BetterLate

Hoping that my “results” will be helpful for some, here are a couple photos I took moments after my last post: March 15 Here are some photos I took tonight, 4 months after surgery: April 8/9 Progress seems to be good. The first time I’ve even combed my hair was when I took these pictures tonight. I do believe that I will now begin to comb it every day. I’d previously read some people had been wondering why many Forum members disappear. As usual, I can only speak for myself, but my story may shed a general light on at least one reason someone has stopped logging on with any frequency. One year ago, my health was so poor that I was not expected to live to see today. I'd never believed in miracles, but fortunately ended up experiencing one. So, overall, the HT has been just one small part of what's been happening in and to my life. I became (and am still quite) obsessed with changing absolutely everything about myself to the better so that I can make the most out of whatever additional time I'm being given. But implementing such wholesale change is exhausting and all-consuming, taking virtually every single moment of every day. I had tried to log on here whenever I found any free time, because I think that there is a good general sense of community, and I’d wanted to try to do some good by giving back as much as I may have gotten. The very last time I’d logged on was almost a month ago. Immediately afterwards, I snapped a few more pictures of my head to post on my next visit here, then laid down on my couch and fell asleep right away due to over-fatigue... in an extremely awkward position that completely screwed up my back. I had to spend a couple whole days in bed due to paralyzing pain, during which time my inactivity forced me to realize that I probably actually had crossed the line on this Forum, by trying to tell everyone all of the ways that they might be able change their lives… instead of just being concerned about how I should continue changing my own. I have a fear of being obnoxious, since I don’t like when I see that in other people. It’s a very tricky thing, changing everything about your life. It can lead to self-absorption in order to facilitate its being able to occur. And, in my case, I’m afraid it had also led to over-sharing of what worked for me in a kind of “preachy” way. So now, after finally having enough unforced leisure time to check back here, I am almost relieved to see that no one has added any further posts to this thread. Indeed, this thread may have outlived most of its usefulness… if it’s not too presumptuous thinking that some have already or may still at some point in the future find it useful. I’ll come back and post more milestone pictures at key points in time because it had been useful for me to see other people’s progress. For now, I’d like to again thank all of the Senior Members who were mentors to me, and all of the other newer members who exchanged tips and good wishes or even just positive but anxiety-laced posts and private messages with me as we tried to set each other’s minds at ease. And, as always, my best wishes to all of the current and future Lurkers--may you ultimately become members and share your own experiences with those Lurkers behind you!

MAGNUMpi, The book is called Psycho-Cybernetics. I touched on it in a previous posting, but, in quick summary, Dr. Maltz wrote it after noticing that some of his potential plastic surgery patients who chose to forego surgery and opted instead to just change their ways of thinking ended up being much happier than patients who went through completely successful surgeries… that our self-image completely trumps our physical being, not only in how we relate to others, but in how others relate to us. His philosophy went way far beyond how our perceived physical defects affect us. He actually proposes a very simple system of re-programming our unconscious mind to achieve higher levels of success in life through attainment of higher levels of awareness, and automating it all by making basic changes to the way we think about ourselves. It just so happened that he developed the philosophy through his observations as a plastic surgeon, which is what I think makes it especially apropos to all those of us on this Forum who have looked at using a HT as a way of transforming our lives. The book was written in 1960. Its premises are the granddaddies of the modern “self-help” industry, and most of today’s gurus acknowledge that their own methods and techniques are based upon it. There is an updated version of the book called The New Psycho-Cybernetics written/updated in 2002, and an audio version of that book. That was done in an attempt to capitalize on the fortunes being made by all those who had re-packaged Psycho-Cybernetics into their own programs, most notably Tony Robbins of Personal Power fame. But I’m old school purist--and the first book is such a short, quick read--so that when I first started to listen to the audio files of the updated version, I really didn’t like it anywhere near as much. It seemed like that author was making the simple concepts of the original book overly-complicated, and using examples of his own tremendous accomplishments in life to the detriment of Dr. Maltz’s original goal of offering a quick and easy way for us average people to, for lack of any better way of expressing it, succeed in life and happiness. (I came back to insert this paragraph since the thought occurred to me as I wrapped up this post that if someone has any interest in the basic concepts of what Psycho-Cybernetics is all about but is