Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: Auron on November 23, 2016, 04:44:15 PM
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Age: between 20 and 30 y/o
Height: 171~172cm
Goal: between 5 and 6cm added lenght to my femurs.
I met Dr. Monegal mid October and we had a short and simple conversation. After seeing my X-rays he told me it shouldn't be a problem to lenghten 6cms as my tibia/femur ratio would allow so confortably.
So yesterday I had my first surgery, it all went smooth and it only took 1 and half hours. Today I started to bend my knee 95º using the same machine Yagen used. I will start walking with crutches tomorrow. I've had no pain at all so far but I still have the catheter on my back.
I'm staying in MIC Sant Jordi after I leave the hospital and planned to do all this alone until my mom decided to tag along. And we were both living in different countries! xd
About the people you will meet if you come over here, they are all very nice. So far I've no complaints.
As you can see I've just started my journey so I don't have much to say. Feel free to ask me anything though.
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Why just 5-6 cm?? Are you planning a second round?
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Why just 5-6 cm?? Are you planning a second round?
For 3 reasons.
1- Pushing it beyond 6cms may increase the chance of complications.
2- The femur/tibia ratio shouldn't be too affected if I aim to lenghten max 6cm
3- My wingspan is about the same lenght as my height so I don't want my arms to look too short compared to my height.
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5'10 is a really good height.
Good luck buddy, hope everything will go just fine.
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My best wishes!!!! :) :)
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Thank you boyfriend, I hope you can start your journey asap as well.
Thanks Yagen, I'm following yout footsteps :p
I've just woken up for my 3rd day, yay!
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(https://s12.postimg.org/efmjur5ot/20161124_155331.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/rjs47fxqh/)
(https://s13.postimg.org/k06ugtbg7/20161124_155411.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/90ln57l0z/)
The first 2 x-rays after surgery. The gap you see is 3mm, created during the surgery. So far so good :)
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Where are you from? :)
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Where are you from? :)
Somewhere in europe :p I can tell you that I communicate with most of the nurses in spanish as I am not that bad it xd As for Dr. Monegal we speak in french, english, spanish...
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What is your ability to move around right now? Are you going to go back home and lengthen there?
And BTW, if I can ask - how much did this one stage procedure cost you (just procedure and hospital stay) ?
Thanks and keeping my fingers crossed!
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Thank you Auron, can i ask you a questione? :)
where you'll be these months? how much it will cost?
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@ dade & Wahnsinn
Surgery + hospital stay = 18900€ for a 2 stages procedure. That is how much I paid so far for my 1st surgery and will pay again in February for my 2nd surgery. Which means that a 2 stages procedure should cost you, in total, 37800€ ( 2x surgeries + 2x hostpital stays)
For bilateral aka 1 stage procedure you pay a total of 36000€. It's cheaper by 1800€ and it should be obvious why ( Less medication, less PT sessions, shorter hospital stay, etc).
Once I move out from the hospital I plan to stay in MIC Sant Jordi for 1 month and after that I will decide if I stay another month in MIC or if I finish the lengthning at home. In fact, I've already paid for 1 month in MIC but I'm not entirely happy with the amount I've paid. I paid 1710€ for a double room appartment when it should be 1470€, I was told. I still have to clarify this situation.
I had my surgery 6 days ago and the pain is now minimal. I'm still in hospital and I move around in crutches but I'vent been outside yet. I shower by myself and I usually ask my mom to dress me from the waist down. I did dress myself entirely once but its too tiring since I can't bend my leg past 100 degrees, only when I'm doing the PT session I go beyond 100 degrees. I said that the pain is minimal but I've to be careful when moving my operated leg, side way movements can be really painful, I've a broken leg after all. Since I've one good leg I can do pretty much anything I need to do but I can't pick stuff from the floor, I just can't bend the operated leg that much yet.
If there is something else that you need a detailed report let me know :p I hope I answered what you asked for.
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Nice to see a diary with Monegal. Is the cheaper price the only reason you chose Monegal and the Fitbone nail or are there more or other reasons? thanks
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Nice to see a diary with Monegal. Is the cheaper price the only reason you chose Monegal and the Fitbone nail or are there more or other reasons? thanks
Price did play a role. However, there're other factors. As doctors I'd only consider Monegal, Paley or Guichet since Betz diaries didn't convince me and I lack information on the other doctors.
I ruled out Paley because I couldn't afford him and is too far away. I didn't even attempt a consultation with Guichet because I couldn't afford him as well (though it would be close) and his nail is somewhat outdated. I picked Monegal because the latest diaries of his patients were very encouraging and, despite people thinking other wise, I think that a 2 stages procedure is much better then a 1 stage procedure. I had a consultation with him and he seemed very confident in his abilities and the outcome of the surgery. I had immediately an idea of what to expect.
So yeah, I felt that I could trust him and made my choice :)
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Can I ask you sitting height?
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Can I ask you sitting height?
