Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: eric.cartman on October 09, 2021, 08:10:43 AM
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Hello everyone,
I’m aware that there are plenty of Betz diaries on this forum, and it probably doesn’t need another one. However, I found many of these diaries very useful. I feel like it’s my turn to pay it forward.
I’ll give updates on my journey to the extent possible.
I arrived in Saarbrücken on Tuesday, October 5th. The surgery was scheduled on 8th but I arrived a couple of days earlier just in case. I had initial consultation with Dr. Betz almost five years ago and even booked a surgery date at thAt time. However, I got cold feet a few weeks before and cancelled. After that, life happened and LL just moved down my list of priorities until Covid happened last year and WFH became the new norm.
Day -3:
Arrived in Frankfurt on Tuesday and took train to Saarbrücken. I had to switch trains once in Mannheim but everything went smooth. I decided to stay at hotel in Saarbrücken just because there was better options with hotels and also decent restaurants etc.
Day -2:
I was planned to meet to anesthesiologist in the morning, do the PCR test and then meet Dr. Betz in the afternoon for a final discussion and sign the consent form. However, I was told in the morning that the anesthesiologist appointment is moved to next morning and Betz will call me later in afternoon about the exact time to meet. I got a call around 4pm as he was stuck in traffic coming back from Bavaria. I didn’t want to wait as I had some work to do, so we agreed to chat on phone later that evening and meet in-person the next day. He called me later around 9pm and we spoke for an hour incl. risks, logistics, potential issues I might run into, clicking etc. Very thorough and detailed as you’d expect from a German surgeon.
Day -1:
I met the anesthesiologist around 9:30am and after filling out a long questionnaire, she walked me through everything from how anesthesia works, different of types of anesthesia and risks etc. Later in the evening, I met Betz who walked through everything again for almost two hours. He also offered to remove the Tibia/Fibula connecting screws I have since they limit the natural movement between the two bones and can cause issues in the long run. These screws are prone to break due to forces exert on them during day-to-day activities. He said there is no reason for that screw to be there once lengthening is complete (I did my tibias lengthening earlier this year- more on that later). He asked me to come to the hospital around 9:30 as the surgery is scheduled for 11am. I went back to my hotel room, had a decent dinner and fell asleep. I thought I’d be too anxious to sleep bu I was able to get decent 6 hours of sleep.
Day 0:
Woke up around 7am, took a long hot shower and checked out of the hotel. I took a taxi to arrive the hospital around 9:45 am. The entire morning I had to remind myself not to eat, drink anything by accident. The anesthesiologist gave me a long lecture about this since apparently one of Betz’s patients recently had a proper breakfast buffet before coming in for the surgery and they had to cancel the surgery. Once I arrived at the hospital, I was taken to my room. I got a decent size room with a large window next to the bed with plenty of light coming in. There is also a large flat screen TV and a small desk/chair. The nurse came by a few min later to shave my legs and asked me if I prefer to do it myself and I did.
Once the legs were shaved, I put on surgical garments and a couple nurses came to roll me into the operating room.
As we got to the operating room, the OR nurse asked me if I want to use the bathroom before starting. I decided to empty my bladder one last time. Soon after, I was lying on the operating table and the nurse put on the IV line. The anesthesiologist told me she has already prepared everything in advance. She put an oxygen mask on me and instructed the nurse to a continue with a series of injections. She turned to me and told me that I’ll go to sleep now.
By the time I woke up, I was being rolled back into my room. The first thing I noticed is being cold and shivering - I know this sensation too well from my previous surgery and I hate it. I asked them to put on my socks which they did immediately. The nurse also went and got me an additional thick blanket. I didnt have much pain but I could feel the stiffness. The nurses made sure I was comfortable, brought me water, gave me something in IV and left. As soon as the nurse left, I immediately checked if the left the catheter inside and was happy find that the removed it before waking me.