not inclined to look for the original book--or only likes audio books–the newer version is probably better than nothing. You can listen to it free on You Tube. There’s some typical BS commercial music at the beginning and in bridges between chapters in an attempt to “spice it up” (I guess?) that makes it start off sounding like drivel. But if you get beyond that, and can stomach the narrator talking a couple times about what an amazing guy he is… ) At any rate, since I’m still in that proverbial ugly-duckling stage of recovery and my down-time has been at a minimum the past couple of months, every day I’ve spent the first moments when I’ve just woken up and the last moments right before I go to sleep being hyper-introspective about the changes I’ve wanted to make in my life and the decisions I’ve made to achieve them. I’m not actually regretting that I got the HT... just questioning if I should have gotten it. Indeed, this ugly stage has been incredibly helpful. I’ve been so uptight about my “looks” that, in essence, it’s caused me to use the lessons I attribute to Dr. Matlz to completely shatter all historical sales records in my organization through my desire to overcome my negative physical appearance. That, in itself, is fairly ironic, since one of my original justifications for getting the HT was to potentially increase my sales by having a more attractive appearance. Whatever ultimate lesson is in there, I’m so tired and burnt out from work these days that I won’t even be able to try to figure it out until further down the road. I guess one thing that I’ve been shown in the past weeks is that the legendary myth of wisdom theoretically acquired with age is not an empty promise to those basking in the glory of youth. But I’m not implying that others need the same “help” that I’ve leaned upon. We should get it however we can use it. In all cases, I now view crutches/assistance as definite advantages rather than any kind of weakness. As long as I’ve blabbed on so long again, I’ll mention one more published resource that’s helped me in conjunction with getting a HT. It’s a given that everyone reading this board is either looking forward to or already in the process of a major overhaul in his life. And we obviously need to change more of ourselves than just a rearrangement of hair follicles in order to affect that overhaul. If we accept that our day-to-day lives are mostly nothing but patterns of habits that we’ve developed over time, for us to move forward toward the goal of making positive changes, surely, when something’s got to give, it only stands to reason that “something” is a realignment of some of those habits--whether it be regarding the manner in which we perform perfunctory tasks, or the familiar but unthinking way we relate to family or co-workers on a daily basis… or anything and everything in between. It’s one thing to intellectually understand that certain behaviors might ought to be changed as part of our overall plan for betterment. It’s quite another to understand the science behind how we can more effectively make it happen. … and, I have just hit the proverbial wall. I think I might have just fallen into a state of ridiculous pontification, which I can with confidence blame on fatigue. So I think before I collapse and call it a weekend, I’ll add a paragraph to the above before signing off. If more than one person wants me to continue this seemingly aimless rambling, perhaps I shall. Otherwise, I think the next time I log on I should post a couple photos to show the progress of my hair restoration and leave it at that.

Ready4Hair, I really do think that you’ll be much happier and comfortable either being in a very familiar place or someplace with a hospital-type bed for a few days after surgery where you’ll have enough control over your environment so that messing up your grafts is completely a non-issue. It surely doesn’t hurt that on-site you’ll have direct access to the shampooing, and to pain medication if soreness from the donor area in the back of your head might bother you for a night or two. The clinic does have the LLLT which they’ll use on you each day after surgery. Some people will argue that it does nothing. I have absolutely no idea. It certainly doesn’t hurt. I think the jury might still be out, as it is with PRP. I was told by some medical professionals that PRP treatment is overrated and possibly ineffectual, but, from my own personal experience, I think that it did promote quick healing and I would ask for it again. Maybe they will even provide you more LLLT treatments during the extra days you stay at the clinic, in which case I would definitely avail of those. There are refrigerators in the clinic rooms, so you can store your personal choice of cold beverages in there as desired. (FueAsianHairline said we need to avoid alcohol after the procedure. Definitely ask how long, because there is some good Turkish beer you might want to stock during recovery!) Also, not meaning to be overly repetitious, I’d definitely use the icepack as often as suggested and then throw it right back into that refrigerator each time for your next treatment. My swelling was minimal, as I’m sure you’ll want yours to be as you prepare to meet the world anew and travel a bit on your way out of Istanbul. You can eat at the clinic while you stay there. The food is definitely passable. I’d been on a diet before arrival, and ate enough to actually put on a few pounds. They’ll be closed on the weekends if you’re still there through Sat/Sun, but there is a pizza place a couple doors away and other places nearby