Hello Forum,
I would like to introduce myself as Stripes, your newest member and someone you will soon know well. For purposes of discretion the country I live in, my age, height and exact dates will not be shared. Surely this will create a few gaps, but I am certain that you will be content with the depth that will fill its place.
This journal acts to chronicle the experiences before, during and after the procedure undertaken by Dr. Barinov. The sole intention is to provide insight and guidance to those considering, preparing for and engaging in this process. This journal will be released through many posts over several months with little engagement with the forum on my part. I apologize in advance for not answering questions through dialogue, but I do assure you that each successive post will answer questions as they go.
Most posts will be formatted as journal entries written in either a reflective or present tone but neither should be taken as a reflection of the current time. Other posts will act as a guide in the form of lists, photos, advice and general commentary separate from the diary of events.
Enjoy and all the best.
Stripe's Journal - Dr. Barinov LATN Externals
The Meeting of Mercutio
Unlike many conventional surgeries in which doctors, patients and examples are accessible in person beforehand - Limb Lengthening exists in a far virtual world hidden in forums and webpages. For someone who is going to do a surgery they've only ever read about, the mystery behind it all is terrifying. Understandably when I was considering and preparing for this procedure I was nervous about all the unknown details. The pictures, the diaries and the details are all there but what does it really look like in person?
Gratefully, I had been in the unique position of being able to meet someone that had done the tibial external lengthening procedure before I left to do my own. This man we will know as Mercutio, my guide and support throughout this journey. The first time I met Mercutio I was incredibly nervous that I would be disappointed by his height. He had told me that his beginning height was the exact same as mine but what if I met him and he was still short? Surely, nothing would be more discouraging than to see your future self and realize that even after everything it was still not enough.
That day I looked around the intersection to see if I could spot him by the description he gave me. There were three people that could have been him, two of them instantly caused my heart to sink. I rang his number and waited for one of them to reach into their pocket. Within a couple of seconds the third one did. I was so relieved, and not just because of his height. Mercutio turned out to be tremendously intelligent, confident and above all else healthy. At the time that we had first met he was still walking with a cane that he used for balance. It had only been 8 months from his first surgery and two and a half months since the nail had been put in. Every week after that I watched as he became stronger and stronger and began to walk more naturally. I was astonished to learn that he had done well over 7.5 CM but began to understand better as time went on how Mercutio was recovering so well having done that much.
Mercutio was incredibly prepared for his surgery. He had the advantage of working in the health field and had become very well read on the topic. For five months he stretched his muscles in preparation. He purchased all his own devices at the best quality he could find, he brought with him his own medications and supplements and committed every single day post surgery to his stretching routine. Not to mention that he eats right, sleeps well, exercises rigorously and listens to every instruction his doctors give him religiously.
If I had not met Mercutio, I would have walked into this blindly. There is so much to do to really prepare for the entire process both physically and mentally. The reality is that this is by no means a simple surgery, it's very intensive, unnatural, frightening and hard on the body. If you are not prepared and are not committed to supporting your body through this carefully and every step of the way, you will have a hard time and likely not achieve the results you want. Mercutio never wrote a journal and knowing that without his knowledge I wouldn't have been able to really be prepared, I started this journal to pass it on.
*Please do not ask identifying questions about Mercutio and if you know either one of us, please do not post any identifying information*
Stretching:
In the five months prior to Mercutio's surgery, he committed to stretching his lower leg muscles every single day. Throughout my preparation he constantly emphasized that his body's ability to lengthen without conflict was because of the flexibility he developed through stretching. He reminded me daily that if nothing else, I absolutely needed to commit to my stretching as during the lengthening process the muscles and tendons need to stretch longer to adjust to the new bone growth, and tight inflexible muscles creates resistance.
There were two items that he told me to purchase to make my stretching routine as efficient as possible:
Soft Splint
The Soft Splint keeps your foot in dorsiflexion allowing for a prolonged stretch of the gastrocnemius muscle otherwise known as the calf. These soft splints are usually used to treat plantar fasciitis and are worn all throughout the night. Mercutio seemed to have found it easier than I did to wear these every night for eight hours so I often wore them for several hours during the day instead. The one's that we both used are from Pro-Tec and went for about $35 dollars both online and at running supply stores. There are also boot splints that are designed to keep the foot in place at a certain angle but some people may find it to be uncomfortable to sleep in. When you purchase the soft splints make sure you purchase two for each leg. These are top priority because they allow you to really fast track.
