Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: ChrisIsaak on December 10, 2013, 09:44:55 PM
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After waiting for more than 5 years, my time has finally come to do LL.
I am planning to write simultaneously in this forum, and in the "old forum" as well to access and share my journey with the maximum amount of people. Or, as an alternative, I might start a blog and use the diary in my website as a Q&A section. Please let us not make this "forum vs. forum" thing a point of discussion.
The payment is already made and the nails have arrived from Germany so I'm past the point of return. I'll be lengthening with Dr. Muharrem Inan, from Turkey. I'm currently in Istanbul, my hometown. A few more details..
Method: Fitbone (4th generation nail, previous technical problems are solved)
Cost: About the same as Europe, Betz, Guichet, etc.
Reason: Logistically easy. I'll lengthen at home.
Age: 22
Pros: Being at home, experienced doctor who has trained with Dr. Paley, physiotherapist will come home
Cons: No weightbearing, just like Precice
Date of surgery: Probably immediately following New Year.
More to come up.
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I definitely know what you mean ChrisIsaak. I've waited 5 years as well and finally at the end of this month I'll be able to decide where to do my surgery.
Please continue to update on here. It's your experience and you're free to update however and wherever you wish so this won't become a forum vs forum thing. It would be great to read more about your doctor and keep track of your journey from now until completion.
Wish you all the best.
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Great, all the best for the journey ahead. You'll be one of the lucky ones who can lengthen at home.
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Pretty snowy in Istanbul tonight, the Juventus game was canceled because of it.
Is this the same nail that Betz currently uses, or is it the older one?
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First of all, I would like to state that I trust SysOP, and I don't care about his patient identity. SysOP literally saved my life a couple weeks ago by telling me NOT to do externals on femurs. I was thinking about doing LON on femurs with a local doctor, and SysOP along with Crazy changed my mind.
This is a quote from Upinthesky on old forum who is ChrisIssak on this forum. This is no secret since he is literally posting the same information on both forums at the same time. The reason I brought this up is do you know how unbelievably stupid you have to be to think Sysop/Apotheosis saved your life by telling you not to do external femurs. You said you've been researching LL for 5 years. How in the hell did you not know this information already? Hate me if you want but that is utterly pathetic on your part to have consulted with Dr. Paley and Dr. Guichet and you still were considering external femurs and the only people who stopped you from making the dumbest decision in your life were two con men.
Good luck!
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This is a quote from Upinthesky on old forum who is ChrisIssak on this forum. This is no secret since he is literally posting the same information on both forums at the same time. The reason I brought this up is do you know how unbelievably stupid you have to be to think Sysop/Apotheosis saved your life by telling you not to do external femurs. You said you've been researching LL for 5 years. How in the hell did you not know this information already? Hate me if you want but that is utterly pathetic on your part to have consulted with Dr. Paley and Dr. Guichet and you still were considering external femurs and the only people who stopped you from making the dumbest decision in your life were two con men.
Good luck!
I agree. 3 or 4 months after joining Make Me Taller, I learned external femurs were dangerous. Upinthesky is giving that too much credit.
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Pros: Being at home, experienced doctor who has trained with Dr. Paley, physiotherapist will come home
Cons: No weightbearing, just like Precice
Ok. Let me get this straight ChrisIsaak. You like the doctor because he trained with Dr. Paley, and you consulted with Dr. Paley, but you still think that the Precice is not weight bearing. So even though Dr. Paley created the Precice and has said it offers weight bearing with crutches you still believe the lies on old forum about the Precice not being weight bearing and the Betzbone, Guichet nails being weight bearing even though they constantly bend and break like popsicle sticks. Wow! ::) This is off to a great start and should make for a very interesting patient experience!
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Jesus H. Christ on a stick handy, relax, and show some manners! Let's show this forum is a more welcoming place than the other one.
He is probably referring to the original 6.5 cm PRECICE. The new and for some people weight bearing one has just been released and some may not have been updating themselves about it yet.
Also, he's going to use Fitbone, not Betzbone/Guichet's Albizzia nail variants.
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Can't say I have ever read a Fitbone diary, will be interesting. Google it for more info, it seems quite unique.
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I definitely know what you mean ChrisIsaak. I've waited 5 years as well and finally at the end of this month I'll be able to decide where to do my surgery.
Please continue to update on here. It's your experience and you're free to update however and wherever you wish so this won't become a forum vs forum thing. It would be great to read more about your doctor and keep track of your journey from now until completion.
Wish you all the best.
Thanks a lot, Kilokahn!
I hope to copy-paste the things I wrote on both forums, but both diaries might take a different shape, naturally, depending on the questions I get from fellow forum contributors. I sincerely hope to continue sharing until the end, even after recovery. I will do bilateral lengthening and will be on a wheelchair for quite a while, so the boredom will probably ensure that I'll hang out on the forum! :) I hope to collect a heap of comic books/magazines (the old EsseGesse ones in particular, Italian and French cartoons mostly), get a computer game (heard that GTA V isn't produced for PC yet, so I might get IV, as well as Sims 3.. dang, I feel like I'm young again. I haven't played a video game for more than 5 years), my Fender Strat, and a couple of books as well as a set of dumbbells for exercise before the surgery.
Great, all the best for the journey ahead. You'll be one of the lucky ones who can lengthen at home.
Thanks mate!
Pretty snowy in Istanbul tonight, the Juventus game was canceled because of it.
Is this the same nail that Betz currently uses, or is it the older one?
I literally LAUGHED at this post. You're awesome :D
As an avid Gala fan, I was watching the game till it stopped. I think the referee made a bad decision.. It could've went on..
Dr. Betz uses the Betzbone, his own version of Albizzia.
Fitbone is still used throughout Europe, especially by Professor Baumgart in Germany. He used to work with Betz.
Fitbone doesn't have a "ratcheting" mechanical system for clicking, it has an electrical lengthening system with a remote control.
This is a quote from Upinthesky on old forum who is ChrisIssak on this forum. This is no secret since he is literally posting the same information on both forums at the same time. The reason I brought this up is do you know how unbelievably stupid you have to be to think Sysop/Apotheosis saved your life by telling you not to do external femurs. You said you've been researching LL for 5 years. How in the hell did you not know this information already? Hate me if you want but that is utterly pathetic on your part to have consulted with Dr. Paley and Dr. Guichet and you still were considering external femurs and the only people who stopped you from making the dumbest decision in your life were two con men.
Good luck!
Guys, please don't. Please let us not get into this forum vs. forum thing.
As for the explanation handy, I'll be honest about one thing.
I still don't know if external femurs (LON) is a terrible idea or not.
Yes, I've read about LL for 5 years.
Yes, I've done research on my part.
Yes, SysOP and Crazy +6 claim that external femurs is a terrible idea. Crazy can attest to this, having done it himself, and I've seen his recent walking video, and felt terribly sorry for the guy.
However, I've actually seen good doctors doing LON on femurs.
I've seen cases where I hope it will work, and seen cases where it hasn't.
If I can get in contact with a patient who is doing LON on femurs at the moment (I know of one, but I haven't tried to contact him) I will definitely let you know about how he's doing.
All I know is that he couldn't afford internals and he's lengthening with monorails on his femurs at the moment.
Another doctor (and I prefer not to give out his name) offered to do LON on femurs, and wanted $50,000 for it. He gave another price to another patient. Naturally, I was pissed off. After talking to that patient, I saw that he was in terrible pain. He discontinued to lengthen at an early stage, and removed the monorails. When I learned about this from him on Skype, I was grateful to the guys on old forum for warning me. HOWEVER... That surgery wasn't his FIRST one on the femurs. And I thought MAYBE that's why things didn't work out the way he wanted. Maybe he pushed his body too far.
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Ok. Let me get this straight ChrisIsaak. You like the doctor because he trained with Dr. Paley, and you consulted with Dr. Paley, but you still think that the Precice is not weight bearing. So even though Dr. Paley created the Precice and has said it offers weight bearing with crutches you still believe the lies on old forum about the Precice not being weight bearing and the Betzbone, Guichet nails being weight bearing even though they constantly bend and break like popsicle sticks. Wow! ::) This is off to a great start and should make for a very interesting patient experience!
Whoa, slow down buddy.
First of all, I was referring to the first version of Precice. The 6.5 cm version.
I haven't followed up much lately regarding Precice 2.0. I don't know its weightbearing capabilities. There's been much discussion and debate going on about that.
Second, I would agree that the Betzbone appears a bit shady to me at the moment, after what happened to some patients at Germany. However, I haven't heard of a case where the Guichet nail broke. I met a French patient while I was in Milan and he was exercising on a stationary bike one day after the surgery. He will be able to stand on his feet with crutches soon.
I have heard that the Precice nail does break too. It's a thing about its diameter. So you probably don't have the whole picture. I've spoken with more than 5 doctors. So I believe that I know a few things that aren't written on the forums.
But I wouldn't want to go deeper with that discussion. Better ask Dr. Paley about the track record of the Precice, and I'm sure he will give you a clearer answer. He's a straightforward guy.
@old forum PartyLeaks
Thank for the support mate!
Cheers.
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Excellent, you mention having consultations with several doctors (Guichet, Paley) so you did research the options.
May I know what's your current height and how much you want to gain? How long do you expect the recovery to take with the Fitbone?
Thanks
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Excellent, you mention having consultations with several doctors (Guichet, Paley) so you did research the options.
May I know what's your current height and how much you want to gain? How long do you expect the recovery to take with the Fitbone?
Thanks
Oops, did I forget to mention those? My bad.
Current Height: 165 cm (5'5 for Americans)
Target Gain: 8 cm (Final height 173 cm, 5'8 for Americans)
Recovery Phase: Immediately after lengthening, my doctor will perform a second operation and insert titanium rods on my bones (without removing the Fitbone nail inside the bone). This will make me able to walk slowly with crutches even though the bone bridge won't be formed yet. I hope to be able to walk completely normally and resume most physical activity in September, 8 monts post-op. I would be happy if I could manage it before that, but September is an important time for my career. So I'm giving myself time to heal.
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Recovery Phase: Immediately after lengthening, my doctor will perform a second operation and insert titanium rods on my bones (without removing the Fitbone nail inside the bone).
Please explain!
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Please explain!
I don't know how I can. If I could only draw it..
It's a titanium sheet (maybe I shouldn't call it a rod) that fortifies the bone and allows one to bear weight carefully.
I'll post a pic of it when I complete lengthening.
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Galatasaray 1 - 0 Juventus
I would have watched if I had have known it kicked-off this afternoon.
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Being in home while doing LL.. is really great thing in all aspects .. and it will cut down the cost for sure,,
Good luck Chris ;).. but doing LL in the winter isn't it torture ???
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Galatasaray 1 - 0 Juventus
I would have watched if I had have known it kicked-off this afternoon.
Was an epic game :'(
(manly tears)
Being in home while doing LL.. is really great thing in all aspects .. and it will cut down the cost for sure,,
Good luck Chris ;).. but doing LL in the winter isn't it torture ???
Thanks. Why do you think it would be torture? Basically I will be indoors, 7/24. I absolutely love winter as a season (way more than summer), but it doesn't make a lot of difference for me since I'll be indoors all the time. Now torture would probably be a nice definition of what I went through during the years in which I didn't do LL, and waited and waited. High school, college, had some amazing memories back in those years but the height thing hindered a lot of fun.
I'm focused on being able to walk normally in May (there's a concert I'd like to play in with my old band), watch my girlfriend's dance showcase, and be fully fit for September/October for work in the acting industry (see, height matters in my business as well). Oh, and have a nice summer holiday as well, perhaps in Italy. But one step at a time 8)
By the way, surgery date confirmed: October 6th.
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Grats Chris, I'm excited for you. :D
Make sure to remember us short people when you're all the way up there! ;)
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Correcting a little mistake..
For the surgery date, I meant January 6th. Five days after the New Year.
Grats Chris, I'm excited for you. :D
Make sure to remember us short people when you're all the way up there! ;)
Thanks :)
If things go well, I'm only going to be 173 cm ( 5'8 ) though.
That's the average male height in Turkey,
And slightly below average in the United States.
Nevertheless, it's good enough. I'll be content with that much.
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Something that's been on my mind pre-surgery is this:
When I spoke with Dr.Paley in Florida a year ago, I recall him telling me that whatever I did after surgery, it would be likely that I'd be losing weight. Why? Because the body spends so much extra energy to heal itself and adjust to the shock of the surgery.
However, there's another parameter: No weightbearing for three months. In other words, three months on a wheelchair. Minimum movement. Much less calories burned than usual. And this parameter would mean gaining weight, instead of losing.
I'm wondering which parameter will be stronger. My basal metabolic rate is around 1900 calories daily. This means that for any day lesser than 1900 calories intake, I lose weight. For a while, I worked with a dietitian, and she prepared a 1700 calorie protein-focused diet. Now I'm wondering whether if I should keep on doing the same diet following surgery.
3 months on a wheelchair = Also a good opportunity to lower body fat and workout the upper body? We'll see.
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Remember that you will be losing tons of muscle in your legs, and muscle weighs much more than fat.
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Less than two weeks for the surgery. (12 days left).
I don't feel stressed anymore. I'm only angry. I'm very angry at the world and society that has forced me to make this decision. I'm angry that I'm still making my family sad over this decision, but I had no other choice. At the end, I'd rather be anything but a short male. I'm beyond disgusted by society and their shallowness. At the end, I'm getting what I want, but I don't know if the bitterness will ever go away. I can only hope it will.
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Less than two weeks for the surgery. (12 days left).
I don't feel stressed anymore. I'm only angry. I'm very angry at the world and society that has forced me to make this decision. I'm angry that I'm still making my family sad over this decision, but I had no other choice. At the end, I'd rather be anything but a short male. I'm beyond disgusted by society and their shallowness. At the end, I'm getting what I want, but I don't know if the bitterness will ever go away. I can only hope it will.
I can definitely relate to that. I wish it would've never come to this, but it did.
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When I start to feel bad about everything I like to go to the tumblr blogs The Social Complex or F*ck Yeah Short Guys.
http://thesocialcomplex.tumblr.com/ (http://thesocialcomplex.tumblr.com/)
http://fkyeahshortguys.tumblr.com/ (http://fkyeahshortguys.tumblr.com/)
The first one has good social commentary from the blog owner, Geoffrey Arnold, and it really gets you thinking. Some things are depressing, like when the Exposing Heightism twitter posts are re-posted to show the spiteful messages women post on Twitter about short guys (though it's funny how most women openly expressing such vile comments are often ugly or obese), but often times it helps get me through another day.
The second one is mainly just short men posting pictures of themselves and stating their height and it's all of a positive nature. It's a good upper.
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Hookay,
So here are a few pics showing my current proportions pre-surgery. Yeah, they're not perfect shots, I had to take 'em from an angle. But at least can give you an idea.
(http://s29.postimg.org/wk03b1tyf/image.jpg)
(http://s16.postimg.org/z9shgolv9/image.jpg)
I'll try to post more/better ones soon. Feel free to photoshop, play with it (the proportions, I mean..), jerk off to it if you'd like to (but please don't tell us), or give your valuable opinions about proportions.
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Good long arms and torso, you're a great candidate for LL. :D How tall are you and what are you aiming for?
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Good long arms and torso, you're a great candidate for LL. :D How tall are you and what are you aiming for?
Good to hear :D
I am 165 cm ( 5'5 )
Aiming for 173 cm ( 5'8 )
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Almost the same height as me, I'm 167 cm and aiming for 173-174 after my first PRECICE lengthening.
Then I'm gonna go back and do another 6 cm on my tibia to hit 180 cm!
What's your wingspan and arm length? Also sitting height?
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I think femurs are the right choice for you. Your femurs look disproportionately short, especially compared to your long arms and torso. I think you'll look more proportional after LL. Hope everything goes well for you between now and then!
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Almost the same height as me, I'm 167 cm and aiming for 173-174 after my first PRECICE lengthening.
Then I'm gonna go back and do another 6 cm on my tibia to hit 180 cm!
What's your wingspan and arm length? Also sitting height?
Good luck! Where do you plan to go for LL?
I also plan to come back and hit the tibias later, but it would be wise to think of it one step at a time.
Unfortunately, I don't know what my wingspan/arm length/sitting height is. Never really bothered to measure those.
However, while I was in yoga class a couple weeks ago, a guy from the college basketball team was sitting next to me. We were on our knees, sharing the mattress. I realized that we almost had the same torso length.
I think femurs are the right choice for you. Your femurs look disproportionately short, especially compared to your long arms and torso. I think you'll look more proportional after LL. Hope everything goes well for you between now and then!
I told this a thousand times to people who worried that LL would mess up my proportions. I always told them that I was already disproportionate. You know, that bull idea of "God made you perfect the way you are". Nah. I think I'll pass.
Thanks, I hope so too. I wouldn't mind bad things happening to me, but I can't bear to see my family getting sad over this. I promised them that I'd be fine.
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I don't want to reveal my choice until I pay for the surgery, but I'm for sure having the surgery done May 2014. I'm excited to post a detailed diary, maybe a video log similar to leechletll. :)
Always smart to take it a step at a time! Could you tell me more about this nail that your doctor is using? What's the weight-bearing, etc.?