About 30 min later, Dr. Betz came to my room. The first thing he said: “let’s get you out of these surgical clothes and put on some normal clothes, you’ll feel much better”. He helped change my clothes himself and once that’s done he wanted me to sit up on the bed. He gave me the crutches and said “ now we walk, even just a few steps”. He said he wants to make sure that I get the confidence to walk with the nail inside. I thought I was going to sleep for the rest of the day; walking with crutches an hour after the surgery wasn’t something I was expecting. Anyway I wanted to give it a try ..standing up from the bed wasn’t difficult but I felt a bit dizzy. Betz and a nurse were holding me while I stood up. The first 4-5 steps were wobbly but after that I got a hang of it, ended up walking almost 35-40 steps from my bed and back. Betz told me the initial distraction was 0.5cm and he was happy with my walking.
A few hours later, the nurse brought me ‘dinner’ which is essentially two slices of German Rye bread, three slices of cheese and a couple slices cucumber. Luckily I brought some protein bars with me which I promptly had after the dinner.
Pain management has been pretty good so far. They give you a device which releases a small pill and you can self- administer whenever you feel pain.
I’ve been drifting in and out of sleep the whole afternoon/evening. I watched TV for a while in the evening. The nurse came by to give a thrombosis injection and told me that I should really try to pee today. She brought me a large jug of water and it worked. I peed and it really feels better afterward.
My sleep was good overall, I woke up around 4am as I felt some pain. I took the pain medication and dozed off again.
Also, my experience has been positive with the hospital staff and nurses. Everyone is very attentive and when you ask for something, the nurses are there right away. The hospital is definitely a bit old and basic but the nurses seem very considerate and attentive.
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Hello everyone,
I’m aware that there are plenty of Betz diaries on this forum, and it probably doesn’t need another one. However, I found many of these diaries very useful. I feel like it’s my turn to pay it forward.
I’ll give updates on my journey to the extent possible.
I arrived in Saarbrücken on Tuesday, October 5th. The surgery was scheduled on 8th but I arrived a couple of days earlier just in case. I had initial consultation with Dr. Betz almost five years ago and even booked a surgery date at thAt time. However, I got cold feet a few weeks before and cancelled. After that, life happened and LL just moved down my list of priorities until Covid happened last year and WFH became the new norm.
Day -3:
Arrived in Frankfurt on Tuesday and took train to Saarbrücken. I had to switch trains once in Mannheim but everything went smooth. I decided to stay at hotel in Saarbrücken just because there was better options with hotels and also decent restaurants etc.
Day -2:
I was planned to meet to anesthesiologist in the morning, do the PCR test and then meet Dr. Betz in the afternoon for a final discussion and sign the consent form. However, I was told in the morning that the anesthesiologist appointment is moved to next morning and Betz will call me later in afternoon about the exact time to meet. I got a call around 4pm as he was stuck in traffic coming back from Bavaria. I didn’t want to wait as I had some work to do, so we agreed to chat on phone later that evening and meet in-person the next day. He called me later around 9pm and we spoke for an hour incl. risks, logistics, potential issues I might run into, clicking etc. Very thorough and detailed as you’d expect from a German surgeon.
Day -1:
I met the anesthesiologist around 9:30am and after filling out a long questionnaire, she walked me through everything from how anesthesia works, different of types of anesthesia and risks etc. Later in the evening, I met Betz who walked through everything again for almost two hours. He also offered to remove the Tibia/Fibula connecting screws I have since they limit the natural movement between the two bones and can cause issues in the long run. These screws are prone to break due to forces exert on them during day-to-day activities. He said there is no reason for that screw to be there once lengthening is complete (I did my tibias lengthening earlier this year- more on that later). He asked me to come to the hospital around 9:30 as the surgery is scheduled for 11am. I went back to my hotel room, had a decent dinner and fell asleep. I thought I’d be too anxious to sleep bu I was able to get decent 6 hours of sleep.