within walking distance if you’re motivated to go out and about. I didn’t venture around very much, since I was worried (or shall I say too paranoid?) about exposing my grafts to the elements. Once at the Radisson, you won’t have the hospital bed, but after a few extra days at the clinic, you’ll need to worry a lot less than I did (I was there the night after my second surgery) about rolling around in their regular beds and messing up your grafts. And, again, I can’t overemphasize the quality of the Radisson's breakfast buffet. Without a doubt, I, personally, would make that my main meal of the day... and it's included in our special rate. I don’t think there is any 10-day limit for the clinic to help you out. The 10 days is just the number of days they suggest after which you make sure all scabs are off of your recipient areas. Most foreigners aren’t around by that time, but there was a Turkish physician who came in for his 10-day cleaning when I was there. The 10th-day cleaning is definitely part of our service, if we’re around. Whether there would be some nominal charge for services on days 6-9 or 11 onward, I don’t know, but considering you will be a wonderful advertisement and ambassador for the clinic, I’ve got to believe they have a vested interest in making you completely satisfied and that it would probably be gratis. After day 10, though, with the scabs gone and your assurance that everything is going according to plan, I have a sneaking suspicion that you might want to beat a trail out of there, and would probably feel safe doing so. The biggest thing we want to avoid is bumping our head anywhere. That’s the major safety precaution that needs to be taken into account. If there’s a number two, it’s probably exposing your grafts to the elements too much--particularly the sun. That is the biggest reason to wear their hat or a scarf. After the scabs are gone, you’ll look like you got a buzz cut, then when the hair falls out, you’ll look a little bald. Ask about what kinds of hats you can wear. I’m not sure by beanie if you mean a nylon ski cap or what. Some types of head covering are better than others. Some should not be used. Probably take what you’re thinking of with you, and ask Dr. Erdogan about it? I think when we start to look bad is when our hair starts to grow back in piecemeal. If you’re one of the lucky ones, maybe your grafts won’t even fall out? I looked like total crap for at least a couple months. I still don’t look good, but things are now growing in ever-so-slowly in an expanding area, and I can imagine that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. However, I made the conscious decision--with the crutch/aid of self-hypnotic suggestions every morning--to pretend like I’ve already looked as good as I hope I ultimately do. It’s been necessary, because I started making public appearances not long after returning home from Istanbul. (I put on a number of educational/sales seminars in front of large audiences each week.) The funny thing is that friends and associates told me that I’ve never exhibited as much confidence as I have the past couple of months, and audiences have been responding to me (through sales) more positively than they ever have before. Previously, I would often be nervous before performances, and prepare myself mentally each time. Now, I’ve been constantly feeling 100% on my game, and the only thing that is really stressful is all of the preparation time leading up to the actual performances. The mind is an incredible thing, because at the beginning and end of every day, I look in the mirror and see what I actually look like… and it ain’t a pretty picture. But, just because I pretend to myself that I look great, I feel great throughout every day, and it all works. In one of my earlier postings, I thought of and mentioned the plastic surgeon Dr. Maxwell Maltz and his philosophy as a bit of advice for Newbie-Lurkers who were considering a HT as a conduit for changing their lives. I’m glad that I thought of him, because I then searched through some old dusty boxes in my garage and found his book that I bought and read 40 years ago when I was 18 years old. It changed my life then, and it’s helping change my life again now. Nothing quite like taking your own advice? Truth be told, there’s a distinct possibility that I wouldn’t have gotten the HT if I’d recalled and read his book again before I made my appointment. That doesn’t mean that I’m sorry that I did go through the procedure. It’s just that a lot of what I was hoping to get out of it, I’ve already gotten, and could have gotten without doing it. Sorry for going off on a personal tangent again. It’s the middle of the night here and those thoughts just crept in. Turkish Airlines has something called “Comfort Class”. I think it’s a class between Economy and Business? Unless you need Business Class, if Comfort Class is a better deal, I’d go that route. I got a free upgrade due to problems with my flight. The woman next to me on the flight there told me she flies to Istanbul all the time and gets an upgrade on site at the airport. At LAX, they did have a special line for upgrades. She said they first ask her for hundreds of dollars, she says she’s got $100 cash if that’s good enough, and they always take it and give her the upgrade. I don’t know if she was yanking my chain or not, but the flight attendants did know her so for sure she flies Turkish Airlines a lot. Those seats are at least 50% wider and you get special meals. Hope this helps. I wanted to answer tonight when I saw your question because time is tight over weekend.

