Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: Plzen on November 28, 2014, 05:50:36 PM
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Hi everyone,
I am 30+ years old
170cm
155 lb before surgery
I had my surgery on November 12th (Post op day 16). Bilateral femurs
Initially, I was not in the mood to start a journal, but I have changed my mind. Also I am very bored. That is my number one complaint right now.
I am already 1cm taller.
Ask me questions. I will update my journal based on how much interest there is.
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nice, how many cm do you want to lengthen?
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Nice good luck make lots of photos while your there.
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nice, how many cm do you want to lengthen?
I am hoping to lengthen 7 cm
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Did Dr B mention the effect the lengthening would have on your mechanical alignment?
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Congrats on undergoing this big process. You are almost past the hardest phase(the first month). If you are already bored and not in the suffering phase, be thankful honestly. For me it took around a month and a half to start getting bored instead of being pretty anguished.
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What currency did you pay in? USD or South African Rand?
And second the which guesthouse are you staying at question? :D
Is Dr B letting you go up to 7cm or is it see how your body goes?
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The uprising,
yes he mentioned. It will not make much difference on my alignment (I think, he said that it will slightly improve it)
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ShortyMcshort,
USD
I will omit the name of the guest house to protect my identity. After I am done with the whole thing, I might disclose it (sorry guys)
He is hopeful that I can reach 7cm, but off course he wants to see how my body takes it.
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Thank you for your support Programdude. Your diary and your PMs helped me a lot. It is not just the boredom, it is the social isolation that is driving me crazy. As mentioned above, I spend most of the day in my room, I can not get out of my room by myself. One of the few things that I look forward to is going to daily PT(they take us by car to the Physical therapy office). Unfortunately the Physical therapist decided that starting next week, I need 3 PT sessions per week instead of 5. I kind of feel sad about that. And I think it might be slightly unfair as well. Because the package mentions 75 days of daily physical therapy included in the package. And I have already paid the package price with understanding that I will have daily PT.
It sounds like I am ungrateful but I am not. I just want to tell everything that is going through my mind and things that I experience on daily basis. I still have pain, but the pain is for the most part adequately managed with pain medications that I am provided. But there are times especially at night that my pain keeps me awake and the pain medication does not touch my pain. But overall it (pain) is manageable so far.
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I will omit the name of the guest house to protect my identity (sorry guys). The owner of the guest house is nice but I feel very socially isolated. I eat breakfast, lunch, dinner in the same room by myself. Before surgery, I did not think it was a big deal. But after surgery it is a different story. I chose this place (in a hurry)and I regret it, so it is not doctor's fault.
centurion is not that hot yet. quiet a bit of raining.
Good luck with your x-rays, I hope you hear a good news.
You helped me a lot through your PM and your journal.
Hang in there buddy! I was in the exact same situation as you. The isolation can become psychologically difficult but just focus on the end result.
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ShortyMcshort,
when are you planning to do your surgery? Have you chosen your doctor yet?
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ShortyMcshort,
when are you planning to do your surgery? Have you chosen your doctor yet?
Not anytime soon sadly, my work is very physically demanding and doing the surgery will put me out of commission for a long time and I wont be able to work until full consolidation which will probably mean I'll lose my job sadly :(
If I worked in an office environment and sat on a chair all day long then I'd probably do it now, currently saving $30-40,000 more than the required amount so that I can live off that when Im disabled and not able to work.
Im thinking the end of next year or early 2016.
It was a battle between Dr Birkholtz and Dr Parihar in India, Dr Birkholtz was winning by the tiniest of margins thanks to TRS's diary ;D, thanks again for the diary TRS. But sadly the conversion rate of $52,000 USD now equates to about $62,000 in my currency, that conversion pretty much gives away my origin lol.
So atm Im thinking Dr Shah, also in India who does it for about $40,000 USD I think, plus 3 to 4 months accommodation, food and physio on top.
But still undecided and it could go either way a year or two from now. Glad theres another Dr Birkholtz diary
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What do you do regarding food? Are you making it yourself or ordering?
Does the place you are staying at serve food?
What do you do to keep yourself entertained? I also worry about boredom and isolation for long period of times
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Thank you for your support Programdude. Your diary and your PMs helped me a lot. It is not just the boredom, it is the social isolation that is driving me crazy. As mentioned above, I spend most of the day in my room, I can not get out of my room by myself. One of the few things that I look forward to is going to daily PT(they take us by car to the Physical therapy office). Unfortunately the Physical therapist decided that starting next week, I need 3 PT sessions per week instead of 5. I kind of feel sad about that. And I think it might be slightly unfair as well. Because the package mentions 75 days of daily physical therapy included in the package. And I have already paid the package price with understanding that I will have daily PT.
It sounds like I am ungrateful but I am not. I just want to tell everything that is going through my mind and things that I experience on daily basis. I still have pain, but the pain is for the most part adequately managed with pain medications that I am provided. But there are times especially at night that my pain keeps me awake and the pain medication does not touch my pain. But overall it (pain) is manageable so far.
