Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: StrydeNailChallenge on July 31, 2020, 06:19:50 AM
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Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope you all are doing well in such strange times with COVID-19 and all.
I am going to start this new topic to share my LL experience, hoping it would help some with their current and future experiences.
I am sharing all the info I can hoping it could help current and future brother and sister LL'ers get more data points while deciding on what is best for them to go for:
48 year old male, LA county resident, 5'8", very athletic with an extremely strong upper body.
My health status: perfect based on my feeling, activities and numbers. There are exceptions: my cholesterol (LDL) has been at 110 - above normal for a very long time, despite having low levels fat body even while working from home during COVID-19.
Activities:
European soccer, gymnastics and taekwondo since I was a kid till 2001. Switched to swimming in 2001.
In short I could describe myself as someone who is exceptionally competitive and looking forward to challenges and doing things very few can do. I have done many crazy stuff in my life which make me feel happy and content. In addition to the extra height boost, the challenges of LL have been the reasons for me to go for it!
I did research on height increasing options since 2001. I've been determined to do this since the precise nail technologies were developed. The main problems were money and time and both were finally cleared this year.
I chose Dr. Mahboubian after 20 years of research, also considering that he is local and more importantly my phone call and then meeting with him in December 2019.
He assured me that based on my health status I am an ideal candidate. I showed a couple stretches that are probably records among adults in terms of the difficulty level. I completely trust Dr. Mahboubian and 100% sure if something goes wrong he would be able to make the right decision and perform the steps carefully and precisely.
I Did BILATERAL FEMUR OSTEOPLASTY WITH STRYDE NAILS on Thursday, July 23, 2020, aiming for 8 cm.
I will post my diary, hopefully on a daily basis. So far the most important finding since the surgery is that the LL challenge looks impossible to deal with individually with no help. I quickly realized that it's a team work. In addition to the posts here, the help of many loved ones have been crucial, therefore if all goes well, it would be a mission accomplished by a group of people and I was just one of them.
I would like to thank all the LL'ers who have shared their experiences all these years. I am so thankful especially to my man, IFS whose posts have helped me so much since a week before the surgery when I started reading them.
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Congratulations on the start of your journey. One of the oldest if not the oldest patient diaries I've seen. If you don't mind sharing your reasons for getting this procedure (height neurosis, attractiveness increase, etc) besides the challenge aspect that would be fantastic.
Happy to see another diary. Interesting username by the way. Good luck
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You do sound like a good candidate to a speedy recovery and great outcome, best wishes on your journey, will keep up with the diary
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Thanks very much!
As my post may have implied I am all for challenges that very few can do. This was on my list of things to do and I am looking forward to cross off of my list.
I look tall. I am not sure adding the extra height would make me more or less attractive, but I don't care. I hope you understand I did not do this for others. I did this because I wanted the challenge. I hope I look better, but if I end up looking like too thin or tall, I don't care as long as I deliver the results my Dr. has described to me.
I give you an example: if I knew I would die on July 31st, I would still have done the surgery, because I wanted to experience the challenge. I guess it's a disease competitive people have :P
I have a long list done already, but this is the first one involving a surgery :D The rest were mostly athletics related or related to skills I know.
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Movie, my Brother! I found out about your posts about 24 hours ago. I started watching them. Before checking your videos, I thought I would easily break the record of recovery among all Dr. Mahboubian's patients; but checking your videos, you've looked unbelievable. There is a chance I underestimated how good other LL'ers are.
Next step for me is to see Dr. Mahboubian. I'll let you guys know how it goes!
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Good Job :)
Wish you all the luck.
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Thanks very much!
As my post may have implied I am all for challenges that very few can do. This was on my list of things to do and I am looking forward to cross off of my list.
I look tall. I am not sure adding the extra height would make me more or less attractive, but I don't care. I hope you understand I did not do this for others. I did this because I wanted the challenge. I hope I look better, but if I end up looking like too thin or tall, I don't care as long as I deliver the results my Dr. has described to me.
I give you an example: if I knew I would die on July 31st, I would still have done the surgery, because I wanted to experience the challenge. I guess it's a disease competitive people have :P
I have a long list done already, but this is the first one involving a surgery :D The rest were mostly athletics related or related to skills I know.
I am doing LL for other reasons but I can still relate. That feeling of rush and being alive comes with difficult challenges and it can get very addicting haha
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Hi mrmccall,
You described it well :) Great icon man! One reason is liked the idea of Dexter so much was knowing that he was the best vigilante and all the precise steps he had to take to do everything right.
This procedure involves patience, preciseness, and a lot of attention by a team (of your doctor and his team, yourself, and your family members and friends).
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Thanks very much! Likewise, I wish you the best. Let me know if I can help with any questions.
I'll start posting my daily notes today.
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Pre-Day 1:
The date of the surgery had been set to July 3rd (back in Decem when I met Dr. Shahab Mahboubian (Dr. M.) for the first time. Later on when nurse called me to say it was cancelled, I was not surprised at all, considering the COVID-19 situation. I was under the impression that the surgery would move to 2021 (when herd immunity would be achieved with or without vaccines). However later on after talking to Dr. M. I was assured that the process is super safe and I should not worry about COVID-19 infection during my hospital visit.
The office had given me a tentative date of July 23 for my surgery. I think by July 15, I confirmed that I will keep the surgery appointment.
Food to avoid: Their instructions have some information related food items to avoid, etc. Particularly turmeric and fish oil should be avoid at least within the last two weeks before the surgery. I asked the Dr. if it was an issue that I had turmeric and salmon about 8 days before the surgery and he said it should be fine, as long as during the last week, I would follow and avoid them. That's what I did.
Pre-surgery exercises: I just continued what I typically do these days during COVID-19 (quick sit-ups, stretches, in-door cycling, chin-ups, and hanging from bar). I don't push it though.
Pre-surgery Tests: In addition to normal tests that are done before surgery to make sure all is good, I had to do a COVID-19 test two days before the surgery. It's a very simple test that takes around 30 seconds, basically doing a gentle lower nasal swap (both left and right). Of course you would have to come out of it as negative, otherwise the surgery will be cancelled!
Day 1 (Thursday, July 23)
I woke up at 4am, took shower and brushed my teeth for one last time before the surgery! My family dropped me at the hospital by 5:15 AM. A nurse picked me from the waiting area at 5:30am and took me to the pre-surgery room. I had noticed starting the COVID-19 test appointment how nice the nurses are. My hospital experience is definitely a very positive one. I have never had any other over night hospital stay, but it felt so like home, as the nurses were so caring.
The nurse said my leg is hairy, but they shave it themselves, cause they don't want the patients to shave and possibly create infection complications. They shaved the outer side of my thighs! They also shaved a bit of my right wrist to connect the IV.
Dr. Chan was my anesthesia doctor. He visited me before the surgery and asked me some questions that had also been asked by the nurses, like any allergies, whether I was exposed recently (COVID-19) , what time last night I stopped eating, ...
Dr. M. Also came by and asked if I am ready. Finally one of the biggest moments of my life was approaching! the challenging of LL with a lot of unknowns for me!
Another doctor or nurse took me to the surgery room.
I really really wanted to remember the last moment before going to sleep. Unfortunately I don't remember that moment at all. All I remember was that Dr. M. had 4 nurses (two ladies and two gentlemen) who greeted me very warmly.
I think I woke up around 12:30pm. I was told the surgery went well
Pain was at level 2 to 3 right after waking up, pushed the pain button several times :D That injects morphine based on the certain maximum amount during a period of time. I was later told that I used it overall minimally during day 1 (apparently 1mg).
Lunch was great and made me realize how hungry I have been.
Daniel, the PT (Physical Therapist) came by and showed me how to walk using the walker. Also showed me two stretching exercises and one bonus one.
The two stretching moves are 1) bending knees half way by sliding your feet on the bed, alternating between left and right legs, and 2) squeezing and releasing the knee caps while legs are straight.
The bonus was to lift a legs up, while both at 180 degrees lying on the bed. I could not do the bonus and after a while even bending knees was getting harder. Daniel said that that I walked longer that other patients. However my left leg was by far more painful that the right one.
Anthony, the OT (Occupational Therapist) also showed up and gave me tips on how to go to later on go to restroom from bed, how to take shower, etc.
Pain remained manageable. For most of the day I used my laptop and cellphone to distract myself while doing some stretching exercises in bed, once iin a while, and also took rest.
I felt a bit light-headed because of the anesthesia impact. The nurse gave me a medicine. Dinner was great! I should say the food in this hospital is great, but once gain, I am not a hospital veteran, but I heard from one of the nurses that the food here is better than a typical hospital food.
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The journey begins my friend. Key is, stay positive. Remain very alert and active, in mind body and soul. That will be my first tip.
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The journey begins my friend. Key is, stay positive. Remain very alert and active, in mind body and soul. That will be my first tip.
Hey BoneStretching,
Thanks for the message and support. It's a very exciting experience, but more challenging that I thought! Particularly I wanted to stop pain killers starting week two, but I failed on that. The pain was unbearable at 8 or above and I had no choice but resuming Norco and Tylenol!
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Day 2 (Friday July 24) - Bye Catheter!
Catheter removed early morning! I have no trouble urinating in the urinal. Big relief 😊
However the day was dramatic in terms of exercises and walking.
Dr. M. visited me and said legs looked very good. He however wanted me to move. I told him about my left leg pain and the sound on the first day that it made while moving my left leg sideways (i.e., laterally from left to right so I can get close to the right side of the bed to start walking). He believed it was just bones adjusting, and nothing to worry about.
Allan and his colleague (PTs) came by in the morning, but I could not move my left leg, so they left :(
They were so kind to come by once more and on the second attempt, I was able to take perhaps less than 10 baby steps overall from and back to my bed. The main reason is the severe pain on my left leg (upper thighs – on the outer side).
Later the OT (Anthony), also visited me to show me how to dress, but the process was too painful (bending my left leg) and instead I moved out of bed and did some very few steps and then back to my bed.
They disconnected me from the IV (morphine, etc.) early morning. I am on Norco now (two tablet each time). I had two in the morning, and I think two at 7pm, then another two on Saturday @ 4am.
I was able to move my legs up, and did a lot of knee bending.
I also used the inhaler for deep breaths as my body temperate had risen to 100+. That solved the problem quickly!
Overall, today was tougher than the first day, but something I had expected based on other LL'ers experiences and what the medical staff had told me.
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Day 3 (Saturday, July 25) - Going Home Today :)
Last night I felt comfortable doing some simple bed exercises. But in the morning I feel like my feet are stiff. On a positive note, I am sure they are in better shape than yesterday.
A new PT came by around 9:45 am. I had taken my Norco around 8 am. My experience with him was great at start for a few seconds, but turned dramatic so fast that I lost confidence in him and partly even myself. He started by giving me some stretching exercises. He said he would guide me through movements.
First I squeezed knees that also straightens legs and he approved. Then bending knees almost to 90 degrees which was good too. The drama started when he said he would lift my feet to move them to sideways. I warned him about my left leg that if it gets into a certain position, the pain goes from 0-2 to 8-9, and I asked him to avoid…. He did not listen to me to finish my sentence, and he moved my legs keeping my feet lifted. It was so painful I screamed very loudly and nurses who were passing by stopped to see what happened. I told him I could not continue that move. He said whether I still wanted to try to stand up and possibly walk and I said sure, if he has time, because I would move very slowly to avoid pain. He said he has some time. I put my feet down, stood up and then cause he seemed a bit in rush I told him that I would just sit and go back to bed. As I was trying to bring my feet off the floor he grabbed my feet to speed up. I told him I would not need it, but he said, it would be faster. Then the severe pain on my left leg started; once gain my movements were not under my control and any tiny movements by him would elevate the pain to 8-9. I told him to not move my feet for a while, so I figure out a way to grab my feet up to the bed, and he said he cannot just keep my feet in the air for me and I have to do this fast. It was so painful and him pushing me on time, was so disappointing. I hated the experience, thinking why is he even there if he does not have time to do what I expect him to do and spend time for.
I knew from the posts by IFS, that Dr. M. showed up for him on a Saturday two days after his surgery, therefore I expected to see Dr. M. today again. I was still impressed when he showed up around 11 am. He evaluated my legs, and in terms of bending knees. He said that is the bending degree he expects me to maintain every day; and that I would have a quick recovery from the surgery.
He asked me about the morning PT. He was kind enough to remember and later asked the nurses to assign a different PT for my afternoon exercise.
Later around 2 pm, Irene, an OT stopped by for any questions about going in or out of the car and also towards the restroom. Based on her recommendation we ordered during our meeting a commode. She also recommended a bathtub transfer seat if I later found out that going to the shower room would be difficult.
She was so kind to offer to help me with standing/walking practice. I asked if she had any appointment after me, cause I was slow. She said to not worry. She then did what I exactly wanted: not touching me, but just watching me and giving me tips on how to do the next thing. She was the first to finally clarify the pain I was experiencing on my left knee. The pain comes from muscle contraction, when it is not bearing weight. This was very helpful, cause now I knew exactly where the source of the pain is and therefore I knew when to expect it and plan ahead of it. Her recommendation was to release that muscle, which I have no idea how to do so. She also recommended deep breaths. That helped a lot: this is how I was classifying my pain: when my body weight is on both feet, there is no pain. When weight is on right leg, my left leg has this sharp severe pain; this is initially even worse, when switching weight from both feet to the right foot. I therefore made the switching super slow so I could examine my body reaction almost in fractions of a second and be ready to guide the pain to gradually appear and subside! It worked. I got a lot of confidence and thought I would be okay going to then wheelchair then the ride and finally from the ride to home.
Later Eric, the new PT came by. He emphasized the same points as those made by Irene, about my left leg's muscle contraction. I am really thankful of Irene and Eric for helping me. I could walk more than 10 feet, while Eric was just observing me and giving me tips. I believe this afternoon was successful because Irene and Eric are not only smart, but also very patient with me.
Finally it is time to go home! I loved this hospital, but very excited to go back home! Going from the hospital wheelchair to the car was very smooth. However while getting out of the front seat in front of my house, my right leg dangled out of my control. It was so painful that I think the neighbors heard my scream. But I was finally at home.
Like the hospital nights, I woke up almost every 60 to 90 minutes. Unfortunately I forgot to ask my family to prepare some ice packs and by morning, my legs were swollen. I typically do bending and squeezing exercises anytime, including night times while I am awake, but tonight it was so painful to make any movements.
Today, with the help of my family, I could do a in-bed shower!! It was not exactly a shower, but I could wash my hair with warm water and shampoo and also wash my body piece by piece. I feel so fresh :D
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Day 4 (Sunday, July 26)
The major barrier is severe pain in my left leg due to its muscle contraction. I did my first walk practice of the day starting 12:45pm and a 10 to 15 foot walk took me about an hour till 1:45 ☹
Tonight is going to be much better cause I have four ice bags from hospital ready to use in pairs, meaning I am currently using two of them and by night time the other two which are in the freezer are going to be ready to use. I fill them with water and they perform much better than any other ice packs, I have at home. They are large ice bags and they don’t get wet on the outside.
Pain level: So far as long as I don't walk or move, the pain level is 0-3. In case of any movements in bed it depends on whether they trigger the muscle contraction of my left leg, and if so, the pain can be higher say 5-6. However pain level while walking can be as high as 8. I move very very slowly to be able to manage the pain.
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Day 5 (Monday, July 27)
My first day with a wheelchair in the house. I used the wheelchair to perform additional exercises, like dangling knees, and using the wheelchair pedals as steps to move my feet up and down on the floor.
I think the moves help me better manage the left leg pain while walking later on.
However I made some mistakes today. I took one Norco (5mg) I think two or three hours before standing to walk. It made my standing on left leg so painful. Pain level could go to 8 or higher intermittently. In the afternoon after the wheelchair workout, I thought I did not have much pain and skipped Norco and that was a big mistake! When I started my walking, it was so painful that I had to stop and get back to my wheelchair. I then took Norco and waited for about 20 minutes or so and then tried again. The pain was more manageable around 5 or 6 (left leg). Right leg with the exception of the Saturday car departure episode, has been consistently good.
According to the hospital I can ( and now I know I should ) take the second tablet if I feel the pain is high. I think tomorrow I will take 1.5 tablets about 30 minutes before my walks.
Ice packs are so relieving. They are a must for this surgery and its success! I am on them almost 24/7 !
It was a big milestone for me! After 4 days (since Thursday morning right before the surgery, i.e., 4 days of no bowl movement!!) I could do number 2 :D
It was a very long painful process, but overall I felt so relieved that I could poop again! I used the commode, but the whole process was cleaner than I had pictured!
The left leg pain still is the bottleneck of my exercises and walks.
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Day 6 (Tuesday, July 28)
I took one Norco at 3:30 am to manage my left leg pain, especially after the ice packs were at room temperature! Similarly to previous nights, I woke up every hour or so. One reason could be my habit of frequently switching between face up and face down positions before the surgery,
but now I am afraid to change my body to any position other than face up! which frustrates me. I guess those who are used to sleeping face up all the time or those who practice for it in advance to this surgery would be in a better mental state post-surgery :)
To manage the left leg pain during walking, I took more than 1.5 Norco at 7:30 am.
Around 8 am I started my super slow process of standing up and walking. I then used the commode and pooped for a second time since surgery. I think Psyillium and all the fruits and vegetables I have been eating have helped. I am so happy my number 1 and number 2 have not created complications :P
The pain on the left leg has not gotten better. It may even be a bit worse. I have a hard time putting my weight on the left foot or switching my weight from right to left.
Despite the high levels of pain in my left leg, I overall feel improvement, E.g., from the time I started to stand up to walk and use the commode and then clean myself, took half an hour today. Yesterday it took much longer! as my movements were slower.
These days I don't feel like working, so I mostly pass my time online, or in front of TV sitting on the wheelchair.
Evening was okay. I took 1.5 Norco tablets and then half an hour later could stand with manageable pain on my left leg and then do a short distance walking towards my bed.
Now that I am on wheelchair I can use the vanity and floss and clean and brush my teeth, which more hygiene than doing them in bed!
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Day 7 (Wed., July 29)
Tuesday night and Wednesday morning were the worst sleeping times since the surgery and most likely one of the worsts ever. I had my ice packs, but still very painful. I finally gave up and decided to take half a Norco tablet. Also put a soft blanket under my thighs close to the knees (among the many positions and stretches I tried) and finally fell asleep for a couple hours.
Today has been my best day since the surgery in terms of rate of improvement on a daily basis. I could walk about 15 meters (around 50 feet or so) going from bed to walker to restroom to walker to the living room. Then transferred to wheelchair and spent the time mostly running errands online and chatting with friends online.
I also decided to stop using the commode (after using it two times, once yesterday, and the first time the day before yesterday), and instead go to the restroom.
I took one Norco and then stood up and walked using the walker for short before transferring to bed, but also spend at least 10 minutes on teeth flossing, etc. Also took help from family member to wash my hair on the vanity while standing.
I feel fresh, but I prefer the real shower. I plan to do that on Friday.
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Day 8 (Thurs., July 30)
As usual, my sleeps are so low quality. I wake up very frequently. The night of Wed. and early morning this Thurs. were no exception.
That said, I am overall happy cause I feel great progress. I did several standing and walking paths, including the first walk exercise that was 20 meters or so.
One major improvement is that my legs quickly warm up and putting and removing weight on them (e.g., switching weight from one to another) is not painful.
I also use more of my shoulder strength at the turns to not put too much pressure on my legs, now that I can feel them without much pain!
I am able to finally raise my legs in bed even left leg with not much pain.
Being on wheelchair gives me much better options than staying in bed and doing almost nothing!
I increase the number and level of difficulty of stretching exercises every day. It is now much easier for me to do leg lifting while sitting or standing or in bed.
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Day 9 (Friday, July 31) - 0.33 taller
I also decided to not use ice while at sleep, hoping to overall improve sleeping.
My sleeping was perhaps a bit better, but I still woke up every 90 minutes or so.
It seems my plans to discontinue pain killers (Norco) keeps failing as I have describe below:
I did not take any pain killer (Norco) since yesterday afternoon.
My first morning walk was okay, but soon after, while resting in bed, I developed shivering and sweating around 9 am! Even multiple layers of clothing and a blanket, could not stop that. I also felt a lot of pain in my legs, mainly left. I gave a high chance it was because I had stopped Norco, about 18 hours ago.
The online info on Norco states the symptoms of stopping it as sweating, mood swing, shivering, and pain. Since I did not have any other pain medication, I had to resume on Norco once more to be able to function, especially that today I will have my first appointment with Dr. M. since coming home.
I took half a Norco tablet and in 5 minutes I was back to normal. I walked into the shower room. This was the first shower since the surgery last Thursday before the surgery, to be more precise, 8 days and 8 hours! I have washed my head and body at the vanity or in bed on day 3 (Sat.), day 5 (Mon.) and 7 (Wed.), but shower brings my cleaning game to the next level :D
After the shower I got ready and we went to the doctor. Doctor M. was happy with my healing and said I am doing great. He knows my personality, so he said I have some tough competition. Apparently a patient from Hawaii was able to back to normal at month 6, and in one year did the Ironman Triathlon. Also he said he had a military personnel who was very tough and determined and a 16 year old who recovered very well.
He wanted me to be careful to not break the nails just because I wanted to break the record of recovery 😊
Eddy from the ERC team came by to show me how the magnetic lengthening device works. Both the doctor and Eddy were excited about the new device. Apparently unlike the old device needing 3 minutes per 0.33mm session, this new devicde can do 0.33 in one minute!
By the end of the presentation, I was supposedly 0.33 taller 😊
I went back home and by 4:30 pm, the symptoms of shivering, pain, and sweating started. With Dr. M.'s permission I decided to give Tylenol a try. I took the first Tylenol at 8 pm. It is not as effective (strong and fast) as Norco. But after 20 minutes or so, I could walk again, use to restroom and go back to bed to sleep. The directions on the Tylenol box read 2 tablet every 4 hours and maximum of 6 tables per day.
I took another Tylenol around 11pm.
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Day 10 (Sat., August 1) - 1.66 mm taller
For me, sleeping is the biggest challenge of the surgery so far. I have a hard time managing it. However with the help of Tylenol I had a better handle of it tonight. I took one more Tylenol around 3:30am.
I did my first at-home ERC session today at 6 am. I am supposedly 0.33*2=0.66 mm taller!
I did my second ERC at 12 pm, 0.33*3=0.99 mm taller
Third at 6 pm: 0.33*4=1.33 mm
Fourth at 11:58 pm: 0.33*5=1.66 mm
I walked longer than previous days. Also for the first time I took the wheelchair out in the evening to exercise my arms and shoulders.
The last time I took Tylenol was last night at 3:30 am.
My left leg has becomes so painful. I could not help but taking Norco again. I took 1/4th of a tablet and it helped.
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Day 11 (Sunday, August 2) - 0.33 + 2*1.33 =1.99 mm taller
Today was the most painful day so far. I had this dull pain ranging between 5 and 8 for almost the whole time. I took Tylenol at 12pm, then 6 pm.
At night time I resumed taking Norco at midnight: Started with 1 at 11:40pm, then half at 12 am and then another half at 12:30am.
After trying so many different exercises and positions on bed, I found out that sleeping on sofa may work better. I set my leg to lean on the sofa back while my head was leaning to the side. With some pillow support, I had the best sleep post-surgery :)
Unfortunately my several attempts to continue this journey with no help from any pain killer has failed so far. It seems my body cannot handle the pain on its own or even with the help of ice packs. In addition Norco or Tylenol seems to be necessary for my body. I have decided to not pause on pain killers for a while until I have healed much better.
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Day 12 (Monday, August 3) - 4.29 mm taller
I took a Norco shortly before each 0.33 lengthening sessions (i.e., 6am, 12pm, 6pm, and 12am).
Today so far has been the most productive day for me. Since I was regularly on the pain killer, I could do some work. The pain level for most of the day has been 0 to 3.
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LL'ers and All,
I hope everyone is doing great!
I am wondering if any one of you can help me with the following:
1) Ideally I would like to not get out of the house nor to ask a PT to come to my house, considering the covid-19 risks. Do you know a good online resource that lists all the exercises, hopefully based on a general time table designed for LL'ers to better heal?
2) Is there any accurate method to validate the correctness of the ERC device and process? Apparently the device does not communicate with the nail. Is therefore the only way to measure the 0.33 lengthening session accuracy, to wait a couple days and measure your height? or wait for the doctor to measure it using X-rays? But what if after a week or so your doctor finds out you have not been lengthening at all and the bone has already healed?!
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1) walking is the best PT, or in your case walking with walker/crutches, going upstairs with upper body assistance but using legs as much as I can helped me. I did my own PT as many of you know. Feel free to PM me for the routine I used (as best I can remember)
2)If it hurts shortly after your lengthening sessions or feel tightness, it's working. Bones won't usually consolidate that fast to cause pre-consolidation issues and stop lengthening. There has been people here that stop lengthening and decide to keep going after a couple weeks or even after a month's time and they still successfully lengthen the nails.
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1) walking is the best PT, or in your case walking with walker/crutches, going upstairs with upper body assistance but using legs as much as I can helped me. I did my own PT as many of you know. Feel free to PM me for the routine I used (as best I can remember)
Thanks Movie! This is very helpful. I'll also PM you to get your suggestions.
2)If it hurts shortly after your lengthening sessions or feel tightness, it's working. Bones won't usually consolidate that fast to cause pre-consolidation issues and stop lengthening. There has been people here that stop lengthening and decide to keep going after a couple weeks or even after a month's time and they still successfully lengthen the nails.
Thanks very much! Knowing that bone consolidation is not too fast to create problems in case of failed lengthening sessions is a big relief. I was a bit concerned about no feeling on the right leg, so I emailed Dr. M. about it and he said it should be ok and he would see me in about two weeks to do the X-rays. Later this evening the feeling of tightness/soreness gradually appeared on the right leg as well. The pain level on left shortly after the lenghtening is 3-6 and on the right is 1-3.
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Day 13 (Tuesday, August 4) - 5.65 mm Taller
I plan to continue taking one Norco a few minutes before each lengthening session (i.e., 6am, 12pm, 6pm, and 12am, which makes it 4 5mg Norco pills per day). This allow me to manage the pain and also lets me walk as much as I want. I feel a bit of tightness on the right, but for most of the part pain is at 0. Left is very sore and tight with the pain level at 0-3 and peaking to 7 a few times per day.
I still have the blood thinner to take, which I do every morning. Around noon-time, I take multi-vitamins, Calcium+D and Calcium+Magnesium, D/D3, Vitamin C, Turmeric, Biotin and starting today also B-complex. I also drink 3 tea spoons of Psyllium powder in warm water every night to avoid constipation.
In the last few days, if pain is unbearable, my last resort is to stand up on my feet for a few minutes or walk. Either way, the pain goes away! I am not sure how this works, cause it's not like I get distracted by the pressure of standing or walking on my legs! the pain really stops!!
Starting day 11 (Sunday at noon) I did not bring the wheelchair inside the house. This forces me to use the walker all the time, My walking range has dramatically increased since Sunday. I have lost track of how much I walk per day, but a rough estimate would be more than a 1000 feet. I drink a lot of tea/water, therefore a good part of the walking is to/from the restroom :D
Movie's response to my self-PT'ing query further motivated me to go for it. I plan to continue to self-PT! This allows me to mentally not worry about COVID-19. I use my common sense to create stretching techniques that I can do on the walker, sofa, and bed.
I wish all the LL'ers the best. Please let me know if you have any questions for me.
SNC
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hi SNC, I am glad that you are doing great! lengthening 1.33mm a day seems a little aggressive, did Dr. M mention when you will slow down?
I am also curious if you would still need get a PT to help you with the stretching, or self-PT would be enough?
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hi SNC, I am glad that you are doing great! lengthening 1.33mm a day seems a little aggressive, did Dr. M mention when you will slow down?
I am also curious if you would still need get a PT to help you with the stretching, or self-PT would be enough?
Hi dreamBig,
Dr. M.'s lengthening schedule and many other doctors' follow the same plan as far as I have seen. E.g., look at IFS, Movie, etc. who did their surgery with Dr. M.: 5 days @ 1.33 and then slow down to 1 per day till the end (say 8 cm). The reason is that the 5 times of extra .33 gives the bone an extra gap (about 1.65mm) that prevents the two broken bones to somehow connect and heal prematurely before the final length is achieved.
As for the PT, in this COVID-19 times I would try my best to avoid unnecessary interactions. Dr. M.'s evaluation last Friday was that I was doing great, but if I wanted, I could get two PT sessions per week. I am trying to eliminate even those two PT sessions, by doing extra walks and stretches of my own. Also seeing Movie who PT'ed on his own and how great his results are, further inspired me.
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I did stryde femurs with Giotikas about 1 week before you.
Just hit 3 weeks yesterday and for the first time start to take steps by myself without crutches
Unfortunately walking like a penguin with huge swinging body... hopefully that reduces over time
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Hi SNC,
as a fellow Stryde patient (currently 35mm distracted) I wish you all the best for the rest of your journey!
I'm doing PT on my own as well. In my opinion, it is way more important to integrate your PT routine into your daily life. Nevertheless, it is still helpful to have a family member at hand to help you with certain exercises.
All the best!
MM
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Hi SNC,
as a fellow Stryde patient (currently 35mm distracted) I wish you all the best for the rest of your journey!
I'm doing PT on my own as well. In my opinion, it is way more important to integrate your PT routine into your daily life. Nevertheless, it is still helpful to have a family member at hand to help you with certain exercises.
All the best!
MM
Thanks MM, I totally agree with you that PT integration to daily life is the key.
By the way, my left leg is killing me! it's so painful as compared to the right leg which for most of the times has no pain. Have your legs responded differently to your PT/walk?
SNC
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I did stryde femurs with Giotikas about 1 week before you.
Just hit 3 weeks yesterday and for the first time start to take steps by myself without crutches
Unfortunately walking like a penguin with huge swinging body... hopefully that reduces over time
Hey m7liam, sounds like you are in great shape to recovery! walking by yourself at week 3 sounds amazing!! congrats. !
I was actually trying to minimize the penguin-like walking while on walker, yesterday! I could not make it go away, but I am sure as time passes we can minimize that to zero.
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Hi guys I’m in distraction too with Stryde!
Can i ask you what size of nail do you have and what kind of weight/activities are you allowed to do? Crutches or walker?
