Massive dilemma

Guys I really need some honest and conforting advice. Feeling very depressed right now. I feel i messed up big time I feel I was just too arrogant, I felt I didn't need to use any medication. Even my surgeon recommended I should take avodart or finasteride post op but due to my haughtiness I refused to do so.

So just a quick background. I had my surgery done I at the ASMED surgery turkey in May 2022 and to be honest it was a great experience. the doctors were great the surgery was amazing, the transplant itself was fantastic.

once I arrived back home I went through all the usual stages that I would read on this Reddit sub including the hair fallout after about four or five months in my hair grew and was really thick really strong very happy with the results of my hairline was nice and thick and everything was great.

However during this whole process I did not take any medication, I did not take finasteride or anything whatsoever and I honestly just believed (yes I was deluded) but I believed that I didn't need to take any meds and my great new hair will stay like this.

I'm in my 40s but approximately 20 years ago I did start taking finasteride but I was so shocked and upset about the amount of shedding that I stopped taking it and I just accepted the fact that I would just have to try natural remedies to hold on to my hair and I didn't want to take anything that would potentially affect my hormone levels hearing horror stories of can't get it up and gyno and so on.

Anyhow I've come to realize now after approximately nearly 1.5 year after my transplant that I have lost probably most of the transplanted hair on my head. My hairline is slightly improved but the condition of my head looks pretty much almost the same as pre-surgery now I've come to realize that I do need to take finasteride.

Have I left it too late? was that surgery all in vain? I spent nearly 10k of the surgery a lot of money it took me a lot of time to save up and it was a long process of pain but now I feel like is it too late to get on the meds.

My question is, can I ever get those new hairs back or is it gone for good? My donor area is not amazing and obviously it's worse now after the 1st op.

Do I have to go back and have to try and have another transparent again?

please any advice you give me would help.

I'm a man of need rn.

I know I'm not an active contributor to this sub so for therefore it's understandable I probably won't get many responses but I do really need some help I really could use some advice and I have no idea what to do but it's feel very upset I feel like screwed up big time.

See link below for hair state.

https://imgur.com/a/lHuHAqt