First of all it is ridiculous to lessen the number of PT session when you've paid. Straight up theft if you don't get the 75. It also seems ignorant since even if they are saying that because you are good, the idea is to stay well ahead of the tightness.
There is really no way around the boredom I found, since I couldn't fully focus on reading or even watching something at first. Fortunately this improved and eventually watching things was doable.
I'm glad my diary was useful to you. One of the most important things from it/that I can tell you is that it does end! Someone posted that in my diary and it almost didn't feel real, but just remember one day you will be getting on a plane back home with your goal achieved and all the pain behind you. It will feel great, I promise you that.
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Thank you PD for encouraging words, and for reminding me that one day this will all end. It really helped me focus on the end goal, at least it improved my mood for today.
ShortyMcshort,
The place that I stay at provides breakfast. But there are many other guest houses and hotels within walking distance (wait, I can't walk!) that provide either lunch or dinner or both. Currently I am ordering my food from restaurants. What I do is order 2-3 days worth of food, and put it in fridge, then microwave. It saves me delivery cost and I don't care about microwaving part (I am not picky in that regard).There is one restaurant that does not charge delivery cost (other than tip to the delivery guy). You can also order groceries online. I ordered lots of fruits, yogurt, some frozen food, salad etc. Honestly, I have no complaints about food part (but that could be because I am not picky person when it comes to food). My appetite (for any food)was not good at the beginning, but it has gotten a lot better now.
Entertainment wise. TV is mostly South African channels+bbc where I am staying at , but other places might be different.
I have a few electronic books with me (kindle), also mini-laptop.
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Hi all, new to the forum but im hoping to someday make the big step and have limb lengthening surgery. Im just over 5 foot 4 and hoping to gain at least 3 inches if possible.
I have been reading as much as i can here and I know there are limitations and risks to consider.
I was reading some forum posts here where if im not mistaken, Dr Franz. Birkholtz was responding to posts directly. I thought i read him say that he does not go above 165cm as in he wouldn't operate on a patient who was above this height. Also i thought i read him say that he does not do cosmetic limb lengthening any more. Can you confirm if he has any such conditions and if he you know if he will be continuing to do cosmetic limb lengthening going forward?
Im impressed by what i have read regarding the Precise II method but Paley seems just way too expensive and Dr. Birkholtz seems to know his stuff from what i have read of him so far.
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Congratulation on your LL journey! And I'm sorry to hear about the PT days being reduced. Did you complain? How can they blatantly do something like that... anyhow, would you think Dr. Birkholtz would take on a patient like myself? If he does, your diary will be highly valuable to me.
I also wish to do femur lengthening. I have fully recovered from my tibias operation and now just want another 6-7cm in the femur. My next LL journey won't take place at least until the end of this year.
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No offence to Dr Birkholtz but having height restrictions is as stupid as Dr Guichet making you write an essay basically about how crappy your life is at your height, blah, blah and hand it over to him before he decides if he'll do your surgery. Not only is it ego deflating but its also just a complete waste of time, writing the essay that is...
Unless you are 180cm or so then what does it matter? If you are 180cm then I have no issues if a doctor refuses to do the surgery but anything less should be ok in my opinion
Also regarding the less physio days, why dont you have a chat with Dr Birkholtz about it? He seems like a very reasonable person from what I've read about him on here.
I mean if you paid for the physio then you should get it, insist on getting it.
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3inchhope,
I think Dr. Birkholtz evaluate each person individually to see if he/she is a candidate for CLL. In some cases (such as mine) he will operate on people above 165cm. I have NOT heard anything about him stopping cosmetic LL, but I will ask him. I will be seeing him in a couple of weeks.
Smallguy,
I don't know what your current height is. I can ask Dr. Birkholtz when I see him next.
Smallguy+ShortyMcshort
I have sent an email to Dr. Birkholtz regarding the PT, I am hopping to hear from him soon.
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1.2cm
Muscle cramps:
One thing that has been lately bothering me is muscle cramps right after distraction. It started last week when I reached 5mm. I was distracting 1mm at one sitting. The cramps were so bad that I wanted to scream and sometimes I would scream.
On Friday, the nurse changed the machine sitting to 0.5mm and I have been doing 0.5mm twice a day. Cramping is better but still there. I distracted (0.5mm)about 2.5 hours ago and my left leg is still having some cramps and discomfort (left leg is my bad leg).
Any suggestions from the LL veterans?
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1.2cm
Muscle cramps:
One thing that has been lately bothering me is muscle cramps right after distraction. It started last week when I reached 5mm. I was distracting 1mm at one sitting. The cramps were so bad that I wanted to scream and sometimes I would scream.
On Friday, the nurse changed the machine sitting to 0.5mm and I have been doing 0.5mm twice a day. Cramping is better but still there. I distracted (0.5mm)about 2.5 hours ago and my left leg is still having some cramps and discomfort (left leg is my bad leg).
