrified about this surgery (and I can't lie about that), so less would I be willing to take such a risk like that. I believe that I can overcome this terrifying feeling towards the surgery once I'm already in it. Lol, I will have to get over it, I'm 4'8" I need this....or at least I feel like I do. I'm pretty sure you understand how I feel. I'm glad to speak to you because you went through the process and with a foreign doctor. I am a bit skeptical about the foreign doctors, as a lot of American doctors say that their equipment is not FDA approved and a lot of the doctors that charge cheaper are not as meticulous or precise. But we all know that the procedure was not invented in the US which means that maybe foreign doctors have been practicing this for many more years. Of course this could be a marketing scheme to scare American patients so that they do the procedure in the US and don't travel overseas.

 Honestly, I know that PRECICE 2.2 isn't weight bearing but I am not willing to risk any complications with the weight bearing clicking methods or the external fixators (which terrify me the most). I am a very pain tolerant person, as I am a Crossfit athlete and love working out, but I don't think I could handle externals. Also, what happened to @unicorn888 was very severe and due to the fact that her nail was used with the clicking method, she couldn't reverse the non-union. As for in the case of the, PRECICE 2, you can reverse your lengthening if there are complications like these. I'd also like to say that I'm looking forward to the STRYDE PRECICE 3 device because that one is fully weight bearing. As of now only Dr. Paley performs surgery with the STRYDE, but as we all know he's too expensive, especially for a quadrilateral. But then again it's my legs I'm talking about and I think that anyone's legs are worth more than money can buy! Therefore, I'm hoping to collect some money and consider Dr. Paley or Dr. Mahboubian (but I'm not totally opposed to the overseas options though). What do you think?

 Also, since you asked about scarring, I think that I would be willing to have scars for if I am going to get something I've been dreaming of my whole life. I've also read and seen that with the internal methods, scarring is minimal compared to the external fixators. I can always get surgery to remove the scars, but I think scars are kind of cool and unique!

  I also wanted to ask you about the nail removal procedure. I know that the doctors remove the "nails" but do they also remove the screws that hold the nails in place. A lot of doctors say that athletes have the screws removed as well. Do you have any information on this? It is important to me.

  Lastly, my diet is very specific as I am a "Raw Vegan" (no animal products). Do you think a doctor will oppose to operate on me because of my diet or does my diet play a part in the recovery and such? This is extremely important me, as I love being a raw vegan and wouldn't change it for the world. Thank you for your reply and geeeez I'm sorry about my message being so long. I will DEFINITELY check out your diaries! Wow 4 inches is a good amount, I'm glad you came out safely. Thank you for posting the links. Much love!

[naimah99]

I also just measured my wingspan today and it is 57 inches/144cm. The same as my height. My goal is to at least lengthen the femurs and tibias both to about 3 inches EACH (about 8cm), which would make me 5'2". Will it look too disproportional if I lengthen this much and my wingspan is that of my current height? I don't want to look like a T-Rex lol, or have to get arm lengthening surgery.

[taller_in_Kiev]

Hi Naimah, no worries) happy to help as much as possible. I am from the UK,  so there was no local option for me and I don't believe there was in the US at the time either.  Even if there was, I'd still have done it in Kiev. Last thing I'd have cared about is FDA approval!
As far as I know, Professor Bliskunov was the pioneer of the internal method. I would also never have considered the external devices.

I was fortunate to have a good result, but as with any surgery, there can be risks and complications.  Doctor and location are personal choices, I can only speak to you about my experience with the doctors here. Dr Jamal is one of the most experienced LL doctors, he worked with Dr Dragan until he sadly passed away a few years ago.  I am guessing the main reason why an american would look to have this done abroad would be for cost. If you were to have this done abroad, would you have the support of your family and friends, as you may do at home? Who, if anyone, would accompany you?

About rod/nail removal - again, I don't know about other doctors, but here you get everything removed, including all screws) a couple of years down the line.

