Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: V21 on August 14, 2021, 05:39:55 PM
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Hey guys, I have been posting in the forum for a good while, and finally my surgery's date is close. I'm doing femurs G-Nail with Giotikas on August 25th, and I'm flying to Greece tomorrow. Since Giotikas has just started to use G-Nail, I hope this diary is useful to others. Feel free to use me as a guinea pig!
About me
I'm a 24 year old male from Spain. I apologize for my bad English, as it's not my main language. My height is 172 cm, just a few cm under the average in my country. To be honest, my reasons are a bit different in comparison to other users. My height has never been a problem to me regarding success with women, business, sports... in fact I was just 168 when I started dating my current girlfriend, who is a 170 cm model. In my case, the issue is that I tend to get obssesed with achieving certain goals. This is good for things like businesess and sports, but definitely a problem when it involves something like height. 5 years ago, I got obsessed with reaching 175 cm. I was 168 and did a lot of crazy things that got me to 172 (nothing magical, I just managed to get to my "genetic limit). However, that was not enough, and I kept trying even crazier things with 0 success (for example weighted inverted crunches).
I don't expect people to understand it, and I'm aware this is completely irrational, but my failure to get to 175 cm has affected me really hard and I have been suffering from depression and other problems. In fact, I almost never leave my house because I'm always comparing my height to literally everyone. This year I decided that I want to get my life back, so I chose to get this crazy surgery in order to be over 175 and forget about height forever.
Why G-Nail?
I had Stryde surgery booked earlier this year, and it got cancelled. Then I chose Precice for June, and it got cancelled too. Nuvasive said July, then August, now September... and they keep delaying things. I trust Giotikas as a doctor and I know a few guys who had excellent results with another mechanical nails (Betzbone), so I have decided to take the risk of choosing G-Nail and do this on August. I do understand I'm choosing the less conservative option, but I have to resume online work in late September (it's my own bussiness, but lots of important clients on those dates). For that reason, my options were to do G-Nail or to delay this for December, so I chose to take the risk. I know 2 other guys who are doing G-Nail too this month.
My training
I'm a very fit guy, and I have competed on boxing and kickboxing. Athletic recovery is very important for me, and that's why I will not go over 6 cm. In January, I was really heavy (85 kg), so I stopped heavy lifting and started dieting. Now I'm at 73 kg, which is great. My original flexibility was average, but I have been training a lot and now I can touch the ground with my palms.
Things I have bought
Up to this point, I have been taking Vitamin D. I have also bought a massage gun, a chair for bathing and some pedals to bike from a chair. If any of you has any advice about useful items, please let me know.
That's all for now, I will update as soon as I'm in Greece¡
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Way to take the leap! We're all rooting for you.
This diary is going to be huge as there is a ton of people interested in the Gnail option with Giotikas.
While not an item you can purchase per say (unless you want to spend 20-30k) I would take advantage of the fact that Giotikas has the AlterG treadmill at his disposal. I've heard really good things about it, especially in the early phases of distraction/post surgery.
If you don't mind me asking, what did you do to go from 168 to 172cm? A 1-2cm gain could be understandable but 4cm is a crazy amount to gain through non-LL means! I'm quite interested haha
Good luck sir!
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Good luck! The doctor will give you a shower chair, crutches and wheel chair - it's included.
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Good lucky! The doctor will give you a shower chair, crutches and wheel chair - it's included.
Lol man, thanks for telling me, I ordered it via amazon and I'm in time to cancel it.
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Way to take the leap! We're all rooting for you.
This diary is going to be huge as there is a ton of people interested in the Gnail option with Giotikas.
While not an item you can purchase per say (unless you want to spend 20-30k) I would take advantage of the fact that Giotikas has the AlterG treadmill at his disposal. I've heard really good things about it, especially in the early phases of distraction/post surgery.
If you don't mind me asking, what did you do to go from 168 to 172cm? A 1-2cm gain could be understandable but 4cm is a crazy amount to gain through non-LL means! I'm quite interested haha
Good luck sir!
I just did things that caused a massive HGH spike, and my growth plates were open because I was 19 year old. So I got on an extreme regime of stretching, sprinting, fasting... I know lots of people may think it was just because I was young and it would have happened anyway, but I had not grown for 3 years. I did all that and I got 4 cm in like 2-3 months. I think it only helped me to get to my "highest", and I think I would not have gotten there if I had not done those things. Of course, I kept trying for years after that and I did not gain a single mm more.
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@V21
You will have to rotate your bone around the nail where the bone is cut by a certain amount 15-25 degrees.
To activate you sit with your leg holding your thigh above the bone cut really tight and then yourself or with the aid of someone else below takes your bent knee and rotates it backwards and forwards. Then the nail/rod should rotate which effects lengthening. How uncomfortable/painless is this I guess individual, guys who have used the Bezt bone could add to clarify.
A risk is rate control (movement whilst sleeping, movements which may lead to unknowingly lengthening of the bone) which may effect bone and nerve healing.
Also you may believe that you do the correct rotational (lengthening) movements and then you go for your next scan and it shows no lengthening therefore you my consolidate early. (This is where the magnetic nails come in).
The guys who have shared their recent Betz experiences do not mention these complications apart from the IT band stuff and the nails appear to be quite similar and I remember you mentioned something about 2% complication rate with "Guichet" nail.
But maybe ask Dr Giotikas
How do you control the rate?
How do you ensure the ratcheting is working?
What happens if you lengthen to much?
Also try to avoid using an epidural to learn to lengthen. :D
All the best
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All the best of luck man, happy to see a mechanical nail Giotikas diary. With a goal of 5-6cm you will do very well.
@V21
You will have to rotate your bone around the nail where the bone is cut by a certain amount 15-25 degrees.
To activate you sit with your leg holding your thigh above the bone cut really tight and then yourself or with the aid of someone else below takes your bent knee and rotates it backwards and forwards. Then the nail/rod should rotate which effects lengthening. How uncomfortable/painless is this I guess individual, guys who have used the Bezt bone could add to clarify.
A risk is rate control (movement whilst sleeping, movements which may lead to unknowingly lengthening of the bone) which may effect bone and nerve healing.
Also you may believe that you do the correct rotational (lengthening) movements and then you go for your next scan and it shows no lengthening therefore you my consolidate early. (This is where the magnetic nails come in).
The guys who have shared their recent Betz experiences do not mention these complications apart from the IT band stuff and the nails appear to be quite similar and I remember you mentioned something about 2% complication rate with "Guichet" nail.
But maybe ask Dr Giotikas
How do you control the rate?
How do you ensure the ratcheting is working?
What happens if you lengthen to much?
Also try to avoid using an epidural to learn to lengthen. :D
All the best
I can speak for Betzbone and I imagine it is similar with G nail.
-Each back and forth click is equivalent to 0.052mm so you know exactly how much length you gained per lengthening session.
-If you hear a click, the ratcheting is working. It is quite a distinctive, loud type of click which is easy to identify. As long as patients have been able to click, I haven't heard of any preconsolidation issues. If anything I have seen several stryde diaries where magnetic nails did not lengthen properly.
-It is quite hard to do accidental clicks with mechanical nails due to the unnatural movement you have to do. I did about 5-6 accidental clicks in total right after I finished lengthening as I was moving my legs way more but since then I haven't done any and I have enough consolidation to where it's not an issue.
Hope this helps.
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I just did things that caused a massive HGH spike, and my growth plates were open because I was 19 year old. So I got on an extreme regime of stretching, sprinting, fasting... I know lots of people may think it was just because I was young and it would have happened anyway, but I had not grown for 3 years. I did all that and I got 4 cm in like 2-3 months. I think it only helped me to get to my "highest", and I think I would not have gotten there if I had not done those things. Of course, I kept trying for years after that and I did not gain a single mm more.
Thats quite interesting! I didn't think you could naturally spike/hack your growth like that at 19, even if the growth plates were open. The more you know haha!
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All the best of luck man, happy to see a mechanical nail Giotikas diary. With a goal of 5-6cm you will do very well.
I can speak for Betzbone and I imagine it is similar with G nail.
-Each back and forth click is equivalent to 0.052mm so you know exactly how much length you gained per lengthening session.
-If you hear a click, the ratcheting is working. It is quite a distinctive, loud type of click which is easy to identify. As long as patients have been able to click, I haven't heard of any preconsolidation issues. If anything I have seen several stryde diaries where magnetic nails did not lengthen properly.
-It is quite hard to do accidental clicks with mechanical nails due to the unnatural movement you have to do. I did about 5-6 accidental clicks in total right after I finished lengthening as I was moving my legs way more but since then I haven't done any and I have enough consolidation to where it's not an issue.
Hope this helps.
@RB - In your experience does the 15-25 degrees that is pitched seem reasonable? Or does it feel like a lot more distance to cover when you're actually doing it. Loved your diary btw, thanks for all the insight on BetzBone and mechanical nails.
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@RB - In your experience does the 15-25 degrees that is pitched seem reasonable? Or does it feel like a lot more distance to cover when you're actually doing it. Loved your diary btw, thanks for all the insight on BetzBone and mechanical nails.
At the beginning of lengthening when the nail is at its stiffest it feels like a long way to rotate your leg. But when the pain decreases and the nail loosens up, its a very easy motion to complete. For example after 3-3.5cm it only took me about 2 minutes to click per leg.
No problem man, glad to be able to help.
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At the beginning of lengthening when the nail is at its stiffest it feels like a long way to rotate your leg. But when the pain decreases and the nail loosens up, its a very easy motion to complete. For example after 3-3.5cm it only took me about 2 minutes to click per leg.
No problem man, glad to be able to help.
Were you aware of anyone requiring assistance to help them click the nail to lengthen?I have read some patients were put to sleep to extend the nail.
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Hey guys, just arrived in Athens. I will update in the next few days, I'm quite tired right now. Standing for hours with lots of people in airport and bus are quite a challenge because of my height dysphoria lol. The apartment I got is quite nice. The only problem is that the elevator door may be a little small (for whelchair), but I have to check that.
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Lets go! Only a couple more days until you can start curing that dysphoria!
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The only problem is that the elevator door may be a little small (for whelchair), but I have to check that.
Should only be a problem for the first couple days until you start walking on crutches.
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Good luck! Giotikas is a fantastic doctor. :)
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Thanks for the support guys. Giotikas contacted me today via whatsapp. My pre op checks will be on day 23.
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Thank you for your posts.
What's your budget for this surgery please?
Also I completely understand with your fixation and subsequent depression with being unable to reach a goal. Until now that is!
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Thank you for your posts.
What's your budget for this surgery please?
Also I completely understand with your fixation and subsequent depression with being unable to reach a goal. Until now that is!
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Around 47.000 euros for surgery, 2.700 for 3 months in Athens (appartment for me and gf), and a bit more for daily expenses, flights, etc etc. So maybe 52.000 or so.
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Good luck!
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Were you aware of anyone requiring assistance to help them click the nail to lengthen?I have read some patients were put to sleep to extend the nail.
Not while I was there. But I have heard about patients in the past who had to click under general. It seems to be quite rare though.
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@RB- Good to know thanks
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Around 47.000 euros for surgery, 2.700 for 3 months in Athens (appartment for me and gf), and a bit more for daily expenses, flights, etc etc. So maybe 52.000 or so.
Thank you. Best of luck. Athens is a pretty wild and beautiful city. Have a great time.
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4 days to go¡ Yesterday I bougth protein powder and peanut butter in order to be able to have a great calories intake after surgery. The food is also quite cheap here. Is there anything else useful that I should buy to make things easier?
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If you haven't already, download 'beat' and 'efood'. Efood is probabaly the app you'd need most - both for food and groceries
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Hello V21!
I just want to wish you the best of luck and give you some advice that can help you in your recovery, from my humble experience ...
Be very patient and spend as much time as you can to stretch your muscles every day without straining your body, stretch all the muscles of the hips and legs, it will help you maintain flexibility. When you can walk and exercise, exercise your legs as much as possible so as not to lose a lot of muscle tone, always within the limits allowed by the doctor ...
The first nights it will be hard for you to sleep so don't try to endure the pain, I tried not to take many painkillers the first few days but finally I had to increase the doses to the maximum to withstand the pain at night and to be able to rest.
If you can't sleep despite taking painkillers, stretch your legs for a few minutes, that helped me many times. If that doesn't work, the other option is a leg massage, but you depend on your partner being awake, of course, unp alone it's pretty difficult ...
If you need any advice, do not hesitate to write me a message.
Good luck my friend !!
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Thanks for your recommendations¡ I used Efood since I arrived here, it's very useful. I can buy food for a week for me and my gf for maybe 50 euros. Today I had my preop checks, and surgery will be at 7.30 AM on Wednesday. Giotikas said I had good flexibility, so I'm happy my training during all these months was useful.
The bad thing is that I will probably get the small nail (11 mm, can take 75 kg per leg). It was weird because I'm big, in fact I had to diet to cut down on weight (I was 85 and got to 73), but it seems that my femurs are not that wide. Giotikas says that he is not sure if the 13 mm nail will fit in: he will try, but probably I will get the 11 mm one, so I will have to be more careful.
In any case, the first G nail patients has surgery tomorrow. I will be the second one, and will update as soon as possible¡
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The 11mm is actually pretty strong. I wouldn't worry much about it as long as you're under 75kg - I had a 11mm fracture nail as well - it's obvs. not g-nail but most 11mm IM nails are can tolerate decent load.
Good luck and keep us posted!
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I wish you all the best. My date is September 14. 165lb per nail is still good.
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Hi V21,
Best of luck legend!
Looking forward to the updates!
I was thinking of doing Precice 2.2 with Dr Giotikas, is there a supply issue?
Also did he give you any covid discounts?
Did you have to book a month in advance? I was thinking of just flying over and rocking up haha!
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How'd you go getting accomodation and all that? I'm thinking if doing it there in October FYI.
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Hey guys,
This is my last post before surgery tomorrow. The first G Nail patient just contacted me and he's fine. Depending on how I feel, I will probably update before next week. Regarding the questions, Precice will be back by September, and I booked surgery and acommodation since January.
To be honest, I'm not even nervous. I have fought really hard to get here. I'm not a rich guy, and had to create a business just to get money to pay for this. I have been 1 year working like a madman. I have also stretched a lot and choose a good surgeon. I think I did all I could, and now the rest is just luck and discipline. I have lost years of my life due to height neurosis, and this ends tomorrow. Wether it goes well or not, I'm proud to have tried instead of accepting defeat.
Will update as soon as possible, thanks for the support¡
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Great attitude V21 you will be fine.
All the best.
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Hey guys,
This is my last post before surgery tomorrow. The first G Nail patient just contacted me and he's fine. Depending on how I feel, I will probably update before next week. Regarding the questions, Precice will be back by September, and I booked surgery and acommodation since January.
To be honest, I'm not even nervous. I have fought really hard to get here. I'm not a rich guy, and had to create a business just to get money to pay for this. I have been 1 year working like a madman. I have also stretched a lot and choose a good surgeon. I think I did all I could, and now the rest is just luck and discipline. I have lost years of my life due to height neurosis, and this ends tomorrow. Wether it goes well or not, I'm proud to have tried instead of accepting defeat.
Will update as soon as possible, thanks for the support¡
Really hope it works out for you. You'll do great.
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Thanks for the update brother, best of luck! You'll nail it! You are in good hands.
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Hey guys, just posting to let you know that I'm alive lol. Surgery went well, but the first days are tought. Today is the first day I feel somewhat decent, and I will update with more details when I get home. I just had like minor "complications": first day all day vomitting, second day wasn't able to pee and had to get catheter, yesterday I had dyharrea and had to go to the toilet 6 times (sitting there hurts)... Luckily, I feel good today and I'm able to move well with walker and crutches. In fact, Giotikas had us climbing stairs and it was possible. The other G Nail patient is also okay, and I'm sharing room with another user, Morning Star, who is doing LATN. I will update soon¡
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On the other side!!! Nice one brother!! You did it!! Legend!
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congrats v21!
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More details about surgery day. I got to the hospital and they gave a pill they gave everyone for anxiety. I didn't really like it, because I entered the hospital in an spartan mindset and the pill left me like a a dumb baby, but I do understand its purpose. Surgery was very long because Giotikas had to effort to get the big nail (13 mm) on me. So surgery took like 7 hours, but all went fine, I got the big nail (up to 95 kg per leg) and the scars are really minimal.
When I woke up, I was very dizzy and vomited. There was an unknown guy there trying to explain me how to click just as soon as I woke up, and it turns out he was Guichet: he is here in order to make sure we click correctly. I know he has a big reputation here and he seems a bit crazy: they made me walk like 20 steps with walker, and I vomitted twice. Then he said something like "you can try stairs now". Luckily, Giotikas said that what I did was more than enough for the first day, so he "saved" me a bit. I was also shown how to click. It's very awkward, but didn't hurt much. I was all day very weak, vomiting and unable to eat. I slept 1 hour at best.
Second day was the hardest for me. I could not pee so I they put a catheter. The other patients could pee with no problem, so this only happened to me. Since I could not sleep, I was like all night strectching, and the PT guy asked me if I wanted to try crutches. I said yes, and I think it was a big mistake. At that point, I was able to use walker with no issue, but 3 steps on crutches left me incredibly tired and my legs got swollen. The pain that day was very bad, so my advice is not to rush things. I would have been fine if I had only used walker.
Third day started quite well. Giotikas told me this was the day for crutches, and now I did felt good using them. He also took me to climb stairs, and I was able to do it. It's really crazy how fast things change: second day I almost fainted with 3 steps on crutches, and the next day I was able to climb stairs no issue. My legs felt very good after doing it, being all day in bed is fk up. However, I started having dyharrea, and had to go to toilet 6 times. Sitting in and out of the toilet was very painful, and each trip to the toilet was a nightmare,so I can say yesterday ended up being a bad day too. Please notice that I was the only patient with dyharrea, so it seems like my body is a bit of a b*tch lol.
Today I feel better. I still have cramps on my stomach, but I can control them. I have walking like 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes now (crutches). I move slow, but it feels nice. I will again for a while now, so this is the first day I feel good. I was also able to sleep like 5 hours, which helped a lot. Tomorrow I get home finally.