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Fitbone has a larger diameter than the first Precice, therefore it has less risk of bending or breaking. However, just like the first Precice, it isn't weightbearing. You either have to lengthen one leg at a time, or stay on a wheelchair during the lengthening phase. It usually takes an additional month after beginning consolidation for the patient to start walking. Fitbone's advantage to the Betzbone or to Albizzia equivalents, I believe, is that it is a controlled rate mechanism rather than a ratcheting, mechanical "clicking" system in which you have to bend your legs to a certain angle to lengthen the bone. Similar to the Precice, Fitbone is activated by a remote control. I believe this means less damage to the nerves and soft tissue, and faster consolidation of the bone bridge. I don't care about weightbearing as long as you ensure to undergo a good physiotherapy following the operation. Precice is a magnetic system; whereas Fitnone is an electrical system, but they both have remote controls.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I6qFbZfFW1Q (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I6qFbZfFW1Q)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xkAa7-eG-KU (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xkAa7-eG-KU)
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Hi Chris,
Is there any accomodation provided in the package? and is there any workout sessions included?
I assume that after the lengthening phase you will be able to move yourself with crunches, is that correct?
I'm thinking that in the event on slow bone regeneration you will want to be able to move around.
Do you know if the Fitbone device modifies the curve of the femur bone? I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, maybe someone can let us know.
And finally, does anyone know if you can end up with knee problems from Fitbone. I know that when using an internal device on tibias you can have knee issues and I'm looking to compare with Precice and Jamalnail.
Best of luck,
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Hi Keep Growing,
Accomodation isn't included in the package, but nevertheless I did some research for international patients in the future. There's Mim Hotel right next to the hospital, and if you make a special deal with them for staying 3 months, the rate is €60 per night. They have special rooms for disabled people such as LL patients. Renting a nearby residence/apartment suite for 3 months would be a lot cheaper though. Mim is a 4 star hotel, there might be cheaper options. I'm thinking about setting up a rehab center-ish patient home in Istanbul for international patients in the future, but obviously I have to recover first. (P.S: I haven't talked about this with the doctor. We have no agreements whatsoever, I'm just a regular patient. I wish we had an agreement though, I'd gladly advertise the Fitbone or the doctor to pay less.. Lol.) I'll be staying at home, which is an hour away from the hospital in heavy Istanbul traffic. Not bad.
Workout sessions will be adjusted depending on the lengthening phase. There will be rehab every single weekday with the physio, who will be coming home to help me out. He will also assign therapy movements that I have to do on my own every day. The PT will be heavier after we pass 5 centimeters.
Your assumption is correct, I will hopefully be able to walk with crutches after the lengthening (plus some additional time for consolidation OR immediately after lengthening if my doctor does another surgery to insert the titanium sheets for support.. so there are two possible scenarios.)
What do you mean with "modifying the curve of the femur bone"? If I got it right, I believe you must be asking about the MAD (Mechanical Axis Deviation)? Those are calculated weeks before the surgery on your X-ray, and sent to the doctor as a report.
I'm having my femurs lengthened, so I don't know if knee problems are relevant. We'll see. It won't be a breeze, but I hope and pray there won't be any complications we can't deal with. A friend of mine had a leg discrepancy problem and got his femur lengthened (only one leg) with the Fitbone with Professor Baumgart in Germany. He's fine now.
Cheers,
ChrisIsaak
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Hi,
The reason I asked about walking while lengthening is because I'm looking to return home and lengthen while performing my desk job. Off course I'll take care to go to a physio after finishing my day in the office.
I'm not sure what MAD is but have a look at the attached photo. You'll see that the femur is slightly bent. If you cut it and insert a nail it will somehow straighten and I'm not sure if this is ok on long term.
As far as the knee issues, well, the Fitbone is inserted thoughu the lower side of the bone so I'm thinking it may have some effect on the knee...or not ? as compared to Bliskunov nail which enters through the upper side. I'm really afraid of knee pain. :'(
Cheers,
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I'm currently in talks with Mim Hotel. Might actually stay there for at least a month since they have rooms for disabled people. It might be more convenient than staying at home for a while.
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Checking in to the hospital today (Sunday) for blood tests.
Surgery on the following day (Monday).
In performance arts, when we want to wish good luck to someone, we say "Break a leg!"
I guess the phrase suits the situation just fine.
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Surgery tomorrow morning at 8 AM.
:-[
:D
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I've been pondering about femur lengthening since i'm doing the tibia now. I know LON would make LLer impossible to sleep since the frames are high, unless you have thick buttocks. However I don't see much hindrances from Monorail. Can anybody give me some input on femur by way of Monorail?
I did talk with my doctor regarding internal nail, but all he could say was the price will be high. I'm looking forward to my recovery at home then restrategize.
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All the best dude, you're growing taller and there's plenty of football to watch while you're recovering. :)
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Thanks boss! :)
I plan on watching Short & Male to motivate myself to push on if I happen to feel a lot of pain, LOL. Just kidding. That documentary actually drains all my energy.
I have a ton of television shows that I could start watching though. Breaking Bad, Prison Break, the second season of Game of Thrones and onward.. I've been saving them all for the surgery.
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I've been pondering about femur lengthening since i'm doing the tibia now. I know LON would make LLer impossible to sleep since the frames are high, unless you have thick buttocks. However I don't see much hindrances from Monorail. Can anybody give me some input on femur by way of Monorail?
I did talk with my doctor regarding internal nail, but all he could say was the price will be high. I'm looking forward to my recovery at home then restrategize.
how much?
who is ur Dr?
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I have a ton of television shows that I could start watching though. Breaking Bad...
I've been saving Breaking Bad too!! Lol such a bad ass, great show. Especially to distract yourself.
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Something about this makes no sense to me. You are going to end up paying close to or over $80,000 to have surgery and accommodation with the Fitbone in Turkey which does not allow any weight bearing at all, when you could have paid $10,000 less and had surgery and accommodation with Precice 2 in the U.S. or Korea or the Guichet Nail with Dr. Guichet in Italy,France? Why?
You said in your original post that a major reason for doing it this way is you get to lengthen at home. Now you just said on old forum that you want to stay in a hotel for 60 euros a night so you can be away from your family. Huh??
I could've stayed at home, but I want to be away from my family while doing this
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ah aha aha ahaaah ah
Good pick up Handy !!
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Thanks.
Here are ChrisIsaak-Upinthesky quotes from old forum .
The total cost of lengthening with Fitbone is around €50,000-55,000 in Turkey, excluding accomodation prices.
The price of the hotel was €90 per night, but I negotiated and brought it down to €60 since I'll be staying there for at least a month.
Reason: Logistically easy. I'll lengthen at home.
I could've stayed at home, but I want to be away from my family while doing this
Something else I picked up on. When ChrisIsaak-Upinthesky mentioned that he was considering external femur lengthening to save money he was talking about the same doctor who is going to do his surgery with Fitbone. Check out this quote.
A less expensive option here would be the intramedullary LON, which would be around €20,000-25,000 excluding accomodation. The cheapest option is external lengthening with the classical Ilizarov frames, which is somewhere around €15,000.
Everyone should look at the 5th post on the first page of this thread from me. Seriously ChrisIsaak-Upinthesky, where the hell is your brain? You chose a doctor in Turkey who also offers external femur lengthening to save patients money over two great doctors you personally consulted with in Dr. Paley and Dr. Guichet. How unbelievably stupid and dangerous!!
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handy,
What you are doing right now is unbelievably inconsiderate and stupid. I just checked in to the hospital and will be having surgery this morning. I have no obligation to keep a diary, yet I logged in to upload some hospital photos now and reading what you wrote frustrated me. I am in a first class hospital, undergoing surgery with a great doctor. I am Turkish. "Lengthening at home" means lengthening in the same country. Yes, I meant to stay at home, but then we changed our mind after a lengthy discussion with my family. They are quite sad at my decision to undergo LL and I don't want to be at home with them where they'll be sad. Plus the hotel has a room for disabled people and is right next to the hospital, so we finally decided that it would be more convenient. I have people who care about me here, my family, friends, girlfriend - what could be more convenient?
If you believe everything you read on internet forums, then you're an idiot. External femur lengthening with monorails is done safely around the world, but it has some disadvantages. My final opinion on this matter changed a lot recently. Some other kid here is doing external monorail lengthening right now. He's fine. I will meet him sometime when he visits for a check-up.
I don't wish to argue with you further. Please leave my diary. And learn some manners and respect before posing as a CIA agent, bringing my posts here for inspection.
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(http://s24.postimg.org/jct5jpw69/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/jct5jpw69/)
(http://s24.postimg.org/haso5gy75/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/haso5gy75/)
(http://s24.postimg.org/l3c6l7dpd/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/l3c6l7dpd/)
(http://s24.postimg.org/eblricopt/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/eblricopt/)
(http://s24.postimg.org/64trqryn5/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/64trqryn5/)
(http://s24.postimg.org/e91vvil29/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/e91vvil29/)
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Let me add that it is me who has consulted with all of these doctors, and me who made a final decision based on these consultations.
There are details that I know about doctors and nails that I would rather keep to myself. There have been some problems with the first Precice. The second Precice is new - I hope it turns out to be great, but I don't want to be a guinea pig. I personally spoke with a Fitbone patient who lengthened one of his legs (to correct a leg length discrepancy) in Germany with Prof. Baumgart before deciding that it was okay to pick Fitbone.
Guichet was awesome, but he told me that I needed more flexibility before surgery. He told me that I would need to build at least 30% more leg muscle mass, and suggested that I workout with Serge Coneza at Marseille. At my current state, I would not be able to lengthen more than 3 cm, he said.
Then I went back to Paley and asked about all that. He basically said, quote, "Not to sound unprofessional but this is nonsense. I can safely lengthen you between 6-8 cm's."
You need to understand that medicine is not an entirely positive science and doctors have different opinions, and different methods. Ask any doctor and they will confirm.
You say "Two great doctors", indeed they are, and guess what? They don't agree with each other.
I only met one femur external monorail lengthening patient so far. He had to stop somewhere between 2-3 cm's and head back to the United States. He underwent LL with another Turkish doctor, whom I didn't trust and feel comfortable with. However, considering that it was his third LL surgery, and second femur lengthening, I'm not actually surprised that he faced complications.
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I agree with ChrisIsaak request that handy should not post in this diary thread anymore, before this becomes an ongoing issue.
Frankly nobody should have to deal with rude comments like "where the hell is your brain" when doing/recovering from LL.
Some of handy's comments crossed the line, he's been informed/warned about this.
If you disagree about something, there are better ways to express that opinion than being rude about it.
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=79.0
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Chris, sorry you had to deal with that, and I think your response is incredibly mature. handy is an immature douche who loves to stir up controversy, and I pray that he doesn't post in my diary one day.
Keep posting pictures and I'm sending good vibes your way for your surgery!! :)
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Thanks buddy :)
@ Dameon: Thanks a lot to you as well.
One hour left for surgery, wish me luck. Will try to update as soon as possible when I get out of the operating room.
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I hope everything goes extremely well. Good luck!!!
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Good luck!!! :)
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Thank you for the wishes, friends!
Just got out of surgery & I'm back at the patient room. I have absolutely no pain whatsoever since the anaesthesia's effect hasn't worn out. The epidural is still connected to me. I don't feel my legs and feet at all though. I'm trying to move my toes but I can't - it's annoying :D
I'm literally bed-ridden at the moment. I have my parents with me, but I'd rather be alone, not kidding. They keep getting phone calls which keeps annoying me, lol. I actually love my country. Even distant relatives keep calling and wish for a good recovery. I'm very grateful, but at the same time I'm a "no drama" person, so I'm laugling like "C'mon, it's a cosmetic surgery!" I'd rather be left alone with a KFC bucket and some beer at the moment.
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- The surgery took approximately 4 hours.
- You can't hear or feel anything during the surgery. You're out. The last thing I remember is being taken to the operating room.
- I don't feel dizzy or nauseated at all. I feel 100% normal and energetic, I just don't feel my legs and feet.
- The assistant doctor visited my room after surgery and asked me if I had any pain. I said none. He told me to drink some water and said that tonight (the first night) would be the most difficult, especially once the anesthesia effect wears off. But I still have the epidural connected, so the pain will be manageable. If I feel nauseated or feel pain, I can call the nurses by pressing a red button next to my bed.
- However, hospital dinner just arrived, and I found out that I can't force myself into a sitting position. If I do, I feel like vomiting and very dizzy. So I had to lie down on my back again. I can only eat in a "horizontal" position. In other words.. Mother's feeding me again after so many years. Hehe.
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- The surgery took approximately 4 hours.
- You can't hear or feel anything during the surgery. You're out. The last thing I remember is being taken to the operating room.
- I don't feel dizzy or nauseated at all. I feel 100% normal and energetic, I just don't feel my legs and feet.
- The assistant doctor visited my room after surgery and asked me if I had any pain. I said none. He told me to drink some water and said that tonight (the first night) would be the most difficult, especially once the anesthesia effect wears off. But I still have the epidural connected, so the pain will be manageable. If I feel nauseated or feel pain, I can call the nurses by pressing a red button next to my bed.
- However, hospital dinner just arrived, and I found out that I can't force myself into a sitting position. If I do, I feel like vomiting and very dizzy. So I had to lie down on my back again. I can only eat in a "horizontal" position. In other words.. Mother's feeding me again after so many years. Hehe.
Congrats buddy!!!
You will be fine and fingers crossed everything will go smoothly.
Tx
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Wish you well on the big journey ahead of you. Keep us posted :)
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Thank you for the good wishes, guys! I'll keep you updated all the time.
It's been very easy so far, it's almost surprising. The epidural is still tied to my arm though, which is why I don't feel any pain whatsoever. The catheter is a bit disturbing, but that's about it. It won't be difficult to sleep since I forced myself to get used to sleeping on my back before surgery. Pre-surgery I conditioned myself for LL circumstances.
We'll see what happens when the painkiller tube is removed from my arm. I'm curious about what sort of pain it will be. My back itches quite a lot, which is another minor disturbance. The anesthesia effect has worn off partially, I can move my toes and feel my legs. I don't feel like my bones are broken at all. It just feels somewhat rigid. It's like a "stretching" feeling
The PT will begin when I leave the hospital. I expected to stay for a week at least, but the doctor told me today that I could leave earlier if I was feeling good. He will decide depending on my condition.
I haven't done any weight bearing or transfers yet. I feel like I could easily make transfers to the wheelchair at the moment, if only the catheter had been removed. I haven't tried bending my legs but I feel like I could. However, I don't want to "experiment" with things until Dr. Inan arrives in the morning.
Listening to music helps pass the time. The only doctor in the room at the moment is "Dr. Dre - Beats". You may shoot me after this joke.
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The dinner yesterday was;
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Meatballs and brown rice
- Chocolate mousse
And the breakfast this morning was the typical Meditterranean breakfast. Cucumber, tomatoes, black olives, feta cheese, yellow cheese (beyaz peynir & kasar peyniri) and honey.
I couldn't sleep a lot yesterday night, as I claimed I would, but I don't feel tired either. It's probably because I drifted off for brief periods of sleep, which were interrupted almost every hour by the nurses or maids coming in to change bed sheets, change the wraps on my legs, put plastic bags filled with ice on my knees, and administer new painkillers to my vein when requested. I actually have a button in my bed, when I press it, the machine sends a painkilling solution from the tube connected to my vein (overdose isn't possible, the machine is preset to administer a certain maximum dose). Istanbul Cerrahi is really a first class hospital. The caretaking here is amazing. I have five nurses taking care of me at different hours.
The assistant doctor came in half an hour ago and checked my legs. I can raise them and bend my knees. Homework number one - I should do these every hour as an exercise. However, just as I predicted before surgery, I have a "good leg" and a "bad leg". My left leg is perfect -literally without any pain- and exercising it is a walk in the park. On the other hand, my right leg (which had worse flexibility and a bit less muscle mass before surgery) hurts like hell. It's okay when I keep it straight, but my knee hurts when I try to bend it. I can bend my knee, it just takes tremendous effort. I can raise both legs easily though.
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I'm glad they're treating you well Chris, that place sounds like a grade A hospital. I could go for some of that gourmet food you're having. :)
Do you think the correlation between your right leg's flexibility and mass and increased pain is significant? I'm always curious how important pre-OP muscle training is.
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Sounds like a good place to be in and credit to you also for your pre-surgery preparation, this always helps.
Keep it up!!!
Tx
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I'm glad they're treating you well Chris, that place sounds like a grade A hospital. I could go for some of that gourmet food you're having. :)
Do you think the correlation between your right leg's flexibility and mass and increased pain is significant? I'm always curious how important pre-OP muscle training is.
The nurses are hot too ;) Close to my age, yet quite experienced.. I was surprised that they were so young. Everyone is so nice in the hospital, from the nurses to the doctors to the "uncle" who brings in tea everyday. (In Turkey we call middle aged/old men "uncle" and young men "brother/bro", it's a very common thing.. lol).
My guess would be that the correlation between pre-op training (flexibility and muscle mass) and pain is low. When I asked Dr. Inan why my right leg hurt while my left leg didn't, he gave an honest answer and said that it's a common thing that happens, that every bilateral patient has a "better leg". They started operating on my right leg first, so when they started working on my left leg, they already knew the medical obstacles they would face there.
The current pain level is around 4/10. Very manageable, very tolerable. But as Rtaller states on his diary on the other website, the pain (or let's say "nuisance") is constantly there. So you need to keep your mind off it and focus on other things, in other words distract yourself from the nagging feeling.
Dr. Guichet places great importance on pre-op muscle training. From what I've seen, Dr. Paley doesn't regard it as necessary as Guichet. Maybe if Leechlet asked whether this was a consequence of a required preparation for different nails (a ratcheting nail vs. a magnetic nail), it could be a very good question.