Day 0:
Woke up around 7am, took a long hot shower and checked out of the hotel. I took a taxi to arrive the hospital around 9:45 am. The entire morning I had to remind myself not to eat, drink anything by accident. The anesthesiologist gave me a long lecture about this since apparently one of Betz’s patients recently had a proper breakfast buffet before coming in for the surgery and they had to cancel the surgery. Once I arrived at the hospital, I was taken to my room. I got a decent size room with a large window next to the bed with plenty of light coming in. There is also a large flat screen TV and a small desk/chair. The nurse came by a few min later to shave my legs and asked me if I prefer to do it myself and I did.
Once the legs were shaved, I put on surgical garments and a couple nurses came to roll me into the operating room.
As we got to the operating room, the OR nurse asked me if I want to use the bathroom before starting. I decided to empty my bladder one last time. Soon after, I was lying on the operating table and the nurse put on the IV line. The anesthesiologist told me she has already prepared everything in advance. She put an oxygen mask on me and instructed the nurse to a continue with a series of injections. She turned to me and told me that I’ll go to sleep now.
By the time I woke up, I was being rolled back into my room. The first thing I noticed is being cold and shivering - I know this sensation too well from my previous surgery and I hate it. I asked them to put on my socks which they did immediately. The nurse also went and got me an additional thick blanket. I didnt have much pain but I could feel the stiffness. The nurses made sure I was comfortable, brought me water, gave me something in IV and left. As soon as the nurse left, I immediately checked if the left the catheter inside and was happy find that the removed it before waking me.
About 30 min later, Dr. Betz came to my room. The first thing he said: “let’s get you out of these surgical clothes and put on some normal clothes, you’ll feel much better”. He helped change my clothes himself and once that’s done he wanted me to sit up on the bed. He gave me the crutches and said “ now we walk, even just a few steps”. He said he wants to make sure that I get the confidence to walk with the nail inside. I thought I was going to sleep for the rest of the day; walking with crutches an hour after the surgery wasn’t something I was expecting. Anyway I wanted to give it a try ..standing up from the bed wasn’t difficult but I felt a bit dizzy. Betz and a nurse were holding me while I stood up. The first 4-5 steps were wobbly but after that I got a hang of it, ended up walking almost 35-40 steps from my bed and back. Betz told me the initial distraction was 0.5cm and he was happy with my walking.
A few hours later, the nurse brought me ‘dinner’ which is essentially two slices of German Rye bread, three slices of cheese and a couple slices cucumber. Luckily I brought some protein bars with me which I promptly had after the dinner.
Pain management has been pretty good so far. They give you a device which releases a small pill and you can self- administer whenever you feel pain.
I’ve been drifting in and out of sleep the whole afternoon/evening. I watched TV for a while in the evening. The nurse came by to give a thrombosis injection and told me that I should really try to pee today. She brought me a large jug of water and it worked. I peed and it really feels better afterward.
My sleep was good overall, I woke up around 4am as I felt some pain. I took the pain medication and dozed off again.
Also, my experience has been positive with the hospital staff and nurses. Everyone is very attentive and when you ask for something, the nurses are there right away. The hospital is definitely a bit old and basic but the nurses seem very considerate and attentive.
Is there a bike next to your bed? If so, you may be in the same room as I :)
Good luck 🤞🏻
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Congrats Eric, on undertaking this bold act of going through this surgery.
Your post takes me down memory lane as if it was yesterday.
I wish you good luck with the lengthening phase :)
You are in good hands.
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@chasing_higher_dream: thanks for the kind words - much appreciated. I’m glad the surgery is behind me. I’m slightly anxious about clicking but so far things are good.
@DonBones: thanks! My room is at the other end of the ward. To get to the exercise bikes, i need to walk across the entire corridor.
Day 1 post surgery:
One of the nurses stopped by in the morning to help me clean myself and change the sheets. I was able sit upright and walk a few steps around the room without crutches. After an hour or so, the in-house physical therapist came by and showed me some stretches. He wanted to see me walk with crutches in the room. He insisted that i do the stretches few times a day and that we’ll do more starting Monday.