Pro-Stretch/Step-Stretch
The second item is the pro-stretch. This device allows you to stretch various muscles in your legs using different techniques. I'm really glad I had this because it really made doing my daily stretches a lot easier and less tedious. Mercutio did the Gastrocnemius and Soleus and Achilles Tendon exercises for 30 seconds on each leg 3 times daily. I held these stretches for 45 seconds and did them 5 times daily. I bought mine from Mercutio but you can find it online for anywhere between $30 - $45. Here is a link to the product manual so that you can see some of the exercises and read a little bit more about the product: http://www.medi-dyne.com/images/prostretch-manual.pdf
Often I would also incorporate regular stretches in my routine such as the wall calf stretch and or the band/towel stretch, which were both very effective at helping me really feel the deep stretch: 
SUPPLEMENTATION
For obvious reasons this procedure can be far more successful at a more rapid rate if the patient follows a healthy and nutritious diet plan as well as aids the recovery with supplementation. Mercutio made it very clear in the beginning that his recovery was much easier and much quicker because of the high quality supplements he was taking. Although expensive, it is an investment in your recovery. You are spending so much money to begin with, an additional $600 will not make a difference in the long run. I highly recommend that you don't try to put off purchasing your supplements before your trip and hope to get them when you arrive in the host country. It will be much more difficult to find the supplements and they may not carry them or the brands you want. Also there is the issue of quality, in the case of Russia especially I really wouldn't wait to get supplements here because the quality is much lower than that of western or European countries. Here is the complete list of supplements that were used by both Mercurio and I.
L-Lysine: 1500MG/DAY
Glutamine: 10-15 MG/DAY (minimizes break down of muscles, replenishes lost glutamine in muscles, increases ability to secrete human growth hormone)
High Quality Protein Powder: 20-26 grams of protein/DAY
Protein Bars: These will be your best friend, ESPECIALLY in the hospital.
Calcium:2000 MG/DAY
Vitamin D: (aids in the absorption of calcium)
Phosphatidyl Sereine:300-600 MG/DAY (Cortisol inhibitor, prevents muscles from breaking down due to large amounts of cortisol after surgery)
Now foods PRO-GF: (Precursor growth hormone product, hormone balancer, amino-acid supplement, promotes muscle tissue growth and recovery)
Fish Oils: (Bone health support, weight management, cognitive functions, mood, decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety)
Multivitamin:
GH Freak:3 CAPSULES/NIGHT (Sleep aid, used for deep recovery while sleeping, cortisol inhibitor, promotes growth hormone development)
Bio-Oil: (Necessary for scar prevention)
Sleeping Pills: Even with the sleeping aids, there will be nights where you really will just need these as well. 
Supplements are as important as walking and stretching. More than likely you will be going somewhere where you will not have easy access to completely nutritious meals. As you can see by the picture above, I brought A LOT of supplements with me. None of which I can say I could have left behind, it was all essential. The difficulty was that I brought 6 months worth of supplements with me. This was very heavy and made it difficult to pack other essentials. Here are some suggestions for packing your supplements:
1. Pack your supplements in your carry on luggage. You obviously won't be able to carry all of them in your carry on and personal bags, but fit as much as you can. There have been many cases of theft by airport staff that go fishing for goods in checked luggage. This is especially a problem in Russia, where many patients have reported having various items stolen, including supplements.
2. Empty the powders into large ziplock bags, and double bag it. You won't have any space to fit those large containers. Make sure that you label these bags with a sharpie, I wrote PROTEIN POWDER on all of mine in case a search was done. I had to dump three bags of protein because each one weighed 3LBS each. Although it sucked, protein is the easiest supplement to replace. For this reason I kept the protein powder in my checked luggage rather than taking space in my carry on.
3. For similar pills, empty as much as you can in fewer bottles rather than bringing all of them with you. For example, if you have 4 bottles of Vitamin D, open all four bottles. You will notice that all of them are only half full or have some space left, you can probably fill two bottles with the other two bottles and reduce your count from 4 bottles to 2 bottles. This will save you lots of space.