Sorry SNC if this is a bit spam but I think we could share this information to help us
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Thanks MM, I totally agree with you that PT integration to daily life is the key.
By the way, my left leg is killing me! it's so painful as compared to the right leg which for most of the times has no pain. Have your legs responded differently to your PT/walk?
SNC
I would say it's totally normal. Within the first days and weeks after surgery you develop bruises which might develop differently over time in each leg. Might be a reason for the difference in the pain levels.
At 35mm my right leg feels also more tight than my left leg. I try to adjust PT accordingly but it is how it is.
I have the 11,5mm nail and I'm walking mostly without crutches since week 4 (at least in the house). Nevertheless, one should be careful as nail bending or breakage would be terrible.
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Hi guys I’m in distraction too with Stryde!
Can i ask you what size of nail do you have and what kind of weight/activities are you allowed to do? Crutches or walker?
Sorry SNC if this is a bit spam but I think we could share this information to help us
Hi Tartar,
Sure, no problem. My weight ranges between 137 and 145 and now I must be on the upper side. I remember Dr. M. told me that even the small nail would be sufficient in terms of weight bearing, as I am light, however he used the medium for me to give me better support. I hope this answers your questions. Let me know if anything else.
Update: I just weighed myself and I am at 130! I am in shock, cause before and after surgery I am a zero fat guy; and going to 130 means I must have lost muscle! this is not good! I hope I can quickly get back those muscles as my activities and eating improve.
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Hi Tartar,
Sure, no problem. My weight ranges between 137 and 145 and now I must be on the upper side. I remember Dr. M. told me that even the small nail would be sufficient in terms of weight bearing, as I am light, however he used the medium for me to give me better support. I hope this answers your questions. Let me know if anything else.
Update: I just weighed myself and I am at 130! I am in shock, cause before and after surgery I am a zero fat guy; and going to 130 means I must have lost muscle! this is not good! I hope I can quickly get back those muscles as my activities and eating improve.
I experienced a similar weight loss. Eat enough and you will start gaining weight again soon. :)
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I experienced a similar weight loss. Eat enough and you will start gaining weight again soon. :)
Thanks a lot MM for letting me know! I think with you guys this challenge has been exponentially easier to handle.
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I’ve lost weight too, 4 kilos, my legs are skinny now, I think that’s our destiny lol
Unfortunately I have the 10mm nail and my doctor says I have to use always the Walker only, and not the small one but the biggest with the surface to put arms and hands :'(
I think that’s definitely too much, I’m getting annoyed
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I’ve lost weight too, 4 kilos, my legs are skinny now, I think that’s our destiny lol
Unfortunately I have the 10mm nail and my doctor says I have to use always the Walker only, and not the small one but the biggest with the surface to put arms and hands :'(
I think that’s definitely too much, I’m getting annoyed
A lot of things are annoying about this process, but hang in there. Take it day by day and try your best to do your PTs/walks to make sure you get the max out of it. Follow what your doctor says. You have to be very careful and precise even on tiny things such as standing, turning, sitting on the toilet, etc. Any mistake may in the worst case severely impact your results or delay your full recovery. Look at it as a game of patience. It's the annoying stuff and pain against you and you'd want to be the winner; and to be the winner you need patience, and persistence. I say these not just to you, but to myself frequently, to remind myself to not lose it!
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Day 14 (Wednesday, August 5) - 6.98 Taller
The most inconvenient part of this for me is the night time sleep. I wake up every 30 to 90 minutes and overall I sleep for 3 hours or so. I know from IFS that Tylenol + Tramadol worked as a good alternative (to Norco). I have emailed Dr. M. to double check.
I did not walk or stretch as much as yesterday or the day before, because of the pain I have in my left leg. I am not sure if the pain is like the old one from the surgery or the pain caused by soreness and tightness due to lengthening, or both.
Today was the 5th (and last) day of lengthening by 1.33mm. Starting tomorrow only 3 lengthening sessions totaling 1mm.
Something I would like to remind all is the importance of the walker height. I think depending on the upper body strength, wingspan, etc. there would be a height range that works well for you. However you would wanna adjust it to be mostly on the shorter that the taller options. The shorter, the easier to stand up from a sitting position using your arms, especially if your feet cannot bear your weight post-surgery.
Also a reminder to those ladies and gents who'd want to do LL in the future; make sure you strengthen your upper body to make post-surgery a lot easier to manage. To evaluate whether your upper body is set, you may do the following: Find two parallel flat surfaces, bars, etc. that are almost as tall as your hip level and distanced as wide as your shoulder. E.g., a table and a chair may work. Then sit in between [almost like a squat position] and see if you could lift your body completely up with no help from your feet and do this slowly enough that you have time to gradually straighten your legs and then gradually put your weight on your feet. See if you could slow it down to 30 seconds or a minute, and use the time to very slowly stand on your feet.
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Thanks for posting frequently, I'll be keeping up with your journal. Doesn't seem to be as many active journals this year.
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Thanks for posting frequently, I'll be keeping up with your journal. Doesn't seem to be as many active journals this year.
You are welcome. I hope in addition to what IFS, Movie and others posted, my posts helps at least some of the future LL'ers.
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Day 15 (Thurs., Aug. 6th) - 7.97mm Taller
I did a lot of stretching before the night sleep as Dr. M. suggested. I think it helped. I also turned on the TV hoping it would help me fall asleep. I think that helped a lot. Overall I had a better night.
Today is the first of the 3 * 0.33mm session days. I did one at 6am by mistake (a better time would've been 7am, then 3pm, and then 11pm each for 0.33mm.) Note that the device is already programmed, therefore I don't need to make any calculations. All I need to do is to place the ERC device properly on my femur where the magnet is and then go step by step following a very simple procedure.
Every time I do the sessions, I can feel something on my left leg, but not much on my right. I guess in a few days we will do if I did it correctly (next Dr. M. appt. will have the x-rays and measurements to see how the sessions turned out).
I emailed Dr. M. last night and in less than two hours he responded. I had asked him about alternatives to Norco. He suggested taking melatonin or a sleeping pill. He also suggested that I do as much stretching exercises as I can before going to bed.
I am going to try the sleeping pill (Sleep^3 of Costco) tonight and will keep all updated. I will also continue to do stretching right before going to bed and also keep the TV or youtube or something on for the whole night if necessary.
Today was an easier day. The way I thought about it as far as the sessions go is that today I had 3 sessions as compared to 4 sessions in the last 5 days and also the time between the sessions increased from 6 to 8, therefore doing a simple math the difficult as far as sessions could have eased quadratically (3/4 * 6/8, i.e., (3/4)^2 ). I don't know if anyone agrees with me, but I feel that my body feels quadratic about it, meaning I feel superlinearly eased up today :P
I continued my self-PT moves and walking steps. On a daily basis I create exercises for myself. I had talked to Movie about creating a set of exercises and posting them for those who plan to do self-PT; but I think we have to be extremely careful. We are not PTs, therefore technically we should not give advice to LL'ers on what exercises to do or to avoid. Also no matter what we provide, it may not work for all individuals and in fact it may be harmful. I am going to continue for a while on the self-PT and if I feel I am doing better than a PT, then I will double check with Movie, IFS and others and see whether posting our exercises with a BIG disclaimer is safe and helpful to all.
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I think a PT creates a sense of structure and routine and reduces slacking and a PT can also push you harder than you physically can yourself, usually.
Regardless I have no doubt you'll be successful, since you clearly have good work ethic and self PT might be better for you
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I think a PT creates a sense of structure and routine and reduces slacking and a PT can also push you harder than you physically can yourself, usually.
You are correct.
I did this, because I find it safer to not go out and not interact with outsiders coming to my house to lower my chances of catching covid-19.
However my plan has been to consult this with Dr. M. on my next appt. If I find out based on the x-rays that my progress has not been good, I will take the risk and get a PT.
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Day 16 (Fri., Aug. 7) - 8.98 mm Taller
Hello All,
According to Dr. M.'s recommendation to give melatonin a try, I got Costco's Sleep3 (10mg Melatonin - https://www.costco.com/nature's-bounty-sleep3-10mg.-melatonin%2C-120-tablets.product.100581539.html) and took it for one night. I don't believe it had any positive impact on me. There is a chance if I continued, it might work, but I am so scared of taking medicine in general, and as soon as I find out a reason to avoid a medicine, I would like to do so, immediately. I think the reason it does not work for me is that sleep medicines such as Sleep3, resolve sleep disorders, whereas in my case, I feel sleepy all the time, but the pain and discomfort prevents me from falling asleep; I don't think this is exactly a sleep disorder that sleep medicines would resolve. I think I need a pain killer!
I will contact Dr. M., once more to find an alternative to Tylenol + Norco that I am currently taking. By default I think I will try what IFS tried, i.e., Tramadol + Tylenol.
Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary today. Just continued to create new stretching exercises for myself, including doing some face-down or on-knees exercises, in addition to some well-known exercises that I also try (such as cat/cobra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbPAiJ-D7yw)***.
My left leg continues to be the much more painful one, but I feel like the new stretches, help me reduce the pain.
**** Disclaimer: Please do not blindly copy the exercises from me or anyone else if you are not very certain about its benefits. When it comes to exercises, it is wise to consult with your PT and/or your doctor to make sure the exercise is safe with you.
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I write my notes at times when I need to distract myself from the pain! but that has increased my typo rate :( I am sorry if the typos have confused anyone, but I assume you guys would let me know if something does not make sense.
Here I wanted to clarify something I had posted for day 16:
Day 16 (Fri., Aug. 7) - 8.98 mm Taller
**** Reminder: Please do not blindly try the exercises posted by from me or anyone else if you are not certain whether they are right for you. It is wise to consult with your PT and/or your doctor to make sure the exercise is safe for you.
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Day 17 (Sat., Aug. 8) - 9.97 mm Taller
I graduated myself from the walker and moved to crutches today. It was a bit tougher using crutches indoors the whole time, but I hope this is one step closer to walking unassisted.
As usual, night time sleep was the toughest part. I need to find the right pain killer. I have read here that our fellow LL'ers recommended Tramadol and CBD, and I think I am going to switch one of them after discussing it with Dr. M.
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@ IFS, Movie, BoneStretching and other LL'ers of Dr. M.,
I have been receiving new medical bills so far two from the hospital, even if I already paid the $45K hospital cost to them directly. One bill reads X-ray reading, $52 per femur, totaling $104. The other, is much higher: Dr. Chan's "Anesthesia Services", balance: $2185.00. Is this normal? Did you guys also end up paying some followup bills?
Thanks,
SNC
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@ IFS, Movie and other LL'ers of Dr. M.,
I have been receiving new medical bills so far two from the hospital, even if I already paid the $45K hospital cost to them directly. One bill reads X-ray reading, $52 per femur, totaling $104. The other, is much higher: Dr. Chan's "Anesthesia Services", balance: $2185.00. Is this normal? Did you guys also end up paying some followup bills?
Thanks,
SNC
2K for the anesthesist in the operatory room is a normal price. He has many responsabilities. I have payed the same amount.
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2K for the anesthesist in the operatory room is a normal price. He has many responsabilities. I have payed the same amount.
Thanks Tartar, Did you also end up paying $45K plus those additional bills, i.e., the $2k you paid was in addition to the $45K hospital fee? Also would it be possible to let me know overall how many bills, or how much overall you received as part of those followup bills in addition to the $45 K that we need to pay before the surgery.
I totally understand how critical Anesthetist's role is. What I do not understand is why it is not included in the $45k I already paid for.
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Hospital fees are made by all the items used (including the nail), the operatory room rent, the recovery and hospital staff during your stay after the operation.
Doctors who work in the operatory room are payed apart and they set their own price (obv a reasonable one)
I’ve payed a total of almost 60K for the surgery, of which 15K for the operatory room staff.
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Hospital fees are made by all the items used (including the nail), the operatory room rent, the recovery and hospital staff during your stay after the operation.
Doctors who work in the operatory room are payed apart and they set their own price (obv a reasonable one)
I’ve payed a total of almost 60K for the surgery, of which 15K for the operatory room staff.
Tartar, thanks for letting me know. Mine overall was $70K, including the $45K hospital fee. I had double checked with Dr. M.'s office, and the hospital and I was told the $70K includes all the costs excluding the PT cost, or any equipment; before proceeding with the cash payment and the surgery itself.
I will provide an update to you guys soon on this.
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Tartar, thanks for letting me know. Mine overall was $70K, including the $45K hospital fee. I had double checked with Dr. M.'s office, and the hospital and I was told the $70K includes all the costs excluding the PT cost, or any equipment; before proceeding with the cash payment and the surgery itself.
I will provide an update to you guys soon on this.
I haven’t told you that I mean almost 60.000euro, so the price is very similar to yours. Anyway you should aphave received a document with every single price, so you should solve any doubt. If you don ‘t have it ask for a complete bill.
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I haven’t told you that I mean almost 60.000euro, so the price is very similar to yours. Anyway you should aphave received a document with every single price, so you should solve any doubt. If you don ‘t have it ask for a complete bill.
Thanks Tartar,
Will keep you all posted.
Cobra/Cat Update: I would also like to provide an update on the self-PT thing. cobra/cat and in general any form of stretching I have done that involves knees or the whole femur bearing the weight (on bed, sofa, etc.), helps me a lot. It temporarily blocks the pain and I hope in long run strengthens some few muscles. I thought I should let all know about that. I have just been very hesitant to share this news, cause it has looked scary to me to do on-knees or on-femurs stretching during the first couple weeks. Please talk to your PT/doctor first and see if they should be added to your routine, if not included already.
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bro your daily updates are a blessing!
also youll be 1cm tomorrow!!! congrats!
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Tartar, thanks for letting me know. Mine overall was $70K, including the $45K hospital fee. I had double checked with Dr. M.'s office, and the hospital and I was told the $70K includes all the costs excluding the PT cost, or any equipment; before proceeding with the cash payment and the surgery itself.
I will provide an update to you guys soon on this.
I thought it was 70k for Precice 2, 75k for Stryde. Does the 75k include PT?
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I thought it was 70k for Precice 2, 75k for Stryde. Does the 75k include PT?
I am on the 10mm Stryde and I weighed (pre-surgery, not sure about now) 65kg. Doc says its fine for me to walk without crutches so not sure why you need to be on a walker??
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bro your daily updates are a blessing!
also youll be 1cm tomorrow!!! congrats!
My wannabeidol Brother! Thanks a lot for the kind words. They mean a lot to me.
Wish you the best
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I am on the 10mm Stryde and I weighed (pre-surgery, not sure about now) 65kg. Doc says its fine for me to walk without crutches so not sure why you need to be on a walker??
Hi m7liam,
Seems you are doing great. I am happy for you. Unfortunately for me, a walker or crutches are necessary, i.e., I am not yet in a condition to be able to walk unassisted. I am also very scared to falling and breaking the nails. Therefore having a support like a walker or crutches helps me mentally as well.
I hope I get there soon.
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I thought it was 70k for Precice 2, 75k for Stryde. Does the 75k include PT?
Hi HobbesTheDog,
Not sure! but I will soon provide all with an update as soon as I get the information.
Meanwhile, I am focusing on making progress on my legs. Can't wait to have a peaceful 8-hour night sleep! I wish Tesla was my company and Elon Musk would approach me, "would you trade your company for a nice sleep", and I would do that with no hesitation! a win-win for both Elon Musk and me :P
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Day 18 (Sunday, Aug. 9) - 10.89 mm Taller
I focused on minimizing the difference between my left and right legs in terms of the pain level. I figured if I find out for which stretching exercise(s) my left is lagging behind my right, I would have a good trace to follow and try to push my left to improve. I found a couple of moves that involved bending knees, where l had a much harder time with the left; and I tried to push a bit more on the left to make it catch up. I hope this works.
What I can tell is that there is certainly a big progress; from the early early days when I would scream or even cry of pain to now that I don't scream or cry :D
Crutches: Walking with crutches has certainly slowed me down. I am extra careful: with my left and right feet and legs of the two crutches we've got 4 base/balancing points. I make sure they are never aligned in one straight line. Worst case, they may form a triangle on the floor, but I try my best to make a quadrangle; this makes me feel more secure. While sitting or standing I make sure I use the crutches on one side ONLY. For the other side, I find a solid spot (say edge of a bed, chair, vanity, etc.). That would give you a nice balance, and also prevents me from falling forward or backward (which is likely if you use crutches on both side with no support from a fixed spot.
I feel like those stretches that involve lying on your knees, thighs and belly, help a lot with the condition of my left leg.
Suggestion: I learnt how to use crutches by trial and error back in old times when I got a sprained ankle. But I think if I had watched a video like this one, it would speed up the learning for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYzUQb79_Rw
Should you go for CLL (Cosmetic Limb Lengthening) : I wanted to say this at some point: Life is so very fragile and short. You should under no circumstances waste even a second of it regretting silly stuff like doing or not doing CLL. Should you make sure you cherish every moment you have with your dad and mom? yes, cause you would regret it later for your whole life if you did not do that. But if you finally decide to not go for CLL, would it be something to create moments of regret later on? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Please keep this in mind: We have only one life and we have to live it happily, prospering while helping others. That's how I look at life. Now in this game, would it matter if someone thinks you are short, tall, handsome, ugly, etc.? NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. Life is not about what others think about you; it's about whether you think you did the right thing!
CLL is a very painful process. For someone who embraces challenges, I would say this is certainly one of the toughest things I have done in my life. Did I ever feel regret when the pain level was around 9 and I was almost crying! NEVER; cause I wanted to experience this challenge! On the other hand, if back in time somehow for some reason, my CLL plan were cancelled, I would NEVER EVER regret not doing CLL. Another scenario: Let's say my CLL procedure goes terribly wrong! say this Friday Dr. M, tells me "SNC, unfortunately we have to cut your legs from the femur level, otherwise you would lose your life on this!!!" ... Shall I then waste whole my life thinking about why I made the decision of going for a CLL that ended up paralyzing me with no legs? NO, once again, life is too short to waste on thinking about stuff like that, even if they look serious (like losing legs). For a moment let's all think we have no legs, no hands and we are blind. Can we find a way to survive and be happy. Let's all try to develop that mindset to be able to do that, should such worst case scenarios happen to any of us!! Sorry for this long writeup, but I hope this helps all of us to be a bit better in planning for our lives.
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Sorry mate this was responding to tartar.
Definitely don’t walk before you feel comfortable!
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I am on the 10mm Stryde and I weighed (pre-surgery, not sure about now) 65kg. Doc says its fine for me to walk without crutches so not sure why you need to be on a walker??
I have your same nail, the only problem for me is that I find quite ricolous that I must use a walker, and not the small one but the biggest with the little table on the top lol. I think that my doctor just want to be sure that I have no possibility to bend the nail but it’s just a way to avoid every kind of problem for him.
I don’t know but maybe I’ll start using crutches because I can’t live closed at home for so much time.
Anyway what can I say is that for me LL is very easy process, it’s just annoying because I can’t go out but I almost feel no pain, I haven’t take a single pain killer except for the first days in the hospital, I sleep every night very well and if I don’t move I feel my legs like they were before the surgery. So guys I just want to warn you that it’s not the same for everybody, I think that there are just 2 real problems about this surgery, I mean problem that you can’t avoid:
Cash
Time
Every other thing is just up to you and your body
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Day 19 (Mon., Aug. 10th) - 11.9 mm Taller
Updates:
I notice that my right leg has started to develop a bit of pain and soreness related to distraction. As my left leg heals, and the pain becomes more of distraction related than surgery related, I think my left and right would evening out in pain soon!
Of course I'll continue to do stretching every day.
I got Costco's Tylenol 8HR ARTHRITIS Pain (650 mg per tablet) which is a bit stronger than the Tylenol I got last week.
Driving:
I don't need to drive, as I work from home. However if I know I have the option, I may get out sometime just to feel a bit better. I believe based on my body status I can drive with almost zero risk (My right leg has felt like normal after the surgery, as if nothing were done on it! The newly developed distraction pain is very much manageable on the right). I could use crutches to get in and out the car.
LL'ers, if you read this and you have some information about how soon others started driving, please share that with me.
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I started driving about a month and a week post-op but it wasn't without severe nerve pain after 15-20 minutes of driving in the leg that's pushing the pedals.
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I started driving about a month and a week post-op but it wasn't without severe nerve pain after 15-20 minutes of driving in the leg that's pushing the pedals.
Thanks Movie for letting me know. I think I am just going to wait till September end then, i.e., about two months post-op, before giving driving a try.
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Day 20 (Tuesday, August 11) - 12.9 mm Taller
Before I get to the point, let me write a short story about me: I grew up in a mountainous area with fairly cold winters (many days at -10 degrees Celsius with a good amount of snow). I remember that each year, when it snowed for the first time (typically in October), most of the alleys stayed covered in snow all the way till March! Also thanks to the mountains in our area, I became a big fan of hiking, and got training to be an amateur hiker. I have climbed some fairly difficult mountains. However, it's a shame that my body cannot handle cold weathers, as it should. Especially after living in LA for so long, and developing lower tolerance to temperature variation, I definitely cannot handle cold weathers. It has always been back of my mind to train myself for Mount Everest; but always the last item on my list of challenges; cause I know I would turn to ice and die in Everest :P So I am thinking I cannot ever climb more than 8000 meters of Everest, but instead I may have a chance in the 80 millimetre LL challenge, haha!
That said, earlier in the evening of Day 19, I felt so cold! It's been a chill summer this year which is great! But my bones are in the healing mode, which makes me feel even colder somehow. At night time, I decided to wear pants instead of shorts for the first time post-surgery, also added two shirts on top of my t-shirt and also went under two blankets!!! I could not believe I did that in a summer night in LA, but it surprisingly helped managing discomfort and pain! so I guess I will continue to put on several layers of clothes at night times with one or two blankets, whenever I feel cold.
I have shifted some of my night sleep into day time naps. At night time, I try to manage the pain with pain killers, and watching something on TV, Youtube, etc.
That's it for today. Please let me know if you have any questions for me.
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From 8 to 18 seconds of that how to use crutches video looks like she's staring into my soul
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Hi SNC,
as a fellow Stryde patient (currently 35mm distracted) I wish you all the best for the rest of your journey!
I'm doing PT on my own as well. In my opinion, it is way more important to integrate your PT routine into your daily life. Nevertheless, it is still helpful to have a family member at hand to help you with certain exercises.
All the best!
MM
Thanks MM,
I hope in a couple months we all drink to our success!
After 3 weeks, my left leg is still very painful! I was hoping it would be over by now and I would just experience the distraction pain on both legs, almost equally.
Just found out my Dr.'s appt. is set to the coming Tuesday. I will find out how my self-PT has worked.
Hope you have no pain, or managing it well with great night sleeps.
SNC
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Day 21 (Wed., Aug. 12th) - 13.9 mm Taller
I started the morning walk unassisted for the sake of trying it. The unassisted walk was about 100 feet long. I had to take very short steps and my steps looked and felt very penguin-like and wobbly! My assessment of the walk was that it's not going to do more good than assisted using crutches, in terms of strengthening my legs. I therefore prefer to continue assisted until I am very comfortable on my own!
My left leg is still more painful than my right. I thought of taking a very hot shower in the afternoon. Pain level during shower and a while after shower was a perfect 0. Also legs felt so relaxed as if no surgery or distraction were ever done. The good feeling faded in a few hours and pain was back in the evening. I had however decided once gain to not take pain killers during day time. This time I hope I succeed and continue. I took two Tylenol 8 HR (650 mg each) around 10:30pm and a Sleep3 (10 mg Melatonin) and went to sleep around 11:15pm or so. I went to restroom a couple times and woke up a couple times more, but each time went back to sleep immediately. I woke up around 4:50am. That means I had a record 6 hour sleep post-op! The whole time, I was face down and that's one of the reasons, I could handle the long sleep. Unfortunately I am used to sleeping face-down. A bad habit! I will double check with Dr. M. to make sure he approves my way of sleeping.
I did roughly 6 times of PT, one before and one after each 0.33 distraction. Certain exercises, like certain hamstring stretches, are too difficult for my left leg, but still pushing it, hoping left and right even out.
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Day 22 (Thursday, August 13) - 14.9 mm Taller
Today is three weeks since I did the surgery.
I have started in-door cycling. So far did it three days including one today for a maximum of 5 minutes. I set the intensity to low, yet my left leg aches while cycling.
I try to walk a lot and try to make it closer to a normal walk, by trying to take minimum support from the crutches. I mean I have the crutches with me, but I try to avoid putting too much weight on them.
I have noticed that while standing straight and my feet touching, I have a hard time making my knees touch. There is a short gap between the two knees. I hope this is temporary due to swelling. I will ask Dr. M. about it this coming Tuesday.
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I realised I have wide feet. No matter how hard I try, my feet are 15 Cm apart if I stand straight.
Need to work on it
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I realised I have wide feet. No matter how hard I try, my feet are 15 Cm apart if I stand straight.
Need to work on it
Hi m7liam, would you try this if you have not done so already: Please sit on bed with your legs straightened. Then use your arms and push your thighs gradually towards making your knees touch. Do that slowly. Alternatively use a towel around both legs in the upper knees area and try to use the towel to get them closer. See if you can connect them together.
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Hi m7liam, would you try this if you have not done so already: Please sit on bed with your legs straightened. Then use your arms and push your thighs gradually towards making your knees touch. Do that slowly. Alternatively use a towel around both legs in the upper knees area and try to use the towel to get them closer. See if you can connect them together.
I was also wondering if you talked to your Dr. about it and if you got confirmation from the Dr. that this is normal.
I will do this on Tuesday on my next appt.
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I realised I have wide feet. No matter how hard I try, my feet are 15 Cm apart if I stand straight.
Need to work on it
X-legs/knock knees, a serious deformity,.not wide feet. Get it checked asap by doctor
Was it like that before surgery?
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Update
I just realized that while walking my right knee bends like normal, however my left knee does not. This clearly shows that my left still has issues and lagging behind. I am not sure what the reason is, but it could be that during the surgery somehow it got affected and then post-op got swollen much more severely than right and to this date, i.e. 23 days post-op, it yet has to go back to normal; whereas, right leg felt normal from day 1.
The difference between my right and left still amazes me! I would love to know the exact reason. Hopefully this Tuesday I will get more info from Dr. M., based on his evaluation of the x-rays and my legs.
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Day 21 (Wed., Aug. 12th) - 13.9 mm Taller
My left leg is still more painful than my right. I thought of taking a very hot shower in the afternoon. Pain level during shower and a while after shower was a perfect 0. Also legs felt so relaxed as if no surgery or distraction were ever done. The good feeling faded in a few hours and pain was back in the evening. I had however decided once gain to not take pain killers during day time. This time I hope I succeed and continue. I took two Tylenol 8 HR (650 mg each) around 10:30pm and a Sleep3 (10 mg Melatonin) and went to sleep around 11:15pm or so. I went to restroom a couple times and woke up a couple times more, but each time went back to sleep immediately. I woke up around 4:50am. That means I had a record 6 hour sleep post-op! The whole time, I was face down and that's one of the reasons, I could handle the long sleep. Unfortunately I am used to sleeping face-down. A bad habit! I will double check with Dr. M. to make sure he approves my way of sleeping.
Update: Dr. M. just confirmed that there is no problem sleeping face down!
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Update: Dr. M. just confirmed that there is no problem sleeping face down!
Thanks for making this diary StrydeNailChallenge :)
How has covid/pauses on elective surgeries affected your plans?
I'm an American, thinking of doing LL maybe in Greece or Spain with Stryde some time in 2022, I have the money now $150k, just a bit wary of the travel restrictions/restrictions on cosmetic operations/ no covid cure
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Thanks for making this diary StrydeNailChallenge :)
How has covid/pauses on elective surgeries affected your plans?
I'm an American, thinking of doing LL maybe in Greece or Spain with Stryde some time in 2022, I have the money now $150k, just a bit wary of the travel restrictions/restrictions on cosmetic operations/ no covid cure
My pleasure TwinMusicom!
I was very worried about doing the surgery during the pandemic. In fact I was in contact with Dr. M., and his office staff for weeks, and later also the hospital staff, before finally getting assured that doing the surgery now is safe.
I believe the steps they take in the hospital make it almost impossible to get covid-19 while at hospital. I therefore highly recommend doing the surgery now till end of 2020 to those who plan to do that with Dr. M. in the hospital he always uses (Saint Joseph...). However I have no idea about other doctors and hospitals. I hope they have implemented something similar to what I experienced in Saint Joseph which made it very safe and of course I did not get infected.
The only impact COVID-19 has had on me, is that I decided to do self-PT to avoid going to a PT clinic or bringing PTs to my house. This is because I do not know how PTs work, and how risky it is to work with them now. Who knows, it could be super safe, but I thought I give it a try doing exercises myself and then this Tuesday, I ask Dr. M. to let me know if I did well on my own, and if not, I would then take the risk and hire some PTs to come to my house, perhaps 3 times per week.
One last thing. I am not sure why you plan to go to outside the US, if you are an American. Do you plan to go to Greece or Spain because there are certain doctors there that you think are really good? or is it cost related? or that you would like to make a long trip out of the experience as well?
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Sorry to be clear it is wide legs not x legs. If I bend my legs and bum like a duck I can get my legs to close.
I’m currently at 2.5cm of lengthening and I suspect it’s cos my PT has not focused at all on stretches to cross the legs.
So have started to spend some time on stretching by crossing legs.
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Let me reiterate. I stand normally with my legs 15cm apart. As I bring my feet together it starts to tighten due to the muscles. I think that is wide legs but let me know if that is wrong
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Let me reiterate. I stand normally with my legs 15cm apart. As I bring my feet together it starts to tighten due to the muscles. I think that is wide legs but let me know if that is wrong
This sounds a lot better than what I understood the first time. Sounds like something you could fairly easily fix with PTs. I still think you should talk to your doctor and see if certain exercises should be added to your PT sessions.
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Day 23 (Friday, August 14) - 15.9 mm Taller
Avoiding pain killers during day time, has increased the discomfort and pain as I expected, but it's random. At times, I feel like pain is at zero, but all of a sudden left goes to 6 and right to 3 or so.
I did 2 indoor-cycling sessions. They have been short, but each time, I increased the time and intensity. I think the indoor cycling may speed up the improvement in my left leg; as I make sure I don't push the pedals mostly with right, but evenly with both, and at times, more with the left foot.
