My DHI hair transplant recovery notes, day 1 to month 4

Sharing because I was reading everything here before my DHI hair transplant and the real timelines helped me more than clinic photos. I flew to Istanbul in late November with my brother. Consultation was the evening we arrived, procedure next morning. The day itself was long and more boring than dramatic. I did not love the waiting between steps because I was anxious, but the translator checked on me and my brother stayed in the lobby. Hotel was close, maybe 7 minutes by van, which mattered because I was tired after. First week: I looked strange, slept carefully, and sent many WhatsApp photos to the clinic. They replied same day most times, once next morning. Around week three I had the ugly shedding phase and honestly panicked even though they had warned me. Month two was the hardest mentally because I felt like I had paid money to look the same. Now at month four there is early growth, not a final result, but enough that I stopped checking mirror every hour. My advice as a patient, not expert: compare aftercare communication as seriously as graft numbers. Also ask who does which parts, because every clinic answered that question differently.