Dear LLers,
I long debated about sharing my diary. I hope opening up my mind and telling my story will heal my soul and untangle the deadlock I found myself in for the last 30 years so I'm going to vent out 😂. You can find my pics and videos on my Google Drive here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wiXrvvH5TZDvUICImLb1-iqUBXy8IoEW . This surgery sprouted in my mind when I started to realize I wouldn't grow anymore. That was 3 decades ago!! Talking about height neurosis ? 🤣. I'm not short by the typical LL candidate standard but I'm below the average height where I live. I wish I could have afforded this surgery in my 20s as I feel like my height has robbed me of my happiness my whole life (sad to say that!). I've been waiting for this surgery for so long and now is the time! It's now or never! The stars aligned this year, I saved up enough and the current pandemic opened up an unexpected huge time out in front of me! The window to do LL safely is closing up as I'm not getting younger with years passing by. I'm going to fulfill my lifetime dream by the end of the summer or the year. I'm a long distance runner, my height is 173 cm - 5'8" with a wingspan longer than my height. I came to accept to trade my athleticism for my dream. I'm an endorphins-high junkie. If the surgery turns sour and I can't run anymore it would be a huge loss for me! I'm not blind to the risks involved but I'm a positive minded person and confident in my body and fitness. I'm eyeing Europe for Precice-2 and will start with femurs this summer. Any recommendations or feedback from you and especially from LLer veterans are greatly appreciated😊
Hey All,
so I just realized I didn't turn on link sharing on my Google Drive, just fixed now! I shortlisted Doctors Giotikas and Buldu for precice, price looks similar with Buldu offering additional 10 days hotel after 5 days hospitalization and the option of distracting-lengthening at home after that! Giotikas looks good with years of experience, Buldu is supposedly the best in Turkey but there are so few patients diaries about him and though he's not anymore part of wannabetaller, I heard so many horror stories on that matter that I don't know what to think about Turkey option. Anyone had done precice with either doctor could chime in and share your experience and opinion? Should I stop running and just stretch before surgery or is it ok to keep running ?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Quote from: seriouslyinjured on June 17, 2020, 03:46:29 PMGiotikas does alot of stryde patients he is more qualified and cheaper then anyone in turkey. the only doctor who has done stryde in turkey almost crippled me and i am suing. and has absolultely no experience except on me. i had to go to giotikas to fix up my serious injuries i got in turkey.
its a no brainer in my eyes. stryde or precise with giotikas, he is more qualified more professional, he is cheaper also, physio is included in the price. you can stay at the physio centre if you want as well. giotikas speaks to his physios and directs them. dont go to turkey its russian roullette
Hey seriouslyinjured,
I'm so sorry for what this doctor did to you, I read your diary, unbelievable story! I'm aware Giotikas is cheaper for stryde but it's out of my budget. I shortlisted Buldu and Giotikas for precice because Buldu now looks unaffiliated with the guys who almost crippled you and his reputation looks good in Turkey according to his assistant though I'm not really sure what to think about that! And there are so few patients diaries of him on this forum! I know Giotikas' credentials are solid but Buldu seems to have good reputation too when I check his profile through the web! His price on precice is slightly cheaper than Giotikas with the option to continue distraction in my home country which is a huge factor!
Thanks again for your feedback!
Quote from: Skyisthelimit on June 17, 2020, 04:01:16 PMFor internal methods, I would personally choose Dr.Giotikas. If you go for LON method, then I believe Dr.Buldu would have more experience in that area, since that’s what most patients go for with him.
Quote from: Skyisthelimit on June 17, 2020, 04:01:16 PMFor internal methods, I would personally choose Dr.Giotikas. If you go for LON method, then I believe Dr.Buldu would have more experience in that area, since that’s what most patients go for with him.
Thanks Skyisthelimit for your input!
I totally ruled out externals because of all the advantages offered by internals! I read the diary of the patient who did LON with Buldu, I wish there were more precice diaries as well with that doctor..
Quote from: Skyisthelimit on June 17, 2020, 09:22:16 PMI don’t think we’ll see many internal method diaries with dr.Buldu, since he’s more experienced with external devices and his prices for internal devices are around the same as in EU. People going for internals, which are already more expensive methods, tend to choose more expensive doctors in the US or EU. I believe this is because they feel safer with a more reliable doctor in first world countries, so they spend more for their own reassurance. Most people going to India or Turkey are people on a budget. I would recommend going to Giotikas for precise!
