Limb Lengthening on my 28th Birthday with Manish Dhawan in Delhi

It is midnight.  My surgery is 8 hours; ironically, the surgery is on my 28th Birthday, I am excited just to get this surgery over with, so I can start my life again.  Looking forward to chilling out as well,  I have been liking my experience in India thus far.  The people are cool, but annoying at times.  The girls really like white guys, so I have been taking full advantage of that since I got here.  First thing I did was to get on Tinder, and find myself a gf who can help me, and to have someone to chat. and so I don't get crazy blue balls.   I was successful and manage to form 2 relationships, and I am working on a few others.  Actually pay for Tinder don't just do the free version.  You get way way better results.  Also, going on dates, can be some what expensive....... If you make Rupees, lol  but if you make dollars, your dating bill just went way down.  I could easily spend $150 usd on dinner and drinks in US (silicon valley is crazy expensive).  Here its like 50.00 dollars. 

The first month I was here, I was just going out, and trying to meet people. As well as look for places that can accomodate me while being in a wheel chair.  Luckily I found Phoenix off the forum, and have been staying with him, and I am basically just following his exact path, since all the leg work of doing research was done for me.  The only difference for me is that I am doing  LON, and he went with straight externals with TSF.  Basically, I didn't want to be in frames for  that long.  TSF is full weight bearing LON is not (WITH THE DOCTOR I AM USING SOME DOCTORS SAY OTHERWISE).  But I can still cuddle with chicks, once in consolidation, so take that TSF, something you can never beat!!! Joking aside that was the distinguishing factor for me. 

A little advice for Americans,  don't over pack, don't over think it, the surgery is less expensive than you think, have a list of questions prepared for the doctors you visit.  The doctors here have so many patients, that you have to get them to talk, and pin them down with questions.  American doctors simply don't have as much patients, so we are used to getting swaddled, and comforted.  Get over that quick.  If you want cheaper housing than a hotel, that is very easy to find.  A hotel will be about 1500 to 2000 rupees per night, a place off airbnb is like half that if you are staying monthly, which you will be, and plus you get to chill with people every day.  And finding a place off Facebook by joining groups, such as south delhi flat and flatmates, or Just Talk, or South Delhi Flatmates and flats are even half of airbnb.    Trust me I know, Phoenix and I are living in an airbnb with a lift, a gym, a maid, a cook, and ironically the place we stay at is owned by a doctor, so you don't even have to go back to the hospital if you need a prescription refill because he will just fill it for you.  No its not like in the states where the hospital emails the prescription to a specific pharmacy.  You actually have to physically get it in hand and take it to the pharmacy.  Having the doctor as a land lord just passes a trip to the hospital.  Plus, comforting for me at least so I can have him take a look if my leg gets infected.  Don't worry so much about finding a place close to the hospital.  It really doesn't matter.  You will only be going to the hospital once ever two weeks, so the 2 Uber rides a month isn't worth busting your balls trying to find the perfect place right next to the hospital.  I don't even plan on going to the hospital much  once I am done growing because I hate waiting in lines.  I am just going to go to an x-ray place right down the street from the place I am staying, and just email the doctor the x-ray's.  Phoenix didn't even go see the doctor for 2 1/2 months during consolidation.  Don't even think about getting any phone service besides airtel, and or vodofone.  Trust me I made the mistake and went with Reliance.  Huge mistake.  Also, consider getting a mobile hot spot as well.  Their like 20 usd, but if you want to travel around a bit with your lap top, they are handy.  It is not like in the states where every where has free wifi. Plus, the hospital I am staying at does not have wifi, and I plan on working mobility so I will need it for that.  Also, if you don't negotiate everything you are just a foreign sucker.  Look at India as a giant negotiation table.  EVERYTHING is negotiable.  I went to the dentist, and got my teeth cleaned and two cavities filled.  He said 4000 inr and I said 3000, but only had 2750, he said ok, and I ended up saving 1250 inr just like that.  Trying doing that with your dentist in the States.  I used that money to go get and hour message, and a steam bath. haha

I word vomited this whole post, so forgive gramatical errors.  I did in fact spell  gramatical wrong on purpose just for a little humor.   

It's funny you're doing the surgery on your birthday. I had mine the day after surgery. At least I had a cake while stuck on a hospital bed lol.

I suppose Phoenix is doing well considering you chose the same doctor. What other docs did you consult with while in Delhi?

Good luck with your surgery and lengthening process.

good luck,what is your initial height?

Informative and entertaining start to your diary. It seems that you have found the perfect accommodation for LL with Phoenix. I hope he's doing fine and it will be good if we could get an update from him. Anyway, I wish you all the best in achieving your goal. Enjoy your 28th birthday too

Telwar and the Dr. from India Spinal Surgeries.  Dr. Dhawan was more of a sure thing since I knew Phoenix was using him, and what really sold me on him is that Phoenix would complain that Dr. Dhawan was going to call him today, and how he trys to avoid him because Dhawan is always riding him telling him he needs to his exercises, telling him to walk, and lecturing him.  I thought this was funny and ironic and showed me that he is atleast easy to get a hold of post surgery, and showed he follows up with patients post surgery.   

