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More than 5 cm - 6 cm (inclusive)

More than 6 cm - 7 cm (inclusive)

More than 7 cm - 8 cm (inclusive)

More than 8 cm - 9 cm (inclusive)

[ForcedPuberty]

its your funeral. everything I stated is common knowledge in the medical community.

doctors fk up all the time. just because someone is a doctor does not mean they memorized everything in medical school, especially in regards to limb lengthening for cosmetic cases.

lets play a game: how many hours do you think the medical curriculum studies limb lengthening for cosmetic cases in their degree and all the associated biological sciences in relation to cosmetic cases.

answer: when you learn the truth you will understand why the fk they don't know anything.

millions of people die per year because doctors fk up. and yet their word is still god. your not interested in the information, your more interested in the person who gives it to you.


even basic medline plus states exactly what I just said.

A contracture develops when the normally stretchy (elastic) tissues are replaced by nonstretchy (inelastic) fiber-like tissue. This tissue makes it hard to stretch the area and prevents normal movement.

Contractures mostly occur in the skin, the tissues underneath, and the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joint areas. They affect range of motion and function in a certain body part.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003185.htm

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
From the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health

if you say I am wrong you are saying Medline plus is wrong. let not make this about me, lets make this about medline plus. you cant challenge the information so you challenge the person.

you do this by comparing the doctor to the person in question. how about for 1nce you pay attention to the information. and then you will see its accepted medical information that is not refuted.

[ForcedPuberty]

your ligaments don't just wake up 1 day and go......... you know the fk what......... im going to change my entire tissue fibre type today because you over lengthened the last few months.

no its a culminative process. your tissues don't just go. 10th fine, 11th fine, 12fine...............31st fine. ..........3 months later..... 1st fine  ...... next day......change the whole fking legs tissue asap!!!!!

but sure the doctor knows everything. according to him

SCAR TISSUE DOES NOT BUILD UP if lengthen too fast.

so what he is saying is that everyone with muscle contracture all of a sudden: their leg magically sais lets change the whole leg tissue fibre type today because your now over lengthened. that's preposterous. does he even understand how ligaments break or stretch. how stupid is this statement.
does he even know what a micro tear is.

[ItsMyLife]

Perhaps the rate of lengthening is so slow such that scar tissue does not form.
Perhaps, the reason for the contracture, is that, simply, certain muscle groups are not long enough, not stretched enough so to speak.
But I agree with you that under extreme stresses to muscle, scar tissues will form.
But anyway or how, I will do this slower.
Dr Fahri said that 0.5 mm a day is better than 0.75 mm a day.
I do not agree with the loss of athletic function.

[endomorphisme]

do you know if dr bagirov has height restriction?

[ItsMyLife]

I think I have already contributed enough to this forum (and repaid the members who have helped me earlier)... I think it is time to put an end to this diary. I might still update when I go back to Russia for a check-up in mid-march, and when I remove my frames. If I disappear suddenly, it is not because I encounter complications or anything. I will update when I remove my frames, unless I was silenced (ie, killed) by somebody

Why I decide to stop this diary is because it has also not been very helpful for me, I do not get responses to questions I ask.. So i will instead post my questions elsewhere in this forum. I will still be active in this forum.

Also, I am now working, and thus, I do not have so much time to update this diary. I also think it is unfair to post a review stage-by-stage. It might be unfair to the doctors because when you look back, you might feel that you were not very mature in writing that, and that the doctors actually acted reasonably, or whatsoever.

At this point of time, I would say the nurses and doctors are really great (most of the time). Dr Fahri has been very responsive on Skype.

I am at 3.3 cm, I lengthening faster than crimsontide actually, and I have no ballerina, or whatsoever. Fibula is displaced on one leg, even though the top and bottom are fixated, so things should be fine.

Pain and sleep are currently good. I am not wannabegiant, I do have pains when I stop painkillers, so, yeah. I am not sure if I will make it to 8 cm, just wish me luck.

I also think nobody is really interested in Dr Bagirov now since there are issues with antibiotics and painkillers, but I think if you bring your own painkillers and anti-B it should be really fine. Singapore surgeons are usually skeptical and cynical and critical of other surgeons' work. But, this time,my Singapore surgeon seems really okay with everything.