johntra, Great to hear from you--I trust you’re doing well! I have a feeling you’ll be the perfect Model for Asmed when you’re all filled in. Wibbles180, Thank you. Hearing such feedback actually makes all the effort worthwhile. The decision-making process is so incredibly stressful to go through, so that if somehow I’m able to help reduce that stress for others--even it’s by them totally disagreeing with something I’ve said--that makes me feel like I’ve done something positive. I think I’ve made it clear that I don’t think Dr. Erdogan is the only solution, or even the best one for everybody. He’s just the only Doctor that I finally went to for a procedure, so the only one I can heartily recommend from experience. All three of your potential Doctors are top-notch. While Ready4Hair had narrowed down his choices to be in a win-win situation with his ultimate decision, your variation is that you’re looking at a win-win-win situation... whichever of your choices you finally go with, you're going to be happy. NewLook2015, Thank you again. I think I might have touched on the pain issue previously, but am going to answer freshly from memory right now because of a time crunch. This new answer is mostly due to the fact that while I was searching back through this thread for the passage where I might have mentioned pain, I saw how many long posts I've made and knew I wasn't going to be able to quickly locate it. I'm very happy that people have found some of the posts helpful … because part of me is embarrassed that I’ve written way too much, as though what I’ve got to say is so important. My perspective and any possible advice I might offer pales in comparison to that which I'd received from the Senior Members who had been my unknowing mentors and had helped me make my own decision while I was a proverbial Lurker. Anyway, I’ll have to go over my old posts and fact-check myself later… and hope I don’t make things sound rosier now that they seemed at the time. I don’t recall the pain being an issue at all until after my second surgery, when most of the grafts were removed from the back of my head. I assume they probably avoid taking many from the back of the head during first surgery (if having two) for that reason? I’d been surprised at the lack of pain after the first surgery, even though I was told there shouldn't be any. But, after the second, that was another story. For a couple days, it was difficult to sleep, all due to the friction between the donor area in the back of my head and the pillow. I was worried that I might unconsciously turn and sleep on my side to escape that pain, which could have possibly messed up the implanted grafts... especially the ones on the temples. I laid down suffering from pain and worry for a while before deciding that I would break down and take a pain pill... and when I finally did take one, it helped put me out until morning. That first night (after the second surgery), I was still in the clinic's hospital bed. Since I had the back raised fairly high, it was easier for me to calm my fears about rolling onto my side after I took the pain pill. But, the second night, I had to go to the Radisson since someone else had already reserved the clinic's room for that night. It was a lot more difficult to sleep (and I barely did) that second night, since turning on my side seemed like it might be much more of a possibility. When I was at home in Los Angeles on the third night, I don’t remember being in much pain at all. A lot of it had already subsided. That, along with the relief of being in my own bed and jamming multiple pillows around to make myself completely comfortable and unafraid of turning on my side, made fearlessly sleeping a lot easier. Since I accidentally left the clinic’s air pillow on the plane--I'd used it to prop my head off the seat all the way back--I had to buy another “travel pillow” at a local department store, and I used every night for the next week to help in stopping my head from turning. That may have been overkill, but I was completely paranoid about destroying any of the grafts for which I'd gone to so much pain and expense. I later read that some people have experienced phantom-type pains. A few times, for very brief periods, I felt like someone stuck a pin in a place on my head. But it didn’t last long--maybe a minute?--and it wasn’t horribly painful… just a strange sensation. For a few weeks, I could feel pain from my donor areas whenever I pressed down on them, but only when I did so... and the only reason I ever pressed down on them was to check for any pain to see how they seemed to be healing. I never experienced any kind of pain in the implanted areas. I don’t know if that’s because those area stayed numb for awhile? I can’t remember when right now, but I think I mentioned to you in one response/post when I first started to lose most of the numbing sensation. There is barely any residual numbing at this point. To give it a random attempt at an accurate description, I’ll say that 95% of the numbness on the top and front of my skull is gone. In looking back, I may have only taken pain pills the night after the second surgery… maybe just one? I can’t remember right now if I took one at the Radisson or not. To be sure, I'd have to look back in posts to see where I talked about pain before. The bottom line is, though, that my pain was very short-lived... bad for a couple nights, then barely there/non-existent. Pain reactions are probably very individual, and for me, only in the donor area on the back of my head while laying on the pillow after the second surgery. I'd actually expected a lot worse just because of my age factor. (I mentioned using self-hypnosis to help stop pain from the injections. That's all I used it for. I've never been able to use it to combat persistent/chronic pain, so I pretty much felt everything else... which is why I ended up asking for more injections when the anaesthetic started wearing off during the procedures.) I don’t think you’ll have any trouble working after the surgeries. Fatigue from difficulty sleeping for a couple/few days is the only issue I can see. For the first days, you’re probably not going to want to see anyone you know due to all of the scabbing. But, since you’ll be working from home, you’ve got that issue covered. Ready4Hair, The clinic reps are very helpful. It might be worth asking if there are suggestions of good options for staying somewhere for a slightly-extended period. I think our discount at the Radisson is only good for a set number of days (5?), so it would get to be more expensive after that. I hadn’t been traveling a lot for a number of years due to personal circumstances, but I know (just from media osmosis) there are now web sites that might be of some use in researching alternative accommodations. I always used to do short-term rentals of apartments instead of staying in hotels when I’d go to capital cities. I don’t know if that would be a viable option near the clinic, though, since I really didn’t go out and get around to see much of anything in the surrounding areas. In addition to any shampooing, you’d want to take advantage of the 10-day checkup if you’ll be sticking around. Traffic can be horrendous if you have to drive any distance around Istanbul during certain parts of the day, so, I’m inclined to think that you probably don’t want to get a place too far from the clinic. If you do stay longer as you are planning, I’d be willing to bet you’ll have one of the most popular threads running when you recount your experiences. When I was reading different threads, it seemed like more people than I would have thought are interested in staying extra days after their HT surgery, and I think you might be a pioneer in doing so at Asmed. FueAsianHairline, You are really a great treasure trove of information. Thanks for posting the link to that video. But, gosh--I hope you’re wrong about that alcohol warning. :cool: And I hope you all drop links here to your main threads. David, I read through your thread about your trip to India. I think it's fantastic that you've blazed a trail to open up the floodgates of good information about yet another high-quality-but-still-economical option for everybody. I hope everything turns out as great as it already looks like it will for you!