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Regarding pain, I was expecting spikes of high pain, for example while strecthing. The reality is different: there is no crazy pain, but there is constant pain that does not allow you to rest. The second day I had like 6/10 pain during almost all day and night, so it was really challenging. Take into consideration that I was the only patient vomiting and being unable to eat, so the others were better than me. I also find it very hard to sleep without being able to move much.
The good news is that, after day 2, you get much better. It happened to me and to the others, there are big changes in recovery since day 2 to day 3. You just have to hang on and survive the first 2, which are quite bad. Today my pain is maybe 2/10, and I have been all day strechting with 0 issues.
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Best regards from Athens to all of you.
Probably I'll make my LATN diary too, but a bit later.
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Regarding pain, I was expecting spikes of high pain, for example while strecthing. The reality is different: there is no crazy pain, but there is constant pain that does not allow you to rest. The second day I had like 6/10 pain during almost all day and night, so it was really challenging. Take into consideration that I was the only patient vomiting and being unable to eat, so the others were better than me. I also find it very hard to sleep without being able to move much.
The good news is that, after day 2, you get much better. It happened to me and to the others, there are big changes in recovery since day 2 to day 3. You just have to hang on and survive the first 2, which are quite bad. Today my pain is maybe 2/10, and I have been all day strechting with 0 issues.
Yeah, the day after surgery can be very challenging. That's when Dr Betz' patients begin to walk on crutches with a target of about 500m for the day and also when I took the first shower, which was a nightmare. Difficult day, but things got easier quickly. Day 4 after surgery I felt so good that I walked 5km in total on crutches, so you can expect things to get better yet very soon.
Having said that, my advice is to ramp up the intensity slowly even if you feel great. Both myself (after the 5k) and another guy who decided to walk without crutches from day 2 onwards had pain during days 5-10. In my humble experience, it's best to increase the intensity slowly to get to know your limits, unless of course the doc tells you otherwise.
Also, again just my humble opinion, but the vomiting and peeing issues may be due to the fact that your surgery took seven hours. They must have pumped a lot of anaesthetics into you.
I am quite surprised that you click so soon. We all had to wait for seven days. I hope you found it easy and are a confident clicker :)
Good luck!
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Hey man, thanks for your experience. Clicking went good but it was with Giotikas help, so who know how will it go on day 7¡ Btw, here they don't allow us yet to walk with both feet, we have to hop using both legs at the same time. I will leave hospital in a few hours and I have been walking for a while, definetely feels nice¡ However, it seems that you guys work much more than us, here they told us to walk maybe like 100 metres maximum on days 3-4. In first day I could only walk a few steps. I will defintely speed up my rythm, to be honest I'm just a bit paranoic about bending the nail, but it seems quite tough.
My main issues right now are my stomach (cramps all the time, I can't rest at night) and the fact that I can't stand on my own from the toilet, so I don't know how I will do it back at home. I can stand up from bed, but the toilet is too low, I will probably buy a lift.
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thanks for your diary. I'm now considering G-Nail because stryde is gone.
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Hi V21, Congrats on your surgery, wishing you a speedy recovery. Please don't forget us, keep us posted!
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Quick update.
I got to my appartament yesterday, and I can tell you it's an amazing change. I had a shower and I felt human again lol. I consider myself a strong guy, but I have to admit that the days in hospital were really bad. Not due to surgery itself but my vomitting, dyharrea, not being able to move much in bed... never felt so weak ever. However, at home I feel great and I'm all day strechting and walking.
My mood is a lot better now, and I can say that I am enjoying this part. Walking hurts at times and it's very very tiring, but it's like "good" pain, as I know it makes me progress and I feel good about it. I do am having an issue: my left quad is really really weak, and I still need walker to stand up on my own. This is problematic in toilet, as it's too low, and I had to buy a lift to be able to push my weight with my hands. Giotikas told me today that I should focus on leg raises in order to recover strenght, and I'm doing it. Tomorrow I start with clicking and PT, so it's a very important day. I will let you know how it goes, I'm quite excited.
Regardin my first days on hospital, I have a lot of thoughts I could not write in these past days. In a few days I will probably explain more in that regard, but for now I would like to say that Giotikas and his team are amazing. The doctor seems very profesional, and I had almost non existent bruisings, something crazy for these kind of surgery. His nurses are also very kind, and one of them goes home with you for the first 24 hours if you want to. In my case, I'm lucky to have my gf with me, so we just had the nurse for maybe 6 hours. My only complains are with some of the general staff on hospital (they are not part of Giotikas team). There were a couple guys who were a bit lacking, and I suffered issues I would not have had if they had been more careful (for example standing from toilet). In any case, most of the general stuff were good, and I will say more about this in future
posts.
One last thing: I have a bit of duckass. It's weird because my hips flexors are not tight at all, as I'm strechting a lot. My glutes are long gone though, so probably it's because of that? Tomorrow I will ask the PT guy about how to correct it, but any advices are welcomed. I find it weird to already have duck ass at 1 cm? The other G Nail patient does not have it, and I must admit he is doing better than me.
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Thanks for the update bro. Glad you are doing better. Feelings of nausea and diarrhea are just about the worst. How long will you and your gf stay in Greece? Dr. G told me 5 weeks. Do you recommend that a patient bring the toilet seat risers with him/her? Anything I can learn from you I will. Maybe getting 1 cm right away causes DA because it is not gradual like the others. It will be interesting to see what others have experienced when they post.
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Quick update.
I got to my appartament yesterday, and I can tell you it's an amazing change. I had a shower and I felt human again lol. I consider myself a strong guy, but I have to admit that the days in hospital were really bad. Not due to surgery itself but my vomitting, dyharrea, not being able to move much in bed... never felt so weak ever. However, at home I feel great and I'm all day strechting and walking.
My mood is a lot better now, and I can say that I am enjoying this part. Walking hurts at times and it's very very tiring, but it's like "good" pain, as I know it makes me progress and I feel good about it. I do am having an issue: my left quad is really really weak, and I still need walker to stand up on my own. This is problematic in toilet, as it's too low, and I had to buy a lift to be able to push my weight with my hands. Giotikas told me today that I should focus on leg raises in order to recover strenght, and I'm doing it. Tomorrow I start with clicking and PT, so it's a very important day. I will let you know how it goes, I'm quite excited.
Regardin my first days on hospital, I have a lot of thoughts I could not write in these past days. In a few days I will probably explain more in that regard, but for now I would like to say that Giotikas and his team are amazing. The doctor seems very profesional, and I had almost non existent bruisings, something crazy for these kind of surgery. His nurses are also very kind, and one of them goes home with you for the first 24 hours if you want to. In my case, I'm lucky to have my gf with me, so we just had the nurse for maybe 6 hours. My only complains are with some of the general staff on hospital (they are not part of Giotikas team). There were a couple guys who were a bit lacking, and I suffered issues I would not have had if they had been more careful (for example standing from toilet). In any case, most of the general stuff were good, and I will say more about this in future
posts.
One last thing: I have a bit of duckass. It's weird because my hips flexors are not tight at all, as I'm strechting a lot. My glutes are long gone though, so probably it's because of that? Tomorrow I will ask the PT guy about how to correct it, but any advices are welcomed. I find it weird to already have duck ass at 1 cm? The other G Nail patient does not have it, and I must admit he is doing better than me.
Glad to hear you're doing better. The hardest part is behind you, things will only improve from here. Once you start PT, you'll start feeling much better.
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Thanks for the update bro. Glad you are doing better. Feelings of nausea and diarrhea are just about the worst. How long will you and your gf stay in Greece? Dr. G told me 5 weeks. Do you recommend that a patient bring the toilet seat risers with him/her? Anything I can learn from you I will. Maybe getting 1 cm right away causes DA because it is not gradual like the others. It will be interesting to see what others have experienced when they post.
I will be 3 months because I want to leave after all is done, but you can be like 5-6 weeks I thing. And yes, bring the toilet seay with you... I didn't and I have a problem now. Bough it today and it turns out that it doesnt fit my toilet cause it is really weird on the borders. Right now I'm not sure I can stand from toilet without help, so if I need to do number 2 tomorrow my options are:
Risk sitting in toilet praying to be able to get up. If I cant I'm fked, cause I doubt my gf can lift me.
Ask to go to bathroom in the PT centre.
Do it in diapers or in a bucket
;D ;D ;D ;D
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I will be 3 months because I want to leave after all is done, but you can be like 5-6 weeks I think. And yes, bring the toilet seay with you... I didn't and I have a problem now. Bough it today and it turns out that it doesnt fit my toilet cause it is really weird on the borders. Right now I'm not sure I can stand from toilet without help, so if I need to do number 2 tomorrow my options are:
Risk sitting in toilet praying to be able to get up. If I cant I'm fked, cause I doubt my gf can lift me.
Ask to go to bathroom in the PT centre.
Do it in diapers or in a bucket
;D ;D ;D ;D
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:D My vote is for the male diapers. I am ordering some depends for men off of Amazon right now. lol I think I am going to stay for 5 weeks. They have those floor based systems that place bars on either side of the toilet so arm strength can be used. The inexpensive toilets here have different shapes than those in Europe.
https://www.amazon.com/OasisSpace-Stand-Raised-Toilet-300lbs/dp/B081SG4RSZ/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2FUA8XMM6MX0G&dchild=1&keywords=toilet+seat+riser+with+handles&qid=1630336549&sprefix=toilet+seat%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-9
https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Alone-Toilet-Rail-Vive/dp/B015789VQI/ref=sr_1_18_sspa?crid=2FUA8XMM6MX0G&dchild=1&keywords=toilet+seat+riser+with+handles&qid=1630360735&sprefix=toilet+seat%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-18-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzMkoyNlVOMDlFWkdEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUExMDMyNTc4UldERVNBWDMzUFIwJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NDgwODgxWUFDUTJTQUlLVVFRJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
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I will be 3 months because I want to leave after all is done, but you can be like 5-6 weeks I thing. And yes, bring the toilet seay with you... I didn't and I have a problem now. Bough it today and it turns out that it doesnt fit my toilet cause it is really weird on the borders. Right now I'm not sure I can stand from toilet without help, so if I need to do number 2 tomorrow my options are:
Risk sitting in toilet praying to be able to get up. If I cant I'm fked, cause I doubt my gf can lift me.
Ask to go to bathroom in the PT centre.
Do it in diapers or in a bucket
;D ;D ;D ;D
So who's cleaning you up when using diapers? No matter what I'm going through, I'd never put someone in that position to have to clean me after going in a diaper unless im elderly and ting myself through natural causes and can't help it.
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??? So I think he is joking and he can clean himself up if he isn't. His hands work and he can stand.
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??? So I think he is joking and he can clean himself up if he isn't. His hands work and he can stand.
lol.. I get the joke.. that would be so gross though if it happened..lol 😂
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I will be 3 months because I want to leave after all is done, but you can be like 5-6 weeks I thing. And yes, bring the toilet seay with you... I didn't and I have a problem now. Bough it today and it turns out that it doesnt fit my toilet cause it is really weird on the borders. Right now I'm not sure I can stand from toilet without help, so if I need to do number 2 tomorrow my options are:
Risk sitting in toilet praying to be able to get up. If I cant I'm fked, cause I doubt my gf can lift me.
Ask to go to bathroom in the PT centre.
Do it in diapers or in a bucket
;D ;D ;D ;D
Are you able to bend your knees ok ? Did the nurse show you how to slide on/off your wheelchair to the toilet seat ? As long as you are able to use crutches and bend your knees a bit, you should be ok to use toilet - it's not as straight forward as when your legs are fully functional but doable. Ask the nurse to show you.
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Are you able to bend your knees ok ? Did the nurse show you how to slide on/off your wheelchair to the toilet seat ? As long as you are able to use crutches and bend your knees a bit, you should be ok to use toilet - it's not as straight forward as when your legs are fully functional but doable. Ask the nurse to show you.
Hey man, I have not used wheelchair, just walker and crutches. The guy who did tibia can sit with no problem, but it's very different for femur patients. It's hell for me, but I can do it¡ Just tried this afternoon and I already am strong enough to stand up from toilet by myself, so no diapers for now.
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Important update.
Today I started PT and clicking. It has been a very good day. Regarding PT, it hurts a lot, but I love it lol, it feels like good pain. I must admit that hospital was very tough for me, but I love this kinda pain: in hospital was just vomiting and being unable to move, here it is like "warrior" pain. I enjoyed a lot, and I was trying to overcome my limits. Even the PT guy laughed and told me to rest more. We also biked, and we were told that Dr. Giotikas will give us a stationary bike to have at home.
Regardind clickinc, the first thing to say is that it is not painful, or not much. I have seen Betzbone patients talk about crying with pain, and it's nothing like this. The twist and the sound is gruesome, but the pain itself is not that bad. For me it was 1 on left leg and 3-4 on right leg. It's not easy though, and I had to call the nurse to get the proper movement.
I did have a scare. Whereas my left leg clicks easily in two movements, my right requires a crazy hard twist (the nurse was cringing) and, sometimes, the two steps movement is not needed. For those who dont know, one click is composed by two clicks: big click with big twist, and small reset click. Well, in the right, there are times when the small click happens at the same time I do the big click, which is not normal. I got really paranoid thinking that something was wrong with the nail. I can't have damaged it, I have been extremely careful. I contacted Dr. Giotikas and he told me that no X rays are needed and that it's normal and depends on my technique: as long as it clicks, it's ok. In fact, this also happens to the other G Nail patient and, when the nurse helps me do the click, it happens as it does in the left leg. Anyway, I will be nervous until I have X rays on 13th September.
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thanks v21 for updating us. am considering G-Nail for my femur lengthening and I will follow your diary closely.
As for the clicking is it impossible to accidentally click when sleeping for example? I move a lot when I sleep not sure if I will still be able to do that post-op but I am worried about accidental clicks.
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thanks v21 for updating us. am considering G-Nail for my femur lengthening and I will follow your diary closely.
As for the clicking is it impossible to accidentally click when sleeping for example? I move a lot when I sleep not sure if I will still be able to do that post-op but I am worried about accidental clicks.
No way to have accidental clicks while sleeping. The movement is so hard to do. This doesnt mean that accidental clicks cant happen and I had 1 in hospital. However, they do happen only in really extreme situations: in my case, an idiot nurse did not lift me properly from toilet, and my left bent to the side, causing a click. I will make a thread about accidental clicks after finishing, but for now I'd say they can happen in some situations but they are really weird. No way to click while sleeping or being in bed. In fact, tonight clicking was quite hard in my right leg, you must find the angle and it took me 30 minutes (left leg only 5). Imagine doing that while sleeping... can't see how. And if you have accidental clicks, you will notice, it sounds like a gunshot lol.
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Thanks for the warning about how loud it sounds. :o. I was expecting something like the clicking sound you make with your tongue.
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Important update.
Today I started PT and clicking. It has been a very good day. Regarding PT, it hurts a lot, but I love it lol, it feels like good pain. I must admit that hospital was very tough for me, but I love this kinda pain: in hospital was just vomiting and being unable to move, here it is like "warrior" pain. I enjoyed a lot, and I was trying to overcome my limits. Even the PT guy laughed and told me to rest more. We also biked, and we were told that Dr. Giotikas will give us a stationary bike to have at home.
Regardind clickinc, the first thing to say is that it is not painful, or not much. I have seen Betzbone patients talk about crying with pain, and it's nothing like this. The twist and the sound is gruesome, but the pain itself is not that bad. For me it was 1 on left leg and 3-4 on right leg. It's not easy though, and I had to call the nurse to get the proper movement.
I did have a scare. Whereas my left leg clicks easily in two movements, my right requires a crazy hard twist (the nurse was cringing) and, sometimes, the two steps movement is not needed. For those who dont know, one click is composed by two clicks: big click with big twist, and small reset click. Well, in the right, there are times when the small click happens at the same time I do the big click, which is not normal. I got really paranoid thinking that something was wrong with the nail. I can't have damaged it, I have been extremely careful. I contacted Dr. Giotikas and he told me that no X rays are needed and that it's normal and depends on my technique: as long as it clicks, it's ok. In fact, this also happens to the other G Nail patient and, when the nurse helps me do the click, it happens as it does in the left leg. Anyway, I will be nervous until I have X rays on 13th September.
Regarding your right leg - every nail needs the same amount of twisting and that should never be more than 20-30 degrees. If you have to twist your leg very far then you very likely have not relaxed your leg. Make absolutely sure that you leg is fully relaxed, i.e. just hanging in your hand, and then guide the click with your hands. It is normal to need a week or two to learn to click properly, i.e. initiate the rotation immediately.
Having said that I can't explain why the reset click happens at the same time as the first click. Also, for us the clicking sound is quite subtle :)
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Regarding your right leg - every nail needs the same amount of twisting and that should never be more than 20-30 degrees. If you have to twist your leg very far then you very likely have not relaxed your leg. Make absolutely sure that you leg is fully relaxed, i.e. just hanging in your hand, and then guide the click with your hands. It is normal to need a week or two to learn to click properly, i.e. initiate the rotation immediately.
Having said that I can't explain why the reset click happens at the same time as the first click. Also, for us the clicking sound is quite subtle :)
You are 100% right¡ I have to update on this. Yesterday my right leg clicks were being very difficult. I was twisting what visually looks like almost 90 degrees lol, it looked like a snapped leg. However, it was my mistake. I was not being able to keep my knee relaxed, so the mechanism was not working as it should, needing a crazy twist to get the click. This time, I close my eyes and focused on leaving my legs as it was dead, and just used my hand to push slowly. This time, the click was very easy with the usual twist, and I did not have the problem I described earlier regarding clicks at the same time.
At this point I can see that is a matter of technique. You can get a click with bad tecnique, but you will cause yourself lots of pain. When done properly, the pain is low. It's not easy to get it right though, and you have to try a lot. Future G Nail patients can DM and I can help with videos. Maybe I will upload one here blurring my face, showing how to click.
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Congrats @V21, glad to hear that things are going well for you. \when you have a little time it would be really helpful if you did that video with your set up for the lengthening, all the best.