Any suggestions from the LL veterans?
I had the worst pain around 0.5-1cm mark right after distraction. I remember it would linger for several hours and painkillers did not work. After that I divided my distraction twice daily. Dr.B did mention that the pain would be worst around that point but I forgot the reason why. I think it's something related to muscle and bone elasticity or memory, sorry can't really remember. But the pain gradually improved and became non-existent after 2cm. And I went back to 1mm in one session.
Maybe you could divide your distraction to 0.25 4 times daily. That should decrease your pain.
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Thank you TRS,
That is really good news. I hope the same happens to me (distraction pain diminishes after 2cm mark).
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What on earth? You're doing two .5mm sessions and started at 1mm ones? I always did four 0.25 session and had no pain right after. However when I did 2 mm(1 mm one after the other) it was excruciating pain.
It is insane that they are having you do it in sessions like that. Lengthening itself should be the easiest part of this, and lack of pain is one of the advantages of precice.
My advice is to insist on changing to that four session structure- I can promise a big difference. Also get on their back about those PT sessions.
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Thank you Programdude for your helpful input.
I will discuss with them. Right now my main concern is the reduction in Physical Therapy.
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Update 1.3cm
I am having a lot of muscle cramps today. Lengthened twice 0.5mm each times today. Last I lengthened was about 4 hours ago, but I am still very uncomfortable.
I did not want to bring up the issue of distraction rate (reducing it 0.25mm 4 times per day) today because I still haven't heard about getting my PT days back. I wanted to focus on that issue first.
Tomorrow I want to bring up the issue of both getting back my full PT days, and changing the distraction rate.
Today I had a different Physical therapist, and she was disappointed with some of my range of motions. She uncovered many weaknesses, both in terms of strength and flexibility.
So overall no good news yet, but I am hopeful and determined to improve my range of motion, once I deal with these terrible cramps.
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I know its not your fault, but thats exactly why you should have gotten full PT and why what they did is outrageous. Once you fall behind things can catch up fast.
Hope they resolve this asap since this speaks very poorly of their setup.
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Update 1.3cm
I am having a lot of muscle cramps today. Lengthened twice 0.5mm each times today. Last I lengthened was about 4 hours ago, but I am still very uncomfortable.
I did not want to bring up the issue of distraction rate (reducing it 0.25mm 4 times per day) today because I still haven't heard about getting my PT days back. I wanted to focus on that issue first.
Tomorrow I want to bring up the issue of both getting back my full PT days, and changing the distraction rate.
Today I had a different Physical therapist, and she was disappointed with some of my range of motions. She uncovered many weaknesses, both in terms of strength and flexibility.
So overall no good news yet, but I am hopeful and determined to improve my range of motion, once I deal with these terrible cramps.
You can adjust the distraction rate to 0.25 by yourself. If you're uncomfortable with adjusting the ERC device then inform them asap because it seems that 0.5 is too much for you. I know the other LL'er faced difficulties with that amount and most diaries indicate that dividing the distraction to 4 times is less painful. I was able to distract 0.5mm and then adjusted back to 1mm in one session without any pain after 2cm so individual variation does apply when it comes to distraction.
I had physiotherapy every weekday but the sessions alternated from 1/2 hour to 1 hour plus the extra bike for 1/2 hour - 1 hour at the clinic without any charge. This worked out fine for me and the other LL'er.
Hope things do get sorted out asap.
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1.4cm
Crampings/pain much better. I changed the ERC sitting to 0.25mm, which I am doing 4 times per day. It makes a huge difference. Thank you programdude and therisingshorty. I have cramps in my left leg for about 5 minutes after each distraction (as opposed to 4-5 hours). I am hoping that will get even better because right now my legs are sore from last weeks distraction, so even minor discomfort upset them.
About Physical therapy- I was supposed to be only biking (stationary) today, I explained the situation to the PT boss, and he was nice enough to let me have PT today(just a one time thing). I don't know whether I will get all my PT days back or not. Hopefully, I will find out soon. I will be very upset if I don't get the daily PT, which I have already paid for.
I find it frustrating to wait for the decision about my PT days, when it clearly says in the package "75 days of daily PT included", and I have already paid the full package price.
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1.4cm
Crampings/pain much better. I changed the ERC sitting to 0.25mm, which I am doing 4 times per day. It makes a huge difference. Thank you programdude and therisingshorty. I have cramps in my left leg for about 5 minutes after each distraction (as opposed to 4-5 hours). I am hoping that will get even better because right now my legs are sore from last weeks distraction, so even minor discomfort upset them.
About Physical therapy- I was supposed to be only biking (stationary) today, I explained the situation to the PT boss, and he was nice enough to let me have PT today(just a one time thing). I don't know whether I will get all my PT days back or not. Hopefully, I will find out soon. I will be very upset if I don't get the daily PT, which I have already paid for.
I find it frustrating to wait for the decision about my PT days, when it clearly says in the package "75 days of daily PT included", and I have already paid the full package price.