Just got back to board and read through postings. I should have time tomorrow to address a couple issues. I must say that I'm happy to see some good exchanges here while I've been on hiatus. Thank you guys for making this thread even more useful for everyone! Want to answer Ready4Hair's immigration question right away-- It doesn't really matter what you put for your purpose of the visit. What they really want to know is if you are planning on doing business, going to school, or moving there permanently vs. just a short visit for tourism. Medical Tourism is growing, so any reference to that will indicate to them that you're only looking for a Tourist Visa... as would saying you're just on a pleasure trip. When I went in December, I was able to pick up my visa upon arrival at the airport, but I understand that was only during some sort of transitional phase. You may have already been to this web page where they detail visa info/requirements by country, but in case it might help anyone else save a few minutes of Googling: Visa Information For Foreigners / Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs Be back tomorrow...

FueAsianHairline, Glad to help. I’m in the middle of creating PowerPoint slides for seminars tomorrow and am taking a short break so I took a quick look at email and saw you posted another question. This may be the last time for a few days I'll be able to log on, but I’ll jam out what I can before I gotta get back to work. 1) First night, I’d consider staying at Radisson. It’s a little cheaper, you don’t need the hospital bed at the clinic until after surgery, and you’ve got the great breakfast buffet. If you have two pre-surgery nights, stay there both and move to clinic to stay there after surgery. 2) Yes, you should go in day after for shampooing and check-up and final instructions. I don’t think staying there additional days will necessarily ensure graft survival. Just be careful--bumping your new grafts would be the biggest screw up of all. The other patients besides me all seemed to leave the day after their surgery, after their check-ups. My flight time out of Istanbul necessitated my staying an additional night. I think anyone would be much more comfortable recovering at home than overseas. An exception would be if you wanted to stay an extra night in the hospital bed at the clinic... but I still think you’d be much better off making yourself comfortable at home. It does not seem to make a lot of sense to stay additional nights at the Radisson. They do not have hospital beds. It’s a great hotel, but you’ll spend a lot of time trying to make yourself comfortable and worrying about not screwing up your transplanted grafts and probably wishing you were at home. I think if you use the ice pack religiously after surgery, that will help keep any swelling down to an acceptable degree. 3) I was unsure about going to any doctor anywhere in the world for a few years after I was pretty sure I was going to get a HT. When you are looking at recent results from Asmed, odds are pretty much 100% that you are looking at their tech work. From the minute I started dealing with Sevinc via e-mail, the professionalism of Asmed started becoming apparent. A part of me was wondering if I’d be disappointed when I got there… if I was just building up in my mind how great my experience with them might be. But it only got better after I arrived there. 4) No one brought it up and I did not ask. By the time I finished talking with Dr. Erdogan and he said he felt comfortable telling me that we could likely achieve what he understood my expectations to be, that was enough at that point for me to want to proceed. I was sure without asking that he probably had some way to make concessions in case of any great failure. You #6 quote in red seems to justify that idea. You’re welcome!

FueAsianHairline, Thank you for the compliment. It really is good to know when someone has found this helpful. Let me address your questions by number, with a few extra details in case they might be beneficial for someone else reading this: 1) You don’t pay anything to the driver. Mine even tried to refuse a small tip I gave him after buying me a couple bottles of water from vendors who were standing out in the middle of the expressway during the bumper-bumper part of our drive during rush hour. You shouldn’t have much trouble finding your driver at the airport. Mine was waiting for me with a sign as I left the customs/baggage claim exit. I kept my cash strapped to me with a money belt just to be safe, in case of general pickpocket/scammers I might encounter. You won’t be asked for any money at all until you’ve seen the clinic and met with Dr. Erdogan to go over an in-depth interview/consultation, and then confirm that you do want to go forward. I imagine the odds of you changing your mind after seeing the Asmed Clinic in person and meeting the staff and Dr. Erdogan have got to be as close to zero as you can get. 2) The Radisson Breakfast Buffet really is fantastic, and something that you won’t want to miss any morning. And It’s included in the price of the hotel. Asmed provides your lunch and any snack/drinks whenever you want something before, during and after your procedures at the