Question: I was thinking how amazing it is that bone is cut and during distraction and post distraction gradually new bone grows in the gap! I am wondering how our body decides to fill in the gap! Is it a basic rule of evolution or healing? I mean how does it know how the shape of the new bone should be? Also how come leakage is not an issue for most of the LL'ers?
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Day 24 (Saturday, August 15) - 16.8 mm Taller
I decided to once again not take pain killers even at night time. I do this, cause I am worried about the impact of pain killers on the liver. This means the last time I took a pain killer was Thursday night. My Friday night was not easy and the sleep became a torture. Pain goes to 5 or 6, and I overall feel very uncomfortable.
As usual I did my stretches several times. I also added to the indoor cycling sessions.
Afternoon was painful and I came up with a crazy idea. I tied my legs at the upper knees spot together tightly using a shirt. It somehow helped me better manage the pain. Not sure why this works! I know in some cultures like the Chinese culture, that they wrap infants' legs like that believing it would straighten legs. I think pressing the legs together comes with the benefit of avoiding any unwanted moves that may be painful, e.g., when you fall asleep. Also the tied legs create some pressure which may counteract the pain generated in the legs. Anyways, I thought I share this with you all and see if anyone else would find it helpful.
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Hi SNC, which muscles are you finding more sore?
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Hi SNC, which muscles are you finding more sore?
I will write shortly about it, but I had a major setback on Sunday. Knee cap (left leg) is killing me. Pain level hovers around 8. With pain killers goes down to 1-6.
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Day 25 (Sunday, August 16th) - 17.8 mm Taller
The day started normal. However in the afternoon I started developing knee pain on my left leg and it quickly became so unbearable. The pain was sharp and like I got electrocuted on the knee cap almost constantly. The pain level was as high as 8 out of 10.
I was so disappointed and frustrated with myself that on day 25 I had to experience this level of pain. I believe either my indoor cycling, or stretches or both made my left leg so sensitive. I believe I went extreme on stretching hoping I would recover faster, but it was too much for my left leg. I most likely overdid on cycling as well.
I finally gave up on avoiding pain killers and around 9 pm I had Tylenol. I did the 3 distractions, but tried to avoid any stretches and minimized walks (limited my walks to between bed and restroom).
I don't think I have ever experienced such physical pain whole my life. With the help of Tylenol, however, the pain dropped to 1 to 6.
Night time as usual was full of discomfort. I managed to sleep for about 4 hours.
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Hye StrydeNC
do Dr. Mahboubian have transitor in Chinese money not problem for me want good doctor I want do me tibias Stryde nail. I look for dairy in Stryde nail tibias but no one have Dr. Mahboubian. Than for write dairy big words to I search internet.
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Hye StrydeNC
do Dr. Mahboubian have transitor in Chinese money not problem for me want good doctor I want do me tibias Stryde nail. I look for dairy in Stryde nail tibias but no one have Dr. Mahboubian. Than for write dairy big words to I search internet.
Dear taller2023,
Regarding transferring money, or anything like that I believe the right way is to contact the office of the doctor you are interested and see about the financial aspects.
As for the stryde LL for tibia, I looked online after seeing your post and I cannot find any patient diary who did that with Dr. M. Please also ask IFS (InFullStryde), Movie, etc. who did surgeries with Dr. M. They may be more updated than me.
I am sorry that I don't have the information to help you with the two questions. But I hope you find your answers soon and I wish you the best in your future endeavors, brother.
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Day 26 (Monday, August 18th) - 18.8 mm Taller
I am back at taking pain killers! I have to accept that my body cannot handle the pain without the pain killers at this point. I am looking forward to stop the pain killers, as soon as possible!
I have completely stopped cycling and most of the stretches since yesterday. I only did stretches that did not involve much of a knee bending. I also minimized my walks, because every time I walked, the pain got aggravated. Pain could be as high as 8, but with Tylenol, I tried to manage.
By night time, I feel like the pain is not at the knee cap of left leg as much, but the whole leg and it it keeps propagating to different spots. In the evening for the first time I felt a tiny bit of pain on the knee cap of right leg (pain level 0.5 out of 10) for the first time. It could be a sign that my stretches were just too much even for my right leg.
I would say Monday was overall a bit more manageable than yesterday, but still it was one of my toughest days so far in terms of pain and discomfort. I hope by taking it easy on the PT sessions, I don't experience as much pain.
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Definitely listen to your body. Stretch more than PT. Going hard on PTs no good if it makes you feel like quitting early. Go easy on it. You got this.
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Definitely listen to your body. Stretch more than PT. Going hard on PTs no good if it makes you feel like quitting early. Go easy on it. You got this.
Thanks ghkid2019, Very much appreciate the kind advice and the support. I am just a bit surprised by the level of pain. But, I know by heart I went for this mainly to experience the challenge and to see whether I can deliver some perfect results that are expected out of this surgery (8 cm taller + going back to normal life, and how knows, possibly even better than before, cause with taller legs, you could do better in some stuff; e.g., for me as a swimmer, I should be a faster swimmer, technically if I nail it).
I have never hesitated going for this surgery even when I was screaming and crying of pain! but if I were to grade myself, in terms of how well I have handled it so far, even B+ is a stretch! I had thought pre-op that I would be at A or A+ in terms of nailing the challenge; How naive was I :D
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Dear taller2023,
Regarding transferring money, or anything like that I believe the right way is to contact the office of the doctor you are interested and see about the financial aspects. ....
Hi Taller2023,
Reading your message once more, I now see that I misunderstood your first question. I think you meant to ask whether Dr. M.'s staff includes someone who knows Chinese. This is what I recommend: to email the office and ask them you would like to talk to them over the phone but you need someone to translate your questions in Chinese and tranlate Dr. M.'s answer in English back to Chinese during the phone call. I hope this helps.
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Hi Taller2023,
Reading your message once more, I now see that I misunderstood your first question. I think you meant to ask whether Dr. M.'s staff includes someone who knows Chinese. This is what I recommend: to email the office and ask them you would like to talk to them over the phone but you need someone to translate your questions in Chinese and tranlate Dr. M.'s answer in English back to Chinese during the phone call. I hope this helps.
One more thing! if Trump gets elected once again, there is a chance getting a US visa becomes increasingly hard. This is what I recommend: If you decide to come to the US, you would have to stay here for a while and spend money. My suggestion is to try to get a Master's degree admission from a US school. This first of all helps with the visa, second is that you would try to do the CLL operation here in the US sometime towards the end of your master's program when you are almost done with courses, third is that it would help you save some money, cause you are here anyway.
E.g., if you plan to do CLL with Dr. M., my suggestion is to get an admission from USC, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCIrvine, UCRiverside, Calstate, etc. depending on your major and make your CLL journey a combo CLL + Master's degree journey :D
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Day 27 (Tuesday, August 18) - 19.8 mm Taller.
One of the most inconvenient nights. Despite taking the usual two 650mg Tylenol tablets, my left leg had this 5 to 8 level pain that would propagate from upper knee area back towards hamstrings and outer side of my leg and also by butt/lower back area, randomly. If I were to guess, I would say my exercises must have disturbed my nerve system and that is the reason the pain radiates randomly to different spots. I used a piece of cloth to tightly wrap my legs. After a while when it started to ache again, I separately wrapped my left leg tightly. That helped for a while too. Overall I managed to sleep for 4 or 5 hours.
I took a hot shower in the morning and that as usual reduced the pain down towards 0-1 levels. I had an appointment with Dr. M. this morning. I have been worried about my left leg since day 1, considering the discomfort and high levels of pain I have been experiencing.
Dr. M.'s Appointment:
X-rays: Before seeing Dr. M., his staff took the x rays. Finally after waiting for 27 days, it was the time to see how my legs had turned so far. I was so relieved when the Dr. told me that they look great and confirmed that both legs equally got lengthened by almost 2 cm. Dr. M. also said that the x-rays show bone growth.
https://imgur.com/A4COg20
https://imgur.com/aYp9Brb
https://i.imgur.com/TqNLOlT
https://i.imgur.com/1WXNKZi
Pain Management I asked Dr. M. about CBD. He said he would not recommend that, but he was fine with writing Tramadol for me.
To self-PT or not to self-PT, that is the question!
Dr. M. asked for some straightening and bending moves and he was very impressed with my flexibility. He still recommended me to hire a PT for once per week. I think I am going to be super careful to make sure I don't catch COVID-19 and I am gonna get a PT as Dr. M. recommended.
Today was a great day. I was imagining Dr. M. would tell me, SNC, we gotta take you back to the surgery room to fix an issue with your left leg and I was mentally preparing myself for that. Hearing from him that both legs were in great shape was like winning a double Oscar in the best supporting Leg category and a Nobel Peace Prize combined :D The credit mostly goes to Dr. M. He is my GLL (God of Limb Lengthening :D)
I took my first Tramadol at 12 pm. I don't wanna say the pain completely disappeared, but I have a good feeling about Tramadol so far. Dr. M. told me if one did not work, I can take two (every 6 hours). I'll keep everyone posted with my Tramadol-based pain management experience.
Yesterday I graded myself a B+ with a stretch! Based on the x-rays, I would say, B+ is fair. Let's see if my grade improves. It all depends on my pain management in addition to the final distraction and consolidation results.
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x rays look good, he did a great job with the nail installation and alignment, looks like you're on the right path to success
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x rays look good, he did a great job with the nail installation and alignment, looks like you're on the right path to success
I am so happy to see this. Very assuring cause it's coming from Movie, the Champion himself :)
By the way, how are you doing on the knee pain management? I hope you feel much better already.
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Haha thanks for the compliments SNC, yes I feel good, pain is about 95% gone and manageable (: BoneStretching & I suffered for 4-5 weeks of the similar type of pain, we believe it to be a ~1 year post op painful adjustment your body goes through after you do 8 CM.
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You're 1/4 the way there man. You're amazing, considering your age many people would've given up already. Keep going man
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I’m actually considering doing the surgery with Dr M in November now. Might as well get it out of the way while I can’t travel anywhere anyway. If.I schedule a consult ASAP do you think I could get a November surgery date?
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So your end goal is 8cm? Are you planning to do tibias later too? Also, just out of curiosity, what's your wingspan?
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I’m actually considering doing the surgery with Dr M in November now. Might as well get it out of the way while I can’t travel anywhere anyway. If.I schedule a consult ASAP do you think I could get a November surgery date?
Hey BelowTheMean Bro,
Dr. M.'s office staff and himself have always been very prompt in responding to my emails. Finding them on the phone has not been a problem to me either. I believe if you email or call them, they should be able to provide an answer about the surgery date very quickly.
I wish you the best in your future CLL.
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So your end goal is 8cm? Are you planning to do tibias later too? Also, just out of curiosity, what's your wingspan?
Hi caveman,
Correct. My goal is 8cm.
I did this mainly for the challenge of it. I already look tall with the right shoes and considering my athletic/almost zero fat body. There is a high chance with the additional 8 cm I would look just too tall. Those said, I don't believe I would ever do the tibias for two reasons: 1) CLL was top of my list of challenges I wanted to go for. I am doing it. I don't have motivation to repeat the challenge. I would rather go to the next item on my list, and 2) Adding tibias would make me look awfully tall. The only reason I would do tibias would be Dr. M. recommending that for medical reasons, but when I checked with him back in December 2019, he also agreed that I should do only femurs.
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Than you. I hire english people to help talk to doctor. Me will call and email. Than you for you write me.
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You're 1/4 the way there man. You're amazing, considering your age many people would've given up already. Keep going man
Thanks very much ghkid2019. I get energy from this forum and all the kind words including yours.
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Day 28 (Wed., Aug. 19) - 20.8 mm Taller
Day 29 (Thurs., Aug. 20) - 21.8 mm Taller
Day 30 (Fri., Aug. 21) - 22.8 mm Taller
Hello LL'ers! Hope everybody is doing great! The last three days were very similar! I continued to manage the left knee pain that had started on Sunday, by taking extra care on stretching and the help of pain killers.
Almost on a daily basis, I feel improvement in my legs in terms of strength and flexibility. E.g., now I can roll 360 degrees on bed, I can lie on my sides, etc. However the left leg pain remains and it gets worst at night times. The pain is not on a fix spot. Any moment it could be on any part of my left leg. It radiates and propagates randomly.
I have started using some ointments after getting approval from Dr. M.; to locally manage the pain. If it goes successfully, I let everyone know.
I developed a lower back pain on Thursday night, perhaps due to my stretching exercises, but I am not that concerned cause I think in a couple days I will recover.
Driving: I know I had mentioned in my diary that I would start driving by the end of month two, but my right leg has been normal for a long time. I thought I should give it a try. Turned out driving is not a problem for me and I think I can do long drives, but at this point, since I work from home, driving would be short; just to get away for a while and feel a bit fresh.
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Day 28 (Wed., Aug. 19) - 20.8 mm Taller
Day 29 (Thurs., Aug. 20) - 21.8 mm Taller
Day 30 (Fri., Aug. 21) - 22.8 mm Taller
Hello LL'ers! Hope everybody is doing great! The last three days were very similar! I continued to manage the left knee pain that had started on Sunday, by taking extra care on stretching and the help of pain killers.
Almost on a daily basis, I feel improvement in my legs in terms of strength and flexibility. E.g., now I can roll 360 degrees on bed, I can lie on my sides, etc. However the left leg pain remains and it gets worst at night times. The pain is not on a fix spot. Any moment it could be on any part of my left leg. It radiates and propagates randomly.
I have started using some ointments after getting approval from Dr. M.; to locally manage the pain. If it goes successfully, I let everyone know.
I developed a lower back pain on Thursday night, perhaps due to my stretching exercises, but I am not that concerned cause I think in a couple days I will recover.
Driving: I know I had mentioned in my diary that I would start driving by the end of month two, but my right leg has been normal for a long time. I thought I should give it a try. Turned out driving is not a problem for me and I think I can do long drives, but at this point, since I work from home, driving would be short; just to get away for a while and feel a bit fresh.
Isn’t the bigger issue with driving the use of narcotics? Or are you not taking any pain meds that would hinder your ability to drive? Since you can drive, do you think you could go on a grocery run? Or would that still be impractical since you probably don’t want to carry anything heavy.
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SNC don’t give up! I’ve slept 6 hours in 3 days cause of knee pain, now it’s totally gone and I have no pain as before. So don’t lose your hope it could drastically change quickly
How is your walk?
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Isn’t the bigger issue with driving the use of narcotics? Or are you not taking any pain meds that would hinder your ability to drive? Since you can drive, do you think you could go on a grocery run? Or would that still be impractical since you probably don’t want to carry anything heavy.
Hey BelowTheMean buddy,
As you pointed out it is everyone's responsibility to make sure they are not under any drugs/pain killers that may block their judgement during driving.
I was pretty sure I was fully alert. I had taken my last pain killer hours before. Then took a hot shower to suppress the pain temporarily and then went to try driving. After driving was over I starting taking pain killers again.
I believe I can go to grocery pick stuff and put them in a cart and walk using that cart. However the whole thing is too risky. My family members have been nice to me and have taken care of in-person shopping. I insist that we should order online but there are certain items they cannot find online such as certain yogurt or bread types/brands:D
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SNC don’t give up! I’ve slept 6 hours in 3 days cause of knee pain, now it’s totally gone and I have no pain as before. So don’t lose your hope it could drastically change quickly
How is your walk?
Tartar Bro,
My knee pain was over by Thurs., the 20th, however as usual I have had a lot of pain in my left leg. The pain location and severity changes almost randomly to me. The only know part I have is starting evening it intensifies and in the morning it starts to subside.
I wish you the best bro. I hope you find stretching ways that help you avoid that knee pain, while managing your distraction.
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Hi SNC,
Are you able to walk at least few steps unassisted?
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Hi SNC,
Are you able to walk at least few steps unassisted?
Hi F3,
Yes. I wrote in my diary that last week I tried walking unassisted with no need to widen my legs. However my walk looks wobbly. I don't feel like walking unassisted would benefit me in any form (pain, healing, etc.). I therefore plan to have my crutches handy. While using them, I try to not depend on them too much, though.
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Day 31 (Sat., Aug. 22) - 23.8 mm Taller
Day 32 (Sun., Aug. 23) - 24.8 mm Taller
Day 33 (Mon., Aug. 24) - 25.7 mm Taller
Back Pain: When my lower back pain started Thursday evening, I thought I would recover in a day or two, but it turned into a drama during the weekend! The pain was not on a certain spot or muscle and sometimes moved to be a middle back pain. Therefore times it changed to a deep pain on the sides, either on the left side, or both sides. The pain has got worsened every day since Thursday evening. At night times I had a hard time sitting and lying on the bed, therefore I had to stand or walk once in a while. I got a bit worried that it could be kidney related, but the pain was not constant like in case of kidney pain. I think if the pain is not gone by Tuesday, i.e., 5 days after it started, I go to a clinic for a checkup.
Pain Management: I started taking Tylenol PM (two 500 mg tablets) on Sat. night. It was an almost pain-free night. Tylenol PM gave me a lot of hope that my sleepless painful nights could be over. However PM did not work on Sunday night. I had a lot of pain on my left leg (and back pain made it worst). I was awake almost for the whole night. I decided to switch back to Tramadol on Monday, but I started aggressively: I took one Tramadol (50mg) every two hours. By Monday evening time I took one tablet every 3 hours and overall I took 400 mg of Tramadol for 24 hours. Not perfect, but overall it helped me manage the pain throughout the day, so I could also do some work. Occasionally I also put some ointments to mitigate the pain. I specifically use Diclofenac Sodium Topical Gel, as well as BioFreeze. Massaging the left leg has been helpful in distracting myself in case of severe pain.
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How is your walk?
Tartar Bro,
My walks improve on a daily basis. I feel very comfortable with crutches and I know I can walk unassisted as well. I figured to avoid the wobbly walk, I should make sure each leg is strong enough so as I can lift my whole body and stand on that leg. This morning I practiced that. My right is very close to normal, but my left leg is not there yet. Therefore when I try walking unassisted, one may notice that when my whole body weight switches to left, there is a little bit of wobbly move. Slowing down and shortening the stride, helps making the walk look more normal.
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Day 34 (Tuesday, Aug. 25) - 26.7 mm Taller
A peaceful night! cause my back pain started to sharply drop and pain management using Tramadol + ointments + massages has worked so far (pain level at 0-3 on left and 0 on right). By morning I felt like back pain was almost gone, so cancelled my plan for a clinic visit.
Everything else is routine (taking vitamins, etc., doing stretching around 6 times, one before and one after each lengthening session, walking using crutches, doing some work, watching movies, and surfing Internet!).
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Day 35 (Wed., Aug. 26) - 27.7 mm Taller
I have fully recovered from the back pain. Nights are not as frustrating any more, cause even if I am awake, the left leg pain is manageable. Every time I wake up, my legs become so stiff and sore! Bending or straightening knees becomes a challenge for a few minutes. The best solution to it is to do one round of stretching exercises to help my legs go back to normal!
It is very easy for me to hurt my left leg during stretches. This afternoon the upper knee part of my left leg started ache and create discomfort. By 10 pm the pain peaked around 5 or so, but subsided later on and by early morning of Thursday pain was normal (0-3 levels with the pain management I had described before).
Every day I practice (short and slow) unassisted walks to try to get a handle of making the walk look as normal as possible. When my body weight is on right, my steps look pretty normal, but left leg is too painful and that is reflected in the form of a wobbly move while body weight is switching weight from left to right.
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Good to know that you’re pain free. Back pain can be a nightmare. I’m starting to feel it. I’ve been doing bridges while lying down. May be you can try that too.
And How’s your knee bending currently?
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Good to know that you’re pain free. Back pain can be a nightmare. I’m starting to feel it. I’ve been doing bridges while lying down. May be you can try that too.
And How’s your knee bending currently?
Hey F3, I have been doing several exercises such as cobra, cat, bridges and rolling that may have affected the back muscles. My back pain started fairly quickly therefore I tend to believe during a stretching session last Thursday I must have hurt my back.
My knee bending is pretty good I would say. Lying on my back, I can bend and bring my foot all the way to my butt; but that's the most inconvenient stretch for my left leg. Bending while sitting, I cannot bring my foot all the way to butt, but the gap is around 10 cm or less.
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Day 36 (Thursday, August 27) - 28.7 mm Taller
Official Graduation Day from Crutches:
As noted in my diary, the first time I tried an unassisted walk was on Day 21 (Wed., Aug. 12th), however at the time I did not feel like it would benefit me to go 100% unassisted. Two weeks have passed since then, and I am confident my legs are more than ready to go unassisted. I therefore graduated myself from crutches as well and wet unassisted 100%. I ended up walking perhaps more than other days, cause without the crutches, I had more freedom in terms of doing my own tasks. E.g., instead asking my family to make me coffee and bring to the table, I did those tasks myself. I almost did everything by myself today. That certainly put a lot of pressure on my legs, however it felt right, meaning I believed my legs are ready for the extra pressure and the unassisted walks would accelerate the healing process.
The rest was pretty much the routine I have been following: exercising before and after each lengthening session, taking vitamins, etc. as noted in my diary., and pain management (Tramadol, ointments, massages, and hot showers every other day or so).
What if knees lock:
As I had also noted before, every time I wake up my legs are so stiff. Especially if I sleep with my legs straightened or with a pillow under my knees, when waking up I would have a hard time for a few minutes bending my knees. However today something unexpected happened. After a short afternoon nap with my legs straightened while napping, I could bend my right knee after a couple minutes, but my left knee was aching like crazy; I felt like I was almost breaking my knee by doing any moves. I finally found a solution: I tried to stand up on my legs, while my left leg was like a piece of wood with no flexibility and my right leg doing most of the control. I then walked for a few minutes with both legs bearing my body weight and then I finally tried sitting; that worked! A reminder that while resting with legs straight, it is a good idea to put a pillow under your knees to avoid knees going to a lock mode!!
I thought I should share this with our Stryde fellows: if you have a hard time bending your knees, perhaps you should not fight it. Instead stand up and try to walk for a while and then try to sit and that should do it :)
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Day 37 (Fri., Aug. 28th) - 29.7 mm Taller
Today, I walked the longest since the surgery day. That made my legs, especially the left one painful by night time. Looking at others, I think I am 5 times or higher as slow as a typical adult. I get even slower outdoors, cause I don't wanna look wobbly, so I take extra care and my time to make it look a bit more normal while walking.
I also drove for a second time today. I believe behind the wheels I am just normal and like old times I should be able to drive for long hours, if necessary.
Went to costco to try my first in-store grocery shopping post-op. By the time I got to the entrance, I was exhausted, but I saw those electric carts for handicaps. They let me use one, so shopping was piece of cake while riding the electric cart. I rode the cart all the way to my car.
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Day 37 (Fri., Aug. 28th) - 29.7 mm Taller
Today, I walked the longest since the surgery day. That made my legs, especially the left one painful by night time. Looking at others, I think I am 5 times or higher as slow as a typical adult. I get even slower outdoors, cause I don't wanna look wobbly, so I take extra care and my time to make it look a bit more normal while walking.
I also drove for a second time today. I believe behind the wheels I am just normal and like old times I should be able to drive for long hours, if necessary.
Went to costco to try my first in-store grocery shopping post-op. By the time I got to the entrance, I was exhausted, but I saw those electric carts for handicaps. They let me use one, so shopping was piece of cake while riding the electric cart. I rode the cart all the way to my car.
That’s good to hear. Now that I have the spare cash and I’m actually planning to do it soon (if all goes as planned with work) I’m thinking through all the logistics as well, especially for food. I don’t have any family nearby, so I need to figure out what can be done independently and what I need help on.
I’m actually getting a little nervous just thinking about actually going through the whole process, even though I’ve known about LL and have semi-consistently been reading journals since 2014.
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That’s good to hear. Now that I have the spare cash and I’m actually planning to do it soon (if all goes as planned with work) I’m thinking through all the logistics as well, especially for food. I don’t have any family nearby, so I need to figure out what can be done independently and what I need help on.
I’m actually getting a little nervous just thinking about actually going through the whole process, even though I’ve known about LL and have semi-consistently been reading journals since 2014.
Hey BelowTheMean,
My general advice to all who have researched and planned to do CLL at some point in their life, is to go for it as early as they can. Part of this surgery is out of your control, e.g., the pain I have experienced on my left leg started a couple hours post surgery and has stayed with me ever since, whereas my right leg has had a typical 0 level pain so far. Surgery is complicated and even a tiny bit of change on where the nails should go, etc. may impact pain level drastically. This would not change if you postpone the surgery; the earlier the better, cause during COVID-19 times, we have the chance to WFH and that helps with the healing process.
As for staying alone post-op, I just don't see how I could survive the first few days, had I not have others helping me. Unless your pain level from early post-op and on both legs is low, I believe you better have a family member or a friend helping you during the first few days.
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Hey StrydeNailChallenge,
What exactly happened to your left leg that didn't happen to your right? Hope you have a good recovery.
-brondo
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Hey StrydeNailChallenge,
What exactly happened to your left leg that didn't happen to your right? Hope you have a good recovery.
-brondo
Hey Brondo,
It's a long story. I have put all the detail in my diary here. However the short version of it is that since my right leg has had almost zero level pain since day 1, the contrast between my right leg and left leg has captured my attention to try to figure out what I could do to make my left leg improve to be like my right leg. It is very possible my left leg pain is typical; according to many folks here who have posted their story including the pain they've experienced.. That would then mean that I got lucky and my right leg somehow exceptionally has not pain.
In general my speculation on the pain the LL surgery is that a lot of it is related to the nerve system, but I am not sure.
In any case during the last two weeks or so, I have got a better handle of pain management and my night sleeps are much better than the first few weeks.
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Hey Brondo,
It's a long story. I have put all the detail in my diary here. However the short version of it is that since my right leg has had almost zero level pain since day 1, the contrast between my right leg and left leg has captured my attention to try to figure out what I could do to make my left leg improve to be like my right leg. It is very possible my left leg pain is typical; according to many folks here who have posted their story including the pain they've experienced.. That would then mean that I got lucky and my right leg somehow exceptionally has not pain.
In general my speculation on the pain the LL surgery is that a lot of it is related to the nerve system, but I am not sure.
In any case during the last two weeks or so, I have got a better handle of pain management and my night sleeps are much better than the first few weeks.
Hope it's not too bad then. Looking forward to your future updates!
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Day 38 (Sat., Aug. 29th) - 30.7 mm Taller
Day 39 (Sun., Aug. 30th) - 31.7 mm Taller
Day 40 (Mon., Aug. 31st) - 32.7 mm Taller
Day 41 (Tue., Sep. 1st) - 33.7 mm Taller
Last couple of weeks have increasingly become more normal and predictable. My routine including pain management, etc. look almost like the same. I have continued to walk 100% unassisted. My walks still look wobbly. I still don't bend my left knee while walking. I feel more swelling and pain on the left leg. I drive almost every day just to feel a bit more fresh. Driving and hot showers make me feel normal, cause those are the times, my legs don't give me a feeling that I had a surgery!
Just to be safe, I reserved a PT to come by on Wed. the 2nd. My goal is to get an evaluation from a PT on how my self-PT has turned out so far. Also I would like to know about the weak muscles so I can work on them. Finally any tips from the PT on improving the left leg would be great. I will provide an update here about that.
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Hey!
It’s so awesome you’re doing great while lengthening!
How is your pain? Do you drink painkillers? Do you think you can avoid drinking them, if you actually do?
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Hey!
It’s so awesome you’re doing great while lengthening!
How is your pain? Do you drink painkillers? Do you think you can avoid drinking them, if you actually do?
Hey Aquahoma2! Thank you!
I was finally able to manage the pain using a pain management I came up with, based on a lot of trial and error and also the posts in this forum. I have mentioned the details in my diary, but it's basically taking Tramadol as necessary but in the worst case within 5 hours of each other (I sometimes take them within 8 hours of each other or longer, if not much pain) + hot showers + using some off-the-shelf ointments that are available in Costco and Amazon. The resulting pain for most of the times is 0 to 3 on the left leg and 0 to 1 on the right leg.
If you see my diary, you'll notice I tried dropping pain killers several times and every time I finally failed and had to restart taking them. Tramadol has been great so far and I think I am going to continue to listen to my body and take as necessary. Ideally I would like to take 2 tramadols per day, but so far it's been mostly 3 or 4 per day.
I hope this answered your question. Keep in touch Bro,
SNC
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Oof, but tramadol is opioid, isn’t it?
I think it’s kinda risky to take it for long. Have you asked your doctor if that stuff can cause addiction?
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Oof, but tramadol is opioid, isn’t it?
I think it’s kinda risky to take it for long. Have you asked your doctor if that stuff can cause addiction?
Hey Aquhoma2,
You made a very important point; and that reminded me to write here something I think I learnt during the stryde process, which I would not have believed, had I not experienced it myself.
First I should emphasize that Tramadol is indeed an opiod painkiller and addictive. However I had started with Norco which is more powerful and addictive. Therefore it was reasonable to switch to Tramadol as pain subsided. Dr. M. also confirmed that overall it is a more mild pain killer which consequently may have lower negative impacts on body than Norco does.
Tramadol and Norco are both based on Dr.'s prescription only. Pharmacies carefully check your ID before giving you the pills. I guess that's because there are many cases of abuse and addiction, especially on Norco. I think CLL Drs. are aware that their patients may have to take the pain killers as necessary but for months
Here is what I learnt: I always believed that my mind is so strong that even if I try Heroine and get addicted to it, I can stop taking it any time I decide to ! I always pictured that I would stop right away and would never try it ever! However quitting an addictive drug or medicine needs more than a strong mind! Another crucial factor is your body's reaction to lack of the addictive drug! This is something I had never accounted for when in my mind I imagined myself as addicted to Heroine but enjoyed quitting Heroine successfully.
The first time I decided to stop Norco, my body started aching and shivering so badly after about 18 hours without Norco! that's when I realized, if I were on Heroine and thanks to a strong mind stopped taking it at some point, I could still die, cause my body could not handle the strong symptoms of quitting Heroine.
Anyways, I thought I share what I think of the addictive pain killers, based on my little experience.
CLL'er buddies, let me know if you have any questions for me.
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hey SNC!
youre only 3 days away from 4cm! ( almost halfway! whoo)
i notice youre updating less, which must mean distraction has become routine/monotonous, and theres nothing new to report :)
keep up the good work!