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You are 100% right¡ I have to update on this. Yesterday my right leg clicks were being very difficult. I was twisting what visually looks like almost 90 degrees lol, it looked like a snapped leg. However, it was my mistake. I was not being able to keep my knee relaxed, so the mechanism was not working as it should, needing a crazy twist to get the click. This time, I close my eyes and focused on leaving my legs as it was dead, and just used my hand to push slowly. This time, the click was very easy with the usual twist, and I did not have the problem I described earlier regarding clicks at the same time.
At this point I can see that is a matter of technique. You can get a click with bad tecnique, but you will cause yourself lots of pain. When done properly, the pain is low. It's not easy to get it right though, and you have to try a lot. Future G Nail patients can DM and I can help with videos. Maybe I will upload one here blurring my face, showing how to click.
So if you are relaxed, how easy is it to accidentally click while sleeping/even just stretching? And how easy do you rate the chance of accidentally clicking when someone will start doing sports again with the nail in their leg, like running, swimming, or just gym?
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So if you are relaxed, how easy is it to accidentally click while sleeping/even just stretching? And how easy do you rate the chance of accidentally clicking when someone will start doing sports again with the nail in their leg, like running, swimming, or just gym?
Accidental clicking during sleep - can happen, but you'd have to click a hundred times on one side and not the other to create a noticeable discrepancy. Regular x rays would reveal a discrepancy before it gets to it.
Regarding accidental clicking during sports, that can't happen so long as you wait until the bone is consolidated before you do sports again, which your doctor will recommend regardless. At that point the rotation that triggers the click can't physically be done anymore.
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following
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I hit 1.5 cm today. As I get more experience, clicking is easier. I do would like to ask Giotikas if 3 sessions of clicking are really necesary (5 morning, 5 afternoon, 5 night), because I know with Betzbone patients do 2. Anyone has any info in this matter? I ask because I feel that the tough clicks are the first two, then it's very easy, and it would be less painful to do 8 and 7 clicks than doing 5, 5 and 5.
Since there is no PT on weekends, I have been training all morning. It's necesary to have lots of discipline: when I do nothing for 1-2 hours, pain and tighness come back. As soon as you are on the move, you will be fine. Another important thing is that Giotikas will provide stationary bikes next week.
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can you share your training routine? I read many diaries and a lot of people say they stretch for hours per day. but i am curious how these "hours" are actually divided. surely, you dont stretch for 2 hours straight right? or am I wrong?
I am imagining you do 5-10 minutes of stretching every hour or something similar but would appreciate a clear answer to this.
Thanks for sharing
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can you share your training routine? I read many diaries and a lot of people say they stretch for hours per day. but i am curious how these "hours" are actually divided. surely, you dont stretch for 2 hours straight right? or am I wrong?
I am imagining you do 5-10 minutes of stretching every hour or something similar but would appreciate a clear answer to this.
Thanks for sharing
I do 3 workouts per day. They last around 30 mins: 3 strenghtening exercises (variants of leg raises) and 3 strecthing exercises with bands (quads, harmstrings and IT Bands). Besides that, I strecht like 15 mins every hour or so. For example, if I'm watching a movie with my gf, I do light stretches at the same time.
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What are your thoughts on gnail vs precise 2.2?
https://www.athensbjr.com/methods-of-bone-fixation-in-limb-lengthening/#1586804812157-43dd5a1a-d6dc
Gnail lets you lengthen 1 cm immediatly it seems. But it has clicking / pain from clicking. Worth it? Is gnail cheaper than precise 2.2?
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What are your thoughts on gnail vs precise 2.2?
https://www.athensbjr.com/methods-of-bone-fixation-in-limb-lengthening/#1586804812157-43dd5a1a-d6dc
Gnail lets you lengthen 1 cm immediatly it seems. But it has clicking / pain from clicking. Worth it? Is gnail cheaper than precise 2.2?
I am having a hard time deciding b/w precice and gnail. How did you choose b/w them? I am gonna get the surgery in December.
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G-nail doesn't lengthen 1cm immediately. Giotikas and Guichet choose to do this during the surgery. Betz did 5mm for me during the surgery.
As someone who is in his final stretch of lengthening, I'd pick G-nail with Guichet hands down because G-nail is weightbearing while precise is not. This means:
1) Less muscle atrophy due to you being able to walk throughout the entire lengthening phase, leading to much better recovery.
2) You can lengthen at home and work or hangout with friends instead of staying in Athens doing nothing.
3) You can choose to lengthen more than 8cm if you wished, and with a 1cm boost, you can finish lengthening 2 weeks earlier, further hastening your return to normal life.
The only reason why you would use precise is if you have a moderate lengthening goal (5-7cm) and trust its publically available data. Guichet data isn't as transparent.
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I would be terrified about breaking the nail if I had choosen Precice. There is no way to respect its weight limits: standing from toilet, bed, taxis... specially taxis, the drivers are quite rough here and you are on your own, so you have to put weight on your legs to get in and out. Before surgery I thought transfer from wheelchair would be easy... bullsh*t.
More news: Today I used the antigravity treadmill for the first time. It's amazing, and I think it will help me a lot in recovering normal gait. A bad thing is that surgical pain has been worse the last couple of days. I must power trought it, but it's quite hard not being able to rest at all. I'm at 1.7 cm today.
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Hey V21, can you share your xrays?
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Hey V21, can you share your xrays?
Yeah, I will upload them all. The first ones are on 13th September. That day will be key to check if all is good (nail, bone growth...). I wanted to say that I just received some bags I bough via amazon, bags where you can put hot water. They have been really useful¡ As I said, these last two days I have been in pain, and the bags have helped relax my muscles. In fact, I was able to sleep for an hour right now.
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So you can order things and receive them quickly in Greece via Amazon.gr? I am trying not to pack too much and go over the weight limits.
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"2) You can lengthen at home and work or hangout with friends instead of staying in Athens doing nothing."
Thanks!!! You are a Greece citizen or you flew back home? Does Giotikas allow it?
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"2) You can lengthen at home and work or hangout with friends instead of staying in Athens doing nothing."
Thanks!!! You are a Greece citizen or you flew back home? Does Giotikas allow it?
I'm based in the UK, and Giotikas was fine with it. I would still stay in Athens for a week to memorize the physio routine, so your legs don't end up widening too much at home :).
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Thank you!! So Athens or UK residents can fly back home but generally people who live in other countries cannot?
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So you can order things and receive them quickly in Greece via Amazon.gr? I am trying not to pack too much and go over the weight limits.
There is no amazon.gr, but you can order in amazon.co.uk. I also think it's stupid to go home really soon after surgery, cause learning to click properly is not easy.
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Wow! Thanks for the detailed information.
What are your thoughts on the clicking pain and accidental clicks with gnail?
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When done properly, clicks are not painful. The problem is that, now that we are walking more and more, our legs get stiff and sore, so we can't properly relax the knee when clicking. Because of that, the last two days I had a lot of pain clicking. I found out that hot water before clicking helps the leg to relax, but it still hurts. I need to find a way to properly relax my muscles, because last week I was having 0 pain clicking.
Today I'm 2 weeks post op and was able to work for a few hours, so it's definitely possible. Giotikas also sent today stationary bikes to use at home. He says that biking before clicking will warm up the leg and help a lot, so I will try this too.
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When done properly, clicks are not painful. The problem is that, now that we are walking more and more, our legs get stiff and sore, so we can't properly relax the knee when clicking. Because of that, the last two days I had a lot of pain clicking. I found out that hot water before clicking helps the leg to relax, but it still hurts. I need to find a way to properly relax my muscles, because last week I was having 0 pain clicking.
Today I'm 2 weeks post op and was able to work for a few hours, so it's definitely possible. Giotikas also sent today stationary bikes to use at home. He says that biking before clicking will warm up the leg and help a lot, so I will try this too.
I usually stretch for 45 minutes before the clicking :)
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I usually stretch for 45 minutes before the clicking :)
Wow, that helps? Last week I was stretching like 5 mins before clicking and 0 pain. This week is being really bad, so I will try now. I will strecth a lot and also use hot water again, let's see how it goes. Thanks for the tip.
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What's the main difference between gnail and betz nail?
Which one has better weight bearing and better clicking mechanism?
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What are the most common places / situations people hurt their legs when living at home w/ an internal weight bearing nail like gnail?
Ex: what physical setups/situations seem safe but you are actually at risk of hurting your legs or accident?
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What are the most common places / situations people hurt their legs when living at home w/ an internal weight bearing nail like gnail?
Ex: what physical setups/situations seem safe but you are actually at risk of hurting your legs or accident?
Getting up from toilet
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@SpeedDialer
Everyone can fly home, though I'd stay for at least a week, to make sure you're healthy and learn the physio routine.
@Antonio111111
They're nearly identical, but I'd go with Gnail since both Guichet and Giotikas do ITB releases, which makes recovery much easier when you go 5cm+
@V21
Stretching and clicking in hot bathtub are ways I used to reduce clicking pain. Also, don't slow down clicking below 0.78mm/15clicks or resistance will grow.
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Hey guys, I have some bad news. Let's see if someone can helo.
This week was going really well: my gait was very good for 2 weeks post op, my flexibility is still as good (or better) than pre-surgery...
However, on Wednesday, clicks started to be harder and harder. In the beginning, I thought it was cause I was recovering my muscles and they were resisting or something, so I just kept pushing and taking the pain. However, the clicks have become harder and harder every day. I was not able to click the right leg on Friday, so the nurse came to help. We did massage, bike, hot water... nothing worked. Just by pure will (and maybe desperation) I kept pushing the leg and finally clicked. I have a video of this: you can see me screaming and crying, but pushing trought until it cicked. The thing is that the twist is not normal: when Giotikas showed me how to do it in hospital, the twist was maybe 25-30 degrees. Now I need to twist 90 degrees or more to get the click. I think you can imagine the crazy pain it causes. It's important to say that this is also happening to the other G Nail patient.
For now I consider the following reasons:
The bone is growing too fast. That would explain why each day the click requires more and more twist. However, it seems very unlikely at 2-3 weeks post op.
Each click cause tightness in knee and it's being acumulated. I don't think this issue is being adressed in PT: my flexibility in quads, harmstrings etc is great, but the knee is getting tighter with each click.
I just have too much muscle. Just because of walking a lot, my quad muscles are almost as big as they were pre surgery.
In any case, tomorrow I have X rays and meeting with Dr. Giotikas. I'm not a weak person, and I'm fighting with all I have, but this is just torture. I scream with every click, and sometimes I feel I will pass out. I don't know how much longer I can keep like this. Also regarding time: last week I did my clicks in 40 minutes. Now they take 4 hours. Dr. Giotikas agrees that this is not normal, and tomorrow will do the clicks with me to check what's happening. I just hope he finds a solution, cause I'm really discouraged. The other patients is also in a similar situation. The funny thing is that the rest is going well: dont have much pain during the day, I walk and bike a lot, I sleep decently... it's just the clicks.
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Hey guys, I have some bad news. Let's see if someone can helo.
This week was going really well: my gait was very good for 2 weeks post op, my flexibility is still as good (or better) than pre-surgery...
However, on Wednesday, clicks started to be harder and harder. In the beginning, I thought it was cause I was recovering my muscles and they were resisting or something, so I just kept pushing and taking the pain. However, the clicks have become harder and harder every day. I was not able to click the right leg on Friday, so the nurse came to help. We did massage, bike, hot water... nothing worked. Just by pure will (and maybe desperation) I kept pushing the leg and finally clicked. I have a video of this: you can see me screaming and crying, but pushing trought until it cicked. The thing is that the twist is not normal: when Giotikas showed me how to do it in hospital, the twist was maybe 25-30 degrees. Now I need to twist 90 degrees or more to get the click. I think you can imagine the crazy pain it causes. It's important to say that this is also happening to the other G Nail patient.
For now I consider the following reasons:
The bone is growing too fast. That would explain why each day the click requires more and more twist. However, it seems very unlikely at 2-3 weeks post op.
Each click cause tightness in knee and it's being acumulated. I don't think this issue is being adressed in PT: my flexibility in quads, harmstrings etc is great, but the knee is getting tighter with each click.
I just have too much muscle. Just because of walking a lot, my quad muscles are almost as big as they were pre surgery.
In any case, tomorrow I have X rays and meeting with Dr. Giotikas. I'm not a weak person, and I'm fighting with all I have, but this is just torture. I scream with every click, and sometimes I feel I will pass out. I don't know how much longer I can keep like this. Also regarding time: last week I did my clicks in 40 minutes. Now they take 4 hours. Dr. Giotikas agrees that this is not normal, and tomorrow will do the clicks with me to check what's happening. I just hope he finds a solution, cause I'm really discouraged. The other patients is also in a similar situation. The funny thing is that the rest is going well: dont have much pain during the day, I walk and bike a lot, I sleep decently... it's just the clicks.
hey man, Sorry to hear! Sounds like you are going through a rough patch. Given that your surgery was only a couple of weeks ago, plus you had a 1cm initial distraction, it's unlikely to be premature consolidation. After your x-rays tmrw, you'll know for sure. Knee pain is normal as your quad/hamstrings tendons are pulling eveywhere whenever you lengthen - they will eventually settle down and give in.
As what I hear, many ppl go through pain issues around 2cm and 5cm mark - no idea why. You might have to just push through it. Hang in there!
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I think @sirstretchalot also mentioned he had pain before he started feeling better.. Hang in there bro!!!
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Unfortunately pain is part of the procedure, in a few week it will be easier. Just hang in there brother, you can do this!!!
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Guys, I'm not talking about normal pain. In fact, pain is just a consequence of the main issue: clicks require each day more twisting. Last week I twisted 25 degrees and got the click. Then 35, 50, 60... now I have to twist 90 (which is crazy, seems like you are dislocating your leg) in order to get the clicks. In fact, in the right leg yesterday I wasn't able to click even with a 90 degree twist. So it's not a matter of pushing on despite of pain, it just doesn't click.
The other patient thinks this is because our knees and parts of our quads are tight and preventing the mechanism to work. The strong bone formation, although unlikely, could also explain this. I'm also getting paranoid about some kind of nail malfunction. To be honest, I'm quite depressed, cause I have complied and done everything well. The idea of this effort and discipline just to get 2 cm makes me want to vomit.
In any case, I realise I might be getting paranoid, and I just have to wait for the X rays these afternoon. I trust the doctor and I hope he provides a solution for me and the other G nail patient. Thanks for your messages of encouragement. I will update as soon as possible.
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Guys, I'm not talking about normal pain. In fact, pain is just a consequence of the main issue: clicks require each day more twisting. Last week I twisted 25 degrees and got the click. Then 35, 50, 60... now I have to twist 90 (which is crazy, seems like you are dislocating your leg) in order to get the clicks. In fact, in the right leg yesterday I wasn't able to click even with a 90 degree twist. So it's not a matter of pushing on despite of pain, it just doesn't click.
The other patient thinks this is because our knees and parts of our quads are tight and preventing the mechanism to work. The strong bone formation, although unlikely, could also explain this. I'm also getting paranoid about some kind of nail malfunction. To be honest, I'm quite depressed, cause I have complied and done everything well. The idea of this effort and discipline just to get 2 cm makes me want to vomit.
In any case, I realise I might be getting paranoid, and I just have to wait for the X rays these afternoon. I trust the doctor and I hope he provides a solution for me and the other G nail patient. Thanks for your messages of encouragement. I will update as soon as possible.
If it's in both legs than nail failure is unlikely. If it's just in one leg than you might have a nail dysfunction.
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If it's in both legs than nail failure is unlikely. If it's just in one leg than you might have a nail dysfunction.
It took me around 4 hours initially too. Every click is torture as it pulls on entire strings of muscles throughout your thigh. My left was trivial, but my right knee had the same problem as you did.
Though I had pain clicking since day 1. The fact that you are having problems after a week of easy clicks indicate rapid bone formation, or a muscle knot. Have Giotikas look at your x-ray as well as your thigh/knee muscles.
1) Walk/stretch a lot before clicking as that warms up your muscles.
2) Click in a bathtub with hot water submerging your knees.
3) Make sure to click an hour before you take muscle relaxants and painkillers, as that is when they're at their peak effect.
4) Ask for more painkillers, or local anesthasia.
5) Be prepared that it was clicking hell for me until 3cm, when it became bearable. It was somewhat painful by 5cm, and trivial by 7cm.
This will take up a significant portion of your day.
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Thanks for your messages. Both legs were easy to click last week, and now the issue is also happening in both of them. So yeah, it sounds unlikely that there is a nail problem in both legs, specially because something similar is happening to the other G nail patient. At this point, I think that muscle knots are the problem: there parts of my knee and quads that feel like stones whe you touch them.
Last week, the PT guys focused on flexibility and mobility, but did nothing regarding the muscle knots that were growing cause of the clicks. Today they noticed and changed their aproach, and started doing massages. I do hope this is the issue, and seems likely because the other patient also has "hard" spots on his quads.
Finally, to be precice: the click is not very painful for me, the pain comes for the twisting movement I have to do to get the click. In any case, I will get X rays in 2 hours, so I will keep you posted.
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ty!!!
What are the most difficult tasks for you with the gnail inside of you? Which are the most dangerous in your experience?
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Hey guys. All is good with the nail. My clicking problems are caused by strong bone formation and the inflammation that happens at this stage. In order to solve it, the doctor has given me ibuprofen, which is supposed to fight the inflammation. To be honest, it worked on my left leg: pain went from 7 to 5, and I was able to do all my clicks without screaming. However, my right leg (it's the bad one) felt the same, and I wasn't able to click at all. Dr. says that this leg has much more inflammation, so I have to take a few more pills during the day and try again tomorrow. I will do it, hopefully it works. If it doesn't... what options do I have? Clicking under anesthesia? Besides, due to my strong bone growth, I have do 1.33 mm per day instead of 1 mm, and right now that's impossible to do in my right leg. With luck, I can get one click after trying 45 minutes lol. I hope this leg is better tomorrow.
BTW: I'm at 2.2 cm left leg, 2.1 cm right leg
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it is about the bone intensification which blocks the nail that starts at the 15 days for 10 days the doctor Guichet give 1.5 minutes during this period of 10 days really difficult and painful the great problem of the GNAIL then all will be well until the end.