Between 91 and 92cm.
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I dont know if you are 172 in the morning or afternoon, but 177 is a good height, not tall but average.
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I dont know if you are 172 in the morning or afternoon, but 177 is a good height, not tall but average.
172 around lunch time. Of course I'd like to be even taller but we got to know our limits and that's as far as I can go. Once I hit my goal I will let everyone know my level of satisfaction.
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Thank you very much Auron :)
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Question: after your treatment is done, and you remove the nail, does the bone remain hollow or does bone regrow inside the bone where the nail was? thanks
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Question: after your treatment is done, and you remove the nail, does the bone remain hollow or does bone regrow inside the bone where the nail was? thanks
That is something that I'vent thought about but I can ask the doctor and let you know. Imo, the bone should remain hollow and I'm almost certain that it will.
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I left the hospital yesterday. I had such a good relationship with the nurses there that I had a bit of mixed feelings when leaving.
I reside at MIC now and will do for at least 1 month. If I like it here I will stay longer. I walked in crutches for about 1h and a half while shopping and Claudio kinda scolded me for doing so LOL. Apparently, walking is key for my recovery but not for such a long period. I'vent taken any painkillers for 30 hours (now that I mention it, I haven't taken any medication at all during that period) and I might just stay away from them for the time being.
Although Claudio told me I'm doing very good I will still take his PT sessions 3 days a week for 1 month. It feels great at the end of each session.
What else... I've got a ball to play with in my appartment!
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2 weeks post op.
That's right! My surgery was 2 weeks ago so I decided to throw in an update.
I am at 1cm and lentghning 0,81mm per day. Pain has been minimal except for last night, I had to take a tramadol for the first time. I suspect that the reason why I had so much pain is because I pushed myself too hard when stretching during the day. Also, my swelling is still very noticeable and I shouldn't have tryed to bend my knee so much during the exercises. However, it did pay off as my bending seems to have improved from yesterday to today. As they say, "no pain, no gain".
Every day I walk a bit, I go to gym twice, I do stretching exercises and I also rest, ofc. Btw, I ice my leg every time I come from the gym and at the end of any exercise. I am able to put much more weight in my leg but I avoid to do so.
As you can see nothing out of the ordinary has happened so far so I don't have much to say, thankfully. I think that the next step is to remove the stitches from my leg.
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We should do some workouts and stretching in the gym together!
It is more fun and more motivational, especially that we are probably at a similar stage of the rehab process.
Btw, I am at room 302.
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I got the same reasoning as Auron:
from the people that had less than ideal recoveries, everyone went beyond 6 cm.
So I also want to do just 5.5 cm.
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5.5 cm is reasonable I agree
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We should do some workouts and stretching in the gym together!
It is more fun and more motivational, especially that we are probably at a similar stage of the rehab process.
Btw, I am at room 302.
We totally should!
I am at room 4.6. I will ring your doorbell at around 4pm so we can go to the gym and do some training, what do you think?
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Will you use special shoes for the discrepancy??? Can those shoes damage the spine??
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What has your pain been like?
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I'm using insoles with different heights, shoe lifters work as well. Special shoes is another option. It shouldn't damage the spine, at least mine is pretty good so far.
Recently I've been having this pain in the right side of the kneecap, but only when I move my leg side ways. I talked to the doctor and we thought it could be the tip of the screw initially but then we figured out that the pain was coming from where the femur meets the tibia. So it turns out that to prevent this pain I should try to land always with my heel first then the rest of the foot and I wasn't doing so because my extension isnt as good as before the surgery. The pain seems to be fading away slowly each day. I don't feel any need to take painkillers during the day and lately I always take a tramadol 50gm before I go to bed. So yeah, unless I take my medicine at night the pain gets annoying.
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1 month post op
So it has been 1 month since I was operated. I just had my last set of X-rays which I will be posting tomorrow and it shows a gap of 2,37cm. I went to the clinic with 2 more patients and the doctor was quite satisfied with the results of all of the X-rays.
The pain has been annoying at times but you can fight it with medication, ice or hot showers. 2 days ago, after doing my last set of clicks for the day I actually felt real pain for the first time and thought " Oh, so this is what they call lengthening pain ". I took a tramadol and it didn't do a thing. I was stuck with pain during most of the night. The next day, yesterday, I decided to take a break from clicking and it did the trick, the pain went down to 0/10. Today I'm feeling great again, pain wise. Keep in mind that I didn't prepare at all physically for this surgery. I used to practice sports in a daily basis and did not care at all about flexibility. Well, let me tell you that you should not follow my example because I can tell that some of the pain I feel is due to the lack of flexibility.
I will update the amount of money I've spent so far so you can estimate the costs (food escluded).