Regarding diet, I was taking a lot of dairy and eating a protein rich diet. I think you could certainly get all the nutrients needed from a plant based diet and here in Kiev, in the summer time, fresh fruit and veg are plentiful, cheap and taste great. All organically grown by the locals. But during LL, your broken bones may have additional needs, best to talk to a doctor about this.

[myloginacc]

LoL. Two promoters in a single thread.

Naimah, talk to Unicorn through PMs. I could recommend a few other members, but they're unavailable right now. Don't trust everything you read here.

Don't go to anyone but Paley and Rozbruch if you want to stay as safe as possible, and don't want to leave the US.

[Bry]

LoL. Two promoters in a single thread.

Naimah, talk to Unicorn through PMs. I could recommend a few other members, but they're unavailable right now. Don't trust everything you read here.

Don't go to anyone but Paley and Rozbruch if you want to stay as safe as possible, and don't want to leave the US.

Heya,

If the USA doctors were not an option, which doctors would you recommend?

[419]

Hello, I am a newbie to this forum and so glad I found it. I have been reading and just found a lot of useful info. I am going to post a somewhat lengthy bio about myself. Feel free to comment and answer my questions below.

Here it goes: 

My name is Naimah, and if you think you're having many issues with your height (not saying that your issues aren't valid)..... Tryyyy being a 19 year old girl who is 4'8"/144 cm and has been teased her WHOLE life for being short, despite her good qualities and personality?!? I was always smaller than the rest of my peers at school, and although my parents noticed this, when we would go to the doctors they never saw it as a issue. The doctors told my parents that when I reached a certain age I could start "Growth Hormone Treatment" to help me reach my normal height potential. This happened when I lived in Colombia (where I was born). My family and I moved to the United States when I was about 8 years old. At this point nobody really bothered to get in touch with any doctors since we were trying to adjust to a new place. I do remember that once in a while when I would go to pediatricians for a check up, I was told that I was below the 5th percentile in height. No doctors ever took an initiative in informing my family and I about growth treatments to catch the issue IN TIME. Time went by and we kept moving from state to state. Every time I would see different doctors that had no prior knowledge on my growing conditions but they would all notice that I was short. They'd say "Don't worry honey, you'll grow someday". I got my menstrual cycle at the age of 10 years old (in 5th grade). My parents did see that it was a bit too early for me to go through puberty but they didn't think much of it. Although it seems like I wasn't taken care of, my parents were always seeking growth treatments and even took me back to Colombia to see if the doctors could recommend some treatments at a more affordable price. But by the time they took me to Colombia and by the time I got checked here in the U.S. by an Endocrinologist, all the doctors told me that my growth plates were closed and that I COULD NOT grow any more. That was it! I would be 4'8" for the rest of my life. We didn't seek any second opinions or any further help after this (partly because insurance wouldn't cover it) and we just kept going with our lives. Today I am 19 years old and I am still 4'8". I am seeking a second opinion for myself. I've also dealt with Hypothyroidism in the past and due to an abnormal metabolism I gained weight easily and developed an eating disorder. Not growing has brought me so much tragedy. More tragedy than my parents expected when they told us that my issue was irreversible. I was bullied, teased, and even got into some fights at school all due to my height. Kids thought they could pick on me and I was so insecure because of this matter. I never had a boyfriend, went to prom, or experienced a normal teenage life. I am a singer-songwriter, performer, aspiring actress, and athlete and I can say that being short has affected ALL of these areas of my life. That is why I am done suffering and I want to take charge of this issue, so I can live the rest of my life in peace! I know that I might sound unthankful or ungrateful because there are people who are much much shorter than me (suffering from dwarfism) but although I'm not as short as some of these people, height is STILL a big burden in my life. I've spoken to therapists about this and they all tell me that I should just accept what I cannot change, and for a while I did, but I am not taking anymore of this. I've also done a lot of research on how stem cells can help adults increase their height, and how gene therapy (CRISPR) can help but mostly in embryos. All of these other options are NOT available to the public, and I've tried reaching out to scientists who do medical trials but they never got back to me. So I found this surgery and this forum, and I am strongly considering this surgery as an option. My parents think that I am obsessed with growing taller and they don't really want to hear about this procedure. They also think that LL surgery is unrealistic for me because neither they nor do I, have the money to cover any surgery with many of the well reputed doctors. We are just struggling musicians who perform for a living and are trying to get by (I am also a college student). But I've read that you can get loans and funding or just plainly save up. Although by the time I save up for a surgery like this I'll probably be 50 and it won't matter anymore.

