Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: U only live once on August 05, 2017, 02:33:24 AM
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Hi all,
I'm not sure if I'm using this site right but I wanted to make a diary of my future experience with dr monegal. I have my surgery scheduled for the 19th of September arriving to Spain on the 18th.
It's great to see that I'm not alone in this world and so many have already taken the first step on the LL journey.
I have to be honest, I am scared because of the implications of this surgery and because the lack of support of my family. However, I am supremely confident I have chosen the best Dr in this discipline and his attention and care seem the best in the market.
Although my decision is made and my surgery is already on the way, I am still contemplating the possibility of doing it on one stage for which this could change from now and then. The main reason of doing it on two stages is the chance to continue working back home but this will take twice as long not to mention the risk one of the screws get loose and have to come back to Spain. On the other hand, on one stage which was my first choice i can culminate the lengthening and that's it but I will need to quit my job and I am not sure how I will cope with the stress of being on a wheelchair.
If anyone has any thoughts to help me make my mind, please write here. On return I will be very fair on my diary, letting others know the ups and downs of this surgery.
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good luck and keep us posted!
what country are you from and what kind of job do you have? how will you explain the prolonged disability?
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Good luck mate. I reallly hope the best possible outcome for you. I will have the same issues when/ if chose this operation.
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good luck and keep us posted!
what country are you from and what kind of job do you have? how will you explain the prolonged disability?
Hi,
I am from the land down under, Australia. I work as a cost analyst and most of my job is sitting down but sometimes I need to do field job and inspections. Regarding explanation, I will have to go with a lie, maybe an accident. I know everyone is going to question why healing is taking so long and I know some people will get concerned cuz they know I am very mobile. However, my concern would be when i need get the second leg done! people in my workplace wont buy it. Maybe at that point I will quit! anyhow I have been thinking that is time to move on.
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Good luck mate. I reallly hope the best possible outcome for you. I will have the same issues when/ if chose this operation.
Thanks man!
I will keep u all posted.
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Good luck, you will be in good hands!
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Good luck man. You will do just fine.
Can you tell us what is your starting height, and your goal height? Also, are you doing femur or tibia? How old are you roughly? Thanks.
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Hi brave man :-*
Congratulations that you r a step further toward your dream ;)
Is it possible to know your present height and goal to reach?
Any reasons that why u would like to make this operation?
Best wishes :)
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Good luck man. You will do just fine.
Can you tell us what is your starting height, and your goal height? Also, are you doing femur or tibia? How old are you roughly? Thanks.
Hi Ouroboros,
what is your starting height? Funny you should ask that question, I just measured my height yesterday because I went to the doctor for a check up, and I am very disappointed to have been told that I am 1.57. I have measured my height many times before and I have been always 1.60 and sometimes 1.61. Is it possible I am shrinking like in the movie "honey, I shrunk the kids".
and your goal height? Well, I always wanted to be 1.80 but I know its not feasible. So 1.66 would be nice. However, this was before yesterday, now that I know I am 1.57 I will have to go with 1.63. All in all I am not gonna do more than 6 cm. However, because I am a real short ass I need to take into consideration my proportion so from the minute i see myself looking funny I will stop.
are you doing femur or tibia? I am doing femur although I know tibias are more aesthetic, however, femur are safer and you can do a bit more.
How old are you roughly? I am in the range of 28-34. yeah I contemplated LL for the first time at the age of 20. When for first time I learned about it, I cried as I was reading the story of a french patient doing it with Guitchet unfortunately I never had the resources to do it but here I am, about to do it.
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Hi brave man :-*
Congratulations that you r a step further toward your dream ;)
Is it possible to know your present height and goal to reach?
Best wishes :)
Present height is 1.57 but I will check that again as I was measured at 1.60 only one year ago when I got my passport renewed.
Any reasons that why u would like to make this operation?
in a nutshell, getting more sex. I know from heart height is a big hindrance when it comes to attracting the opposite sex but to be honest it all depends on your confidence, really! Every time I got a couple of tequila shots my confidence levels skyrocket and start getting luckier with the ladies but when I am sober I can see that girls dont want short guys.