Surgery for 1 leg + hospital stay: 18900€
1 month stay at MIC Sant Jordi: 1710€ (Double room)
Medication that I bought after quitting the hospital: 62€
(Nolotil, Paracetamol, Tramadol 50mg, Clexane 40mg)
X-rays from 1 month post: 60€
Insoles from Amazon: 8€
I've bought some shirts from decathlon online, 2,5€ each but I'm not including it. I've also bought some economy books so I can learn the spanish terms while keeping myself entertained.
Total: 20740€
That's it so far ;)
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50 days after surgery, X-rays day
I’ve been lengthning between 0,54 and 0,81mm a day. I’m not in a hurry and it feels really good to be lengthning at this pace. I can’t remember the last time I had pain. As you can see by looking at the x-rays below I am at 3,72cm and will be stopping at 5cm for 2 reasons, proportions and recovery. I am doing unilateral so I can compare my starting height and proportions with the newly adquired ones. Proportions wise I’d say they were at its best when I hit 3cms, meaning that, imo, I had slightly short femurs and will end up with slightly long femurs. The height difference at 3,7cm is major, I had no idea it would be so noticeable, so much that if I stopped now I’d be pretty happy with my new height. X rays are next, sorry for the bad quality.
X-Ray 1 month post op at 2,37cm
(https://s30.postimg.org/3y5vc4xkx/2_37.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/cgfbgh43h/)
X-Rays today, 50 days post op at 3,72cm
(https://s23.postimg.org/a318gnqrv/3_72.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/hvrw8mwqv/)
(https://s27.postimg.org/emqxsjz4j/3_72a.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/j8n20wknj/)
All Monegal’s patients here at MIC seem to be doing very well, we were comparing our X rays earlier to see who had the best bone formation so far and helloworld beat us hands down ;)
Thats it for today folks!
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:-) I have to admit I (helloworld) did not play fairly, lengthening at a slower rate of 0,6 and thus causing more bone cloud density.
But you got a gain of 3,7 while I got 3,3!
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Can't edit my previous post to add another picture of my last X rays so I'll just post it here.
(https://s24.postimg.org/88dju86h1/3_72b.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/rdgt3zl4x/)
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Something I forgot to mention, might be relevant to some people so I'll just drop it here.
Last month there was a medical team from Lisbon taking part in one of the Dr. Monegal's CLL surgery but only as spectators. It seems they were very interested in learning the technique used by Dr. Monegal. At the end they were very impressed by the the doctor and his team. I've also noticed that the Dr. Monegal's schedule has been filled with alot CLL surgeries so I'd say that more and more people are choosing him to do their CLL.
I understand now why Musicmaker keep telling me that Dr. Monegal is the best doctor in the world! We also always have a good time all together when he visits us.
Btw, tomorrow I'll reach 4cm!
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I almost agree:
I think MusicMaker said he is "one of the best Limb Lengthening surgeons in the world".
But I agree with your point.
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Hi Auron,
Thanks for providing details on your journey so far! Glad to read you're doing well and best wishes on reaching your goal. Just had a few questions around additional costs such as food, transport, PT's, + any other everyday expenses?
Would be awesome if later on you could upload some photos of your points of incision too :)
Cheers!
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I just read something written by Dr Monegal , written in 2014, where he mentions Fitbone bringing out an updated Fitbone in 2017/2018. Does anyone know what the improvements will be and would it change anyones mind about Fitbone v Precise. I have been in touch with Dr Rozbruch and he has quoted 100k for surgery with a lot of things still to be added so will add up to 130-140k. He would be my first choice but will be many years before this could be afforded whereas Dr Monegal is a more realistic goal.
Also thinking about India or South Africa for precise 2 but as I come from Europe I'm a bit nervous about those choices.
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Doesn't Dr monegal require two surgeries though? One surgery per leg?
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@forrestgump
It's my pleasure to provide the details of my journey as I know they will be useful to future LL'ers. Hopefully I will reach my goal by the end of the month.As for the costs, I usually eat food cooked at home but most people at MIC order their food and I'd say its quite cheap. We use justeat.es alot and by spending 20€ a day you get around 3 meals. If you use MIC's restaurant you'll be spending like 12€ per meal but they very good meals I'd say. I've got the bus and the subway just beside MIC and each ticket is 1€. PT's charge you between 25 to 40€ per session, depending on what PT you choose. I asked the doctor to recommend me a PT. You might spend money on daily coffee's while you hang out with other patients from MIC, we do it quite frequently.
@Col92
I don't have any news about the new fitbone but I'll make sure to ask the doctor about it. All I can tell you is that Monegal has had many patients from the US. If you're undecided about coming to Monegal or not just take your time to read the new diaries to make your decision, my diary has just started so I don't really have much information to give but so far I haven't had any problems and I'm very happy with my decision.
@yyes
He usually operates one leg at a time (he prefers doing so) which we call unilateral but if the patient still wants to do bilateral (the 2 legs at the same time) hes up for it as well.
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Glad you are doing well. I'm actually based in the UK, one of the reasons that the US is such an expensive option. If money was no option then Dr Rozbruch would be my choice but I can only imagine the cost of staying in New York for 3 plus months.