From what I recall, Dr. Guichet didn't want to do an IT band/Fascia lata release, whereas for Dr. Paley and Dr. Inan, this is a routine practice and is done when necessary during the surgery.
Sounds like a good place to be in and credit to you also for your pre-surgery preparation, this always helps.
Keep it up!!!
Tx
Thanks, and cheers!
Chris
P.S: Olivetree, sorry that I couldn't reply to you on our discussion about Breaking Bad. It was the night before the surgery and I was a bit nervous. Best wishes.
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Good news: Second-day Post-Op, the catheter is out. I felt very nervous when it was going to be taken out, but it only took a second. It hurt a lot more when they took out the "drainages" (is this the right word?), a.k.a tubes that were connected to my knees which collected excess blood to prevent my knees from getting swollen.
I'm using a white plastic pitcher called "the duck" when I need to pee. It's not very difficult. All I have to do is STOP thinking about everything else, and dream about the Niagara Falls, and the sound of water.. And then peeing becomes easy. It's all in the mind.
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DAY 3
- Instead of having a typical sleep regimen of, say, 8 hours within a fixed frame of time, I drift off to sleep and then come back in the weirdest hours. I sleep for half an hour maybe during the day, then I wake up. An interesting fact, however, is that I never feel tired at all. I'm almost always energetic and it feels good.
- My biggest problem at the moment is the pain in my right leg, and the way I keep coughing. I literally cough all the time. It begun a month before surgery and it still isn't over yet - it's a dry, repetitive, useless cough, and it keeps coming back. Initially it didn't bother me at all, it even echoed a certain charisma as I felt like a wounded Russian soldier in the Battle of Stalingrad, we're back in the 1940's in the Eastern Front of World War II, I have the urge to tell the nurses to hurry up with the treatmet so I can join my comrades back in the war. So мужественный and великолепный. No drama whatsoever. You know the characters always keep coughing in classical Russian novels. The Eastern Front is HARDCORE. Where's my flask of hot каша?
- Ahm.. Anyway. I feel a bit of a pain in my spleen, have no idea why but when I cough it feels like my spleen will explode. I contemplated why I have this pain, asked some people around, they said "Maybe you have some gas?", but it doesn't sound cool enough, so I'm dismissing that probability.
- The assistant doctor visited this morning with a team of six or seven. He introduced me to the lengthening device, whom I now call Huseyin ("Hussein").
Meet Hussein, fellas. Wittenstein sent him all the way from Germany and he'll be lengthening my bones. Sweeet. A former engineer in Germany, he suffered from frictional unemployment and turned himself into an electronic device.
(http://s7.postimg.org/ysant3lbr/image.jpg)
Now my man here has two buttons. "DOCTOR" is a testing button as far as I've understood, and "PATIENT" gives you the real deal - it lengthens the bone by sending signals through a transmitter.
The white part is placed on the skin...
(http://s7.postimg.org/uhvzxig8n/image.jpg)
...where the good doctor has marked during surgery.
(http://s7.postimg.org/6w0dp2ncn/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6w0dp2ncn/)
What'd you think it was, a tattoo of the Anarchy symbol I got when I was drunk?
WE ARE THE 99 PERCENT.
(And the bottom fifth percentile when it comes to height).
- So, how does Hussein exactly work? When you press the "PATIENT" button, the small screen starts counting.. 1..2..3..4..and so on. You have to wait until it comes to 9, and then remove it. Each number is the activation of a mechanical step within the system of the nail. Lengthening is done 3 times daily on each leg. So you'll have to count to 9 for six times daily. Have to be somewhat qualified in math.
- You place a stethoscope next to the transmitter/receptor so you can hear a click, or some other sound, maybe a quack or a moo, who knows for God's sake I haven't used it yet. But it's useful in telling you the device has done the lengthening successfully.
- Let's now talk about toilet issues. *YOU MAY LEAVE NOW THINGS WILL GET DIRTY*. Um.. Actually, they won't.. I managed to take a dump on my 3rd day post-op. Two nurses lifted me to the wheelchair and I went to the bathroom. The wheelchair is a real display of genius in design. It's higher than the toilet and has a huge bottom in the middle of the seat, so you just need someone to roll it above the toilet, and you can guess the rest...
(http://s29.postimg.org/apnsmqwgj/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/apnsmqwgj/)
This funny thing here is called "the duck". It doesn't really look like a duck, but when it turns yellow, it actually does. Can you guess what it's used for?
(http://s7.postimg.org/dl6x538on/image.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/dl6x538on/)
Bandages & Daily Exercise, bending the knees
(http://s7.postimg.org/4fykb859z/image.jpg)
And the world is waiting outside...
(http://s7.postimg.org/hgab7nruf/image.jpg)
ChrisIsaak
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Excellent update ChrisIsaak. I hope I can get a wheelchair like yours after surgery after my visa is approved. Going #2 is one of the things I'm not looking forward to after surgery. The Fitbone looks neat too. It's almost like you're part machine with it in you. :D
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A hole in the wheelchair, who'da thunk it!! Thanks for the update Chris. :)
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DAY 4
Good News and Bad News: Today you'll hear about the dark side of LL. Good for you, bad for me :D
- The epidural tube was taken out this morning. Initially I was quite glad by finally getting rid of the uncomfortable feeling on my back, especially when I tried to sleep. Imagine trying to sleep with a pencil taped to your back. The bandages covering the epidural had started to come off after three days of sweat. When the nurse took the tube off, I was relieved. Now being able to move a lot freely in the bed, I cleaned myself with wet towels. Since I can't take showers at the moment, this should keep me clean for a while. I also keep changing t-shirts everyday. Make sure to have large t-shirts with you before LL. If you wear medium size, get large, or XL t-shirts. You must be able to wear them easily with all the tubes connected to your hands, back, chest, etc.
- However, after my newfound freedom in terms of mobility, I had to give up the positive aspects of the epidural, which is painkilling. My right leg constantly had a 5/10 pain today, and during a brief "trial training" session with my experienced physiotherapist, I had cramps twice (Pain 9/10). I howled from pain and kept cursing. I'm keeping my right leg covered up with many plastic bags filled with ice, it really offers an anti inflammory, analgesic relief. We have used three painkillers so far, Parol, Oksamen, and Contramal. Contramal (Tramadol) is the strongest among the three, it puts me to sleep within half an hour and makes me see weird dreams. It's not Percocet or Vicodin strong though. I believe Americans are luckier when it comes to acquiring drugs that have more strength. Europe has just too many regulations.
- If I could substitute my right leg with another good-ole-painless-left-leg, I'd be able to sleep sideways, or face down. This is for certain. I managed to stay on my face down for a while, but the stinging pain on my right leg made me uncomfortable so I switched to lying down on my back again.
- A detail I forgot to write about is that all rooms appear to be single in this hospital. The hospital bed is amazing, you can adjust the height of the part of the bed holding your upper body, you can also seperately adjust the height of your lower body (legs), and lower or raise the bed in general (which makes it easier for wheelchair transfers). So there are 3 seperate controls on the bed.
- I'm watching Hollywood superhero movies for motivation (Yesterday's film was Captain America, today I watched Thor, chosen based on my particular fondness of Scandinavian mythology). I kept laughing at how superheroes are always portrayed by tall guys (I'm not jealous, haha) and how Captain America had this "We need a small guy at heart, but we need to make yer tall and buffed for the upcoming scenes son" attitude. Because short men can't face Nazi zombies >:( :D
- I'd appreciate it if LL vets could give an insight about how (or when) this terrrrible pain on my right leg will pass. How was your post-op pain, and did it get any better, or did it actually get worse once you started lengthening? I might have forgotten to write this down before, but the doctor had told me that they had to release the Fascia Lata/IT Band on my right leg during surgery to ensure flexibility, but they didn't do it for my left leg since it was already sufficiently flexible. It feels like a muscle-straining pain rather than a broken-bone pain, anyway.
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Excellent update ChrisIsaak. I hope I can get a wheelchair like yours after surgery after my visa is approved. Going #2 is one of the things I'm not looking forward to after surgery. The Fitbone looks neat too. It's almost like you're part machine with it in you. :D
Hey Kilokahn,
I'll be getting two wheelchairs. One with a hole in the middle (same as in the pic) for going to the bathroom, and another, regular wheelchair.. since I can't meet friends on a chair with a hole in the middle at the hotel's lobby/bar, hahaha..
The Fitbone is neat. I have a "positive perception" against things made in Germany and in the US. Especially cars and tech stuff. I hope lengthening won't hurt much.
A hole in the wheelchair, who'da thunk it!! Thanks for the update Chris. :)
No probs ;)
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I think 5'8 for a guy is a decent height, but mostly if you live somewhere women are shorter than here.
Jenslarsen, what would you consider to be "tall" and "average" where you live?
ChrisIsaak, congrats on your achievement and hard work up until this point! And thanks for introducing a new doctor and lengthening nail to the forum. Would you say that your hospital could be a viable option for a foreigner? Has Turkey been significantly affected by the instability in neighboring countries? I will be traveling to Turkey this summer for non-LL related reasons, but may consider consulting with your doctor if I have sufficient time.
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DAY 7 - END OF WEEK 1 (UPDATES)
- Finally moved into the hotel. I was afraid that the bed would be uncomfortable after the hospital bed which was adjustable for height, incline, and position - boy was I wrong. So please allow me to make a broad generalization. Hotel beds are always comfortable. Something is always comfortable when you pay for it.
- Pain in the right leg is gone. GONE. Sometimes, when I make a wrong move, it comes back, the tingling, mischievous cramp/pain dares to show its face as if playing pick-a-boo, but I control it. I haven't screamed or cursed in the past 2 days. I had to bite the pillow once not to make a sound out of the cramp pain, but the constant nagging pain is gone, which made a HUGE difference - - I can sleep sideways now. And on my face down. It's such an amazing convenience I missed, thank God. LL teaches you to take little things for granted, that's for sure!
- I must say that femur lengthening with an internal device is like driving a Bentley, or Rolls Royce. All you have to do is have some patience. People might feel prejudiced since the device isn't weightbearing, but what does weightbearing mean anyway? Maybe a bit more comfort in making wheelchair transfers, walking with a walker (albeit very slowly), and a good precaution to avoid muscle atrophy. First of all, even if a device is weightbearing, I'd like to argue that you still need someone to help you and always be there for you during LL. This is not an emotional need really, although it has that benefit as well - it's a straightforward physical need for help. Secondly, the first PRECICE wasn't really weightbearing (It wasn't, right? I recall some debate about that.) but with vigorous PT, muscle atrophy can be avoided and the nerves/soft tissue will adapt to the newly lengthened bone. Just my two cents - I have absolutely no concerns regarding this matter.
- Being patient for 3 months isn't an issue, and never will be an issue to a 5'5 (165 cm) guy like me who spent so many years (more than five) waiting to do this. It's like wanting to be an astronaut, wanting to go to space for years, dreaming about it - then suddenly waking up and finding yourself in a spaceship. The painkillers at the hospital made me see the weirdest/funniest dreams of all time. One of the painkillers is called "Contramal Retard" (will be sharing its pic tomorrow) and it turned me into a retard for sure. In a particularly memorable nightmare, I found myself in a stable instead of my hospital room, lying down on haystacks rather than the hospital bed.. I looked around for the nurses, but a truck driver with a mustache was taking care of me.. He sorta looked like Mario actually. I asked for painkillers, but he said *with a Jeff Bridges tone on "True Grit"* "Sorry but I can't healp 'ya son, wanna get yer engine filled?"
- At the moment, I feel like a Hollywood star who just checked into a hotel rather than a LL patient. I had prepared for war, and found myself lost in gluttony. Now if you excuse me I'll shut my trap, since I'm afraid Bigfaker will make a voodoo doll of me and insert a little needle to my right leg when appropriate.
- Hotel photos and X-rays will be uploaded tomorrow (please forgive my lazy ass for not uploading them now, but it's already 2 AM here). If I can manage to do it, I intend to shoot a video of me lengthening with the Fitbone sometime - I hope I can capture the sweet mechanical rotation sound of the nail. Currently, I don't feel anything in my legs while doing the lengthening. It takes less than 2 minutes. I lengthen three times every day - 8 AM, 4 PM and midnight. 8-hour intervals.
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P.S: Dear moderators, why are the photos I upload are always small? Initially I adjusted them for "Forum and message boards" on the image upload site (I used postimage.org), then I readjusted the size for "15-inch monitors", but it made no difference.
How are things for people who log in from their computers? Can you access the larger originals of the photos I share?
I'm terrible with technology :-X
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@ChrisIsaak, a few of them don't pop up into the larger version.
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ChrisIsaak, congrats on your achievement and hard work up until this point! And thanks for introducing a new doctor and lengthening nail to the forum. Would you say that your hospital could be a viable option for a foreigner? Has Turkey been significantly affected by the instability in neighboring countries? I will be traveling to Turkey this summer for non-LL related reasons, but may consider consulting with your doctor if I have sufficient time.
Great questions, Tall!
My hospital (Istanbul Cerrahi) has many international patients. Most of the ones I've seen here are from Middle-Eastern countries, from Azerbaijan, and so forth. Many Europeans also travel to Turkey to get more basic cosmetic/correctional surgeries (lasik laser eye surgery, for instance). Having relatives received care in European countries and the United States, and having received medical care in the US myself as well, I would categorize these as such.. (My opinions are subjective and by all means please feel free to disagree)
United States (Best in the world, latest medical technology, but terribly expensive)
Europe (I still don't know much about Europe's medical system, however..)
Turkey (My argument is that Turkey is both CHEAPER and BETTER than Europe in medical services)
*Nevertheless, this is a broad generalization.
Other Countries (India and China seem to be cheaper, but I wouldn't prefer to do LL there.. My opinion of India is that they have very good doctors, but the nurses' training isn't on par with them.)
The only problem you would have in Turkey is the language barrier (as in any other country). Which, in that case, I would probably be around to help you out.
I don't find Dr. Inan's internal femur price very competitive (around €50,000-55,000) since it's close to its European counterparts (Guichet, Betz), but for people who know you get what you pay for, perhaps it could be an insight. Especially to some inexperienced friends in here who made heated arguments like "Why didn't you go to Paley or Guichet?!? You idiot?!?" LOL. The answer is simple - because I'm getting the same quality of service here. The same level of safety. Similar facilities. Everything is on par, if not better. I apologize if I sound arrogant, but it's the truth.
I don't understand, for instance, why people think about getting the Salamehfix (which they'll have to keep for months on their legs) for LL rather than get LON on tibias done here for €25,000. Same price. Takes way less time to heal. Similar price to China, way better hygiene. Simple math.
In the world of politics, Turkey is a hole. It's governed by 5-year olds. The country's dynamics are very different than Europe or the US, we are so used to political turmoil that we don't even care about it anymore. We often joke about people committing suicide in Scandinavian countries because it's too boring. Every week (Sorry, did I say week? I meant day.) we have a new political scandal, a new debate, be it the war in Syria, abortion, or the recent corruption scandal (including gold smuggling to Iran as a means to break the embargo and government officials accepting bribes) that hurt the stock exchange severely in a matter of hours. We Turks say "It's SUCH an entertaining country actually, if only we weren't its citizens!" (Although I'm a US dual citizen - ha!)
The medical world is different. When you're safe in your hospital room with the best trained doctors, nurses, and staff, you don't care about Prime Minister Erdogan babbling something which will surely lower the stock market again. When the room service brings you a $10 pizza worth $50 by taste (following the recent devaluation of the Turkish Lira against the US Dollar) you know that everything will be fine. The TV has international channels. You open up CNN and sit on your back. It suddenly stops being "LL war" and becomes "3 month holiday in lalaland".
Please let me know if you travel here. I'll be traveling to the West Coast (San Fransico, San Diego & Los Angeles) during the summer, probably also to Johannesburg, South Africa, but who knows, perhaps I might be here. I'd love to show you some hospitality! :)
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@ChrisIsaak, a few of them don't pop up into the larger version.
Jerry - thanks,
I'll try to reply to your PM as soon as possible.
Cheers,
Chris
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I don't understand, for instance, why people think about getting the Salamehfix (which they'll have to keep for months on their legs) for LL rather than get LON on tibias done here for €25,000. Same price. Takes way less time to heal. Similar price to China, way better hygiene. Simple math.
I think one huge advantage of the Salamehfix is that no nail is inserted compared to LON.
Am I mistaken? Please correct me if I am wrong, I'm not an expert in tibias...
But if it is correct what I have stated I would prefer the Salamehfix because I would be afraid of permanent knee damage by doing LON...
Tibia experts, please correct me!!
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You sir as correct, it has no nail inserted and thats why you have to carry the device for around a year most of the time.
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are and not "as"...
So another consequence of that may be that the scars are less visible but im still waiting of pictures of those scars.
GoodFootBaller told us he will post pictures of his legs when he comes back.
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Weird. You have to carry the frames a year or so but Diso is removing her frames in 2 months or so. You can walk with the Salamehfix, but NOT with the monorails so her callus is poor.
There is an accident waiting to happen.
Anyway, that's her problem.
With a nail inside your bone you will have aches in your knees every morning.
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Today I found out that two of my favorite celebs, Usher Raymond and Joaquin Phoenix, are also 5'8 (173 cm). After LL, I will have absolutely no excuses to regard my new height as insufficient. I'll workout like mad at the gym and build the body that I've always wanted. I can already feel the motivation. The "Who cares, I'm 5'5 anyway, no one will care about my physique and muscles" loser attitude is already gone. This has been the best part of LL so far. I'm not even standing on my feet yet, but I already know it's the best decision I've ever made in my life.