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Hey guys. All is good with the nail. My clicking problems are caused by strong bone formation and the inflammation that happens at this stage. In order to solve it, the doctor has given me ibuprofen, which is supposed to fight the inflammation. To be honest, it worked on my left leg: pain went from 7 to 5, and I was able to do all my clicks without screaming. However, my right leg (it's the bad one) felt the same, and I wasn't able to click at all. Dr. says that this leg has much more inflammation, so I have to take a few more pills during the day and try again tomorrow. I will do it, hopefully it works. If it doesn't... what options do I have? Clicking under anesthesia? Besides, due to my strong bone growth, I have do 1.33 mm per day instead of 1 mm, and right now that's impossible to do in my right leg. With luck, I can get one click after trying 45 minutes lol. I hope this leg is better tomorrow.
BTW: I'm at 2.2 cm left leg, 2.1 cm right leg
Ibuprofien might also slow down the bone growth so it'll hopefully get better.
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Keep up the good work. You are fighting through the difficult part. Precise is starting to look more attractive with the magnetic movements but then is that better than not being able to bear weight? who knows. No matter which way we go, the path is not easy.
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Hey guys. All is good with the nail. My clicking problems are caused by strong bone formation and the inflammation that happens at this stage. In order to solve it, the doctor has given me ibuprofen, which is supposed to fight the inflammation. To be honest, it worked on my left leg: pain went from 7 to 5, and I was able to do all my clicks without screaming. However, my right leg (it's the bad one) felt the same, and I wasn't able to click at all. Dr. says that this leg has much more inflammation, so I have to take a few more pills during the day and try again tomorrow. I will do it, hopefully it works. If it doesn't... what options do I have? Clicking under anesthesia? Besides, due to my strong bone growth, I have do 1.33 mm per day instead of 1 mm, and right now that's impossible to do in my right leg. With luck, I can get one click after trying 45 minutes lol. I hope this leg is better tomorrow.
BTW: I'm at 2.2 cm left leg, 2.1 cm right leg
Yeah, it is due to rapid bone formation as I suspected, which was the same case with me. You just need to apply so much more force to twist your leg, and your muscles hate you for it. This is a problem with all Albizzia nails. I had the same problem with Betz. It gets better once you past 3cm, and much better past 5cm. Ibuprofen and hot water are the only things that helped me. Massage didn't do much.
Unfortunately, we were the unlucky ones. I envied those who had no clicking problems.
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I don't know what's happening guys, but I can't get the click on the right leg. I push trought extreme pain and get to a 90 degrees twist and nothing happens. This is extremely frustrating and takes a heavy toll mentally. In theory the nail is ok according to the X rays, but I don't know if these nails can get "stuck". The nurse thinks is due to bone formation and inflammation, and at this point I have asked the clicks to be performed under anesthesia just to make it work again. These days have been really bad. The left leg clicks much easier after taking Ibuprofen, the doctor was right with that. But I don't know wtf happens in the right.
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albizzia and gnail remain bearing nails rather very resistant to any test the largest remain the clicks the first 3 weeks basically you break the bone with the clicks I find it spoils the procedure making clicks with the swollen leg of the operation remains a hell you end up in a sweat with sick pains to bend your leg fortunately just 15 days
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Update: Dr. Giotikas just called and told me to go to his office tomorrow at 3 pm. He will try to do the clicks on me. I feel much more comfortable this way: if he can do it with better technique fine, and if he can't he will realise there is a problem and will find a solution. I was getting desperate of trying everything by myself, so this is very good.
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Clicking tomorrow under anesthesia.
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Clicking tomorrow under anesthesia.
Good luck, bro! Sounds like it's the right thing to do in the current situation. Once you get those clicks behind you, I'm sure it will be much better.
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Clicking tomorrow under anesthesia.
On the bright side, you will probably get 3mm or so in one go. Good luck mate, keep us updated
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On the bright side, you will probably get 3mm or so in one go. Good luck mate, keep us updated
Yeah, just hope it works. Dr. Giotikas tried really hard to make me click today, but nothing happened. He is very confident that the nail is ok: it clicked no problem until 3 days ago, the X rays look perfect, there is no consolidation yet... and thinks that my pain and inflammation is so high that the mechanism cant work with me awaken. However, I'm terrified there is some kind of nail malfunction. The Dr. himself admits none of this is my fault and I'm a very compliant patient. Just hoping it works, cause I definetely can't afford other surgery, and I don't know if in a case like this the manufacturer takes responsability. It would be a nightmare to have sacrificed so much to get here and end up at 2.2 cm only. I will update tomorrow.
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pain and inflammation is so high that the mechanism cant work with me awaken
Doesn't make sense to me. Let's see what happens. Maybe he'll have to do a lot of tries to make the clicks work again. Maybe the nail is stuck or something so he'll do a lot of tried and it'll start working again. He should've given you NSAIDs from the beginning. Parihar gives NSAIDs to keep inflammation in control for 1st month.
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You will have to do each click in stages. Apply some force each time. The pain is too great if you do it in one go.
If it turns out to be a nail defect, that's big news.
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Doesn't make sense to me. Let's see what happens. Maybe he'll have to do a lot of tries to make the clicks work again. Maybe the nail is stuck or something so he'll do a lot of tried and it'll start working again. He should've given you NSAIDs from the beginning. Parihar gives NSAIDs to keep inflammation in control for 1st month.
NSAIDs negatively affect bone healing. I don't know what Parihar does, but V21 please don't take anything unless Giotikas specifically advises that you do.
@V21 - Giotikas seems like a conscientious man, I am sure he will sort you out and won't charge extra if something has to be fixed, hang in there mate
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I'm happy to say all went good, the nail has 0 issues. It seems that my pain was so extreme that the tension and tightness of my body would not allow the mechanism to work properly. Yesterday I asked Giotikas to try to click, and he moved my legs in positions that you can't even imagine. For 10 minutes pain was 9/10, and in the last movements it got to 10/10 and I asked him to stop. However, under anesthesia today, he said that clicks were extremely easy. He has done like 6 mm in my right leg, so I think now I'm not in risk of preconsolidation there.
Taking into account that big amount of growth, my leg is very tight, specially the IT bands. However, I have been biking and strecthing for 2 hours, and it's coming back to normal. I also don't have any kind of nerve pain. To sum up, the nail works perfectly, and I'm happy to be moving forward. I hope in the next days I can click the right leg on my own.
Regardin what was said by Sirstrecthalot, I do the clicks on stages, and I think I was having the same pain as you on right leg. However, in my case the mechanism didn't click: I was pushing trough pain but I got nothing. That's why in my case anesthesia was 100% needed.
Regarding pain, I understand that some people may think I'm exaggerating when I say 9/10. It's no exaggeration, and I have a high resistance to pain. For example, to put things into context, an user who did Stryde with Giotikas said that in PT pain was 9/10. Well, for me PT it/s 5/10 at worst, so imagine what kind of pain is if I say 9/10. I was literally going to pass out, but didn't ask the doctor to stop cause I was desperate to get the click.
In any case, today has been a success, and I'm quite happy with the profesionality of Dr. Giotikas. He did not charge anything, and neither did the anesthesist woman. I did have to pay 250 euros because of hosptal fees. Let's hope there are no more complication
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IMPORTANT: Don't let my story frighten you cause I'm the unluckiest guy ever. The other G nail patient is doing perfectly fine with clicking.
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IMPORTANT: Don't let my story frighten you cause I'm the unluckiest guy ever. The other G nail patient is doing perfectly fine with clicking.
I can't help myself. :P
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Btw, Giotikas told me to drop Ibuprofen and take Voltaren instead
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We were both unlucky, but I think your case was even tougher. I could always click, but it took 20min of mental pain preperation to do a single click. Sometimes I would even give up half way because the pain was too much. Its something others will never understand.
I have had a case where an in-patient had to click under anesthasia also. He had clicking problems after 2 weeks and decided to stay in Athens a bit longer. I think you should too.
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I'm 29.
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We were both unlucky, but I think your case was even tougher. I could always click, but it took 20min of mental pain preperation to do a single click. Sometimes I would even give up half way because the pain was too much. Its something others will never understand.
I have had a case where an in-patient had to click under anesthasia also. He had clicking problems after 2 weeks and decided to stay in Athens a bit longer. I think you should too.
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I'm 29.
Hey man, I'm 24. First week clicking was easy. Second week I think it was like in your case: excruciating pain, but the click would happen as long as I was able to twist 90 degrees. It took maye 2 hours to get 10 clicks. However, since last Saturday, I wasn't able to click even if I pushed trough pain. That was devastating mentally, cause I was taking unbelievable pain (you can understand it) for nothing, over and over again. Giotikas twisted my leg in every possible way, and no click either, that's why I was terrified about nail malfunction. But nope, under anesthesia there was no problem at all, he did like 100 clicks in 15 minutes. Tomorrow I have to try again to click right leg, let's see if I can do it. I will be staying in Athens 3 months, so no problem with that.
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Hey man, I'm 24. First week clicking was easy. Second week I think it was like in your case: excruciating pain, but the click would happen as long as I was able to twist 90 degrees. It took maye 2 hours to get 10 clicks. However, since last Saturday, I wasn't able to click even if I pushed trough pain. That was devastating mentally, cause I was taking unbelievable pain (you can understand it) for nothing, over and over again. Giotikas twisted my leg in every possible way, and no click either, that's why I was terrified about nail malfunction. But nope, under anesthesia there was no problem at all, he did like 100 clicks in 15 minutes. Tomorrow I have to try again to click right leg, let's see if I can do it. I will be staying in Athens 3 months, so no problem with that.
100 clicks dude, how are you feeling after that? Must be very tight? I saw one guy at Elke's how did 3mm under anaesthesia and he cried afterwards because the stiffness was so extreme.
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100 clicks dude, how are you feeling after that? Must be very tight? I saw one guy at Elke's how did 3mm under anaesthesia and he cried afterwards because the stiffness was so extreme.
Lol, in my case is more than 6 mm, as with G Nail 1 mm = 15 clicks. My leg felt hard as a rock when I woke up, and I wasn't even able to straighten up the knee 100%. However, I was hours strecthing and biking yesterday and now I'm decent. I have definetely lost flexibility, but I still can touch my butt with my heel when stretching quads, my harmstring almost 90 degres.. However, it hurts and I feel that I must keep stretching hard to avoid it getting tight again. It's a weird feeling.I'm strecthing every hour and biking 4-5 times per day. Luckily, no nerve pain either.
Right leg: 2.8 cm
Left leg: 2.6 cm
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Btw, Giotikas told me not to click this leg today and wait until Saturday. Tomorrow I will now if I can do it again on my own. The guys who did anesthesia were able to click properly after it?
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Btw, Giotikas told me not to click this leg today and wait until Saturday. Tomorrow I will now if I can do it again on my own. The guys who did anesthesia were able to click properly after it?
One unlucky guy could not click at all by himself and had to click under anaesthesia exclusively. That is until he was at 4cm which is when I met him. Perhaps he is better now. Btw, he is 16 years old and recovered superbly otherwise.
All others I have met personally could click without problems after one anaesthesia clicking session, and I have not heard of anyone else having to return.
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Giotikas was 100% right with Voltaren. I took it today and clicking pain on left leg when from 7 to 4, which is really great. Of course, the "impossible" leg was right leg, and that one I will click tomorrow, but it seems encouraging at least.
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The clicking stories scare me and i really wish the magnetic option was available right now. but its not so i think i have to prepare for this clicking if i want to do femurs in the near future.
Thanks v21 for updating us regularly.
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@V21
My hopes are out for you with the right leg. Most of those who I talked to could click after 1 or 2 anesthasia sessions, although not without pain.
And while 6mm is intense, don't slow down unless Giotikas/X-ray tells you to. For a 24year old male, your callus should form rapidly. If it's too hard, clicking will become harder again.
@canterk
I thought Gnail had at least ameliorated the clicking problem compared to Betzbone, but it doesn't seem to have happened.
Becareful about magnetic nails though. If your callus is too hard, it won't be able to click at all, because you can apply more mechanical force on Albizzia nails than magnetic ones.
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Guys, I'm crying of happiness. Whether it is for clicking under anesthesia or for Voltaren, clicking the right leg today was quite easy. Pain was 4-5/10 instead of 8-9/10. I think it's the first time since surgery that I feel really positive. For a week I have to do 1.33 mm per day, and I'm feeling a bit tight despite stretching a lot, but nothing major. My sleep is good (slept today 7 hours) and I started working yesterday at a decent rythm.
Right leg: 2.9 cm
Left leg: around 2.8 cm
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Sounds amazing, stay strong!!
As for me I'm waiting for Precice 2 to be back in Europe... And then hopefuly cry of happiness too !
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Sounds amazing, stay strong!!
As for me I'm waiting for Precice 2 to be back in Europe... And then hopefuly cry of happiness too !
Shouldn't it be available this month or Nuvasive delayed again?
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Guys, I'm crying of happiness. Whether it is for clicking under anesthesia or for Voltaren, clicking the right leg today was quite easy. Pain was 4-5/10 instead of 8-9/10. I think it's the first time since surgery that I feel really positive. For a week I have to do 1.33 mm per day, and I'm feeling a bit tight despite stretching a lot, but nothing major. My sleep is good (slept today 7 hours) and I started working yesterday at a decent rythm.
Right leg: 2.9 cm
Left leg: around 2.8 cm
Hello V21!
I'm glad to see that your luck is better now after a few hard days...
I had 2 difficult weeks due to nerve pain in my knees when I had lengthed 1.5 cms and I had to stop lengthening my legs for 2 days, but after that everything became easier.
I hope that from now on your lengthening and recovery will be much easier.
Keep working as well as you are doing until now and hopefully everything will be fine.
Good luck!!
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Guys, I'm crying of happiness. Whether it is for clicking under anesthesia or for Voltaren, clicking the right leg today was quite easy. Pain was 4-5/10 instead of 8-9/10. I think it's the first time since surgery that I feel really positive. For a week I have to do 1.33 mm per day, and I'm feeling a bit tight despite stretching a lot, but nothing major. My sleep is good (slept today 7 hours) and I started working yesterday at a decent rythm.
Right leg: 2.9 cm
Left leg: around 2.8 cm
Well done, i'm sure it will get easier for you going forward. Just think about it as a small bump on the road.
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Rapid 3cm and still no wide legs? You're a hero.
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Rapid 3cm and still no wide legs? You're a hero.
Well, thankfully Giotikas does ITB release since the beginning. After anesthesia, I did notice that my right legs ITB were tight, and I'm stretching them a lot. If I get "comfortable" walking, my legs are a big wide, but I just force them to be closer and that way I also strecth while walking.
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Important thing to say: the other G nail patient never was as bad as me regarding pain, but he also is overcoming the inflammation phase and clicking is getting easier for him too. For now he has choosen to do PT at home instead of going to the center, but he is doing quite well. I think I'm the one training the most, but he's doing better than me. For this reason, don't be afraid because the things that happened to me, as it seems I was just unlucky (vomiting, cathether, dyharrea, crazy clicking pain...). Now there are other two new G nail patients (they had surgery on Tuesday), let's see how they do.
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Awesome man, try to keep your head and motivation up.. remember this pain is only temporary but your new height will be permanent :).
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Important thing to say: the other G nail patient never was as bad as me regarding pain, but he also is overcoming the inflammation phase and clicking is getting easier for him too. For now he has choosen to do PT at home instead of going to the center, but he is doing quite well. I think I'm the one training the most, but he's doing better than me. For this reason, don't be afraid because the things that happened to me, as it seems I was just unlucky (vomiting, cathether, dyharrea, crazy clicking pain...). Now there are other two new G nail patients (they had surgery on Tuesday), let's see how they do.
I hope they write diaries.
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I hope they write diaries.
At least one - no. I asked him in personal.
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Well, thankfully Giotikas does ITB release since the beginning. After anesthesia, I did notice that my right legs ITB were tight, and I'm stretching them a lot. If I get "comfortable" walking, my legs are a big wide, but I just force them to be closer and that way I also strecth while walking.
Damn we are so similar. Most of the stretching super heroes don't get wide legs, but we do. :/
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Well, Giotikas says to keep 1.33 mm for a week. This is going to be tough¡
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How do you have such huge amount of mnoey at 24 years for internal femurs?
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What is the protocol if there is alot of pain and you want to do slower than 1.33 mm per week?
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What is the protocol if there is alot of pain and you want to do slower than 1.33 mm per week?
Either slow down or use more painkillers. They'll probably prescribe some nerve pain medication as well.
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How do you have such huge amount of mnoey at 24 years for internal femurs?
I created my own business last year just to get money for this surgery, and worked as a slave for it. This has been my mission for a long time. Btw, I'm getting tight as f*ck.
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Congrats on your hard work!!
For gnail, what are your thoughts on the safe limits for femurs and tibias?
I vaguely remember for stryde he recommended 7cm or less for femur
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Your safety limits has little to do with the nail. It is how your soft tissues adapt during lengthening.
I'd say at least go for 7cm, then if you muscles allow you, up to 10cm.
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My goal is just to be comfortable over 175, so I will do 6 maximum. I know I could do more, but being 180 doesn't make me more happy than being 178, so I'd rather priotize athletic recovery. Things are getting tough because of the 1.33 mm rythm for so many days. Nerve pain has started on left leg, although it's very mild. The bigger problem is that, in that leg, I feel stabbing like pain in the inner knee everytime I'm 5 min without moving. When walking, it goes away, but it's causing me problems during sleep, and I really need to rest.
Today I met all the new patients in the PT center too, good guys and I think all are users from the forum, but they are not doing diaries at least for now.
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My goal is just to be comfortable over 175, so I will do 6 maximum. I know I could do more, but being 180 doesn't make me more happy than being 178, so I'd rather priotize athletic recovery. Things are getting tough because of the 1.33 mm rythm for so many days. Nerve pain has started on left leg, although it's very mild. The bigger problem is that, in that leg, I feel stabbing like pain in the inner knee everytime I'm 5 min without moving. When walking, it goes away, but it's causing me problems during sleep, and I really need to rest.
Today I met all the new patients in the PT center too, good guys and I think all are users from the forum, but they are not doing diaries at least for now.
Why are you on 1.33pd for so long?