I want to live. I want to date. I want to feel more confident singing on stage.
I want to STOP having to buy kids clothes (I'm a size 3 in shoes and can't even find heels my size to look a bit taller!). I want to stop looking so chubby due to my height. I want to get back ALL those years I feel like I've lost!
That is why I am willing to do anything it takes to achieve my goal of getting the surgery.

Ok. My lengthy biography is over. Hope that made you feel some type of way or inspired to keep fighting!

Here are my questions, goals, etc...:

1.) I want to get "quadrilateral leg lengthening", which from what I understand means both femurs at one time and then both tibias. Two surgeries spaced apart not all together. I want to lengthen at least 3 inches in both my femurs and tibias. I have heard that it isn't recommended to lengthen the tibia this much, but I've read about people who've done it. I also know that this all depends on body type, and individuality of the patient. Getting at least 6 inches would put me at 5'2" which for me would be a glory coming up from 4'8". Still short but not ABNORMALLY short (my whole family is taller than me by the way).

2.) Method: With that being said, I want to find a doctor that uses the "STRYDE or PRECICE 3" method. As I've read that this will revolutionize LL. I am also considering the "PRECICE 2" method. I am terrified of the external method and fortunately for me, I was able to read @unicorn888 's diary about her tragic experience with Dr. Guichet. THANK GOD, because he was on the top of my list, since as of now I can't afford Dr. Paley. Now, Dr. Mahboubian I might be able to afford in the future.

3.) Financial Aspect: What should I do about the fact that I have no money for this but as you can see, this 4'8" girl needs this or wants this pretty bad.

4.) Doctors: Once I find a way to get the money for this, what would be my options for a still somewhat cheap but good option. I know Dr. Paley is the LL god lol but I don't think I can afford him and also he doesn't let his patient lengthen the tibias farther than 5cm. Also Dr. Rozbruch is really good from what I've heard, but is also expensive and will only do the surgery once, not twice (I need one surgery for the femurs and one for the tibias). As of now, ruling out all the CRAZY fiascos I've read about European and overseas doctors (Betz, Guichet, and other), I DO NOT want to take ANY risks of amputation, paralisis, etc... With my legs. I love my legs! I need my legs because I am a crossfit athlete. I know I may not get to full recovery to do crossfit after this but for being taller, I think it might be worth it. My only option right now for a doctor is Dr. Mahboubian because I've seen his webinar, some patient diaries, and he seems like a caring and nice guy. I hope I'm right. I think that maybe I can get the money for the femurs first and then do the tibias later on in life, but I really don't want to do that. I want to suffer twice but close to each other if that makes sense.

What are my options? PLEASE help this 4'8"/144cm girl get to at least 5'2 or taller !

Sorry for this lengthy post, but the world needs to know that I exist and need help  :-Xlol.

Here is a link to my YouTube videos in case you're interested in hearing my music/covers:
Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/naimabk
One of my covers:

if you are hot and stylish, even at this height you will have lots of suitors. I once dated a hot stylish 4'9" girl, she ditched me for a much taller (like 5'11, I am 5'4) and wealthier (earns like 200k) and handsome guy. If you are hot and stylish girl you don't need LL. For men it is different, competition is higher and short men get killed in dating and mating market.