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Thats good man, but i think no one really cared that you were 5'5 it was just in your mind since most people only care about themselves.
People had a great life at 5 feet or even under, it just depends on your mind.
Yo Sweden, the maaan 8), of course the fact that its weight bearing is also important -)
I think Salameh has the best cost/quality-method ratio
You find weird that he didn't post his scars pics yet ?
Diso will always find a solution no matter what happens.
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Women definitely cared before.
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Not all women, but do you want to F... all of them ah ah ? ::)
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P.S: Dear moderators, why are the photos I upload are always small? Initially I adjusted them for "Forum and message boards" on the image upload site (I used postimage.org), then I readjusted the size for "15-inch monitors", but it made no difference.
How are things for people who log in from their computers? Can you access the larger originals of the photos I share?
I'm terrible with technology :-X
Most of the photos lead to their larger images when you click them, though the last two images you posted wouldn't lead to their larger image when I clicked on them. For images that I want large on the forum without having to click to lead to a larger image, I find that imageshack is good for that purpose.
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UPDATE
For the past two days I've been feeling very worn out & tired. I sleep all day & all night, and only wake up for the daily PT, food, bathroom needs, medication (antibiotics) and the daily lengthening (3 times). I will upload the photos when I feel a bit better. My apologies if I have delayed responding to private messages.
Cheers,
Chris
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Someone has asked me about pain. Here's my answer:
I wouldn't call this feeling "pain". Ever had a toothache? Imagine having the same feeling in your leg. It's not painful at all, it gets annoying though, because it's almost constantly there. PT helps a lot. I do PT every day for an hour with a therapist who has worked with Dr.Paley in Baltimore a couple years ago, so he's a specialist for limb lengthening cases.
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What have you been doing to pass the time Chris? Made friends with any fellow LLers there?
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What have you been doing to pass the time Chris? Made friends with any fellow LLers there?
Hey BD!
- I'm just chillin' at the hotel. Most of the time a family member is with me so I don't have a lot of time to login and post my inner reflections. I had a bit of an argument recently with my parents though. "You know, you really should leave me alone for a couple hours everyday" I said. I feel more comfortable when I'm by myself.. ( for a few hours.. then it gets cold and boring :( )
- I took a shower by myself for the first time. It felt great. What a relief, after so many days..
- I've gained 254 exp. in bed-to-wheelchair & wheelchair-to-toilet transfers and can absolutely take care of myself at the moment without any help. The knowledge of this (not being dependent even though I'm not weightbearing) has been the greatest relief of all.
- I read the news every day, follow some stocks I've invested in, I watch TV to keep myself busy. I'll pick up Game of Thrones from where I've left it (Season 2) sometime soon, I guess.. I'm watching Sherlock (the contemporary one with Benedict Cumberbatch) whenever I catch it on TV. I Skype with some friends who are currently abroad. And days seem to go by :)
P.S: Haven't met fellow LL'ers since there is no place here like a patient guesthouse. Each patient is isolated and finds their own place to stay. The locals go home and others stay at a hotel or rent an apartment. I've seen other patients at the hotel but they're not LL'ers. I've heard there's a prospective LL'er who wants to meet a current patient, but we'll see..
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DAY 14 - END OF WEEK 2 (UPDATES)
- For those who perhaps thought I sugarcoated things about LL, or wrote a flowery account of what I'm going through, I'd like to state that everything isn't as easy as I make it seem. There is pain from time to time. Usually I go to sleep around 1 AM, and almost always wake up around 3:40 AM. The rest of the night is painful, unless I take additional pain medication. I try not to, but I do when I have to. Contramal (Tramadol) really helps.
- My family insisted that I needed someone to stay and take care of me at all times, so they shifted their schedule accordingly. I lost my temper during the past few days, even threatening to throw the TV remote controller. I'm glad my family's there for me when I need it, but I don't want someone staying with me at all times. I'm a strict person about my own schedule and I can take care of myself. When others (even distant relatives and friends) want to visit, I try to avoid them. I wanted this journey to be a self-reflectory one. Not 47262 people in a room wishing me to get well soon. The reason why I haven't been able to write an update recently is this. I've been dealing with so many people I don't have the proper time for myself. And you don't want that during something like LL. I don't want to crawl in front of others from pain around 4 AM, I want to face the pain myself, I want to beat the out of the pain myself. People try to help; they hold the doors when I go to the lobby for breakfast every morning, it's a kind gesture and I understand it, but nevertheless I can't help but be annoyed from extra kindness. I'm not the kind of guy who asks for help often. I like to take care of things myself. I went through with this surgery to free myself from others' subliminal judgement of regarding me as insufficient or less competent (vertically challenged). When people assume the same thing because I'm on a wheelchair, it doesn't help. I'm strong, but not strong enough to accept weakness. Weakness of any sort.
- I take a shower every day. It's a great relief. I bring the wheelchair to parallel to the sitting stool on the handicapped shower, I switch seats, then I push the wheelchair to a distance where it won't get wet, but a distance close enough I can reach. Then I place the towels on the wheelchair. I take the shower in "pulses" - head first, upper body later, legs last. Leave one minute intervals between each part. It feels cold but I have to, in order to let the excess water go down the drain and avoid messing the bathroom floor. I shave before my ex-girlfriend visits. She's an amazing girl and I have to be the same. I put on some perfume. I'm not letting go of myself. I'm a normal person who can do all sorts of things with his wheelchair. A 5 minute task may take 15 minutes, true, but the job gets done.
- Another cause of stress recently has been all the people with good intentions bringing in sweets, desserts and food. I understand the good intention beneath, but results are more important than intentions. One can easily gain weight during LL, a period with lesser mobility than ever. Therefore, I finally decided to switch to my old "athlete's menu" with extra focus on protein in a daily meal. My dietitian will prepare daily menus according to my basal metabolic rate. A typical daily meal consists of breakfast-snack 1-lunch-snack 2-dinner. This will bring a new level of discipline to my current state, a thing I'm trying to elevate. I want things working like a clock - every meal at a certain hour. Routine yes, boring maybe, but good for boosting metabolism.
- A funny thing happened today. It started to rain in the hotel. Inside my room. The ceiling started leaking water. It's a very good 4 star hotel actually, what a terrible thing to happen on their account. Anyway.. Apparently a pipe was broken down upstairs. They'll fix it tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I'm switching rooms for the night.
- I was lengthening a wee bit faster than 1 mm daily to avoid premature bone consolidation during the first week. Today we slowed it down to its normal rate, 1 mm daily. Here are the post-op X-rays of my legs showing the Fitbone nails. Notice how thick they are in diameter. This minimizes mail breaking/bending risk, which is one of the reasons why I chose Fitbone over the Precice. Nevertheless, I admit that Fitbone isn't a popular nail in cosmetic lengthenings. It's usually used in leg length discrepancy surgeries (on a single leg) since it's not weightbearing and is relatively expensive. I thought I had taken the photo of my most recent X-rays showing the amount I distracted, but apparently I haven't. Couldn't find them on my iPhone camera roll. I'll upload them as well, as soon as possible.
(http://s10.postimg.org/b3rdzuci1/image.jpg)
(http://s10.postimg.org/vmma4wqfd/image.jpg)
No pain, no gain. Bring it on.
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Here's a video I just uploaded, showing how I lengthen with the Fitbone. If you listen carefully when I zoom in on my leg, you can hear the sound of the electromechanical nail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe93Vcf385Q
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Cool. Thanks for the update. If your LL journey goes out well, I may coming all the way to Turkey to see your doctor for femur later this year.
Stay focus and don't let the small things (like family) bog you down.
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Guys - there's something I'd like to share with you. I apologize for not uploading as frequently as I used to, but the simple reason for this is that everything has become pretty much routine - every day is the same one way or another. Apart from not walking and doing my lengthening regimen (as shown in the video), I continue my normal daily life every single day. In other words.. I honestly don't know what to write about. I could write a ton about other stuff, for instance I got out of the hotel and went back home after a disagreement in terms (they didn't allow me to bring food from outside.. bull , eh?) and now I'm looking at another hotel to stay in (since they have handicapped rooms that make it more convenient especially to take showers, even though I can do pretty much everything at home as well) or alternatively looking for an apartment residence to rent (I was going to move out on my own anyway, might as well do it now.. I can totally take care of myself living the wheelchair life, without any help by others) but it wouldn't be very relevant to LL.
Everyone has a different LL experience. I read about LL for many years, but never came to understand the true aspect of it, or its true essence before I actually went to the operation room and went through it. Sometimes I wake up with an annoying stiffness in my legs, but apart from that, I'm just shocked that everything has been a piece of cake so far. I really had prepared for agonizing, torturing pain, I prepared myself to go through hell. What I found I needed instead was the patience to avoid boredom during lengthening. That's the only problem - boredom.
I'm still constantly annoyed by people trying to running errands for me even though I never asked for anything. I wish everyone around me had their legs broken (with a minimal fracture like mine) and actually experienced firsthand how f**king EASY it all is. When I read the forums before I was an LL patient and when someone didn't update his diary very often, I would wonder "Is anything going wrong with this guy?" What I found out instead was, sometimes there's very little to say, simply because nothing is going wrong.
I'm not complaining :)
Quote of the day: Pain is weakness leaving the body
I guess I had no real weakness (except for my usual temper) before LL. Maybe that's why it has been so painless so far.
I want to return boxing. I want to do crossfit again. I want to lock myself into the gym. I just can't wait to finish this and leave it all behind.
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Hi there Chris, here are my questions
- Do you agree that Internal LL have a relatively pain free experience compared to external LL?
- Dr Salameh device, does it offer really good advantages in terms of less pain and trauma damage?
- My plan is 8cm on Tibias, which is over the 7.5cm rule that could permanently damage muscle...how true is that?
- Will being in shape affect the recovery and pain? Was your pre LL fitness level high?
Sorry for so many questions. Thank you if you can answer :D
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Hi there Chris, here are my questions
Hi there Jerry!
- Do you agree that Internal LL have a relatively pain free experience compared to external LL?
Absolutely. However, I haven't done external lengthening, therefore I wouldn't really be able to compare the two extensively. I am sure that there have been internal patients who went through a lot of pain at times, and some external LL patients who lengthened relatively easily. It's all up to the individual.
Ask your doctor about his opinion on painkillers, and ask what kinds of painkillers are administered.
- Dr Salameh device, does it offer really good advantages in terms of less pain and trauma damage?
I had long conversations with Goodfootballer from the old forum. He went to Dr. Salameh and was very happy with the results. In fact, he even wished that he had lengthened more. He was able to walk, even do sports (pushups, pullups, etc.) while wearing the fixators. However, if I would lengthen my tibias, I would do LON/LATN as I think wearing external fixators in your legs like 8 months would suck. It would totally suck. I would do LON and be done with the fixators in 2-3 months. You'd be able to walk with the LON device as well.
- My plan is 8cm on Tibias, which is over the 7.5cm rule that could permanently damage muscle...how true is that?
I don't believe in the 7.5 cm rule. It was made up by the former old forum Admin, a mentally sick bastard who did 6.5 cm in tibias and probably regretted not doing more, going around advising people not to pass 7.5 cm. My golden advice is - before you take the last step into LL, forget about what you read in the forums and discuss everything with your doctor. If your doctor tells you anything about not passing a certain limit, listen to him. It could even be less than 7.5 cm depending on your bone, age, and other factors. I will do 8 cm on my femurs and it will be great. Currently I'm a few days shy from reaching 2 cm, so a quarter of the journey is almost over. I'm definitely sure about 100% recovery.
- Will being in shape affect the recovery and pain? Was your pre LL fitness level high?
I was nowhere between my three-year-ago self. 3 years ago I was 68 kg, pre-surgery I was around 80 kg. My fitness level wasn't terrible, but it wasn't my best either. Unfortunately, my height at the time ( 165 cm, 5'5 ) made me lose all the motivation I had in the gym. I didn't believe in creating myself and sculpting my body anymore. I felt as if all the effort I'd put in would be worthless. It felt terrible.
Daily physical therapy (I do one hour PT daily with a personal coach) is absolutely necessary in my opinion if you want a solid recovery.
If you plan tibia lengthening, you can stretch your calves and achilles tendons on a regular basis for a better preparation.
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This video is to cheer you guys up
Starring...
Guy in blue shirt: LL patient who did PT
Guy in red shirt: LL patient who skipped PT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eu_380oi2s
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As I hit the 2 cm mark today, I'm uploading a brief video I took during my physio session, showing my current level of flexibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g367IQHP6c8
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It looks very good! Congrats. :)
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It's great to see how easy your lengthening is going. Gives hope for us non-weightbearers. :)
How likely do you think it will be for me to work effectively while going through LL? My job is online (thankfully) but I'm usually on calls with people.
Btw, thanks for the vids!
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I don't believe in the 7.5 cm rule. It was made up by the former old forum Admin, a mentally sick bastard who did 6.5 cm in tibias and probably regretted not doing more, going around advising people not to pass 7.5 cm. My golden advice is - before you take the last step into LL, forget about what you read in the forums and discuss everything with your doctor. If your doctor tells you anything about not passing a certain limit, listen to him. It could even be less than 7.5 cm depending on your bone, age, and other factors. I will do 8 cm on my femurs and it will be great. Currently I'm a few days shy from reaching 2 cm, so a quarter of the journey is almost over. I'm definitely sure about 100% recovery.
I was nowhere between my three-year-ago self. 3 years ago I was 68 kg, pre-surgery I was around 80 kg. My fitness level wasn't terrible, but it wasn't my best either. Unfortunately, my height at the time ( 165 cm, 5'5 ) made me lose all the motivation I had in the gym. I didn't believe in creating myself and sculpting my body anymore. I felt as if all the effort I'd put in would be worthless. It felt terrible.
Great advice. Listen to your doctor (and yourself) instead of some average joe in the corner who failed as a LLer anyway.
I can feel the booming of a warrior when I read this diary. "Pain is the releasing of weakness from your body" and "this operation is a piece of cake." Good job on your first 2cm.
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It looks very good! Congrats. :)
Thanks, jerry! Cheers.
It's great to see how easy your lengthening is going. Gives hope for us non-weightbearers. :)
How likely do you think it will be for me to work effectively while going through LL? My job is online (thankfully) but I'm usually on calls with people.
Btw, thanks for the vids!
No problem, BD! My pleasure. Let me know if there's anything else LL-related you'd like to see a video of.
You can definitely work effectively during LL, but keep in mind that you'll feel tired a bit more than often.
Great advice. Listen to your doctor (and yourself) instead of some average joe in the corner who failed as a LLer anyway.
I can feel the booming of a warrior when I read this diary. "Pain is the releasing of weakness from your body" and "this operation is a piece of cake." Good job on your first 2cm.
I read your message around 5 AM and I can't tell you how happy it made me feel at a time I needed help. *BroHug* Yo it gets lonely here often. Drop messages on my diary whenever you feel like it, guys!
Cheers,
Chris
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UPDATE
Went to the doctor today, X-rays got taken (will post here tonight). Bone consolidation rate is very fast. Therefore we are speeding up the lengthening to 1,4 mm per day to avoid early consolidation. Will continue 1,4 mm/day for a week, then we'll check-up again. This is splendid news.
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That's excellent. I would be much more happy to hear that lengthening needs to be sped up due to superb growth rate versus having to hear that I'm risking non-union.
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That's more good news than bad news in my opinion. The bad news is you have to hurry up or risk getting early consolidation. And have to rebreak your bone like I did. But I like the fact that the doctors there actually monitor you like that and could tell you how quickly your bone is consolidating. There was never that option in India. Maybe I will consider going to turkey later this year!
The good news is you get to lengthen more quickly per day. It will be painful but I think you can handle it. Also keep doing those bed exercises and stretching. I believe the hardest part of LL is the lengthening part. Once you get the lengthening done, the battle is almost over. Recovery is much more enjoyable and easier because it can be done at home.
Anyway, good-job bro. Hang in there!
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(http://s21.postimg.org/yvlel01rb/image.jpg)
(http://s21.postimg.org/jx2zqkmp3/image.jpg)
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Today's hotel dinner: Seafood Risotto
Make sure to get a good amount of protein daily.
(http://s23.postimg.org/9b7oltm0r/image.jpg)
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Looks like pharmaton, omega-3, and one other supplement you got down there if I'm not mistaken.
;)
Personally, pharmaton (probably because of its Ginseng) works wonders for me. When I'm on night shift, I have extra energy.
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Looks like pharmaton, omega-3, and one other supplement you got down there if I'm not mistaken.
;)
Personally, pharmaton (probably because of its Ginseng) works wonders for me. When I'm on night shift, I have extra energy.
The other one is calcium & magnesium ;)
I actually enjoy having low energy these days. Sleeping is a great way to pass the boring days. Lol..
