My HT experience

**chewbacka** · 10-22-2010 03:56 AM

Hi All,

Im new to the forum but have frequented the site over the past year looking at other peoples experiences and questions prior to me having my own HT.

I have attached my own recent experience for everyone to view and hope it helps those looking to take the plunge

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Well guys im back and to say im happy is a complete understatement.

My initial start to my trip nearly ended in disaster when Virgin queried my name against the booking ???

Let me explain

Day 1....

On my last trip to NY I used expedia and did so again on this trip. However since my last trip I have had a new passport issued to me. Now this is where the fun starts my old passport had my middle name on and for some unknown reason which I did not query my new one hasn't so when i placed the booking with expedia they used all my old details online to book my seat. Upon arriving at Heathrow I could not scan my passport into the system so eventually after going from checkdesk to security and back several times they agreed to change my name on the booking but only after me producing my driving licence and cards with my full name on, the worrying thing was they then set doubts into my head over the ESTA by saying if I had quoted my middle name on the ESTA I may have trouble clearing customs After several calls to friends they checked ESTA for me and confirmed it does not ask for your middle name only your first given "thanks airport security" .

So with me now feeling a little better I decided to get some food and drink and sit down to eat, I open a bottle of coke to which it promptly sprays everywhere covering me "WTF" I had only walked 30m so I knew I had not shaken it. Anyway after being called down to board I got to the departure lounge only to be pulled to one side to be searched and my entire hand luggage sproiled across the desk and yes it was only me! Why?? because I had my ticket changed at the desk was the security mans answer ??????

Oh well lets get on the plane and get going I thought only customs can make my day worse now How wrong was I. Firstly if I could of sat next to the biggest most obnoxious idiot on the plane then today was going be that day and woo hoo it was my lucky day, the guy was way too tall for the seats and told the woman in front at one point not to recline her chair as he could not move he then took all the arm rest space he could ordered 20 packs of sweets and crisps and just munched his lazy ass way through the flight, to make matters worse I couldn't get a seat upgrade as they had all gone but at least i had a aisle seat

Halfway through the flight I felt thirsty so decided to get my lucozade from my bag and guess what it sprayed everywhere! now cokes bad but sticky lucozade arrgh. After that it was just a case of sitting still not moving, talking or touching for fear of reprisal.

Touchdown ....

At last just customs to clear and I can get into my hotel get changed and over to times square.................. WTF Now I have been to JFK several times but the site that bestowed me on entering customs blew me away... 5 yes 5 planes had all touched down within minutes of each other and I have never seen so many people waiting to clear customs. All in all 3.5 hours later I cleared customs and rushed to get a taxi.. And guess what I couldn't get a yellow cab to take me to my hotel and the man taking booking told me to get a taxi off the man standing over there! I told him where i wanted to go and he quoted $65 dollars even though he had no idea where it was luckily I had wrote the directions down gave them to him and he got me there after driving past it twice, at this point I was so tired as it was 21:00pm and fed up I didnt have the energy or patience to argue so promptly paid him and scurried into the hotel.

The hotel itself is nice but I had booked in when a barmitzah was taking place... 1st night no sleep and constant banging and voices all night, great not only had my day been full of problems but now I cant sleep Oh well tomorrow is a new day.

Day 2....

For what little sleep I had I woke relatively early "still on UK time" I got my self ready went to grab my camera and it was not there After headbutting the bed, wall and very nearly the TV i grabbed my phone and jacket and decided to walk to the doctors ready for tomorrow morning. The walk itself is not a bad one I had wrote the directions down and it took me around 25mins to get there. After finding it I decided to walk back to the hotel and get the subway which I was dreading. The subway station itself is about 30 seconds walk from the hotel and I was very surprised at how clean and nice the trains actually are I had visions of gangs with bandanas and knife weilding thugs "Thanks to all the movies " but this was not the case. Now my day in Manhatten was not to go without issue, why should it as it would be completely out of context and my curse would not let me down half way through the day my phone died so no more photos could be taken. "great" Now I had pondered buying a camera from one of the many shops but the thought of my hotel room burning down and my dodgy camera plugged into the wall charging and finding out this was the culprit flashed into my head so I decided to just stroll and enjoy the sights and shop.

Day 3 .... (surgery)

After the previous 2 days being a disaster I imagined walking into a dingy flame ridden room, Freddy Kruger standing there coaxing me into a chair with Edward scissor hands as his assistant with the grim reaper asking me to sign his autograph book. However this was not the case..... The only day I actually had any fear at all over was the most pleasent and nearly non-incidental day of my trip.

Dr Feller and his assistants made me feel so welcome and relaxed I was even chuckling to myself at one point whilst they was cutting my donor strip away as I kept imagining myself looking like Frankenstein! yes thats how insane i had become

My day was not to go without incident the only one being my anistetic had worn off I didnt realise you was not meant to fell them putting the grafts in, oh well it was only an hour or so of pain after me telling the nurses i couldn't stand the pain the doctor quickly visited me and explained i should not feel any pain at all and I could have as many injections as necessary to numb the pain.... So after around a dozen to the back of my head and the same to the top i was ready to go again. The doctor did advise me when giving the first round of injections that I did have a lot of scar tissue on the top and sides of my head from years of football and rugby which is why the injections wore off so quick. Anyway other than that and having to try and sit still for 6.5 hours when my surgery was over I have never been so happy to see what I actually saw.....................HAIR.... now dont get me wrong I looked like Fryer Tuck with a bad case of sunburn but I was really pleased and so much so I would of walked back to my hotel without a cap and not given a toss who saw me.

My whole day spent with Doctor Feller was a real pleasure and I was surprised at just how many people are interested in having HT's, in the time I spent there the Dr showed me off to several visitors and speaking with him after he told me around 10 people had visited him that day, if I could speak to those people now who had any doubts or fears I would say to them not to worry and go right ahead with it as it was the most memorable day of my trip as it was the most happiest I had felt in the time I was there.

Whilst discussing what ambitions I had for the transplant I told the doctor I knew I would not get back my birth hairline back, so I asked him based on the style of my hair to create what he thought would be a natural look and he did not dissapoint me. My donor area is very think and at one point the doctor joked I could sell it but this worked out well for me as the doctor actually gave me more transplants further back into my hairline than he actually drew on my head at the start of the day, during the surgery the radio was on and Dr Feller asked me to name the bands and songs for free grafts I got one right however after sitting down with the Dr at the end he told me how many extra grafts he had actually given me compared to the 2700 I had actually paid for and I nearly fell off my seat, the doctor and I come to an agreement which I feel is only fair for the DR to comment on if he wishs too, but I was more than happy and as I sit here typing this Spex is right you cant stop looking in the mirror but for some strange reason maybe Im mad but I actually just cant help admiring both the Dr's and his assistants work even my girlfriend is amazed at how much hair I actually have and how good it looks and she is a hairdresser.

I was invited down to the surgery the following day to look at an FUE surgery but the previous days lack of sleep caught up with me and I slept in and so missed it, which I regret as the Dr told me I may not need another strip transplant but im already looking at filling in the front third leading down to the side burns by FUE.

So now its just a case of sitting back and waiting. So a big thankyou to everyone on here who helped with questions etc and most importantly to Dr Feller and his amazing team who not only take pride in their work but who genuinely care about you whilst there with them and after.

Simply amazing