Ok makes sense, I still have 2 months to decide on the surgeon. Anyway regarding pre-op preparations I read some doctor recommends to work out and gain leg muscle mass as much as we can while other patients say we'd better stop working out and let the muscles relax 🤷
Quote from: Ghostfish on June 20, 2020, 10:29:06 AMHi Sunshine
I really recommend Stryde over Precice as you probably know the reason why. The price difference is not really huge but you will gain much more advantages with Stryde. So try to make a little more money for stryde. I also think Dr. G is a better and safer choice than any doctor in Turkey.
Good luck!
Hey Ghostfish,
I could wait and save up more for Stryde but then I would wait again for another year or so and I'm not sure I would have that much spare time in 12 months to do LL! I'm aware there shouldn't be any rush for such an important surgery but at the same time Precice seems partial weight bearing though crutches/walkers are recommended! I actually am still debating whether to wait a little longer and go with Stryde which would speed up recovery and still considering Giotikas who seems to have the backing of the majority here 😊
Quote from: ghkid2019 on July 09, 2020, 04:42:30 PMYou want wheelchair for 5 month instead of wheelchair for 5 days? Go with the stryde please, it's nonsensical to go with precice when stryde is a cheap upgrade. If you're gonna blow bank on precice 2, not even weight bearing nails, please bare in your mind you just intentionally fuked over yourself for a whole years worth of additional physio in pursuit of saving what? 5 grand?
Hey ghkid2019,
Thanks for your concern! I long debated between the 2 doctors and finally made my choice last July not long after your post. I know Giotikas has solid credentials but I also think there's no reason to discredit or question Buldu. I got in touch with both of them and they were very professional and courteous in replying to my questions. I felt very comfortable and connected with Buldu the very first time he replied to me by direct WhatsApp voice message!! Didn't expect that 😂. Though trivial it may sounds, his face and voice made me feel confident I can trust him for this surgery.
So as you all have guessed, I decided to go with Buldu! It's clear that I'm not have that extra $20k for the foreseeable future to upgrade to Stryde. And the cost savings between Greece and Turkey is not negligible to me considering the initial $3k difference in price for Precice-II coupled with the shortened 15-day stay in Turkey!
I settled all the surgery details with Buldu's patient coordinator and my surgery date is this month August! Actually as of this writing, the surgery is already done!! It was on August 5th. I just didn't want to post before my surgery date to avoid any negativity and to have peace of mind!
@ghkid2019, the doctor told me although Precice is not full weight bearing, with my lightweight 65kg/144lbs I can still walk with the help of crutches or walker!!
Thanks Man,
The physiotherapist girl comes every day for an hour session of stretching bending working out the knees IT Band Quadriceps etc...it hurt like hell the first day but got better day after day (I'm on my 3rd day now of PT). My bones IT Band Muscles Quads Ligaments Osteotomy site hurt every time I walk with the walker. It's crazy but I can stand on my feet hands off the walker with those titanium Precice inside though I'm not taking the risk to walk without the walker!!
So getting back to my diary where I left off last time, here are my perfectly healthy legs again from my previous life before the surgeon chopped them off in this adventure 🤣
My flight to Istanbul on August 1st
Landing in Istanbul on August 2nd!
The TZL Suites where I'm staying the night before surgery and after the 5-days hospital discharge 
Discovering Turkish breakfast 
August 5th, surgery day!! Arrival at the Medicana hospital, can see a video of it on my google drive.
Paperwork just signed at the hospital, now waiting to get taken to my room!
Last view of my previous legs before they got cut off. In a couple hours I'll wake up for a new life, something I've been waiting forever. It will either be a dream or a nightmare come true 😂
I'm updating my diary title to reflect the country and the Doctor I chose. Also reflecting on my past life and my decision to take such a huge risk in this surgery. I'm taking the risk of loosing my fitness and everything if something happens! Sport is in my DNA, I grew up since age 7 playing tennis soccer volleyball handball swimming running and any sport that I came across. Besides an 11-year break from 2007 to 2018, I've been running around 10km almost every single day for the last 30 years! I don't expect to ever recover my pre-surgery athleticism and I'm fine with that. I'd rather reach my dream and live the rest of my life a couple inches taller than spending the rest of my life wondering "what if". I know my times on 5km and 10km so if one day I'll ever be able to run again, I'll know exactly how much athleticism I lost.