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DAY 30 - WITHIN WEEK 5 (UPDATES)
- As I previously mentioned, I'm now staying at another hotel close to Taksim Square, the city center of Istanbul. After getting into an argument with the first hotel (which had the great advantage of being right next to the hospital, so Dr. Inan frequently visited me there in my room) regarding bringing in food, I found out that there's a general regulation in Turkey that prevents hotels from allowing visitors bringing in food. Now you can sneak it in, of course, and no one cares. But if you insisted to have a daily diet meal sent to you each morning and handed over to the person working at the lobby each morning, apparently it's stretching it a bit too far. Luckily, the second hotel I'm in right now has much better service - the way they treat people is very professional and kind. It earned some kind of an international hospitality award recently. Here are some photos from my "disabled room";
(http://s11.postimg.org/wa5gcg6b7/image.jpg)
(http://s11.postimg.org/64e79wpv7/image.jpg)
(http://s11.postimg.org/piafvurxv/image.jpg)
(http://s11.postimg.org/mmxcoznxv/image.jpg)
(http://s11.postimg.org/ud44u4q9f/image.jpg)
(http://s11.postimg.org/ipa2zl14j/image.jpg)
(http://s11.postimg.org/5ikn025f7/image.jpg)
- I love the physiotherapist, but hate the physio sessions. We really started to stretch and push my hamstrings very far, and it hurts. I mean it HURTS. I'm still lengthening at 1,4 mm daily, and I can surely tell that it's a hell of a different than lengthening at 1 mm per day. My quadriceps feel stiffer, yet the worst part of the lengthening so far is LOWER LEFT BACK PAIN. I'm writing this in capital letters to stop you from underestimating it. I can't sleep at night, so I sleep during changing hours within the day. I try watching a movie or reading but nothing takes my mind away from my back pain. Actually, I have a history of back pain, so it isn't anything new in my book - it's chronic, it comes and goes, only to visit again soon. You can take five different painkillers and five different sleeping pills, and it wouldn't be sufficient. The only thing that helps is Tramadol. Only Tramadol allows me to go to sleep eventually, I don't want to take a pill every night, but these days I really have to. My physio, a truly great guy, worked with Dr. Paley in Baltimore years ago, there he met Dr. Yasser from Egypt, and a lot of other doctors we discuss -and don't discuss- on these forums, so we talk about them a lot and it's a fun topic. I know a ton about other doctors' personal lives and characters now, for instance. But let's not get into tabloid and get back to the technical issues. Where was I - ah, yes, back pain. So my physio brought a small massage device (see photos above) that gives electric pulses to the local area it's placed on the body, and it makes the pain go away for a while.. and he left the device here, so I get to keep it. It certainly helps, but it doesn't provide a permanent relief. Therefore, tomorrow we'll try another technique: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_needling (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_needling)
- I'm approximately at 3 cm at the moment. Sometimes at night, when I'm unable to sleep, I do feel down. I'm not feeling depressed, that would be exaggerating - I'm okay. But I sometimes question why I did this to myself, and I hope it'll all be worth it in the end. I cannot tell at the moment, as I'm not standing up in a crowd, not yet. I'll have my answer when I go out for the first time with my old friends, when I go out at night, hopefully at 173 cm ( 5'8 ) I'll feel that all the time and pain was worth it. I respect every individual's personal decision and to each his own, but when I read about guys who are 175 cm ( 5'9) and above who want to do LL, I just can't believe it. I would never even consider doing this to myself at that (arguably, average in most of the world) height. Now I truly understand why some LL patients feel content with themselves when they've lengthened less than their goal, and call quits earlier than they planned. It's because we're not lengthening our bones for adding height solely as "a number", this is something that we do to "feel better about our body image". The amount required to "feel better" isn't always a minimum amount of centimeters or inches. It's the pain, the effort, all the labor you put in to doing this. You feel as if you've completed something you've always waited for, and that feeling of "leaving it behind", THAT is why people stop visiting forums after a while - they don't worry over it or think about it anymore.
- Which, in this case, another problem occurs. I'll be honest. The sector I want to work in is ALL about body image. So being tall -although an advantage- isn't sufficient by itself. I feel that being immobile for a long time (and being unable to follow my diet regimen due to hotel regulations) has made me gain weight. Frankly, this is making me very unhappy at the moment. I will lose it after LL, however, I don't enjoy losing precious time for correcting past mistakes. I did LL to feel happy when I look into the mirror.. And I don't like what I see at the moment. Consequently, the rather classical question enters the thought stream immediately - "Why on earth did I do this to myself?"
- Will be moving back home on Feb 23rd. Should be a nice change, I'll be able to diet and cut some fat again. Thank God I have the opportunity of avoiding to be in a single place for a very long time - which inevitably, leads to depression after passing a certain time threshold.
- My tibiae feel numb. Weird. I'm not even lengthening you, guys.. It's none of your business.. What's your problem? Lol.
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Wow. That bathroom looks like it doesn't smell of feces unless it's just been used.
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Chris, your updates are hugely appreciated. I think sometimes people read these threads and then just move on without responding, but I want you to know we're all watching your journey closely! I'll keep you company any day :)
Anyways, stay strong and remember why you're doing this in the first place. When you come out of this surgery strong and alive, just imagine how amazing your life is going to be compared to how it used to be. It's like being a poor man and winning the lottery, the only difference is that you're never going to run out of this height you're gaining. You might even go for a second LL if you love your results :)
Keep updating us, your updates are one of my favorite to read. It's a little worrying to hear that your tibiae are numb though. Have you asked your doctor yet? I'd suggest posting in Franz' thread as well to see if he has any input.
Stay beastly! ;D
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Thanks BD! Your support is hugely appreciated :)
Sorry for the late reply, my sleeping schedule has been fked up recently. I try to sleep until 9 AM in the morning, then wake up around 2 PM, but it changes everyday. At most, I can sleep around 5 hours daily. It's probably the effect of medications.
My tibiae numbness is gone. I don't have the nerve pain anymore. It was most probably related to my femoral nerve adjusting to the fast lengthening. Yes, I am still lengthening at 1,5 mm daily. I'll see the doctor on Tuesday 25th. Maybe he'll tell me to slow down, maybe he won't. But I'm okay with going fast at the moment.
I should be around 5,3 cm according to my timetable.
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(http://s27.postimg.org/4v1toybj7/image.jpg)
How my legs look after 6 cm of lengthening. Can you notice the longer femurs compared to my tibiae? As you can see, the scars are minimal.
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It isn't the best angle, but the proportions look good.
How much more do you plan to do?
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It isn't the best angle, but the proportions look good.
How much more do you plan to do?
2 more cm. I'll stop at 8 cm.
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(http://s27.postimg.org/4v1toybj7/image.jpg)
How my legs look after 6 cm of lengthening. Can you notice the longer femurs compared to my tibiae? As you can see, the scars are minimal.
The femur is always look longer even b4 LL, but what attract my full attention is the small scars that you have, I really envy you..
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Looks good. Natural.
(http://s27.postimg.org/4v1toybj7/image.jpg)
How my legs look after 6 cm of lengthening. Can you notice the longer femurs compared to my tibiae? As you can see, the scars are minimal.
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So far. Looks good and natural ;)
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Chris,
That's a wicked picture. Your scars are minimal and I like the fact that your doctor monitors your bone consolidation to adjust your rate of lengthening. You wouldn't get this from a doctor in India.
After you gain your 8cm, you will be taller than Usher 5'8 along with the most sought after man in the world.
Although you pay a premium price but you are also getting a premium service and no complication thus far... unlike Korea.
(http://i59.tinypic.com/9kpjrc.jpg)
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Usher is 5' 8"!? Whaaaaat.
Maybe instead of LL we should invest in some vocal lessons...
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Bieber is 170cm (now at 20 years old). He's probably shorter here at his teens.
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Thanks for commenting, friends :)
@Disobedient
Yeah, I'm glad that the scars won't be a problem in the future. Guys probably care less about leg scars than women, nevertheless it still feels good to know that the traces of the surgery will be gone.
@Smallguy
I'll be at the same height with Usher, Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, about the same as Taylor Lautner. I think 5'8 (173) is a very good height. As long as you're taller than most women, you enter in a comfort zone. I was already taller than most women in Turkey, however, at 5'5 (165) and frequently compared myself with other guys. Now I'll be closer to the eye level, or at the same exact height as many other guys here. Height won't be an asset, but it also won't be a major disadvantage anymore, which is sufficient for my inner peace. Finally, I'll be comfortable wearing those flat shoes outside. I might consider a second (tibia) lengthening in a few years from now on, but I'm in no hurry.
Why not come here for a consultation? I could help you out.. Though Canada is very far away man.. :) I read your library post. Interesting, do you still consider yourself short at 177 cm? It might be understandable for Canada. By the way, I'm still waiting for your diary update with excitement. Someone who rejected you before LL changed her mind? That could be a very interesting story to hear about! ;)
Cheers all,
Chris
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I'm having great conversations with people working at the hotel, the room cleaning staff, others working at the lobby, kitchen, or at the administration, they're all great people. All have asked about my condition though. Many people assume I'm crippled from birth or something, I quickly inform them that I had a traffic accident. Then they ask how. I say "Motorbike.. It was a rainy day.." I realized the irony yesterday when I caught myself looking at Harley Davidson's 2014 models online. I picture myself riding one someday. I'll start collecting my earnings for purchasing one, but I'll get help from my cousin, he has two bikes and knows the market. Been listening to Hip Hop lately, good way to kill time - especially Lupe Fiasco, the guy is amazing.
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Love this. Brings back so many memories. Music has been my #1 company during this journey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bcCkyQaNLo
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7 cm!
Almost done.
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*Copying down my reply to a forum member on the old forum to summarize my current state*
Before LL I thought I'd have all the spare time in the world to read, start learning Russian, and play my guitar once again, after so many years. I only barely had time for reading, and even that has to be a book that is easy to concentrate on. I sleep more than usual, but it's not a straight-8-hour-sleep, it's like I sleep here and there for 2 hours at most, then wake up with stiffness in my legs. I wake up, I feel drowsy and sleepy, and think that I should've slept for 5-6 hours, but I look at the clock and it's only been 1-2 hours. I try to force myself back to sleep but it doesn't always work. With fragments of sleep, I have difficult concentrating on one task, such as making business phone calls and organizing meetings. I'm easily distracted. This is starting to get frustrating, but I remind myself that I have only 1 cm of lengthening left, and I feel okay.
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Hi ChrissIssak! you've come a long way my friend, you will be finish soon with the pain. I saw your pre op pictures and your proportion look very similar to mine, kinda long torso and small legs which we are lucky I think for LL haha)) take car my friend, and just one more centimeter and you will be done))))
Rgkey
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Hey Chris,
Congratulations on reaching 7 cm!!!
You have handled your CLL journey well and your dream of being 5'8 is only a few days away ;D
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Way to go bro!
1cm more is nothing now that you're almost there.
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@Rgkey
Thanks bro! I checked your diary and our proportions look very similar indeed. Relatively short legs, long torso, we were the perfect candidates for LL. I'm impressed by how your walking has improved in a month. And you can carry heavy stuff too, great. I noticed that you somewhat lean left and right when you walk, as you carefully shift your weight between legs - is this because you're still cautious? How's your current situation? :)
@mediocre @TheRisingShorty
Thanks bros! ;) My physio makes an assessment of my condition everyday, he advised me to lower my lengthening rate to 1 mm/day, and I've started to feel a bit better since I lowered the speed. It's amazing how reducing 0,5 mm/day immediately affects how stiff your legs feel and decreases the pressure on your hamstrings & quads. Only a week left!
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yes like a penguin lol its because i still got my frames and there are particular positions that gives me pain when i step.
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My last post in this forum unless handy is banned. Cheers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1mk9Qtqyrs
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looks pretty good man)) can't wait to see you walking))))
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Well done on 8cm :)
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Thanks, fellas :)
I'll keep posting and from now on, you won't hear a word from me about the old forum. I don't want to get into heated arguments again. Not a single word. I'll be minding my own business.
I'll meet Dr.Inan and his whole crew of assistants on Tuesday afternoon. A Tomography scan will reveal exactly how much I've lengthened on both legs. I should be really close to 8 cm by now, but I hope nothing goes wrong. I hope there won't be any difference between each leg. As long as I'm 7,5+ cm's, I intend to stop and wait for consolidation. These last few days have been mentally difficult for me and I really want to walk again, even if with crutches.
At this point, sometimes I wish I had lengthened with a weightbearing nail. Fitbone is excellent for non-cosmetic lengthenings since most aren't bilateral, but for a cosmetic LL with Fitbone one has to be very patient.
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I spoke with Goodfootballer from old forum on the phone for 40 minutes today. What a great guy, he's a true warrior. He convinced me that Dr.Salameh is a great option for tibia lengthening. He was able to walk 5 days post-op, lengthened 7 cm's, and even went to football matches (yeah, to the stadium!) during his lengthening. Continuing your -almost- normal daily life while lengthening must be an amazing experience. He also said 9 out of 10 people realize your new height. I really hope to have him as my guest here in Istanbul sometime soon.
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FINAL WEEK OF LENGTHENING: EXTREMELY BAD NEWS & TURNING IT INTO EXTREMELY GOOD NEWS:
After the tomography, I received the bad news. My right leg was at approximately 7 cm, whereas my left had stuck at approx. 6 cm. I currently have a discrepancy of about 1 cm between my legs. I didn't panic when I received the news, although my parents did, I guess. Initially, the doctors considered removing one of the screws from my left leg in a minimal surgery (which would require a one-day hospital stay only). I laughed, said fine, I love surgery, maybe I can get my ex to pity me (was kidding, obviously). Then added, no catheter right? No, they said, it wouldn't be necessary this time. Phew.
The thing is, what I face is a similar thing to what amatan faced, and we don't know if the nail on my left is still continuing to lengthen, or if the resistance has become too much for its mechanism. When you purchase two Fitbone nails for bilateral lengthening, the company sends four nails to the doctor. These extra two nails you don't pay for, and they're there in case anything goes wrong with the other two. Could we change the nail in my left leg? Yes. But we would have to send the x-rays to the company and convince them of the implanted nail's early failure. That's possible too. Yet there would be a risk of infection with an extra surgery. The nail in my left might still be working, too.
Was I expecting the bad news? I had a feeling about it. When I placed my legs together in bed my right knee seemed just a bit, slightly longer than my left, and when I lengthened my left leg I heard a POP! noise everytime from my bone, as if some force was resisting the nail - the same sound didn't come from the right leg.
Who is to blame? That's not my style - I don't like blaming people, and I prefer to blame myself first if it's really necessary. At this point of my life, I don't think it's necessary. Maybe I should've kept lengthening with 1,4 mm/day all the time. The doctors think I'm a very exceptional patient because, quote, "They haven't had a patient as informed, as psychologically driven, focused and with a positive attitude, and they haven't had a patient with my speed of recovery."
I bet they tell this to every patient. Lol.
Just kidding.. I believe it's absolutely true. I rock.
Okay, now the good news - why the hell am I so cheerful right now? Tramadol high? No, I haven't taken any pills for a while, not even for sleep. I'm cheerful because of our final decision: No more surgery. Stop lengthening right leg. Continue lengthening left leg for a week and let's see what happens. If it lengthens for a bit, then awesome. If not, it'll be a bit frustrating, but a 1 cm discrepancy doesn't stop someone from living a normal life, walking, running, etc. If I really want to, I'll correct it with tibiae lengthening in the future, but right now isn't the time to think about that. And the best news - I'll be on crutches in a few days! No more wheelchair. I'm only allowed to step on my right leg for a while because apparently the consolidation is sick enough. I thought I'd have to wait for 3 weeks or a month to be on crutches.. I was almost falling in depression due to a long period of immobility and some external (personal life) reasons, and BAM, the patient psychology is gone. The sunshine rays come through the window inside my room and life is calling me again.
I was at a point where I stopped caring about centimeters. I only wanted to walk again. Walk with the knowledge that life is too valuable to waste on changing yourself according to other people's perceptions. I feel more confident and dominant now. I feel as if I reached for myself and finally found myself. I don't care if I'm 171 cm or 172 cm, yeah that's still relatively short, but know what? I don't care anymore. I didn't want to be tall, I wanted to mend my broken soul. Thank God I did.
A new self respect and hard discipline has surrounded me. I feel like my passionate self 3 years ago in Michigan. I eat salad, protein, fruits and drink water, I've shed weight. My face is thinner. When I can walk properly again, I'll take up boxing once again. Boxing, weightlifting, cardio and dance, 8 days per week. I'll invent a new day necessary because 7 isn't enough. Why not? From now on, nothing is impossible. The dark cloud from my mind has gone, leaving its place to peaceful bliss and sunshine.
I'll go to an orthopedic shop today - they will make a plastic cover for my legs which I'll be able to wear under my trousers. The purpose of the plastic covers are to prevent unwanted movements in the leg while walking, avoiding unnecessary pressure.
Hopefully, walking videos will be coming soon!
Thank you for bearing with me during this journey. Best of luck to all past, current and future LL'ers.
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Congrat man! Halfway through the process I lost my purpose. We went into the LL just to satisfy our "what if".
Now you're taller than Russia's sweet puddin' president. Cheers!
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I'm happy for you bro, for the psychological boost more than anything. cheers
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I really admire your positivity and consider you as a LL role model :) It seems that people are "reborn" after their LL surgery and start valuing things that were taken for granted pre-LL. You have shown that LL is very unpredictable and people should not be disappointed with unexpected consequences that could hinder their LL goal. Your contribution to this forum has been very beneficial to me and wish you the best in your recovery.
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awesome man!!!! keep it up!!! I know exactly what you are referring to))) LL is a soul and perspective changing experience!!
just one tip, because I don't want you to smash the floor if it happens.
Just take it easy man please! and this is never over until it's over. Don't get too excited about tomorrow, just get excited about today, don't create too many expectations. It is true thou, you are in a better place now, better than before when you were lengthening, but still the battle is not over, and many unpredictable can happen. So keep that positivism up!!! rock your world, but don't depend emotionally on how things are turning out for you, at least until all is over.
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Well done, you almost there.
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Congrat man! Halfway through the process I lost my purpose. We went into the LL just to satisfy our "what if".
Now you're taller than Russia's sweet puddin' president. Cheers!