Quote from: KiloKAHN on February 22, 2016, 01:09:43 AMIt's funny you're doing the surgery on your birthday. I had mine the day after surgery. At least I had a cake while stuck on a hospital bed lol.

I suppose Phoenix is doing well considering you chose the same doctor. What other docs did you consult with while in Delhi?

Good luck with your surgery and lengthening process.

I spoke with Dr. Talwar who just pawned me off to another Dr. which I didn't find all that cool.  And I met with the guy from India spinal center, but he doesn't specialize in cosmetic LL, he does deformity correction.  I am paraphrasing his words. 

Quote from: Peaceout on February 22, 2016, 12:12:42 PMgood luck,what is your initial height?

5'6inches.  I am hoping to do 2.9 inches

Quote from: OregonMade on February 24, 2016, 07:49:50 PMI spoke with Dr. Talwar who just pawned me off to another Dr. which I didn't find all that cool.  And I met with the guy from India spinal center, but he doesn't specialize in cosmetic LL, he does deformity correction.  I am paraphrasing his words.

When I went to Rockland, Dr Talwar wasn't there that day and the rep I had been in contact with had me speak to Dr Rajesh Verma. The way it's apparently set up there is that Dr Talwar is the orthopedics supervisor and he will be present during the surgery, but the main ones performing the lengthening, at least at the time I had the consultation, would primarily be Dr Verma (a spine surgeon) and Dr Gurdeep Singh Ratra (leg reconstruction being his primary focus according to his old website). Was either of the two the one Dr Talwar referred you to?

I believe Dr Raina is the main surgeon at ISIC. The clinic looks nice from the outside. What was the interior like and your overall impression of the doctor?

Going to a surgeon with years of reconstruction work under his belt is probably a safer bet than going to a surgeon who's doing cosmetic lengthenings more often than not, primarily because the reconstructive leg lengthening specialist will have encountered far more complications in his practice and have better experience in preventing or correcting them than a surgeon who mainly does cosmetic work. I know Dr Dhawan has done some cosmetic lengthenings before, but from what I saw his primary focus is on treating deformities and discrepancies as well.

How did your surgery go? And what did Dr Dhawan say when you told him you want to do 2.9 inches of lengthening with LON? When I consulted with him he told me that he'd be comfortable doing a max of 5 cm with LON but would be okay with letting me go 7 cm with hexapod externals.

Quote from: KiloKAHN on February 24, 2016, 08:54:42 PMWhen I went to Rockland, Dr Talwar wasn't there that day and the rep I had been in contact with had me speak to Dr Rajesh Verma. The way it's apparently set up there is that Dr Talwar is the orthopedics supervisor and he will be present during the surgery, but the main ones performing the lengthening, at least at the time I had the consultation, would primarily be Dr Verma (a spine surgeon) and Dr Gurdeep Singh Ratra (leg reconstruction being his primary focus according to his old website). Was either of the two the one Dr Talwar referred you to?

I believe Dr Raina is the main surgeon at ISIC. The clinic looks nice from the outside. What was the interior like and your overall impression of the doctor?

Going to a surgeon with years of reconstruction work under his belt is probably a safer bet than going to a surgeon who's doing cosmetic lengthenings more often than not, primarily because the reconstructive leg lengthening specialist will have encountered far more complications in his practice and have better experience in preventing or correcting them than a surgeon who mainly does cosmetic work. I know Dr Dhawan has done some cosmetic lengthenings before, but from what I saw his primary focus is on treating deformities and discrepancies as well.

How did your surgery go? And what did Dr Dhawan say when you told him you want to do 2.9 inches of lengthening with LON? When I consulted with him he told me that he'd be comfortable doing a max of 5 cm with LON but would be okay with letting me go 7 cm with hexapod externals.

Everything you said about Talwar seemed correct from what I heard after my consultation, and from what I experienced.  Talwar seemed salesy and I get so frustrated by doctors who try to sell me.  Don't sell me ,Tell me.  Dr. Raina didn't try to sell me at all he was pretty honest which I liked.  He said that Cosmetic is not his passion.  I asked him what the differences are between Lon or monorail.  He said that he doesn't do research, and then asked me what I have read.  I understand that doctors in the states are different from doctors in India.  Drs. don't have nearly as many patients so have more free time to do research.  Doctors in India are so busy with patients that they simply don't have as much free time in a day.  But that turned me off towards him.  And the fact that he didn't even know how much the surgery does, which was frightening to me because that showed me that he doesn't have a lot of experience because if you don't have rough estimates off the top of your head then you don't do the surgery much. 

Surgery went off with out a hitch.  No problems much to speak of.  Day 3 was the first day I got swelling and that is only because I walked today. Dr. Dhawan said that is right around the max, but that we can go more if my body responds well.  And that is the approach I am taking.  I am just focusing on doing things right, and what ever my body gives me, then I will be happy with it.  Before I moved to India I felt short living in the US but after moving here I realized that I am not that short after all when compared to the rest of the world.  I plan on living in India for a few years now, so I am not going to damage my body for 9 to 10 cm because I will be 5'8" and that is just fine for India. 

This is good info. Any chance you can take a pic of your frames later? Curious about Dr Dhawan's frame set up when doing LON.