Glad to hear that your pain has decreased. This pain may have been the most likely cause for decreased ROM and tightness. Pain did reduce my ROM at times but got better when the pain settled down.
Anyway, I hope they do sort out the physio asap.
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Last night right after I posted, I distracted 0.25mm (total of 1mm per day). I had terrible pain/cramping in my left thigh for about 1.5 hour. It was really severe.
Today, I have been doing 0.25mm distractions at time, and it is better (but cramping is not resolved yet). I hope this cramping will all go away soon.
Physical therapy is going well. Good news is that my PT is changed back to daily. I will still miss a lot of sessions because of the holidays (PT office closed for 7 days during the holiday season, and those are all weekdays, off course there is no PT on the weekends)
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Hi Plzen,
Congrats on taking a huge step toward your goal of being taller. How often do you get x-rays?
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Thank you Kilokahn. I have read part of your diary/journal and it has wealth of information especially for people considering Indian surgeons in the future.
I am getting x-rays every two weeks, but my first x-ray was taken about 8 days after the start of distraction (last week), and the doctor told me both nails are looking good and distracting.
I will have repeat x-ray next week.
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How exactly did you managed to get your pt back? By talking to Dr Birkholtz or the pt people?
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ShortyMcshort,
I emailed Dr. B. I wrote him the same thing as I wrote here on the forum (I need more PT, the package says that 75 days of daily PT is included). A couple of days later, he emailed me back and was sympathetic but did not say whether he would change my PT back to daily. Instead he said that he would "follow up".
I also discussed in person with Physical therapy boss. He told me that he had a meeting with the doctor that afternoon (Tuesday).
I found out Wednesday morning that my PT was changed back to daily, which made me a happy person.
I think, contacting the doctor helped more in terms of getting back my daily PT.
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1.7cm
I still have pain/discomfort but it is mainly at night. The pain is usually in the Quad areas (left leg worse compared to right).
I am more mobile, using walker, in my room. I also train on stationary bike at the PT office (biking is free of charge).
I am able to cope better with social isolation, and I don't think about it anymore on daily basis. I try to keep myself busy with reading books, surfing internet, talk to my family via Skype, and sometimes watching TV.
I hope things will keep improving, and hopefully no setbacks.
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Hi all,
Glad it's going better Plzen.
Yes it was me who changed the physio back. The issue is that they tend to individualize in our non-CLL patients and they thought they could do the same with you to save costs. Anyway, thats sorted and I am happy you are progressing well there.
I certainly have not stopped doing CLL. The rationale behind the limits is explained elsewhere, but I follow and individual approach and would encourage prospective patients to contact me directly to discuss.
Distraction rate is started at 1mm per day based on our experience with previous non-CLL patients, but is adjusted indvidually. Please discuss discomfort directly with the nurses so they can adjust your schedule.
Happy lengthening!
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1.7cm
I still have pain/discomfort but it is mainly at night. The pain is usually in the Quad areas (left leg worse compared to right).
I am more mobile, using walker, in my room. I also train on stationary bike at the PT office (biking is free of charge).
I am able to cope better with social isolation, and I don't think about it anymore on daily basis. I try to keep myself busy with reading books, surfing internet, talk to my family via Skype, and sometimes watching TV.
I hope things will keep improving, and hopefully no setbacks.
Plzen good diary after the 1st 2 weeks isolation and sleepless nights were the worst part of the detracting phase. Work, TV, blogging, and touching base with people back home all help but in the end you have to keep focus on the goal and visualize your new you. Keep strong you can do it one day at a time!
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2.1 cm
The cramping pain is all disappeared. I am lengthening 0.25mm, 4 times per day (1mm/day). No pain at all with distraction anymore
Unfortunately I do have contstant aching pain, my sleep quality has gotten worse.
New Problem today
off and on numbness in the left shin area (it is not total numb, I still feel the skin but it just does not feel normal, it does not have full sensation). The physical therapist had shown me some exercises for hamstring stretching and I was doing them wrong ( I was stretching more my calfs and behind my knee areas). I hope this numbness is due to those exercises that I was doing wrong and hopefully not due to distraction. I will be seeing Dr. B the day after tomorrow and I will mention it to him. I am worried because I am doing ok otherwise and I don't want this numbness to be the cause of me not accomplishing my dream.
I will appreciate everyone's opinion especially LL Veterans.
Thanks
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Is femurs rate/day higher than tibia?
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Yes Hallijah, femur is usually lengthened at 1mm/day (higher than tibia).
Left Shin numbness update
So I emailed Dr. Birkholtz this morning to let him know about the numbness feeling I am having. He emailed me back right away, and he instructed me to lengthen 0.5mm/day today. So today I have lengthened 0.5mm (0.25mm*2). I am going to be seeing Dr. Birkholtz tomorrow morning in his office.
I hope this issue resolves soon. The numbness itself is minor and not bothersome. But I am worried that it might get worse and it might force me to stop distraction (my dream of getting taller will be over).
