My LL diary...The time has come!

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Hello Arcon, how much do you want to lengthen? 8 cm? And did the doctor tell you if there’s any difference between Gnail or Betzbone?

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Quote from: Arcon on December 21, 2024, 07:49:22 AMI did it...!!!!!!!!!! Surgery went well, the doctor was happy. I got the 13mm g-nail.  I had literally zero pain on the first day; a bit more on the second day  but generally manageable.
I clicked and walked and stretched without problems but  kept thinking that I may bend the nail or cut the stitches through the wounds when stretching. The doctor was like "engage to physio confidently, you need to work on your recovey now, nails dont'bend like that and the skin doesn't fall apart like wet toilet paper!".
First day in my hotel room today....i need to learn to live again, there is no way back now!

@w449 I will stay in Greece for 6 weeks and then will finish off lengthening back home.

can u stay for 3 months instead? there is risk of pulmonary embolism the fatal case happened at the 2 months mark. Flying is high risk. So better to stay there near a hospital for 3 months. Did you consider this plan?

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I searched for "London" on the forum and landed in your post. Are you aware of any surgeons who work in London or elsewhere in the UK?

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Christmas Eve today!!...or day 2 of mylengthening!
I'm getting better and better every day.. Only need 2 tramal for pain and the clicking of g-nail is not that hard.
Voula the head nurse came earlier in a very Christmassy mood to help me with the lengthening and brought me traditional Greek Christmas treats that are made in most homes here or sold everywhere. They are called "kourambe" (which is a type of sortbread with powdered sugar) and "melimakarono" which basically means honey cookies. They were both delicious!
Later, I received this message from Dr. Giotikas' direct whatsapp line, which I found very touching and inspiring:

"Dear patient, Just a few hours before Christmas, I want to send you my love, my thoughts and my warmest wishes for happiness, achievements and prosperity in your life. You have earned my respect over the past year because you have proven that you have the courage and determination to fight for your well-being, your success in life and your overall improvement. I am confident that with these qualities, the perseverance, the wisdom and the results that you will have acquired by the end of your treatment with us, you will achieve everything you desire in life. Merry Christmas! Dimitrios Giotikas."

I know for sure that this will be a Christmas that I will remember forever in my life, but I feel like I got the best Christmas present of my life this year... I wish you all a Merry Christmas and may your dream come true!
@HelloMe: I know that Giotikas operates in London.  www.giotikasclinic.com

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Are you based in the UK? Why did you opt to get surgery in London itself then?

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Quote from: HelloMe on December 24, 2024, 08:19:21 PMAre you based in the UK? Why did you opt to get surgery in London itself then?

Hi, yes, I live in London. Doing it in London would have been unnecessarily expensive. In Athens I get all the UK medical standards from Giotikas (he is professionally insured in the UK so he can't afford to do otherwise if he doesn't want to risk losing it).  Plus I visited the hospital in Athens one year before my surgery and I found it much nicer than the typical private hospital in the UK (excluding of course some high-end luxury hospitals in Mayfair that only Arabs, Russians and Royals can afford).

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Quote from: Arcon on December 29, 2024, 09:30:08 AMHi, yes, I live in London. Doing it in London would have been unnecessarily expensive. In Athens I get all the UK medical standards from Giotikas (he is professionally insured in the UK so he can't afford to do otherwise if he doesn't want to risk losing it).  Plus I visited the hospital in Athens one year before my surgery and I found it much nicer than the typical private hospital in the UK (excluding of course some high-end luxury hospitals in Mayfair that only Arabs, Russians and Royals can afford).

That's interesting. Thank you for the answer. I had not thought about differences in hospitals.

1. Do you know how much it would cost in a proper private hospital in London like the high-end ones you speak of?
2. Which luxury private hospitals in Mayfair are you referring to? Can you provide some examples that you know Mr Giotikas can operate in?
3. Mr Guichet for example operated in HSSH and Weymouth Street hospital. These are day surgery centres. Would you consider these adequate? It used to cost like £55k in these (and maybe like 70k in Princess Grace).

I am primarily looking within England because I have family here and their support will mean a lot to me.

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I've never been that happy since a long time! I saw my doctor and had x-rays yesterday! Doctor was happy with my condition, lengthening and consolidation was "lovely"!
 I managed to go through the first 3 weeks from surgery (the most "overwhelming" ones according to Dr Giotikas) without too many problems and I am already 2.1cm taller!
Next step now is to increase my activity and walking distance per day. (I got the green light for some limited sightseeing in Athens..I got the big fat g-nails after all!)
I'm happy to upload my xrays here if someone tells me how to do it.

@HelloMe: Giotikas is at LIPS Battersea now. I was thinking of hospitals like King Edward VII, Schoen, Princess Grace, Cleveland Clinic etc. I believe Weymouth street hospital is an inpatient facility hospital, not just for day cases.

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Thanks for your update. I contacted Mr Guichet who quoted £53000 in London. Did you consider him as well as an option as he also uses the Guichet nail?
Also may I contact you on phone if you do not mind?

To insert images I think you will need to upload them to imgur.com and then copy paste the web link in the text box and readers can click on it to see the images on imgur.com. At least that is how others here have done it.

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Hi,
I have uploaded my last x-rays here as promised, I hope it works, if not let me know:  https://imgur.com/a/VEk2wg1.

I have now increased my walking and standing time to 2 hour per day and started walking in public for short distances prerparing myself for some sightseeing in Greece. I will see the doctor next week and then off to Santorini Island for a few days!!! Mediterraneo hospital has a small hospital there too, in case I need anything.
Clicking of the nail is easy, I now need less than 5 minutes to finish each session.

@HelloMe: Yes, I consulted Guichet & Paley & Assayag.  You can PM me if you want.