No pics.. but I'll possibly post them at the end of my journey.

As for your other question, you're right!  I'm about in the 5-10%  percentile of the U.S. and while I wasn't the shortest guy around, I still felt very short.  I'm 22 years old, and attending college as a short guy sucked.  I would go to parties with my tall friends, and while they would get attention every night without fail, I wouldn't and probably was invisible in a bar.

But I didn't do this surgery for my dating life, as I was already happily dating a girl when I decided to do this surgery.  It was more for the respect you can command as a tall guy.  When you're short, you have a lot more trouble being taken seriously by other guys.  In the gym environment, in the women department, and in social situations.

This was also done for my desire to have a better self-image and as a result become more confident.  Being more confident is something I've always wanted and had trouble doing it because I don't love my self-image.  While my legs look skinny and emaciated right now, I've already started perceiving myself in a much better light.

Those were my motivations.  But in regards to being crippled, I'm lengthening with the world's most experienced LL surgeon right now.  Dr. Paley.  While there can still be complications, I'm in great hands and there was never a real fear of being crippled for me.  I've always wanted to be tall and should be about 5' 9" after the surgery.  I'll probably even wear my 3" lifts just to experience 6' for a day

Thank you. I would only recommend LL to someone as a last resort, but ask them to carefully rethink their decision. If they were my child or relative, I probably would do everything I could to stop them, or try to keep it from ever getting to the point where they thought it was necessary. I had a rare complication during my surgery called fat embolism, causing me pneumonia and a stay in the hospital for an extra 8 days. It was scary and life-threatening, but I'm just glad that I'm past that period and lengthening safely now.

The only reason I mentioned lifts was as a "just to try", never in a million years would I wear lifts regularly after LL. I didn't even wear lifts before LL!

To be honest, before this surgery, I was dead-set on doing a second LL surgery on my tibias after completing my femurs. While my absolute need was to be at least average height, my greedy side wants to experience life as a tall person. But after this surgery, I've almost recanted that decision. The amount of time, money, and physical debilitation this surgery causes isn't worth doing it again just to be tall. I'll be 100% happy average. Right now, I'm a burden on my parents. They don't see it that way of course, but I do, and I wouldn't want them caring for me again like this. I should be out doing a lot of things right now! But instead, I'm mostly in bed all day and hiding this secret from my friends.

If I really trust her, and know her personality to be non-judgmental of this sort of thing, then yes I would tell her. Probably after dating for a few months or years. If she gets so upset that she breaks up with me, then she isn't worth my time and will be doing me a favor.

Now that you have the respect that is commanded by being tall how will you approach life?

Welcome to the AtEyeLevel @BilateralDamage and may you encounter nothing but good health on your journey. If you know of any short guys or anyone else who would be interested in a community like this, please encourage them to register. Best wishes.