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Hi SNC,
Hope you're doing well. I have some questions about the pain killers. When do you hope to be completely off the pain killers? Is there a specific way to "step down" off the medication so that you don't get those withdrawal effects or is that just inevitable?
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Hi SNC,
Hope you're doing well. I have some questions about the pain killers. When do you hope to be completely off the pain killers? Is there a specific way to "step down" off the medication so that you don't get those withdrawal effects or is that just inevitable?
hey brondo
i can answer that question, the key is simply to slowly taper the dosage. and as you taper you can replace the opiates with other meds such as tylenol, NSAIDs should be avoided due to interference with prostaglandins synthesis ( affecting bone growth)
here are some resources
https://www.hss.edu/conditions_patient-guide-opioid-tapering.asp
https://www.rxfiles.ca/rxfiles/uploads/documents/opioid-taper-template.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/clinical_pocket_guide_tapering-a.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/clinical_pocket_guide_tapering-a.pdf
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Thanks wannabeidol!
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hey SNC!
youre only 3 days away from 4cm! ( almost halfway! whoo)
i notice youre updating less, which must mean distraction has become routine/monotonous, and theres nothing new to report :)
keep up the good work!
Hey wannabeidol and brondo,
Apologies for being late in responding. I have had some tough days! ironically related to the last few posts we have had regarding addiction to Tramadol. I am doing better now. I will write the details shortly.
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Day 42 (Wed., Sept. 2nd) - 34.6 Taller
Day 43 (Thurs., Sept. 3rd) - 35.6 Taller
Day 44 (Fri., Sept. 4th) - 36.6 Taller
Day 45 (Sat., Sept. 5th) - 37.6 Taller
Tramadol Drama:
I take 3 to 4, 50 mg Tramadol pills per day. Found out on Wednesday that I would not have enough number of pills to survive, till Tuesday morning when I'll have my next appointment with Dr. M. I was short of about 2.5 days of supply.
I had a few options, including calling Dr. M.'s office to have them mail a prescription to me, or driving to their office to pick up the prescription myself (they had said for some reason they couldn't send any Tramadol or Norco prescription to pharmacies electronically). Instead, I decided to switch to Tylenol to save some pills for the last two days (Sunday and Monday) before my appt. with Dr. M. That was a big mistake! Man I suffered! my body is clearly addicted to Tramadol, no question about that!! That's not a surprise to me; cause I was certainly addicted to Norco after taking it for a couple weeks post-op and Tramadol is a more mild version, but still an addictive opioid.
I did some Tylenol replacement on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. If you have never been addicted and wanna know how bad it feels to be deprived of the supply just ask me :D :( :( I think I can describe it as a combination of dull pain in legs, a general feeling that my body aches, shivering at times, feeling like my bones and body are cold, and mixed with anxiety and depression! my legs feel like two heavy rocks that I have hard time moving! worst part is that I cannot focus on any thing, neither work nor stretching nor anything even watching a movie or listening to a song! my stretching quality was highly affected during the times I was not on Tramadol.
I had tried so many different methods of pain management and finally found one that worked best: A combination of Tramadol, ointments for local pain relief, hot showers, and at times treating pain with ice packs. This is the lesson I learnt: don't mess up with the Tramadol part of it! I should make sure I would not run out of Tramadol until the distraction phase is over. I am going to ask Dr. M. to write two prescriptions if necessary, so I would not run out of it! Worst case I would drive to Seattle if I have to, just to be with you, my Tramadol :D
I will double check with Dr. M. that taking 3 to 4, 50 mg Tramadol pills for the next 45 to 60 days or so, would be okay with no long term side effects on my liver, etc. If he confirms, then I would not have much concern. I know I can fairly easily quit Tramadol after the distraction phase is over; as I could do in case of Norco immediately in one day. Worst case, I would let my body fade into it, by taking half pills for a couple days, then 1/4th for a couple days, then 1/8th .. and finally stop it completely.
I hope my bad experience helps others be more careful than me in handling their pain medicine.
PT Experience:
The PT was late for the Wednesday appt., therefore we postponed it to Friday. He showed up on time on Friday! nice guy! he asked me to do some moves! and then he said I was too good to be PT'ed at home! he advised me to do outpatient PT, especially now that I can drive. His point was that when I go to the PT facility, they have much better equipment and pain remedy devices that he could bring to my place. I will call my insurance once more tomorrow to schedule an outpatient visit. I am a bit worried about COVID-19, but will go there to see how risky it and decide whether I could continue based on that visit.
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Hi SNC,
Hope you're doing well. I have some questions about the pain killers. When do you hope to be completely off the pain killers? Is there a specific way to "step down" off the medication so that you don't get those withdrawal effects or is that just inevitable?
brondo, Bro,
I plan to quit on Tramadol a few days after the distraction is complete; when my pain is at low levels. I am very confident I can easily quite on Tramadol either immediately in one day, or if not gradually within a few days. Based on my Norco experience, I prefer to quite immediately in one day as I think my body can handle it. I would suffer for a few hours I imagine, but since my distraction pain would be over by then, I would imagine, it would be something I could easily tolerate.
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Tapering down slowly is ideal. Dropping cold turkey won't happen at this point, 3-4 a day will make your body way too dependent on it, imagine in a month when it hurts more and how long you'll be on this. Cold turkey usually results in relapse and it'll just lengthen the weaning off process.
Tapering down slowly shouldn't be too much a problem. It's a good plan. Especially since after Lengthening phase, the pains will dramatically reduce at a quick rate, so you physically don't need as much anyways since less pain
Hot showers is a good idea, heat packs as well. Ice packs I would avoid if you aren't swollen.
You're almost at the half way point. You beaten the odds already at your age. Push through SNC, I beleiebe in uu
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Tapering down slowly is ideal. Dropping cold turkey won't happen at this point, 3-4 a day will make your body way too dependent on it, imagine in a month when it hurts more and how long you'll be on this. Cold turkey usually results in relapse and it'll just lengthen the weaning off process.
Tapering down slowly shouldn't be too much a problem. It's a good plan. Especially since after Lengthening phase, the pains will dramatically reduce at a quick rate, so you physically don't need as much anyways since less pain
Hot showers is a good idea, heat packs as well. Ice packs I would avoid if you aren't swollen.
You're almost at the half way point. You beaten the odds already at your age. Push through SNC, I beleiebe in uu
Thanks ghkid2019,
I take your advice, wannabeidol's and others very seriously. I will let you guys know how my experience goes with Tramadol and the quitting process.
Thanks for the kind words. My age is just really misleading! I have people working with me that are in their 20s and I look younger, fitter and more energetic than them! I think depending on the body, someone could feel and be younger or older than he/she really is by decades. In my case I have been really lucky. A combination of good genes and healthy life style has made me the fittest I have seen among all my friends, and colleagues. It's worth reading about biological age aka physiological age vs chronological age!
https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-chronological-age-2223384#:~:text=Chronological%20age%20is%20the%20number,habits%2C%20to%20name%20a%20few.
I may be biologically a teenager :D There is a catch though! breeds like us die very young! Therefore there is a good chance I would die in a few years, but I would die handsome :D
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Thanks for responding SNC,
I was wondering why you were running low on medicine though? Was the pain overloading you and you decided to take more painkillers? Hope you get the meds from Dr. M and get through this safely. Rooting for you.
-brondo
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Thanks for responding SNC,
I was wondering why you were running low on medicine though? Was the pain overloading you and you decided to take more painkillers? Hope you get the meds from Dr. M and get through this safely. Rooting for you.
-brondo
I actually took less than what I was prescribed to take (which is one 50 mg pill every 6 hours). There was a couple times I took two every 4 hours at start [per Dr.'s advice that I could double the doze if pain is too high], but for many times I took a pill with longer periods than 6, e.g., many times every 8 hours or so.
I believe It was because the prescription was not enough for 21 days, which is exactly the number of days between my previous appointment and next one on Tuesday with Dr. M.
I will make sure this would not be repeated, as a simple issue like this made my life hell for days!
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hey SNC
sorry to hear about your tramadol issues :(
a big issue with opiates is you can get Opioid-induced hyperalgesia, which paradoxically causes you to be MORE sensitive to pain
perhaps you may need to consider supplementing with nonpharmalogical modalities such as TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and as silly as it sounds meditation. (there are many good programs out there im presonally a big fan of headspace)
also are you getting any nerve pain? like shooting pains? electrical shocks?
you might wanna look into medications like Carbamazepine (Tegretol) or Pregabalin (Lyrica)
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I actually took less than what I was prescribed to take (which is one 50 mg pill every 6 hours). There was a couple times I took two every 4 hours at start [per Dr.'s advice], but for many times I took a pill with longer periods than 6, e.g., many times every 8 hours or so.
I believe It was because the prescription was not enough for 21 days, which is exactly the number of days between my previous appointment and next one on Tuesday with Dr. M.
I will make sure this would not be repeated, as a simple issue like this made my life hell for days!
I am confirming what I said is correct. Just checked the Tramadol container and it reads Qty as 60 tablets. This means I had 15-day supply (4 per day, i.e., every 6 hours, per Dr.'s prescription) whereas I needed 21 days.
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hey SNC
sorry to hear about your tramadol issues :(
a big issue with opiates is you can get Opioid-induced hyperalgesia, which paradoxically causes you to be MORE sensitive to pain
perhaps you may need to consider supplementing with nonpharmalogical modalities such as TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and as silly as it sounds meditation. (there are many good programs out there im presonally a big fan of headspace)
also are you getting any nerve pain? like shooting pains? electrical shocks?
you might wanna look into medications like Carbamazepine (Tegretol) or Pregabalin (Lyrica)
wannabeidol, buddy! thanks a lot for letting me know. Meditation reminder is what I needed the most. I am going to start right away. I guess i will start with youtube and get some advice from you on how to get better at it.
I will also note down the medications you mentioned here and discuss them with Dr. M. and if he gives me a green signal I will try them out.
I believe I started getting nerve pain episodes a while ago. They mostly appear around the knee area, but could appear randomly on any spot on my legs, even tibias. I don't get any nerve pain on the upper body.
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headspace also offers a 2 week free trial! so if you cancel before the 14 days you should be fine!
https://www.headspace.com/meditation/pain
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Tramadol Drama:
I take 3 to 4, 50 mg Tramadol pills per day. Found out on Wednesday that I would not have enough number of pills to survive, till Tuesday morning when I'll have my next appointment with Dr. M. I was short of about 2.5 days of supply.
.....
Pain Management Reminder:
Future CLL'er Brothers and Sisters,
I cannot stress enough the crucial role of pain management in the final outcome of the CLL process. I took this challenge, not only to pass it successfully, but also to hopefully learn something from it!
The number one lesson for me, so far is that pain management is the KING in this war!
Last night I took two Tylenol PM pills before going to bed with a confused, anxious mind, and a body that I could hardly move. I skipped most of my stretching exercises while on Tylenol (and out the Tramadol).
I had 9 Tramadol pills left, therefore I knew I could resume taking Tramadol this morning and survive till Tuesday when I meed Dr. M. I took one at 5 am this morning, and within half an hour, I was back to feeling normal. I could resume my stretches and could achieve the levels I were at, before switching to Tylenol. This shows how important it is to stick with a winning pain management. It's been 8 hours and 15 minutes since I took Tramadol and I still feel normal with pain levels of 0-3 on my left and 0-1 on my right leg. I will probably take my next Tramadol shortly, in advance to my second distraction session of the day, just to be safe, but in general what I have found out is that I can take Tramadol with much longer periods than 6 hours.
It seems my average has been one 50 mg Tramadol pill every 8 hours.
I have also learnt through this process that I should not fight the pain! Trying to skip or stop pain killers, while tolerating pain is a bad idea. I tried quitting on pain killers, but I failed every time, cause my alternative plans (hot/ice packs, showers, more aggressive stretching, treating pain locally with ointments, distraction with watching/listening with video/audio material, going out, driving, etc.) failed.
Having pain and not doing much about it, would most likely force you to jeopardize the quality of your stretching sessions which are essential during distraction and consolidation phases. Of course we should keep looking for less harmful pain management solutions, but meanwhile, we should stick with the best we have found with the help of our Dr., and experiences others have had, but tolerating pain is not productive at all.
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headspace also offers a 2 week free trial! so if you cancel before the 14 days you should be fine!
https://www.headspace.com/meditation/pain
Great! thanks very much :)
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Hello, Doctor Robbins @ Paley institute prescribed me Gabapentin for nerve pain. It got rid of most of it and made it much more comfortable during the distraction phase. I was able to sleep while using Gabapentin. Safe dosage is 900mg daily. You may want to discuss this with the doctor in case you are still getting the nerve pain :)
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Hello, Doctor Robbins @ Paley institute prescribed me Gabapentin for nerve pain. It got rid of most of it and made it much more comfortable during the distraction phase. I was able to sleep while using Gabapentin. Safe dosage is 900mg daily. You may want to discuss this with the doctor in case you are still getting the nerve pain :)
Hi readyprecisestryde,
Thanks for this information. I will certainly discuss this tomorrow with Dr. M. I will try to find out tomorrow from him, if my pain is mostly categorized as nerve pain or if it's something else.
My night sleeps were terrible during the first two weeks or so, but quickly changed to be close to normal! It's been weeks since I started to get much better sleeps. In fact in the days I was out of Tramadol and trying to survive on Tylenol, I slept for a few hours during daytime and also for most of the night, cause when I sleep, I don't have pain even if I don't take any painkillers! However as I had noted in my diary before, for that to work, I have to sleep face down!!! It somehow suppresses the pain when I sleep on my thighs and knees! It's a weird habit I have had even before the surgery and now it comes handy!!
I am wondering if anyone else has found sleeping face down helpful in terms of pain management!
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Day 46 (Sun., Sep. 6) - 38.6 mm Taller
Day 47 (Mon., Sep. 7) - 39.6 mm Taller
Nothing out of the ordinary! Just that having resumed on Tramadol, pain was 0-3 on left and 0-1 on right.
Day 48 (Tue., Sep. 8) - Appt. with Dr. M. - 41 mm Taller
The day started great! Dr. M. was very impressed with my walk. He also said that my x rays look excellent.
Best in Flexibility and Moves :D
Dr. M. also said that I am the best by far, among all the patients he has had, in terms of flexibility and moves :D
My goal has been to successfully complete this CLL challenge and getting some "best" titles out of it would be a great bonus :D
I asked Dr. M., if he thinks I am possibly the best overall in terms of quality of results and recovery. He repeated what he said during our first post-op appt., that it's too soon to tell and that I have tough competition (he once again mentioned a military guy from Hawaii and a teenager, both of whom apparently recovered exceptionally well).
Now here is the very surprising part: He said that the x rays are a bit too excellent for him! Then he clarified that in the spectrum of LL'ers recovering from the surgery, I am on one extreme end of the spectrum with my growth rate, exceptionally high, to a level that he is now a bit concerned that my bones may have an early consolidation. He thinks I must have a great diet and with all the vitamins and calcium and a very healthy body, my growth is exceptionally fast. He asked me to cut down on calcium! He also instructed me to do 4 distractions sessions for two weeks to try to create some head space for the bones. He also wanted me to try to cut down on Tramadol, however with 4 sessions, I don't see that happening for me!
I decided to add a 4th session starting today. That created some more pain that usual starting evening time and also some numbness, mostly on the left leg (tibia and foot).
Day 49 (Wed., Sep. 9) - 42.3 mm Taller
It was a painful day! I jumped into shower twice for a hot shower! I also took 3 Tramadols for the day. The feeling of numbness on my left leg started yesterday and got worsened today. I tried to mitigate it by doing more stretches and massages.
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Great progress SNC! Just wondering how flexible are you actually if Dr. M said that? You can do full splits?
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congrats SNC!
did you get anything for your nerve pain?
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congrats SNC!
did you get anything for your nerve pain?
Dear wannabeidol,
He asked me some questions and determined that I have not yet developed nerve pain yet. The pain I have must be related to surgery (cause starting day 1 I had pain on left) plus the distraction pain. The new numbness feeling may be changing the story. I have already emailed Dr. M. about the numbness, and I am waiting for his response.
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Great progress SNC! Just wondering how flexible are you actually if Dr. M said that? You can do full splits?
Dear Brondo,
I have not tried that but I am sure I cannot. Do you think there is anyone who can do full splits a couple months post-op?
I mean looking at any patient here, their notes and videos, I think I can can beat them, but I have not seen a full split case yet. Please let me know if you know who the most flexible is on this forum and I then compare myself with him/her.
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Dear wannabeidol,
He asked me some questions and determined that I have not yet developed nerve pain yet. The pain I have must be related to surgery (cause starting day 1 I had pain on left) plus the distraction pain. The new numbness feeling may be changing the story. I have already emailed Dr. M. about the numbness, and I am waiting for his response.
I better mention what stretches/moves Dr. M. tested me for: He asked me to bend knees. He checked my walk. Also bending to touch the ground (I think I am flexible enough to still be able to touch the ground when I will hopefully have grown 8 cm). He also check lifting legs like straight.
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Snc
I bet you have been weight bearing alot. Which is a good thing.
But if Dr. m saids there's risk of preconsolidation and now is ordering you to lengthen more times a day, I highly suspect you will soon experience extreme nerve pain and need gabapentin.
If you do feel alot of nerve pain, I will simply recommend to talk to Dr. m about:
Lowering lengthening rate back to previously
And you should weight bear less.
Hopefully this no happen.
But if nerve pain starts, talk to him about distracting the previous rate and weight bear less so less bone grow instead of needing to distract faster
But good job man, 48 year old (or biologically a teen hue hue) having fast bone growth? Very impressive 😁
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Dear Brondo,
I have not tried that but I am sure I cannot. Do you think there is anyone who can do full splits a couple months post-op?
I mean looking at any patient here, their notes and videos, I think I can can beat them, but I have not seen a full split case yet. Please let me know if you know who the most flexible is on this forum and I then compare myself with him/her.
Oh, I was actually talking about what your flexibility was pre-op. I was wondering if your flexibility prior to the operation helped you in any way. I don't expect anyone to do full splits just a few weeks after surgery. :)
-brondo
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Snc
I bet you have been weight bearing alot. Which is a good thing.
But if Dr. m saids there's risk of preconsolidation and now is ordering you to lengthen more times a day, I highly suspect you will soon experience extreme nerve pain and need gabapentin.
If you do feel alot of nerve pain, I will simply recommend to talk to Dr. m about:
Lowering lengthening rate back to previously
And you should weight bear less.
Hopefully this no happen.
But if nerve pain starts, talk to him about distracting the previous rate and weight bear less so less bone grow instead of needing to distract faster
But good job man, 48 year old (or biologically a teen hue hue) having fast bone growth? Very impressive 😁
ghkid2019, my brother!
Thanks a lot for your kind words. I totally agree with you on weight bearing. When Dr. M. told me about my extreme growth rate, the first thing I told him was that perhaps it's because I walked unaided too soon and just too much walk per day. He said No! he thought it was a combination of healthy diet and body, and a lot of vitamins and calcium. I am still not convinced that walking unaided did not have an important role, so thinking like you, I already started using crutches at times, especially when I have a lot of pain, so to avoid putting too much weight on my legs.
Thanks for the advice. If my pain changes to shooting/electric pain, I guess I would know it's nerve related and I would ask him about the medicines you and others recommended.
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Oh, I was actually talking about what your flexibility was pre-op. I was wondering if your flexibility prior to the operation helped you in any way. I don't expect anyone to do full splits just a few weeks after surgery. :)
-brondo
Understood. When I was doing gymanstics in my teens I used to maintain it typically, but if for a few weeks, I did not do full splits, it took me about 15 minutes to bring it to full splits. Pre-op I did not try for it, but I think if I tried pre-op for a maximum of one hour, I could do full-splits.
I can still do all the moves I used to do when I was a teen. I just don't do some of them, because I am afraid at 48, my body may not be able to handle it, but once in a while, when I try them, I can still do them. I warm up for a long time before doing any moves to be safe.
I am going to try on splits today and let you know how far I am from full.
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Understood. When I was doing gymanstics in my teens I used to maintain it typically, but if for a few weeks, I did not do full splits, it took me about 15 minutes to bring it to full splits. Pre-op I did not try for it, but I think if I tried pre-op for a maximum of one hour, I could do full-splits.
I can still do all the moves I used to do when I was a teen. I just don't do some of them, because I am afraid at 48, my body may not be able to handle it, but once in a while, when I try them, I can still do them. I warm up for a long time before doing any moves to be safe.
I am going to try on splits today and let you know how far I am from full.
Just gave it a try: When on bed, it's so bad, I can probably do just 90 degree! so it takes me a lot of time and effort to bring it close to 180! When I try on the floor (opening my legs while touching the floor with my hands) I can do better than 90 degrees. But it feels and looks scary. I think I am going to wait for a few weeks and give it another try to see whether I can go towards say 150 degrees in a few weeks.
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Just gave it a try: When on bed, it's so bad, I can probably do just 90 degree! so it takes me a lot of time and effort to bring it close to 180! When I try on the floor (opening my legs while touching the floor with my hands) I can do better than 90 degrees. But it feels and looks scary. I think I am going to wait for a few weeks and give it another try to see whether I can go towards say 150 degrees in a few weeks.
Be safe man. Don't try to do too much too soon.
-brondo
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Be safe man. Don't try to do too much too soon.
-brondo
brondo Bro, Thanks! I will be careful. I did the full split try very safely! I did not even try to warm up more to make it wider, cause as you said, I am afraid it's too soon!
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Thanks for a great journal, SNC. Two Qs:
1. Are you working (i.e., remote, at a desk) during this? Do you feel like you could?
2. What was your mobility like at the 1-month mark. Could you drag yourself outside to an uber, go to a coffee shop, stand in line for a drink, and then sit down? How about now?
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Thanks for a great journal, SNC. Two Qs:
1. Are you working (i.e., remote, at a desk) during this? Do you feel like you could?
Hello Stryde2021,
I work from home. My performance is at 50% I would say, but that is enough to do my main job. I have cut down on some of the extra work I used to do!
]2. What was your mobility like at the 1-month mark. Could you drag yourself outside to an uber, go to a coffee shop, stand in line for a drink, and then sit down? How about now?
I have all the details in my diary, but I think around day 30, I started driving and going to grocery. I could stand in line and sit down...
Now I am in much better shape. I can do things more strongly, and less wobbly. I felt like I was improving on a daily basis.
This may change, as I have started a 14 day 4-distraction-session-per-day process which would most likely enhance the pain level and slow down my progress.
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hey SNC
are you based in LA? are you guys affected by the wildfires?
hope youre staying safe bro
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hey SNC
are you based in LA? are you guys affected by the wildfires?
hope youre staying safe bro
wannabeidol Bro, Thanks.
Yes, I am based in LA! and I think we are affected by the wildfires the worst this year. AQI (Air Quality Index) has been very high in the last few weeks, due to various cases of fire. I can smell ashes and burning wood today!
I hope things get better soon, as we get closer to summer end.
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Hello Stryde2021,
I work from home. My performance is at 50% I would say, but that is enough to do my main job. I have cut down on some of the extra work I used to do!
I have all the details in my diary, but I think around day 30, I started driving and going to grocery. I could stand in line and sit down...
Now I am in much better shape. I can do things more strongly, and less wobbly. I felt like I was improving on a daily basis.
This may change, as I have started a 14 day 4-distraction-session-per-day process which would most likely enhance the pain level and slow down my progress.
Awesome, thanks for answering! Your diary is turning out to be one of the best here.
What work do you do? I'm hoping to take only a 1-month break from my mentally-demanding job when I do this, and I'm trying to gauge how reasonable that is (maybe + asking for some leeway in month#2).
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Awesome, thanks for answering! Your diary is turning out to be one of the best here.
Thanks Stryde2021
I hope my experiences noted in the diary help our current and future CLL'ers!
What work do you do? I'm hoping to take only a 1-month break from my mentally-demanding job when I do this, and I'm trying to gauge how reasonable that is (maybe + asking for some leeway in month#2).
I am self-employed, and as part of my business, I do finance related projects (mainly investments). I therefore have some flexibility in terms of easing down for now, while recovering.
I was skeptical of doing surgery during the COVID-19 lockdown, but after checking the hospital and finally doing the surgery, I highly recommend getting the surgery done before things go back to normal, in case your job allows you to work from home. You may then not even need to take a 1-month break, but a couple weeks would do.
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Thanks Stryde2021
I hope my experiences noted in the diary help our current and future CLL'ers!
I am self-employed, doing finance related project (mainly investing) in my business. I therefore have some flexibility in terms of easing down for now, while recovering.
I was skeptical of doing surgery during the COVID-19 lockdown, but after checking the hospital and finally doing the surgery, I highly recommend getting the the surgery done before things go back to normal, in case your job allows you to work from home. You may then not even need to take a 1-month break, but a couple weeks would do.
yeah it seems like now would be the perfect time to do it
so jealous bro
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yeah it seems like now would be the perfect time to do it
so jealous bro
wannabeidol Bro,
If money is the issue, I think it's worth getting a loan and doing the surgery as soon as possible! Think you are purchasing a Porsche and you need to borrow money for it! but it's just that this is a lot better than having a Porsche :P
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wannabeidol Bro,
If money is the issue, I think it's worth getting a loan and doing the surgery as soon as possible! Think you are purchasing a Porsche and you need to borrow money for it! but it's just that this is a lot better than having a Porsche :P
luckily for me the money isnt the issue, its all the "little things" due to job applications i couldnt go to the states. and now im back in canada and atm its very hard to get to the states due to covid. but im planning to see if i can get it done in nov
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luckily for me the money isnt the issue, its all the "little things" due to job applications i couldnt go to the states. and now im back in canada and atm its very hard to get to the states due to covid. but im planning to see if i can get it done in nov
I hope the Nov. election results will help open up the US entry to LL visitors, including you, bro.
I hope the Nov. plan works for you and by the year end you would be done with most of the challenge (most likely be at 5 to 6cm distraction).
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I hope the Nov. election results will help open up the US entry to LL visitors, including you, bro.
I hope the Nov. plan works for you and by the year end you would be done with most of the challenge (most likely be at 5 to 6cm distraction).
thanks bro <3
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i was thinking it may be smarter to come to the states post election
im sure nothing bad will happen but i jsut have this weird anxiety about it
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Remember even though the election is in November, Trump remains in office until late January 2021. And perhaps longer by 4 years if Joe Biden loses.
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Remember even though the election is in November, Trump remains in office until late January 2021. And perhaps longer by 4 years if Joe Biden loses.
more so just the tension if he does win again, especially in city areas. i know its ridiculous to assume people will riot. but thats just my irrational fear especially if my legs are f@ked and i cant get away lol
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more so just the tension if he does win again, especially in city areas. i know its ridiculous to assume people will riot. but thats just my irrational fear especially if my legs are f@ked and i cant get away lol
All comments you guys said are valid. In addition to riots, the crazy weather in different parts of US, should be accounted for. In the worst case, both could create problems, but I am very hopeful, wannabeidol that you'll do just fine. I always give advice to my friends and family members putting myself in their shoes. If I were you, I would still come and get it done. If you can come here earlier, even before the election, I would recommend that. The earlier the better.
Thinking back on the days before the surgery, it was so difficult for me to keep myself together, and finally go for it. I remember when the first time, I confirmed with Dr. M.' staff that surgery on July 23rd works for me, right during our call, I was thinking "man what are you doing?!, can you just find some other challenge not as crazy as breaking your own bones!? My anxiety level during the last week pre-op, and after I had confirmed the surgery date was so high and the thoughts of "what if I get covid-19 while on broken bones", "what if I die during the surgery", "what if the nail breaks during the first few days of the surgery", "what if to my bad luck, the surgery goes terribly and I end up redoing the surgery".
Recalling the surgery day, when I woke up around 4am, thinking "what the hell man?! what are you doing?!" "can you think of any of your friends in their right mind who would do such a thing?" .... I am glad I did not give up and finally went for it. I am sure it is so difficult for all of us to try to keep ourselves together and not cancel on the surgery, but as soon as you decide and especially confirm, then don't hesitate at all. Keep in mind what I said. It's gonna be fine as long as your doctor is great.
This is what I think: As long as you believe your doctor is reliable, then all of the stress and pain can be managed. If you are determined to do this surgery, then do it asap. Take advantage of the covid-19 situation, by shifting the post-op time overlapping WFH days.
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I would imagine that morning of surgery day at 4am felt like a movie SNC. Like a Christopher Nolan movie with Hans Zimmer soundtrack in the background. Absolutely surreal.
Like a reincarnation trip or something.
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I would imagine that morning of surgery day at 4am felt like a movie SNC. Like a Christopher Nolan movie with Hans Zimmer soundtrack in the background. Absolutely surreal.
Like a reincarnation trip or something.
You made a good analogy! Exactly like a movie that you know are in it, and it's so real! Kinda like one of those war movies, when it suddenly hits you that, this is serious and you are going to a war with no 100% guarantee of victory!
I am saying these stuff not to scare anyone. I just want my future CLL'er folks know that if they got those feeling a few days before the surgery and especially in the morning of the surgery, those are totally normal. I tried to convert those feelings into positive energy! I don't know how to describe it, but in tense moments, when I get so stressed, somehow I can convert the stress into energy and get so hyper and crazy for what is going to come! to a level that I can embrace the worst case and still be happy.
I am putting everything in my mind, hoping my experience and thoughts would help at least some of you future CLL'ers!
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Day 50 (Thurs., Sep. 10) - 43.6 mm Taller
Day 51 (Fri., Sep. 11) - 45 mm Taller
The numbness on left leg I started to experience Tuesday evening and Wednesday, is stabilizing, i.e., the numbness intensity and duration have not increased in days 50 and 51.
However, my days are increasingly tough, due to the super-linear increase in pain (as compared to Monday and as days pass) mostly because I am doing 4 sessions instead of 3 sessions per day.
Per Dr. M.'s instruction, I have also cut down on my calcium in-take, to decelerate the high rate of bone growth; I however have not downgraded the quality of my diet, nor the quantity of the rest of the supplements with the exception of one item: I have completely stopped drinking milk for the time being. I have also tried to take it easy on walking, because I believe one reason for my high growth was the long unaided walks I had in the last few weeks.