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Glad you are doing well. I'm actually based in the UK, one of the reasons that the US is such an expensive option. If money was no option then Dr Rozbruch would be my choice but I can only imagine the cost of staying in New York for 3 plus months.
To be frank I don't know much about Rozbruch but we finally have a diary of one of his patients in the making, maybe you can take advantage of that. Being away for 3 plus months while handicapped doesn't sound like a good idea but some people want this surgery badly enough to do it. Some patients here do unilateral and get back to their jobs 1 month after each surgery and one of the reasons that made me choose Monegal is that he does unilateral.
The only advice I can give you is that you make your list of possible doctors you would like to go to and pay them a visit.
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To be frank I don't know much about Rozbruch but we finally have a diary of one of his patients in the making, maybe you can take advantage of that. Being away for 3 plus months while handicapped doesn't sound like a good idea but some people want this surgery badly enough to do it. Some patients here do unilateral and get back to their jobs 1 month after each surgery and one of the reasons that made me choose Monegal is that he does unilateral.
The only advice I can give you is that you make your list of possible doctors you would like to go to and pay them a visit.
I don't understand this. If he does one leg at a time and you go back to work after one month, wouldn't you eventually have one foot longer than the other?
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I don't understand this. If he does one leg at a time and you go back to work after one month, wouldn't you eventually have one foot longer than the other?
The foot size should be the same, but the leg length would indeed be different!
Here is my take on the issue:
Bilateral vs unilateral lengthening
My surgeon, Dr. Monegal, prefers unilateral lengthening and I am sure there a good reasons for that. However, after having gone through bilateral procedures and having shared experience with many unilateral patients, I very glad I did bilateral and wanna tell you why:
Mobility
A unilateral patient is supposed to be more mobile as he as one “normal” leg. However, I have not seen a big difference between me and unilateral patients:
Neither of us can walk normally.
I am faster in a wheelchair than they are on crutches.
I have been able to stand up early on, which is actually easier for me as my legs are equal length.
I am able to swim, to bike, to walk with arm support.
Many exercises seem to be easier for me as I have both legs in the same conditions.
Pain
A bilateral patient is supposed to have twice the pain. I think the opposite is true. Comparing pain levels it seems that mine are the same or lower to unilateral patients. My explanation is that pain is a signal of the body that something is wrong. Having 2 legs broken instead of 1 does not make that signal stronger. In fact, I believe it is easier for your brain to accept the condition as normal and thus stop the pain, as your brain does not have a “normal” leg to compare to, while a bilateral patient always knows what a normal leg should feel like and that this is different from the broken leg.
Mindset
You need a lot of determination to do everything you can as a patient to speed up recovery as well as to endure pain and bad sleep.
For that it is important to see the light at the end of the tunel! For me I will be done with the lengthening in about 2 weeks and then just consolidate. For the unilateral patients they are going through the same bad time as me only to know that after one is finally done they still have to do another!
Speed
As far as I have understood, the total time of lengthening + recovery is decreased by increasing the lengthening speed. So if you extract at 2 mm a day you will have tight muscles and a big gap in your bone that takes a long time to recover. If you do 0.7 mm a day your muscles at the end of lengthening will already have adjusted and your bone gap will almost be consolidated so the total recovery time is not longer but maybe shorter!
And of course lengthening at 0.7 mm means you have much less pain!
On the other hand, I understand people that want to just get over with this process asap, which is possible if you both legs at the same time, but at a slow rate.
Work
Unilateral patients are supposed to be able to work while lengthening.
Personally, I think that this will be difficult unless you are able to sleep well during night which most patients are not.
On the other hand I am working from home office with a similar productivity as before, just not able to work from the office. Actually, I guess by now I even could work from the office, but as I need an afternoon nap, I work from home.
For all those reasons, from a patient experience I would advise bilateral lengthening.
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I don't understand this. If he does one leg at a time and you go back to work after one month, wouldn't you eventually have one foot longer than the other?
Yes, you would have a longer leg, just lke I do now. However, everytime I go out with pants on (and I do go out with my pants on everytime) I wear an insole in one of my shoes so I can walk evenly and no one notices that I've one longer leg. I'll have a longer leg until I finish the lengthning phase of my 2nd leg, but tbh, it hasnt been an issue.
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I've asked Dr. Monegal about the new fitbone version and it seems it won't be out for another 3~4 years. They will be testing prototypes meanwhile. If you are wondering what changes will bring the new fitbone I've got some news for you.
-The biggest change is that they will remove the antenna and its cable;
-They will also install a software in the control unit in order to receive feedback from the implant;
-Right now fitbone can go backwards but the patient cannot do it. With the new version the patient will be able to control the implant with the control unit so it can go backwards at any given time.
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2 months and 10 days post op (x rays day)
Me and a few patients had x rays today and I'm very pleased with mines. I've such a good bone cloud and I'm sure that if I stopped lengthening today I'd be walking unaided in no time.