4. Purchase a weekly pill organizer that separates days and nights, this will help you will get into a routine of taking your supplements when you should.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASES:
KNEEHAB XP FOR MUSCLE ATROPHY
The Kneehab is a Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation device that treats quadricep atrophy. As you will no longer be walking as much as you usually do, your muscles will experience atrophy. Muscle atrophy is the wasting away of the muscle due to a lack of physical activity. What the Kneehab does is send electrical impulses to the quadricep muscle forcing it to contract and relax repeatedly, strengthening the muscle in the process. This is a pretty powerful device and you pay for what you get. You will need to purchase two, one for the right leg and one for the left. You will not be able to use one interchangeably as each device is designed specifically for it's corresponding leg and misuse of this device is very dangerous. While lengthening and during recovery, the device should be used 3-4 times a day for 20 minute sessions each. This is a VERY important device because you will most certainly experience muscle atrophy which makes it much more difficult to walk and prolongs recovery time after the frames are removed because of the need to regain those muscles after several months of disuse. It is a very expensive device, nearing $700 for the full set. Both Mercutio and I have used this device religiously. Here is the link to the website: http://www.neurotechgroup.com/uk/products/kneehab-xp
SMART CRUTCHES:
Anyone that has used crutches for long periods of time knows how uncomfortable they can be. Especially the cheap crutches they provide in the hospitals and clinics. The forearm crutches I used as well as Mercutio and another patient at the clinic is the smart crutch. These crutches are very comfortable and highly customizable. They didn't create any bruising or soreness in the hands and they were very strong and easy to use. There are number of benefits of this crutch over regular forearm crutches that can be found on the website: http://www.smartcrutch.com/
COMPRESSION SOCKS:
Compression socks or stockings are socks that are meant to help reduce swelling, aid blood circulation, prevent venous disorders and aid in recovery. You will need both ankle recovery socks for when you have the frames attached and long calf compression socks for after the frames are removed. These are very useful and I highly recommend you get them because believe me, you will experience swelling. The swelling makes everything much more painful, especially walking. I wore the ankle compression socks the entire time I was in the hospital because my feet and legs were swollen like balloons. A good company to purchase them from is Tommie Copper but they can be found in most athletic/shoe stores as well as specialty stores such as As Seen on TV. Here is the link for Tommie Copper compression socks: http://www.tommiecopper.com/men/compression-socks
TEAR AWAY PANTS:
Although very unstylish and actually pretty difficult to find, these pants are a god send for this type of surgery. They are very easy to put on and even easier to take off and fit perfectly around the bulky frames. For those unfamiliar, essentially what they are - are pants that have buttons running up the entire leg. They can be purchased on amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Tearaway-Athletic-Pants-Black-Silver/dp/B008L42550/ref=pd_sim_200_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41AS4787HyL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0WP8WV5PGD3R8GRDBZQF
Chapter One: Arrival I
1 AM in Volgograd.
I walk out into the cool brisk air and take a deep breath, I’m finally here. I take a second to put my bags down as I look around at the large dark landscape. There’s not much to see from the airport but a couple of abandoned roads and open fields.
An excited hello calls out from somewhere in front of me, the sound of footsteps coming in my direction. My eyes adjust and I spot a young lady waving eagerly, her complexion pale in comparison to her surroundings.
Hello! I say, it’s so nice to finally meet you. She grabs one of my bags with her left hand and reaches into her pocket with her right to take out her phone. Smiling, she begins to ask about my trip before cutting herself off, speaking Russian to someone on the other end.
Suddenly a pair of headlights flash in the distance and the sound of an engine roars loudly. What is quite clearly a car comes speeding our way, zig zagging left and right until the driver slams on the breaks, stopping a meter away from us. Tonya laughs at my reaction as I had flinched hard enough to be a few steps behind her.
The trunk of the car pops open and she puts my bag inside, laughing as she says taxi in a way that sounds like a question. I get in and we speed through the open roads, discussing my journey here. She assures me that the driver isn’t her boyfriend, as many other patients have often thought. I laugh and say okay as I look out through the window, wide eyed at what is apparently Russia.
We get to our destination, the Da Vinchi clinic. I step out of the car and look at what seems to be a regular building with a large series of steps leading to the door way. She tells me that she will escort me to my room but that she must get home quickly because the concierge lady doesn’t like visitors coming in past 10 PM. I open my mouth to ask a question when suddenly I see a pack of stray dogs running through the street. I don’t hesitate to step back and get ready to run, but they pass right by us and into the open road. Tonya looks at me and giggles as she unloads my bags.
We make our way inside once the concierge let’s us in and we head to the seventh floor. Tonya quietly leads me down the hallway into a room with two single beds positioned on opposite ends. In between sat two-night stand tables and about a meter and a half of space. Directly behind the beds was a large window sill with enough space to fit two middle aged children laying down. The room was very cozy.