clinic. During the day(s) of surgery, you will have no time to do anything. The hotel (very close to the clinic) is a little up on a hill in an area that is becoming a very upscale part of Istanbul. You won’t find much “authentic” or “traditional” Turkey around this area... and no tourist-type things at all that I saw. The view from the hotel rooms is great. If you’ve got two days of surgery, I think you’ll be happy hanging at the hotel or just walking around the adjacent neighborhood for a diversion. Keep in mind that you will want to spray your transplanted grafts and put an icepack across your face every hour or two if you follow the strict instructions for quick recovery, so that somewhat limits your options. I only had dinner one night at the hotel. (I stayed all but the first and last night at the clinic.) I think it cost me about $20 total. There were less and more expensive things I could have gotten. If I would have stayed at the hotel the whole time, I probably would have had some small snack meals there for $10 - $15 at night, and then indulged every AM at the Buffet… or maybe found something outside for dinner if I’d have done the neighborhood walk. Outside of a dinner at the Radisson, a pizza one night from a little pizza parlor next to Asmed, and the cost of a pill splitter at the local pharmacy around the corner from the clinic, I only spent money on the hotel bill and the single bulk payment to Asmed. Your idea of spending the time recovering indoors is spot on. When I was first in Istanbul in 1978, I found it to be my favorite and most interesting place in the world. I’m sure it’s changed a lot, but I didn’t check it out this time. You really should see some of the marvels there. But, not on this trip… Your payment to Asmed covers everything at the clinic and all transportation. You will pay the Radisson separately for the room/buffet, at the preferential Asmed rate. Besides your dinners, I can’t imagine what other expenses you might have or even be in a position to incur. Budget an extra $40/day of cash, and you might find yourself taking a whole lot of that home with you, but will feel more comfortable having it available. 3) You will get the big discount if you take cash to Asmed. Take all dollars. Asmed will give you the best rate you’re going to get (the exact rate on currency exchange markets at the exact moment in time you change your money with them, without any commissions) to convert your money into Euros to pay them, or Turkish Lira if you want some local currency. The only thing I needed Turkish Lira for was the pizza and the pill splitter. My credit card (Mastercard) would not work at the pizza parlor when they tried to run it through their machine. You won’t want to buy a pizza next door since you’re staying at the Radisson, but you might change a few dollars into Lira for the pharmacy if you want t buy the pill splitter. Many years ago, I had to tell my credit card company that I wanted it to be valid for overseas use. I don't know if this is necessary to do any more? I’m guessing small-time vendors in Developing Countries might be off the usual financial grid and that's why my card didn't work at the pizza parlor. The Radisson took my Mastercard for the room bill and my dinner there without a hitch. I’m assuming places around the Radisson will also take credit cards or even cash US$? If not, you could change a few dollars into Lira at the Radisson front desk. Basically, for a trip to Asmed that does not include vacation-type activities thrown into the mix, you’re fine with $US all the way, except for possibly needing a very few Lira as mentioned... and those you could get by changing a few dollars at Asmed or the Radisson. 4) Think we covered most of this, but, in summary: Take cash for your procedure and a little extra to feel comfortable. I'm guessing that you won’t have much time or desire to spend it while in recovery mode and may end up just taking it back home, but you’ll feel more comfortable having it. Radisson takes credit cards for room and dinners. If you need to notify your credit card company that you will be using it overseas, best to do it in advance. No need to go to a bank there, as Asmed will give you a better rate on your US$ than any bank. Hope this helps.

hairweare, You are 100% correct that I misunderstood your original comment. I've highly respected your opinion. It's likely that I might have just read it the way I wanted at the time. If I would have understood you correctly, I may have considered going for 2,500 grafts at the hairline/near behind it and then left it at that. Surgery is my only phobia and I only want one for HT, so the mega-multi-session was tailor-made for my mentality. I've come back to this posting to edit in this statement... that I'm thinking I probably still would have gone for the whole 5,000 grafts. Wanting to avoid a second surgery is such a big thing for me, and the hope to get maximum coverage in one pass seemed like a fair trade-off for any risk. I'll definitely remain optimistic that I'm going to overcome the shock-loss and look better than before. Any which way it goes, I really do appreciate you leveling with me. You exemplify what's been great about this Forum for everybody.