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Why are you on 1.33pd for so long?
I wonder the same, but Giotikas told me to keep it until Sunday. In the left leg I may understand, but I'm a bit worried in the rigth: 6-7 mm under anesthesia + 1.33 mm for long + voltaren for a week. Could not that cause problems of non union? Anyway, I trust the doctor and will follow his advice, although it's getting tough. Tomorrow I hit 3.4 cm, and I just want to slow things down a little for my body to adapt.
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Hey :) 2 questions V21 if that is ok
1. I heard Giotikas gives you a muscle strengthening/streaching plan prior to surgery if he did give you this could you share it? i am hoping to do operation next year and want to start getting into it now so I am ready.
2. Are you vaccinated for Covid and if so were you asked about this by Giotikas or the staff at the hospital? i guess what I am asking is do you have to be fully vaccinated to get this operation done.
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I wonder the same, but Giotikas told me to keep it until Sunday. In the left leg I may understand, but I'm a bit worried in the rigth: 6-7 mm under anesthesia + 1.33 mm for long + voltaren for a week. Could not that cause problems of non union? Anyway, I trust the doctor and will follow his advice, although it's getting tough. Tomorrow I hit 3.4 cm, and I just want to slow things down a little for my body to adapt.
Hm, strange. At 3.4cm it should be getting much easier to click by the way. Can you feel it already?
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Hi I had surgery the 14th and was not going to do a journal because I thought it would not add much to what V21 is already writing. Everything he contributes is what I am using to survive but I can do one if some think it would be useful.
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Hi I had surgery the 14th and was not going to do a journal because I thought it would not add much to what V21 is already writing. Everything he contributes is what I am using to survive but I can do one if some think it would be useful.
I think even to repeat the same information is useful. :) but without any doubts you will add at least few things from yourself, so it's even more useful!
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Hey V21. I mentioned that I’m doing it on 10/27. My question to you is it’s very important for me to work remotely in order to pay for the surgery. Do you think it is possible a week after surgery?
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Hm, strange. At 3.4cm it should be getting much easier to click by the way. Can you feel it already?
f
It's the same as last Friday, pain 4/10. It's very doable, so I hope it get's even easier. On two days I have to drop Voltaren, let's see how it goes.
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It's possible and I did it... for a while. If you mean like 8 hours, I don't think so. For starters, you lose all morning in PT. Then, you have to walk, strecth, bike... and while working, your legs get tight and random pains start. I'm 4 weeks post op and my "effective" work is like 4 hours per day.
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You don't have to be vaccinated. You have to take a COVID PCR test the day before the surgery and it be negative. If you have a guest, that person must take the test as well. If you do the free 15 minute consult, you can get the plan. It is copyrighted so I am not going to post it here but it is nothing you can't figure out from this forum already or Youtube.
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I was vaccinated, but LU123 is right. it changes nothing. Wether you have it or not, they will do PCR test on you. Regarding the program, it's really basic. It's like 8 strecthes or so, the basic ones you can easily find on google for quads, harmstrings, IT band an adductors.
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This fake diary being written by Giotikas marketing team no evidence like previous diaries.
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@V21 I definitely hear and thanks for your input. I plan to use the bike and work at the same time.
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Yeah, so much marketing that I'm telling that clicking last week was hell, I almost passed out due to pain and had to click under anesthesia lol
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@V21 I definitely hear and thanks for your input. I plan to use the bike and work at the same time.
Try to have a backup plan to rest for a few weeks just in case. I can tell you it's not easy. Today I was at 50%, but also it's because 21 clicks is too much.
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Yeah, so much marketing that I'm telling that clicking last week was hell, I almost passed out due to pain and had to click under anesthesia lol
Because you want to show that you are a real patient but in reality you are not.
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Yeah, so much marketing that I'm telling that clicking last week was hell, I almost passed out due to pain and had to click under anesthesia lol
:D
Check and mate!
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This fake diary being written by Giotikas marketing team no evidence like previous diaries.
Actually it's pretty easy to prove it. I am doing LL along with V21, we even were ward friends. While he is doing internals, I am with TSF frames. Tell me what to add near frames in the photo (let's say pen, phone, bottle, knife or what you want to prove it's originality), I'll make photos and I'll upload it here. But if I do so, you must change your signature into: "I am little jealous sc*mbag who likes to suck little d*cks", deal?
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What surprised you most about living in Athens, Greece?
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What surprised you most about living in Athens, Greece?
Things are pretty cheap. My gf and I are eating for like 40-50 euros per week.
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I should be at around 3.5 cm today. Tomorrow I drop Voltaren, so let's see how that goes. X rays should probably be next week, but we haven't been given a date yet.
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If it makes you feel good to believe that, go right ahead. Highschool is over and no one needs to attach videos or x-rays based on the insults of the anonymous. I, though am in Greece right now and have met V21, so I know better. People choose to believe what they want to believe but when you know better, you do better.
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If it makes you feel good to believe that, go right ahead. Highschool is over and no one needs to attach videos or x-rays based on the insults of the anonymous. I, though am in Greece right now and have met V21, so I know better. People choose to believe what they want to believe but when you know better, you do better.
Actually, it would be no problem to post X rays. But personally I got them in DVD disc while my computer doesn't have DVD ROM at all. As far as I know, V21 didn't get at all in any format.
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Actually, it would be no problem to post X rays. But personally I got them in DVD disc while my computer doesn't have DVD ROM at all. As far as I know, V21 didn't get at all in any format.
Yep, they did not give them to me. I thought they would give me something, and didn't ask. Next time I will.
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Actually, it would be no problem to post X rays. But personally I got them in DVD disc while my computer doesn't have DVD ROM at all. As far as I know, V21 didn't get at all in any format.
DVD is old ask them pen drive or email.
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Actually, it would be no problem to post X rays. But personally I got them in DVD disc while my computer doesn't have DVD ROM at all. As far as I know, V21 didn't get at all in any format.
if you can't check your x-ray , they did not show you , how can you tell that all is good?
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Actually, it would be no problem to post X rays. But personally I got them in DVD disc while my computer doesn't have DVD ROM at all. As far as I know, V21 didn't get at all in any format.
your computer does not support dvd , why didn't you ask email?
f**k this marketing
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Nice both are doing limb lengthening and dr. gave them DVD which doesn't support computer anymore and they don't know how are their callus ,bones are aligned or not. screws are broken or not. how much they lengthen. but telling others that their story without knowing own conditions.
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Nice both are doing limb lengthening and dr. gave them DVD which doesn't support computer anymore and they don't know how are their callus ,bones are aligned or not. screws are broken or not. how much they lengthen. but telling others that their story without knowing own conditions.
It's very hard to trust a diary without x-rays and photos. I hope they are not fake and upload in some time.
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Guys guys, first we saw these X rays together with a doctor. Second I don't understand what's your problem. I told ya that I can give you proofs easily. It would be much more stronger proof than some X rays which anyone can find in the internet. (This offer applies to @more only).
Actually it's pretty easy to prove it. I am doing LL along with V21, we even were ward friends. While he is doing internals, I am with TSF frames. Tell me what to add near frames in the photo (let's say pen, phone, bottle, knife or what you want to prove it's originality), I'll make photos and I'll upload it here. But if I do so, you must change your signature into: "I am little jealous sc*mbag who likes to suck little d*cks", deal?
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@more - do you feel like doing G-Nail after reading this diary?
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It's very hard to trust a diary without x-rays and photos. I hope they are not fake and upload in some time.
The X-rays you get at Mediterraneo hospital in Athens are all on DVDs. Most of the laptops these days don't have DVD drives. I asked the guys at X-ray department multiple times to e-mail me or transfer them on usb - they are not allowed because of some privacy issues.
I ran into this issue few times while I was in Athens, so I can relate to the frustuation. Unless you have access to a desktop or laptop with dvd drive, the only option is to take a photo with your phone while you are reviewing them with the doctor on his computer.
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The X-rays you get at Mediterraneo hospital in Athens are all on DVDs. Most of the laptops these days don't have DVD drives. I asked the guys at X-ray department multiple times to e-mail me or transfer them on usb - they are not allowed because of some privacy issues.
I ran into this issue few times while I was in Athens, so I can relate to the frustuation. Unless you have access to a desktop or laptop with dvd drive, the only option is to take a photo with your phone while you are reviewing them with the doctor on his computer.
Man, actually problem is not there. Is about how this person @more talks with a people. I saw him in other threads also. It's not a first time. "YOU ARE FAKE", FK YOU FAKE", "GIVE ME PROOFS OR YOU ARE FAKE YOU FKER MARKETING". Me or V21 don't owe to this rude bas*ard anything at all. I understand that there are a lot of BS, so it makes people suspicious, that's ok. Last day I also caught some obvious bull *er. But at least you can ask politely to upload frame photos or some proofs if person really gives a lot of time to fill his diary with a lot of details who obviously could be known by a patient only. And if no, then go with a flame. But not to start like that. Because it's really easy to give a proofs if you ask politely. But this time it has became matter of principals for me. @more if you have problems with your life, deal with it. If you are just rude basta*d, then go fk yourself.
P. S. If you accept my offer, I'll also add you DVD photo. It's with a Mediterraneo hospital brand logo.
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Man, actually problem is not there. Is about how this person @more talks with a people. I saw him in other threads also. It's not a first time. "YOU ARE FAKE", FK YOU FAKE", "GIVE ME PROOFS OR YOU ARE FAKE YOU FKER MARKETING". Me or V21 don't owe to this rude bas*ard anything at all. I understand that there are a lot of BS, so it makes people suspicious, that's ok. Last day I also caught some obvious bull *er. But at least you can ask politely to upload frame photos or some proofs if person really gives a lot of time to fill his diary with a lot of details who obviously could be known by a patient only. And if no, then go with a flame. But not to start like that. Because it's really easy to give a proofs if you ask politely. But this time it has became matter of principals for me. @more if you have problems with your life, deal with it. If you are just rude basta*d, then go fk yourself.
P. S. If you accept my offer, I'll also add you DVD photo. It's with a Mediterraneo hospital brand logo.
I agree 100%. I dont think neither you or v21 have an obligation to prove anything to anyone. The diaries are a way to share your experience with potential future LLers. Whether people choose to believe you or not is upto them.
Before others start to claim that I am also fake, I've loads of X-rays and an extensive collection of photos with TSF frames incl. pinsite infections - so be careful what you ask for ;)
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Guys, I have been doing 1.33 mm for a while and I feel quite f*cked up and in a bad mood, so I don't really care about what a random guy in the internet thinks. If I they give me DVD next time I will upload X rays, just to know opinions from people with knowledge, as I'm a bit weirded out about having to keep the 1.33 for so long. I would also don't mind to upload scar photo, they look quite good for one month I think. I hit 3.5 cm today, couple more days of 1.33 mm and then I go back to 1 hoping it's easier.
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Btw, could any Betz patient tell me if they think forearm crutches are better? I have seen videos of Betz patients having almost normal gait with those crutches, using them only for support and balance. With my crutches (below shoulder), I am even much slower than with walker.
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Btw, could any Betz patient tell me if they think forearm crutches are better? I have seen videos of Betz patients having almost normal gait with those crutches, using them only for support and balance. With my crutches (below shoulder), I am even much slower than with walker.
I use the Betz branded crutches that he gives everyone and according to Betz my gait is good. It's hard for me to give you an idea of how fast you can walk with them, but if you want I can send you a video, PM me and I will add you on whatsapp. Then you will see what it's like.
I hate crutches btw. When my wife is not around I need my backpack to carry stuff from room to room :D Can't wait to be able to walk again.
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I think the crutches do little to improve gait. If anything, they worsen it by removing the need for your glutes to contract. This is why most of us lose our butts completely.
If you want to improve your gait, it is imperative to stretch all muscles while strength-train your glutes. Squats and side stepping with resistance band are great at this.
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When a patient is doing LL, what are the most useful questions to ask people on the forum in practice? Seems like alot of good info on wheelchair stuff but I wonder in practice what are the most noticeable differences in everyday life with gnail inside
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...I use the Betz branded crutches that he gives everyone...
Is this really true? Is Betz really making money from "Betz branded crutches"? Come on now...Do you really think that a pair of crutches can actually make a huge difference in recovery? Imo, they both are the same...just use which ever works better in your hands and you'll be fine.
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Is this really true? Is Betz really making money from "Betz branded crutches"? Come on now...Do you really think that a pair of crutches can actually make a huge difference in recovery? Imo, they both are the same...just use which ever works better in your hands and you'll be fine.
No, he isn't. I didn't pay for them. When I say branded I mean there is a Betz logo on them.
For fks sake.
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The distraction schedule is a bit concerning. 1cm during surgery, not waiting for a week, 6mm under anaesthesia, 1.5mm for a week. Why do they have to change all these things just because the nail is different? Why can't they just do it like they do it for Precice nails?
Non-union and nerve damage are possible risks from this. Have you asked the doctor about this?
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I agree with this concerns. As far as I understood, the difference is that strong callus can block the mechanical nail, so that's why it's very important to go fast and have "margin" so you can click well. Maybe I'm wrong. Giotikas told me that my bone growth was strong, but now at 3.5 cm I think preconsolidation is extremely rare right?
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Giotikas contacted me today and said I'm allowed to go back to 1 mm per day, so that's great. Also, next X rays are on Tuesday.
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More good and bizarre news. This morning was my last clicking session with Voltaren, and pain was like 5-6. I had to click this evening, now without meds, and I was prepared to great pain. I biked for 30 mins, stretched, pumped me up with agressive music... and pain was like 3-4 lol. So I'm better with nothing than with Voltaren and 2 paracetamol, which is what I have been taking last week. At this point I think I'm immune to meds or something: tramadol does nothing fo me (outside first week post op), paracetamol I take even 3 and does nothing, muscle relaxants have 0 effect. Crazy. At least this is good news and I can click normally now.
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Early on in the process (first online consultation, etc) what things will Dr. Giotikas let you pay w/ credit card? I need to spend a certain amount to get the signup bonus of the credit card like 1000$ within 90 days
Ex: can you pay for the first online consultation with credit card? is there anything else related to Giotikas or LL you could pay for upfront?
I'm from USA
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Early on in the process (first online consultation, etc) what things will Dr. Giotikas let you pay w/ credit card? I need to spend a certain amount to get the signup bonus of the credit card like 1000$ within 90 days
Ex: can you pay for the first online consultation with credit card? is there anything else related to Giotikas or LL you could pay for upfront?
I'm from USA
Mmmm I paid all via transfer, but I think you can do it via credit card too.
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Hey guys, I have a question for those who have experienced nerve pain, as it's happening on my right leg. I think it's quite normal taking into account that I got 7 mm under anesthesia and then did 1.33 mm for like 8 days. Yesterday my shin got numb, and this morning my lower knee had a burning feeling and got numb too. To be honest, it doesn't hurt, but of course I'm worried about long term nerve damage, and I'm considering letting this leg rest today and only click the left. Giotikas does say that I'm not in inmediate danger, and also thinks that this also may be due to too agressive strecthing, so he orders me to only do very gentle strecthes for 2 days. It's true that the first time I felt nerve pain was in PT when they were doing aggressive harmstring strecth. In any case, any opinions are welcome¡ Thank you guys.
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Early on in the process (first online consultation, etc) what things will Dr. Giotikas let you pay w/ credit card? I need to spend a certain amount to get the signup bonus of the credit card like 1000$ within 90 days
Ex: can you pay for the first online consultation with credit card? is there anything else related to Giotikas or LL you could pay for upfront?
I'm from USA
I recommend Transferwise if you have access to that.
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Hey guys, I have a question for those who have experienced nerve pain, as it's happening on my right leg. I think it's quite normal taking into account that I got 7 mm under anesthesia and then did 1.33 mm for like 8 days. Yesterday my shin got numb, and this morning my lower knee had a burning feeling and got numb too. To be honest, it doesn't hurt, but of course I'm worried about long term nerve damage, and I'm considering letting this leg rest today and only click the left. Giotikas does say that I'm not in inmediate danger, and also thinks that this also may be due to too agressive strecthing, so he orders me to only do very gentle strecthes for 2 days. It's true that the first time I felt nerve pain was in PT when they were doing aggressive harmstring strecth. In any case, any opinions are welcome¡ Thank you guys.
Honestly, you should probably trust Giotikas.
I recall when I had pain and trouble moving in the hospital and all Betz said was "you need to stretch more" and "you need to walk better". I was a bit annoyed because it seemed counter intuitive. I was in pain and normally I treat that with pills and doing nothing. Now I am glad I followed his advice.
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Hey guys, I have a question for those who have experienced nerve pain, as it's happening on my right leg. I think it's quite normal taking into account that I got 7 mm under anesthesia and then did 1.33 mm for like 8 days. Yesterday my shin got numb, and this morning my lower knee had a burning feeling and got numb too. To be honest, it doesn't hurt, but of course I'm worried about long term nerve damage, and I'm considering letting this leg rest today and only click the left. Giotikas does say that I'm not in inmediate danger, and also thinks that this also may be due to too agressive strecthing, so he orders me to only do very gentle strecthes for 2 days. It's true that the first time I felt nerve pain was in PT when they were doing aggressive harmstring strecth. In any case, any opinions are welcome¡ Thank you guys.
Haven’t done LL but 1.33 mm a day for 8 days is almost 1 cm in a week which theoretically is a huge amount of pressure on your soft tissue. Has Dr. G recommended this amount of lengthening per day? I’d assume something much lower would be more appropriate like 0.6 mm/day.
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Yesterday I strecthed in a lighter way and also clicked less than norma (this was on my own). The nerve pain has subsided a bit, but it's still there: the shin is like 90% numb and sometimes I feel like "burning" sensation. Today I have to resume clicking. Does anybody know if this could become a real problem or its just annoying? I have read patients saying that it just goes away after lenghtening. I'm less than 2 cm away from my goal.
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Curious, what's the rationale for going with Transferwise?
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Nerve pain goes away immediately the moment you slow down the moment you slow down of stop lengthening.
Ask Giotikas if you can slow down further. Your stretching probably needs catching up too.
Wow 2cm left. Good luck!
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V21, How does Giotikas spend time between the UK and Greece? Is it a viable option to get this done in the UK with him?