So, all in all, I will stop this diary at this point of time. I cannot have so much negative energies ruining my mind. Placebo effect is well documented, and I need to keep positive. There are people here who are critical, and discouraging, and scolding you and allthat, when all you are doing is a SERVICE to the community by updating your progress.

This is all I have to say, and at this premature point of time, I would say that Dr Bagirov is a pretty good clinic. The two half rings and one full ring enable full range of motion. Knee contracture and ballerina is at a minimum, though in the morning it can be pretty stiff. By the time its night time, you walk really well. I can even walk to work.

Take care, and I hope the members here are more encouraging (that is why some members do not post diaries, and instead message me directly; you know who you are); then people would post their diaries.

[Uppland]

Another function of the diary is to provide information to people interested in following in your footsteps. Couldn't you post short updates like this every week:

-lengthened amount
-physical state
-emotional state
-general development

Also please, please tell us how you recover you know how much it means to us prospects to hear other peoples experience and recovery is always at the top of the list. We need as much info on this as possible please don't hold that part out on us, it shouldn't take that much effort to have a short Q and A after you've recovered but it would mean the world to us.

Good luck with the rest of the process.

[just_me]

Hi Itsmylife, Your x-rays looking good - Your bone formation is great. I follow your very informative diary every day. Keep your good work with your legs. Soon you will have great long legs as you want no matter if it ends with 3 or 8 cm - Good luck.

[Medium Drink Of Water]

Alignment and callus formation both look good to me.

[ItsMyLife]

hi MDOW

can you please download my x-rays?

on the website, it just does not show the complete picture..

those reading this can also download the image files because the complete picture is not showed because of the large dimensions

download and view in an image viewer...

im actually counting myself lucky no major problems! crimsontide, wannabegiant they are pretty okay. I read horror stories about indian doctors

my Singapore surgeon was very happy with the alignment and consolidation and I just wanna confirm here if theres anything wrong as I see some misalignment??

as an update I am now at 3.6 cm. so far no pin loss. x-ray measurements are same as the device distraction (but different from my spreadsheet as I believe the turns are not totally 90 degrees); when I turn 90 degrees usually it ends up having less than 0.25 mm, maybe 0.2 mm. so the days I actually turned 1mm, I was actually turning close to 0.8 instead.

so I was pretty safe turning extra. but nowadays I turn 0.75.

[goodlucktomylegs]

Please  update dude

[ItsMyLife]

Update, so now I am at about 4.3 cm. The latest X-rays are out, and they show that my bone healing is kinda too fast. I was asked by my local ortho to do at least 0.75/0.5 on alternate days, which is an average rate of 0.625 mm/day.

For a few days (about 1-2 weeks ago), I actually did 0.5 mm a day for a few days because I was having severe archilles strain and hamstring tightness.. After that, I started doing alternate 0.5/0.75. Even now, after doing 0.5/0.75 for almost a week or so, I do not have any archilles tightness or hamstring tightness.

Dorsiflexion is still 20 degrees, and knee contracture is still absent, but I think sometimes my right leg gives problems. and I have to straighten it and stretch it. Walking does wonders to straighten up your knees.  My left knee is always straight even without stretching.

I am allowed to sleep with knees flexed but I find that if I keep one leg totally straight and sleep on my side, then in the morning, it is not so bad.

I am able to take food (ie, stand momentarily without holding the walker) , I am still able to walk without any loss of mobility, I am still able to walk properly with walkers, and I am still working a few days in a week (for a few hours, teaching).

I stand and walk for a total of about 30 minutes a day, I occasionally stretch my knees and my archilles tendon.

Sleep is perfect. I am on Lyrica, so I guess it kinda helps as an indication of Lyrica is anxiety disorder and so I guess its sleep inducing. Tramadol is also ... makes you so lazy and sleep inducing. Hence, I did not do much PT, its all because of Lyrica and Tramadol but I am trying to fight the laziness. For the past few weeks or maybe two months I did not use any sleep aids, or anti-histamines, or sedatives. Sleep is just perfect. I guess it is probably since I am doing all this in the comfort of my own home, so I can sleep well.