[naimah99]

if you are hot and stylish, even at this height you will have lots of suitors. I once dated a hot stylish 4'9" girl, she ditched me for a much taller (like 5'11, I am 5'4) and wealthier (earns like 200k) and handsome guy. If you are hot and stylish girl you don't need LL. For men it is different, competition is higher and short men get killed in dating and mating market.

Hello @419 ,

  I appreciate your encouraging comment. I do not feel ugly at all! Not one bit. I feel beautiful in my own way and I think the same about everyone else. I just feel like due to my size I have dealt with weight issues my whole life, a past eating disorder, and just never really felt fully confident around people my age. I have a naturally “thicker” figure and because I’m short I look weird and kind of chubby. It is much easier to accumulate weight and fat when you’re short as many of you may know. Taller people just look slimmer and much fitter. No matter how much I exercise and eat correctly, I can never look proportional to my height. And when I lost a lot of weight in the past, I looked kind of like an 8 year old lol. Also it is extremely hard for me to find clothing and shoes my size as I have to shop in the kids section and sometimes I still can’t find sizes and the styles are for kids. I like to wear more womanly clothing. 
 
 I don’t think that getting this surgery is going to change all of these issues I’ve had, I mean I still must always accept myself and the way my body is. But I do think that the surgery could help me feel more confident around people my age and about myself. This is not so much about what others think of me but about how I feel being short. Some guys may think it’s cute for a girl to be short, and you’re right that some girls can be stylish and feel confident being short. I also agree that for men it is VERY difficult to be short and be discriminated against for your height. I’m sorry that most women like taller men (including me, and I cannot lie), but it all really has to do with your level of confidence.

REMEMBER THIS: I SAY THIS FOR MYSELF TOO. PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS SEE YOU AS YOU SEE YOURSELF (because as human beings, we sense bad vibes).
 IF YOU LACK CONFIDENCE, DON’T BELIEVE IN YOUR GOOD QUALITIES, ARE GRUMPY, AND ARE FULL OF NEGATIVITY DUE TO YOUR SHORT HEIGHT.....PEOPLE WILL SEE RIGHT THROUGH THAT.

I think everyone should work on their confidence first and if they still decide to have the surgery then the surgery is only going to add to their BEAUTIFUL PERSONA!

[419]

I agree with you that if one has the tendency to put on weight, even little weight for short people makes them look fat and especially if they have thick/wide body frame. I tend to put on weight so that's bad but have petite/slim build so I am saved that way. Anyway, all the best for your journey.

[KiloKAHN]

How is your credit history? If your credit is good you could try taking out a medical loan with your bank. I took one out for $15,000 to cover extra expenses and despite not having that high of an income I was approved because my score was good. I looked into loans for cosmetic surgeries before, but all the ones I could find would not give loans for surgeries performed outside the USA.

I think you could benefit from CLL since you've spent so many years thinking about this. Could allow you to move on and focus on your talents.

How important is the issue of scarring for you? If you're not put off by having some scars on your legs that look like dots/bites, then going with the LON or external methods will allow you to at least gain 2 inches on your tibiae much sooner, and who knows, you may find that you feel much better at 4'10 and not want to go through femur lengthening.

My surgeon offers internal and LON/externals for lengthening. He's in Mumbai, India where vegan options are available easily and hotels are quite comfortable.

https://sites.google.com/site/cllrpatients/faqs/cosmeticlengthening

You could also look into Dr Solomin and Dr Kulesh in St Petersburg, though I'm not sure they offer internal methods.

Best of luck to you.

[Kotiki]

Hi there

 Thanks for posting the video. One picture says more than a million words. While your whole figure/legs aren't visible, it is obvious that you have a very compact torso+neck.

There are stretching techniques you can do that, combined with glucosamine chondroitin, will elongate your neck and spine by about 2 cm. This will have an added benefit of making you look slimmer (not that there's any problem with weight).

Your goal of adding 14 cm to your legs is completely unrealistic. The longer the segment the more it can be lengthened. Starting with tiny tibias there is no way you could lengthen 7 centimetres safely. Even if you could, it wouldn't look good combined with your short torso.