Only a few times I have noticed that maybe height has an effect on jobs and promotions. However, this not the reason I am doing it!
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Hi,
I am from the land down under, Australia. I work as a cost analyst and most of my job is sitting down but sometimes I need to do field job and inspections. Regarding explanation, I will have to go with a lie, maybe an accident. I know everyone is going to question why healing is taking so long and I know some people will get concerned cuz they know I am very mobile. However, my concern would be when i need get the second leg done! people in my workplace wont buy it. Maybe at that point I will quit! anyhow I have been thinking that is time to move on.
Looking forward to hearing more as your journey countinues!
I was in the same boat with the desk job but couldn't see myself feasibly getting away with an excuse. Also lengthening away from the doctor seemed a little risky for me. I'm really eager to hear how your journey goes
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:) really appreciate your honesty!
Many guys think the same but don't have the balls to speak it out .
I think the height would definitely be one of important factors to attract girls.
Of course not only the height, because a lot of tall guys don't get laid eaily as well
I got few questions for u :)
1) Have u made any physio plans for stretching before the surgery?
2) How Long u are planing to stay in Barcelona after operation?
3) With two stages for LL is a very wise decision, how was your sports ability in the daily life?
If you need any mental support in the future, we will be here to support u :)
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:) really appreciate your honesty!
Many guys think the same but don't have the balls to speak it out .
I think the height would definitely be one of important factors to attract girls.
Of course not only the height, because a lot of tall guys don't get laid eaily as well
I got few questions for u :)
1) Have u made any physio plans for stretching before the surgery?
2) How Long u are planing to stay in Barcelona after operation?
3) With two stages for LL is a very wise decision, how was your sports ability in the daily life?
If you need any mental support in the future, we will be here to support u :)
HI Summer Breeze,
Please see down below the answer to your questions:
1) Have u made any physio plans for stretching before the surgery?
Well, I have just started to exercise basically doing cardio and sit ups for 20 min. Then I start to stretch for about 10 min. I try to repeat this routine 3 times in a day, however, due to time sometimes I do it two times only. I know some other patients, especially with Guitchet, exercise vigorously for 3 months prior the surgery. I am having a phone conversation with Monegal on Friday so I can ask more about the consequences of not having the ideal physical shape for the surgery.
2) How Long u are planing to stay in Barcelona after operation?
I am doing one limb at a time so I have been told that I can come back home two weeks after the surgery if I so desire. However, I may do two limbs if my boss approves three months of my annual leave. If I end up doing two limbs I will stay 2.5 months but in the meantime I am just planning to stay two to three weeks (most likely three) after the surgery. I personally prefer to do 2 limbs and get over with this in once because I heard sometimes the screws get loose and a surgery is required to whack them in.
3)With two stages for LL is a very wise decision, how was your sports ability in the daily life?
I am very active. Although I have a desk and 90% of my job can be completed from my office, I spend most of time going up and down the stairs. I am a soccer player, and I like to do some water sports like snorkeling. I really hope and I pray that this surgery becomes a total success.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions about this surgery. After the surgery I will update everyone about my progress and things to watch out for.
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你好 兄弟 我来自中国 我将10月左右进行手术和你一样的医生，我英语不太好 所以麻烦你用谷歌翻译器看了，很期待你的日记！
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你好 兄弟 我来自中国 我将10月左右进行手术和你一样的医生，我英语不太好 所以麻烦你用谷歌翻译器看了，很期待你的日记！
Hi Chinese Actor,
Good on ya! I hope I meet you one day ! If not in Spain maybe in China!
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Thanks a lot for the quick and clear reply.
It seemed that stretch would help a lot for the physical preparation before operation, basically is that you are telling your body to get prepared for the operation shock.
Would be nice if u could share your preparation daily routine for physically n mentally :)
Will u tell your family and friends about your plan?