Pain? Pain is almost zero. Zero when tramadol and paracetamol is in full effect. Some slight discomfort when walking even though tramadol and paracetmaol is 8 hours past the last-dose.

If I can reach 5-6 cm, and stil have no problems with sleep, pain and mobility , I will do 8 cm.

I have many many cards up my sleeve: anti-histamines for sleep. possible increase of dosage of tramadol from 150 mg to 300 mg, Xanax and benzos for sleep, Trazodone for sleep, Phenazepam injection to relax muscles and sleep,  many codeine pills, eperisone for muscle pain and spasms, etc . All these cards can be played when I approach 8 cm, because I have not even used them at all. I think I can do this

Somehow, dr fahri is right, around 4 cm the pain is zero, and it might get worse as I approach 8 cm. At 4.3 cm, WBG was also doing very well. Crimsontide got problems at 5 cm. Another guy (who strongly protests against and refuses to disclose his identity, for god knows what reason) also has severe ballerina problems at 5 cm. So I might be, I might be doing well enough, to do 8 cm.

Time will tell.

[Taller]

If your flexibility and dorsiflexion are so good, why don't you walk more than 30 minutes each day? Walking more (I'd say at least 2 hours per day, but I'm just a biomedical student, not a doctor) would be amazing for your soft tissues, helping them adapt better to lengthening. Walking also reduces lengthening pain in the long run, from what I've gathered, and it will make your post-lengthening recovery much, much easier. Walking will probably also make it easier to reach 8CM, since that's your goal.

[Overdozer]

Where did you get so many painkiller drugs? Wow. You must be having a lot of fun lol, considering tramadol is used to threat heroin withdrawal here in Russia, and lirika is used to treat tramadol withdrawal. Keep that in mind when increasing the dosage. (Btw can you send me some?  )

[ItsMyLife]

If your flexibility and dorsiflexion are so good, why don't you walk more than 30 minutes each day? Walking more (I'd say at least 2 hours per day, but I'm just a biomedical student, not a doctor) would be amazing for your soft tissues, helping them adapt better to lengthening. Walking also reduces lengthening pain in the long run, from what I've gathered, and it will make your post-lengthening recovery much, much easier. Walking will probably also make it easier to reach 8CM, since that's your goal.

As I explained, its laziness due to the medicines. Also, if you did not walk for a few hours, u experience joint stiffness and some discomfort for the first 10 or so steps. This does not happen when I am in my first few weeks of lengthening...

But I understand your point and I am now trying to fight this drug-induced laziness. And yeap, walking does get easier and pain does get easier if you walk more.

[ItsMyLife]

Where did you get so many painkiller drugs? Wow. You must be having a lot of fun lol, considering tramadol is used to threat heroin withdrawal here in Russia, and lirika is used to treat tramadol withdrawal. Keep that in mind when increasing the dosage. (Btw can you send me some?  )

Ha ha you stay in Russia? Tramadol ... Dr Fahri is OK with me taking Tramadol but he is unwilling to prescribe it to me. He wants me to get it in Singapore, but he says I can take it, or Katadalon (a Russian drug which is as powerful as Tramadol but not opiate).

I take tramadol 3 times a day. (150 mg in total).

Lyrica is not a good medicine. When I took 75 mg x 3 as prescribed for a few weeks and suddenly stopped, I went into full-blown anxiety (I do not have anxiety issues or history). I could not breathe, had heart palpitations and felt an impending sense of doom. As I ran out of Lyrica (doctor forgot to prescribe), I tried to go cold turkey. The second night cold turkey, I gave up. I was sweating immensely and feeling so unwell and could get only very little sleep. The next day, I went to the hospital, half dead!

Now, I have tapered down my Lyrica to one 75 mg pill and one 25 mg pill a day. I will taper down further.  WHen I  went cold turkey, I realise Lyrica makes the whole process more comfortable, but not by much.  I am actually taking Lyrica now because I am dependant on it. I am eventually planning to cut down to 25 mg x 2 a day, and further.

I am going back to Moscow in mid -March (some of my leg rods have only 3 cm left, and doc says there must be 0.5 cm left, for safety pruposes).I will get katadalon and mydo calm there. These are good meds.