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Yesterday I strecthed in a lighter way and also clicked less than norma (this was on my own). The nerve pain has subsided a bit, but it's still there: the shin is like 90% numb and sometimes I feel like "burning" sensation. Today I have to resume clicking. Does anybody know if this could become a real problem or its just annoying? I have read patients saying that it just goes away after lenghtening. I'm less than 2 cm away from my goal.
Numbness in shins is common, at least for tibias lengthening. You’ll slowly regain the sensation once lengthening is finished. Both of my shins were numb for most part of lengthening. Nothing to worry.
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I did X rays today and tomorrow morning Giotikas reviews them. If I learn how to upload photos here, I will upload them tomorrow. I think there is a lot of bone growth if we consider that I did 1.33 mm per day while taking Voltaren, which is supposed to stop it for a bit. This happens on left leg, and I think callus is weaker on right one (in that one I got 7 mm in one day under anesthesia). I hope that's the case, as I'd like to slow down on right leg in order for nerve pain to subside. Left leg I can keep the 1 mm per day pace. Let's see what Giotikas says tomorrow.
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Just talked to Dr. He says that my consolidation looks good, but that I don't have to worry about preconsolidation. He wants me to try to keep doing 1 mm per day, but says all will be good if at least I can do 0.8. I will do 0.8 for a few days to see if nerve pain goes away. Regarding that, he says that the affected areas make him think this is not a serious concern, and in fact may also be caused for strecthing too aggresively. I don't know if that may be the reason, cause nerve pain gets way worse after clicking, but it's true that, when they strecth my harmstrings on PT, my whole tibia gets numb, so I will ask them to go softer. In any case, he wants to see me in person to check the nerve pain next week.
Btw, how do I upload photos here?
Right leg: 4 cm
Left leg: 3.8 cm
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Let's see if this works: https://imgur.com/a/MfO4AMK
The nail definetely looks really big. It's the 13 mm one and Giotikas did a lot of effort to make it fit. In the left the lower screw don't appear, but all is normal. That photo is on a different posture, there are others when they show ok.
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I have seen that all mechanical nails inserted are usually thicker compared to precice nails. I don't know if these nails need to fit more tightly into the bone for the nail to ratchet properly.
Anyway, good that your xrays look ok. I hope the nerve pain subsides soon. You are almost at your goal.
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Yesterday I got a bit of motivation. My gf had to go back to Spain for 7 days, and my parents came to see me. Before surgery, the top of the head of my father was more or less at my eyebrows. Right now, it's at my nose. This made me realize my progress and felt amazing. Besides that, I did very little clicks on right leg for 2 days, and nerve pain is like 80% gone. From now on, Dr. Giotikas allowes me to do 0.8 mm per day, and I will keep that pace until the end of lenghtening. Even though my initial goal was 5.5, I probably will go up to 6 if I feel healthy. If that's the case, I should finish my lenghtening by October 27th.
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Yesterday I got a bit of motivation. My gf had to go back to Spain for 7 days, and my parents came to see me. Before surgery, the top of the head of my father was more or less at my eyebrows. Right now, it's at my nose. This made me realize my progress and felt amazing. Besides that, I did very little clicks on right leg for 2 days, and nerve pain is like 80% gone. From now on, Dr. Giotikas allowes me to do 0.8 mm per day, and I will keep that pace until the end of lenghtening. Even though my initial goal was 5.5, I probably will go up to 6 if I feel healthy. If that's the case, I should finish my lenghtening by October 27th.
Fantastic news. I'd even go for 7cm, since that seems to be the safety limit prescribed by most doctors.
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Been reading your thread for a while, amazing progress my dude. you're almost there.
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For your living place in Athens, what would you do differently if you had to pick a place in Athens to live again during lengthening?
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Fantastic news. I'd even go for 7cm, since that seems to be the safety limit prescribed by most doctors.
Why not 10cm ;D
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Wow V21 you have just around 2 weeks to go and you're done! Hope you stay healthy and no more issues from now on.
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Yesterday I got a bit of motivation. My gf had to go back to Spain for 7 days, and my parents came to see me. Before surgery, the top of the head of my father was more or less at my eyebrows. Right now, it's at my nose. This made me realize my progress and felt amazing. Besides that, I did very little clicks on right leg for 2 days, and nerve pain is like 80% gone. From now on, Dr. Giotikas allowes me to do 0.8 mm per day, and I will keep that pace until the end of lenghtening. Even though my initial goal was 5.5, I probably will go up to 6 if I feel healthy. If that's the case, I should finish my lenghtening by October 27th.
Congratulation! I too had the same realization with my progress. You will be happy to go on.
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Hey guys. I haven't posted for a while cause I'm extremely busy due to job obligations. All is going well and I just surpassed today the 5 cm mark, so it's 12 more days of clicking for me. Doing 0.8 mm per day is great: I'm regaining my flexibility, low pain, low tightness. In PT they told me I have great flexibility, and that's even considering that, due to work, I haven't been strecthing as much as I used to. I think my hard work before surgery is paying off.
So it seems my only problem has been clicking pain (and time to work in my business). Clicking pain has also improved, cause the chief nurse and the PT woman recommended another technique to click, and it puts less strain on my muscles. Everyone else is also doing well.
When I finish lenghtening and have more time, I will make more detailed posts in specific matters, such as my opinions in Dr., the team, chances of clicking pain, accidental clicks... I hope it's useful to everyone. I do must say that, even with my clicking pain complications, I'm definetely happy about my choice. 1 more cm and that's it¡
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It is great to hear that V21, looks like you are on your way to a pretty quick recovery. Looking forward to read about your progress in the next few months.
It seems that the g-nail is proving to be a pretty good alternative, I just wish it was cheaper.
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1. If you were going to stay in Athens for 3 months for internal femur G-nail, how many physical euros would you bring with you on the plane to Athens?
2. What do you find yourself paying with physical euros for most frequently and how much do they cost?
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1. If you were going to stay in Athens for 3 months for internal femur G-nail, how many physical euros would you bring with you on the plane to Athens?
2. What do you find yourself paying with physical euros for most frequently and how much do they cost?
Like 200. Taxis only accept cash, but you can use the Uber app (who calls taxis anyways) but allows you to pay with card before the trip.
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Like 200. Taxis only accept cash, but you can use the Uber app (who calls taxis anyways) but allows you to pay with card before the trip.
ty! Oh, not Beat app? I heard that Greece uses Beat not Uber, maybe I misunderstood
How much should you tip the driver if he helps you carry the stuff? Trying to figure out which physical denominations of euros are useful to have
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ty! Oh, not Beat app? I heard that Greece uses Beat not Uber, maybe I misunderstood
How much should you tip the driver if he helps you carry the stuff? Trying to figure out which physical denominations of euros are useful to have
There is both Uber and Beat, but I use Uber. No idea about the tips, I always pay trought the app.
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I'm not trolling or anything. But why does the bones look misaligned? I've seen many betz xrays and the bones always lined up.
The top side of nail looks more uneven inside the cavity. Looks liked one wall was reamed more than other.
But I'm not a pro. Is this all normal?
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I'm not trolling or anything. But why does the bones look misaligned? I've seen many betz xrays and the bones always lined up.
The top side of nail looks more uneven inside the cavity. Looks liked one wall was reamed more than other.
But I'm not a pro. Is this all normal?
I think it's because my X rays were not done standing, but lying down on a flexed position. All nurses and Dr. say it's perfectely ok, I also was worried about this first time I saw it.
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Another thing I think it's important to take into account is that I don't think this can be easily done alone. I am lucky to have my gf with me since the beginning, but I would have needed lots of assistance if I had been here alone, specially first month. In fact, the other patients are hiring nurses for a lot of things. For example, the LATN patients need them to get into taxi for PT. There are two G nail patients who share appartament and they literally pay for the chief nurse to be with them every single day, and she helps them with clicking, house.... I don't think I would have payed for that much assistance, but hey, since she was clicking with them every day, she was able to propose alternative clicking ways that may be less painful (for me at least).
I think it's important to say this because I wouldn't have taken those expenses into consideration thinking this could be done mostly 100% alone, but that's just not true. You will need someone to come with you or hire nurses at times, at least for first 3-4 weeks and specially if you have cliclking issues.
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Another thing I think it's important to take into account is that I don't think this can be easily done alone. I am lucky to have my gf with me since the beginning, but I would have needed lots of assistance if I had been here alone, specially first month. In fact, the other patients are hiring nurses for a lot of things. For example, the LATN patients need them to get into taxi for PT. There are two G nail patients who share appartament and they literally pay for the chief nurse to be with them every single day, and she helps them with clicking, house.... I don't think I would have payed for that much assistance, but hey, since she was clicking with them every day, she was able to propose alternative clicking ways that may be less painful (for me at least).
I think it's important to say this because I wouldn't have taken those expenses into consideration thinking this could be done mostly 100% alone, but that's just not true. You will need someone to come with you or hire nurses at times, at least for first 3-4 weeks and specially if you have cliclking issues.
Thanks for saying that. I'll keep budget for that. Maybe will ask nurse to come every alternate day or so for helping with clicks and stuff. What do you do for food and stuff? Also, Can you go and buy groceries yourself or get to a taxi yourself?
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Thanks for saying that. I'll keep budget for that. Maybe will ask nurse to come every alternate day or so for helping with clicks and stuff. What do you do for food and stuff? Also, Can you go and buy groceries yourself or get to a taxi yourself?
Yeah, you will be able to take taxi alone in the first month post op. I always go with my gf, but the other G nails patients came to PT alone sice 7 days post op. Regarding groceries, just use the app called Efood and someone will bring it to your appartment at very cheap price. Quite useful.
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You mentioned you had a hard time with Taxi's and being treated okay
What is your skin color? Do you look Greek? I can imagine I am Italian so I would fit in a bit more
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You mentioned you had a hard time with Taxi's and being treated okay
What is your skin color? Do you look Greek? I can imagine I am Italian so I would fit in a bit more
Nah man, some taxi drivers here are just that idiotic. I'm white, from Spain, and my gf is Russian and really pretty, which should in theory be a factor for them not to run from us lol. They just see you as a crippled and don't want to wait for you (slow walking) or help you getting the walker into car.
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I hit 5.5 cm today, which was my initial goal. I will do 6 in the end, so it's 7 more days of lenghtening for me. I don't feel tight at all, or at least not more than when I was at 4 or so. I think this week I'm finally getting "normal" sleep too. To be honest, if it wasn't for clicking pain it would have been a smooth journey. Also, I have to work a lot on my business, and it's a bit difficult with PT, stretching, walking a lot... but hey, all can be done with discipline. This week I will focus on improving my gait with crutches, will maybe upload video., although it's quite bad for now, cause I have been to careful due to being paranoid of breaking the nail.
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I hit 5.5 cm today, which was my initial goal. I will do 6 in the end, so it's 7 more days of lenghtening for me. I don't feel tight at all, or at least not more than when I was at 4 or so. I think this week I'm finally getting "normal" sleep too. To be honest, if it wasn't for clicking pain it would have been a smooth journey. Also, I have to work a lot on my business, and it's a bit difficult with PT, stretching, walking a lot... but hey, all can be done with discipline. This week I will focus on improving my gait with crutches, will maybe upload video., although it's quite bad for now, cause I have been to careful due to being paranoid of breaking the nail.
Well done! Hang in there bro and keep us posted.
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Would it be any easier if three G-nail patients share an apartment and help each other out?
Or do you absolutely need a person who is fully functional to be a caretaker?
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I hit 5.5 cm today, which was my initial goal. I will do 6 in the end, so it's 7 more days of lenghtening for me. I don't feel tight at all, or at least not more than when I was at 4 or so. I think this week I'm finally getting "normal" sleep too. To be honest, if it wasn't for clicking pain it would have been a smooth journey. Also, I have to work a lot on my business, and it's a bit difficult with PT, stretching, walking a lot... but hey, all can be done with discipline. This week I will focus on improving my gait with crutches, will maybe upload video., although it's quite bad for now, cause I have been to careful due to being paranoid of breaking the nail.
Was the clicking pain really that bad? Didn't the pain meds alleviate it?
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I think it's because my X rays were not done standing, but lying down on a flexed position. All nurses and Dr. say it's perfectely ok, I also was worried about this first time I saw it.
Ah ok. Please once your in consolidation stage, please send that xray. I'm curious to see it.
Congrats on your progress!!
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Would it be any easier if three G-nail patients share an apartment and help each other out?
Or do you absolutely need a person who is fully functional to be a caretaker?
If everyone is responsible and disciplined you will be ok. Worst case? You can share expenses. The guys who are having a nurse everyday are sharing appartament.
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Was the clicking pain really that bad? Didn't the pain meds alleviate it?
I know that when I talk about 8-9/10 pain many people will believe I'm exaggerating. I think only users like Sirstrecthalot, who had the same experience, can understand it fully. There was a point (week 2 to 3) when I don't hesitate to call it torture, as I was almost passing out due to pain, needing like 4 hours per day to get clicks done. The chief nurse was there in one of the sessions, and she can tell I'm not exaggerating the pain. No med would do anything to be honest. After clicking under anesthesia pain went down to 6-7/10, and now at 5.5 cm it's like 4/10. All of this is on right leg, left leg was never that painful.
However, it seems I'm a weird case. None of the other patients have had pain so bad with the clicks, so it's just bad luck for me. I also think that Giotikas is learning and improving the methods. For example, I had 0 pain clicking in the first two weeks, and then all started with the so called "inflammation phase". While he gave me Ibuprofen, it was a bit late, right when my inflammation was peaking. After that, he is giving Ibuprofen a bit earlier so patients don't develop crazy inflammation as I did. I think that also may explain why no one is having that much pain, as they are keeping inflammation more controlled since an earlier point.
To sum up: it's smart to be ready for some pain, but my experience with crazy pain is not the rule, it's just bad luck.
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the big problem of the mechanical nails the clicks twist this leg at the beginning on an inflamation remains a suplice especially the first 3 weeks
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Are the scars very noticeable?
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I know that when I talk about 8-9/10 pain many people will believe I'm exaggerating. I think only users like Sirstrecthalot, who had the same experience, can understand it fully. There was a point (week 2 to 3) when I don't hesitate to call it torture, as I was almost passing out due to pain, needing like 4 hours per day to get clicks done. The chief nurse was there in one of the sessions, and she can tell I'm not exaggerating the pain. No med would do anything to be honest. After clicking under anesthesia pain went down to 6-7/10, and now at 5.5 cm it's like 4/10. All of this is on right leg, left leg was never that painful.
However, it seems I'm a weird case. None of the other patients have had pain so bad with the clicks, so it's just bad luck for me. I also think that Giotikas is learning and improving the methods. For example, I had 0 pain clicking in the first two weeks, and then all started with the so called "inflammation phase". While he gave me Ibuprofen, it was a bit late, right when my inflammation was peaking. After that, he is giving Ibuprofen a bit earlier so patients don't develop crazy inflammation as I did. I think that also may explain why no one is having that much pain, as they are keeping inflammation more controlled since an earlier point.
To sum up: it's smart to be ready for some pain, but my experience with crazy pain is not the rule, it's just bad luck.
Every patients have different experience, I too had lots of pain during the first 4 to 5 weeks, after that the pain just vanished. I found that it also dipends on one's mind. Those who are afraid to feel pain tend to feel it more, but if you start thinking and focusing to reach your goal of getting taller. You will not feel the pain at all.
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Every patients have different experience, I too had lots of pain during the first 4 to 5 weeks, after that the pain just vanished. I found that it also dipends on one's mind. Those who are afraid to feel pain tend to feel it more, but if you start thinking and focusing to reach your goal of getting taller. You will not feel the pain at all.
Nah man, I'm glad your experience was better, but I can tell you my issues were not psychological. I think I have quite good pain tolerance, and definetely wasn't afraid of it. As Giotikas says, I'm just an outlier in that regard, just bad luck. In fact, since week 4-5 as you say, clicking the left leg has been a joke: I even do it talking casually with my gf. It's just the right that keeps hurting. Of course, not as bad as in first month. I think my experience is quite similar to SirStrecthAlot, who had the same issues with right leg. Just bad luck and that's it.
However, don't take my posts about pain as complaining, I'm just triying to give an impartial picture of my journey with LL. I don't regret my choice at all, as I'd rather have pain than being on a wheelchair with Precice. I'm walking a lot now. I also like the experience in the sense that, if I was able to take this pain and not quitting, there is nothing in the future that will make me quit. In fact, I will keep the videos of my clicking sessions to motivate me in future lol.
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Btw, I'm developing some duck ass. I'm stretching hip flexors a lot, but my glute muscles are still non existing. I will work hard on this when I finish clicks. 5 more days to go¡
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So under the assumption you are going on your own to Greece what are the main things you didn't realize you needed until arriving there?
Also did you compile a list of the phone apps/things you need to do? Did you go to a phone shop to get a sim card or you just use wifi?
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So under the assumption you are going on your own to Greece what are the main things you didn't realize you needed until arriving there?
Also did you compile a list of the phone apps/things you need to do? Did you go to a phone shop to get a sim card or you just use wifi?
I realised there are things you don't see on Airbnb. For example, I thought my apparment was perfect, but the shower door was slightly small, the toilet pretty low... all those are little things that you don't realise until you are f*cked up post surgery. Regarding phone apps: Efood and Wolt for food and groceries, and Uber or Beat to call taxis. I did not need SIM card cause I'm european, so we have automatic roaming.
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Hello All
You can engage BJR to look for apartment - they ensure it is suitable for LL patient -- without stairs, safe location, near amenities and etc.
I gotta my apartment thru BJR and happy with it.
Tried to order online for Grocery, food and Uber transport - no issue so far.
WIFI here is good and so I am able to work in my apartment too.
LEO
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Hello All
You can engage BJR to look for apartment - they ensure it is suitable for LL patient -- without stairs, safe location, near amenities and etc.
I gotta my apartment thru BJR and happy with it.
Tried to order online for Grocery, food and Uber transport - no issue so far.
WIFI here is good and so I am able to work in my apartment too.
LEO
When did you have your surgery?