By the way, the Chinese Actor was telling you that he would have operation on Oct, and he wish that to see u there and wish that u two can be friends during lenthening, I think that u will improve your Chinese very soon ;D
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朋友，我想我们会在西班牙见面，希望你一切顺利，我也很爱踢球，不过属于爱好，看你是足球运动员，相信你有一天重返赛场后会更凶猛。
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我想我们会成为很好的朋友，虽然语言有一定障碍，我想翻译会帮助我的，他也可以帮我加强我的英文，哈哈
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Thanks a lot for the quick and clear reply.
It seemed that stretch would help a lot for the physical preparation before operation, basically is that you are telling your body to get prepared for the operation shock.
Would be nice if u could share your preparation daily routine for physically n mentally :)
Will u tell your family and friends about your plan?
By the way, the Chinese Actor was telling you that he would have operation on Oct, and he wish that to see u there and wish that u two can be friends during lenthening, I think that u will improve your Chinese very soon ;D
Awe ! as you can see I need to brush up on my chinese !
No. I did tell them before but they all thought I was out of my mind. The first time I wanted to do LL, and I was so close to do it, was when I was 24. I remembered I saved 15,000 USD and I flew to Cuba as they said they could do it and that cuban medical services are the best. I contacted the doctors. I did the analysis, X rays, and psychological consultations. Every word that came out of the Doctors was discouraging and frightening so deep in my heart I knew I was in the wrong place. The doctors them brought me to the orthopedic area to show me patients that have had similar surgeries however none of them were doing for cosmetic purposes and their scars were so yuck. Finally, after 2 full days of examinations and consultations, this nurse came to my room (they have hotels in the hospitals) and she said Julio dont do it you are perfect as you are and some other bull but that was it !! I went to Australia to start my masters and I left LL behind for good! After this experience my life was just ok and at times the feeling of being taller kicked in and I got into depression. Anyways that is a NO! my family does not know which makes it kinda hard because you need support!
I will prepare a training schedule this weekend and post it here! Just feeling lazy now! Sorry
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朋友，我想我们会在西班牙见面，希望你一切顺利，我也很爱踢球，不过属于爱好，看你是足球运动员，相信你有一天重返赛场后会更凶猛。
Hey buddy I am happy we'll meet there ! Please teach me chinese and I will teach you English or Spanish!
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Hey buddy I am happy we'll meet there ! Please teach me chinese and I will teach you English or Spanish!
这太棒了哥们，中文很有意思，中国姑娘欢迎你 ;D
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Hi all,
Just to give you an update I had my surgery yesterday and everything went very good. Surgery took two hours basically tbh I don't even know when they started, last thing I remember is that I was flirting with one of the nurses but that was because they gave me something that make feel drunk. When I woke the surgery was done.
After the surgery pain was about 2/10 but then they gave me something and pain went away. But somehow I was so cold after the surgery so they put a heater or at least that is what remember hahaha I fell asleep after that. Pain is minimum I would say 0 but I always have a funny sensation on the sole of my feet anyways at times there is a slight pain but not even one out of ten.
As a final note please do not have breakfast prior the surgery , i forgot and I did have breakfast so they had to wait until my food was digested. Well I will keep u posted of anything.
Regards .
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Good to hear that everything is well, dude.
Wishing you a comfy recovery!
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good luck, times flies, three first days are the worst, and after of that it's just boring. Salads are very tasty, and in a few days you will start the PT sessions, I was with Alberto and Hector, the first time that you can take a shower by yourself you feel great
I was in the hospital yesterday for a review with the doctor, he told me that he has two surgeries that evening.
My best wishes.
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Nice bro, you coming to MIC? Would love to have someone here with me haha
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To ozimandia, things are going very well, people at diagonal clinic are pretty cool and nurses are real hotties here. There is a guy who is hilarious and make me laugh when he is around.
To yagen, thanks mate your diary was a real inspiration I don't know if I ever gonna do tibias but you are right I still feel a bit uncomfortable with the bendage around my leg but I know soon it will come off. And yes one of the surgeries was me and the other another guy which I met on that day. I was very tired because my flight took 24 horas from Australia. Anyways it was very nice to meet dr Alex and his team.