Thanks man! Crank up the music and motivate yourself! All the purpose will get back to you once you start walking, trust me ;)
I might be taller than Putin now but I still look up to him, haha
I'm happy for you bro, for the psychological boost more than anything. cheers
Better than coke!
After LL, you feel like a true alpha.. Even if you're still the shortest guy in the room, you become so close to others' eye level that you simply don't care anymore. The funny thing is, I feel taller than anyone else now at 172 cm. Maybe because it's Turkey and not the United States.. Maybe it's the psychological boost. Weird, huh? It's probably the latter.
I really admire your positivity and consider you as a LL role model :) It seems that people are "reborn" after their LL surgery and start valuing things that were taken for granted pre-LL. You have shown that LL is very unpredictable and people should not be disappointed with unexpected consequences that could hinder their LL goal. Your contribution to this forum has been very beneficial to me and wish you the best in your recovery.
Thank you so much, your kind words mean a lot to me :)
I'm glad I wasn't born tall or average,
I went through a lot of psychological pain because of it,
But gaining it means so much more than being born with it,
That's how you appreciate things, by earning them.
Being short defined who I am, it changed my character,
It made me understand compassion and dedication.
At heart, I'm still a short guy, and always will be,
I used to detest it, now I embrace it.
awesome man!!!! keep it up!!! I know exactly what you are referring to))) LL is a soul and perspective changing experience!!
just one tip, because I don't want you to smash the floor if it happens.
Just take it easy man please! and this is never over until it's over. Don't get too excited about tomorrow, just get excited about today, don't create too many expectations. It is true thou, you are in a better place now, better than before when you were lengthening, but still the battle is not over, and many unpredictable s**t can happen. So keep that positivism up!!! rock your world, but don't depend emotionally on how things are turning out for you, at least until all is over.
Thanks man, I will keep your advice for sure!
I can't wait to start carrying around heavy stuff like you though :D
I started to return to my normal social life with the walker,
A new friend of mine invited me to her birthday today
She said that I could bring friends as well, and all age groups would be welcome,
So I replied "I'll be joining as the 80 year old with my walker!"
Well done, you almost there.
Imma be there soon 8)
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Method: Fitbone internal femur
Date of Surgery: January 6th, 2014
Started Lengthening: January 11th, 2014
Completed Lengthening: March 25th, 2014 (an estimate date)
Total Lengthening: 7 cm (approximately - will measure whenever possible)
Started Walking: March 21st, 2014
From surgery to walking: 75 days
Current Condition: Getting better everyday. Right hamstring in normal condition (close to pre-surgery), working on left hamstring flexibility. This walking video was taken a few days ago, and my walking is significantly better now. It's incredible how my walking improves so swiftly as days go by. In the video you can see the plastic leg braces I'm wearing. It's possible to hide it under pants.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzZqGtee05Q
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Got dressed and going downstairs to have a cup of coffee with my cousin. Proof that I can stand on my feet without holding the walker for support (good weightbearing) & notice that it's hard to tell there's a plastic brace on my legs.
(http://s17.postimg.org/xcdzb7ru7/image.jpg)
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Congrats Chris! Glad to hear you're back on your two feet and that everything worked out for you in the end.
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Congrats Chris! Glad to hear you're back on your two feet and that everything worked out for you in the end.
Thanks HT! I hope your journey will be safe as well! I'm sure you'll be very happy with your decision and at the end.
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(http://s23.postimg.org/v8c69lj8b/image.jpg)
(http://s23.postimg.org/dkpbea2zf/image.jpg)
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Okay, here's the bomb! Today I took this video of me walking a short distance without any support (except for the leg braces under my trousers). I'm still supposed to be walking with a walker but I switched to crutches after finding out that I can manage it easily, and as you can see, they're in my left hand in this video in case of need. I can walk up or down stairs easily, and can maintain a normal social life standing on my feet for hours without getting tired! Yesterday I drove my car after 3 months and it was the best feeling of freedom I felt in such a long time..
P.S: Unfortunately I can't upload videos into Youtube at this time, so this one will provided to you by Dailymotion. Please let me know if there's a way to give direct forum links from that website.
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1lvkz9_trim-mvxmq4_school (http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1lvkz9_trim-mvxmq4_school)
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Awesome walking! Brings back memories of Winter 2007/Spring 2008... :D
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it looks like u r walking with ballerina.
maybe its the angle of the camera.
Good progress mate!
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Wow man, impressive video. Enjoy it, your difficult days are over. It will be down hill and only get better from here on...
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it looks like u r walking with ballerina.
maybe its the angle of the camera.
Good progress mate!
Thanks, Adriano! It's the angle of the camera, I guess. I did femur lengthening so ballerina isn't relevant in my situation (although I naturally have very stiff achilles tendons - Dr.Inan will fix it next year with a gastrocnemius-soleus release surgery while he's also removing the Fitbone nail, it will be covered by insurance).
My left hamstring tightness is almost gone. My walking appears a bit robotic because of the plastic leg braces I'm wearing underneath my trousers. I pull the braces up and tie them very hard to avoid them slipping, which makes walking a bit difficult since the braces "squeeze" my legs with pressure.
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Wow man, impressive video. Enjoy it, your difficult days are over. It will be down hill and only get better from here on...
Thanks, Cooper! I also feel like uploading a driving video sometime :)
Hopefully everything will be great for you as well! Patience is the key to a successful LL.
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Awesome walking! Brings back memories of Winter 2007/Spring 2008... :D
Ah, those were the days :D
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That's fantastic, thanks for sharing. :)
I notice your heels move forward (feet pointing outwards) when walking, is this due to tight muscles or you're still learning your gait? And sorry I don't know if you touched on this already, but what do the plastic braces do?
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Amazing recovery!! Just wondering if it's normal for people to walk like this, without crutches, couple of weeks after stopping lengthening? If it is normal for majority of the people then that's awesome ;D
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Amazing recovery!! Just wondering if it's normal for people to walk like this, without crutches, couple of weeks after stopping lengthening? If it is normal for majority of the people then that's awesome ;D
Yeah, that's how I was walking at first.
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That's fantastic, thanks for sharing. :)
I notice your heels move forward (feet pointing outwards) when walking, is this due to tight muscles or you're still learning your gait? And sorry I don't know if you touched on this already, but what do the plastic braces do?
No problem, BD! :)
It's neither, my muscles are quite flexible. Same reason like I told Adriano - the braces are so thick and I tie them so hard to a avoid them sliding and falling down to my feet that they apply a pressure to my legs and the thickness makes it difficult for me to walk normally as I run out of leg space for a bit. My walking would appear completely normal had I not worn the leg braces, but it's too early (and risky) to try it. I only had to stand up without braces once to reach for the shampoo in the bathtub (I'm using the shower instead, we placed a footstool/tabouret in it for me to sit on).
The plastic braces avoid unwanted pressures to the bone and minimize the risk of fracturing the bone again while you're walking at a time when you're still not completely recovered. They also protect your legs against the possibility of someone else accidentally bumping into you while you're walking.
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Amazing recovery!! Just wondering if it's normal for people to walk like this, without crutches, couple of weeks after stopping lengthening? If it is normal for majority of the people then that's awesome ;D
Thanks! :) Like MDOW said, I think so. But it's a very early and unexpected recovery in my case. A couple weeks ago, I was preparing myself to be on the wheelchair for one more month, and now I'm able to walk without the walker?! Frankly, it still amazes me. I think I owe a lot to daily PT.
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congrats mate.
if I can walk like you 3 months post op I will be so lucky and happy.
I think u r going to be the next OBG.
Cant wait to see how you look in 4 weeks.
very happy for cos u give hope. I am hoping to take 3 months off work to do my femurs and I will sign up to walking like u when i return to my office at the end of the 3 months.
Your recovery highlights the big advantage of non-racheting* nails. Its really all Precise and Fitbone if you want a quick recovery.
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Wow, that's amazing!!
You are allowed to walk without crutches so soon after you stopped lengthening? To good to believe it! Congrats!
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congrats mate.
if I can walk like you 3 months post op I will be so lucky and happy.
I think u r going to be the next OBG.
Cant wait to see how you look in 4 weeks.
very happy for cos u give hope. I am hoping to take 3 months off work to do my femurs and I will sign up to walking like u when i return to my office at the end of the 3 months.
Your recovery highlights the big advantage of non-racheting* nails. Its really all Precise and Fitbone if you want a quick recovery.
Thanks mate!
I can only wish to be the next OBG. He had an amazing recovery despite the age factor. Skiing is still a dream for me, it feels lightyears away :) My recovery is very fast, but it's all relative; LL recovery is a very slow thing.
I walked along the Istanbul Bebek-Arnavutkoy coast for 2-3 hours yesterday with crutches. I had to climb up stairs and climb back down to the use the Starbucks restroom. I couldn't believe that I was able to walk for so long without getting tired - but I understood how tired I had become when I came back home and laid down. My legs were sore all afternoon.
And then I went to a restaurant/nightclub to a friend's birthday party to celebrate and meet new people and yesterday marks my first night out since my LL! I pushed myself a bit too hard yesterday so today I'm resting at home.
I completely agree with you on motorized nails vs. ratcheting nails.
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Wow, that's amazing!!
You are allowed to walk without crutches so soon after you stopped lengthening? To good to believe it! Congrats!
Hey Hanna,
Thanks! I'm actually not allowed to walk without crutches, but I gave it a try :) The plastic leg braces offer so much support that walking without a walker or crutches is technically possible, although it's not recommended.
It's still difficult for me to walk without shoes (outside) or slippers (at home). I realized that today. My natural ballerina foot has become problematic. I need to work more on my hamstring flexibility and tendons if I want to ensure a full recovery.
Cheers,
Chris
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That's amazing! Your walking is very very good, especially concerning the time after you stopped lengthening. Keep it up!
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Thanks again, Hanna! :)
So.. How's my driving, folks? 8)
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1mdcwe_trim-p1vbnl_auto
Being able to go anywhere with crutches after being indoors for 3 months... It just means so much that I can't explain it with words. Here, maybe these can..
(http://s28.postimg.org/i4o5nuwbx/image.jpg)
(http://s28.postimg.org/kjbfujn71/image.jpg)
(http://s28.postimg.org/e9krlad65/image.jpg)
(http://s28.postimg.org/6r1mcnlt9/image.jpg)
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I'd like to add a few things about last night at the club and how I felt there.
It was the first time I was able to truly test my new height. The result? I'm taller than maybe 70% of women in heels, and I'm taller than 50% of men. I'm also shorter than 50% of men. But guess what? 5'8 is the Turkish male average, so the latter statistic wasn't very surprising at all! I only saw one person I already new - an old high school friend. He was one of the taller kids, and I mean noticeably taller. I was surprised to see how close I was to his eye level. I predicted that +5 cm would make me taller than almost all the women and men in the club. There was only one very tall guy, I'd say easily above 190 cm. He noticed that I was walking slowly and step by step, and was very kind to make way for me to walk through the crowded place.
My predictions might be slightly skewed since I'm not standing 100% straight with the crutches. At 172 cm though, I'm still shorter than a considerable number of guys. Do I really care now? Nah. After 3 months in a wheelchair, I definitely shouldn't ;)
Has LL changed my personality? Yeah maybe I'm a bit more confident and cheerful, but no, I'm still me. In terms of relationships, I'm still a family guy-type and not a swinger. I'm too young to be a family guy in the fast paced city life perhaps, but I can't help it. I feel better when I know one person in depth rather than many one night stands. I like to share everything with a woman, and I don't like to toy with peoples' feelings. It's just not me. I haven't lost my libido at all, like some other friends here reported after LL, but I still prefer to know a person better before getting into bed. I'm still a bit old-fashioned, romantic, devoted and faithful. Lol.
So, that's it for now, folks! Stay tuned!
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Hey Chris,
Here is your visualization of what's life will be like after you recover! I have to revisit the gym, the beaches and going on dates with a 19 years old female several times to acquire the inspiration to write this. However, if someone has better ideas, please feel free to include them or let me know.
Chris... so you'll need to close your eyes.
Every morning when you wake up, you feel great about the body that you are in. In fact, this particular day, there is a hottie chick who you met the previous night laying beside you. As she lays beside you, you stretch out your body and confidently feel that your body reaches out longer than hers. You gave her a good-morning kiss and walk confidently to the washroom (no longer tippy toe-ing like before) where you confidently take off your clothes for a morning shower. If she comes in to join you in the shower, that's fine too because you are taller than her! In fact, every day seems to be like this one. Just one random chick here and there. You have the ability and wisdom of someone who was 5'5 but inside a body of someone who is 5'8 with beautifully long legs and physique through all the hours you work-out at the gym. Actually, women is so easy now that you better concentrate your attention on other things more value in life. And you only date beautiful women.
Height is no longer an obstacle. Being 5'8 is not overly tall but it is enough that you don't have to constantly think about it. When you look in the mirror and compare yourself with other guys at the gym, you no longer look like the smaller one but just an average normal guy.. who has slender legs and more proportionate physique than everyone. Often time, girls would comment on how nice your legs look, and you would jokingly reply, "it's genetic." Before height was a barrier. But now, nothing can really hold you back. You feel invincible.
You are now the center of your own universe. Everything starts and begin with you. And if something is wrong, it's because of the other person. When you walk inside a room, people would glance over at you. When you speak, someone would listen. And you always have a reason and are always right. Nothing can knock you down anymore. You are now impregnable.
Every moment when you walk down the streets, women look at you differently. Now with your good-looks and hours spent at the gym, you can see through their eyes, the admiration of every women you meet. Picking up and approaching women are now much easier than what it's used to. You are no longer the short one, but the cool and average guy on the block. Everything you say is with ease and confident. Everything you say just makes more sense... and humorous at times.
Life is just a lot better than before. And because you are closer to average height and have slender and nice physique, you are considered an elite class of your own. This is true, you seem to be the most well-dress individual working at your company and everywhere outside you go.
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Thanks, Bigguy! It was inspiring to read all you wrote ;)
I did a few measurements today. I was 87 kg (1,65 cm) when I returned from the United States. I dropped to 80 kg's before surgery. I was able to stand on a scale today and I was around 75 kg (1,72 cm). My next goal is 68 kg so I started a diet as soon as possible. Lost 12 kg so far, added 7 cm in height - the Body Mass Index change is huge.
When I stand up, I look like those skinny rockstars wearing jeans and no top. I have some upper body muscle from +3 years of workout, anyone can tell, but it's far from perfect. Still, it's a good place to start and building back again. I can wear my old pants again. My face needs to be more skinny, that's why I stick to the diet religiously. No alcohol, no fizzy sugared drinks. Only water. No dessert, no "whites" (pasta, bread, etc.). No eating after 8 PM.
I use skin cleaners/exfoliators (Neutrogena) and skin revitalizing creams (L'Oreal Revitalift). The TV show castings start around late October. I should be ready by then. All I'm undecided about at the moment is my hair. I look very manly with a beard + short hair. At the moment I'm clean shaven + growing my hair, and I look maybe 5 years younger. Perhaps the hair should go.
I look much better with good clothes. I couldn't wear topcoats/trenchcoats when I was shorter. It looked ridiculous on me. Now they fit. I'm much more comfortable wearing a suit and tie (although I still feel that I need to be thinner when I'm wearing a suit).
I have a huge obstacle in dating: My social scene. I studied high school in Turkey, and college in the US. Now my friends from college are back there. My friends from high school are still abroad, studying (why - because I graduated 1 year early to be able to do LL as soon as possible). So at a young age, I changed my social scene a few times. It's no excuse, but it would've been better if I was still in college. That's why I still frequently hang out in college settings. I could meet people at bars, but I'd prefer to meet them in libraries, you know what I mean. So all I have right now is either getting my ex back, hitting it with one of her friends (would be an awesome revenge but I'm still not the type of guy to do that) although I admit she has a very cute friend, or there are a few alternative girls I've been talking with for a while. I always like to keep alternatives, I never trusted women (yeah, that DOES include women in my family too, haha) to stick around for too long, especially at this age (23). But I wish someone would.
When I make some money, I intend to travel to the West Coast to get my masters degree. Buy a convertible, enjoy two more years of college I was never able to enjoy before. I should definitely do this before getting married.
I still don't use Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. When I used to, I used to find and meet many girls using these. Maybe I should get back on social media - but I plan to when I have the physique of an athlete! I'm using the "returning to social media" excuse as a tool for motivation.
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Honestly, I've forgotten about how people looked at me before LL. It seems like it belongs to a different lifetime. I remember some remarks people made, of course, but I don't remember the psychology behind it all. Maybe I unnecessarily tortured myself more than what other people did to me, who knows.
I feel as if I've never been 5'5. But I understand that I've been there when I still compassionately "jump" at things first, when I'm self-sacrificing, devoted, when I'm never giving up on something or someone. At heart, I'm still a short man, I guess.
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Had x-rays taken today, AP/lateral femur. Callus formation looks very good (white area in distraction point), right leg has progressed further than the left. I'm good to drop the crutches, the plastic leg braces will stay for two more weeks. I walk without wearing the braces at home but I wear them for protection when I go outside. Today I took a shower standing on my feet for the first time after the surgery and it felt so different. I'd been sitting on a stool/chair for the past 3 months. After meeting the doctor we had gyro with the whole surgery team, the doc, assistants, head nurse, physio, even the secretaries. Great people to chat with!