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Yes Hallijah, femur is usually lengthened at 1mm/day (higher than tibia).
Left Shin numbness update
So I emailed Dr. Birkholtz this morning to let him know about the numbness feeling I am having. He emailed me back right away, and he instructed me to lengthen 0.5mm/day today. So today I have lengthened 0.5mm (0.25mm*2). I am going to be seeing Dr. Birkholtz tomorrow morning in his office.
I hope this issue resolves soon. The numbness itself is minor and not bothersome. But I am worried that it might get worse and it might force me to stop distraction (my dream of getting taller will be over).
What is the minimum target you'll be satisfied with?
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TRS,
Let me not jinx myself. I hope this is a temporary issue. I hope I will reach 6.5cm to 7cm
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2.1 cm
The cramping pain is all disappeared. I am lengthening 0.25mm, 4 times per day (1mm/day). No pain at all with distraction anymore
Unfortunately I do have contstant aching pain, my sleep quality has gotten worse.
New Problem today
off and on numbness in the left shin area (it is not total numb, I still feel the skin but it just does not feel normal, it does not have full sensation). The physical therapist had shown me some exercises for hamstring stretching and I was doing them wrong ( I was stretching more my calfs and behind my knee areas). I hope this numbness is due to those exercises that I was doing wrong and hopefully not due to distraction. I will be seeing Dr. B the day after tomorrow and I will mention it to him. I am worried because I am doing ok otherwise and I don't want this numbness to be the cause of me not accomplishing my dream.
I will appreciate everyone's opinion especially LL Veterans.
Thanks
The .25mm a day with no pain during the process but bad aches affecting sleep is totally normal so thats good news(although the sleep problems are rough).
As for the numbness I didn't experience this or meet many with the issue so it is hard to say. I am a bit worried due to them mismanaging the earlier part of your journey, but sincerely hope they can guide you in a way to get you to your dream.
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Thank you programdude for your well wishes.
Update
My leg numbness is getting slightly better. I had x-ray yesterday, x-ray shows good bone regeneration (too good). Dr. B recommended 1mm/day lengthening, as long as the numbness is staying the same or decreasing. I have been doing that for the last 2 days (yesterday and today). Thankfully, my shin/leg numbness has not gotten worse, as I mentioned above it is slightly better. I have been doing more hamstring stretches which seems to be helping.
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I'm happy that your numbness is improving and X-rays came out fine. Stretching is the best thing you can do during distraction for both muscles and nerves. Btw what nail diameter did Dr.B insert?
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Thanks TRS. Nail diameter=10.7mm
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Update
3.2cm
-No pain with distraction. Distracting 0.25mm, 4 times per day
-I used to have muscle cramps, none of that anymore. Instead I have these constant muscle soreness in both legs, left is worse compared to right.
-New problem. Both knees want to bend especially left knee. So far I am able to keep them straight, but it is constant battle. I have to stretch a lot daily, to keep the knees from bending. I wake up multiple times each night because my knees are not happy to be straight. When I bend the knees then the discomfort goes away immediately.
-Physical therapy going ok, except it is harder. I have PT every weekdays. Except PT office closed many days during holidays.
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Hi Plzen, I wouldn't get to worried about your bent knees do you best to stay ahead of it but once you stop lengthening they will straighten. I worried about my knees as well and can tell you that at 6 days after LL they are starting to become straighter. I think in another week they should be back to normal. Will keep you posted. As for soreness that unfortunately is part of the process everyone, atleast the people doing Precice, experience constant soreness - very normal.
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Thank you Afonso for kind words.
I will continue to stretch my knees. That is good to hear that your knee bend is getting better already.
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hey plzen,
hope everything's fine and your numbness gets better/fades off soon!
could you please give us a qucik interim conclusion? how is your treatment by birkholtz and his staff?
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I thought people were not that interested in my diary so I was not updating it that often.
Update
4.2cm
-I sleep about 6 to 7 hours per night but wake up 2-3 times in the middle of night. My legs are tight especially at night and the leg tightness is the main reason for me waking up.
-ok with walker, I am quiet mobile in my room. walk to the bathroom a lot (drink a lot of water). walking actually makes my legs feel less
-Stationary bike everyday for about 30 to 40 minutes
- Appetite is good
-My mood is ok. I don't think about being lonely anymore. I keep myself busy with internet, talking on skype with family etc.
-Summary: my biggest complaint right now is legs tightness.
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Axelf,
Dr. Birkholtz is very ethical and caring person. I know that my PT was reduced in the beginning. When I told him that I was not happy about the PT reduction, he changed it back to old schedule within couple of days, and has apologized more than once (about the PT reduction). My PT is back to normal.
So far I am happy I chose him.
The office (clinic) people are nice. After I got discharged from the hospital, two nurses (from Dr. Birkholtz office) came to the guest house every day to help me with cleaning/shaving etc. They did that for about a week. So I kind of got to know them.