As I suspected and many of you also noted, my pain is at least partly nerve pain. I emailed Dr. M. about it and he prescribed Gabapentin. I am going to start taking it tonight.
I am looking forward to finishing the 4-session distraction days and go back to the normal routine I had on Monday and earlier!
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My nerve pain started to improve over couple of weeks after starting gabapentin. It just reduced my nerve pain and made it much more manageable. Good news is that most of my Nerve numbness is starting to go away since I stopped lengthening 😃 Also, the doctor allowed me take ibuprofen to stop bone growth because I slowed the turns to 0.75mm to help to reduce the nerve pain and I had more than usual amount of bone growth every 2 weeks I took x-ray at Paley Institute. There are studies that suggests ibuprofen does stop bone growth but it’s not 100% proven scientifically.
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SNC let us know howthe gabapentin treats you/ if you get any sides.
from what ive read with other diaries, once you hit 5cm, itll only get tougher.
but you got this! youre more than half way there!
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My nerve pain started to improve over couple of weeks after starting gabapentin. It just reduced my nerve pain and made it much more manageable. Good news is that most of my Nerve numbness is starting to go away since I stopped lengthening 😃 Also, the doctor allowed me take ibuprofen to stop bone growth because I slowed the turns to 0.75mm to help to reduce the nerve pain and I had more than usual amount of bone growth every 2 weeks I took x-ray at Paley Institute. There are studies that suggests ibuprofen does stop bone growth but it’s not 100% proven scientifically.
Dear readyprecisestryde Bro,
I really appreciate your public and PM posts to me. They have all been very inspiring and informative.
I started taking Gabapentin this morning. Based on your PM and also online info, I expect Gabapentin to take effect within a week or two! Since I sometimes have unbearable pain, and especially now that I am on 4-distraction-session days, I believe I should mix Gabapentin with Tramadol. I already have a green signal from Dr. M. to take them both, but within gaps of at least two hours between them.
Did you do something similar? meaning you took another painkiller in addition to Gabapentin with some few hours of gap between taking that painkiller and Gabapentin?
Thanks,
SNC
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SNC let us know howthe gabapentin treats you/ if you get any sides.
from what ive read with other diaries, once you hit 5cm, itll only get tougher.
but you got this! youre more than half way there!
wannabeidol,
It's very apparent Bro, that I am going uphill on a road of pain that just increase as I try to reach the end! I am just so lucky that my night sleeps are relatively good. I wake up several times, but when I go to sleep, it's a deep one and I don't feel pain, but as soon as I wake up, I experience many episodes of random pain (random in terms of intensity and location) almost all on my left pain!
I took my first 300mg Gabapentin tablet this morning. Dr. M. prescribed two per day. I took the first one about two hours ago. I'll report any side effects, but so far, it has not effect on the pain itself. It seems I have to wait for a week or two to see it kickin' in on pain.
Meanwhile I guess I am gonna depend on my old pain management (Tramadol with gaps of at least two hours w.r.t. Gabapentin + pain ointments + hot showers + ice packs + massages + any form of distraction [I will probably finish all Prime and Netflix movies by the time I am done with this Stryde Nail Challenge :D]).
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Hello, I stopped using oxycodone after week 3 and was not using much of it either. I switched to Tylenol 500 mg once or twice daily. I had more than usual bone growth and the doctor allowed me to take Ibuprofen. I never took tramadol and can’t make any comment since I have taken both tramadol and Gabapentin together. At the same time, I took one 300 mg Gabapentin every 8 hours and it took the nerve pain down drastically. The side effects I got from Gabapentin were a bit of memory loss, drowsiness, and dropped my libido.
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Sorry typo...I can’t make any comment since I have not taken both tramadol and Gabapentin together.
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Hello, I stopped using oxycodone after week 3 and was not using much of it either. I switched to Tylenol 500 mg once or twice daily. I had more than usual bone growth and the doctor allowed me to take Ibuprofen. I never took tramadol and can’t make any comment since I have taken both tramadol and Gabapentin together. At the same time, I took one 300 mg Gabapentin every 8 hours and it took the nerve pain down drastically. The side effects I got from Gabapentin were a bit of memory loss, drowsiness, and dropped my libido.
who was your surgeon readypercisestryde?
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Paley Institute...... Dr. Paley did one leg and Dr. Robbins did the other leg. They work together in the surgery room
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Paley Institute...... Dr. Paley did one leg and Dr. Robbins did the other leg. They work together in the surgery room
do you have a good leg and a bad leg haha?
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Hello, I stopped using oxycodone after week 3 and was not using much of it either. I switched to Tylenol 500 mg once or twice daily. I had more than usual bone growth and the doctor allowed me to take Ibuprofen. I never took tramadol and can’t make any comment since I have taken both tramadol and Gabapentin together. At the same time, I took one 300 mg Gabapentin every 8 hours and it took the nerve pain down drastically. The side effects I got from Gabapentin were a bit of memory loss, drowsiness, and dropped my libido.
Thanks for the info.
Did you ever take Tylenol or Ibuprofen on the same that you were also taking Gabapentin?
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I did take ibuprofen or Tylenol at the same time with Gabapentin. It made me more drowsy and no other side effects taking them together. I got much less drowsy when I took Gabapentin with a meal and a glass of water. The most amount of ibuprofen I took was 400 mg once or twice daily. Ibuprofen worked good for pain and inflammation. Hope this helps 😃
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I did take ibuprofen or Tylenol at the same time with Gabapentin. It made me more drowsy and no other side effects taking them together. I got much less drowsy when I took Gabapentin with a meal and a glass of water. The most amount of ibuprofen I took was 400 mg once or twice daily. Ibuprofen worked good for pain and inflammation. Hope this helps 😃
I took a 300 mg Gabapentin this morning at 9am for the first time and at 9am for a second time. In between I took a 50 mg Tramadol around 6pm. I hope I would need a maximum of two 50 mg Tramadol pills in addition to the two Gabapentin that Dr. M. prescribed, during the 4-distraction-session days.
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Please also avoid any stretches that triggers nerve pain. For me it was the hamstring stretches that triggered my nerve pain. Prone knee bend and Thomas stretch did not cause me any nerve pain. I still did hamstring stretch but I was very careful with it and I had to keep my hamstrings bent a bit while doing it. I was taking 300 mg Gabapentin at the beginning and it was not working. The doctor increased my dosage to 900mg a day. I remember my nerve pain was keeping me up at nights until Gabapentin started working. Also the doctor told me nerve pain is not dangerous and will go away after I stop lengthening so no need to worry about it.
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I think the only time nerve pain becomes dangerous if it on the foot constantly and losing function of it. I remember the physical therapist use to test function of my feet and to make sure I haven’t lost any of it
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Hi my friend.
Why you just don't stop lengthening for one day to let your feet rest a little?
After 3-4 cm premature consolidation is almost impossible.
I think you should pause for a day and talk to your doctor to start lengthen at a slower rate. I think that you lengthen 1mm per day, am I right?
This could be too much for many LLers, esoecially after 3-4 cm. I would stick to 0,66 for the rest of your journey.
At my tibias, I lengthened at 0,66 as an average and had almost really no pain at all. Of course internals and externals as femurs and tibias are not the same in terms of pain but still I truly believe that a slower lengthening will alleviate some of your pain.
Speak to your doctor, who is a very respectable one, about all these and let us know.
Keep strong.
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I think the only time nerve pain becomes dangerous if it on the foot constantly and losing function of it. I remember the physical therapist use to test function of my feet and to make sure I haven’t lost any of it
to my knowledge tingles and nerve pain are a sign of impending nerve damage. which is typically mitigated by reducing the rate of distraction. no one develops a foot drop out of no where ( thats caused from distraction)
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Hi my friend.
Why you just don't stop lengthening for one day to let your feet rest a little?
After 3-4 cm premature consolidation is almost impossible.
I think you should pause for a day and talk to your doctor to start lengthen at a slower rate. I think that you lengthen 1mm per day, am I right?
This could be too much for many LLers, esoecially after 3-4 cm. I would stick to 0,66 for the rest of your journey.
At my tibias, I lengthened at 0,66 as an average and had almost really no pain at all. Of course internals and externals as femurs and tibias are not the same in terms of pain but still I truly believe that a slower lengthening will alleviate some of your pain.
Speak to your doctor, who is a very respectable one, about all these and let us know.
Keep strong.
Hi Body Builder!
Thanks for your message and all the information you provided. All I have done especially the distraction plan (1.33 mm per day for now) are prescribed by Dr. M. The reasons for the plan are already noted in my diary (in short, my case is exceptional in terms of growth, flexibility, etc., therefore Dr. M. had to take an exceptional approach).
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Day 52 (Sat., Sep. 12) - 46.3 mm Taller
Day 53 (Sun., Sep. 13) - 47.6 mm Taller
On day 53, I am on the 6th day of 4 distraction sessions (i.e., 1.33 mm per day) and overall on the 11th day (cause I did 5 days at start too). 8 more days to go :D
I figured, if things are crazy about my case (extreme growth and flexibility) which made the doctor to advise 1.33 per day sessions to avoid the pre-mature consolidation, I should also make my stretches crazy. I did that and I think it's going to work much better. I have about 8 stretching sessions, and I do more on each sessions (as compared to the normal 1mm distraction days.
Update on Gabapentin
As expected no major impact in terms of pain reduction, but it definitely makes me feel drowsy. My night sleeps as usual are good, but I woke up fewer number of times (every 4 hours or so) last night. It could be a result of taking Gabapentin.
Pain Level
It's 0-1 on right and 1-5 on my left leg. However the discomfort of feeling drowsy caused by taking Gabapentin, makes it harder to tolerate fairly severe pain episodes at level 5.
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I agree that if your bone is growing super fast and you have to lengthen faster than normal then you should do extra stretches!
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I agree that if your bone is growing super fast and you have to lengthen faster than normal then you should do extra stretches!
Hey BelowTheMean,
Hope you are doing well. I will provide an update here, whether extra stretches are effective over a span of several days. So far I can't tell, cause at times it seems to work, but there are times I feel more pain than before.
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when did you do your surgury my friend
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when did you do your surgury my friend
July 22/23rd sir. It is on his first page of this very detailed and fully time-stamped diary sir. I hope you can appreciate his thoroughness sir he laid everything out and included all the dates good sir. Sir please just scroll down next time good sir. He put so much effort sir into making sure all the details in this diary sir. All needed to be done was scroll down a bit sir and read a single line sir. This is. Very good and detailed diary sir no need for questions like that sir. Thank you sir. Please just scroll down literally a few posts to see his surgery date sir. Forgive me sir. If it was in the middle of the diary where he mentioned the date then it is fair to ask such a question sir. But it is not sir. It is on the first page sir. The very first page mister sir. Planting spike sir. Wall raised. Boom buddy out sir. Sir thank you so much sir. Sorry for fat emboli sir. Hope you recover sir. Healing you.
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when did you do your surgury my friend
Hi farfan21,
I did the surgery on Thursday, July 23.
I wish you the best,
SNC
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Day 54 (Mon., Sep. 14) - 49 mm Taller
Day 55 (Tue., Sep. 15) - 50.3 mm Taller
Day 56 (Wed., Sep. 16) - 51.6 mm Taller
Day 57 (Thurs., Sep. 17) - 52.9 mm Taller
I have continued my 4 distraction per day (i.e., 1.33 mm daily distraction). I am gradually losing my flexibility on my quad (left leg only), and bending knees (both legs). Also straightening legs is a challenge. While walking I feel like my legs are very stiff and at times I feel like keeping my knees straight is difficult.
I emailed Dr. M. by the end of Day 55 and asked him whether I could stop the 4 distraction days, now that I had done 8 days and considering the pain and flexibility loss. He said I should continue for the whole two weeks, as my growth was very extreme and I had grown some strong bones, which means I was in danger of getting premature consolidation.
I have continue to take smaller dozes of Calcium and also limited my walks, hoping my grown slows down a bit.
In 4 days, I'll be done with 4 distractions per day and switch back to 3 distractions per day.
CLL'ers, hope you are doing great. Let me know if you have any questions.
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5' 10 babee. Let's goo! Officially above average in America, and probably a decent amount more than avg for LA.
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5' 10 babee. Let's goo! Officially above average in America, and probably a decent amount more than avg for LA.
Thanks ghkid2019 :)
1.33 mm distraction per day at 50+ mm is tough brother! I wanted to cheat and stop on day 8, but Dr. M. did not allow me :P I have 4 more days to go!
I certainly look tall, barefoot and my legs look beautifully tall! Something funny is that my torso is so large, I remember I used to sit with some colleagues who are 185+, 190cm tall, and sitting around the table, I felt like my torso was as long as theirs! This means, if I manage to complete the distraction phase all the way to 8cm, my torso would probably not look short, compared to my thighs. I checked my L shape of torso, thigh and at this point, it may look close to proportional, but torso looks a bit taller. I guess this would be a good thing for me!
Another funny thing! a lot of us do femurs only, right? tibia would remain short. What if that makes knees look like to close too the ground? :P Anyways, I guess when I took the stryde nail challenge, I did not care about such stuff and I still don't much.
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keep on fighting SNC! you got this!
at this rate if your consolidation is too good, you may have to take up smoking to slow it down ;D
i know there aint a whole lot you can do to stop the tightness, ahve you tried sauna? or a hot tub?
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keep on fighting SNC! you got this!
at this rate if your consolidation is too good, you may have to take up smoking to slow it down ;D
i know there aint a whole lot you can do to stop the tightness, ahve you tried sauna? or a hot tub?
Could you believe, I asked Dr. M. about smoking during my last appt. with him? :D He said NO :P
Did hot showers, hot tub, but not sauna! As long as my left leg is get some hot water either in the shower, or jet, hot tub, etc. I feel good. Almost as if there has been no surgery performed on my left leg. However no matter how long I stay in hot tub, or shower, as soon as I come out, the pain on the left leg starts.
My right leg has been almost completely pain-free; that sometimes scares me, cause I cannot believe my right can handle 1.33 mm daily lengthening with zero pain. It sounds too good to be true! but so far it seems it is growing with the same rate as that of the left leg. It could be that I got really lucky on my right leg and the nails during surgery were done as perfectly as possible.
I am on day 11 of 1.33 mm daily distractions. I have 3.5 days to go. By Monday night I'll be done and can resume 3 distraction (i.e., 0.99 mm per day). I hope starting Tuesday I see improvement in my flexibility and also reduction in pain.
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Wow that’s impressive!!! I’ve been doing 0.75mm per day due to pain. Can’t imagine doing 1.33!
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Hey SNC, you're doing great so far! That's pretty crazy how you have almost no pain in your right leg. I do wonder what the difference is between the two legs and why you have a different distribution of pain. Hopefully the pain will subside after you're done with the distraction phase.
-brondo
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Wow that’s impressive!!! I’ve been doing 0.75mm per day due to pain. Can’t imagine doing 1.33!
Hi m7liam,
Good to hear from you Bro,
I am crazy about winning challenges, getting titles, etc., but doing 1.33 mm lengthening at 4~6cm distraction phase, for two weeks was not something I would ever imagine to go for!
I somehow overdid walking and diet and overgrow! I am now being punished by nature for that, for two weeks :D
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Hey SNC, you're doing great so far! That's pretty crazy how you have almost no pain in your right leg. I do wonder what the difference is between the two legs and why you have a different distribution of pain. Hopefully the pain will subside after you're done with the distraction phase.
-brondo
Hi Brondo,
I have mentioned in my diary, in many places about this. This is the short version of it:
Since from day 1, post-op I had almost no pain on right, but severe pain on left, especially while doing PT exercises during the first few days, and later one, pretty much random pain on left, I believe during the surgery, somehow one of the nails must have touched a nerve. Dr. M. is great. It's not about how good your doctor is. I guess it would probably be impossible even for the best Dr. to find the perfect spot and direction for the nails to secure the stryde nail.
I think it's actually pretty normal that almost every CLL'er and on both legs gets nails touching the nerve system. Therefore they experience pain.
I think my right leg's operation was just exceptionally performed. The nails were put in the perfect location and on the perfect direction which results in unbelievable "no pain" during 1.33mm distraction days, while I am at 5+cm!
Please let me know if you disagree with my hypothesis and have a better idea how to explain the huge pain difference between my left and right legs.
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@SNC, Yeah I agree with your hypothesis. Hopefully in the future they can figure out ways to replicate this process and improve the technology so limb lengthening can be a less painful experience. Good luck with the rest of the distraction phase!
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Day 58 (Fri., Sep. 18) - 54.2 mm Taller
Stretching is certainly the best tool to mitigate the pain. Whenever the pain goes crazy, I repeat the self-PT set of exercises and after doing the first few of them I start to notice pain subsiding.
My left leg calf is so sore and painful, as if I went to a 5 mile mountain hiking twice in two consecutive days. Even hot shower/jet and pain killers can't do any good for my sore calf. Local pain relief ointments from Costco and Amazon help at least temporarily while applying them and massaging my leg.
If by the coming Monday, which is the end of the 14 days of 1.33mm distraction, prescribed by Dr. M., I feel good enough to continue, I may email Dr. M and see whether I should do a few more 1.33 distraction days just to be more safe; as far as the premature consolidation due to extremely high growth is concerned.
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My left leg calf is so sore and painful, as if I went to a 5 mile mountain hiking twice in two consecutive days. Even hot shower/jet and pain killers can't do any good for my sore calf. Local pain relief ointments from Costco and Amazon help at least temporarily while applying them and massaging my leg.
I read that as you went on two five mile hikes in the middle of distraction and had to do a double take ;D
Hopefully you are ahead of your bone growth now and don't have to worry as much about premature consolidation.
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I read that as you went on two five mile hikes in the middle of distraction and had to do a double take ;D
Haha! I wish I had the courage and strength to do all those :D
Hopefully you are ahead of your bone growth now and don't have to worry as much about premature consolidation.
I hope so too! It feels weird that instead of trying your best on diet and walking, you take it easy!! I hope in my next appt. Dr. M. would bring the news that we are out of the woods and I can refocus on walking and diet/supplements !
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Snc if u are distracting 1.33 a day just keep your old habits of weight bearing alot and eating calcium alot. Don't reduce it. Only reduce it if you plan to go back to 1.00 a day lengthening
I am no doctor tho, don't trust me hue hue
1.33 at 5cm is ridic fast, world record fast XD usually dis is only right after the week after osteotomy haha
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Snc if u are distracting 1.33 a day just keep your old habits of weight bearing alot and eating calcium alot. Don't reduce it. Only reduce it if you plan to go back to 1.00 a day lengthening
I am no doctor tho, don't trust me hue hue
1.33 at 5cm is ridic fast, world record fast XD usually dis is only right after the week after osteotomy haha
ghkid2019 bro, I have actually been thinking about it. I am crazy about getting titles, and there is a chance I would be the fastest ever in finishing up the process among all Dr. M.'s patients, and possibly among all CLL'ers ever. However it's not my favorite title if I achieve it. I therefore would like to focus on managing pain. I hope Dr. M. gives me the green signal to slow down, and I am then in favor or reducing the distraction plan to even two per day (like 0.66 mm per day) whenever I feel like pain level is above say 4 or 5.
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I did something crazy :-[
First I would like to remind everybody that Gabapentin's side effects include memory loss.
I schedule my 4 daily distractions (adding up to 1.33mm per day) as follows:
1st distraction of the day: Shortly after 12 am (early morning) : 0.33mm
2nd distraction: around 6am: 0.33mm
3rd: around 12pm (noon): 0.33mm
4th: around 6pm: 0.34mm
Today I did my first two distractions as scheduled. I also did my 3rd one around 12:02pm. Then I fell asleep [one of the side effects of Gabapentin is drowsiness, which I think helps with sleeping! a good side effect :P] I woke up around 12:50pm and by 12:52pm, I was doing my 4th distraction of the day, cause I had forgotten I just did one, 50 minutes ago!!
This means I lengthened my legs by 0.33+0.34=0.67mm in about 50 minutes :o
First I thought, oops, I am going to get a hurt [Russel Peters style :D], but then I remembered that old times, I watched a clip of a CLLer who, for distraction, would basically turn his ankle with a clicking sound and that would lengthen his legs by 1mm. So that means in a matter of seconds the body got extended by 1mm. I therefore think 0.67mm extension in 50 minutes would not be that crazy.
I then thought I may learn something useful out of this experience and possibly come up with a better schedule for future sessions. Surprisingly 2 hours have passed since then and I don't have much pain. Hypothesis: Do two of the distractions within a short time period. This would create a long time gap to the following distraction, e.g., the following example schedules for 4 distraction and 3 distraction days:
4 distraction days: 1st: 12am, 2nd: 6am, 3rd: 12pm, 4th: 1pm
3 distraction day: 1st: 7am, 2nd: 3pm, 3rd: 4pm
There is a low chance this would help with the pain management. It's too soon to tell if my hypothesis may have some truth in it. I also need to get approval from Dr. M. on that.
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I have done quite a few trial and error practices based on which I made several recommendations in my journal here. I just tried to summarized them for DLL, one of our new CLL'ers. I am also posting them here, just in case anyone did not check DLL's diary pages:
Recommendation to better manage the post-op days:
1) Whenever you feel pain, try to do stretching no matter when (even middle of the night).
The best I found is to straighten your legs while sitting on bed and then bend your body towards your knees. The next one that helps me is to lie down on your bed, or sit up a bit with your forearms on your side on the bed, while straightening your leg, then lift one leg at a time, doing two practices: one keeping both legs straight and pulling one as high as possible. The other practice, is to try to bring one close to your chest, even if both legs start to bend. Another helpful one for me is to have floppies on (which adds about 1.5cm to my height), stand straight on the floor and then bend to try to touch the floor. Recently instead of keep pushing my hands down to touch the floor in one shot, I have to frequently push and let go many times and each time
getting closer to the ground and usually in about 30 seconds to a minutes, my fingers finally touch the floor. Ideally every time you have pain you would want to repeat your PT sessions. However some of our folks here suggest that it is a good practice to avoid those exercises that create nerve pain. I do not know which exercise would give me nerve pain, therefore every time I experience pain and also before and after every distraction session, I try to repeat my PT routine which is about 10 exercises.
2) Use BIOFREEZE Cold Therapy Pain Relief [pack of 3] (Costco, Sam's Club, etc.) and roll it on the painful area with a bit of pressure to not only apply the gel, but also massage your legs with the roller. This is the best ointment I have been using.
I also got Capzasin Arthritis Pain Relief, Quick Relief Gel 1.5 oz (42.5 g) [pack of 2] from Amazon. This has one problem. After the few hours at some point it would make your leg fired up! You'd feel that your legs are on fire :D If you try to wash it off your legs, your legs would burn real bad! you better wash them with fairly cold water (and body gel/soap).
I have tried some ointments from European and Asian countries, and since you'd not be able to find them here, I don't mention them. However as I said BIOFREEZE is the best of them, and I would say just having that as an ointment for local pain relief would be sufficient.
3) If you cannot sleep, watch a movie on TV or your computer, while you are set in a nice sleeping position. There is a high chance you'd go to sleep quickly. I typically watch Friends on my computer. I typically fall asleep as early as a couple minutes, and as late as an episode or two later.
4) I put on skiing under pants to get warmed up and also tight jeans and they both somehow help me manage pain! I know it sounds crazy but I think skiing under pants warm up your legs so they act similarly to local pain relief ointments. Tight jeans, most likely put pressure on your legs, and help you forget the pain I guess.
5) Eating/drinking may work like a distraction from pain. I notice that most of the times while eating or drinking and a while after, my pain goes away.
6) Try all sleeping positions including face down, side, face up with a pillow or two under your knee or without any pillows, with or with blankets, etc. frequently. Body preference may change, so hopefully you would find the optimum sleeping position every night.
I hope these help,
SNC
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I did something crazy :-[
This means I lengthened my legs by 0.33+0.34=0.67mm in about 50 minutes :o
There is a low chance this would help with the pain management. It's too soon to tell if my hypothesis may have some truth in it. I also need to get approval from Dr. M. on that.
I had since 12:50pm till 12 midnight (about 11 hours) to not worry about any distractions!
However, I don't think it made a noticeable difference in terms of lowering pain. To find out whether this really works, I should repeat the crazy schedule a few times, but since I give a low chance to work and considering potential risks of lengthening twice in a short time, I prefer to abandon my hypothesis above and stick with the normal schedule (distraction every 6 hours for 1.33 mm days and every 8 hours for 0.99 mm days).
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3) If you cannot sleep, watch a movie on TV or your computer, while you are set in a nice sleeping position. There is a high chance you'd go to sleep quickly. I typically watch Friends on my computer. I typically fall asleep as early as a couple minutes, and as late as an episode or two later.
I don't have trouble sleeping normally, but I find that sometimes if I watch a long YouTube video on something not that interesting it's really good at making me sleepy. With this method I can easily fall asleep even while sitting in an uncomfortable chair.
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Day 59 (Sat., Sep. 19) - 55.6 mm Taller
I have described earlier the distraction timing mistake I made today! In short what happened was that most likely due to the memory loss side effect of Gabapentin, I totally forgot that I had done by third distraction session of the day at 12pm and after the 40 minute nap, I did another distraction session around 12:50pm. I was worried that two almost back to back sessions would result in high pain, but that did not happen; which is great! I later thought since I was done with all the 4 sessions by 1pm, I had about 11 hours of no distraction session and I thought what if that turns out to be helpful in lowering the pain level. That did not happen either.
As usual, in addition to two Gabapentin and two Tramadol pills, stretching, and hot shower/hot tub helped mitigate the pain.
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I don't have trouble sleeping normally, but I find that sometimes if I watch a long YouTube video on something not that interesting it's really good at making me sleepy. With this method I can easily fall asleep even while sitting in an uncomfortable chair.
Haha, never tried that, but it's good that you discovered that for yourself :)
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Day 60 (Sun., Sep. 20) - 56.9 mm Taller
I am on day 13 of 4 distraction sessions per day (i.e., 1.33 mm per day) prescribed by Dr. M., given my exceptionally high growth. Tomorrow will be the last day and I can then switch to 3 sessions per day. Pain management has been my biggest challenge during the last two weeks. Especially starting evening times and all the way through when I go to bed and sleep (around midnight), pain and discomfort are much higher than other times.
I take hot showers/jets twice, one around 12 noon, having done two distraction sessions already and one around 12 midnight after the remaining two sessions of the day. I massaged my calf (left leg) , yesterday and today during hot showers/jet and it feels a lot better, already.
Today is also Day 51 since I started the distraction phase. For 51 days, 56.9 mm distraction is very fast. I am curious if any other CLL'er was ever this fast in lengthening.
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Hey SNC,
Are you using a specific system to keep track of how many times you distract a day and to make sure that you do your distractions on time? Like do you set alarms, keep journals, excel sheets, etc. to map out the times you need to use the ERC device? Also, are you more exhausted during the day having to distract 4 times daily? Hope you are enjoying your new height!
-brondo
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Hey SNC,
Are you using a specific system to keep track of how many times you distract a day and to make sure that you do your distractions on time? Like do you set alarms, keep journals, excel sheets, etc. to map out the times you need to use the ERC device? Also, are you more exhausted during the day having to distract 4 times daily? Hope you are enjoying your new height!
-brondo
Dear brondo, Nice to hear from you. I use alarms, only when I am going to take a nap and I am afraid that I would not wake up in time (I need about 20 minutes to stretch before doing the distraction. If I miss on that 20-minute stretching session, my post-distraction time would be more painful).
I don't use any journals, excel sheets, etc. Instead I try to remember the schedule of the day. So far I have rarely made mistakes. I think many others most likely do like me, cause remembering 3 or 4 time marks for daily distractions would not be too hard, even with Gabapentin (which results in memory loss [I think short term memory loss only]).
The new height is exciting! Especially during COVID-19 when we are all at home and there is not much excitement other than all virtual stuff in the Internet and TV; growing feels and looks so exciting!
I recommend to all to have a tall mirror and enjoy the process. I did not do this myself, but taking pictures for memories, sounds like a good idea :D
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Hey SNC,
Are you using a specific system to keep track of how many times you distract a day and to make sure that you do your distractions on time? Like do you set alarms, keep journals, excel sheets, etc. to map out the times you need to use the ERC device? Also, are you more exhausted during the day having to distract 4 times daily? Hope you are enjoying your new height!
-brondo
Dear brondo, Nice to hear from you. I use alarms, only when I am going to take a nap and I am afraid that I would not wake up in time (I need about 20 minutes to stretch before doing the distraction. If I miss on that 20-minute stretching session, my post-distraction time would be more painful).
I don't use any journals, excel sheets, etc. Instead I try to remember the schedule of the day. So far I have rarely made mistakes. I think many others most likely do like me, cause remembering 3 or 4 time marks for daily distractions would not be too hard, even with Gabapentin (which results in memory loss [I think short term memory loss only]).
The new height is exciting! Especially during COVID-19 when we are all at home and there is not much excitement other than all virtual stuff in the Internet and TV; growing feels and looks so exciting!
I recommend to all to have a tall mirror and enjoy the process. I did not do this myself, but taking pictures for memories, sounds like a good idea :D
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Dear brondo, Nice to hear from you. I use alarms, only when I am going to take a nap and I am afraid that I would not wake up in time (I need about 20 minutes to stretch before doing the distraction. If I miss on that 20-minute stretching session, my post-distraction time would be more painful).
I don't use any journals, excel sheets, etc. Instead I try to remember the schedule of the day. So far I have rarely made mistakes. I think many others most likely do like me, cause remembering 3 or 4 time marks for daily distractions would not be too hard, even with Gabapentin (which results in memory loss [I think short term memory loss only]).
The new height is exciting! Especially during COVID-19 when we are all at home and there is not much excitement other than all virtual stuff in the Internet and TV; growing feels and looks so exciting!
I recommend to all to have a tall mirror and enjoy the process. I did not do this myself, but taking pictures for memories, sounds like a good idea :D
To be honest I often do double distractions (twice in a row, 0.5mm) just out of laziness and so far I haven't felt any more pain.
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The new height is exciting! Especially during COVID-19 when we are all at home and there is not much excitement other than all virtual stuff in the Internet and TV; growing feels and looks so exciting!
so jelly i wanna get the procedure done now, but i have an exam next month and cant afford to lose any mental capacity :(
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To be honest I often do double distractions (twice in a row, 0.5mm) just out of laziness and so far I haven't felt any more pain.
my7liam,
Thanks for sharing this. Just to clarify, you mean based on your Dr.'s instructions, you are supposed to do two 0.5mm sessions, adding up to 1mm per day, and you often do both together (i.e., do 1mm in one session) say in the morning and for the rest of the no more distractions?