I switched to tramadol cos I was taking 6 x 100 mg katadadolons a day, that was very very bad for liver and katadalon does cause liver failure after 2 weeks. I think I will reduce Tramadol and switch to Katadalon as I approach 8 cm.

[ItsMyLife]

oh, the scar is almost imperceptible. if anyone wants pics, let me know. its a half-inch cut. not the horrible c-cut I dreaded

[KiloKAHN]

I don't know why Dr Sarin was doing that c-cut anyway. I think he said he did it so you get a better look underneath than when you do a straight cut, but the tibia bone is right underneath so there's no real reason you need to get a better look in there.

[ItsMyLife]

I don't know why Dr Sarin was doing that c-cut anyway. I think he said he did it so you get a better look underneath than when you do a straight cut, but the tibia bone is right underneath so there's no real reason you need to get a better look in there.

is it only done by Dr Sarin?

[ItsMyLife]

Hey guys

Anyone actually gained mass after surgery? I thnk I gained like 5-6 kg. I was initially 63-64 kilos, and now I am 71 kilo.

If we discount the weight of the fixators, I am probably heavier by about 6-7 kilograms!

I do  not walk much and my femur muscle is getting smaller (quadriceps) but the decrease in size has stopped.

I think I am getting fatter due to the lack of exercise and eating too much? (eating a lot has helped my consolidation though)

Could some of the mass actually be bone and muscle mass? My calf is also much larger than before? Weird.

For every 1 cm of bone growth, how much bone is grown? What bout muscle??

I only read patients lose weight and not gain weight after Sx.

My mass was 64 kilo. 1 month post-op  or so I became 69 kilo. Now I am 71. I feel fatter... but peope commented my arm muscles r larger now (must be the walker training)

the measurement is also accurate as I stand without holding the walker.

[Uppland]

I've heard patients talk about their calfs growig faster, MDoW said he barely increased much in weight though but I guess it differs.

[Medium Drink Of Water]

Yeah I think it depends on how much potential for growth a person's leg muscles have.

[ItsMyLife]

Why do I have hamstring pain for awhile when I bend my knees when walking? this usually goes away after a few days (it happened before, and disappeared, now its back)

[Medium Drink Of Water]

Probably because you're stretching it out to the extreme, which is a normal part of LL.  I wouldn't worry about that at all.

[ItsMyLife]

Probably because you're stretching it out to the extreme, which is a normal part of LL.  I wouldn't worry about that at all.

thanks MDOW. will continue to listen to my body and stop if severe soft tissue problems occur. I am quite scared that some patients  suddenly experience problems at 5 or 6 cm. But If I can get even 5 cm, I am happy!

[ItsMyLife]

I am at 4.8 cm and I have a problem on one rod. See pic (I call the screws, screw 1, 2 and 3 in the picture)
Please download the picture as it does not display properly.
Sorry I updated the picture: Screw 1, 2 and 3.
BUt there's an error. the bottom-most screw should be screw 1.




Proper lengthening:
1. Screw 1 will be loosened (turn Clockwise). Screw 2 and Screw 3 would typically be stationary.
2. Now, turn Screw 2 90 degrees clockwise. (The other screws will be stationary)
3. Then, tighten up screw 1 (turn anticlockwise).  (The other screws will be stationary)

PROBLEM now:
1. When I turn screw 1 to loosen it, the entire rod rotates! Screw 2 and Screw 3 turn together, making lengthening impossible

How I solved it:
1. I tightened the entire rod at the Screw 1. When I tightened screw 1, I had to make sure other parts did not move using another spanner(s).
2. When I loosen Screw 1, I hold with another two spanners Screw 2 and Screw 3. I hold them tightly to prevent them from moving, so  I can distract.
3. Then I turn Screw 2, making sure the other screws (1 and 3) are held tightly with spanners.
4. Finally I tighten Screw 1, making sure all other screws do not rotate together.

Has anyone had this problem?
I messaged  Dr Fahri on Skype. And I am waiting for his reply.

Three rods lengthen my leg. The other two rods are distracting perfectly. So I do not think this is premature consolidation??