To inferiority , yes mate I will be in the MiC for three weeks once I get released
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Hi, buddy, how's it going?
:)
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Hi all,
As promised I will give you a second update about my journey. I made it safely to MIC yesterday and I have started my lengthening yesterday, one week after my surgery. Things are going very standard like other diaries. There is still pain but manageable with pain killers, last night I had a sweet sleep until 4 am and then I woke up with some pain and discomfort so I woke up and I massaged my leg and I straightened it up and it did the trick but pain came back again like about 6 am, I guess the effect of the painkiller started to fade away.
In terms of my experience in clinica diagonal, it was pretty good, the staff there was lovely. No complains whatsoever, nurses, apprentices, dieticians, cleaning staff, and PTs are great! I did use the CPM machine and I got 95 degrees. The only stuff i did not expect was that after the bandage was removed from my leg I had three blisters which one of the nurses treated it. All in all I only have a bit of bruises still around the scars but they seems to be fading away day by day . Ohh inflammation is still visible but nothing like the first three days, basically the areas that are still swollen is where the cuts were made, the rest of the leg is back to normal. The doctor gave a special sock to reduce the swelling.
It is interesting to see how your leg stiffens up every time you lengthen so it is important that you are stretching and flexing your muscles everyday for as long as you lengthen.
Sorry if i make this diary a bit boring but i never being a forum person however let me know if you have any question. If any of you are staying at the mic please ask reception for me, I am the only guy who comes from Australia. I met another guy in Clinica Diagonal who did LL and we are planning to rent a car in three weeks time before I return home to visit a few places in barcelona for which if anyone is interested please raise your hand. Dr Monegal volunteered to lend his car but I cannot take that offer cuz I know I am bit of crazy on the wheel! hahaha
all the best guys!
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Hi all,
As promised I will give you a second update about my journey. I made it safely to MIC yesterday and I have started my lengthening yesterday, one week after my surgery. Things are going very standard like other diaries. There is still pain but manageable with pain killers, last night I had a sweet sleep until 4 am and then I woke up with some pain and discomfort so I woke up and I massaged my leg and I straightened it up and it did the trick but pain came back again like about 6 am, I guess the effect of the painkiller started to fade away.
In terms of my experience in clinica diagonal, it was pretty good, the staff there was lovely. No complains whatsoever, nurses, apprentices, dieticians, cleaning staff, and PTs are great! I did use the CPM machine and I got 95 degrees. The only stuff i did not expect was that after the bandage was removed from my leg I had three blisters which one of the nurses treated it. All in all I only have a bit of bruises still around the scars but they seems to be fading away day by day . Ohh inflammation is still visible but nothing like the first three days, basically the areas that are still swollen is where the cuts were made, the rest of the leg is back to normal. The doctor gave a special sock to reduce the swelling.
It is interesting to see how your leg stiffens up every time you lengthen so it is important that you are stretching and flexing your muscles everyday for as long as you lengthen.
Sorry if i make this diary a bit boring but i never being a forum person however let me know if you have any question. If any of you are staying at the mic please ask reception for me, I am the only guy who comes from Australia. I met another guy in Clinica Diagonal who did LL and we are planning to rent a car in three weeks time before I return home to visit a few places in barcelona for which if anyone is interested please raise your hand. Dr Monegal volunteered to lend his car but I cannot take that offer cuz I know I am bit of crazy on the wheel! hahaha
all the best guys!
It's a good start, come on!
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Hi All,
I hope everyone is having a good time wherever you are! Special greetings to my Mics comrades! Today I have decided to throw another update of my LL experience so far. In order for me to get my message across in a clear fashion, I have broken my experience in sub topics.
Limb lengthening and Fitbone device
As of now I have lengthened close to 3.8cm however as per clicks I have only lengthened around 3 cm which it means my Fitbone device is working faster than it what it says. I believe this is the opposite problem that the great majority here has had as normally Fitbone tends to be slower than what it indicates. Anyways, I am not going by the clicks I do daily but by my fortnightly X rays.