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Hi, SNC.
I greatly appreciate you keeping us updated with your diary. I hope all is well.
Do you plan on uploading some video's of your walk, etc?
Thanks.
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Thanks for replying SNC,
I would like to hear more about your stretching routine and PT if that's okay. Do you stretch before and after distraction?
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my7liam,
Thanks for sharing this. Just to clarify, you mean based on your Dr.'s instructions, you are supposed to do two 0.5mm sessions, adding up to 1mm per day, and you often do both together (i.e., do 1mm in one session) say in the morning and for the rest of the no more distractions?
4 sessions of 0.25 each but I just usually do 2 sessions of 0.5mm each
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Haven't updated us in a week SNC. Is tough but you're almost done bro. Your probably in serious pain and rut
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Haven't updated us in a week SNC. Is tough but you're almost done bro. Your probably in serious pain and rut
I am very sorry for being absent for a long time. I am extremely busy with my job, but other than that, there is no surprises and nothing out of the ordinary to report. Will soon come back here to add the daily details.
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No need to be sorry, the fact that you are even keeping a detailed log for strangers while going through hell is more than impressive already. Glad that everything is according to plan.
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No need to be sorry, the fact that you are even keeping a detailed log for strangers while going through hell is more than impressive already. Glad that everything is according to plan.
Nice of you to say that ghkid2019 bro. I have not seen any of you, but feel like we are on this together like brothers and sisters and we have a LL Love and care for each other. I hope we all succeed.
I took this as a challenge. It certainly has been my biggest physical challenge of my life. I those things that I used to think as crazy (like jumping down stairs so crazy that whoever looks at it, gets a heart attack) are nothing compared to this. This is a mind game as well. It's about how you can focus and achieve your goal. I am good at it, but there are so many random parameters, even the best of us may lose.
I hope whoever has doubts in continuing towards the goal, stops by here and gets energy from the group, so to continue to the end.
I have three major deadlines coming today and tomorrow. I hope starting sunday I can resume posting my daily reports.
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Day 61 (Mon., Sep. 21) - 58.2 mm Taller
Today is the 14th day and the last day of my 4-distraction-session days, prescribed by Dr. M. to cope with extreme growth. I have continued to walk on crutches, and took it easy on calcium, but today is the last day. Starting tonight I will resume my unaided walks and take enough calcium, while on the normal 3-distraction-session days to the end!
I have my first out-patient PT appointment today. As I suspected, the PT had not worked with a CLL'er before and did not know much about stryde nail surgery. But he was a quick learner and got a lot of details from me in a few minutes, to be able to help me with recovery.
He gave me 4 exercises. Two for hamstrings. One for the IT bands and one for the quads. As I had suspected my quads needed attention the most.
He was also concerned about my bent knees while standing and walking. I was not that concerned. I told him, as soon as I resume unassisted walks without crutches, that should resolve it.
I asked to see him often to get help, but he thought it would not be needed and I had to work on my own and then get re-assessed weekly. My next appoint is next Tuesday.
I resumed walking unaided as soon as I got home. I hope I would not need to go back to crutches or walkers ever again :D
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Day 62 (Tue., Sep. 22) - 59.2 mm Taller
As per Dr. M.'s advice, today I resumed my normal 3-distraction sessions, growing 0.99 mm per day. The last 14 days, growth of 1.33 mm per day, had a big (negative) impact on my flexibility, especially my quads. I hope to be able to gradually gain back my flexibility now that my daily growth is lower at 0.99 mm.
In addition to my own stretching exercises, I am also doing the 4 exercises the PT taught me. My quads however don't seem to have any improvement. There is a chance the best I could do is prevent them to get worse, but immediately after the distraction phase is over, I would do serious quad exercises to go back to normal.
Pain is manageable with the two Gabapentin and two Tramadol pill I take daily. Gabapentin may have already started working, as I gradually feel like I have no nerve pain.
Today is day 53 since I started my distraction phase.
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Day 63 (Wed., Sep. 23) - 60.2 mm Taller
Day 64 (Thurs., Sep. 24) - 61.2 mm Taller
Day 65 (Fri., Sep. 25) - 62.2 mm Taller
Day 66 (Sat., Sep. 26) - 63.2 mm Taller
Day 67 (Sun., Sep. 27) - 64.2 mm Taller
Day 68 (Mon., Sep. 28) - 65.2 mm Taller
Nothing abnormal to report. I continued to do 3 0.33mm distraction per day. Pain with the help of pain killers is manageable (Pain level: left: 1-5, right: 0-1). My quads feel so stiff like rocks! I have a hard time bending my knees, especially the left knee.
Tomorrow is my next appointment day with Dr. M. I hope to hear from him that the crazy 14 day schedule of 4 distraction sessions per day worked and I did not have any premature consolidation.
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Day 69 (Tue., Sep. 29) - 66.1 mm Taller
I had a PT session in the morning for re-assessment. My PT measured my knee bending flexibility and found that there has been no change on the quads (did not get better, but did not get worse either). I think I am okay with that, cause I am confident I can regain my quad flexibility gradually, after the distraction phase is over in about two weeks (I hope).
I met Dr. M. in the afternoon. He thought I was doing great. The x rays showed that I did not have any premature consolidation, as the 14 days of 1.33 mm daily growth, provided a good gap to avoid that. He asked me to resume focusing on growth by taking calcium and eating well.
The surprising part was that his measurements based on the x rays showed that my left grew by almost 77.1mm. I don't remember what number exactly for right, but something like 65mm or so. Right seemed okay, but it seemed impossible to me that one could grow beyond what the device shows. He mentioned that it could be that measurements based on x rays are not accurate. He thought I should continue to do my sessions and when the nail hits 8cm, it would not further grow. I plan to do that!
Today is day 60 since I started the distraction phase! I may be the fastest CLL'er to reach 66.1mm in 60 days :D
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Day 69 (Tue., Sep. 29) - 66.1 mm Taller
I had a PT session in the morning for re-assessment. My PT measured my knee bending flexibility and found that there has been no change on the quads (did not get better, but did not get worse either). I think I am okay with that, cause I am confident I can regain my quad flexibility gradually, after the distraction phase is over in about two weeks (I hope).
I met Dr. M. in the afternoon. He thought I was doing great. The x rays showed that I did not have any premature consolidation, as the 14 days of 1.33 mm daily growth, provided a good gap to avoid that. He asked me to resume focusing on growth by taking calcium and eating well.
The surprising part was that his measurements based on the x rays showed that my left grew by almost 77.1mm. I don't remember what number exactly for right, but something like 65mm or so. Right seemed okay, but it seemed impossible to me that one could grow beyond what the device shows. He mentioned that it could be that measurements based on x rays are not accurate. He thought I should continue to do my sessions and when the nail hits 8cm, it would not further grow. I plan to do that!
Today is day 60 since I started the distraction phase! I may be the fastest CLL'er to reach 66.1mm in 60 days :D
Hi SNC,
Great progress! That's actually kind of scary how it overshot the lengthening. What would happen if someone were to just want to do 5cm and the ERC ended up overshooting things? You can reverse right? Would you do that gradually or all at once? Hope you get to your goals safely!
-brondo
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Day 70 (Wed., Sep. 30) - 67.1 mm Taller
Day 71 (Thurs., Oct. 1) - 68.1 mm Taller
Day 72 (Fri., Oct. 2) - 69.1 mm Taller
The discomfort and pain during evening times are sometimes annoying. I hope this does not get aggravated during the last 1cm of my distraction phase!
I do at least 6 times of PT sessions per day, but the only remedy that brings the pain down to zero is hot water! A hot bathtub or jet works perfectly, but it is temporary. As soon as I am out pain resumes. Overall things are not as bad. I would have imagined a lot worse in 5cm+ range, so I am happy with my progress so far.
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Hi SNC,
Great progress! That's actually kind of scary how it overshot the lengthening. What would happen if someone were to just want to do 5cm and the ERC ended up overshooting things? You can reverse right? Would you do that gradually or all at once? Hope you get to your goals safely!
-brondo
brondo bro, I am as surprised as you on this! We plan so much, spend so much money and we expect things to be accurate. Turns out measurements are not accurate!
I know someone could grow shorter than what the device number implies for various reasons (magnet did not connect to nail for various reasons), but I am still not sure whether a lengthening device can actually make it grown even larger than what it displays.
I know there are facilities that can accurately measure length and growth using x rays, because I did that right before the surgery to know the exact height of my left leg and right leg. It would be nice to use something similar to those facilities in Dr.'s office, so they can do accurate measurements during the distraction phase.
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brondo bro, I am as surprised as you on this! We plan so much, spend so much money and we expect things to be accurate. Turns out measurements are not accurate!
I know someone could grow shorter than what the device number implies for various reasons (magnet did not connect to nail for various reasons), but I am still not sure whether a lengthening device can actually make it grown even larger than what it displays.
I know there are facilities that can accurately measure length and growth using x rays, because I did that right before the surgery to know the exact height of my left leg and right leg. It would be nice to use something similar to those facilities in Dr.'s office, so they can do accurate measurements during the distraction phase.
That seems like a problem that Dr. M doesn't have ways to accurately measure the legs. If someone decided to do less than the max length, they would need to make sure their legs are even before consolidatoin. Do you know if you're using ERC1 (the green and yellow buttons) or ERC4 (the purple one with the display)? I've learned that ERC1 is more accurate, but ERC4 has the ability to turn off if the magnets are not properly aligned.
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With an XR is quite easy to know exactly how much the nail has been distracted, you can see a light shadow. If you ask for an XR standing you can even check if the hip (and so the femurs) are perfect aligned.
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That seems like a problem that Dr. M doesn't have ways to accurately measure the legs. If someone decided to do less than the max length, they would need to make sure their legs are even before consolidatoin. Do you know if you're using ERC1 (the green and yellow buttons) or ERC4 (the purple one with the display)? I've learned that ERC1 is more accurate, but ERC4 has the ability to turn off if the magnets are not properly aligned.
It's the purple one, ERC4 with the display.
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That seems like a problem that Dr. M doesn't have ways to accurately measure the legs. If someone decided to do less than the max length, they would need to make sure their legs are even before consolidatoin. Do you know if you're using ERC1 (the green and yellow buttons) or ERC4 (the purple one with the display)? I've learned that ERC1 is more accurate, but ERC4 has the ability to turn off if the magnets are not properly aligned.
I highly doubt that it's only Dr. M.'s office whose method of measurement from x ray is inaccurate. I would not be surprised if other Drs. also use the same method, which is looking at a picture of a device (say a ball with a certain size) in the picture and then use same length (say diameter of the ball) and then try to measure the distraction parts, etc. This method is is not accurate. Most likely the resolution is not even 0.2mm, whereas we ideally want the resolution to be 0.01mm; cause our devices do 0.33mm, which implies that we should have a resolution of 0.01mm. Does any doctor's office have a way to measuring from x ray promising 0.01mm or even 0.05mm accuracy? I doubt that!
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I highly doubt that it's only Dr. M.'s office whose method of measurement from x ray is inaccurate. I would not be surprised if other Drs. also use the same method, which is looking at a picture of a device (say a ball with a certain size) in the picture and then use same length (say diameter of the ball) and then try to measure the distraction parts, etc. This method is is not accurate. Most likely the resolution is not even 0.2mm, whereas we ideally want the resolution to be 0.01mm; cause our devices do 0.33mm, which implies that we should have a resolution of 0.01mm. Does any doctor's office have a way to measuring from x ray promising 0.01mm or even 0.05mm accuracy? I doubt that!
That's disappointing. I wonder if any other doctor has a different method of measuring. I wanted to ask you if the ERC is set so it automatically turns off or stops if the magnets don't align properly.
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That's disappointing. I wonder if any other doctor has a different method of measuring. I wanted to ask you if the ERC is set so it automatically turns off or stops if the magnets don't align properly.
The answer is NO :(
Unfortunately, even my ERC, which is supposed to be their cutting edge technology, does not have a two way communication with the magnet in the nail. That means, regardless of whether it is engaged with the nail magnet, it keeps counting time to one minute and measurement to 0.33 "ASSUMING" it is engaged with the magnet. This means in the worst case, you may lengthen 0, and the device would show that as 0.33mm!
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The answer is NO :(
Unfortunately, even my ERC, which is supposed to be their cutting edge technology, does not have a two way communication with the magnet in the nail. That means, regardless of whether it is engaged with the nail magnet, it keeps counting time to one minute and measurement to 0.33 "ASSUMING" it is engaged with the magnet. This means in the worst case, you may lengthen 0, and the device would show that as 0.33mm!
Wow. I think there is a way to configure that, maybe you need a nuvasive rep to handle it. Anyways, I think you'll be okay since you're going for the nail limit anyway. Good luck SNC!
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Wow. I think there is a way to configure that, maybe you need a nuvasive rep to handle it. Anyways, I think you'll be okay since you're going for the nail limit anyway. Good luck SNC!
I am not concerned with my own case, cause as the doctor said, a few extra sessions, when you have already hit 8cm, would not have any negative impact. If you do a lot, it may loosen the rod, but a few should be fine.
I am just not happy with the fact that measurement based on x rays do not have a 0.01 or 0.05mm resolution/accuracy.
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I am not concerned with my own case, cause as the doctor said, a few extra sessions, when you have already hit 8cm, would not have any negative impact. If you do a lot, it may loosen the rod, but a few should be fine.
I am just not happy with the fact that measurement based on x rays do not have a 0.01 or 0.05mm resolution/accuracy.
Did the doctor say if you do a lot, it may loosen the rod? Just trying to understand how that works.
Yes, unfortunately x-rays are +/- 3mm margin of error.
I plan to do a few extra sessions once I hit 8cm as well.
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Did the doctor say if you do a lot, it may loosen the rod? Just trying to understand how that works.
Yes, unfortunately x-rays are +/- 3mm margin of error.
I plan to do a few extra sessions once I hit 8cm as well.
Yes, Dr. M. told me that if distraction continues beyond the 8cm max, for too many times, it may loosen the rod. I don't believe he by loosened rod meant that we get shorter! but I think he meant that a loosened rod may create issues during removal. I am not sure. I will ask again.
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Thanks for replying SNC,
I would like to hear more about your stretching routine and PT if that's okay. Do you stretch before and after distraction?
Hi brondo bro,
I just realized I never responded to this. I am sorry about that.
I do stretching before and after each distraction. The time gap between my distraction and stretching could be as short as a few minutes, or as long as an hour or so.
I will post a list of my stretching exercises here soon.
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Hi brondo bro,
I just realized I never responded to this. I am sorry about that.
I do stretching before and after each distraction. The time gap between my distraction and stretching could be as short as a few minutes, or as long as an hour or so.
I will post a list of my stretching exercises here soon.
Looking forward to it SNC. Thanks!
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Day 73 (Sat., Oct. 3) - 70.1 mm Taller
Today is day 64 since I started distraction. My distraction days included 19 days of 1.33mm daily growth and the remaining 45 days of 0.99 mm daily growth. I have 10 more days to reach the maximum of 8cm.
The recent 14 days of 1.33mm daily growth, had a dramatic impact on my quad flexibility. I have a hard time improving my quads (especially the left one) in terms of bending knees. There is a chance I could have a long way to being normal; but I hope after the distraction phase is over, I can push myself into making a fast recovery.
Another very big problem I faced was that since the early days of post-op, I noticed I was losing my ass muscles!! I had an athletic body, and now my body still looks athletic with the exception of my ass which looks rather flat. I look terrible from side and back, cause my ass is gone :D I have started doing some stretching exercises to rebuild my ass muscles, but that also seems like a slow process to full recovery.
I take two 300mg Gabapentin pills per days. I don't think I have any nerve pain these days, with the exception of my left tibia which started to develop nerve related numbness during the 14 days of 1.33mm daily distractions. It seems Gabapentin cannot take care of it. But it's not that bad and I hope after the distraction phase is over, I gradually get rid of the tibia numbness.
I eat well, but I somehow have lost weight since the surgery. Unfortunately since my body fat before surgery was very minimal, I must have lost a lot of muscle. Regaining back my weight, would therefore mean rebuilding the lost muscles, which most likely would take months if not longer!
I also take two 50mg Tramadol pill per day to manage the pain. In addition I use hot bathtubs multiple times per day, especially when pain and discomfort seem hard to manage.
I continue to do at least 6 sets of PT exercises per day, typically one sometime before one of the three daily 0.33 distractions and one after.
In addition to walking daily for my normal daily activities, I do a 0.5 mile daily walk focusing on walking as normal as possible. My estimate of overall daily walks overall range from 1 to 2 miles.
Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions for me.
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Almost 5'11 bois.
Yea ppl tend to lose their áss after LL and takes a while to regain.
These last few days you should order extra takeout lmao get some nice rice and meat. Gotta eat more brotha. Bone formation takes alot of calories. Spend dese last 10 days eating more you'll need it to push thru
You're prolly on world record pace lmao. 19 days of 1.33mm is supa fast
At the next x-ray make sure equal leg lengths dats the important parto. U dun wanna reach 8cm on both then realize u got a 1cm discrepancy or something
Good job bubbba
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Almost 5'11 bois.
Yea ppl tend to lose their áss after LL and takes a while to regain.
It's great to know that it's not uncommon! Thanks ghkid2019 bro!
These last few days you should order extra takeout lmao get some nice rice and meat. Gotta eat more brotha. Bone formation takes alot of calories. Spend dese last 10 days eating more you'll need it to push thru
Will do! Will do even more after seeing this :)
You're prolly on world record pace lmao. 19 days of 1.33mm is supa fast
At the next x-ray make sure equal leg lengths dats the important parto. U dun wanna reach 8cm on both then realize u got a 1cm discrepancy or something
Good job bubbba
Good you asked. My right femur is taller than left by 5mm!!! Therefore Dr. M and I had planned for right to stop at 7.5cm distraction and left to continue towards 8cm.
Since I found that x-ray based measurements in Dr.'s office is not that accurate, I will go back to the same place I used pre-surgery to take accurate measurements. Will do that 5 days before finishing up left at 8cm, when I have to stop distraction on right (to keep it at 7.5cm). The measurement would be an assurance that my femurs would end up being equal :)
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Hi, SNC.
I greatly appreciate you keeping us updated with your diary. I hope all is well.
Do you plan on uploading some video's of your walk, etc?
Thanks.
Hi Quad Stryde,
Sorry about the delay.
I would like to upload some videos, but I don't really look good at this point. My butt muscles are mostly gone and I look like a flat ass tall guy walking weird. Hope I get a quick recovery and then show some good results.
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Hi SNC,
Did you do any glute exercises or squatting prior to your surgery? Around how many mm or cm would you say your butt muscles turned flat? Thanks.
-brondo
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Yea ppl tend to lose their áss after LL and takes a while to regain.
That would be a plus for me because I have a really big ass
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Hi SNC,
Did you do any glute exercises or squatting prior to your surgery? Around how many mm or cm would you say your butt muscles turned flat? Thanks.
-brondo
brondo bro, I was unfortunately never a squat fan, but I did a lot of fast walks and swimming.
I do not know how to measure, and compare to before surgery, but my guess is that I have lost a layer as thick as minimum 1cm, but possibly higher from every part of my butt. E.g., on the side, the bones, are almost out !!
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That would be a plus for me because I have a really big ass
I hear girls love big butts :D
By the way, one reason I have lost weight, could be the and pain and also opioid pain killers. I read somewhere that pain results in weight loss. Also I have heard that those who are addicted to opioid lose weight. If these are true, I expect to gain back at least some of my weight during the bone consolidation phase, when pain decreases and I stop using Tramadol (and Gabapentin).
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Day 74 (Sun., Oct. 4) - 71.1 mm Taller
Day 75 (Mon., Oct. 5) - 72.1 mm Taller
No surprises! tomorrow I'll have my second outpatient PT day. I expect the PT to say that my quads got stiffer, but my hamstrings either improved, or at least stayed as they were last week. It's been a challenge to try to bend my knees like I could before the 14 days of 1.33mm growth. I expect things to get even worse by the time I hit 8cm, but I hope I will quickly go back to normal during the consolidation phase.
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I have done quite a few trial and error practices based on which I made several recommendations in my journal here. I just tried to summarized them for DLL, one of our new CLL'ers. I am also posting them here, just in case anyone did not check DLL's diary pages:
Recommendation to better manage the post-op days:
1) Whenever you feel pain, try to do stretching no matter when (even middle of the night).
The best I found is to straighten your legs while sitting on bed and then bend your body towards your knees. The next one that helps me is to lie down on your bed, or sit up a bit with your forearms on your side on the bed, while straightening your leg, then lift one leg at a time, doing two practices: one keeping both legs straight and pulling one as high as possible. The other practice, is to try to bring one close to your chest, even if both legs start to bend. Another helpful one for me is to have floppies on (which adds about 1.5cm to my height), stand straight on the floor and then bend to try to touch the floor. Recently instead of keep pushing my hands down to touch the floor in one shot, I have to frequently push and let go many times and each time
getting closer to the ground and usually in about 30 seconds to a minutes, my fingers finally touch the floor. Ideally every time you have pain you would want to repeat your PT sessions. However some of our folks here suggest that it is a good practice to avoid those exercises that create nerve pain. I do not know which exercise would give me nerve pain, therefore every time I experience pain and also before and after every distraction session, I try to repeat my PT routine which is about 10 exercises.
2) Use BIOFREEZE Cold Therapy Pain Relief [pack of 3] (Costco, Sam's Club, etc.) and roll it on the painful area with a bit of pressure to not only apply the gel, but also massage your legs with the roller. This is the best ointment I have been using.
I also got Capzasin Arthritis Pain Relief, Quick Relief Gel 1.5 oz (42.5 g) [pack of 2] from Amazon. This has one problem. After the few hours at some point it would make your leg fired up! You'd feel that your legs are on fire :D If you try to wash it off your legs, your legs would burn real bad! you better wash them with fairly cold water (and body gel/soap).
I have tried some ointments from European and Asian countries, and since you'd not be able to find them here, I don't mention them. However as I said BIOFREEZE is the best of them, and I would say just having that as an ointment for local pain relief would be sufficient.
3) If you cannot sleep, watch a movie on TV or your computer, while you are set in a nice sleeping position. There is a high chance you'd go to sleep quickly. I typically watch Friends on my computer. I typically fall asleep as early as a couple minutes, and as late as an episode or two later.
4) I put on skiing under pants to get warmed up and also tight jeans and they both somehow help me manage pain! I know it sounds crazy but I think skiing under pants warm up your legs so they act similarly to local pain relief ointments. Tight jeans, most likely put pressure on your legs, and help you forget the pain I guess.
5) Eating/drinking may work like a distraction from pain. I notice that most of the times while eating or drinking and a while after, my pain goes away.
6) Try all sleeping positions including face down, side, face up with a pillow or two under your knee or without any pillows, with or with blankets, etc. frequently. Body preference may change, so hopefully you would find the optimum sleeping position every night.
I hope these help,
SNC
7) I think cause of the painkillers that I take I feel unusually cold. I'd like to add that I recently have started wearing double clothes at home or outside. It helps me better manage pain and discomfort! I wear jogger/track pants and then on top wear jeans! I also wear a t-shirt, and a shirt on top and sometimes a jacket as well when I am in a colder area.
8 ) I recently tried an air and heat massage device! the first time I tried it, I thought I discovered the utopia of free pain I could live in all the way till 8cm! but after I was done with my first try, I felt like my legs were lazy, and rather painful. The second time I tried the air and heat massager, I could not handle it for a long time and I felt like I should not use such devices, as they may make my legs lazy and even more painful! In any case I thought I share this and let you decide whether you'd wanna try it out and see if it works for you.
9) I recently got the following massage devices and I think they are "sometimes" helpful.
A) Get this one, or something similar to this one and give it a try:
Tiger Tail The Long One 22" - SS20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FCGDAE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
B) Similarly try this one, and if it does not work for you, then return it. Make sure you get this and the one above from a place, where you could return, in case it did not work for you:
TriggerPoint Foam Massage Ball for Deep-Tissue Massage
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016L9K7X8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Day 76 (Tue., Oct. 6) - 73.1 mm Taller
I had planned to take care of 3 clinic related items this morning.
I had asked my physician for a checkup and he had put some blood tests for me in the system. I decided to go early to the clinic and do the tests. I was fasting for the tests.
I then went to pick up the new Tramadol and Gabapentin prescription from the pharmacy in the clinic. There was some complication and they somehow had the Tramadol, but not the Gabapentin in their records. I therefore had to call Dr. M.'s office to have them call the pharmacy once more.
My PT appointment was also today in the same clinic. As I expected my PT found out that my quad flexibility got worse compared to last week. My bending knees were at about 100+ degrees which is terrible. I hope I can quickly improve this after my distraction is over, but at this point, when I to push it while bending knees, the pain starts to be unbearable, so I give up. The rest was okay. He checked my hamstring flexibility and he was okay with that. He measured my straight knees as at minus 8 degrees.
I then went back to the pharmacy and picked up my Tramadol and Gabapentin.
Overall I was there at the clinic for about 3 hours. Fasting, feeling cold in the clinic and walking quite a bit, quickly resulted in severe pain and discomfort, but I started to recover while driving back home.
I am on day 65 of the distraction phase. Seven more days and I'd be done at 8cm!
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Day 77 (Wed., Oct. 7) - 74.1 mm Taller
Taking too many pills (painkillers, vitamins, calcium, etc.) and also having low mobility due to my surgery and the COVID-19 situation, had me worried that my liver and kidney would be under too much work pressure! I had asked my physician for a checkup. The results were surprising. My liver and kidney were as usual very good, but numbers looked even better than before. My vitamin D deficiency I had last year, is now resolved.
All numbers are normal, with the exception of the LDL (bad cholestrol) which is 124. I am not that surprised, cause I eat crazy including having a lot of red meat. I will go back to a more healthy style of eating I always had soon, after consolidation is over; and try to lower my LDL to below 100.
I have been very lucky my pain has been manageable on 5+cm.
I had heard stories about how hard and close to impossible becomes, when you'd go to the 7cm zone!
Now at 7cm, I am surprised how I can fairly easily pass days! I am not sure why my pain is not much higher, but it's most likely thanks to my stretching routine. I never missed on stretching and always too every sessions seriously.
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Really glad to hear that your pain has been manageable over 7cm. Do you know if lengthening quickly and stretching more during consolidation is different than lengthening slowly and starting consolidation more flexible in the long run? I suppose ultimately our bodies should adjust to a certain level of flexibility given the total amount lengthened, regardless of how fast it was lengthened.
You'll be well into consolidation by my surgery date. With your rate of bone growth I suppose you'll consolidate pretty quickly too. I'm surprised to hear that you have a Vit D deficiency given your rate of bone growth. I guess that makes me feel better as well since I'm most likely a bit deficient in Vit D as well (though I will have taken supplements for 2 months by my surgery date.)
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Really glad to hear that your pain has been manageable over 7cm. Do you know if lengthening quickly and stretching more during consolidation is different than lengthening slowly and starting consolidation more flexible in the long run? I suppose ultimately our bodies should adjust to a certain level of flexibility given the total amount lengthened, regardless of how fast it was lengthened.
You'll be well into consolidation by my surgery date. With your rate of bone growth I suppose you'll consolidate pretty quickly too. I'm surprised to hear that you have a Vit D deficiency given your rate of bone growth. I guess that makes me feel better as well since I'm most likely a bit deficient in Vit D as well (though I will have taken supplements for 2 months by my surgery date.)
Thanks BelowTheMean,
I am happy to see you starting surgery asap, cause I believe in doing this surgery during COVID-19 times for all the benefits you'd get.
I avoid the California sun as much as I can! ideally limiting it to less than 5 minutes per day without any sun blocks. In case of sun blocks, I would be okay staying for longer, but I am not a big fan of sun blocks. I therefore make sure I avoid it as much as I can. I think for someone like me, I need daily D supplements. I had a vitamin D deficiency last year (blood test in November 2019). However I started taking supplements since then and at some point, the deficiency must have been resolved, cause now it look like the number is pretty normal.
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Day 78 (Thurs., Oct. 8) - 75.1 mm Taller
Before the surgery started, I told Dr. M. that I may have a height discrepancy between left and right, with left being shorter. Dr. M. recommended that I take accurate x-ray measurements. I went to the hospital and took the x-ray. The results showed that my right leg upper knee is 5mm taller than my left. Therefore we had planned to stop distraction for the right, as soon as it hits 75mm.
Today is day 78 post-op and day 69 since distraction started and I will be done with lengthening my right leg. I will continue distraction for my left for 5 more days. I am curious is anyone else could achieve 7.5cm in 69 days of distraction. If not, then I may have a world record as a fastest CLL'er to reach 7.5cm distraction.
I repeated the accurate x-ray measurement by asking my physician to refer me to a hospital where they do accurate x-ray measurements. The results will be out in 3 days. My plan is to make adjustments to right, if on day 3 I find out that I have to do more distraction for my right leg.
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Day 76 (Tue., Oct. 6) - 73.1 mm Taller
I had planned to take care of 3 clinic related items this morning.
I had asked my physician for a checkup and he had put some blood tests for me in the system. I decided to go early to the clinic and do the tests. I was fasting for the tests.
I then went to pick up the new Tramadol and Gabapentin prescription from the pharmacy in the clinic. There was some complication and they somehow had the Tramadol, but not the Gabapentin in their records. I therefore had to call Dr. M.'s office to have them call the pharmacy once more.
My PT appointment was also today in the same clinic. As I expected my PT found out that my quad flexibility got worse compared to last week. My bending knees were at about 100+ degrees which is terrible. I hope I can quickly improve this after my distraction is over, but at this point, when I to push it while bending knees, the pain starts to be unbearable, so I give up. The rest was okay. He checked my hamstring flexibility and he was okay with that. He measured my straight knees as at minus 8 degrees.
I then went back to the pharmacy and picked up my Tramadol and Gabapentin.
Overall I was there at the clinic for about 3 hours. Fasting, feeling cold in the clinic and walking quite a bit, quickly resulted in severe pain and discomfort, but I started to recover while driving back home.