A cute intelligent little boy with a leg deformity was bugging the assistant; so he pointed me with his finger and said "Ask him, he's the surgeon". I laughed and had a little chat with the kid. He said "Why didn't you call me last week?", I said "Too many surgeries.." Then a very beautiful woman walked by, she actually looked like an Turkish actress, very tall, maybe 180 cm-ish, I guess someone's wife or mother there. The boy asked "Who is the girl?" Hahaha, such a bold one. I said "I wish I knew!"
(http://s16.postimg.org/gmlzitmph/image.jpg)
(http://s16.postimg.org/a532zbcc5/image.jpg)
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ah nice one Dr Isaak :D Your recovery looks good.
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good consolidation!)
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Wow your callus is beautiful. Way to go Chris!! :D
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Thanks, guys!
I lit up a cigarette with my gym teacher yesterday (I know, shouldn't have). He told me to take the time to recover, but I want to begin sports ASAP. We're beginning next week and will be mostly doing upper body workouts. I booked Pilates on Monday too for core training. I've been dieting for a while but diet alone without consistent workout won't make me get what I want.
I want to dance again (Latin/Tango), it's the best place to meet girls y'know? But deep down I want to be able to dance with my ex again. It's not like "I can't get over it", I can, but I know I still love her. Heck, I still love all my ex-girlfriends. I'd build a harem with all of them in it if I could, but I was born in the wrong century. Ahem.. Where was I? Yes, dance. My legs are still too sore to be able to make quick/flexible dance moves. Doing the Jive is out of the question. I'll start slowly though and build it back up.
I can walk without leg braces and any support. I'm crutch-free! Walking up and down stairs is getting easier.
Boxing & Crossfit is a few steps ahead of regular fitness workouts. Unfortunately, there's still time for that.
I want to keep myself busy 24/7.
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Today I went to Istiklal Street in Taksim Square with a friend, the most crowded place in Istanbul, considerably the city center and a famous touristic point. I took the risk of people bumping into me, but fortunately nothing happened. The roads were terrible and I almost fell twice, but I maintained my balance. Climbing up and down stairs was torture - you often have to if you want to use a restroom or have a beer in one of the small bars/joints. My feet and legs ache and I feel very tired - I'll be staying at home tomorrow to rest. I've been through a lot in life, but I'm still too young to accept the fact that I need to take the time to recover. I'm impatient; I want to go out, walk as much as possible without any support, both for exercise and a quicker recovery, but sometimes I push it too far. I need to acknowledge that no matter how young you are, the body still has its limits, although I'll keep refusing to admit this. My legs - these lads haven't walked for a long time and I'll remind them every single day that they have to keep walking.
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Your consolidation looks very good. Pls stop smoking :D
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New walking video! Click to see how a Post-op 4 months Fitbone patient walks up the stairs without any support.
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1rvq14_walking_school (http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1rvq14_walking_school)
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Very nice bro :D
Next time make someone else record the video. We can see you better that way.
Would you recommend your doctor over Guichet and the other doctors in US?
Is your decision in choosing Dr. Inan justified?
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Awesome! Basically, it seems that with internals, after 4 months one can take an office job :)
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New walking video! Click to see how a Post-op 4 months Fitbone patient walks up the stairs without any support.
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1rvq14_walking_school (http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1rvq14_walking_school)
Congrats Chris, looking good!!!
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I'd like to add a few things about last night at the club and how I felt there.
It was the first time I was able to truly test my new height. The result? I'm taller than maybe 70% of women in heels, and I'm taller than 50% of men. I'm also shorter than 50% of men. But guess what? 5'8 is the Turkish male average, so the latter statistic wasn't very surprising at all! I only saw one person I already new - an old high school friend. He was one of the taller kids, and I mean noticeably taller. I was surprised to see how close I was to his eye level. I predicted that +5 cm would make me taller than almost all the women and men in the club. There was only one very tall guy, I'd say easily above 190 cm. He noticed that I was walking slowly and step by step, and was very kind to make way for me to walk through the crowded place.
My predictions might be slightly skewed since I'm not standing 100% straight with the crutches. At 172 cm though, I'm still shorter than a considerable number of guys. Do I really care now? Nah. After 3 months in a wheelchair, I definitely shouldn't ;)
Has LL changed my personality? Yeah maybe I'm a bit more confident and cheerful, but no, I'm still me. In terms of relationships, I'm still a family guy-type and not a swinger. I'm too young to be a family guy in the fast paced city life perhaps, but I can't help it. I feel better when I know one person in depth rather than many one night stands. I like to share everything with a woman, and I don't like to toy with peoples' feelings. It's just not me. I haven't lost my libido at all, like some other friends here reported after LL, but I still prefer to know a person better before getting into bed. I'm still a bit old-fashioned, romantic, devoted and faithful. Lol.
So, that's it for now, folks! Stay tuned!
Dude, this is an awesome post. Your story (here and on MTT) has been one of my favorites, and I see a lot of myself in you.
You and the rest of LL and old forum will help me get through my LL when I do it (I'm currently on Dr. Rozbruch's waiting list, trying to get a date in May or June as opposed to waiting until almost August)!
I feel a lot more confident going in this time, and I'm not as scared of the pain, and my father is coming around. I want to get on with my life, but I need to do LL first. Then advancing my career and everything else will happen :D
Congrats on a great recovery!
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Hey man it would be awesome if you could get some official pricing (LON/LATN/Internal) for the different methods your doctor offers! Are there going to be package prices coming soon?
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hi hi Excellent, price packages Arrive soon it would be great if you could get the official price ;of dr Betz to Internal Femur to correct LLD thank you.
one small then one .
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Hi just curious, why have some people reported losing their libido/sex drives?
My penis is my second favorite organ :p jk. No but seriously, i don't want to lose my sex drive, is it a psychological reason or does it have something to do with nerve endings and etc? Though i don't understand how they would affect the penis.. But still any informed replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Very nice bro :D
Next time make someone else record the video. We can see you better that way.
Would you recommend your doctor over Guichet and the other doctors in US?
Is your decision in choosing Dr. Inan justified?
Thanks, bro! :)
Sure, I'll pay attention to that. Someone else can record the video next time.
I chose Dr.Inan because I wanted to do LL with a good doctor and a good person. I had two very basic criteria. I wasn't entirely comfortable with everything I saw in the US although Dr.Paley was an excellent surgeon, and while Dr.Guichet was a great person, I didn't want to spend months and months doing physio preparing for the surgery as I deemed it very unnecessary. Dr.Guichet told me that the most I could lengthen at my femurs would be 3,5 cm's at my current condition, yet I did 6-7 cm's of lengthening, proving him wrong.
I particularly did LL here because I'm Turkish. My home is here, my family is here, most of my friends are here. You probably know that LL psychology is very important. I chose a setting which would stabilize my mental state. In other words, my reasons of doing LL here were very individual ones.
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Congrats Chris, looking good!!!
Thanks, HT!
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Dude, this is an awesome post. Your story (here and on MTT) has been one of my favorites, and I see a lot of myself in you.
You and the rest of LL and old forum will help me get through my LL when I do it (I'm currently on Dr. Rozbruch's waiting list, trying to get a date in May or June as opposed to waiting until almost August)!
I feel a lot more confident going in this time, and I'm not as scared of the pain, and my father is coming around. I want to get on with my life, but I need to do LL first. Then advancing my career and everything else will happen :D
Congrats on a great recovery!
Thanks, YellowSpike! :) I wish you the best in your journey too - do update us please! I'll be in New York this summer, probably in July, maybe we can meet up!
Best,
Chris
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Hey man it would be awesome if you could get some official pricing (LON/LATN/Internal) for the different methods your doctor offers! Are there going to be package prices coming soon?
Hey buddy, just did. :)
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Hi just curious, why have some people reported losing their libido/sex drives?
My penis is my second favorite organ :p jk. No but seriously, i don't want to lose my sex drive, is it a psychological reason or does it have something to do with nerve endings and etc? Though i don't understand how they would affect the penis.. But still any informed replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
My libido hasn't gone anywhere :D
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Hey Chris!
I was just wondering, did your hips get tighter as you neared the end of your lengthening? Lately I've been getting real sore in that area; I attributed it to the loss of supporting muscle that would normally cushion those bones, but it was just an assumption.
Can't wait to see you get back to 100% normal, you're making great progress on your healing! I'm going to be finishing in about 2 weeks and I want to thank you for being one of the journals that really inspired me to keep going!
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hey chris
good luck for your experience you must have lot of courage.I am a condidate of lengthening with dr MUHARREM my -3cm left femur
I can ask you if dr MUHARREM uses an intremedullary saw to perform the osteotomy
and if Dr. speaks another language french
thank you.
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First gym video! ;)
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1x4bab_trim-shnasl_school (http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1x4bab_trim-shnasl_school)
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First gym video! ;)
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1x4bab_trim-shnasl_school (http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1x4bab_trim-shnasl_school)
awesome video man!!! you are doing really good!)) Im glad for you
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First gym video! ;)
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1x4bab_trim-shnasl_school (http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1x4bab_trim-shnasl_school)
Nice, i want more videooosssss
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@Rgkey
Thanks brother! :)
@ShyShy and Everyone
Anything specific you'd like me to make a video of? 540 roundhouse kicks, anyone? Or may I tempt you with a jumping corkscrew roundhouse kick and a video of me beating up five uber tall guys?
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Or may I tempt you with a jumping corkscrew roundhouse kick and a video of me beating up five uber tall guys?
the latter please.... lol, kidding
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Hello ChrisIsaak, I have read most of the diary and it was a really good experience for you I guess. and I get a really good informations from you. I saw your videos that's in the youtube and in the other website and I am fascinate about how your recovery going Mashallah, and I hope that you will get very well soon.
could please you do more videos and tell us what you can do and can't do now or you feel struggle not doing it. like if it is okay to go up all the stairs and come down without help I know there is a video but you seems not good as the last video. how many miles can you run or walk
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Second gym video! Shows my flexibility with the TRX elastic bands.
http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1y5sj5_trx_school (http://touch.dailymotion.com/video/x1y5sj5_trx_school)
Thanks for the post, Abdull!
Since you requested, I'll post a video of me running down the stairs soon!
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hehe, u're doing good :)
Just curious, what's your current flexibility on SLR test and what was it right before the surgery? (mine was ~ 120° pre-op, ~60° at the end of LL, n now at 8 month post-op probably a bit over 90°)
A video of u running at your max speed (like on a treadmill, no matter if it's only 10 sec) would be great, but if u can make a video of u climbing a skycrapper in 2 mins like spiderman tha's good too ;D
Also did u experience the loss of stamina? cuz personnally i did^^
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Hey Shyshy,
I'm not exactly sure about the degree/angle of my flexibility, but it's more than 90 degrees for sure. My physio has a clearer view about this. I'll ask him on Thursday. Sure, I'll try to make a running video. I don't think I experienced a loss of stamina :)
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Hey Shyshy,
I'm not exactly sure about the degree/angle of my flexibility, but it's more than 90 degrees for sure. My physio has a clearer view about this. I'll ask him on Thursday. Sure, I'll try to make a running video. I don't think I experienced a loss of stamina :)
GZ!!! Not even 6 months post-op and after 7cm, over 90° on SLR test is really impressive, u have very good flexibility on harmstrings. U can probably put your palms on floor, maybe even near your heels, would be cool if could show us
About the loss of stamina, that's also very good. I personally experienced it when i started squat at 6 months post-op, it was not only the loss of strength, it was also a huge lack of stamina. Also, did u start body-building of legs?
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Guys? There's something I'd like to share with you..
I'm sexy and I know it 8)
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GZ!!! Not even 6 months post-op and after 7cm, over 90° on SLR test is really impressive, u have very good flexibility on harmstrings. U can probably put your palms on floor, maybe even near your heels, would be cool if could show us
About the loss of stamina, that's also very good. I personally experienced it when i started squat at 6 months post-op, it was not only the loss of strength, it was also a huge lack of stamina. Also, did u start body-building of legs?
Nope. I wouldn't be able to put my palms on the floor, tbh, like I used to before surgery, without bending my legs. There's still time for that. Yeah, I did start bodybuilding on my legs, albeit slowly.
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Nope. I wouldn't be able to put my palms on the floor, tbh, like I used to before surgery, without bending my legs. There's still time for that. Yeah, I did start bodybuilding on my legs, albeit slowly.
Anyway evrything comes back with time.
Also did u ask your physiotherapist about the SLR test ? cuz far over 90° after 7 cm and not even 6 months post-op is really really impressive.
About body-building on legs, i felt soreness on the upper part of quads but it has now disappeared. Do u feel the same?
I guess it's wiser to start with very low weight (even just bodyweight work out, HannibalForKing style ;D) just to reactivate muscles.
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I'm thinking about a second LL surgery on my tibiae. I have a consultation with my doctor tomorrow (regular follow up, x-rays will be taken, nothing special). I'll tell him about it & I'm curious about the response I'll get. He'll probably think I'm mad, haha.
P.S: Is there any Spanish forum member? Jajajaja.. Sorry dude, I had to do this.
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wow another surgery.. are u looking for another 7 cm or less !? and do u think your hand will be short compare to your body!!
I'm considering doing the tibiae and the femur and i'm thinking to add 4.75 in each so it will be 9.5 in total, do u think it is worth it since i'm 165 cm and I will be at 174.5 if I go for it
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wow another surgery.. are u looking for another 7 cm or less !? and do u think your hand will be short compare to your body!!
I don't care about proportions at all.
I naturally had a long torso and very short legs, as well as a muscular upper body. My proportions could handle two lengthenings easily.
Realistically, I should aim for 5-6 cm, making me 177-178 cm. Due to my naturally stiff achilles tendons, tibiae LL would be extremely difficult in my case. My tendons are terrible, really terrible. As far as I could remember, I always had the ballerina foot problem.
180 cm is my dream height. I will aim for 8 cm.
In my case, even a gastrocnemius-soleus release and vigorous physiotherapy might not be sufficient.
But I'll try.
I'm considering doing the tibiae and the femur and i'm thinking to add 4.75 in each so it will be 9.5 in total, do u think it is worth it since i'm 165 cm and I will be at 174.5 if I go for it
It's a huge change. But don't add 4.75 to each man, that's funny. Go all the way you can up to the point your body lets you. Aim for 6-7 cm at least per segment. Maybe one LL will be sufficient for you.
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My opinion is that, if you are going to stay in Turkey, 5'8 is a perfectly good height. If, however, you are going to be living in the United States, I believe that 5'8 is still pretty short for a younger man. I believe that, in the states, you stop being short at 5'10. At that height you start to look average to tall (depending on the height of the beholder), but no longer come off as short at all. If you have the means and time to become 177/178 while still looking natural, proportionally, I'd say to go for it! You only live once, and 5'10 is a spectacular height compared to 5'8!
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My opinion is that, if you are going to stay in Turkey, 5'8 is a perfectly good height. If, however, you are going to be living in the United States, I believe that 5'8 is still pretty short for a younger man. I believe that, in the states, you stop being short at 5'10. At that height you start to look average to tall (depending on the height of the beholder), but no longer come off as short at all. If you have the means and time to become 177/178 while still looking natural, proportionally, I'd say to go for it! You only live once, and 5'10 is a spectacular height compared to 5'8!
Actually most young male Turks are taller than 5'8 as well. The women are pretty short, I give you that; but one compares himself to other men. I'm in the acting business, height is crucial. I can't afford to lose a job because I'm a few inches off for a certain part. It's pretentious, but it's a rule of the industry, I didn't make the rules. I intend to go back to the United States one day for a masters degree. Might settle down there too. It's a beautiful country. At least people are decent there, they have principles.
An idiotic tabloid reporter here asked a famous actor "Do you have a height complex since you're short?" The guy is 173 cm, by the way. Not short by any means for Turkey. He replied "I'm average".
The taller the better. I'm not very into the numbers game. "Aiming" a certain amount of lengthening is limiting yourself. I'll go all the way I can as long as my body lets me.
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The taller the better. I'm not very into the numbers game. "Aiming" a certain amount of lengthening is limiting yourself. I'll go all the way I can as long as my body lets me.
That's a great attitude to have. When you're less focused on numbers you can focus more on image, and run less chance of disappointment if you don't reach an arbitrary number. I'm reaching for a number (the height of my father) and I have realized that it is an unhealthy way to approach lengthening, so when I do end up lengthening, I may stop at just 5CM instead of the 7.5CM my superficial mind really wants me to get so that I can be the same height as my father.
Do you feel like a full recovery will be possible for you with your 8CM? If you're in acting, my guess would be to pay a lot of attention to your proportions, since that trade relies heavily on looks and attractiveness, which can be greatly undermined by odd proportions.
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That's a great attitude to have. When you're less focused on numbers you can focus more on image, and run less chance of disappointment if you don't reach an arbitrary number. I'm reaching for a number (the height of my father) and I have realized that it is an unhealthy way to approach lengthening, so when I do end up lengthening, I may stop at just 5CM instead of the 7.5CM my superficial mind really wants me to get so that I can be the same height as my father.
With LL I became the same height as my father. It felt very weird at first, I used to "look up to him", haha. Now that I'm used to my new height, it feels as if we've always been the same naturally. Same thing goes for my friends. Our relative heights changed, and now I feel as if I never used to be way shorter than them.
I'm still the shortest guy in the acting workshop, which makes me wonder - life must've been absolute hell for me during the past few years. It's all behind me now.
Still being relatively short has no negative psychological effect on me. I can attest you, there's absolutely no height neurosis in my mind anymore.
But there's an awareness of an objective reality - I'm still relatively short.
And that's OKAY. It's fine. But I don't have to be.