Later in the afternoon, Daniela, Betz’s assistant, came to my room and wanted to show me where the exercise bikes are. They are in a small room at the other end of the ward, almost 50-60 meters from my room. I slowly made my way through the corridor - walking with crutches was ok, although i could feel my legs are really stiff. I did exercise bike for 15-20 min and came back to my room, took a pain killer followed by a nap.
Dinner was brought around 6pm which again is basic - nothing that exciting. I took a nap afterward and watched a movie.
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My Room : https://i.imgur.com/rlErdRQ.jpg
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I live in the Netherlands so I am considering doing it in Germany because of the proximity. have you had to pay for everything before the operation? and how long are you going to be in Germany and where are you from?
I wish you a quick recovery in this adventure
:) :) :) :) :)
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My Room : https://i.imgur.com/rlErdRQ.jpg
That looks a lot like my room, it’s 140 isn’t it? Perhaps they removed the bike. That would be a shame as it’s very handy the first two weeks to release the stiffness.
FYI, There is this German app called Lieferando, where you can order pizza and other foods. They can deliver it to the hospital reception and a nurse can then bring it up to your room. Saved my life :D
Are you the only patient or are there more? How’s the weather? If it’s not too bad I can recommend going to the park outside. It’s nothing special but can be quite refreshing.
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That looks a lot like my room, it’s 140 isn’t it? Perhaps they removed the bike. That would be a shame as it’s very handy the first two weeks to release the stiffness.
FYI, There is this German app called Lieferando, where you can order pizza and other foods. They can deliver it to the hospital reception and a nurse can then bring it up to your room. Saved my life :D
Are you the only patient or are there more? How’s the weather? If it’s not too bad I can recommend going to the park outside. It’s nothing special but can be quite refreshing.
@DonBones: yes, it is 140 indeed ;D they must have removed the bike - I’ll ask the PT when he comes in tomorrow.
Thanks for tip on lieferando. I’ll definitely give it a try. I wasn’t even sure if there is any food delivery in St. Ingbert given its size.
I’m the only patient in the room so have it all for myself. The weather’s been nice the past few days - 16/17 C and sunny. I’m hoping it stays that way the next week or two. I didn’t know there is a park here - thanks for letting me know - always good to get outside and get some fresh air.
Legs have been stiff this morning, trying to do stretches and planning to venture across the ward later to use the exercise bikes.
@I want: Thanks! yes you have to pay everything upfront before the surgery. I’m planning to stay an additional week or so after leaving the hospital. I live in the UK.
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@DonBones: yes, it is 140 indeed ;D they must have removed the bike - I’ll ask the PT when he comes in tomorrow.
Thanks for tip on lieferando. I’ll definitely give it a try. I wasn’t even sure if there is any food delivery in St. Ingbert given its size.
I’m the only patient in the room so have it all for myself. The weather’s been nice the past few days - 16/17 C and sunny. I’m hoping it stays that way the next week or two. I didn’t know there is a park here - thanks for letting me know - always good to get outside and get some fresh air.
Legs have been stiff this morning, trying to do stretches and planning to venture across the ward later to use the exercise bikes.
@I want: Thanks! yes you have to pay everything upfront before the surgery. I’m planning to stay an additional week or so after leaving the hospital. I live in the UK.
Where are you planning on staying for the additional week?
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Where are you planning on staying for the additional week?
Most likely at Elke’s or Park hotel
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Most likely at Elke’s or Park hotel
About that, I wanted to tell you that Elke smokes inside the house right in the living room/kitchen (which I personally hated), the food she prepares can be awful and the area around her house is very steep so walking is difficult. In her village there is not a single shop. She’s also quite needy which I personally found annoying.
The park hotel is more expensive of course, but there is a pool, a gym, lots of physiotherapists who can give you the standard massages etc. The breakfast is included in the room rate and fairly good.
If I can make one more recommendation, book sessions with Peter Will if you haven’t already and do it asap. I’ve had several people ask me for his contact details because they developed problems at which point his schedule was either full or it was too late to fix it during the lengthening period.
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About that, I wanted to tell you that Elke smokes inside the house right in the living room/kitchen (which I personally hated), the food she prepares can be awful and the area around her house is very steep so walking is difficult. In her village there is not a single shop. She’s also quite needy which I personally found annoying.