Hello, Tonya whispers as a young man sits up from the left bed. Hey man, I say as we shake hands. Tonya sets my bags down and says goodbye as she slips out the door, see you tomorrow she says lightly. I look at who is going to be my roommate, a young good looking guy who appears to be about 5’11. He speaks English to my relief, and we speak at length about our experiences and what brought us to Volgograd.
A short while later we’re joined by another patient, another young guy. He’s walking on crutches and I see his frames poking through his pants, this is the first time I see them in person. I quickly turn my attention to my roommate’s legs and notice that he doesn’t have the frames on. He already looks tall to me but it doesn’t seem as if he’s undergone any surgery, so I assume he’s one of the guys that was just under 6 feet but wanted to reach 6’2. I ask him when he’s doing his operation and he laughs, I just put the nail in he says. No way! I say, how tall were you before? He tells me he was 5’7 but did 10CM. I was amazed, this is the second person I’ve heard of and seen who had lengthened 10 CM. He looked great, in fact it was hard to wrap my head around the fact that he was once any shorter. 5’11 looked to be his natural height.
He asked me if I thought his tibias looked too long but I told him that to anyone who didn’t know him personally before, he looks no different than any other guy his height. I was more concerned with how he was walking and if the amount he lengthened gave him any complications. He told me that everything has been really smooth and that he would be going home soon. He walked around a bit and to my relief everything looked good.
I unpacked my things and all three of us spent the rest of the night talking. I was really happy, everyone has been really nice so far and I haven’t heard any complaints. I get ready for bed and set my alarm, I’ll be meeting Dr. Barinov tomorrow.
Arrival II
I stretch my arms out as I open my eyes, it’s my first morning in Volgograd. I slept pretty well considering what time I went to bed I think to myself. I get changed quietly as my roommate is still sleeping, but I hear busy chatter outside the door. I slip out and head to the washroom to freshen up but I don’t see anyone. There are four rooms in our loft including my own, three of them are occupied. I hear talking from the first room by the washroom but I can’t make out any words. There are two washrooms I notice, one for men and the other for ladies. The washroom for ladies has a cute picture of old Russian ladies laughing in a circle, the one for men does not.
I walk out of the loft and into the hallway, it looked much different than I remembered it on my way in last night. It was much longer, larger even. It was well lit and there were many rooms. There are two patients walking up and down the hallway with frames on, from what I can tell they’re Russian locals. One of them stops to smile at me, a pretty middle aged women with big blue eyes. I say hello and she says hello back and continues to walk down the hallway. I continue walking and pass a large room with a massive mirror taking up one wall. This must be a fitness room I think to myself as I peer in. Here I find five other patients all of them with frames on doing various exercises. They all look at me as I walk by, speaking amongst themselves in Russian.
As I make my way down to the end of the hallway, I’m greeted by a middle aged women with orange hair. I realize that it’s Oksana, the office administrator. She leads me to another room which I quickly make out to be the clinic, there are nurses with masks on walking in and out of rooms behind the receptions desk. I smile at the receptionist who I develop an instant crush on, the women in this country really are as beautiful as they say. The receptionist barely speaks English but she hands me a couple of papers to sign, they’re consent forms for blood tests.
I sign them and she leads me into a room where two nurses are having a conversation. The older nurse standing furthest away from me points at a chair and ushers for me to have a seat. She wraps a band around my bicep and tells me to squeeze my fist. Here we go, my least favourite thing about doctors offices. She pricks me and begins to draw blood, a lot of blood. Finally it’s over before I get too nauseous and I walk out and see Tonya.
Hello my friend she says enthusiastically, how has your morning been? So far so good I exclaim. We walk out of the clinic and I see the two patients walking up and down the long hallway again. I ask Tonya about it and she explains that many of the patients here have also undergone corrective operations, most of them Russian locals.
Hmm interesting I say as we walk back into the loft where we’re greeted by one of the cleaning staff as she washes the floors. Tonya asks if I had eaten yet which I of course tell her I haven’t and she points to a stack of take out containers on the table. This is for you she says, a local restaurant owner named Demetri makes your meals for you each day and delivers them here. Oh wow, that’s awesome I say, is it good? She shrugs her shoulders, depends, do you like Russian food? I don’t know, but I’m sure I will.