You can probably safely lengthen your tibias by about 5 cm. Since you don't have the funds I would recommend external methods. I appreciate it that external method turns you off. But there's one thing you must consider: external method is a pain in the butt, but it is not by any means more scary than internal. For tibia specifically, it is far less dangerous to leave the knee joints and the inside of the bones alone and lengthen with externals. As a bonus, it can be done at a fraction of the cost.

With tibias and spinal stretching you could add 6 cm to your height. In the meantime, precise 3 could become more affordable in the next five years, so precise 3 would be the next logical step.

I wish you all the luck!

[TemakiSushi]

Hi naimah99

I fell in love with you singing beautiful!!! look gorgeous

I'm a short asian woman I can share what I researched.

Las Vegas:
tibia precice2 $72,000 (not incld accom/food)
http://limbplastx.com/limb-lengthening-costs.html
this hospital looks great to me.
just that not enough info.

Dr Donghoon Lee, Korea:
tibia precice2 starting $66,000 (90 day package incl accom/food)
http://www.drdonghoon.com/index.php/home#googtrans(ko|en)
http://i64.tinypic.com/nb7n69.jpg
He is awards winning doctor of CLL and just recently opened new hospital with pool.
he is my choice
I wait for Stryde next year

Dr Giotikas, Greece:
tibia precice2 38950 Euro (not incld accom/food)
https://www.athensbjr.com/cost-and-pricing-of-cosmetic-limb-lengthening.html
He just looks so handsome...


BTW about Jamal nail which is a clicking nail.
At least I know one Asian broke bone when lengthening with jamal nail in Uklaina.
I think weight bearing clicking nails are generally too thick for petit people.
Also I remember seeing a post mensioned about delayed consolidation taking more than 3 years or close to 4 years
Clicking motions are suspected by doctors to delay consolidation. 

Just in case if you wanna external:
Dr Solomin Russia or Dr Quynn Vietnam seems very cheap less than $20.000
but both they do not prescribe oxycodon. so pain management is very poor
some people suffer too much pain and get traumatized for that.
imagine suffering for level 8 or 9 pain for days...
my friend told me not being able to sleep for days with pain.
 

[montahn]

The limb lengthening procedure is a 6-8month process that involves surgery and lengthening process of 1mm per day for at least 75-80day that requires you stay in India.  One can lengthen 7-10cms depending on your height and body.

There are two options available for lengthening:

•    LON i.e. lengthening on nail which is an external procedure
•    HLN i.e. Hydraulic lengthening nail which is an internal procedure

The cost of LON is $17500USD and HLN is $30,000USD which is inclusive of accommodation, surgery, rehabilitation and any other complications that may arise during the lengthening phase. All other expenses will be borne by the patient him or herself.


I got this from dr Amar Sarin via mail date(May 2018)


High quality food cost only $35 day.

Thanks 

[JohnOdin]

hey naim! i just wanted to add that you said you are an athlete, but LL will definitely take you down a notch, most people say they can recover to near pre-LL athleticism, but not all the way there. Also, LL will not help with chubbyness because that usually has to do with frame size (shorter with smaller frame / taller with larger frame). Also you are still young so you have time to save up money! dont give up

[419]

The limb lengthening procedure is a 6-8month process that involves surgery and lengthening process of 1mm per day for at least 75-80day that requires you stay in India.  One can lengthen 7-10cms depending on your height and body.

There are two options available for lengthening:

•    LON i.e. lengthening on nail which is an external procedure
•    HLN i.e. Hydraulic lengthening nail which is an internal procedure

The cost of LON is $17500USD and HLN is $30,000USD which is inclusive of accommodation, surgery, rehabilitation and any other complications that may arise during the lengthening phase. All other expenses will be borne by the patient him or herself.


I got this from dr Amar Sarin via mail date(May 2018)


High quality food cost only $35 day.