X Rays:
(https://s27.postimg.org/j2ovxsmj7/IMG_20170201_WA0000.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/o1cecbqbz/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
As you can see I am at 4,1cm. I'm actually thinking of stopping at 5cm so I am 9mm away from my goal. The doctor advised me to pick up my lengthen pace so my bone doesn't consolidate before I reach my goal.
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I know alot of us here see this surgery as a risk and it is risky. But it is freaking amazing how far technology has come and what we are able to do in the 21st century. I can only imagine the technology that will come out 50 years from today
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Seems good callus. You're young. Hope your second leg is OK too.
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Looking good. What's the worst pain you've had in your journey so far? And what do you do during the day? It must be pretty boring lol Hopefully Monegal doesn't raise his prices by the time I can get my surgery done.
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Do you know if amount lengthened is the same as amount gained??If thats the case how many mm?
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I know alot of us here see this surgery as a risk and it is risky. But it is freaking amazing how far technology has come and what we are able to do in the 21st century. I can only imagine the technology that will come out 50 years from today
Yes, this surgery is risky. In my case, I've been following the doctor's advices and everything seems to go perfect. I'm not really amazed by the techonoly though, I still think there is room for improvement in every nail in market.
Seems good callus.
You look impressed ;D
Looking good. What's the worst pain you've had in your journey so far? And what do you do during the day? It must be pretty boring lol Hopefully Monegal doesn't raise his prices by the time I can get my surgery done.
The worst pain was surely at night when I hit 2cm (I wasn't very flexible to begin with). I had to ice my leg quite a few times before falling asleep. Thats when when I begun to lengthen at a lower pace and it worked like a charm. During the day I usualy work on my thesis, go to the gym to do my daily exercises twice a day, sometimes I go to the pool, hang out with other patients out of mic, etc.
Do you know if amount lengthened is the same as amount gained??If thats the case how many mm?
Right now I've a discrepancy so it's hard to tell my accurate height but during the consultation Dr. Monegal did tell me that I should expect a slightly lower gain in height compared to the amount lengthened. Not too much though.
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Last saturday I whatsapped Dr. Monegal saying I was stopping to lengthen in that same day at 4.8cm. He was surprised as most of the patients I hang out with. The reason why I stopped so early is because I feel confortable with both my height and proportions right now. If you followed my diary I said that my proportions looked at their best at 3cm of lengthening so, from that day on it was all about gaining height without damaging my proportions too much.
Why 4.8cm and not 5cm?
Simply because I was never chasing a number to begin with. It's not like im walking around with a number above my head. I feel that I should stop at my current proportions and I did so.
X rays on 15th feb
Dr. Monegal asked me to go the clinic to do X rays and go through my proportions to make sure I wouldn't regret it later. We did X rays and had a look at my leg, he said I could easly do another cm as my proportions looked great. Even though I can still click, my decision still stands.
(https://s3.postimg.org/d24idbk77/IMG_20170215_WA0000.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/etxh883jz/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s7.postimg.org/mow8vh1sr/IMG_20170215_WA0001.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/uhmwng7rr/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
These x rays were taken on the 15th of february in the morning.
So right now it's all about recovery for my left leg! The doc told me to start walking with 1 crutch and I will do so.
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Be sure man. There is no going back afterwards
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Be sure man. There is no going back afterwards
Yup, that's why I've stopped now.
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how tall are you now? Were you measured?
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Yes, I was measured at 176cm but I do have a bad posture and a hard time standing fully straight on my operated leg. My guess is that I will only reach my peek (as of real height) 1 month after stopping the lengthening phase on my 2nd leg. I measured myself a while ago standing on my good leg and it was 172cm, dead on.
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Auron, I'm very impressed with your restraint in not over lengthening when you personally know it's time to stop. This appears to be difficult as many who undergo the surgery find the temptation of 'just 1 more CM' to tempting to pass and believe they should with the pain, time and money invested. Here's to a speedy recovery.
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Auron, I'm very impressed with your restraint in not over lengthening when you personally know it's time to stop. This appears to be difficult as many who undergo the surgery find the temptation of 'just 1 more CM' to tempting to pass and believe they should with the pain, time and money invested. Here's to a speedy recovery.
Thank you very much ;)
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Auron, I think the x-rays should be 10 per cent more than real height, your gap shows 4.8, however I think in real life it should be 4.2-4.3, I hope you can confirm you peak height in the afternoon. Have a great recovery.
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It's pretty easy to walk unaided in my room, no pain at all. It's a great feeling but I'll avoid to do it until the doc gives me the green light. To every future Monegal patient: you'll feel like you can walk unaided right after the lengthening phase but always listen to your doc, walk with 1 crutch when he says so and only ditch both crutches when asked. Until the bone has a consolidated bridge, your nail and screws are still bearing most of your weigh.