I am on day 65 of the distraction phase. Seven more days and I'd be done at 8cm!
There is a typo here. I was on day 67 (not day 65) when I was at 73.1mm distraction. Sorry about the typo.
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Day 79 (Fri., Oct. 9) - 76.1 mm Taller
Day 80 (Sat., Oct. 10) - 77.1 mm Taller
My right leg has graduated from the Stryde Nail Challenge at 7.5cm distraction and now officially in the consolidation phase!
By the time my left is at 8cm, I hope they are closer to being equal in length.
On day 79 (day 70 since distraction started), I started the distraction sessions that would be on left only. I assumed that after the left distraction session is done, and when the device automatically takes it to the right lengthening session, if I turn off the devices, things would be saved properly. Therefore every time I do the distraction, all I plan to do is lengthen my left and then turn off the device, to avoid messing up with the numbers recorded for the right and left.
However on day 80 (day 71 since distraction started), I realized that the numbers are indeed incorrect on the device, as somehow the device my have turned on, asking for the right leg lengthening and I must have used that towards my left on Sat. morning. I had already checked with the company that both right and left are basically the same rotation direction and amount, so it's completely safe to use a distraction session that appears for a certain leg, on the other one!
I have made an excel sheet for my distraction days and I have recorded all the numbers, therefore inaccurate numbers on the device would not be a problem.
I have three more days for my left to be at 8cm :D
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Day 81 Post-op (Sun., Oct. 10) -
78.1 mm 80 mm Taller [ magic happens, 8cm Taller on distraction day 72 ;D]
As I said, my right is already done (max 7.5 cm distraction) and in the consolidation phase!
I expected to be at 78.1 mm distraction on left by the end of the day and to have two more days to be at 8cm.
However this afternoon while i was sitting and doing my second distraction of day, I heard a big sound coming from the left rod area. I thought I made a misheard but when I stood up, the sound was repeated. It felt like a pop or clicking sound.
Then tonight while doing the third extraction of the day, around half time, my leg started moving a bit with a sound like the rod has a hard time proceeding. I felt like the rod was trying to lengthen but then would go back to where it was.
None of the sounds resulted any pain. The night time sounds were like something clicks but then gets released and makes my leg jump or move a bit.
I was first concerned that perhaps the rod was broken, but having no pain made me feel good that at least it's not a dangerous situation. My suspicion was that I already hit 8cm and the rod was just trying, but could not lengthen any further. This would match what Dr. M. figured during our last appointment on Sep. 29th; that my left grew faster than right by a few mms. Also the results of my Thursday x-ray was emailed to me by my physician this afternoon; which showed there was not much difference between right and left. This also confirms that my left grew faster and could catch up by about 5mm that it had been short of whole my life.
I immediately emailed Dr. M. He said it sounds like the rod has reached the end of its lengthening potential [of 8cm]. He also said that If I want to continue distraction for another couple of days, that should be OK and should not have any consequences.
Considering all the evidence, and my own feeling I get while the rod was not proceeding, I believe I have reached the 8cm!
I took this challenge with some goals in mind. One milestone was to achieve 8cm and it seems I achieved it. There is a high chance I am the fasted in the world to reach 8cm in 72 days. There is actually a good chance I reached 8cm on Thursday (distraction day 69), cause the x-ray results on that day show that my left and right are almost same height. Since my right was at 7.5 by the end of that day, my left must have been at 8cm by the end of that day. Dr. M. had also observed in late Sept, that my left was ahead of schedule by about 5mm [somehow, I still don't know how the device works exactly].
In any case, I am happy to officially call 8cm as completed by Distraction Day 72 :)
My next milestone is to go back to the normal (pre-op) condition or something similar [cause my new leg dimensions may define a new normal] in a short time.
I would like to thanks IFS, Movie, ghkid2019, Tartar, BelowTheMean, Sunshine, wannabeidol, readyprecisestryde, bondo, BoneStretching, m7liam, asian and many other brothers and here who have helped me with their advice and support.
I hope to continue my diary and I hope it helps many CLL'ers achieve their goals.
SNC
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Congratulations Bro!
I'm amazed at your pain management during your journey. You reached your 8cm target relatively easy. Enjoy your new height and new life!
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Wow...You are beating everyone's record to reach 8cm the fastest and congrats!!! Thank you and enjoy your new height. Wishing you a quick recovery :)
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congrats dude!
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Congrats on hitting 8cm! I would definitely not be surprised if you have the record for lengthening speed, and I'm glad your soft tissue was able to handle the pace of lengthening. On to consolidation!
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Congratulations Bro!
I'm amazed at your pain management during your journey. You reached your 8cm target relatively easy. Enjoy your new height and new life!
Thanks bro, it was relatively to what many CLL'ers experience, easy; yet it was one of the hardest challenges I have faced and certainly the hardest physical challenge I have had whole my life.
I have put all the remedies and ideas already here. Next I am going to add all the details of my stretching exercises; hoping it would help other CLL'ers check mine and adjust theirs if necessary.
Sunshin bro, I have no doubt you'll get to 8cm, but I wish you a quick back-to-normal or back-to-new-normal-that-would-amaze-you :)
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Wow...You are beating everyone's record to reach 8cm the fastest and congrats!!! Thank you and enjoy your new height. Wishing you a quick recovery :)
Thanks readprecisestryde, your advice on nerve pain management was very helpful. I owe it to you, my bro. I hope you also enjoy your new height and new life up there :)
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congrats dude!
Thanks wannabeidol bro, wish you the best,
SNC
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Congrats on hitting 8cm! I would definitely not be surprised if you have the record for lengthening speed, and I'm glad your soft tissue was able to handle the pace of lengthening. On to consolidation!
Thanks BelowTheMean brother, On to consolidation!
Best Wishes bro,
SNC
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Congrats bro! You're amazing! Your diary will definitely help future CLLers!
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Day 82 Post-op (Mon., Oct. 12) and Consolidation Day 1
My next appointment with Dr. M. had been set to be on Oct. 20th, but considering I already hit 8cm, I preponed the meeting to Oct 13th (tomorrow) to get x-rays and make sure everything is okay.
Meanwhile, I have stopped using the device, even if Dr. M., said that using it a couple times after hitting 8cm, would be okay. Since I am not sure if I hit 8cm yesterday, or even earlier, I have decided to not use the device before meeting Dr. M.
I decided to cut down my painkiller (from two Gabapentin and two Tramadol pills per day) to one Gabapentin and one Tramadol per day starting today.
I was a bit disappointed that the pain did not start to exponentially get better today, but I guess that's the way it is. I hope in a week or two, I see substantial improvement in terms of pain, and flexibility.
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For me pain started going down 3-4 days after distraction, give it some time. Happy to see you're done with distraction, time flies
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Day 83 Post-op (Tue., Oct. 12) - Consolidation Day 2
I was planning to run a distraction session when I meet Dr. M.; to show him exactly how the devices sounds and see whether he is sure that I have hit 8cm. Based on today's x-rays, Dr. M., measured my left at 8cm and my right at 7.8.
Right is 3mm taller than what we had planned for. Dr. M. said I had two options: 1) flipping the device and try to shorten by as much as 3mm, 2) keep as is, cause 3mm would not make much of a difference. He was more inclined towards option 2 and I also thought I should just leave things as they are.
I asked Dr. M., whether I should go for another x-ray I got before I started the surgery where they measure the hip level, etc. accurately. He said, there is no reason and he is confident on the accuracy of his measurements (80mm on left and 78mm on right).
My next appointment with him would in three months (Jan. 2021). Meanwhile he said I should focus on fixing the quad issues (cannot bend knees as flexibly as I used to before the 14 day quick distraction schedule I had to go through a few weeks ago.
He is impressed by how tall I have become and took pictures with me (for before/after comparisons), but also mentioned that I have not realized my full height, cause my knees are not completely straight and I should generally see improvement in my body, which make me stand taller as well.
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Day 84 Post-op (Wed., Oct. 14) - Consolidation Day 3
Day 85 Post-op (Thurs., Oct. 15) - Consolidation Day 4
Day 86 Post-op (Fri., Oct. 16) - Consolidation Day 5
Pain gradually gets better but at a slow rate, slow enough to not not allow me to completely stop the painkillers. So far I have cut down the painkillers by 50% starting consolidation day 1. I plan to stop Gabapentin in about 5 days or so, which means I would then be on one Tramadol pill per day.
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My Stretching Exercises During Distraction
I always wanted to post my list of exercises at some point. bondo had asked for it too, so I got more motivation to do this. There is a good chance I have to keep updating this list with more descriptions and/or videos to make them more complete. I would therefore version the list all the way to the final list:
The way I have numbered them is weird. I do not know why that numbering worked for me. I keep that numbering as I remember them in my brain:
Exercises:
1) My number one exercises looks similar to the one that starts around second 42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0SNDBUr6VI
I try to grab my thighs with my hands on the sides and try to push further. As I got taller, unfortunately I have failed to reach my toes with my hands. I hope someday I can make it happen gain :)
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My Stretching Exercises During Distraction
I always wanted to post my list of exercises at some point. bondo had asked for it too, so I got more motivation to do this. There is a good chance I have to keep updating this list with more descriptions and/or videos to make them more complete. I would therefore version the list all the way to the final list:
The way I have numbered them is weird. I do not know why that numbering worked for me. I keep that numbering as I remember them in my brain:
Exercises:
1) My number one exercises looks similar to the one that starts around second 42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0SNDBUr6VI
I try to grab my thighs with my hands on the sides and try to push further. As I got taller, unfortunately I have failed to reach my toes with my hands. I hope someday I can make it happen gain :)
2) The one that starts around second 1:25, in the same video for exercise 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0SNDBUr6VI These days, since I cannot bend my knees that much, it looks like what the guy in the video does, but I would like to improve in bending one legs further during consolidation.
3) The one that starts around second 2:04 in the same video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0SNDBUr6VI, however instead of towels, I use my hands to bring the leg up. Also when up, I try to tilt the leg as an extra exercise.
4) I think this exercise is similar to squats, but I do this on the bed. while sitting with my legs straightened at start, I bend my knees and try to sit up on my toes, using my hands on the floor as support. This is very difficult for me, cause of my stiff quads.
5) Thomas stretch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdDFndPNJWY However I use my hands behind my thighs to push them further towards my chest.
6) while sitting on the bed, I make a diamond shape with legs (bent knees, toes touching). I push my chest towards my tibias, while my hands are on my toes.
7) I lie down on my back, with knees bent and legs far apart by as much as my shoulders. I then roll my legs to the right all the way to the floor and then repeat for the left side. This exercises makes me feel relaxed a bit, otherwise, it's not as important as others.
8) This is like a set of exercises:
8a) I do the one that starts around second 1:25 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhQimqvU1tM.
8b) I lie down on my side at the edge of the bed, with my back facing the side of the bed. I then take on leg slightly up and then moving back from bed and down towards the side wall of the bed. I do that for several times for each side.
8c) I like down on my back close to the edge of the bed, then move the leg that is closer to the edge down along the sidewall of the bed, while the other leg is on the bed, bent to support the move.
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Day 83 Post-op (Tue., Oct. 12) - Consolidation Day 2
I was planning to run a distraction session when I meet Dr. M.; to show him exactly how the devices sounds and see whether he is sure that I have hit 8cm. Based on today's x-rays, Dr. M., measured my left at 8cm and my right at 7.8.
Right is 3mm taller than what we had planned for. Dr. M. said I had two options: 1) flipping the device and try to shorten by as much as 3mm, 2) keep as is, cause 3mm would not make much of a difference. He was more inclined towards option 2 and I also thought I should just leave things as they are.
I asked Dr. M., whether I should go for another x-ray I got before I started the surgery where they measure the hip level, etc. accurately. He said, there is no reason and he is confident on the accuracy of his measurements (80mm on left and 78mm on right).
My next appointment with him would in three months (Jan. 2021). Meanwhile he said I should focus on fixing the quad issues (cannot bend knees as flexibly as I used to before the 14 day quick distraction schedule I had to go through a few weeks ago.
He is impressed by how tall I have become and took pictures with me (for before/after comparisons), but also mentioned that I have not realized my full height, cause my knees are not completely straight and I should generally see improvement in my body, which make me stand taller as well.
This is my biggest fear. Legs not being even. I think the only way to do it is to either get xray measurements or otherwise use the wall to measure yourself
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This is my biggest fear. Legs not being even. I think the only way to do it is to either get xray measurements or otherwise use the wall to measure yourself
I tried to use the wall, by standing on both legs, and standing on each leg. Therefore every time I had three different measurements and the single leg standing was to find the height difference. However I found that very unreliable. Depending on how you would stand, and maintain your body results would change considerably, at least by a couple millimeters.
I think the best way is x-ray measurements. Your medical insurance should cover for it, cause it's about height discrepancy. However emphasize that you need the measurements for the gap between the two broken bones. Unfortunately the clinic finally did not measure it, but Dr. M. did and he was very confident about accuracy and resolution.
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This is my biggest fear. Legs not being even. I think the only way to do it is to either get xray measurements or otherwise use the wall to measure yourself
This is what the clinic sent me. All I get from it is that the two legs were almost same height, but I don't understand anything more:
CLINICAL HISTORY: Reason: s/p lengthening procedure.
COMPARISON: No previous study available.
Findings:
RIGHT HIP:
Distance from center of femoral head to medial femoral condyle is:
50.2 cm
Distance from medial femoral condyle to center of tibial plafond is:
34.1 cm
Distance from center of femoral head to center of tibial plafond is:
84.3 cm
LEFT HIP:
Distance from center of femoral head to medial femoral condyle is:
50.2 cm
Distance from medial femoral condyle to center of tibial plafond is:
34 cm
Distance from center of femoral head to center of tibial plafond is:
84.2 cm
IMPRESSION: There is no significant leg length discrepancy in both
lower extremity.
This report electronically signed by Dr. X YYY M.D. on
10/10/2020 11:54 PM
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For me pain started going down 3-4 days after distraction, give it some time. Happy to see you're done with distraction, time flies
Thanks Movie. Yesterday (Friday) on day 5, was particularly painful, but overall I see improvement.
By the way, how much pressure do you think I should put on the quads doing squats, etc. ? Is it constructive if I put too much pressure, which means a lot of pain; but hoping things would improve faster?
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I didn't start squatting until after about a month in consolidation, and I didn't add any weight to my leg exercises until after around 3 months in consolidation.
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The List of my Stretching Exercises. Version 1:
I do each of the following several times in each stretching session:
1) My number one exercise looks similar to the one that starts around second 42: https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI
I try to grab my thighs with my hands on the sides and try to push further. As I got taller, unfortunately I have failed to reach my toes with my hands. I hope someday I can make it happen gain :)
2) The one that starts around second 1:25, in the same video for exercise 1: https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI
These days, since I cannot bend my knees that much, it looks like what the guy in the video does, but I would like to improve in bending one legs further during consolidation.
3) The one that starts around second 2:04 in the same video: https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI, however instead of towels, I use my hands to bring the leg up. Also when up, I try to tilt the leg as an extra exercise.
4) I think this exercise is similar to squats, but I do this on the bed. while sitting with my legs straightened at start, I bend my knees and try to sit up on my toes, using my hands on the floor as support. This is very difficult for me, cause of my stiff quads.
5) Thomas stretch:
https://youtu.be/MdDFndPNJWY
However I use my hands behind my thighs to push them further towards my chest.
6) while sitting on the bed, I make a diamond shape with legs (bent knees, toes touching). I push my chest towards my tibias, while my hands are on my toes.
7) I lie down on my back, with knees bent and legs far apart by as much as my shoulders. I then roll my legs to the right all the way to the floor and then repeat for the left side. This exercises makes me feel relaxed a bit, otherwise, it's not as important as others.
8 ) This is like a set of exercises:
8a) I do the one that starts around second 1:25 in https://youtu.be/BhQimqvU1tM
8b) I lie down on my side at the edge of the bed, with my back facing the side of the bed. I then take on leg slightly up and then moving back from bed and down towards the side wall of the bed. I do that for several times for each side.
8c) I like down on my back close to the edge of the bed, then move the leg that is closer to the edge down along the sidewall of the bed, while the other leg is on the bed, bent to support the move.
9) This is like a set of exercises. I would like to clarify that my list mostly focuses on the legs, but there are some moves that are generally helpful for the body to stay flexible.
9a) Cobra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa6zdmje-c4
9b) Cat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFBuCooCD6Y
But I also add the fellow's move around second 17: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-U04bm7NdM
9c) I had recommended this to Movie, for knee pain. I had learnt this from a PT a few years ago, and it helped me manage the knee pain I had at the time: I start with a plank like around second 38 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehy8G39d_PM.
I then move my body up and down for 40 to 60 times each time.
10) I sit with my legs bent towards my chest. I then use a stretch band to tie my knees together right at the upper knee parts. I then try to move the knees apart by as much as I can.
11) A set:
11a) I use a towel and do the exercise that starts around second 1.31 in the video of exercise 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0SNDBUr6VI&feature=youtu.be
11b) I wrap a towel around my ankle, and try to pull the towel towards myself (which makes my knee bend), while keeping the other leg straight. I do this several times for each leg.
12) I sit at the edge of a bed, chair, sofa, etc., with both legs on the ground, one bent and one straight. I then move my body forward. The more forward, the higher the pressure on hamstrings.
13) Standing next to the bed for support, I bend to touch the ground with my hands. This is my comfort zone, as it takes me a few second to warm up and easily touch the ground with both hands, or one hand, while trying to keep my knees straight using the bed sidewall as support.
14) I had lost my six-packs in the last couple years, but still had ab tones, and some horizontal lines that made it look athletic. One negative impact of this surgery was losing too much weight for me, out of which something good came out: I've got my six-packs back. The weight loss could partially be caused by the painkillers and the pain itself, but I have not read a reliable article about that. It's just what I have heard or red in blogs.
To maintain my six-packs I do a lot of quick short sit-ups. By short, I mean my sit-ups are like half way what a normal sit-up is. I barely get up from the floor, but my trick is that I do it many times (e.g., 200 times each round). While doing the fast sit-ups, I also move my face to the left and right, every ew sit-ups, to have the jawline and avoid getting double chins. I hope this helps those who would like to lose their love handles and abs' fat and create or maintain their jawline.
15) I have recently started doing this just once per day: I lie on my back and lift one leg up and down several times. I also do this while standing and using a chair or wall as support to life one leg towards back or sides. This is for butt guys like me (butt guy is an official name a BoneStretching gave us on Movie's diary for those guys like us with flat butts :D) to try to reclaim their butt muscles.
16) last but not least, walking, indoor cycling, and going uptrains and downstairs, are very helpful in stretching and strengthening leg muscles.
I hope this list of 16 sets of exercises are helpful!
Feel free to add more to this list or make changes, if you think necessary. If so, it would be nice to know your idea here.
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Looking forward to it SNC. Thanks!
brondo bro, finally posted my list of stretching exercises. Hope you find it useful.
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what kind of bull is this?! You are 48 years old and getting a limb lengthening? this is obviously bs. You just want to promote the surgery. I no longer trust this forum. I had my fair share of suspension before but now i am sure some people here are just working for doctors or maybe the doctors themselves are writing this.
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what kind of bull is this?! You are 48 years old and getting a limb lengthening? this is obviously bs. You just want to promote the surgery. I no longer trust this forum. I had my fair share of suspension before but now i am sure some people here are just working for doctors or maybe the doctors themselves are writing this.
48 years old is not too late to get CLL. There are patients in their 50s and 60s who have gotten CLL and worked fine for them. It's recommended, but not required, for a CLL patient's age to be under 50.
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I wished I had seen these earlier - they make stretching so much easier:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PHYSIOWORX-Adjustable-Stretch-Hamstring-Fasciitis/dp/B01BOYWI5U (https://www.amazon.co.uk/PHYSIOWORX-Adjustable-Stretch-Hamstring-Fasciitis/dp/B01BOYWI5U)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Volking-Stretching-hamstring-stretcher-stretching/dp/B0863TNW67/ (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Volking-Stretching-hamstring-stretcher-stretching/dp/B0863TNW67/)
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what kind of bull is this?! You are 48 years old and getting a limb lengthening? this is obviously bs. You just want to promote the surgery. I no longer trust this forum. I had my fair share of suspension before but now i am sure some people here are just working for doctors or maybe the doctors themselves are writing this.
While stretching, you may play songs like this. I like my stretching sessions, quiet, though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZaJYDPY-YQ
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I wished I had seen these earlier - they make stretching so much easier:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PHYSIOWORX-Adjustable-Stretch-Hamstring-Fasciitis/dp/B01BOYWI5U (https://www.amazon.co.uk/PHYSIOWORX-Adjustable-Stretch-Hamstring-Fasciitis/dp/B01BOYWI5U)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Volking-Stretching-hamstring-stretcher-stretching/dp/B0863TNW67/ (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Volking-Stretching-hamstring-stretcher-stretching/dp/B0863TNW67/)
Thanks Ascending,
They seem interesting. Did you use them yourself?
I have developed this sense of trying to be a minimalist. I have donated a lot of stuff this year, trying to minimize the items I see in my place, especially the ones I don't get to touch or use for a long time.
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Thanks Ascending,
They seem interesting. Did you use them yourself?
I have developed this sense of trying to be a minimalist. I have donated a lot of stuff this year, trying to minimize the items I see in my place, especially the ones I don't get to touch or use for a long time.
I started using them both in the last two months. The Physioworx kit is brilliant and made the most difference and it is configurable so that you can start with a slight incline and up it as you get more flexible. I have it in my living room so that whenever I get up nad go past it, I use it. This has reduced the discomfort I used to get by standing up after sitting for a long while. The other kit is a replacement for the towel I previously used for doing the hamstring stretch and is much easier - Have it near my bed so I can do stretches in the night and morning. Both are very useful indeed.
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I started using them both in the last two months. The Physioworx kit is brilliant and made the most difference and it is configurable so that you can start with a slight incline and up it as you get more flexible. I have it in my living room so that whenever I get up nad go past it, I use it. This has reduced the discomfort I used to get by standing up after sitting for a long while. The other kit is a replacement for the towel I previously used for doing the hamstring stretch and is much easier - Have it near my bed so I can do stretches in the night and morning. Both are very useful indeed.
Thanks Ascending for letting me know. Do you think any of them could help with quads? I have had a hard time bending my knees for weeks now!
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I met several patients @Paley that were in their 40s, 50s and one person was almost 60 years old. It's more common than you think
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I met several patients @Paley that were in their 40s, 50s and one person was almost 60 years old. It's more common than you think
Thanks readyprecisestryde bro for the support.
If someone reads my diary, they can see that in many cases, I discouraged people from doing this surgery cause of the unexpected challenges they would face (mainly the pain level that would most likely surprise even the toughest guy in the world)! My goal here was to educate future CLL'ers to seriously think about what they are going to face and if they are not up for it, then forget about this surgery forever.
I have also repeatedly mentioned my motivation which is doing this surgery for the challenges it involves! not for other typical reasons (for girls, jobs, self-esteem, etc.). Before this surgery based on my body structure, and considering the way I dress and look, you would consider me as average, the least, if not above average or tall. I did not need to be 8cm taller. Only those who are into breaking records could truly understand what I mean by doing this surgery just for the sake of the challenges, not the height increase. Now doing this challenge when you are older, just makes it more interesting; cause you would want to show to yourself that you can successfully go through it, even at this age. I would do this challenge even if I were at 90, considering the crazy motivation I have to break records.
I did my diary only to help the LL'er community, cause what IFS (InFullStryde) and later Movie and others wrote here helped me a lot and I wanted to return the favor.
One more thing: If someone by coming to this forum, gets discouraged from doing CLL, it sounds safe to me. However if someone does the surgery just because he or she was encouraged by this forum, the surgery is doomed to fail, cause this surgery takes much more than getting encouragement from this forum. The way it works is that you would first decide to do this surgery, then come to this forum for more information. Based on that information you would either quit, or would still do the surgery informed by this forum. If anybody does this surgery solely based on my diary or anybody else's it would be pure stupidity!
Based on my line of work and my age, I have seen so many folks and I can quickly sense those with problems. This guy is not worth my time and attention! I would simply ignore folks like this guy!
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can you prove me wrong?
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Thanks Ascending for letting me know. Do you think any of them could help with quads? I have had a hard time bending my knees for weeks now!
Yes you could use the Volking stretching system to bend you knee whilst lying on you front.
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can you prove me wrong?
Not really, cause I don't want to prove myself to anybody. As I said, I don't think this is worth my time or attention. I am sure there are people here that are indeed advertising their business and work for doctors. I am very comfortable that you or anyone else here thinks I am a doctor or work for a doctor. I would then expect that you ignore my diary, would be more generally super careful on this site, and do not believe most or all the content and in a safe scenario, decide to not to do this surgery. This sounds safe to me, cause I think by default one should not do this surgery. It's so tough and the possible side effects are so severe and long term, that the chance of regretting the surgery later is high. One should do a lot of studies and research before coming to this site and therefore should avoid arranging for a surgery just based on this site.
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Day 87 Post-op (Sat., Oct. 17) - Consolidation Day 6
Day 88 Post-op (Sun., Oct. 18) - Consolidation Day 7
Day 89 Post-op (Mon., Oct. 19) - Consolidation Day 8
I still have pain, partly because I have cut down the painkillers (from two Gabapentin and two Tramadol pills per day during the distraction phase). Up until Saturday I was taking one Gabapentin and one Tramadol. On Saturday, I took a half Tramadol pill around 3pm and then postponed taking Gabapentin by about 7 hours, i.e., about 24+7 hours since the last time (on Friday) I had taken Gabapentin. Later around midnight I took a second half Tramadol pill.
Starting Sunday I stopped taking Gabapentin, so I have been on two half Tramadol pills per day. In a few days, I hope to cut that down to half Tramadol pill per day. I hope it works for me, cause in the past every time I tried to quit on painkillers, I could not handle the pain!
The most important update is that I gradually see more flexibility in my knee bending. I have a PT appt this Tuesday (tomorrow) and I would then be able to have an measure of improvement.
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Day 87 Post-op (Sat., Oct. 17) - Consolidation Day 6
Day 88 Post-op (Sun., Oct. 18) - Consolidation Day 7
Day 89 Post-op (Mon., Oct. 19) - Consolidation Day 8
I still have pain, partly because I have cut down the painkillers (from two Gabapentin and two Tramadol pills per day during the distraction phase). Up until Saturday I was taking one Gabapentin and one Tramadol. On Saturday, I took a half Tramadol pill around 3pm and then postponed taking Gabapentin by about 7 hours, i.e., about 24+7 hours since the last time (on Friday) I had taken Gabapentin. Later around midnight I took a second half Tramadol pill.
Starting Sunday I stopped taking Gabapentin, so I have been on two half Tramadol pills per day. In a few days, I hope to cut that down to half Tramadol pill per day. I hope it works for me, cause in the past every time I tried to quit on painkillers, I could not handle the pain!
The most important update is that I gradually see more flexibility in my knee bending. I have a PT appt this Tuesday (tomorrow) and I would then be able to have an measure of improvement.
An update on Gabapentin: This is day two without Gabapentin and I already feel more alert and sharp. I am very hopeful I would not experience nerve pain, now that it's over one week since my last distraction session.
I still have the feeling of numbness on the tibia area of my left leg; which started soon after my 14-day fast distraction plan started. I have a feeling it's getting better, but the progress is so little. I have not been able to figure out an exercise, etc. that can accelerate the process of resolving the numbness. It's not a big deal, but I would like to see it gone :)
My pain level in the last few days are 0-4 on the left leg and 0-3 on the right. I hope this will improve soon, to a level that I could completely quit Tramadol (these day on two half Tramadol pills).
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Day 90 Post-op (Tue., Oct. 20) - Consolidation Day 9
Day 91 Post-op (Wed., Oct. 21) - Consolidation Day 10
Painkillers: Overall for my surgery I must have taken 66 Gabapentin pills. I am confident I would not need to resume taking it. The good news is that I don't miss Gabapentin.
I must have taken around 135 50 mg Tramadol pills, so far during my surgery. I am still on Tramadol, but managed to further reduce the dose to half a pill per day on Tuesday. I took that around 8pm. I plan to continue the half a pill per day schedule for a few days, before quitting I am going to try to stop the half pill Tramadol tonight, considering today is the 10th day since the distraction phase. in the past during the post-op I have tried several times but always failed to quit Tramadol. Let's see if I can finally pull this off :D
Pain and discomfort are the worst between late afternoon and midnight. This has been the case for a while now. I try to stretch and take hot baths to mitigate the pain.
Stretching: I have continued those 16 sets of distraction phase exercises (that I had posted last week) also during the consolidation phase.
Question: Is there any suggestions on modifying the list of exercises, to fit them better for the consolidation/recovery time? I would appreciate any comments.
Weightless: Compared to before surgery I have lost about 6 to 8 pounds. This gets worse considering the 8cm extra soft tissue. I eat well, but have not bee able to gain weight to a level that better represents my height, i.e., a more reasonable BMI, as my BMI must be very low.
Gait Analysis: My walks don't look normal at all. I still walk like a robot or penguin. I believe my legs are too weak to help my walks look normal. I appreciate any suggestions on how to speed up strength and flexibility during the consolidation/recovery phase.
My legs are so stiff, still.
I don't think I have much pain any longer because my muscles are stretched. I feel like my pain originates from the bone gap area and propagates to joints, etc. I could however be totally wrong on this and the pain could be mostly due to soft tissue being under a lot of stress/stretch.
Please let me know if you have any questions for me.
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Hello SNC,
I do squats with no weights, bridges, side leg raises, and Clamshell Exercise to activate the glutes. These exercises will help to build glutes, quads, and hip abductors. I stretch several times a day doing thomas stretch, prone knee bend and hamstring. I use the stretching band to do the prone knee bend and hamstrings. I am also walking several miles a day and walk up and down the stairs :)
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Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope you all are doing well in such strange times with COVID-19 and all.
I am going to start this new topic to share my LL experience, hoping it would help some with their current and future experiences.
I am sharing all the info I can hoping it could help current and future brother and sister LL'ers get more data points while deciding on what is best for them to go for:
48 year old male, LA county resident, 5'8", very athletic with an extremely strong upper body.
My health status: perfect based on my feeling, activities and numbers. There are exceptions: my cholesterol (LDL) has been at 110 - above normal for a very long time, despite having low levels fat body even while working from home during COVID-19.