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Just out of the blue I developed some duck ass. Before that I had a bit, but almost unnoticeable. In the last two days it has gotten worse, so I'm stretching my hip flexors like crazy. Luckily, only 4 more days of lenghtening and it's over. The duck ass is causing tension on my low back (I have a bulging disk since a few years ago) and it's really annoying.
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Btw, I'm developing some duck ass. I'm stretching hip flexors a lot, but my glute muscles are still non existing. I will work hard on this when I finish clicks. 5 more days to go¡
I wouldn’t compare you and Sir’s situations. He went with a 70 year old Betz and lengthened a dangerous amount, it seems in the next couple of years Dr. G will be the worlds top LL surgeon, either him or mahboibian due to actually caring about patients rehab. Godspeed for paving the way for the next generation of LL’ers and giving Giotikas experience. I’ve already started to learn Greek and have made my choice of going to him within the next 5 years.
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Hey guys, I finished lenghtening. I just arrived from hospital and X rays. It seems that the daily amount of clicks we do is slightly more than 1 cm, cause in every X ray I have maybe 1 mm more than expected. My end mark: 6.1 cm. I did not want to go over 6, but hell, I don't think 1 mm is gonna cause more trouble with athletic recovery.
One thing I was worried was misalignment: as some users noted, my side view looks great, but on the front the bone don't loke straight. However, Dr. says it's all good, and PT and nurses say all the same: my femur is a but more curved than average, and that's why it looks a bit curved. I must admit that the X ray looks weird (will upload later to see if anyone can comment), but I don't think everyone is lying about something that would be really obvious. Dr. also seems to be quite responsible: I commented that in the last weeks my right knee is slightly inwards when walking, although PT guys say it's 100% muscle imbalance (have seen the same in other users). He also says it's muscle imbalance, but wants me do a CT scan to confirm there is no problem in that leg before I go home, so that's why I think he doesn't look like an untrusworthy guy.
In any case, I hope all is good "structuraly" and I can start to recover. Today is 2 months and 2 days post surgery: I certainly did the 6 cm fast¡ My bone growth is still pretty good, and Dr has cleared me to start walking unassisted at home, at least just a bit. Outside, I should use crutches for 4 weeks more.
Will upload X rays soon, I would appreciate if someone with knowledge can comment on them¡
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congratulations!! only 2months to do 6 cm, yes that is fast compared to the usual diaries that we read here.
how is your gait now and your walking speed? i know you said crutches outside for 4 weeks more but how do you feel now about walking? how long do you think can you get back to pre-op gait and speed?
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Congratulation! Curious with G-nail is it possible to rebreak later to gain more height? Rebreaking, reactivating and continue lengthening is possible with precice to gain for the max.
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Congratulation! Curious with G-nail is it possible to rebreak later to gain more height? Rebreaking, reactivating and continue lengthening is possible with precice to gain for the max.
i think so. its not any different because when bones finished consolidating and is fully healed and healthy, its still bone regardless of g nail or other methods.
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@V21
Have you experience any accidental “clicks” as of yet?
All the best.
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Hey guys, I still have to upload X rays and, if possible, walking video.
To be honest, if I get 100% confirmation that my alignment is good I can say I'm pretty happy. The progress in consolidation is reaally fast. Now it's only 2 days in consolidation, and I don't feel tight anymore and my walk is not as bad as I thought. Take into account that I never tried unnasisted walk while lenghtening, following Dr. recomenddations. The first time I tried was 2 days ago when I came back from hospital and I looked like a penguin. However, while still looking obviuously bad, today my gait already looks like "real" walking, so I think things are evolving well.
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Hey bro, how do they analyse the alignment? Do they use 3D Xrays with EOS imaging?
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Hey mate,
How are you doing?
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Hey guys, I know I haven't posted for a while, and I probably won't do it for a few weeks. My mood is a bit sad right now, as a friend of mine here has had a problem.
My results are very good I'd say. I can walk normal with crutches, and without then I still look weird (hip sway) but not at all as a guy who had his legs broken (I had surgery only 2 months and a week ago). Even in PT they say my recovery is very fast, and they ask me to show my walk to the new patients in order to cheer them up. I was a bit concerned about the fact that my right knee seemed a bit inward while walking, but Dr Giotikas did a CT scan a told me everything is ok, so it's due to muscle imbalance and it will resolve. In fact, today I noticed that, after warming up, it looks 95% normal, so it seems he is probably right, which I'm happy about. For the last years, I almost never left my house due to height dysphoria, and this week I have been going to restaurants and other normal things with my girlfriend. It feels amazing to finally be free.
However, a good friend of mine here had a complication this week, complication that was aggravated by the fact that the damn taxi driver chose to drove away instead of helping him. Just unbelievable. I will not comment on this matter for now cause it's still soon and I don't have the full picture of everything that has happened, so it's just idiotic to give opinions. What I will say is that I feel weird: I'm very happy about my good results so far, and at the same time I feel guilty for feeling good while other guy can't say the same.
To be honest, and if all keeps going on well, I can say my journey was great. Yes, I had the bad luck of having crazy pain clicking while all the others are perfectly fine with that. But pain is just pain, I don't have any complications and I got the results I wanted. I feel confident about recovering my athletic ability in the long run, so I think I'm luckly. Next week I will finally go back to Spain, and when I feel a little better I will update about my progress.
My conclusion for now is this: my life was basically over before this surgery, due to all my mental issues regarding height dysphoria. Now I got the goal I chased for so long, and finally I'm free, so I'm very happy about my choice. For that reason, if your height is not allowing you to really enjoy your life, take the risk and do this. The price of freedom is worth the risk. However, if you only are considering doing this for aesthetic reasons considering this is a "normal" procedure, I warn you: forget about it. Even when doing your research and choosing a renowned surgeon there is still a risk of things going horribly wrong. I don't intend to be pesimistic, and as I said my results are great for now. Just being realistic, as this surgery is no joke.
I will not disappear, and will post again on a few weeks. See you guys.
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I finally got back home. Seems like I survived this crazy crazy journey. Will update soon¡
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Good to hear you're doing well. What are your thoughts on your proportions now?
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Good to hear you're doing well. What are your thoughts on your proportions now?
It's weird, but I don't notice much of a change in proportions lol. I looked normal pre op, and still look normal now. I even measured my leg to check if I had grown, cause my proportions look the same, and yeah, there are 5.5-6 cm more, but my legs look normal.
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On October 7, I met four friends in the rehabilitation center. I'm sorry I didn't see you.
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"On October 7, I met four friends in the rehabilitation center. I'm sorry I didn't see you."
What are your thoughts on the rehabilitation center in Athens? Is it worth it to live close to it or better to live far but spend less on rent for most people in your opinion?
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Regarding the rehabilitation center, the physiotherapists there are very caring, and I don’t know more about the rest for the time being, because I haven’t completed the surgery yet.
Regarding accommodation, I would like to say that it is best to choose an apartment with no stairs at the door and an elevator (I want to do P, if it is a load-bearing method, there are 5 steps or less at the entrance of the door). Regarding the distance, I think It's not particularly important, unless it's a few hundred meters, otherwise you have to take a car. Secondly, choose non-hazardous communities, whether wheelchairs and walkers in the room are convenient to pass, and whether the toilet is suitable for postoperative surgery.
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Today I'm 4 weeks on consolidation, and Dr Giotikas allowed me to drop the crutches, although I will only walk unnasisted for now at home, using crutches on the street a couple more weeks until my gait is perfect. My flexibility is now the same as any average person (it was over average pre op), so I think I'm recovering that pretty fast. My recovery in strenght is being slower though, specially glutes. They are coming back, but very very slowly. I'm working out at least 1 hour per day, although I'd like to do more, but I have too much work these weeks. I'm also recovering my upper body, specially the back.
My gait, when warmed up, is maybe 75% normal. When I wake up in the morning I look like a penguin though lol. I think walking close to normal by the end of the year (it would be 4 months post op by then) is a reasonable goal.
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What are your thoughts on the different neighborhoods in Athens you have been to or heard of?
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Wow, time's flying for you! Did you ever walk without crutches prior to Dr Giotikas allowing you to drop them?
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Wow, time's flying for you! Did you ever walk without crutches prior to Dr Giotikas allowing you to drop them?
He did allow me since the end of lenghtening to do a few steps every day at home. I know that's being conservative, and the nail is strong, but since I'm paranoid about damaging the nail I have been following all his indications. So, since the end of lenghtening, I have been walking unnasisted at home maybe like 2 minutes per day, but no more.
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Every patients have different experience, I too had lots of pain during the first 4 to 5 weeks, after that the pain just vanished. I found that it also dipends on one's mind. Those who are afraid to feel pain tend to feel it more, but if you start thinking and focusing to reach your goal of getting taller. You will not feel the pain at all.
I sincerely believe that you are very wrong. This operation is not like an injury that if you put ice on it the pain goes down. Your leg bones are being broken, daily, several times, for months. It hurts, and a lot, constantly. With medication it is reduced. But your thoughts are like "if you don't think about the pain, it doesn't hurt" is childish and unrealistic.
Let's be honest and realistic, this operation hurts a lot. There are risks, we have already seen how in the last month a patient has died, even with the head nurse all day with him, says a lot.
I would not take it as a joke and I would investigate very well before having the surgery the whole process, from how it is done, with who, the technique, the team that will take care of me, because for me the surgeon is very important, but the aftercare is even more important, and I want to be sure that the person next to me knows the whole process and the signs that the situation is going wrong. After all, we only have one life and I am not going to risk mine lightly.
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Hey guys, I just got my X rays.
Since the very beginning some users said I may have misaligment, and I did consider the same, cause it did not look fully straight. Dr. Giotikas told me like 10 times that there was no misaligment, and the nurses said the same. Today, the Spanish doctor who took my X rays said the same: there is no misalignment, it's only that the nail is so big that the inner part of the bone is affected, but it will look fully straight once consolidation is more advanced. I think this is true because, on the October X rays (see here: https://imgur.com/a/qv7pEgr) my left femur looked really misaligned to me, but now looks normal. The right still looks misaligned to me, but callus is much weaker there, so the Spanish Dr. says that the same will happen: callus will grow in that inner part and it will look fully straight. Even thought it still looks somewhat weird to me, I'm not a pro, and Giotikas told me directly that there is no misalignment, so I tend to think he is right. Has this happened to anyone else? I remember seeing X rays like this in other diary, but don't remember which one.
Current X rays at 3 months and one week post surgery (5 weeks on consolidation): https://imgur.com/a/ECc8ClL
Their machine was very small, so they took them in two different takes. In the picture I have put them together so it makes sense. They also were taken with legs totally closed and knees almost touching, whereas in Greece I kept a more normal posture. What I'm curious is that the original shape of my femurs has changed: before the surgery, they were curved inwards, and now they are more straight and slighty curved outwards. You can see them here: https://imgur.com/a/FVxRIZG
So, my question is: since the shape of the whole femur has changed, can that affect in any way the total height gained? Meaning if it's possible to gain more (due to less curved femurs) or less (due to more curved femurs). I will not measure on stadiometer until the end of the month, as my back is not yet 100% straight (slight duck ass). I did 6 cm, but will be satisfied as long as I get more than 5 "real" cm.
Regarding my condition, my walk is 100% regarding leg motion, but it still looks weid in general due to still having some hip sway, as it its being very dificult to me to recover my glutes. My legs in general are pretty strong again, but the glutes are coming back very very slowly, despite working out a lot. I hope to walk 100% normal by the end of the year.
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Dr just saw my X rays and confirmed again that alignment is good. Also he says that my bone growth is "very robust", os I can leave crutches for good¡ Until now I was still using them outside, so now I can walk unnasisted all the time (I will still use one crutch to climb up stairs, I think I need it).
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Damn that nail is huge lol
Did not know g-nail was that big on x Rays .
And ye honestly the nail and the bone looks weird to me too but if 2 doctors stated the same thing ,I guess they have more knowledge then our internet application.
Also , I never seen this curve in a femur after a lenghetning (based on other x-rays I've seen) .
Is the doctor you are in contact with a limb lenghetning one or it's a generic ortho surgeon ?
Also..why in the last x-ray the nail is not in there ?!
I am a Paley,Rozbruch and Lee fan ahahah
So if by any chance you share your x-rays via e-mail with one of them in the future let me/us know because I would love to hear their opinion on those x-rays
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I could not avoid to take a proper measurement already. As of today, having done 6 cm, my "real" gain in height is 5 cm. This means that I recovered 5 mm, cause in the end of lenghtening I measured and got only 4.5 cm (had duck ass). I still have some duck ass, so I hope to recover even more when I fix it completely, and get like 5.5 cm or so.
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V21 i pmed you, pls check your private messages. Thanks
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Dr. Giotikas just told me that residual pelvic tilt can "steal" around 5-10 mm, so I should just focus on getting rid of it in order to recover the "lost" height. I hope in the end I can get the full 5.5 cm. Probably next week I will start swimming.
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10mm that is a lot of height 'lost'
is your pelvic tilt a result of tightness or did you have it prior to surgery?
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10mm that is a lot of height 'lost'
is your pelvic tilt a result of tightness or did you have it prior to surgery?
I had perfect posture before surgery, so that's what I hope that in the end I will get more than 5 real cm, as I still have some slight duck ass. For example, in FSanchez diary he said that, doing 7.8 cm, got only 6.5 real at first, but managed to get around 7.5 in the end after correcting his posture. I hope the same for me, cause 5 cm after doing 6.1 does not make much sense. Maybe 5.5 or so in the end is reasonable.
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Feliz Ano Noevo, V21!
Now that you are back home in your familiar settings, how do you like the additional height, do you notice a big change? Did you keep the procedure a secret from friends, if so, have they noticed/commented on it?
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Hey guys.
It's been around 4 months since my surgery, and it's time to update here. From a functional point of view I think my evolution it's quite good, as I already have fully normal walk in flat surfaces. Going uphill and downhill I still look a bit like a robot, but it was something to expect a this point. I go swimming 3 times per week, and it definitely helps a lot. I think I can swim as fast as I did pre op. I still have some sligh duck ass, it's being very very difficult to get rid of it, probably due to tight hip flexors. I strecth them a lot each day, so I hope I solve this issue in a few weeks. Once my back is totally straight again, I will meassure to check the real gains. With my duck ass, the gain is 5 cm despite doing 6 cm in lenghtening, but Dr says it's due to pelvic tilt, and that I should get like 5.5-6. Hope it's true¡
Everyone is commenting that I'm taller lol. To be honest, and I think this happened to a few guys here, walking in the street I don't notice that much of a change, but I do notice when I'm close to someone. It's like I perceive people like they were much taller than me, and when I get close to them or check in a mirror I realize I'm the taller guy. It's weird, like the mind is not used to the new height yet.
As I said in the past, I'd also like to comment about a few things regarding my experience in Greece. I'd like to start talking a bit about G-Nail. I have seen lots of experienced posters trashing this nail, saying it's obsolete crap etc etc. I don't understand those complains if we take into account that Stryde is no longer available. This comes from someone who was unlucky and had crazy crazy pain clicking: I think G-Nail is a great option. This nail is solid, doesn't bend and no one is having mechanical issues with it. Accidental clicks have not been a real problem from anyone here. The great problem is the eventual pain (2/10 patients here had great pain clicking, me included), but it's a reasonable risk to take. I'd rather have pain than being on a wheelchair with Precice.
Being impartial, I'd also have to say that NO ONE has been able to click alone during all lenghtening, and that's a really weird thing, as Guichet and Betz patients can do it on their own. In my case, I was lucky to have my gf with me, so I clicked with her everyday and did not have to spend more money with nurses. However, people who are going alone have to pay EVERY DAY for nurse assistance to get the clicks. I don't know if this is happening due to lack of perfect technique while clicking, but it would be interesting if some some Guichet or Betz patients could share by private message some clicking videos. They must definetely be doing something wrong in Greece, and it's important to find out how to click alone, because the nurse assistance it's too expensive. People are paing 100 euros per day (3.000 month) for nurse asistance to click each day. Most people are very wealthy and have no problem with it, but some others are on a budget and are really struggling cause they can't afford it. That's not fair at all. I think the worst is that you are not warned about this pre surgery, and it's only after surgery when you realise that, on top of all that you paid, you will have to pay 3.000 more each month. If you don't, you will fail, as people are not being able to click alone. That feels like a scam or extortion. For this reason, even though I think G Nail is a great choice, I think people must be warned about this: go with someone to help you click, or you will have to pay a fortune in nurse assistance.
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Happy New Year, my friend! I am really happy you are doing great. Also I think I can summarize: despite bigger pain, after all G-nail is a better option than LATN.
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....
Everyone is commenting that I'm taller lol. To be honest, and I think this happened to a few guys here, walking in the street I don't notice that much of a change, but I do notice when I'm close to someone. It's like I perceive people like they were much taller than me, and when I get close to them or check in a mirror I realize I'm the taller guy. It's weird, like the mind is not used to the new height yet...
Hi V21 happy new year, does this mean that you are you still feeling shorter or even inferior to other men? How good is your confidence now?
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Hi V21 happy new year, does this mean that you are you still feeling shorter or even inferior to other men? How good is your confidence now?
To be honest, never felt inferior to anyone. This was more of an obsession and a challenge to overcome. My goal was to be over 175, so that's definetely achieved. I can say that I'm happy, and I'm doing great from a functional point of view. However, since every click was so damn painful, I'd really like to get something closer to the 6 cm I lenghtened. 3 weeks ago I had a real gain of 5 cm, but I also had duck ass, and Giotikas says that it can cause a loss of 5-10 mm. In 2 weeks or so I will measure again to check if there is progress. If I get like 5.5 cm, I will be extremely happy.
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hey V21 how are you doing? any issues now or are they mostly gone
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That misalignment is exactly what I was referring it before you even started consolidation.
Giotikas and that Spanish doctor have incentive to lie.
Send your xrays to paley or donghoon lee. Ask them their opinion. Pay for it if u have to. Only way to get objective answer.
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You can find a Qualified Orthopaedic Doctor in your own country to review XRAYs for any misalignment or Fixation issue.
No need to send all the way to Dr. Lee.
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How much would you say you spent on taxis to and from the PT centre each week?
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Hey guys,
6 months post surgery it's time for an update.