Auron, I think the x-rays should be 10 per cent more than real height, your gap shows 4.8, however I think in real life it should be 4.2-4.3, I hope you can confirm you peak height in the afternoon. Have a great recovery.
Yes, you're right, or at least not too far off. I'm waiting for the other patients to finish their lengthening phase in order to calculate their height gained and compare it all together. Thank you.
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Last saturday I whatsapped Dr. Monegal saying I was stopping to lengthen in that same day at 4.8cm. He was surprised as most of the patients I hang out with. The reason why I stopped so early is because I feel confortable with both my height and proportions right now. If you followed my diary I said that my proportions looked at their best at 3cm of lengthening so, from that day on it was all about gaining height without damaging my proportions too much.
Congrats Auron, I think you made a good decision. 1.76 is a nice height, and a 4.8 cm lengthening should imply a quick recovery, with less long-term effects. And short-term thinking, the temporary 4.8 cm leg discrepancy must be quite easy to correct with a thick insole.
It's pretty easy to walk unaided in my room, no pain at all. It's a great feeling but I'll avoid to do it until the doc gives me the green light. To every future Monegal patient: you'll feel like you can walk unaided right after the lengthening phase but always listen to your doc, walk with 1 crutch when he says so and only ditch both crutches when asked. Until the bone has a consolidated bridge, your nail and screws are still bearing most of your weigh.
Sounds like a good advice.
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He looks really good indeed! I don't know why some of you think the taller the better. When I was 164 I thought 178 guys were too tall for me. Now I tend to dislike any guy over 183. I don't like tall guys.
Truth is most women like tall men. Of course not every women, but its just a matter of instincst. Taller = stronger, even if in real life is not always like that.
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Thanks guys. I'm glad I stopped where I did.
So the big news is that I am having my next surgery on the 7th of March! That's right, like 3 weeks after stopping lengthening my 1st leg. I'm taking x-rays on the same day and will post them here as well. If you haven't figured it out by now it means that I can walk unaided and so I received the green light to do the next surgery.
This weekend there is a patient of another doctor coming to MIC to meet us, Monegal patients. He needs his limbs to be corrected and is visiting Dr. Monegal.
P.S. Barcelona's coast is really beautiful, check it out!
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1 day post op
At first I was wishing for this operation to be like the first one but it ended up being even better. It lasted for only 1h15mins, with the antena and cable being removed as well. When the team finished operating me Dr. Monegal called my mom and when she heard Dr. Monegals voice she thought something had happened to me since he was giving her news so early but then she soon realised what was the call about.
At night I could already bend the knee pretty easly, move it sideways and up and down. Pain? Zero, at least in my leg but I had a stomach ache that lasted for the entire night. I think it was because I was 26 hours without eating and then ate a full meal at 00h. But yes, my leg is broken and I'd be in pain if I hadn't the epidural on me.
The doctor came by at 10am, we had a brief chat and he said I'd have x-rays today. He then left to do yet another CLL operation and will come again to see me when hes done.
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Day 2 post op
I've just taken x-rays. Once again I'm very pleased with them!
(https://s24.postimg.org/xn5daw6ud/IMG_20170309_WA0002.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/7rlmrp50h/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s14.postimg.org/run8zl501/IMG_20170309_WA0004.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/h7tfu5wul/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s18.postimg.org/4syzmwbzt/IMG_20170309_WA0003.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/b6o2q5gvp/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s24.postimg.org/bizkhy7ad/IMG_20170309_WA0005.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/cl9r0hq3l/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
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Thanks for the updates and the good news Auron
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Thanks for the update!
Keep strong.
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Thanks guys!
The catheter was removed yesterday, I'm ready to take the first shower by myself and start walking with crutches. It's like a déjà vu.
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I left the clinic on the 14th of march and I'm back to mic now. Since I already know the whole process it seems that time flies by. Considering I'm only taking one tramadol per night, pain seems to be in very good levels and I'vent had troubles in sleeping. Infact, I believe the pain is even less than before. I've been asked before in my diary to show a pic of my scars and I might do so soon, you'll realize that Dr. Monegals technique leaves his patients with very good scars, you can verify that by visiting Bohemia's diary if you haven't done so. There was one thing however, that was concerning me yesterday, not sure why I only noticed it yesterday. My tibia dances a bit sideways as if the muscle that controls it was numb and, when I asked Dr. Monegal why is that, he said hit must be muscle weakness. I was worried because I never had this feeling on the left leg but the explanation makes sense. I'm hoping I will be able to control it's movements again as the swelling goes down and I start using my leg muscles again.
As for the leg that was initially operated, it's doing great and I'm confident it will recover to nearly 100%. It's all about working on it's flexibility now.
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Yesterday I went to the hospital to have my stiches removed and by looking at my legs, it didn't look like I had a huge surgery. Someone has asked me in my diary to post a pic of my scarring and I will do that in 2 weeks or so. I've yet to feel any pain but I know it will appear once I hit 2 or 3cm's of lengthening.