Thanks 

Food cost $35 a day is kinda high unless you are eating from high end restaurants. If you can do with eating from normal places it should be like $15-$20 per day, good food all means included.

[montahn]

Food cost $35 a day is kinda high unless you are eating from high end restaurants. If you can do with eating from normal places it should be like $15-$20 per day, good food all means included.

yes you are right I say the max amount. Im my locality $10 is sufficient for daily food

[naimah99]

Hi there

 Thanks for posting the video. One picture says more than a million words. While your whole figure/legs aren't visible, it is obvious that you have a very compact torso+neck.

There are stretching techniques you can do that, combined with glucosamine chondroitin, will elongate your neck and spine by about 2 cm. This will have an added benefit of making you look slimmer (not that there's any problem with weight).

Your goal of adding 14 cm to your legs is completely unrealistic. The longer the segment the more it can be lengthened. Starting with tiny tibias there is no way you could lengthen 7 centimetres safely. Even if you could, it wouldn't look good combined with your short torso.

You can probably safely lengthen your tibias by about 5 cm. Since you don't have the funds I would recommend external methods. I appreciate it that external method turns you off. But there's one thing you must consider: external method is a pain in the butt, but it is not by any means more scary than internal. For tibia specifically, it is far less dangerous to leave the knee joints and the inside of the bones alone and lengthen with externals. As a bonus, it can be done at a fraction of the cost.

With tibias and spinal stretching you could add 6 cm to your height. In the meantime, precise 3 could become more affordable in the next five years, so precise 3 would be the next logical step.

I wish you all the luck!

Hello @kotiki,

 Thanks for your information. I know that it is possible to lengthen the spine up to 2cm but that is nearly nothing in height. It isn't very significant. Plus, I've heard that once you naturally lengthen the spine and neck, with a lot of movement and weight training, it has the potential to go back to the compressed way it was before. So it isn't a permanent nor significant solution. I respect your opinion about my goals being unrealistic. I think how much a person can lengthen is according to their frame and the ability of the bones to do so. However, I've seen much shorter people like 4'4", lengthen about 16cm all together in two surgeries, with the their tibias and femurs. I'd rather not even bother with the surgery if all I'm going to be able to lengthen is 5cm. To me that sounds like a joke and would only put me at 4'10". I want to be at least 5'2", which is still considered short but at least it's over 5". I think it all depends with the patient's individual ability to lengthen, and what the doctor recommends is safe. I know that Dr. Paley doesn't allow more than 5cm for the tibias, but then I also know that Dr. Mahboubian was able to get a patient to lengthen about 7-8cm in the tibias.

 As far the externals go. I don't care too much about the scarring and I think scars are sort of unique. But I've heard that the externals are much more painful and have worse complications than the internals. Plus, the outside pins cut through your skin and muscles, leaving really bad scars. That can't be good. So for just a cheaper price with the externals, I'd rathere just save up a bit more and due the internals or precice 3.

  I do agree that maybe it wouldn't be very realistic to lengthen 14cm or more with my height. Also, the fact that my wingspan is the same as my height does not help.  I do not want to look like a T-Rex, as I've mentioned in the past lol. But I think that this surgery has a lot of pros and cons, and you just have to be positive and lengthen as much as you can but safely of course. I hope that my lengthening goal can me reached. Thanks again for your comment.

[naimah99]

LoL. Two promoters in a single thread.

Naimah, talk to Unicorn through PMs. I could recommend a few other members, but they're unavailable right now. Don't trust everything you read here.

Don't go to anyone but Paley and Rozbruch if you want to stay as safe as possible, and don't want to leave the US.

Hello @myloginacc ,


 Thank you for your comment. I do agree that Paley, Rozbruch, and maybe even Mahboubian are really safe and great options. It would mean a lot of you could recommend a few other members as you said in your comment. I'm really weighing in my options here and saving up to do this and I want to avoid any disastrous mistakes that will cost me my mobility for the rest of my life. Also what do you think about my lengthening goals? 8cm in femurs and 8cm in the tibias? A few members have commented or told me that this is super unrealistic in proportion to my torso, arms, and overall frame. Thanks again, much love!

