Regrets

@Speeddialer: Not sure if I will do any further lengthening. I think when you don't get the amount you want, you regret missing the opportunity as much as you regret not having the extra height. I definitely feel like I have "unfinished business," but I don't necessarily feel short on a daily basis the way I used to. I think I will write a detailed diary of my entire experience as one of the pioneering patients of the Precice 2.0 at some point. Cosmetic LL has changed so much in the past 7 years.

This is interesting to hear given that i’m about to undergo LL of 6cm to take me from 179cm to 185cm, and a main consideration for me has been whether or not to reduce lengthening to just 4cm in an effort to prevent any noticeable height increase since I don’t want anyone to know when I return home. If, like you say, you regret missing that ‘once in a lifetime opportunirty’ of not going the full way, albeit for different reasons, then perhaps I should reconsider also.

To those LL vets commenting on whether or not they’re glad/regretful that they didn’t lengthen more even though they had the chance, how do you consider this in the context of someone who wants to keep or secret from family. I’m considering only doing 4cm instead of 6cm to prevent any noticeable height gain that my family might be suspicious of. This will cure my height dyspphoria without to much anxiety of having to worry about who knows afterwards.

What do you say? Has the height increase been significant more or less than you initially anticipated before the surgery? Reading numbers like 5cm, 6cm, 7cm, 8cm on paper during your planning, with the benefit of hindsight do you have any comments on how these numbers translate to the height difference you actually feel post OP and in your day to day life? Should someone in my position be wary not to overestimate or underestimate a stated lengthening length, i.e. does 6cm, for instance, feel like more or less than you expected it to feel like?

@Infinity: Honestly, you are spending a lot of money, time, and effort on this. Don't let your decision be influenced on what other people think about you or trying to hide it from other people. In the end you want this to be something you did for yourself and you will eventually be proud of. Don't listen to people on these forums who have never done it and don't listen to people who do photoshops in their underwear and critique each others proportions. I have never met anyone who actually went through this and then fixated on their post LL proportions other than some very dysmorphic people who had done dozens of cosmetic surgeries besides LL. Be honest with your doctor and tell them you want to try for the maximum, but will see how you feel along the way and make your decision in accordance with them based on your health. Trust me, you won't know how you truly feel until you are actually post-op and in the lengthening phase. Lastly, consider this, this may sound counterintuitive (it was to me at first), but people will be much more understanding if you went through all this and it made a difference they can really notice rather then going through all this for such a small amount that nobody notices.

In terms of my height gain, I barely remember what it was like being 5"6. I have been 5"8 for more than half my adult life at this point (longer than I was ever 5"6). I feel like I have been this height my whole life and this is my natural height. It takes a little while to accept your new body at first (which is why people shouldn't make impulsive decisions and go for things like AL months after they finish lengthening their legs), but honestly now my longish strong femurs are my favorite part of my entire body now. My whole body image has improved in general.