We go back to my room and sit on my bed. How do you feel? Tonya asks me. Honestly pretty good, I can’t believe I’m actually here. She smiles. You have an appointment with Dr. Barinov in half an hour, after that do you want to go see the city? Sure! I say, I really want to see what Russia’s all about.
We spend the next twenty minutes chatting as I eat the food Demetri has left for me. It’s actually pretty good, lots of chicken and carbs. When the time comes I walk over to the clinic and have a seat. Looking around I see many awards given to Dr. Barinov and the other doctors that work at the clinic. This puts me at ease a little. As I try to read one of the certificates I notice the receptionist who I had a little crush on looking at me, I make eye contact and she flashes me a little smile before looking back at her computer. God, she is so cute.
I hear heels approaching when suddently Oksana peeks her from around the corner and tells me that Dr. Barinov is ready to see me. She leads me to a big brown door and gives a slight knock as she open its, leading me in with a smile. In the room I see two desks, one with an older man with a large white moustache writing heavily, his glasses balancing on the tip of his nose. Behind the other desk sat a man with his hands gently placed in front of him, fingers intertwined. Looking my way, with a cheery smile he says Hello!
Hello Dr. Barinov! Nice to finally meet you. He asks about my trip and whether or not I felt relaxed in Russia so far. I give the expected responses and he responds equally. We begin to discuss the surgery and he pulls out a blank piece of paper as he draws out the steps of the procedure. He explains that it will take approximately three hours and that he will be assisted by his colleague Dr. Sirkov. We discuss the various supplements I have brought and what expectations he has as my doctor and what he finds to be acceptable and unacceptable. After which he asks me to stand up so he can take measurements and check my flexibility.
Once the measurements were taken I was brought to a medical table where I laid down as Dr. Barinov lifted my legs and moved my feet, testing my muscles resistance. “You have been stretching, very good” he says as he writes something down. I look around the room, trying to read the various medical diagrams and notes. I look at the other man behind the desk, he hasn’t looked up even once since I’ve been here. I’m curious about him, he seems interesting. He must be the third doctor in the clinic but I don’t bother asking.
When we’re done we begin to take pictures so that Dr. Barinov can make mock up photos. He goes over the contract with me and asks me to take it to my room and look it over and sign it when I’m ready. I take the papers and shake his hand feeling good about the meeting. Only a few more days and I’ll be in the hospital getting the surgery, man what a crazy feeling.
Arrival III
“Notice how dirty all the cars are?” Max another patient at the clinic says to me as he looks out the taxi window. I rest my arm against the door as the car shakes from side to side, grumbling as we drive through the rough roads. He wasn’t kidding, every car in Volgograd was plastered with mud. It wasn’t just the cars, everywhere I looked I saw something that needed to be cleaned. The walls, the buildings, the roads.
The city had many odd contrasts. Beautiful girls in front of run down walls, bricks scattered by their high heels. Beautiful historic buildings beside gray stores with broken signs. A father holding his blonde baby as a stray dog drinks out of a dirty puddle.
We stop in front of a round about, the Volga river in the distance. Tonya hands the Taxi driver 100 rubles and we get out. Wait a minute, how much is 100 rubles? That’s less than two dollars? That can’t be right.
Tonya, how much was that cab? 100 rubles she says, why? Why was it so cheap? I respond. Cheap for you, she jokes as we begin walking towards the museum. I’m not really sure what to think but there’s nothing to complain about.
We walk into the museum and walk through the various exhibits, finally reaching the end before we're greeted by a towering set of stairs. Tonya begins to smirk as she looks over at Max and I, watching carefully to see our reactions. She begins to explain that at the very top is the final exhibit, a panoramic recreation of the battle of Stalingrad. As exciting as that was, it was clear that these winding stairs would take an able bodied person 6 minutes to climb. I looked over at Max who was only three months post surgery, he looked reluctant, naturally I assumed he was going to sit this one out, but he refused. Step by step he pushed himself to make it past every turn, stopping only to rest when absolutely needed. When he finally reached the top twenty minutes had gone by, content with his accomplishment he laughed and said "well, that was good for regerneration!"