From a functional point of view I feel great, even better than expected. My walk is fully normal, looking maybe slightly weird when going uphill in elevations, but only because I need to get stronger. My consolidations is good, and Giotikas is allowing me to run soon. I can walk as fast as I would pre surgery, and I feel confident that I will recovery my athleticism. My glutes are still somewhat weak, and have slight anterior pelvic tilt.
Here you can see my latest X rays: https://imgur.com/a/g93n3Jh
However, I still don't have the full amount I lenghtened, and it's getting a bit discouraging. According to X rays, and after taking magnification into account, I did 6.1 cm in one leg and 6.2 in another. However, my "real" gain in height is still 5.2-5.3 cm. Dr Giotikas seems to think that it's due to my pelvict tilt. I hope that's the case, as it's true that my posture is not 100% as good as it was pre-surgery. Now I have some time off work, so I'm going to work like a madman in correcting my posture, hoping to recover some extra mm. If I don't recover them, I feel a bit dissapointed to be honest, cause I fought really hard for every mm. Had I known this, I would have lenghtened a bit more. I will update in a few weeks if I can get my posture back to 100%.
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why g nail 6cm,real 5cm
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I don't know. I just measured properly again and the gain is exactly 5.2 cm, but I lenghtened 6.1-6.2. It's very very frustrating. I told Dr Giotikas and he told me to send him videos and photos of my posture. He has told me to keep strengthtening my core, as I should get something closer to 6 cm. He checked again and my latest X rays show at least 6.1 cm in lenghtening, so a gain of 5.2 is too low. I will keep on working, but I feel down today to be honest. Everything else is going so good... but I feel very disappointed losing 1 cm.
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Since u urself found out your posture is not as good as previous that is just the reason why you didn't achieve the full lengthening amount.
Height shrinkage as I heard only happens in cases of pins bending or external fixators being removed due to the recoil but I never heard height shrinkage after internal lengthening.
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Since u urself found out your posture is not as good as previous that is just the reason why you didn't achieve the full lengthening amount.
Height shrinkage as I heard only happens in cases of pins bending or external fixators being removed due to the recoil but I never heard height shrinkage after internal lengthening.
Since the shape of my femurs changed a bit with the surgery, the worst case scenario for me is that the "missing" height is due to that. I will get a spine X ray to see if something has changed there, as I had one 1 month pre surgery. In any case, I will keep doing strenghtening exercises for my back, and maybe check with a chiropractor.
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Hey guys,
6 months post surgery it's time for an update.
From a functional point of view I feel great, even better than expected. My walk is fully normal, looking maybe slightly weird when going uphill in elevations, but only because I need to get stronger. My consolidations is good, and Giotikas is allowing me to run soon. I can walk as fast as I would pre surgery, and I feel confident that I will recovery my athleticism. My glutes are still somewhat weak, and have slight anterior pelvic tilt.
Here you can see my latest X rays: https://imgur.com/a/g93n3Jh
However, I still don't have the full amount I lenghtened, and it's getting a bit discouraging. According to X rays, and after taking magnification into account, I did 6.1 cm in one leg and 6.2 in another. However, my "real" gain in height is still 5.2-5.3 cm. Dr Giotikas seems to think that it's due to my pelvict tilt. I hope that's the case, as it's true that my posture is not 100% as good as it was pre-surgery. Now I have some time off work, so I'm going to work like a madman in correcting my posture, hoping to recover some extra mm. If I don't recover them, I feel a bit dissapointed to be honest, cause I fought really hard for every mm. Had I known this, I would have lenghtened a bit more. I will update in a few weeks if I can get my posture back to 100%.
0.1 difference? won't that make any problem?
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0.1 difference? won't that make any problem?
0.9 difference: at least 6.1 lenghtened and 5.2 real gain. Giotikas thinks it's due to lumbar muscle weakness, as I was pretty strong pre-surgery, and now I'm weaker there. I will focus on that, and will report if I regain the "missing" height.
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0.9 difference: at least 6.1 lenghtened and 5.2 real gain. Giotikas thinks it's due to lumbar muscle weakness, as I was pretty strong pre-surgery, and now I'm weaker there. I will focus on that, and will report if I regain the "missing" height.
No i mean difference between left leg and right
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0.9 difference: at least 6.1 lenghtened and 5.2 real gain. Giotikas thinks it's due to lumbar muscle weakness, as I was pretty strong pre-surgery, and now I'm weaker there. I will focus on that, and will report if I regain the "missing" height.
What are your thoughts on the pros and cons of staying in Athens for 6 weeks vs longer? I believe Dr. Giotikas lets patients leave after 6 weeks
I'm thinking of staying the Montaza hotel in Athens for 6,7, or 8 weeks maybe, can't decide
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Hi, hope you are doing well.
May I ask you something regarding the accommodations in Athens? Do you have some places that you recommend me to stay around the hospital? How can we get some carer if we need like from time to time or flexibly? thank you
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Hi V21, how did we search for airbnb apartments close to the hospital, I typed in the hospitals adress, it does not work that way, all greek, how did you manage to find one and how to search one which is close to a certain spot..
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Hi V21, how did we search for airbnb apartments close to the hospital, I typed in the hospitals adress, it does not work that way, all greek, how did you manage to find one and how to search one which is close to a certain spot..
hi, i think its better to find an apartment near the therapy center than the hospital. I think you will visit the hospital only when you need to meet the doctor but you will visit the therapist everyday.
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sounds wise, thank you. The therapy center that co works with the hospital shall be close to the hospital I suppose?
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hi, i think its better to find an apartment near the therapy center than the hospital. I think you will visit the hospital only when you need to meet the doctor but you will visit the therapist everyday.
This makes sense. The only other factor I was thinking about was that Dr. Giotikas sends the nurses to the Montaza Hotel (and I think possibly the Hyatt hotel as well). It is not so easy for me to weigh the pros and cons of having nurse support + hotel staff support versus being closer to the physical therapy center and paying less for taxi rides, but what are your guys thoughts?
What problems will I likely run into? Currently I plan to stay in the Montaza hotel the whole time
Also how much should I budget in for taxi (it seems their uber is an app called "beat") rides?
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sounds wise, thank you. The therapy center that co works with the hospital shall be close to the hospital I suppose?
according to morningstar's diary (http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=67949.93), the therapy center is in another city (?) called Peristeri. and dr giotikas hospital is Mediterraneo Hospital. so checking google maps these places are far from each other.
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according to morningstar's diary (http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=67949.93), the therapy center is in another city (?) called Peristeri. and dr giotikas hospital is Mediterraneo Hospital. so checking google maps these places are far from each other.
Peristeri is a neighborhood, not a city. It's far from the hospital though. Better to stay close to the PT center, as you will go 4 times per week.
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hi Are you in Athens now?
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Hi are you in Athens now
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Did you ever hear clicking noises after consolidation?
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Not at all!
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Hi V21 it's been 3 months since you last posted. Have you measured your height again recently? Did you manage to recover that extra 1cm by fixing your posture?
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I do 3 workouts per day. They last around 30 mins: 3 strenghtening exercises (variants of leg raises) and 3 strecthing exercises with bands (quads, harmstrings and IT Bands). Besides that, I strecht like 15 mins every hour or so. For example, if I'm watching a movie with my gf, I do light stretches at the same time.
30x3 ? wow, that's a lot. Is there any list of exercising with durations?
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Im planning on lengthening 5 CM. Going from 5'7 to 5'9, From your experience..any chance that people would not notice and comment on the procedure? I plan on doing this solo from friends and family. Or is this just not realistic.
Like is it absolutely certain in their mind that you're taller or are they just like "something is different"
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Peristeri is a neighborhood, not a city. It's far from the hospital though. Better to stay close to the PT center, as you will go 4 times per week.
In practice, how useful was the massage gun for you in your experience?
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Peristeri is a neighborhood, not a city. It's far from the hospital though. Better to stay close to the PT center, as you will go 4 times per week.
Does Dr. Giotikas lock the gnail somehow (does it require surgery?) when you're done lengthening? To prevent accidental clicks afterwards
Thanks!!
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Hey guys,
Long time off the forum. All went very well and I will try to summarize everything.
At around 20 months post surgery, I'm around 80% of my pre surgery athleticism. I'm quite proficient at running, boxing... and I haven't taken the nails out yet. I do feel less explosive when sprinting. I think I will be able to get to at least a 90% of what I was, so I'm very pleased in that regard.
I mentioned that I had issues not getting the full amount lenghtened: I lenghtened 6 cm and I was only getting like 5.1 cm real height. It seems part of it was my spinal erectors getting weak. Once I started deadlifting, the issue has mostly solved. I have a real gain of 5.7 cm, so I'm happy with that. I can't stress this enough: to fully recover, you need to do proper weight training after you are consolidated. I did light stuff for a long a time and it was not enough. You need proper strenght training: lifting, sprinting...
I get my nails out in June 13th with Dr. Giotikas. I will update after my recovery.
For guys who already had their nails removed and measured properly: there are no height changes after nail extraction right? Someone told me that you may lose 2-3 mm, but I don't think that's possible once the nail is fully consolidated. There should not be changes. If any, for the better, as the nail may "lock" your hips a bit, at least in my case.
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Are you happy with the new height? Do you feel like you "cured" your neurosis?
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Are you happy with the new height? Do you feel like you "cured" your neurosis?
Yes, I did. It took me a while to recover physically and to get things straigth with my head, but now I'm over it. Very happy. That's why I'm pretty paranoid now about losing any height after removal. I don't want to get back in this unhealthy loop again.
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Are you able to share your latest x-rays prior to surgery? Thanks for the updates!
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This will probably be my last post in this forum.
I had nail extraction on June 13th, but I was waiting for a full recovery before posting again. There was a complication in surgery: a small part of the nail on my right leg broke or fell down during surgery, so Giotikas had to drill through my knee to push it out. He warned me about this posibility the day before, it seems it's not that uncommon. It's not a major problem though, it just means a longer recovery in that leg (maybe 3 weeks more). After surgery, my left leg literally felt like nothing had happened. I felt I could run or jump. Nail extraction surgery is truly mild in comparison with the original surgery as long as you have no complications. However, my right knee was hurting a lot due to the knee drilling. Giotikas told me I had to keep stretching it despite of pain in order to keep my ROM. I kept strectching, but I'm not exagerating when I say that it caused as much pain as the original surgery. I was just a bit unlucky in that regard, but it was just pain.
Most people don't even use the crutches after surgery. Due to my complication, I had to use them for like 10 days, as my right knee was extremely weak. I felt I would fall without the crutches, and I had a lot of inflammation. I left hospital on the same day, and left Greece 5 days after that. I started walking with no crutches after 10 days, and I recovered fully normal gait after 30 days or so. Take into account that this is not normal, it was just due to my complication, and I lost a lot of leg muscle during that first month.
Normally, you have to wait at least 6 weeks to start working out again. However, it seems I had a very very strong consolidation, so Giotikas allowed me to start jogging at around 4 weeks post surgery. I waited 5 weeks just in case, and started slowly jogging. Comparing my performance with pre nail extraction is CRAZY. You feel so much stronger and flexible. I truly encourage all of you to take the nails out, as you won't fully recover until you do. Before doing any lifting, I took X-rays at 6 weeks post surgery, and Giotikas said it all looked good.
11 weeks after surgery I can say that I think I will get to 95-100% of my pre LL athletic abilities. I'm hiking at least 2 hours per day, boxing again, running, deadlifting (with low weight just in case for now)... I feel extremely good. The only thing that feels weaker is squatting with proper form due to the changed biomechanics, but I'm working on it. I'd say before extraction I was at 80% of my previous abilities, but taking the nail out allows me to get back to where I was before LL. In fact, I just measured and I'm 3 mm taller than pre extraction. It probably was because the nail was restricting my hip mobility by a lot, causing strain to my lower back. This means that I FINALLY have truly gained the full amount that I lenghtened: 6 cm.
I'm very happy now, and I just must be careful not doing anything stupid that could cause a fracture. If I don't post again, everything is ok. I'm glad I did this surgery, as it changed my life. Finally now, after 2 years, I can put my height obsession behind. I also want to thank Dr Giotikas for his work, as I have no complaints about him. He's been very professional and kind to me, and I certainly recommend him as a Dr.
I wish you luck to all of you.
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This will probably be my last post in this forum.
I had nail extraction on June 13th, but I was waiting for a full recovery before posting again. There was a complication in surgery: a small part of the nail on my right leg broke or fell down during surgery, so Giotikas had to drill through my knee to push it out. He warned me about this posibility the day before, it seems it's not that uncommon. It's not a major problem though, it just means a longer recovery in that leg (maybe 3 weeks more). After surgery, my left leg literally felt like nothing had happened. I felt I could run or jump. Nail extraction surgery is truly mild in comparison with the original surgery as long as you have no complications. However, my right knee was hurting a lot due to the knee drilling. Giotikas told me I had to keep stretching it despite of pain in order to keep my ROM. I kept strectching, but I'm not exagerating when I say that it caused as much pain as the original surgery. I was just a bit unlucky in that regard, but it was just pain.
Most people don't even use the crutches after surgery. Due to my complication, I had to use them for like 10 days, as my right knee was extremely weak. I felt I would fall without the crutches, and I had a lot of inflammation. I left hospital on the same day, and left Greece 5 days after that. I started walking with no crutches after 10 days, and I recovered fully normal gait after 30 days or so. Take into account that this is not normal, it was just due to my complication, and I lost a lot of leg muscle during that first month.
Normally, you have to wait at least 6 weeks to start working out again. However, it seems I had a very very strong consolidation, so Giotikas allowed me to start jogging at around 4 weeks post surgery. I waited 5 weeks just in case, and started slowly jogging. Comparing my performance with pre nail extraction is CRAZY. You feel so much stronger and flexible. I truly encourage all of you to take the nails out, as you won't fully recover until you do. Before doing any lifting, I took X-rays at 6 weeks post surgery, and Giotikas said it all looked good.
11 weeks after surgery I can say that I think I will get to 95-100% of my pre LL athletic abilities. I'm hiking at least 2 hours per day, boxing again, running, deadlifting (with low weight just in case for now)... I feel extremely good. The only thing that feels weaker is squatting with proper form due to the changed biomechanics, but I'm working on it. I'd say before extraction I was at 80% of my previous abilities, but taking the nail out allows me to get back to where I was before LL. In fact, I just measured and I'm 3 mm taller than pre extraction. It probably was because the nail was restricting my hip mobility by a lot, causing strain to my lower back. This means that I FINALLY have truly gained the full amount that I lenghtened: 6 cm.
I'm very happy now, and I just must be careful not doing anything stupid that could cause a fracture. If I don't post again, everything is ok. I'm glad I did this surgery, as it changed my life. Finally now, after 2 years, I can put my height obsession behind. I also want to thank Dr Giotikas for his work, as I have no complaints about him. He's been very professional and kind to me, and I certainly recommend him as a Dr.
I wish you luck to all of you.
Congrats man. Your journal was one of the ones that inspired me to do the surgery. Glad all ended well.
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If you have to go surgery again will still it be with giotikas?
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This will probably be my last post in this forum.
I had nail extraction on June 13th, but I was waiting for a full recovery before posting again. There was a complication in surgery: a small part of the nail on my right leg broke or fell down during surgery, so Giotikas had to drill through my knee to push it out. He warned me about this posibility the day before, it seems it's not that uncommon. It's not a major problem though, it just means a longer recovery in that leg (maybe 3 weeks more). After surgery, my left leg literally felt like nothing had happened. I felt I could run or jump. Nail extraction surgery is truly mild in comparison with the original surgery as long as you have no complications. However, my right knee was hurting a lot due to the knee drilling. Giotikas told me I had to keep stretching it despite of pain in order to keep my ROM. I kept strectching, but I'm not exagerating when I say that it caused as much pain as the original surgery. I was just a bit unlucky in that regard, but it was just pain.
Most people don't even use the crutches after surgery. Due to my complication, I had to use them for like 10 days, as my right knee was extremely weak. I felt I would fall without the crutches, and I had a lot of inflammation. I left hospital on the same day, and left Greece 5 days after that. I started walking with no crutches after 10 days, and I recovered fully normal gait after 30 days or so. Take into account that this is not normal, it was just due to my complication, and I lost a lot of leg muscle during that first month.
Normally, you have to wait at least 6 weeks to start working out again. However, it seems I had a very very strong consolidation, so Giotikas allowed me to start jogging at around 4 weeks post surgery. I waited 5 weeks just in case, and started slowly jogging. Comparing my performance with pre nail extraction is CRAZY. You feel so much stronger and flexible. I truly encourage all of you to take the nails out, as you won't fully recover until you do. Before doing any lifting, I took X-rays at 6 weeks post surgery, and Giotikas said it all looked good.
11 weeks after surgery I can say that I think I will get to 95-100% of my pre LL athletic abilities. I'm hiking at least 2 hours per day, boxing again, running, deadlifting (with low weight just in case for now)... I feel extremely good. The only thing that feels weaker is squatting with proper form due to the changed biomechanics, but I'm working on it. I'd say before extraction I was at 80% of my previous abilities, but taking the nail out allows me to get back to where I was before LL. In fact, I just measured and I'm 3 mm taller than pre extraction. It probably was because the nail was restricting my hip mobility by a lot, causing strain to my lower back. This means that I FINALLY have truly gained the full amount that I lenghtened: 6 cm.
I'm very happy now, and I just must be careful not doing anything stupid that could cause a fracture. If I don't post again, everything is ok. I'm glad I did this surgery, as it changed my life. Finally now, after 2 years, I can put my height obsession behind. I also want to thank Dr Giotikas for his work, as I have no complaints about him. He's been very professional and kind to me, and I certainly recommend him as a Dr.
I wish you luck to all of you.
I don't know if @V21 will still be logging in and commenting but i am certainly shocked about how he mentions "had to drill through my knee" so calmly - isn't that a major thing?
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I don't know if @V21 will still be logging in and commenting but i am certainly shocked about how he mentions "had to drill through my knee" so calmly - isn't that a major thing?
Hi, no, it isn't. Is exactly the same route that doctors commonly use when they want to put nails in the femur from the knee all the way up for various other reasons.