Discomfort and pain
This is a much desired topic I wanted to talk about because although my pain today is nothing compared to the pain on my first three weeks post operation, I would still like to say that there is some pain however this is low and at times this could be called discomfort. Pain still comes at night specially when I have hectic days. As I mentioned above, I strongly believe my Fitbone is working faster for which this could be the cause of some pressure I feel in the night as I think three clicks may be equivalent to four clicks. Ohh I also don't feel the same level of stiffness I once felt even up to the day I left Spain and even my knee bending is about 110 degrees.
At this stage I would probably say that in my case it would have been better to do one-stage limb lengthening as my performance at work is not the same as before and often times I am tired and I have to call in sick. I think I would have been better off just resigning, do LL, and then come back after 4 months, as I am planning to resign from my job in a few weeks anyways.
As a final note on this subject, little importance is given to the mental preparation for this surgery when this requires a strong mindset and focus. Sometimes I feel anxiety not being able to do what I was used to do, especially because I am a very active person. Anyways I know this is temporary .
Magic Shoes
I remember my fellow LLers at the mics used to laugh at my shoes with the outsole , well this is no different here in Australia. When I am in the malls, kids come to me and ask what happened to me so it is an awkward situation. Today I am actually getting tailored shoes for my small leg so I hope these shoes would be more discrete!
X Rays and Photos
Lastly I will attach some photos and X rays so maybe one of you would like to provide any opinions. You can also message me in my inbox if you would like to keep it more private.
All the best my fellow LLers. I am just trying to figure out how to reduce the size cuz it wont let me upload them.
all the best!!!
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Hi All,
I hope everyone is having a good time wherever you are! Special greetings to my Mics comrades! Today I have decided to throw another update of my LL experience so far. In order for me to get my message across in a clear fashion, I have broken my experience in sub topics.
Limb lengthening and Fitbone device
As of now I have lengthened close to 3.8cm however as per clicks I have only lengthened around 3 cm which it means my Fitbone device is working faster than it what it says. I believe this is the opposite problem that the great majority here has had as normally Fitbone tends to be slower than what it indicates. Anyways, I am not going by the clicks I do daily but by my fortnightly X rays.
Are you sure about the 3.8 cm?
It seems quite a lot!
Discomfort and pain
This is a much desired topic I wanted to talk about because although my pain today is nothing compared to the pain on my first three weeks post operation, I would still like to say that there is some pain however this is low and at times this could be called discomfort. Pain still comes at night specially when I have hectic days. As I mentioned above, I strongly believe my Fitbone is working faster for which this could be the cause of some pressure I feel in the night as I think three clicks may be equivalent to four clicks. Ohh I also don't feel the same level of stiffness I once felt even up to the day I left Spain and even my knee bending is about 110 degrees.
Just do less clicks to lengthen more slowely.
At this stage I would probably say that in my case it would have been better to do one-stage limb lengthening as my performance at work is not the same as before and often times I am tired and I have to call in sick. I think I would have been better off just resigning, do LL, and then come back after 4 months, as I am planning to resign from my job in a few weeks anyways.
I agree. Much better to get it done asap.
As a final note on this subject, little importance is given to the mental preparation for this surgery when this requires a strong mindset and focus. Sometimes I feel anxiety not being able to do what I was used to do, especially because I am a very active person. Anyways I know this is temporary .
Magic Shoes
I remember my fellow LLers at the mics used to laugh at my shoes with the outsole , well this is no different here in Australia. When I am in the malls, kids come to me and ask what happened to me so it is an awkward situation. Today I am actually getting tailored shoes for my small leg so I hope these shoes would be more discrete!
X Rays and Photos
Lastly I will attach some photos and X rays so maybe one of you would like to provide any opinions. You can also message me in my inbox if you would like to keep it more private.
All the best my fellow LLers. I am just trying to figure out how to reduce the size cuz it wont let me upload them.
use https://imgur.com/
all the best!!!
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Hi all,
Just a correction from my previous post, I said that i was about 3.8cm , it was my mistake I was only on 3 cm as of 30 Oct 2017.