I think the problem is that Screw 1 becomes so difficult to turn (the threading is spoilt - usually the screw is easy to turn) and so it affects the other screws... So I have to hold the other screws tightly when I turn any of them.

[ItsMyLife]

Sorry I updated the picture: Screw 1, 2 and 3.
BUt there's an error. the bottom-most screw should be screw 1.

[ItsMyLife]

Before tinkering millimetres, ALWAYS measure the lengths.... I might have changed my leg by  an extra 0.5 to 1 mm at one time or something. I do not know.

I only measured the distance below screw 1 after some tinkering (stupid me). And It was 3.6 cm. I managed to reverse-turn such that the distance is 3.8 cm. (means I reverse-distracted). And I forward-distracted back to 3.6 cm. (The shorter that distance, the more you have lengthened).

I  might well have accidentally turned 0.5 to 1 mm extra, I don't know.
Always measure the lengths before touch the apparatus (I thought I could count the number of turns,but the turns weren't turns cos' other screws moved).

I was experiencing some shooting pain and just to play safe I took codeine 60 mg, and Arcoxia 90 mg and a muscle relaxant Myonal, and Lyrica extra 25 mg. usually I just take Tramadol and Lyrica. I might have a rough night.... thought of getting ready my benzodiazepine injections in case of muscle spasm..... but I cant inject it with tramadol and codeine at such high doses. Just wait it out I suppose

[Overdozer]

The threading mechanism on the opposite side of the lengthening screws (1&2) is probably fked, that's the only reason I see why the rod rotates. You can replace screw #1 if it's spoilt with a new one, but I doubt that will solve it.

[ItsMyLife]

The threading mechanism on the opposite side of the lengthening screws (1&2) is probably fked, that's the only reason I see why the rod rotates. You can replace screw #1 if it's spoilt with a new one, but I doubt that will solve it.

Thanks for the reply .. I was kinda in shock and disappointed, but I am OK with 5 cm, really.

I agree that the threading mechanism is spoilt, that was my dad's thoughts. I was at first confused.

Anyway,  I can now distract it (though more difficult).

Since I might not be able to turn accurately, I have attached some tape to the rod. The distance between the lower end of the tape and screw 2, that will be distracted amount!

I am going back to Russia in less than one months time, so I will probably change the rod there. I have an extra rod at home, but I don't dare to touch this device....

My bone should be fine since the rod and the entire column is not connected directly to any pin/bolt 

[Overdozer]

Yeah that frame looks a little complicated, though very compact. If you had a usual "rod between rings" you could then place a temp holding rod, then remove the rod and place new screws. Then you'd remove the temp rod and check for length difference. That's how I got some of my rods replaced.

[ItsMyLife]

Today, an emergency happened. When I was tightening the top screw, suddenly the entire central rod came off! I was so shocked. I used my hands to push the two half-rings apart but the force was too great. That area compressed and the rod went off-centre.

I knew it was a dangerous situation so I refused to move my left leg and I immediately took out another rod to tighten between the left rod and the right rod, so it can stabilise the structure. (It might have been too late, but just In case).

I removed that faulty rod (with spoilt threads) with some difficulty (as the threads are spoilt).  I had to turn the nuts like hell. Finally it was out. I replaced the rod with another rod that Dr Fahri gave. I had a calm mind so I knew what I was doing. I measured the length 9 cm between Screw 3 and Screw 2 on the faulty rod before removing it.

Now, I inserted the new spare rod, and turned the nuts until it reads 9 cm between Screw 3 and Screw 2. The new spare rod when turned to 9 cm bent slightly due to the force it had to over-come. Basically, the distance between the two half-rings at the central part compressed to 8 cm when the rod dropped out.  Now the distance is back at 9 cm (before the manoeuvre).

I might have moved the bone fragments 1-2 cm at a time... will I be alright??  I've took tramadol, lyrica, arcoxia, myonal before all this dangerous manoeuvre..

And I still have some (minor) pain.

I think, after this emergency, It will be best to stay near the clinic during lengthening phase. I was so shocked and it was so difficult Technically (because the doctor didn't demonstrate to me) to put in the new rod.