Couple last pics before I'm put to sleep by the anesthesia. The surgery takes place at a pretty late hour in the day, around 5:30 pm!
My pre-surgery frame 
Oh and a last pic with Doctor Buldu before he changes my life forever, don't know if it's the angle of the camera but my torso looks way disproportionate to my legs and I look way taller than my 5'8"/173 cm 😂
August 5th
Surgery day!!
Tomorrow I'll wake up to a new life. Tomorrow my frustration since age 18 will be behind me...forever!
I'm now in my hospital room, laying on the bed watching tv and waiting for surgery time.
It's now 5pm, the nurse and Doctor Buldu knock on the door. The nurse dresses me with a gown and Doctor Buldu gives me a last briefing about the surgery. He says the Precice-procedure is very easy 😂 way easier than LON!
I'm fully dressed now with the cap on my head and wearing the gown, laying on my bed, waiting to get taken to the operation room.
5:30pm two nurses knock on the door and take me to the operation room. There are so many staff in there.
Doctor Buldu is talking to me. I ask him how long it takes for the anesthesia to kick in. He says oh don't worry, just count from 10 to 1 and you'll be in Wonderland 😂🤣 I tell him I usually have a hard time falling asleep lol. He says don't worry, just count. So I oblige and start counting counterclockwise 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 !! I'm still awake!!🤣I hear the anesthetist say Congratulations! Doctor Buldu laughs and says Congratulations, you're a very tough guy lol. He asks now do you feel something? I start feeling a sharp rising pain at the back of my hand where the anesthetist plugged in the intravenous tube. I guess he increased the amount of anesthetic. I tell Doctor Buldu Yes I feel very painful, pointing my eyes towards my hand. Doctor B. asks me Do you feel dizzy now? The pain is rising, I start to close my eyes and sleep, at last!! He says NOW you're sleeping 😂
August 6
My eyes open slowly, I'm not sure where I am. I feel sharp throbbing pain coming from 1 leg after another. The pain keeps going away then coming back the next second! It's so painful! My head turns and I think I hear voices around me, probably nurses. I'm not sure if I'm in a post-operation room. I fall asleep on and off. I wake up again later and found the energy to grab my phone laying close by. It's 1:30 am !!
My new life starts today!
A nurse brings me a meal but I couldn't eat anything, I just don't feel hungry.
Thanks Man!
I've been waiting for this for so long! But I'm not there yet cuz the journey starts now. I can already feel it's gonna be a long and painful path to heaven 😂.
August 6th
I'm sleeping on and off with all these intravenous in my left hand. It's 7:30 am, I wake up and a staff brings my breakfast meal.
1:30pm late lunch 
August 7th
6pm dinner
August 8th
My legs hurt everytime I try to bend the knees. The pain comes from the Quads IT Band Bones. My legs and feet are swollen and the bandages add to the tightness. I can barely bend my knees.
Doctor B. will visit later in the day to bend my knees and make me walk! So he's coming with a nurse and a walker! The nurse changes my bandages and Doctor B. starts to gently bend my knees. Then he asks me to try get out of my bed and walk! I'm so scared to walk cuz my legs hurt so much the moment I start bending the knees. Even getting out of the bed and reaching the floor with your feet will be a challenge when you can barely bend your knees! So I'm using my arms and upper body strength to slowly creep out of the bed, my legs pointing almost straight towards the floor. Doctor B. and the nurse help catch my feet when they touchdown! My feet are finally on the ground and I stand up, my hands holding the walker firmly! I'm so amazed I can stand up despite all the pain! Doctor B. tells me to now try walk! I'm trying to lift my feet one at a time but it's so painful. I would never imagine walking involves so many muscles and tendons and ligaments of the legs. The fact that I just had surgery and my bones had been cut created such a trauma to my legs. Trying to move them and lifting the feet bending the knees to walk is so painful. The pain comes from so many areas, osteotomy site IT Band Quads...
But I finally managed to walk!! Very slowly though and very short distance, from my bed to the door of the room then back to the bed! A very tiny loop.
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