The park hotel is more expensive of course, but there is a pool, a gym, lots of physiotherapists who can give you the standard massages etc. The breakfast is included in the room rate and fairly good.
If I can make one more recommendation, book sessions with Peter Will if you haven’t already and do it asap. I’ve had several people ask me for his contact details because they developed problems at which point his schedule was either full or it was too late to fix it during the lengthening period.
Thanks for letting me know. I already asked Daniela to help coordinate with Peter Woll - will get on it tomorrow and make sure to book the sessions for the duration I’m here.
I can’t really tolerate smoking smell, so i think that rules out Elke for me. Betz also spoke highly of park hotel and the gym/pool facilities there - sounds like a good option overall.
Thanks again for the recommendations- much appreciated.
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Day 3:
The morning my legs were feeling stiffer than the past few days. Everything was tight and it took me a few min to get out of the bed. The PT showed up first thing in the morning around 8:30/9am and brought an exercise bike to my room. He wants me to use the bike few times a day whenever the legs get stiff.
I accidentally ended up clicking my left leg a couple of times yesterday while trying to get of the out of the bed. The click is a distinct sound - a small ‘click’ followed by a rather louder click when you readjust your knee. Also in the morning when i got off the exercise bike, the left leg clicked once again. I’m trying to be careful not to accidentally keep clicking the left leg.
Around 12pm, one of the anesthesiologists stopped by to retrieve the self-administering pain medication device which locks itself after 72 hours. If i get any pain now, i would need to call the nurse for pain medication. Also, someone from the kitchen came by and gave some forms to indicate my choice for breakfast, lunch, dinner for the upcoming days.
Dr. Betz and Daniela stopped by later in evening. He checked everything and made sure I’m doing ok. Tomorrow I’m allowed to take a proper shower and remove the thick bandages. He told me not to worry about the accidental clicks on my left leg and it happens due to the tension if the muscles are too stiff. I’m happy with Dr. Betz until now - he is very attentive and pays lot of attention to even the tiniest details.
I haven’t taken any pain medication today since they took away the device. Luckily I havent had any pain - just stiffness. I did about three 10 min bike sessions - late morning, afternoon and just before dinner - it helps with stiffness.
They usually give dinner around 6pm which is too early for me - I end up hungry again around 8:30/9pm. Dinners in general are mediocre. Lunch is good and breakfast is ok. I’m going to order delivery today evening.
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Things have been pretty uneventful the past few days. I started clicking a few days ago, day 7 to be exact. Betz’s protocol is to start with 6 clicks per day and quickly ramp up to 20; the recommendation is to continue 20 clicks per day until 3cm and then reduce to 15. My legs are already feeling the stiffness, particularly at night - I wake up once or twice to do some quick stretching.
Clicking has been relatively pain free until now. The first click however is a b*tch. I struggled a bit the first couple of days as the rotational motion is very unusual. Betz’s assistant showed me a few different positions for clicking - the key is to really to relax and let the hands guide the motion. My right leg needs a bit of effort for the first couple of clicks where as the left leg is pretty straightforward at the moment.
Accidental clicking on my left leg is almost gone but i definitely feel the nail rotating in my left leg lot more at certain angles than my right leg. As the lengthening continues and stiffness increases, this is supposed to be eliminated as i understand.
I’ve also started going to the onsite rehabilitation center at the hospital which is basically a gym with on-site physical therapists. It’s about 400 meters from my room and is a good chance to practice my walking every afternoon. The people in the rehab center are friendly and i quite enjoy the session as it gets the blood pumping through my legs.
I met two other LL patients - one was operated on Monday and the other one yesterday - another one coming tomorrow.
I’ve gotten used to the hospital routine - my room is like a mini studio apartment with everything you’d need - nurses bringing me food, medication, and anything I ask without me having to move a finger :)
I’ll check out tomorrow and will be going to Parkhotel afterward.
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Hi! Any updates?