ready4Hair, Thanks for the great post on this thread about all that has been going into your decision-making process. I think the back story is not only very interesting, but it’s really most important and helpful for others to hear as they struggle through it, themselves. Your sharing of personal circumstances adds the human element into your story and reminds us that the big picture is not just all of us trying to get some extra hair, but, in most cases, to jumpstart a positive change in life that we’ve been striving for a long time. I’m really interested to read about what you’ve ultimately decided to do. (I’m going to answer your question from PM below while answering NewLook’s inquiry on docs vs. techs.) Duck, Thank you again! If you’re thread is up and running, could you please put a link on here for us? NewLook2015, Apologize for delay getting back. If I’m not mistaken, I seem to recall you also put on presentations, so I’m sure you know how it goes. Got 12 more major ones coming up, so it’s kind of hectic, and as I lost track of time and everything else the past week, one of my associates told me that it looks like some of my hair has started sprouting. Keep in mind that my recovery will probably be slower than yours, but I took three shots and uploaded them here Hair Restoration Social Network - Hair Loss and Transplant Photos to give you an idea of what I’m guessing is less of a result so far than you should probably expect for yourself at this stage of time. Second surgery was December 8th, these pix were just taken moments ago. I don’t see great progress, but for someone (my associate) who was so negative toward me about my HT to now say that it looks like it might be going to work after all, I’m thinking that’s a good indication the recovery might be starting to build up some momentum. In regards to your questions, awhile back I’d created a Top 10 list for Newbies considering a hair transplant in a text program, then somehow screwed up pasting some of it onto this thread. One of my points was techs vs. doctors, and I’m almost thinking I should recreate that and some of the other missing points since it seems like they’re such hot topics that won’t go away. Let me give you a short preamble before I answer your first question: I, personally, have no problems with qualified “techs” with years of experience performing procedures on me… be it a PA (Physician’s Assistant) in Los Angeles cutting out skin cancers, or nurses in Istanbul extracting and implanting hair grafts. I, personally, would never allow new/unqualified “techs” to learn their trade on me, be it in Los Angeles or Istanbul. “Techs” have to learn their trade and gain experience somewhere and somehow. That is fine. I just choose that it not be on me. I took the techs that Dr. Erdogan assigned to me, since they all had multiple years of experience. [ready4Hair--in answer to your PM question, speaking from my own perspective: if I had it to do all over again, I would not necessarily want Dr. Erdogan to do the extractions/implantations on my head, even if it cost the same amount of money. Obviously, he is a surgeon and absolutely competent since he has specialized in FUE HTs for so many years now. But my tech team has been doing 200+ extractions/year for a long time now, everything went 100% smoothly, and so far I am completely satisfied. **They are definitely a team… and I, personally, would see no benefit in breaking up that team to add Dr. Erdogan into the mix when they’re so used to working together as a cohesive unit and have gotten the intricate multi-hour procedures down to running like perfect clockwork. I know that might be the most unpopular opinion in this entire Forum, but it is my opinion, nonetheless. Dr. Erdogan has his hand in every part of what’s going on in his clinic, and has created about the smoothest and most efficiently running business enterprise that I’ve ever encountered. It works--and it works very well. Comparing Dr. Erdogan’s Asmed Clinic to a “tech mill” is like comparing the Los Angeles Lakers to a bunch of children playing basketball in the local playground. **One thing that I just happened to find out by fluke is that Dr. Erdogan rents some apartments for a lot of the nurses to stay in together during the weekdays. The clinic is in a nice and expensive part of town. Their families live elsewhere in more affordable areas, so with Istanbul having some of the worst traffic in the world right now, the commute would take too long to make on a daily basis. These nurses live together, eat together, go out together… they are not just co-workers--they are great friends. For me, that cements/increases the value of the whole “team” concept.] NewLook2015, another user here, “johntra”, had been concerned about the assignment of techs, as well. I think he actually requested and received a particular tech that he had heard about. He started a thread that I linked to a few posts back. You are pretty thorough and may have already talked to him. I’d say it would be worth your while asking him for his opinion on this exact question, also, since he’s very helpful. The incision process (all incisions are done by Dr. Erdogan) is not painful, but I chose to distract myself during it by counting how many incisions were made. Both days I thought I must have lost count because I thought there were a couple more than the 2,500 I was expecting. After the second surgery, I was given a “Patient Info File” which contained information about the number of grafts that I received. The numbers were 2,503 for the first surgery, 2,502 for the second surgery. I am pretty sure those counts must be accurate. Hope that helps… gotta get back to prepping for tonight’s presentations.

I’m absolutely crunched for time due to seminar revisions/presentations to make tonight through the end of next week--at which time I’ll update/elaborate--but I just wanted to say thank you very much for the kind words. It makes a big difference when any feedback shows that my time and effort spent here may be seen as worthwhile… Thank you!