Funny episode: Yesterday I got out of the taxi when I arrived at the hospital (it was already dark) and was about to get past the entrance when I noticed I didn't have the wallet in my pocket. I looked back and the taxi was leaving, I found myself chasing and literally running on crutches while shouting "hey!stop!". I eventually caught up thanks to the traffic jam and retrived my wallet. That was the first since I had my operation that I really missed the ability to run xd
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Funny episode: Yesterday I got out of the taxi when I arrived at the hospital (it was already dark) and was about to get past the entrance when I noticed I didn't have the wallet in my pocket. I looked back and the taxi was leaving, I found myself chasing and literally running on crutches while shouting "hey!stop!". I eventually caught up thanks to the traffic jam and retrived my wallet. That was the first since I had my operation that I really missed the ability to run xd
OMG, what a shock! Glad you made it and got the wallet back!
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OMG, what a shock! Glad you made it and got the wallet back!
Yeah, MM was with me and she had a face of someone who was like "the fk is that guy doing chasing the taxi?" xD I was really lucky that the taxi got stuck in the traffic.
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I'm around the 2cm mark by now and will have x rays this week. That feeling that I had in right leg is almost gone, now its just pain from lengthening. This time I don't think about slowing down, I wanna finish as soon as possible. I'm really ansious and excited to finish the lengthening phase because my left leg feels so good that I'm expecting my right leg to follow the same path, which means I'll be walking and doing most of the normal things in 2 months or so.
My next update will include x rays of both legs and a picture of my scars ;)
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Today I went to have x-rays with Helloworld and 2 more patients. I am at 28 days post 2nd op and ~4 months and a half post 1st op. This is how they look like:
(https://s2.postimg.org/fk0behnkp/IMG-20170405-_WA0000.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/w7rtgzic5/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s30.postimg.org/ny3hpzy3l/IMG-20170405-_WA0001.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/qff8x9hzx/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s15.postimg.org/euki8d8wr/IMG-20170405-_WA0002.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/9vwztu53r/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s14.postimg.org/5bvl9mhj5/IMG-20170405-_WA0003.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/z3snot4cd/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
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And as promised, this is a pic of my scars, 28 days after operation. I tried to zoom in as much as possible so you can clearly see how they truly look like so you don't get deceived. 1st pic shows the incision scar (3cm long) and the screws scar. the 2nd pic shows the scar that is created to insert the nail, its barely noticeable and it's only 28 days in.
(https://s27.postimg.org/76cgywkmb/20170405_163607.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/m2b06hw0v/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
(https://s1.postimg.org/9yksovsgf/20170405_163725.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/fmr3frwsr/) (https://postimage.org/index.php?lang=spanish)
If you want my true opinion, I've seen patients with better scars but it really depends on your skin. There're some things that neither you nor the doctor can control. That being said, my scars still look good and will look even better as the time goes on.
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Hey guys, it's been a while.
I almost forgot this forum existed. I am 1 week post lengthening phase and I am now walking unaided with a small limp which is fading away day by day. I've now departed from Mics, back to my own country. I will miss some people I left behind and made sure I thanked Dr. Monegal properly for the amazing job he has done with my legs.
To Helloworld: Once we meet again let's record each other running side by side and post the video here. Let's see whos the fastest Dr. Monegal's patient 8)
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To Helloworld: Once we meet again let's record each other running side by side and post the video here. Let's see whos the fastest Dr. Monegal's patient 8)
Good idea! Let's do that.
I heared Yagan will be visiting Barcelona. Let's see if he is also up for a competition. :-)
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This competition is ridiculous. You will break your legs and you will come here crying like a girl. Don't play with your health
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If they are already fused, their bone should be as strong as before! I think we all here need examples of people who have good athleticism after lengthening. If I could I would join them in the race but I'm not a Monegal patient :)
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When you had only one leg lengthened, you put all your weight in the good leg? Some Guy here got one screw loose becuase of walking without the insole
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Hello everyone!
Just letting you know I'm doing great. I can run now and its a great feeling. Can't wait to remove my rods and get back to sports! Of course It's still early days but time flies by.
If you have any questions concerning my journy feel free to ask. I will answer them time asap.
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Congrats. You did a conservative amount which was smart as your starting height does not require large lengthening. You are now at completely normal height.
your diary should set an example.
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Hey Auron,
I'm sure you are busy with your life post LL and probably don't visit the forum very much.
I would like to ask you though if you could give a small update on how you are doing physically but also mentally.
Can you share some experiences you've had regarding the new height?
I am the same height as you pre-op (172~173cm) and if I decide to do LL it would probably be 5 cm femurs like you did.
Are you happy with your new height? Has the height neurosis gone?
Hope you are doing well.
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Hey Auron,
I'm sure you are busy with your life post LL and probably don't visit the forum very much.