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Best of luck on our jorney! I lengthened my femurs 10,5cm with betz in March, your diary brings back the memory like it was yesterday.... I found betz to be very carrying during my Hospital stay unfortunately during lengthning that changed for the worse.
I wish you a safe journey and speedy recovery.
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Hi bro, could we request for IT band release with dr Betz? Or we should look for another doctor to perfom it?
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He's against it and refuses to do it. Not in the initial surgery and not afterwards. You need to find another doc for that.
I had major problems with my IT band because of betz. I even did an interview on YT about my experience with him.
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He's against it and refuses to do it. Not in the initial surgery and not afterwards. You need to find another doc for that.
I had major problems with my IT band because of betz. I even did an interview on YT about my experience with him.
Yea i knew it was you on YT bro. Thank you for your contribution.
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Where can I see your YouTube video? Can you send a link?
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https://youtu.be/JN2QA0k5h3A
Im actually going to do another one with cyborg in a few weeks where I'm going to go into further detail on what COULD have gone wrong because of his carelessness because I feel really strongly about this. Even with my issues I was still kinda lucky that worse complications didn't arise guys so please also watch the second one in a few weeks, I want this to go around because it's NOT okay and also very dangerous to leave patients to their own devices after surgery.
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34 days post surgery
Amount lengthened: 3.51cm
I haven't been here much recently as it's been busy after I got back home. I was originally planning to stay in Germany until end of October but changed plans as the PT I was planning on working with was going to be out on holiday the week after I left the hospital. I stayed two days in Park hotel to do a couple of physio sessions with Peter Woll and flew back home afterward. The flight was pretty straightforward. The driver picked me up at the hotel and dropped me off at Frankfurt airport- I was able to check-in by myself and requested wheelchair assistance.
I'm currently doing 20 clicks per day as recommended by Betz but will soon reduce to 15 clicks. I'm spending 2-3 hours everyday on streching alone (morning, afternoon and evening) and also using heat pads every evening before going to bed to help with sleep. I'm also doing physio 3x week. Clicking has been relatively painfree so far although my hipflexors and IT bands are starting to get tighter since the past week or so. At the moment, my biggest issue are the hipflexors on my right leg which for some reason have been lot more agitated than my left leg. I get random pain while sitting or standing up from a seated position - streching has been good for temporary relief but I haven't yet quite found a permanent solution to this. I'm keen to see if reducing the clicks will help resolve this.
I also started walking 30-45 min every other day in the nearby park. I've a spinning bike at home which is typically use 3-4 times a day for 7-10min to relieve stifness. Also, I've noticed that the streching requirements for femus are definitely exponentially larger than for tibias. It's almost a full time job. I admire people who go back to work after 2 weeks and continue lengthening while working full time.
I've a video of me walking with crutches from earlier this afternoon, will try to post it later.
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Best of luck on our jorney! I lengthened my femurs 10,5cm with betz in March, your diary brings back the memory like it was yesterday.... I found betz to be very carrying during my Hospital stay unfortunately during lengthning that changed for the worse.
I wish you a safe journey and speedy recovery.
@LegendKiller Thanks! Congrats on finishing your lengethening - 10.5cm is a phenomenal result! I haven't had much interaction much with Betz since I left the hospital, as I currently spending most of the time working with physio guys. Betz has been amazing so far - very attentive and caring - will keep you posted if it changes.
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@LegendKiller Thanks! Congrats on finishing your lengethening - 10.5cm is a phenomenal result! I haven't had much interaction much with Betz since I left the hospital, as I currently spending most of the time working with physio guys. Betz has been amazing so far - very attentive and caring - will keep you posted if it changes.
Thanks man, yeah def keep us updated. It will get harder, until 3-4cm it's quite easy, after that it becomes more challenging but you'll power through it for sure. I actually went back to work 2 weeks post surgery in hindsight I would have done it differently, very hard to do that and stay on track with stretching and everything.
What is your end goal, how much do you plan on lengthing the femurs?