PT staff are also nice. I have PT for an hour everyday, but I spend 2 to 2.5 hours there doing biking and stretches. PT is still 1 hour, the extra time I spend on my own. The staff knows me and they are always nice. One of the PT bosses (there are 3 bosses) invited me to her home (with her family) for part of the holidays because she was concerned I would be lonely in the guest house. I did not go, but the gesture was nice.
I hope, I answered your question.
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can you outline all of the stretches you do in those 2 hours.
thank you.
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Forcedpuberty,
I stretch for about an hour everyday in the PT office. Let me clarify my previous post. I spend 2.5 hours at PT office, which means:
1 hour stretching+1hour PT+ 0.5 hr cycling= 2.5 hours
Because I am doing femur lengthening, I stretch mostly my Quadricip, hamstring. Lately, I am doing more lower hamstring stretches because I am having problems with knee bends. If I had pictures, I would have pointed out exactly which stretches I am doing, but they are difficult to explain in words. If I have more time, I might be able to elaborate more.
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I thought people were not that interested in my diary so I was not updating it that often.
actually quite the opposite...
the first birkholtz's patient's diary is gone for privacy reasons and so yours is the first diary to introduce this new doctor (in the field of cosmetic limb lengthening)
so I think a lot of people would be so glad if you could continue and give us regular updates!
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1. did dr birkholtz discuss the danger of future athritis with you?
2. what is his take on not working nails?
3. do you think "their" pain management is appropriate so far?
4. have you experienced any side effects from surgery trauma or medication like hair loss or other kind of reactions?
hope you don't mind the curiosity :-)
get well (and taller) soon! :)
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Thanks for well wishes Axelf,
1- He did talk to me about possible increased risk of arthritis.
2-My nails are working fine. I think you are talking about the nail malfunction of one of his previous patients. I have not asked him about that case specifically. I can ask him next appointment.
3- Dr. B has tried to address my pain concerns adequately. Having said that, LL is not pain free process. Sometimes the pain medication works wonderfully, other times it does not. A lot of time, it is not pain that bothers me, it is constant muscle tension (muscle pulling). Sometimes, I don't have pain but just don't feel good (sleepless, too sleepy etc.)
4-Nothing unusual. I have buttock+legs muscle loss, which I was expecting. After surgery, for about 2 weeks, my appetite was very bad. It has gotten better (almost back to normal).
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How much did Dr.B charge for the Precise nail surgery?
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Nicki,
Dr. B offers a package. Go to "Doctor section" on this site and look under his name. Package and price information is on page 1.
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Do you think 3 months is enough time to lengthen 7cms?
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ShortyMcshort,
If no complications then 90 days is enough time. South Africa gives visa by days, in my case 90 days visa.
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Thanks for well wishes Axelf,
1- He did talk to me about possible increased risk of arthritis.
Can you expand a little bit on this please?
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Uppland,
I was too excited/nervous about surgery when he was talking to me (this was the day before surgery). He also talked about it during my first consultation, but that was about 4 months ago. I think I remember what he said, but I don't want to scare anyone by misquoting him.
I am meeting him next week. I will ask him again.
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@Uppland
The increased risk of arthritis is due to lengthening along the anatomical axis of the femurs which inevitably leads to a lateral shift in the mechanical axis. All internal nails in the femur lengthen along the anatomical axis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22933497
Dr.Birkholtz mentioned it here http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=137.msg6963#msg6963
However some people with pre-existing femoral malalignment may benefit from this lateral shift and reduce the chance of arthritis in the future.
@Plzen
You must be near the end of your distraction phase. I'm glad that you're are doing well.
Keep it up!
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TRS,
Thank you for well wishes, and for answering Uppland's question.
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Hi Pizen. Thanks for this diary.
Can you talk about the scar? If possible some photos.
I thought I saw scar photos of one of Dr Franz patients in old forum (the one with failed Precice) and they're quite big.
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Mediocre,
There are six of them (scars) on each leg. Their size from biggest to smallest.
2.8cm,2cm,1.3cm,the other three are all less than 1cm.
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Ok. It sounds like they're small.
I don't know why Exile88 (old forum ) has big scars.
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Ok. It sounds like they're small.
I don't know why Exile88 (old forum ) has big scars.
My scars are about the same size as Plzen.
Initially Exile88 had a smaller incision scar on his left thigh until his second surgery which required the removal and insertion of the PRECICE2 nails.
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Oh yeah. It's the second surgery.
Precice's fault -- there should be compensation.
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update:
first of all I am having problems with my laptop adapter/battery charger. I have to manipulate the cord near the computer insertion point, and I have to hold it like that with my left hand. If I let it (the cord) go, then battery does not charge, it is a big headache. I have to type this with one hand. I is difficult to find that specific type adapter here in south africa. So far I have not found replacement. computer gurus, any easier solution? i have dell inspiron mini 10, my travel computer.
Some of you have messaged me privately, i will respond as soon as computer issue is resolved.
disraction=5.5cm
good news= i found a way to get out of my room by myself. i love it outside. it is summer here but to me it feels like spring most of the days
bad news= new pain in the left knee and thigh for the last one week.