Please see links below:
30 Oct 2017
https://imgur.com/RtxXd8n
17 Nov 2017
https://imgur.com/ZWl5EZH
https://imgur.com/bEixtDs
https://imgur.com/shzyJyH
https://imgur.com/Tesx3vq
https://imgur.com/RBDdt44
https://imgur.com/hGqQEKG
https://imgur.com/2A2txzc
https://imgur.com/CUiNqPw
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Hey, man, rooting for you and that you have a nice, speedy recovery. All the best.
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Hi all,
Photos as of 30 Dec 2017. No news so far.
my only update so far is that my knee is very crackling! It does not hurt but it cracks every 5/10 min ? anyone going through the same?
https://imgur.com/a/ZImsv
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Hi all,
Photos as of 30 Dec 2017. No news so far.
my only update so far is that my knee is very crackling! It does not hurt but it cracks every 5/10 min ? anyone going through the same?
https://imgur.com/a/ZImsv
Hello U only live once,
Happy to hear that you are continuing to progress. How many CMs are you at currently ? What has the doctor said about the cracking in the knee? I read in another journal here that it's normal and that it goes away quickly during consolidation.
Wishing you well.
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Hi LAgrowin,
I stopped my lengthening before Christmas at 5.35 cm. I haven't asked my doctor just yet since it did not bother me. Also I have been too busy at work that whenever I finish I just wanted to come home and sleep. However last time I spoke to my doctor everything else seems fine, I mean, according to plan.
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my only update so far is that my knee is very crackling! It does not hurt but it cracks every 5/10 min ? anyone going through the same?
https://imgur.com/a/ZImsv
I’ve gone through the same. You should exercise your quadriceps both in strength and flexibility.
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Thanks TallerNacho,
In the last three weeks I haven't exercise much at all. I didn't even have time to go the the physio but I will get back on track again.
Thanks
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Hi LL people,
A couple of photos from my last X rays. https://imgur.com/a/Id6EB
Life is slowly getting back to normal. Walking improves day by day and muscle has started to grow. Doing squads is once again good, I still feel some discomfort when I do too much of it but it can't be called pain. Eliptica is a piece of cake and going up and down the stair does not take me too long as before but I still need to be careful.
All in all, I am getting back to normal. Four weeks ago I have started to visit a different physio who I told him the truth about LL, he is helping me a lot specially about stretching and gaining muscle again. A couple of weeks ago he gave some kind of massage in my knee because he told me it was too rigid after one hour of stretching and massage on my knee i felt soooo good ever since. He told me that he has made a lot of people walk after severe injuries but I was his first case of LL as this surgery is not allowed in Australia, however, as professional he knew the process. I do as much exercise as I can after work , at the very least, I do 20 minutes. Doing 5 cm has very little implications in your recovery, take it from me!!
All the best fellows.
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Hello dear LL fellows:
It feels great to be back in Barcelona. Second leg surgery is scheduled for this afternoon. Just tired at the moment due to the long flight and of course a bit hungry. I am surprised the staff at clinical Diagonal still remember the conversations we had in the last visit.
It is a shame weather is today as I wanted to go for a walk outside the clinic while I wait for my surgery. Anyways, I just had some x rays done to decide whether the Fitbone nail can be removed from my left femur (previous surgery). The x rays shows 100% consolidation internally but on one side is maybe 95%. I will wait for Monegal’s opinion when he arrives.
I never thought take this long to do my second leg in fact life has been pretty cool with one leg longer. People are so supportive back home, work, and I even got a handicap card which became really handy in parking situations. But of course time has come and now I am glad to get this done .
My biggest worry now is the way back as from experience I know the pain accentuates on the plane. Dont ask me why!
Before I left home I shaved both legs and i could see the difference between both of them. I noticed the the scars are very minimal and the one on the knee is almost completely unnoticeable . In my previous post and wrote about some blisters unfortunately the marks remained there. I will ask Monegal how to avoid this this time. Finally, I think my leg can only be 100% when all the metals are removed.
I will keep you all posted and thanks !!