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I have been struggling with nerve pain on my right leg since the past 7-10 days. I've reduced my clicks to 10 per day and also stopped clicking for a couple of days to let it settle. It got better for a few days but came back again. This has significantly slowed down my lengthening, but I'm taking it slow at the moment. The nerve pain is at times 11/10 to the point I was barely able to move my leg without screaming in pain for the first two days
I 've reached out to Betz who immediately prescribed Pregabilin. But, as it happens the pharmacies in UK are now not allowed to take EU prescriptions anymore due to Brexit. So, I'm now scheduled to see my normal GP later this week - until then I'll most likely stick with 10 clicks and hope that it doesn't get worse in the meanwhile.
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What is your end goal, how much do you plan on lengthing the femurs?
My goal is 7-8 cm but I'm also going to listen to my body and stop earlier if needed.
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I have been struggling with nerve pain on my right leg since the past 7-10 days. I've reduced my clicks to 10 per day and also stopped clicking for a couple of days to let it settle. It got better for a few days but came back again. This has significantly slowed down my lengthening, but I'm taking it slow at the moment. The nerve pain is at times 11/10 to the point I was barely able to move my leg without screaming in pain for the first two days
I 've reached out to Betz who immediately prescribed Pregabilin. But, as it happens the pharmacies in UK are now not allowed to take EU prescriptions anymore due to Brexit. So, I'm now scheduled to see my normal GP later this week - until then I'll most likely stick with 10 clicks and hope that it doesn't get worse in the meanwhile.
What do you intend on telling your GP in the UK? Does he know that you're undergoing limb lengthening?
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....I 've reached out to Betz who immediately prescribed Pregabilin...
You mean that you had not been taking pregabalin all this time!?
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I have been struggling with nerve pain on my right leg since the past 7-10 days. I've reduced my clicks to 10 per day and also stopped clicking for a couple of days to let it settle. It got better for a few days but came back again. This has significantly slowed down my lengthening, but I'm taking it slow at the moment. The nerve pain is at times 11/10 to the point I was barely able to move my leg without screaming in pain for the first two days
I 've reached out to Betz who immediately prescribed Pregabilin. But, as it happens the pharmacies in UK are now not allowed to take EU prescriptions anymore due to Brexit. So, I'm now scheduled to see my normal GP later this week - until then I'll most likely stick with 10 clicks and hope that it doesn't get worse in the meanwhile.
I had severe nerve pain on mi right leg from 3.5 cm to 4 cm, but it went away after stopping a couple days. But of couse, I was already taking Lyrica. I think it will improve after you do.
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@V21 My nerve pain also started exactly around 4cm mark. I'm hoping Pregabilin will provide some relief.
@Arcon: No, I wasn't. The daily medication is Tramal, Novalgin, Xaralto and a muscle relaxer combined with Vitamin supplements (Calcium, magnesium etc.). Betz doesn't prescribe Pregabilin unless necessary.
@thankscience: I'd need to tell him about LL. No way around it I'm afraid.
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How long do you need to stay in the facility? I'm hoping to schedule with Betz but can't take 2+ weeks off of work
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I haven't been on this forum recently but wanted to provide a quick update.
105 days post surgery
Amount lengthened: 8.53cm
A few things happened since my last update. My nerve pain eventually went away after two weeks and I also started taking pregabilin daily. I've also reduced my clicks from 20 to 15 once the nerve pain kicked in and continued 15 clicks until I hit 7cm mark. For the last 3 weeks, I've been clicking 12 per day. I've noticed that my body responds much better to 12 clicks - the pain level is much lower and I'm in general lot more comfortable during the day, and sleep quality has improved as well.
PT has been a bit a tricky during the holidays. My physio guy had to self-isolate due to covid and then he was out on holiday for the last two weeks of December which left me without proper PT for almost 3 weeks. At the moment, I'm still doing physio 3x week. I also started walking every other day for at least 30-45min in the park nearby as the weather permits.
Current plan is to continue clicking for another week or so and then focus on recovery. I'll shortly post a video of my walking.
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Hi , nice to hear that aside from some small problems ,overall your journey is going fine .