We looked around for a bit before making the trip back down and heading out to a café nearby. Once inside we walked over to a small table where there sat an older man, staring out the window with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked to be of average height, definitely not short by most standards. “Hello” the conversation begun, “you must be the new guy.” Indeed I was, and being so I was naturally curious about everything and everyone and began asking questions. James’s story goes like this: he’s in his 50’s, he lives in a country where the average height far exceeds that of most other countries in the world and although he was a good height to begin with, this is something he’s always wanted to do for himself. I was impressed, at that age a surgery like this is sure to have a toll on the body. Soon after I learned that James was having significant problems with his back, a few slipped disks. Limb lengthening with spinal disc herniation? The amount of endurance this man must have. In a way this all made me feel relived, seeing that James was doing it despite his obstacles and having watched Max climb stairs for 20 minutes. It meant there were few excuses for why I couldn’t go through with this myself, but nonetheless there would still be some doubts to come.
Arrival IV
By the fourth day in Volgograd I had started to become comfortable, touring the city, making friends with other patients and taking part in drinking festivities. It felt like I was on vacation, still not completely taking in what I was really there to do. Unbeknown to me, the other patients were making bets as to when I would freak out and book a plane ticket out of there. Apparently, two other patients before me had come, sniffed out the scene, realized what they were in for and scattered out the day after. I almost became the third one to follow, but before that I was simply taking my time and feeling everything out. I wasn’t scared, I knew what I had come to do – but did I completely think everything through?
I sat out in the lounge area and helped myself to a cup of tea. Looking around I couldn’t help but notice that on the table sat about 16 empty mugs of various sizes. There were four rooms housing two people each but whom did the other 8 mugs belong to? Suddenly, laughter enters the room followed by the distinct sound of crutches – a sound that soon becomes too familiar. Three females ranging from twenty one to fifty five walk in, give a cheerful “preevyet” Russian hello, and sit around the table. They each grab a mug, pour themselves tea and continue their conversations. Soon after two young guys, both with frames on just like the girls walk in and do the same.
I remember reading lots about this in other people’s journals, the many beautiful girls and the unique social environment in the clinic. The limb lengthening patients share the facilities and accommodations with patients that are undergoing corrective surgeries. From what I had seen, all these patients were Russians and Ukrainians. Interestingly, their procedure also uses the same frames as the limb lengthening patients, so it gave us all a lot to talk about.
After finishing my tea I return to my room and find my roommate sitting up on his bed. We begin talking and it becomes clear that he’s become overly conscious of the appearance of his new legs. He explains that he may have made a mistake lengthening ten centimetres, compromising fair proportions for height. He spoke up and down about his fears of going home and having peers and strangers notice his legs and possibly confront him. It was interesting, an interesting conversation to have because it further proved to me that fears of proportions can at times be unreasonable.
He looked completely fine to me. Sure, his legs looked long and his tibia’s were taller than average but to anyone who didn’t know the truth – he really did look like any other person. Of course he saw things differently and that’s because he knows his own body. He knew what he had looked like all his life and now that he has removed the frames and revealed his new tibias’s he has become freaked out by the difference. In his attempt to convince me that his new legs are too long he showed me a picture of what he looked like before the surgery. Now here’s the part where I begin to panic.
Woah. That’s how much he grew?? I couldn’t believe how different he looked at 5’7. That’s when it really hit me that this surgery is no joke and that ten centimetres is not a small number. Here I am talking to a guy that is 180 centimetres, someone who’s presence you clearly feel in the room and whom especially among the other patients you know is tall. Yet, I’m looking at a picture of the same guy, but much shorter and completely without the presence he currently holds. For one reason or another, it freaked me out. Obviously I knew I would be taller, but seeing the difference in person was a reality check. If I went through with this and lengthened to ten centimetres like I had planned for, everyone would know that I got taller. There would be no hiding it and making up stories the way I had figured I would. This surgery really was going to make me a completely different person and was I really ready for that? We all want to be taller but jumping to four inches is a pretty big change.
Who said you have to do ten? Tonya asked as I sat in Oksana the administrator’s office. “If you do seven, it might not be as noticeable especially if you were already wearing lifts before.” I know.. I respond, but I didn’t come here to do seven. Seven isn’t enough, I don’t want to do this surgery and still be thinking about height after. I want to do as much as I can and be satisfied with that. “Yes, but you will be much happier than you are now with seven centimetres.” But I’ll be even happier with ten, won’t I? but am I really ready for that big of a difference? What am I really worried about here – whether I’m ready to be four inches taller or what everyone else will think if I’m four inches taller?