Thank you, ready4Hair, for letting me know that my style of sharing was seen as beneficial. I scanned your profile and a few of your most recent posts before now beginning to write this so that I might be more appropriate in whatever I might say to you right now since you’re feeling a time crunch. I’m going to answer your questions both from the PM and in your posting on this thread with this response. For starters, we’ve got to remove the variable which may force you to make a decision you’ll later second-guess. Even if you really do feel like you need to make a final decision by tomorrow, you’ve got to take your last look at everything without the constraints of time pressure forcing your hand either way. Just pretend you’ve got a year to make your decision, and everything will probably fall into place with a lot more clarity. You won’t regret going with either of your two Last-Doctor-Standing choices. You’re looking at a win-win situation. You will be happy with either one. (For the random Lurkers, ready4Hair has narrowed his choices down to Dr. Feriduni and Dr. Erdogan.) You’ve got to look at that fact as though it is going to make your decision easier, not more difficult. You’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from various Forum users. They don’t necessarily all agree completely why one might be better than the other for certain aspects of the surgery, but you’ve been able to draw enough conclusions so that you feel comfortable with a general picture in your mind about why one might be preferable over the other. I did not go to Dr. Feriduni, but he was a surgeon I had seriously considered. I did go to Dr. Erdogan. I thnk I can answer your questions objectively. However, I’ll be unable to draw any accurate comparisons between the two doctors and their facilities, demeanor, etc., because I never ended up meeting Dr. Feriduni, nor did I visit his establishment. Dr. Erdogan was willing to give me as much input as I desired into the design of the hairline. I had an idea of what I wanted, and right off the bat he added the temple points which I requested. He then proceeded to draw a few options on me to frame the temple points which were better than what I’d had in mind. This was in his office. Later, we went down to the basement where they take their detailed photos to plan out the surgery, where he and a group of staff/technicians hashed out amongst themselves what they thought might look the best from a couple of his final designs. When I saw what they decided, it sure looked fine to me. It had been 30+ years since I’d had my hair that far forward on my head, so it’s not like I had any basis for wanting to argue about what might have appeared to be more natural. He will do whatever you like. If you have an exact idea what you want, I have to believe they will precisely create it for you. They draw it on you the afternoon/evening before and work from that the next day. Day 1 for me (maybe everyone?) was the hairline. If you have a firm idea of how you want to look, I’d stick with it. I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted, but, in my case, I think that they just came up with something that looked better. Never during any part of any of the process did I feel rushed. Like you, I was very interested in having sufficient density in the hairline. I had been given estimates of 2,500 to 3,000 for the hairline and vertex in consultations with two doctors and one other company’s rep, with the idea that I could have more grafts added later with subsequent surgeries. The Asmed approach to my case definitely struck a chord--more grafts up front, since I had enough donor hair to justify it--in order to add increased fullness right from the get-go, then combine that with a Finasteride regimen as a way to maintain as much native hair as possible to potentially keep the look I’ll have achieved while avoiding need for any future surgeries. I think I mentioned in a previous posting that I have a phobia regarding medical procedures. So, 5,000 grafts now and hopefully never have another HT surgery again? I was down for that. There are the schools of thought that so many grafts done in a couple back-back FUE sessions might be too many. Another theory is that the trauma is greatly lessened when using a manual punch, which is what Asmed uses. I’m still a Grade A Ignoramus regarding technicalities in the HT industry, but everything I saw and read and the first patient I met in the hotel after my arrival in Istanbul gave me comfort… and I’ve never looked back. (DISCLAIMER: While I had a fantastic experience at Asmed and am very optimistic, I have to emphasize the point that I’m still just over two months out from my surgeries. My only results to show right now are of the “short-term” and “ugly-duckling” variety. Hair has been slowly coming back in after the initial shedding, with just a small percentage of it grown out far enough yet to make fuzz. I’m not at the point where I’d be a poster boy for proven results.) Having multiple surgeries as one sees how his hair thins out over the years is probably a sensible approach for a young man to take, if for no other reason than cloning or whatever else that comes along will probably minimize the trauma they will suffer in the future surgeries that they anticipate going through. I see that you are just a few years shy of me, so you are more in the proverbial boat that I was in. Your hair might grow back a lot faster than mine, but I’ll tell you that I’m glad I will only go through one round of HTs. I can deal with it all right this time, but, at my age, I only have so much time left in life that I can justify spending in this “recovery mode”, looking like I’d rather not look. You’ve been taking Finasteride and possibly have stabilized your hair loss? You also indicated to me that you may want to go through this whole process one time only. If you know you can get the look you want with Feriduni, the two Doctors are in a dead heat. But if you’re not sure or don’t think you can get the look you want with the number of grafts you’d be doing in a single round of HTs with Feriduni, that probably does tilt things in favor of a trip to Istanbul, doesn’t it? I think they are both great Doctors. Feriduni was one of ~five surgeons in the world I'd narrowed them all down to at the tail end of my decision-making process. He has so many happy patients. If he came through for you, you would be one more. I’m also sure you would be happy going to Dr. Erdogan. And, in the end now, it’s still pretty much a win-win situation for you. But, ready4Hair, it sounded to me like you’d already made your decision and just wanted to bounce ideas off different people at the last minute. Hopefully, you’ve talked to enough Feriduni patients to balance whatever I’ve told you. And I will only tell you this final thing because I really do think you've already made up your mind: The reason I decided not to pursue going to Feriduni (and the others on my final list besides Erdogan) is because I didn’t think I’d get as many grafts as I wanted to get in one single visit with them... because I'd already decided I would never want to go for a second round of HT surgeries.

BigP, I think this is a great thread you've got going. You've done a fantastic job recounting the details of your experience and your great attitude makes all of your entries an even-greater pleasure to read. Keep up the good work!