PT going well, i go there everyday. stiffness about the same as my last update, mainly left leg.
mood much better now, because i now it is toward the end, also i can get out of my room whenever i want.
wake up 2 to 3 times per night. in total i still get 6-7 hours sleep per night, which i am thankful for.
Saw Dr B 2 days ago, x-ray looked good. no explanation on x ray for left leg pain.
overall i am happy, and want to be done soon, hopefully when i reach 7cm
sorry for not capitalizing, i hate typing with one hand
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Hey happy to hear that your mood is good and you're getting your sleep (sleep is key). I had the same problem with my left leg. It was and continues to be the weakling of the pair and no one (doctor, PT etc..) can tell me why. I've just come to accept the the left requires more TLC. 1.5 CM to go I know seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is a good feeling.
Regarding your laptop not exactly sure what is going on but maybe this might help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euTKcG5Keq8
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thank you afonso for encouragement.
i hope you are improving as well.
i agree sleep is very important for this journey.
the computer problem is the same as your video,but more severe. I think I will be able to survive.
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My computer problem is still there.
Depending on how things are going (with my computer), I may or may not be able to update regularly. I will update for sure once I go home which is three weeks from now.
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An updates? How is pa in? Question: how mich money do you spend. Apart from the package price ?
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my computer has the same messed up up problem. its is very very annoying lol. thank you for the video.
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Axelf,
The new pAin in my left leg that I talked about in my last post, thankfully is all gone. I now have the general pain which is controlled with tramadol/Tylenol.
Estimate 400 us dollars per month spending that is not part of package. When I go home, I will check my bank statement, I will pm you the exact cost at that time.
I eat big breakfast (including 4 eggs) breakfast included with room, so I don't pay exta. Skip lunch, even at home I skipped lunch. Eat big dinner at 4 pm. I also eat salad and fruits between meals. The reason I am explaining all this is, your monthly spending might be different if your eating habits are different than mine.
The worst discomfort when I wake up from sleep, which is muscle tightness.
I have distracted 6cm.
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How do you feel about your tibia to femur ratio and leg to upper body proportion now that you're at 6CM?
How long are your femurs compared to your torso?
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we need a big updaaaaaaaaaate :)
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Update.
On Jan 13th my x-rays showed that I had lengthened 5.5cm, I wrote an update about it here in my diary on Jan 15th.
Fast forward to Jan 27th, when I had x-ray, I was given a bad news. My right leg remained at 5.5cm. My left leg was aroun 6.7cm.
Dr Birkholtz told me to stop lengthening my left leg. Start lengthening my right leg at 4mm/day (that was not the actual lengthening number, instead it was the attempted lengthening. Remember that at this point the right leg has not been lengthening at all for 2 weeks). I did that for 2 days, then per Dr Birkholtz instruction I lengthened 2mm/day. The plan was that if the right leg lengthening does not work, then we have to shorten left leg. Needless to say, I was worried.
Six days later, I had another x-ray. This time, my right leg had lengthened total of 11mm (in 6.5 days).
So Dr. Birkholtz told me to lengthened both legs at 1mm/day for 5 to 6 more days, and then stop.
I stopped lengthening on Feb 6th. I achieved about 7.2cm in both legs.
I Flew out of South Africa Feb 7th (visa was to expire on Feb 8th).
I had a long flight (17 hours), then 3 hours layover, then another 1.5 hour flight. During the long flight, I went to the bathroom twice. The airline had their own "wheelchair".
I was sitting in economy plus class and I was sitting in the first row after business class. There was a lot of room for my legs, because there was not seat in front of me. That helped my legs, but I was still having pain during the long flight. Going to the bathroom, and standing in the bathroom actually helped my leg pain.
Arrived home yesterday.
Happy to be home.
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what as the reason your leg originally refused to lengthen past 5.5cm? was it because of premature consolidation? malfunction of the device? or muscles/soft tissue resisting? or other?
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Not device malfunction or premature consolidation. It was suspected muscle resistance.
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Did it hurt alot when you started lenghtening faster?
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Not device malfunction or premature consolidation. It was suspected muscle resistance.
Yea? Is this a common happening? Never heard of this before. I think it can't happen with Guichet/Betz nails because they mechanically click when distracted.
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Hey Plzen, sorry to hear about the bumpy road but 7+ cm - nice!!! Are you happy with the end results so far?
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I have been trying to catch my sleep, also jet lag, so I was not giving as detailed answers.
Uppland,
My right leg used to be the "good" leg, little pain, good range of motion. But when I was lengthening it about 2mm/day. I had some pain, also range of motion got worse.
SAD,
I do not know how common it is, I did not ask my doctor. I will try to ask my doctor via email. It will be interesting if one of Dr. Paley's patients ask him about his opinion.
Remember in the beginning of my diary I was complaining of pain when when lengthening 1mm at single setting? After that, I switched to 0.25mm 4 times per day, and the pain went away.