[Purushrottam]

Whats your budget? Doing quadrilaterals is rather expensive. I took a loan (SoFi) to do a bilateral femoral operation with Precice 2.3 (Paley). I believe a femur operation with STRYDE is $95,000 and the tibial operation is $105,000. The combined operations (done 3 weeks apart) is $190,000.

EDIT: I forgot to mention:

At 4'8", I think you can medically qualify as suffering from a form of dwarfism ( I think its 4'8" and under). This means that you might be able to get insurance to cover part of the surgery.

[naimah99]

Whats your budget? Doing quadrilaterals is rather expensive. I took a loan (SoFi) to do a bilateral femoral operation with Precice 2.3 (Paley). I believe a femur operation with STRYDE is $95,000 and the tibial operation is $105,000. The combined operations (done 3 weeks apart) is $190,000.

EDIT: I forgot to mention:

At 4'8", I think you can medically qualify as suffering from a form of dwarfism ( I think its 4'8" and under). This means that you might be able to get insurance to cover part of the surgery.

Hello @purushrottam,

   Yes I know that the quadrilateral surgery is very expensive especially when done with STRYDE and Dr. Paley. If I may ask, how was your surgery and how much length did you gain? As far as the financial aspect, I know I can’t take a loan but it would still not cover half of the procedure for the quadrilaterals, but loans are a possibility. Also, I actually didn’t know that I could qualify as having some form of dwarfism. How do I apply for this so that insurance can help me with the surgery? Do you know?

[Purushrottam]

Hello @purushrottam,

   Yes I know that the quadrilateral surgery is very expensive especially when done with STRYDE and Dr. Paley. If I may ask, how was your surgery and how much length did you gain? As far as the financial aspect, I know I can’t take a loan but it would still not cover half of the procedure for the quadrilaterals, but loans are a possibility. Also, I actually didn’t know that I could qualify as having some form of dwarfism. How do I apply for this so that insurance can help me with the surgery? Do you know?

My surgery was good. I gained 6.5 cm to go from 168.5 cm to 175 cm.

This is my diary detailing my experiences: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=4823.0

 Call your insurance company and find out. You would make a claim like any other (they may at least cover some medication or physical therapy). Call the doctor's office as well. They might tell you more.

[myloginacc]

Hello @myloginacc ,


 Thank you for your comment. I do agree that Paley, Rozbruch, and maybe even Mahboubian are really safe and great options. It would mean a lot of you could recommend a few other members as you said in your comment. I'm really weighing in my options here and saving up to do this and I want to avoid any disastrous mistakes that will cost me my mobility for the rest of my life. Also what do you think about my lengthening goals? 8cm in femurs and 8cm in the tibias? A few members have commented or told me that this is super unrealistic in proportion to my torso, arms, and overall frame. Thanks again, much love!

Firstly, I'd recommend to keep saving and not have this surgery for at least 2 years, even if you manage to get the money before that date. We need to see how Stryde patients will fare, in my opinion. Among other things.

Regarding your goals: I do think the numbers are too high. Anything 20% and over of your initial bone length is considered very risky. Anything over 10% is not recommended if safety is the primary concern - according to what I've read, at least. I also think you have to give up on tibias, if you're only considering internals. LATN and LON on the tibias (which involve internal nailing) are significantly associated with permanent knee pain.

However, Paley only does cosmetic lengthening of the tibia and fibula through the internal method, using his nails - which I find rather odd considering he's the most experienced CLL surgeon, and studies have empirically shown a correlation strongly implying causation in the case of the internal nailing of the tibial bones and permanent knee pain. If you can only see yourself lengthening tibias internally, I'd suggest you e-mail Paley and ask why he chooses to do internal over external for the tibias. Here's his thread, with his current e-mail listed in the page linked.