Who are you here for… yourself or your friends? James asks as he rests against the wall, now in the hallway of the clinic. Myself I guess... but obviously I care what others think, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. James being much older seemed like the right person to go to for advice and he quite clearly didn’t place the same emphasis as I did on friends. He didn’t see a reason to care about the opinions of others. Without hesitation he told me quite eloquently: fk what everyone else will think, fk what everyone else will say – this isn’t about them – this is about you and how you feel about yourself. No stranger will ever guess. Friends you see every now and then won’t assume something so drastic and your close friends, well tell them. They’re your real friends, aren’t they?
This made me feel much better. It was true, I’m doing this for myself. I have an image of who I am and who I want to be and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. When I get home everyone will have to adjust, including myself but it will just be a hump I have to get over and in a year or two no one will remember what my height used to be. Besides, I control how much height I gain. If I want to stop, I’ll stop.
I thought about it for two more days. Going back and forth constantly in my head. This was tough. You know, you have this on your mind for so long, your lurk the forums everyday, you think about how much money you need for it, you think about the pain, you think about what you need to do to prepare, what you’re going to say to everyone and then you dream about the results but when you finally get to the point where you’re actually doing it.. signing the papers, paying the money… booking the surgery date. It all just hits you. Am I actually doing this? I’m not going to walk normally for months.. a year. My whole life is going to change. What if something goes wrong? Is this really worth it?
If you haven’t booked a plane ticket home by this point, well then you’re in for the ride. All those thoughts slowly fade away and so begins the I have to do it. I came here for this. I want this. If I don’t do this, I will regret it forever. I’m strong. Everyone here is happy. Just do it.
Sign here.
Initial here.
Okay, Tuesday is your operation date. No drinking and no eating 12 hours before. Bring all your necessary valuables and be there for 10.
PAYMENT/SPENDING MONEY
Figuring out a method of payment was a difficult process. Other patients I had talked to prior to arriving in Volgograd had advised against transferring money because of the amount of time it takes to transfer the money as well as various problems they faced. One patient had transferred the money and waited a week and a half but the money still never showed up - he had to contact his bank back home, they had to launch an investigation - long story short the whole process took three weeks and he lost a lot of money in fee's because both his home bank and the Russian bank refused to take responsibility. The clinic will not operate unless they receive payment in full so waiting around for a transfer for three weeks in not an ideal situation. Do NOT agree or allow any clinic/hospital/doctor to receive payment ahead of time. Wait until you arrive and have checked everything out and fully decided that this was where you are going to do your LL before you make a payment or sign any documents. I have seen a couple of patients come to the clinic and suddenly realize that they weren't ready for LL and head back home, if they had paid ahead of time they would have been screwed.
Knowing that transfers wouldn't be a good idea I went to my local bank purchased $15,000 in travellers cheques. When I told the office administrator at the clinic that I was going to pay in travellers cheques she freaked out and told me I was going to lose a lot of money because the banks take a percentage. I knew they were going to take a cut but I didn't realize that it was going to be so much. In Volgograd there is only 1 bank that accepts travellers cheques and they take a 6% cut which means I lost about $1000. Let's just say I wasn't too happy that day.
Make sure that before you head over to do your surgery that you communicate with your clinic's administration staff about the payment process. If you are able to pay with a debit or credit card, I would do it this way as it is the safest and quickest method. Contact your bank and explain that you will be making a large payment outside of the country and they will arrange to make the process easier without raising any red flags later. This is also the safest as you will be insured by your credit card company in case anything goes wrong.
As for extra cash and exchange rates, many of you have travelled frequently in the past but for those who are younger or who haven't had much experience with travelling make sure that you find the cheapest rate in which you can exchange your money. DO NOT exchange your money at the airport because they will take a HUGE cut. For spending cash, try to exchange your money in your own country by going to a currency exchange shop which are usually found in malls. Avoid going to banks because they also take large cuts for exchanges. I would recommend exchanging around $500 worth to bring with you, which should last you around a month if not more depending on where you're going. This way when you first arrive you won't need to worry about finding a bank or an ATM machine every time you're hungry, need to take a taxi or make a purchase. Of course make sure that you hide this money well and avoid telling anyone you're carrying cash on you.
In Volgograd in particular, there is an ATM machine in the building which you can use to take out cash when you need it. Thankfully the exchange rate on the machine is low. For patients in other countries, this might be a good alternative to the bank. Find an ATM with a low exchange rate as the one that you're using out of convenience might charge more than the one across the street.
*Once again: If you have ANY questions - PLEASE send me a personal message instead of asking on this journal.*
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