Idiots think we're mad for doing this for cosmetic reasons. The surgery appears painful, so they think it's painful. They fear themselves out even before doing it. I eliminated the pain from the start because I was already swimming in it.
God, look at Youtube comments. "There's risk of becoming crippled!" Um, no sir. Your mind is crippled. MOST annoying people on planet earth - those who make themselves believe that something cannot be done, then try to make others believe that it can't be done. I'll have none of that attitude, thank you.
* This wasn't directed towards you buddy, I'm just ranting about how I've been feeling about people lately.
Do you feel like a full recovery will be possible for you with your 8CM? If you're in acting, my guess would be to pay a lot of attention to your proportions, since that trade relies heavily on looks and attractiveness, which can be greatly undermined by odd proportions.
I'm not fully recovered, but I feel fully recovered.
I feel like s**t when I'm squatting on the bosu with TRX bands but I've always felt like s**t doing that, even before the surgery :D
I can run if I want to. I even took a few shots kicking a soccer ball a couple days ago.
If I do tibiae, my recovery will entirely depend on my achilles tendons. I can't tell for sure how they'll react to the lengthening.
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Very good points and very valid and fun to read rant ;D
Good luck in whichever route you choose to take in the future regarding LL. I think that the loss of height neurosis is the most important change that can happen to a person following LL and is what makes LL makes a physically successful LL a "true" or "whole" success. It's awesome to hear that you are so happy with the procedure. Now go kick some ass with your new confidence and nothing, not even height neurosis or youtube haters, standing in your way.
I'd also be very interested in hearing more about your guesthouse arrangement plans with Dr. Inan in the future, if they do continue to develop. I'll actually be in Istanbul, Turkey for a weekend soon, and, if my schedule permits, I may pay Dr. Inan and his clinic a visit.
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Dialogue with the X-ray staff
- Ahh, nothing like getting my monthly radiation
+ Do you miss it so much?
- Yeah, sometimes I stick my leg in the microwave at home..
(Meanwhile thinking of Randy Marsh trying to get testicular cancer in South Park by putting his balls into the microwave)
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Very good points and very valid and fun to read rant ;D
Good luck in whichever route you choose to take in the future regarding LL. I think that the loss of height neurosis is the most important change that can happen to a person following LL and is what makes LL makes a physically successful LL a "true" or "whole" success. It's awesome to hear that you are so happy with the procedure. Now go kick some ass with your new confidence and nothing, not even height neurosis or youtube haters, standing in your way.
Thanks, Tall! I hope the very same for you :)
I'd also be very interested in hearing more about your guesthouse arrangement plans with Dr. Inan in the future, if they do continue to develop. I'll actually be in Istanbul, Turkey for a weekend soon, and, if my schedule permits, I may pay Dr. Inan and his clinic a visit.
I doubt we'll ever have a guesthouse, hehe.. I'll be moving out to my own apartment soon so any potential patient is welcome to stay with me (I might arrange something like a bed&breakfast and give rides to patients to and from the hospital), otherwise I can help arrange a stay in a hotel/apartment nearby.
Please do let me know when you arrive here, I'd be happy to meet you and I can even come to the consultation with you if you'd like to. Same for any potential patient - I can pick you up from the airport too ;)
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Actually most young male Turks are taller than 5'8 as well. The women are pretty short, I give you that; but one compares himself to other men. I'm in the acting business, height is crucial. I can't afford to lose a job because I'm a few inches off for a certain part. It's pretentious, but it's a rule of the industry, I didn't make the rules. I intend to go back to the United States one day for a masters degree. Might settle down there too. It's a beautiful country. At least people are decent there, they have principles.
An idiotic tabloid reporter here asked a famous actor "Do you have a height complex since you're short?" The guy is 173 cm, by the way. Not short by any means for Turkey. He replied "I'm average".
The taller the better. I'm not very into the numbers game. "Aiming" a certain amount of lengthening is limiting yourself. I'll go all the way I can as long as my body lets me.
I'm also an actor! I'm worried tho that my proportions will look weird. Won't be good for the camera, aren't u worried?
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I'm also an actor! I'm worried tho that my proportions will look weird. Won't be good for the camera, aren't u worried?
Cool! ;) Nope, I'm not worried about proportions.
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I got a new Skype address for anyone who'd like to contact me:
Skype Name: dr.inan.assistant
Cheers,
Chris
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Please do let me know when you arrive here, I'd be happy to meet you and I can even come to the consultation with you if you'd like to. Same for any potential patient - I can pick you up from the airport too ;)
That's ridiculously nice of you! I just might take you up in that one, but I'll PM you when I get a more concrete idea of my schedule for that weekend in about a month. I hope it all works out. It would be great meeting you as well.
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Cool! ;) Nope, I'm not worried about proportions.
Proportions are for suckers.
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Photos From The Clinic
(http://s30.postimg.org/t10jbpfsh/image.jpg)
(http://s30.postimg.org/7srwre7n5/image.jpg)
(http://s30.postimg.org/bqf6gsugh/image.jpg)
(http://s30.postimg.org/jqof8652p/image.jpg)
(http://s30.postimg.org/bjwfglf01/image.jpg)
(http://s30.postimg.org/yit4zib01/image.jpg)
(http://s30.postimg.org/dafgi2wj5/image.jpg)
(http://s30.postimg.org/ii0jmjd4h/image.jpg)
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Hey Chris, would you be happy to speak on Skype even if it's not related to Dr. Inan?
Are you very busy these days? I just don't want to disturb you.
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Hey Chris, would you be happy to speak on Skype even if it's not related to Dr. Inan?
Are you very busy these days? I just don't want to disturb you.
Sure. We can speak about anything.
Unfortunately I'm always very busy, but go ahead & text me, I'll text you back when I have the time. Most of the time I'm driving, so I might read what you wrote but be unable to reply immediately.
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hi Chriss, so question, none related to LL, im planning a trip to Istanbul with my girlfriend, you have any tips on resorts or hotels to get the best experience over there and beaches, and of-course the cheapest way)))
thank you man!
and maybe we can also meet if you have time))
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hi Chriss, so question, none related to LL, im planning a trip to Istanbul with my girlfriend, you have any tips on resorts or hotels to get the best experience over there and beaches, and of-course the cheapest way)))
thank you man!
and maybe we can also meet if you have time))
Hey man, when are you going to be here? :)
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Hey man, when are you going to be here? :)
planning for next month))
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I was there for a weekend, recently, and stayed at a hotel called the Valide Sultan. It is right next to the Topkapi Palace, and was extremely nice for the price. The food was amazing too, and there is the world's best ice cream stand a five minute block away. They have a beautiful terrace on the top with a view of the Bosphorus. The staff spoke excellent English too. And there is free wifi, so you can post more pics of your girlfriend! ;)
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Been meaning to comment on this doctor for quite some time now but held back due to not wanting to anger you or the lengthening community. First I'd like to congratulate you on your successful recovery, well done, you've achieved what Ive been meaning to do. But Im going to ask the 'hard' question here which I dont think anyone really asked you thus far or atleast I hope not. Why should we potential patients go with Dr. Muharrem Inan over the other more experienced doctors in Europe if they are roughly the same price? Genuine question and I hope it didnt have a rude undertone to it, not my intentions, sorry in advance if it sounds like it does.
Im talking about internal femurs here, the Euro doctors(Betz, Guichet, etc) have more experience, have a proven track record particularly Guichet and more diaries on both the forums compared to this one who just has you. And now that you work for this particular doctor also, it adds more questions ::) Personally I dont think you are shady or have a secret agenda or dare I say it another Apo, I think you genuinely want to help foreign patients but can you blame us for thinking this way? It will always be in the back of our minds. Sorry but after the Apo incident I find it extremely hard to trust anyone who is affiliated with their respective doctors for obvious reasons. Yes I know you also have a day job and this is just a plus on the side and thats great for you, really is
The only pro from my perspective, Im currently still saving and nearly there and will way up my options in due time, is that unless you live in Turkey or its neighbouring countries and save on accommodation, flights and such I really dont see why anyone would choose him over the Euro doctors. You said so yourself in your earlier posts that you wanted to stay in your home country hence why you decided to go with him but for foreign patients we dont have that luxury. His externals prices however seem decent but internals is about the same. 150,000 TL is already quite a bit more than what Guichet charges for his surgery. Again, I dont mean to be rude, just like to get your answer for my question. Thanks
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I was there for a weekend, recently, and stayed at a hotel called the Valide Sultan. It is right next to the Topkapi Palace, and was extremely nice for the price. The food was amazing too, and there is the world's best ice cream stand a five minute block away. They have a beautiful terrace on the top with a view of the Bosphorus. The staff spoke excellent English too. And there is free wifi, so you can post more pics of your girlfriend! ;)
thank you tall!)
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thank you tall!)
No problem. Let us know how your trip goes!
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hi Chriss, so question, none related to LL, im planning a trip to Istanbul with my girlfriend, you have any tips on resorts or hotels to get the best experience over there and beaches, and of-course the cheapest way)))
thank you man!
and maybe we can also meet if you have time))
I'll send you my cell phone to you, check your inbox ;)
I was thinking more of a hotel near the city center (Taksim Square), like The Marmara, but Tall is right, Valide Sultan would be a great option too. More historical place and much less noise & crowd. I could drive you to the beaches, lol. I usually go to the beaches in Sariyer.
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Been meaning to comment on this doctor for quite some time now but held back due to not wanting to anger you or the lengthening community. First I'd like to congratulate you on your successful recovery, well done, you've achieved what Ive been meaning to do. But Im going to ask the 'hard' question here which I dont think anyone really asked you thus far or atleast I hope not. Why should we potential patients go with Dr. Muharrem Inan over the other more experienced doctors in Europe if they are roughly the same price? Genuine question and I hope it didnt have a rude undertone to it, not my intentions, sorry in advance if it sounds like it does.
Im talking about internal femurs here, the Euro doctors(Betz, Guichet, etc) have more experience, have a proven track record particularly Guichet and more diaries on both the forums compared to this one who just has you. And now that you work for this particular doctor also, it adds more questions ::) Personally I dont think you are shady or have a secret agenda or dare I say it another Apo, I think you genuinely want to help foreign patients but can you blame us for thinking this way? It will always be in the back of our minds. Sorry but after the Apo incident I find it extremely hard to trust anyone who is affiliated with their respective doctors for obvious reasons. Yes I know you also have a day job and this is just a plus on the side and thats great for you, really is
The only pro from my perspective, Im currently still saving and nearly there and will way up my options in due time, is that unless you live in Turkey or its neighbouring countries and save on accommodation, flights and such I really dont see why anyone would choose him over the Euro doctors. You said so yourself in your earlier posts that you wanted to stay in your home country hence why you decided to go with him but for foreign patients we dont have that luxury. His externals prices however seem decent but internals is about the same. 150,000 TL is already quite a bit more than what Guichet charges for his surgery. Again, I dont mean to be rude, just like to get your answer for my question. Thanks
Thanks, buddy! Why would I be angered by these questions, on the contrary, I think they're excellent. And you couldn't have asked in a better time, as I had a meeting with the doc yesterday. In fact, I was asking myself the same questions as you did. So I did a basic price/SWOT analysis.
Dr.Guichet's price (45,000 euros plus 5,000 euros monthly) adds up to an amount close to 170,000 TL including accommodation and physiotherapy. Dr.Betz's price is in the 140,000-150,000 TL range, excluding accommodation and physiotherapy. Therefore I agree that Dr.Inan's internal lengthening prices are not competitive when compared with his European counterparts. In my analysis, I have found that the most competitive price packages are offered by Dr.Birkholtz in South Africa ($52,000 or 110,000 TL including everything, however he has a lengthening limit) and Dr.Jamal (about 90,000 TL plus extra $2500 for every extra cm of lengthening after passing his limit). I also came to the conclusion that Turkey could be the best option for potential patients planning to lengthen with the LON method at a price level of 45,000-50,000 TL ($25,000) as it is a more competitive price level than Korea or USA ($40,000, Dr.Lee and Dr.Mahboubian), and even less than China (their package is 25,000 Euros, or 75,000 TL approximately). LON prices go as down as $9,000 in India but this is a good package for patients who want to avoid places like India and choose a more safe destination for LL. I definitely agree with you that the internals price at the moment is only attractive to local patients (who can afford it) and patients from nearby countries, and I've told Dr.Inan yesterday that we need to find methods to bring the price level down a bit. We are currently considering a few options including important nails from Europe and I'll definitely let you know about these, but it's still a very early stage in our plans. I'll start working on it when I get back from New York. I'll be in NYC between the 17th and the 25th, for about a week. I'll be meeting Yellowspike before his surgery with Dr.Rozbruch :) I would gladly meet anyone there who would like to see a post-LL patient who has recovered well.
I believe that Dr.Inan has a proven track record of more than 20 years of limb lengthening putting him on par with his European and American peers, however I agree with you that if we define the basis of track record as "diaries on a website", I understand why you feel this way. I didn't go to Dr.Betz or Dr.Guichet firstly because I didn't want to lengthen with a ratcheting mechanism - I was nervous about accidental clicking, although many people had very successful results with the Betzbone and Guichet Nail. I met Dr.Guichet and he was a great person. I was keen on lengthening with him, but he said that I could only lengthen 3,5 cm at the time, due to my lack of flexibility. I also met Dr.Paley and he disagreed, he said that he could lengthen me between 6,5-8 cm's safely. Sometimes doctors disagree with each other. Dr.Guichet then offered me to lengthen 5 cm's, go back home and recover, and then come back to lengthen another 5 centimeters. I thought that would take too much time, hence I went with Dr.Inan.
Yellowspike and Rgkey already have my personal contact information (phone number, etc.) I would love to meet others from the community as well when I'm in NYC. So don't worry, no shady stuff going on here 8)
Peace,
Chris
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Great response. That clarified a few things and I see your point :)
If only I lived in the States, would definitely go to the meet and greet and see the results of a successful recovery. Good luck and do keep us posted regarding what ever new prices you guys end up with. Thanks
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Today, my friends, is a historical day. Today I changed a lightbulb on the ceiling for the first time in my life.
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Today, my friends, is a historical day. Today I changed a lightbulb on the ceiling for the first time in my life.
Well done, how is your walking now?
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Today, my friends, is a historical day. Today I changed a lightbulb on the ceiling for the first time in my life.
Lol. Could you stand on the floor while changing it now? ;)
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i contacted dr inane by email.... is he in turkey now???
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72k dollar is soooo high price also not included PT and accommodation.
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Thanks, guys!
I lit up a cigarette with my gym teacher yesterday (I know, shouldn't have). He told me to take the time to recover, but I want to begin sports ASAP. We're beginning next week and will be mostly doing upper body workouts. I booked Pilates on Monday too for core training. I've been dieting for a while but diet alone without consistent workout won't make me get what I want.
I want to dance again (Latin/Tango), it's the best place to meet girls y'know? But deep down I want to be able to dance with my ex again. It's not like "I can't get over it", I can, but I know I still love her. Heck, I still love all my ex-girlfriends. I'd build a harem with all of them in it if I could, but I was born in the wrong century. Ahem.. Where was I? Yes, dance. My legs are still too sore to be able to make quick/flexible dance moves. Doing the Jive is out of the question. I'll start slowly though and build it back up.
I can walk without leg braces and any support. I'm crutch-free! Walking up and down stairs is getting easier.
Boxing & Crossfit is a few steps ahead of regular fitness workouts. Unfortunately, there's still time for that.
I want to keep myself busy 24/7.
Well you are working really very hard and you will surely get very nice results. Best of luck
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I'll be in NYC between the 17th and the 25th, for about a week. I'll be meeting Yellowspike before his surgery with Dr.Rozbruch :) I would gladly meet anyone there who would like to see a post-LL patient who has recovered well.
Yellowspike and Rgkey already have my personal contact information (phone number, etc.) I would love to meet others from the community as well when I'm in NYC. So don't worry, no shady stuff going on here 8)
It was great meeting you bud, you are absolutely the man! Your diary (here and on old forum ) has always been one of my favorites. Extremely informative and serious, but yet absolutely entertaining (I think you have a quirky sense of humour like me) :)
Is Rgkey in NYC too? If so, we will have to all meet up at some point! Maybe you guys can come visit me when I'm crippled - I'll just toss my keys out the window so I won't have to come down those damn stairs on my butt lol
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Thanks, guys!
I lit up a cigarette manufactured by ecigs manufacturer (http://www.ecigfiend.com/)with my gym teacher yesterday (I know, shouldn't have). He told me to take the time to recover, but I want to begin sports ASAP. We're beginning next week and will be mostly doing upper body workouts. I booked Pilates on Monday too for core training. I've been dieting for a while but diet alone without consistent workout won't make me get what I want.
I want to dance again (Latin/Tango), it's the best place to meet girls y'know? But deep down I want to be able to dance with my ex again. It's not like "I can't get over it", I can, but I know I still love her. Heck, I still love all my ex-girlfriends. I'd build a harem with all of them in it if I could, but I was born in the wrong century. Ahem.. Where was I? Yes, dance. My legs are still too sore to be able to make quick/flexible dance moves. Doing the Jive is out of the question. I'll start slowly though and build it back up.
I can walk without leg braces and any support. I'm crutch-free! Walking up and down stairs is getting easier.
Boxing & Crossfit is a few steps ahead of regular fitness workouts. Unfortunately, there's still time for that.
I want to keep myself busy 24/7.
Well you are working really very hard and you will surely get very nice results. Best of luck
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Chrisisaak could you update your diary?
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bro nice diary. I want to do it next year in Istanbul.
Can i contact you here or on whatsapp? I have some questions.