After that, about once a week, I would lengthen each leg 0.5mm at one setting to make sure I had some pain, meaning my legs were lengthening. A few day before my Jan 13th x-ray, I lengthened 0.5mm both legs, left leg had pain, right leg no pain. I kept lengthening right leg, I lengthened 1.5mm(all at once), still no pain.
I went to the doctor's office the next day, saw Dr. Birkholtz partner. Had x-ray, I think in 3-4 days. X-ray showed both legs about the same length. Discussed with Dr. Birkholtz and he said that I should see him more often (weekly). I told the doctors about my concern for absolutely no pain in the right leg. The guys before me had less/?no pain with lengthening towards the end, so I thought (and hoped) that was the case with my right leg as well.
Then Jan 27 came, and as I wrote before, found out that my right leg was not lengthening.
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Afonso,
Thanks for stopping by. Before my surgery, I prepared myself mentally for much bumpier road.
So far I am happy with end results.
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hey plzen,
hope your doing fine!
how is your mobility now? also, did you experience any unusual complaints? like how did your body respond to the procedure in general? for example: did you experience hair loss / grey hair, radical weight loss etc.?
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Axelf,
I have explained how I felt after surgery earlier in my diary, mainly poor appetite for at least a couple of weeks after surgery. No problems with my hair due to surgery. I did not have access to a scale in South Africa, I had weight loss but I don't think I can call it radical. I seem to have gained some of my weight back. Currently I am 146 pounds (pre surgery I was 155 pounds).
As far as mobility goes, I live alone at a house. I seem to function ok. I use walker for some stuff (going to bathroom), use wheelchair for other stuff (washing dishes, preparing food). It is not easy, but I seem to manage. Tell you the truth, the last 3 to 4 days there were times that I was questioning why I did LL. "I thought I was done with LL, how long I have to keep doing this, this is taking so long". Today, I was better and did not question it. Also it is cold and cloudy where I live (In South Africa it was summer), that might be part of the reason why sometimes I feel this way. I bike daily at home (stationary bike).
Thanks for the emotional support guys (it really helps), please keep supporting me as I seem to need it.
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Axelf,
I have explained how I felt after surgery earlier in my diary, mainly poor appetite for at least a couple of weeks after surgery. No problems with my hair due to surgery. I did not have access to a scale in South Africa, I had weight loss but I don't think I can call it radical. I seem to have gained some of my weight back. Currently I am 146 pounds (pre surgery I was 155 pounds).
As far as mobility goes, I live alone at a house. I seem to function ok. I use walker for some stuff (going to bathroom), use wheelchair for other stuff (washing dishes, preparing food). It is not easy, but I seem to manage. Tell you the truth, the last 3 to 4 days there were times that I was questioning why I did LL. "I thought I was done with LL, how long I have to keep doing this, this is taking so long". Today, I was better and did not question it. Also it is cold and cloudy where I live (In South Africa it was summer), that might be part of the reason why sometimes I feel this way. I bike daily at home (stationary bike).
Thanks for the emotional support guys (it really helps), please keep supporting me as I seem to need it.
don't have regrets about LL man... it's not bright on the other side either (as you know better than me). Soon this will all be history, like when you were young and smaller.
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Its natural to feel a little frustrated. At first recovery didn't bother me, but now it has taken so long frustration happens in various circumstances. Personally however there is no regret, just desire to be walking normally so I can start living life properly at my new height.
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Hi plzen
I hope your recovering well and getting your mobility back. I have been keeping a close watch on your journal and I hope you won't dissappear on us like a lot of previous lengtheners and that you will continue to update your diary for the many months to come.
I pray for your swift and smooth recovery!
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hows it going plzen? hope youre doing fine!
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Update
3.5 weeks Post-distraction (after stopping lengthening)
Doing better. Not many new things to report. I exercise on stationary bike at home. I am getting around the house mostly using walker. Sometimes, I have to use wheelchair (cooking, washing dishes etc.).
Someone asked me via private message if I have any pain. Well, sometimes I have some discomfort in my legs. It is like when you help a friend move a lot of furniture and the next day your body is sore. My legs feel sore sometimes, the same way. I do not take any pain medication (not even Tylenol/Paracetamol because the discomfort is not too bad and it is once a while).
I am planning on having an x-ray in a little bit over 4 weeks from now (8 weeks post distraction). That will be my first x-ray since leaving South Africa.
Mentally, I am doing better compared to 3 weeks ago (when I last posted). For example, I do not feel that 4 weeks from now is such a long time. Hopefully things will continue the same way.
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Hey Plzen, sounds like you are progressing exactly like me. Happy to hear you're not in any pain. At this stage patience is key and keeping your expectations realistic. It takes longer to recover than the brochures say but you will get there I'm sure. Congratulations on the success of LL!!
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Hi Plzen, it's been nearly 4 months since you posted. Please give us an update. Looking forward to hearing from you.
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Plzen can we get an update please