I would like to ask you though if you could give a small update on how you are doing physically but also mentally.
Can you share some experiences you've had regarding the new height?
I am the same height as you pre-op (172~173cm) and if I decide to do LL it would probably be 5 cm femurs like you did.
Are you happy with your new height? Has the height neurosis gone?
Hope you are doing well.
Hello FDR,
I'm doing great both mentally and physically. I have been able to play basketball and tennis but not at the same level as before. Infact, as long as the rods are still inside I don't think its possible to feel completly natural. Another thing is that I'vent had anyone mentioning my height, everyone said I looked skinner instead. I never had much of a height neurosis tbh, I decided to do this surgery because I thought it would be cool to feel taller. Doing something many people think it's possible is tempting.
Being 5cm taller is a huge difference though, I was measured by Dr. Monegal last month at 1.77,3 so I guess if you did this surgery you would end up somewhere near my actual height. I say it's worth it but it's a long journy and it might not go as smooth as you'd like. In my case, I'm glad I did the surgery.
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Hello FDR,
I'm doing great both mentally and physically. I have been able to play basketball and tennis but not at the same level as before. Infact, as long as the rods are still inside I don't think its possible to feel completly natural. Another thing is that I'vent had anyone mentioning my height, everyone said I looked skinner instead. I never had much of a height neurosis tbh, I decided to do this surgery because I thought it would be cool to feel taller. Doing something many people think it's possible is tempting.
Being 5cm taller is a huge difference though, I was measured by Dr. Monegal last month at 1.77,3 so I guess if you did this surgery you would end up somewhere near my actual height. I say it's worth it but it's a long journy and it might not go as smooth as you'd like. In my case, I'm glad I did the surgery.
Thanks for your update Auron, good to hear you are doing great.
Could you try to describe the unnatural feeling? Is it a pain, a lack of balance, a tiredness? Also do you know whether it changes once the rods are removed? I've noticed that Dr. Monegal inserts the device from the knee area and not the hip-area, as I see Paley doing with Precise. How is your knee doing?
Lastly, this is probably too much to ask for, but could you upload an image of your legs standing up? I completely understand if you don't wish to do so, I'm simply curious about how the proportions will look like for a guy like me ~172cm to get femurs lengthened ~5cm.
Hope you continue doing great and wish you the best of luck on your journey.
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Thanks for your update Auron, good to hear you are doing great.
Could you try to describe the unnatural feeling? Is it a pain, a lack of balance, a tiredness? Also do you know whether it changes once the rods are removed? I've noticed that Dr. Monegal inserts the device from the knee area and not the hip-area, as I see Paley doing with Precise. How is your knee doing?
Lastly, this is probably too much to ask for, but could you upload an image of your legs standing up? I completely understand if you don't wish to do so, I'm simply curious about how the proportions will look like for a guy like me ~172cm to get femurs lengthened ~5cm.
Hope you continue doing great and wish you the best of luck on your journey.
Hey FDR101,
It's not pain, its not lack of balance but tiredness sounds like a good word to describe it. I feel like I'm gaining my muscles back at a really slow pace. I've no idea what happens once the rods are removed but my guess is that it can only get better, right? My knee is doing very good, no pain, however, I do feel a bit a of pain if I stand on my knees for a while. I'd rather not post photos of myself but there're many mocks ups in the forum, check them out.
Thank you for your best wishes!
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Any predictions of when you'll have the rods removed?
Glad to hear you have been doing that well.
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I'd like to have my rods removed somewhere in the 2nd half of 2018. It all depends on my x rays and spare time, but if not by then, surely in the 1st half of 2019.
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Hey, Auron. I hope things have been going well for you.
Would you have done 1cm less if you could go back in time?
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I dont know if you are 172 in the morning or afternoon, but 177 is a good height, not tall but average.
Average in Europe. Tall-ish in the rest of the world. Don't forget the planet isn't just Europeans.
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Hello lads!
Havent been to the forum, Dr. Monegal has so many patients now a days that I was hoping there would be more diaries.
So I have actually been playing football every week. Never thought I would be able to do so so comfortably. However, and since my rods are still inside, I play it more chilled while applying less stress in my legs. No sudden dashes as well. I actually can't wait to remove my rods to see how it really feels.
I'll drop by once in a while for more updates.
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Hi guys,
It's been a while but I figured I would put an end to my diary as my LL journey has come to an end as well.
Hasnt been 2 weeks yet since I removed the nails that were inside my legs. I'll let you know that less than 24 hours after the surgery I was walking without crutches. In fact, I had bought a brand new pair of crutches for nothing. I haven't been running yet, of course, but I expect to return to normal soon. What I noticed is that I will have to work on my flexibility again, I was bending me legs all the way before the surgery, something I cant do right now but thats the least of my concerns as thats just a matter or time/exercise until it gets back to normal.
I'd like to give a special thanks to doctor Monegal for the great job he did, a flawless job and I don't think the outcome could be any better.