Do you have any video of the different phases ?
Like 1 month post-op / 3 months po etc?
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I'm honestly considering going with Dr. Betz when it's finally time to do my 8 cm on femurs.
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Walking videos:
1 month post-surgery (~3cm): https://imgur.com/a/W9VTKjM
3 months post-surgery (8.2cm): https://imgur.com/a/5DiqwFb
(The second video is post 3 months and 1 week to be accurate)
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Walking videos:
1 month post-surgery (~3cm): https://imgur.com/a/W9VTKjM
3 months post-surgery (8.2cm): https://imgur.com/a/5DiqwFb
(The second video is post 3 months and 1 week to be accurate)
Your walking actually looks really good in the 3 months post one. Have you done much walking without crutches yet?
Also, I'm not sure if you mentioned this but what height did you start at?
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Walking videos:
1 month post-surgery (~3cm): https://imgur.com/a/W9VTKjM
3 months post-surgery (8.2cm): https://imgur.com/a/5DiqwFb
(The second video is post 3 months and 1 week to be accurate)
Thank you so much .
Weight bearing nails are just a different thing ...
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Hey everyone, I haven't been on this forum for a while but wanted to give a quick update. I finished my lengthening in February 2022. In total, I lengthened around 9.2cm on both my femurs . The lengthening phase was lots of ups and downs but in the end, I think it's worth it.
I don't remember the exact dates but I was walking without crutches fairly soon after I stopped lengthening. The gait takes a couple of months and yes your legs will feel weak during those months. I started gym fairly soon after the lengthening phase, but it took good 3-4 months until I could use any real weights to load the legs properly.
No issues so far except the occasional pain here and there. My ankle mobility is not quite 100% (i.e. I can't do a proper slavic squat) but the everything else is fine. I have intentionally avoided jumping and sprinting as I don't want to test the rigidity of the nails.
Sorry if I haven't replied to your messages - I stopped checking messages on this forum as life got busy. Planning to get my nails removed in Q1 2025.
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Hey everyone, I haven't been on this forum for a while but wanted to give a quick update. I finished my lengthening in February 2022. In total, I lengthened around 9.2cm on both my femurs . The lengthening phase was lots of ups and downs but in the end, I think it's worth it.
I don't remember the exact dates but I was walking without crutches fairly soon after I stopped lengthening. The gait takes a couple of months and yes your legs will feel weak during those months. I started gym fairly soon after the lengthening phase, but it took good 3-4 months until I could use any real weights to load the legs properly.
No issues so far except the occasional pain here and there. My ankle mobility is not quite 100% (i.e. I can't do a proper slavic squat) but the everything else is fine. I have intentionally avoided jumping and sprinting as I don't want to test the rigidity of the nails.
Sorry if I haven't replied to your messages - I stopped checking messages on this forum as life got busy. Planning to get my nails removed in Q1 2025.
Thank you so much for the update - I am planning to do the surgery now in Q1/25 Do oyu recommend Mr. Becker? How was your experience?
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Thank you so much for the update - I am planning to do the surgery now in Q1/25 Do oyu recommend Mr. Becker? How was your experience?
Not sure if you meant Dr. Betz, but yes I'd defo recommend Betz. My experience with him and his team has been very positive!
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Ah you haven't met Mr. Becker yet? Will you do your Nail removal with Mr.becker or with Betz? Since Becker took completely over
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Ah you haven't met Mr. Becker yet? Will you do your Nail removal with Mr.becker or with Betz? Since Becker took completely over
Still sleeping? Dr. Betx retired last year! LOL
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I know - thats why I am asking if he not have met Becker yet - maybe Dr. Betz is still doing nail removal for his old patients which he has done the surgery on - not sure...
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I know - thats why I am asking if he not have met Becker yet - maybe Dr. Betz is still doing nail removal for his old patients which he has done the surgery on - not sure...
The word "RETIRED" - i think you know what it meant.
All patients go to Dr.Becker.
Betz Team has gone or some work for Becker now.