As a side note, I personally expected you to look very stocky given the height listed in your thread. In the video you linked, you actually look don't look chubby at all - you look well-proportioned for your height.

At the end of the day, though, I understand this decision is only about you, how you see yourself, and how you interact with the world. I'm personally in the camp that actively opposes any form of encouragement for taller men to get this surgery over any other possible methods to alleviate their psychological pain first and foremost, and the camp that thinks short women need to weigh the risks and benefits of this surgery even more than short men do. Women tend to have thinner bones, which can be a problem for/during intramedullary nailing and the nails' eventual removal. The problem can be exacerbated in shorter women with even thinner bones. Still, even in light of all I've just said, I'm not opposed to tall men getting the surgery at all. Or that only some women should get this surgery, while others should not. I just want people to get the best benefits to health complications rate they can get. If you were to ask me, I'd say you look just fine like you currently are. However, like I mentioned, I also understand this is only about how you see yourself and your own, personal life.

[naimah99]

You can try Dr Amar Sarin from India.

here is good thread about LL with Dr Sharin - http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=8944

Hello @montahn ,

 Thank you for the advice I'll definitely check this link out and Dr. Amar. From what I've read it seems like it's better to get this surgery in your same country or find a well experienced doctor like Dr. Paley. I know he's expensive but I am hoping to make enough money to be able to afford him or Dr. Mahboubian. In India I think that this procedure is very common and there are good surgeons everywhere, but for me I think it would be a bit tough to be able to handle the language barrier and not understand the doctors very well. Again, as of right now Dr. Paley is unrealistic for me and I will try to afford him as I find a way to make that kind of money. Therefore, I appreciate your suggestions. I'll give them look! Thank you!

[naimah99]

How is your credit history? If your credit is good you could try taking out a medical loan with your bank. I took one out for $15,000 to cover extra expenses and despite not having that high of an income I was approved because my score was good. I looked into loans for cosmetic surgeries before, but all the ones I could find would not give loans for surgeries performed outside the USA.

I think you could benefit from CLL since you've spent so many years thinking about this. Could allow you to move on and focus on your talents.

How important is the issue of scarring for you? If you're not put off by having some scars on your legs that look like dots/bites, then going with the LON or external methods will allow you to at least gain 2 inches on your tibiae much sooner, and who knows, you may find that you feel much better at 4'10 and not want to go through femur lengthening.

My surgeon offers internal and LON/externals for lengthening. He's in Mumbai, India where vegan options are available easily and hotels are quite comfortable.

https://sites.google.com/site/cllrpatients/faqs/cosmeticlengthening

You could also look into Dr Solomin and Dr Kulesh in St Petersburg, though I'm not sure they offer internal methods.

Best of luck to you.

  Hello @KiloKHAN ,

  Thank you for your input. I agree with what you said that maybe since I've been wanting this, after getting it I will be able to move on to other areas of my life and pursue my talents fully. I want to gain the same amount of height on both segments but I've heard this is not very realistic. I want 3 inches in the femur and 3 in the tibias but from speaking to people on this forum and doing some research, it is not recommended to go more than 5cm on your tibias. But I think it all depends on what the doctor advices for each individual because we're all different.

  Thank you for letting me know that there's vegan options lol that's very important to me zas I am a raw vegan and eat lots of fruits and veggies! Once again, thank you and I'll check out the website you sent. Much love!

[naimah99]

My surgery was good. I gained 6.5 cm to go from 168.5 cm to 175 cm.

This is my diary detailing my experiences: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=4823.0

 Call your insurance company and find out. You would make a claim like any other (they may at least cover some medication or physical therapy). Call the doctor's office as well. They might tell you more.

 Hello @Purushrottam ,

  I'll check out your diary for sure, I'm glad you posted about it! And I will try to get some insurance help. As of now I don't have any insurence at all but I'll figure this out. Thanks for he idea!