Do I want to be taller?

 

Do I want to be taller.  I am 5 feet, of course I do. I’m tired of hemming every pair of pants I buy and watching a midi dress cascade into a full-length gown. My height isn’t just a measurement—it’s a constant negotiation with clothing. Up until I turned 50 (was that just yesterday) I wore heels. Not the one-inch heels, more like the three-inch type.

The other day, I was listening to my favorite drive-time show, The Bob and Sheri Show on K104.7, when they started talking about a surgery that can make you taller. Yes, taller. It’s called limb lengthening surgery, and apparently, Turkey has become a hotspot for it.

While the procedure can be done to correct limb discrepancies, the segment focused on a man who was 5'6" and wanted to be taller than his wife, who stood around 5'9". So yes, it was cosmetic. Vanity-driven. No judgment here, I get it. If I weren’t so opposed to agonizing pain, I might even consider it. Well... probably not.

Clinics in Istanbul and other cities offer advanced procedures with experienced orthopedic surgeons and comprehensive post-op care. the procedure the hosts were talking about was a controlled break of the femur and insertion of a a titanium nail with an external fixator. The fixator manually lengthens the bone 1 mm/day.  According to the hosts, the wife was responsible for adjusting the fixator every day. That is love and sheer bravery, because this surgery isn’t just a mechanical marvel; it comes with muscle pain, nerve sensitivity, numbness, and shooting pain. I can’t imagine being the one inflicting that on someone I care about. And let’s not forget the risks: infection, deep vein thrombosis, stroke.

The good news is that the patient is weight bearing and can walk with assistance as early as 2–3 weeks post-op, thanks to the nail’s strength. Height potential, the reason for going through this procedure can be up to 10 cm in the femur and 7 cm in the tibia in one procedure. A two-step process can yield up to 17 cm.

But here’s the thing: I’ve already had two back surgeries, both of which were complete failures. I know what it’s like when bones don’t cooperate. But hey maybe the surgeons are better in Turkey than my Mickey Mouse ortho guy in Baltimore.  So, while I’d love to be tall like the next gal, I’m not willing to suffer for it. Not again. Not like that.

But I would be interested in hearing if you would accept the risks and the pain to be taller.