Activities:
European soccer, gymnastics and taekwondo since I was a kid till 2001. Switched to swimming in 2001.
In short I could describe myself as someone who is exceptionally competitive and looking forward to challenges and doing things very few can do. I have done many crazy stuff in my life which make me feel happy and content. In addition to the extra height boost, the challenges of LL have been the reasons for me to go for it!
I did research on height increasing options since 2001. I've been determined to do this since the precise nail technologies were developed. The main problems were money and time and both were finally cleared this year.
I chose Dr. Mahboubian after 20 years of research, also considering that he is local and more importantly my phone call and then meeting with him in December 2019.
He assured me that based on my health status I am an ideal candidate. I showed a couple stretches that are probably records among adults in terms of the difficulty level. I completely trust Dr. Mahboubian and 100% sure if something goes wrong he would be able to make the right decision and perform the steps carefully and precisely.
I Did BILATERAL FEMUR OSTEOPLASTY WITH STRYDE NAILS on Thursday, July 23, 2020, aiming for 8 cm.
I will post my diary, hopefully on a daily basis. So far the most important finding since the surgery is that the LL challenge looks impossible to deal with individually with no help. I quickly realized that it's a team work. In addition to the posts here, the help of many loved ones have been crucial, therefore if all goes well, it would be a mission accomplished by a group of people and I was just one of them.
I would like to thank all the LL'ers who have shared their experiences all these years. I am so thankful especially to my man, IFS whose posts have helped me so much since a week before the surgery when I started reading them.
Overall how much did the total experience cost you?
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Hello SNC,
I do squats with no weights, bridges, side leg raises, and Clamshell Exercise to activate the glutes. These exercises will help to build glutes, quads, and hip abductors. I stretch several times a day doing thomas stretch, prone knee bend and hamstring. I use the stretching band to do the prone knee bend and hamstrings. I am also walking several miles a day and walk up and down the stairs :)
Thanks man! this is great help. I make sure to add them to my list!
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Overall how much did the total experience cost you?
I am going to try my best to add everything here:
1) Hospital: $45k
2) Dr. Mahboubian's fee: $25k
3) Anesthesia doctor: about $2000
4) pre-surgery evaluation by a third party: about $500 (including some x-rays they took).
5) Pre-surgery x-ray in a center Dr. M., referred me to, because I was worried that I had a height discrepancy between left and right legs, with left being shorter. The cost was $170.
6) x-ray reading at the hospital: This is a bill I later received and found out had not been included in the $45K hospital fees: around $100
7) Cost of equipment (wheelchair, walker, crutches, massage roller and ball) : overall around $220
8 ) Cost of medicine (pain killers): $20+$50+$65+$20+$25+$30 = $210
9) Cost of vitamins/calcium: I already had them at home, but must be around $30 or so.
10) Cost of pain ointments and patches: $60
11) Cost of PT (physical therapy): $25 per session. So far 3 sessions, but overall I expect to go for a maximum of 20 sessions, therefore around $500.
12) Unfortunately I wasted a lot of water and most likely energy (for the water heater) for my multiple hot showers/bathtubs. I feel very bad about this part, but I depend on how water to manage my pain!
13) I live in LA area, so I did not need to rent a place. I also have not included the cost of food or transportation (as I drive myself).
Looks like the first 11 items add up for about 74000 dollars.
I hope this helps.
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I am going to try my best to add everything here:
1) Hospital: $45k
2) Dr. Mahboubian's fee: $25k
3) Anesthesia doctor: about $2000
4) pre-surgery evaluation by a third party: about $500 (including some x-rays they took).
5) Pre-surgery x-ray in a center Dr. M., referred me to, because I was worried that I had a height discrepancy between left and right legs, with left being shorter. The cost was $170.
6) x-ray reading at the hospital: This is a bill I later received and found out had not been included in the $45K hospital fees: around $100
7) Cost of equipment (wheelchair, walker, crutches, massage roller and ball) : overall around $220
8 ) Cost of medicine (pain killers): $20+$50+$65+$20+$25+$30 = $210
9) Cost of vitamins/calcium: I already had them at home, but must be around $30 or so.
10) Cost of pain ointments and patches: $60
11) Cost of PT (physical therapy): $25 per session. So far 3 sessions, but overall I expect to go for a maximum of 20 sessions, therefore around $500.
12) Unfortunately I wasted a lot of water and most likely energy (for the water heater) for my multiple hot showers/bathtubs. I feel very bad about this part, but I depend on how water to manage my pain!
13) I live in LA area, so I did not need to rent a place. I also have not included the cost of food or transportation (as I drive myself).
Looks like the first 11 items add up for about 74000 dollars.
I hope this helps.
This really helps! Need to compare Dr M between Dr Paley
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This really helps! Need to compare Dr M between Dr Paley
Glad this helped :)
Best wishes on your future endeavors.
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Day 92 Post-op (Thurs., Oct. 22) - Consolidation Day 11
Day 93 Post-op (Fri., Oct. 23) - Consolidation Day 12
Pain Levels: My left and right were mostly like day and night, in terms of pain level, post-op especially during the distraction phase; with left creating high levels of pain, and right no pain, as if no surgery or distraction were done. This has finally changed during consolidation. I experience almost the same level of pain equally on both. It ranges from 0 of 4, on a scale of 10 on both legs, with level 4 typically occurring late afternoon to midnight.
I noticed if I have long walks, like a mile or longer, the pain increases. The pain spot does not randomly move, like old times. Instead, it's typically at the bone gap, on upper knee areas or on the exterior side of my thighs. Considering that I have experienced pain levels like level 9 before during post-op, low levels of pain should help me feel much better than before, however there is a chance I may have developed some Tramadol and Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms:
Painkiller Withdrawal: I cut down Gabapentin and Tramadol gradually in about 9 days, from two Tramadol and two Gabapentin pills during the distraction phase, to one Tramadol and one Gabapentin, then two half Tramadol and no Gabapentin, then half Tramadol and finally complete withdrawal from Tramadol.
I have had some symptoms in the last few days that could be related to withdrawal from Tramadol and Gabapentin. Online sources (e.g., https://americanaddictioncenters.org/tramadol-abuse/withdrawal and https://americanaddictioncenters.org/neurontin-abuse/gabapentin-cause-withdrawal-symptoms) list anxiety, aggression, depression, insomnia, agitation, hallucinations, etc. as some of the withdrawal symptoms. I have definitely had sleeping disorders, with nightmares.
I think I may have developed some of those symptoms, such as agitation, depression, insomnia and anxiety:
I have never regretted going for this challenge, but in the last few days, there were times, I seriously thought about what I did, and whether it was worth it. I thought about the long term process of finally claiming the job is done, but on this case, it may take years (if not forever) to finally be done with the consequences of it. I still don't regret it, but there is chance Tramadol withdrawal made me almost regret it!
Also, there have been a few episodes, when I was thinking it would feel so good if my legs were cut from hip level; I don't think pain is the reason.
In any case, online resources suggest that the symptoms would be gone in a couple weeks.
Exercises: I stretch 3 to 5 times per day. Each time would be based on the list I have already posted here, plus a few more exercises that readyprecisestryde suggested here (bridges, clamshell, prone knee bend). I also do indoor cycling (very short like one minute only each time) and taking stairs to strengthen my legs.
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Do you regret it now, after the procedure and distraction completed? How many inches did you gained?
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Do you regret it now, after the procedure and distraction completed? How many inches did you gained?
I have not regretted it yet. I meant to say "almost", cause among the crazy things I think of, one was rethinking the surgery and all the hardship and questioning why among the challenges on my list I did not pick another challenge that I could take care of in a shorter time, like getting into skydiving and trying to master it.
I think the Tramadol and Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms are the reason for my negative thoughts. Especially having taken Tramadol for over two months, I am definitely addicted to it and I am not surprised if my body shows these symptoms now that I am trying to quit on Tramadol.
My goals were: 1) gain 8 inches, 2) go back to normal. I gained 8 inches. Items 2 would most likely take a very long time for me, if at all possible. E.g., I am not sure whether with taller legs I could ever swim as fast as before. I used to be a fast swimmer thanks for my long torso and strong upper body. I believe I can regain my upper body strength, but my tall legs may slow me down during swimming. I am looking forward to finding a safe indoor pool in my area and restart swimming to see how it goes.
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8 inchesss???? Thats crazy. !!!!
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8 inchesss???? Thats crazy. !!!!
I think he means 8cm
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I have not regretted it yet. I meant to say "almost", cause among the crazy things I think of, one was rethinking the surgery and all the hardship and questioning why among the challenges on my list I did not pick another challenge that I could take care of in a shorter time, like getting into skydiving and trying to master it.
I think the Tramadol and Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms are the reason for my negative thoughts. Especially having taken Tramadol for over two months, I am definitely addicted to it and I am not surprised if my body shows these symptoms now that I am trying to quit on Tramadol.
My goals were: 1) gain 8 cm, 2) go back to normal. I gained 8 cm. Items 2 would most likely take a very long time for me, if at all possible. E.g., I am not sure whether with taller legs I could ever swim as fast as before. I used to be a fast swimmer thanks for my long torso and strong upper body. I believe I can regain my upper body strength, but my tall legs may slow me down during swimming. I am looking forward to finding a safe indoor pool in my area and restart swimming to see how it goes.
Sorry for the typo. I meant 8cm.
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The List of my Stretching Exercises. Version 1:
I do each of the following several times in each stretching session:
...
The List of my Stretching Exercises. Version 2:
I do each of the following at least 3 times per day, since consolidation phase started:
1) My number one exercise looks similar to the one that starts around second 42: https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI
I try to grab my thighs with my hands on the sides and try to push further. As I got taller, unfortunately I have failed to reach my toes with my hands. I hope someday I can make it happen gain :)
2) The one that starts around second 1:25, in the same video for exercise 1: https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI
These days, since I cannot bend my knees that much, it looks like what the guy in the video does, but I would like to improve in bending one legs further during consolidation.
3) The one that starts around second 2:04 in the same video: https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI, however instead of towels, I use my hands to bring the leg up. Also when up, I try to tilt the leg as an extra exercise.
4) I think this exercise is similar to squats, but I do this on the bed. while sitting with my legs straightened at start, I bend my knees and try to sit up on my toes, using my hands on the floor as support. This is very difficult for me, cause of my stiff quads.
5) Thomas stretch:
https://youtu.be/MdDFndPNJWY
However I use my hands behind my thighs to push them further towards my chest.
6) while sitting on the bed, I make a diamond shape with legs (bent knees, toes touching). I push my chest towards my tibias, while my hands are on my toes.
7) I lie down on my back, with knees bent and legs far apart by as much as my shoulders. I then roll my legs to the right all the way to the floor and then repeat for the left side. This exercises makes me feel relaxed a bit, otherwise, it's not as important as others.
8 ) This is like a set of exercises:
8a) I do the one that starts around second 1:25 in https://youtu.be/BhQimqvU1tM
8b) I lie down on my side at the edge of the bed, with my back facing the side of the bed. I then take on leg slightly up and then moving back from bed and down towards the side wall of the bed. I do that for several times for each side.
8c) I like down on my back close to the edge of the bed, then move the leg that is closer to the edge down along the sidewall of the bed, while the other leg is on the bed, bent to support the move.
9) This is like a set of exercises. I would like to clarify that my list mostly focuses on the legs, but there are some moves that are generally helpful for the body to stay flexible.
9a) Cobra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa6zdmje-c4
9b) Cat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFBuCooCD6Y
But I also add the fellow's move around second 17: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-U04bm7NdM
9c) I had recommended this to Movie, for knee pain. I had learnt this from a PT a few years ago, and it helped me manage the knee pain I had at the time: I start with a plank like around second 38 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehy8G39d_PM.
I then move my body up and down for 40 to 60 times each time.
10) I sit with my legs bent towards my chest. I then use a stretch band to tie my knees together right at the upper knee parts. I then try to move the knees apart by as much as I can.
11) A set:
11a) I use a towel and do the exercise that starts around second 1.31 in the video of exercise 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0SNDBUr6VI&feature=youtu.be
11b) I wrap a towel around my ankle, and try to pull the towel towards myself (which makes my knee bend), while keeping the other leg straight. I do this several times for each leg.
12) I sit at the edge of a bed, chair, sofa, etc., with both legs on the ground, one bent and one straight. I then move my body forward. The more forward, the higher the pressure on hamstrings.
13) Standing next to the bed for support, I bend to touch the ground with my hands. This is my comfort zone, as it takes me a few second to warm up and easily touch the ground with both hands, or one hand, while trying to keep my knees straight using the bed sidewall as support.
14) I had lost my six-packs in the last couple years, but still had ab tones, and some horizontal lines that made it look athletic. One negative impact of this surgery was losing too much weight for me, out of which something good came out: I've got my six-packs back. The weight loss could partially be caused by the painkillers and the pain itself, but I have not read a reliable article about that. It's just what I have heard or red in blogs.
To maintain my six-packs I do a lot of quick short sit-ups. By short, I mean my sit-ups are like half way what a normal sit-up is. I barely get up from the floor, but my trick is that I do it many times (e.g., 200 times each round). While doing the fast sit-ups, I also move my face to the left and right, every ew sit-ups, to have the jawline and avoid getting double chins. I hope this helps those who would like to lose their love handles and abs' fat and create or maintain their jawline.
15) I have recently started doing this just once per day: I lie on my back and lift one leg up and down several times. I also do this while standing and using a chair or wall as support to life one leg towards back or sides. This is for butt guys like me (butt guy is an official name a BoneStretching gave us on Movie's diary for those guys like us with flat butts :D) to try to reclaim their butt muscles.
16) last but not least, walking, indoor cycling, and going uptrains and downstairs, are very helpful in stretching and strengthening leg muscles.
Thanks for readyprecisestryde, I have added the following to the list:
17) Clamshell exercises: I do the exercises that start around second 1:05, second 1:20, and 1:38 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9OYnSbBMeg
18) Prone knee bend: like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_XxtdyMaLk however since I am on my own, I do this with no help; which makes it not that great!
19) bridge: I do the first exercise in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9j_DU_4KXs
20) Side Straight Leg Raise: Like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELxVoey3-Q
Hope this helps!
Feel free to add more to this list or make changes, if you think necessary. If so, it would be nice to know your idea here.
@readyprecisestryde, thanks once again for helping me with exercises 17 to 20.
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I bought Tiger Tail The Long One 22" and been using before stretching or leg workouts. It is very helpful to warmup the muscles prior to workouts. Thanks for the recommendation!!
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Nice update with all the stretching exercises. I'll be trying some of them out.
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I bought Tiger Tail The Long One 22" and been using before stretching or leg workouts. It is very helpful to warmup the muscles prior to workouts. Thanks for the recommendation!!
Funny story! I ended up returning the 18" and got and 22", cause I thought I could do massage both legs in each roll :) I am glad you went straight to get the 22".
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Day 94 Post-op (Sat., Oct. 24) - Consolidation Day 13
Day 95 Post-op (Sun., Oct. 25) - Consolidation Day 14
Day 96 Post-op (Mon., Oct. 26) - Consolidation Day 15
The feeling of discomfort or any possible Tramadol withdrawal (https://www.verywellmind.com/tramadol-withdrawal-4177612), that I've experienced, typically occurs between late afternoon and midnight or later when I fall asleep.
Online sources note that Tramadol withdrawal symptoms typically last for a week. The last time I took Tramadol was last Tuesday, so I hope I would be symptom free in a couple days.
The numbness on the tibia area of my left leg (which started while I was on a fast distraction phase of 1.33mm per day) is not as bad as before, but not completely resolved!
The stiffness on both legs is a surprise to me! My expectation was that soft tissue would have grown sufficiently in two weeks since distraction phase was over; sufficient enough to not create any stiffness!
8cm bone consolidation is a slow process and I am losing my patience! I hope for a breakthrough to feel normal much earlier than a typical CLL recovery time!
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Hey SNC,
Did the Gabapentin take care of the numbing on your tibia when you were taking it? Also did you take1 pill for 5 days 2 for another 5 and 3 for the rest? I just got prescribed it, and I’ve been taking gabapentin in hopes it will help with my numbing tibia, so far I don’t feel much changed.
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Hey SNC,
Did the Gabapentin take care of the numbing on your tibia when you were taking it? Also did you take1 pill for 5 days 2 for another 5 and 3 for the rest? I just got prescribed it, and I’ve been taking gabapentin in hopes it will help with my numbing tibia, so far I don’t feel much changed.
Hi Amanexp,
Gabapentin did absolutely nothing as far as the numbing on the tibia area. I would probably never find out how effective Gabapentin was, cause I started it before I developed much nerve pain! however there is a high chance it was the reason I did not experience much nerve pain later on. The only noticeable symptom I got from Gabapentin was drowsiness and short term memory loss (like forgetting some meetings, or deadlines!!)
Dr. M. prescribed two 300mg Gabapentin pills from day 1. I kept taking two until after distraction, then I reduced it to one and finally withdrew from it completely, I think on Sat., Oct. 17, six days into the consolidation phase.
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Ahh that’s a bummer. This non stop numbing and static shocks every now and then gets so annoying!
I hope you are doing ok my friend
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I have minor nerve pain and numbness on my shin of my left leg. I have been using PainBloc24 Maximum Strength OTC Capsaicin 0.25% and it is helping my minor nerve pain/numbness.
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I have minor nerve pain and numbness on my shin of my left leg. I have been using PainBloc24 Maximum Strength OTC Capsaicin 0.25% and it is helping my minor nerve pain/numbness.
The numbness is tolerable and I am highly against taking painkillers! therefore I have decided to stay painkiller free for as long as I can.
The numbness on tibia should be the result of nerve damage right? I hope with PT'ing and walking and help of time, the nerve reverses the damage and goes back to normal.
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The numbness is the result of nerve irritation and it will take sometime for it to go away. I cleaned up my diet and taking vitamin B complex to help the nerves regenerate themselves. Nerves grow at rate of around 1mm a day.
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Day 83 Post-op (Tue., Oct. 13) - Consolidation Day 2
I was planning to run a distraction session when I meet Dr. M.; to show him exactly how the devices sounds and see whether he is sure that I have hit 8cm. Based on today's x-rays, Dr. M., measured my left at 8cm and my right at 7.8.
Right is 3mm taller than what we had planned for. Dr. M. said I had two options: 1) flipping the device and try to shorten by as much as 3mm, 2) keep as is, cause 3mm would not make much of a difference. He was more inclined towards option 2 and I also thought I should just leave things as they are.
I asked Dr. M., whether I should go for another x-ray I got before I started the surgery where they measure the hip level, etc. accurately. He said, there is no reason and he is confident on the accuracy of his measurements (80mm on left and 78mm on right).
He is impressed by how tall I have become and took pictures with me (for before/after comparisons), but also mentioned that I have not realized my full height, cause my knees are not completely straight and I should generally see improvement in my body, which make me stand taller as well.
I would like to post the last set of x-rays taken on Tues., Oct. 13, two days after I had stopped lengthening. Dr. M.'s comments are posted on the quoted message.
https://imgur.com/FiaNbTw
https://imgur.com/ZgLZfUn
https://imgur.com/6ijIHvq
https://imgur.com/MUtTuRn
Take care everyone,
SNC
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I would like to post the last set of x-rays taken on Tues., Oct. 13, two days after I had stopped lengthening. Dr. M.'s comments are posted on the quoted message.
https://imgur.com/FiaNbTw
https://imgur.com/ZgLZfUn
https://imgur.com/6ijIHvq
https://imgur.com/MUtTuRn
Take care everyone,
SNC
First of all congratulations for the achievement of your goal! Now you just have to wait for the bone callus.
As i suggested to m7 in the other diary the best way now should be to go for an XR standing, in this way you can know for sure what's the difference between your limbs. Femur lenght is not the main thing to pay attention about truly.
If you like you still have time to do it, just to be as much precise as possible. Obv dr. M knows what he's doing, for sure you're not crooked right now, but it's a way I suggest you if you want to be sure about it.
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First of all congratulations for the achievement of your goal! Now you just have to wait for the bone callus.
As i suggested to m7 in the other diary the best way now should be to go for an XR standing, in this way you can know for sure what's the difference between your limbs. Femur lenght is not the main thing to pay attention about truly.
If you like you still have time to do it, just to be as much precise as possible. Obv dr. M knows what he's doing, for sure you're not crooked right now, but it's a way I suggest you if you want to be sure about it.
I did that Tartar. I also posted all the numbers here. The results show that there is not much difference between left and right.
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This is what the clinic sent me. All I get from it is that the two legs were almost same height, but I don't understand anything more:
CLINICAL HISTORY: Reason: s/p lengthening procedure.
COMPARISON: No previous study available.
Findings:
RIGHT HIP:
Distance from center of femoral head to medial femoral condyle is:
50.2 cm
Distance from medial femoral condyle to center of tibial plafond is:
34.1 cm
Distance from center of femoral head to center of tibial plafond is:
84.3 cm
LEFT HIP:
Distance from center of femoral head to medial femoral condyle is:
50.2 cm
Distance from medial femoral condyle to center of tibial plafond is:
34 cm
Distance from center of femoral head to center of tibial plafond is:
84.2 cm
IMPRESSION: There is no significant leg length discrepancy in both
lower extremity.
This report electronically signed by Dr. X YYY M.D. on
10/10/2020 11:54 PM
Tartar bro,
This is the results of the accurate x-ray standing I had done and posted on 10th of October, two days before distraction phase was complete. It must be super accurate, cause I was told for the type of x-ray my doctor ordered, only a couple offices in LA area, among all the offices my insurance has, would be able to do that kind of x-ray.
My main concern at this point, is my lack of patience. I underestimated my recovery time. I was very optimistic I would be pain free in three months and back to normal in 6 months. It's past three months and I still have pain and discomfort starting late afternoon to midnight times. My gait does not yet look normal! I highly doubt I would be back to normal in 6 months!
Don't get me wrong; I am still grateful for what I have achieved so far, but I should learn to be a bit more patient with the slow recovery of the CLL surgery!
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yo SNC
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGsVMIFnL79/
this you?
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yo SNC
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGsVMIFnL79/
this you?
No :) I made an agreement with Dr. M. to not be listed in there :P I am quite surprised, seeing several old folks going for it! I am not the only crazy old weirdo :D
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Tartar bro,
This is the results of the accurate x-ray standing I had done and posted on 10th of October, two days before distraction phase was complete. It must be super accurate, cause I was told for the type of x-ray my doctor ordered, only a couple offices in LA area, among all the offices my insurance has, would be able to do that kind of x-ray.
My main concern at this point, is my lack of patience. I underestimated my recovery time. I was very optimistic I would be pain free in three months and back to normal in 6 months. It's past three months and I still have pain and discomfort starting late afternoon to midnight times. My gait does not yet look normal! I highly doubt I would be back to normal in 6 months!
Don't get me wrong; I am still very thankful for what I have achieved so far, but I should learn to be a bit more patient with the slow recovery of the CLL surgery!
Oh yes sorry I'm very forgetful, I've read them very well too cause I've done the same calculations by myself, your limbs are perfect.
For what concern pain and discomfort, that's very individual unfortunately, probably you are not very lucky about it.
If you are walking unaided it's already a great goal. Your callus on the left is great, on the right is fine, I'm sure you'll improve very much in these 2 months.
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Oh yes sorry I'm very forgetful, I've read them very well too cause I've done the same calculations by myself, your limbs are perfect.
For what concern pain and discomfort, that's very individual unfortunately, probably you are not very lucky about it.
If you are walking unaided it's already a great goal. Your callus on the left is great, on the right is fine, I'm sure you'll improve very much in these 2 months.
Thanks Tartar,
A side benefit of COVID-19 times for me was doing the surgery while working from home. However it's been very boring recently. If I could get out of the house and be with colleagues and friends most of the day, I think I would not have this much of discomfort, but staying at home is a challenge for me!
I am probably complaining too much! I should be happy my pain is not as bad (it's 0~3 on a scale of 10 on both legs).
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Very good callous formation! you should be headed to a speedy and nice consolidation in no time Haha I also saw him 2 days in distraction, similar Callous if I remember correctly.
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Very good callous formation! you should be headed to a speedy and nice consolidation in no time Haha I also saw him 2 days in distraction, similar Callous if I remember correctly.
It's great to hear this from you, Movie! Thanks Man!
Any updates on your nail removal surgery? Who knows I may follow your path :D
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you're very welcome SNC.
Yes actually, just today on another thread "nail removal in greece" somebody brought up Dohong Lee in South Korea, I emailed them yesterday and they just got back to me saying their price is 6.6K with 4 nights 5 days all inclusive Bilateral Femur removal, and seeing how Lee has been around longer than Giotikas I'm very inclined to just go to South Korea ASAP, since Greece doesn't have open boarders as of now, but South Korea does. I emailed back on how I can proceed so who knows, hoping to get it done around this time next month if it all comes together, that's how desperate I am to get these foreign objects out of my body lol!
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you're very welcome SNC.
Yes actually, just today on another thread "nail removal in greece" somebody brought up Dohong Lee in South Korea, I emailed them yesterday and they just got back to me saying their price is 6.6K with 4 nights 5 days all inclusive Bilateral Femur removal, and seeing how Lee has been around longer than Giotikas I'm very inclined to just go to South Korea ASAP, since Greece doesn't have open boarders as of now, but South Korea does. I emailed back on how I can proceed so who knows, hoping to get it done around this time next month if it all comes together, that's how desperate I am to get these foreign objects out of my body lol!
Adding the airfare, the cost is still is 1/3rd of that with Dr. M., right? That's a bargain assuming Dr. Lee would do a good job. I'd definitely consider it.
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you're very welcome SNC.
Yes actually, just today on another thread "nail removal in greece" somebody brought up Dohong Lee in South Korea, I emailed them yesterday and they just got back to me saying their price is 6.6K with 4 nights 5 days all inclusive Bilateral Femur removal, and seeing how Lee has been around longer than Giotikas I'm very inclined to just go to South Korea ASAP, since Greece doesn't have open boarders as of now, but South Korea does. I emailed back on how I can proceed so who knows, hoping to get it done around this time next month if it all comes together, that's how desperate I am to get these foreign objects out of my body lol!
SK seems like a good choice, though right now there's a 14 day quarantine requirement entering from the US I believe. @Movie - did you ask why a 5 night inpatient stay is necessary for rod removal? Do they have post-op physical therapy at the hospital, need to observe you, or something else?
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@SNC: Exactly! and Lee has actually been around the forum with diaries ETC before Giotikas and Debiparshad, he has more years of experience. I would even dare to say If it costs the same amount, I'd still choose Lee over Giotikas.
@BelowTheMean: Yes I'm aware of that fact now but that's no problem for me I'd have a little vacay explore South Korea for a week, have the surgery, have a couple days of rest, then go back. No I didn't ask why they had so many hospital stay days.
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Day 97 Post-op (Tue., Oct. 27) - Consolidation Day 16
Day 98 Post-op (Wed., Oct. 28) - Consolidation Day 17
Day 99 Post-op (Thurs., Oct. 29) - Consolidation Day 18
Day 100 Post-op (Fri., Oct. 30) - Consolidation Day 19
Day 101 Post-op (Sat., Oct. 31) - Consolidation Day 20
Day 102 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 1) - Consolidation Day 21
First I would like to note that the reason I list all the days in bold, is to make it easier to search for any updates for a certain day. E.g., if you search for Day 87, or Aug. 19, it would hopefully list the link(s) to the updates for the corresponding day.
Pain Management: I have zero pain since early morning (say 2am or so) till late afternoon, around 5pm or so. Pain then starts to rise to a maximum of 3. The peak typically happens sometime between 10pm and midnight. My way of handling the pain is to stretch, take stairs up and down and do indoor cycling. I also watch something on my laptop or TV to distraction myself. The pain spot is not random any longer! It's typically somewhere close to the bone gap. I would also like to add that sometimes I have this feeling of discomfort, even if I don't feel any pain. My guess is that the healing bone creates that feeling for me!
The feeling of numbness on left tibia (which started while I was on a fast distraction mode of 1.33mm per day, as advised by Dr. M; to avoid premature consolidation as I experienced extreme growth) gradually gets better, but not completely resolved.
I have managed to stay painkiller free since Tue., Oct 10; which is a big success to me; cause I had tried quitting on Tramadol multiple times, but the pain I experienced on my left leg, during the distraction phase, forced me to resume on Tramadol.
I was also able to reduce the number hot showers/bathtubs from 4 or more per day during the distraction phase, to a maximum of one per day. I also welcome this, cause I did not feel comfortable wasting that much of water and electric/gas energy for my numerous hot showers/bathtubs!
Exercises: I have continued to stretch at least three times per day. My list of stretching exercises already appears in my diary. Please search for "Version 1" or "Version 2" to find them. I do short sessions of indoor cycling, taking stairs up and down, and also walking on the lawn in a nearby park [to minimize impact on my knees] for at least a mile per day; in addition to walking in the house to run errands, etc.
I guess recovery/bone consolidation for 8cm distraction, would take around 2 or 3 months. That means I would probably have 40 to 70 more days before I feel close to normal! any comments to improve my exercises or the estimate on recovery time, etc., would be appreciated!
Gait and Flexibility: Both have improved since the last day of distraction. However my expectation was to achieve much higher flexibility, and have normal gait by now. Unfortunately none has yet worked. My glutes have definitely gotten better doing the daily exercises, but my legs are generally not strong enough to help me with normal walks. I think my straight knee is perfect by now, but knee bending is far from perfect. My upper thighs (quads) are too stiff to let me me have perfect bending of 180 degrees. My guess is that my right is at about 150~160 and my left at 140~150 degree range.
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The List of my Stretching Exercises. Version 2:
The List of my Stretching Exercises. Version 2.1:
I do each of the following at least 3 times per day, since the consolidation/recovery phase:
1) My number one exercise looks similar to the one that starts around second 42:
https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI
I try to grab my thighs with my hands on the sides and try to push further. As I got taller, unfortunately I have failed to reach my toes with my hands. I hope someday I can make it happen gain :)
Update: I can finally touch my toes with my hands!!
2) The one that starts around second 1:25, in the same video for exercise 1:
https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI
These days, since I cannot bend my knees that much, it looks like what the guy in the video does, but I would like to improve in bending one legs further during consolidation.
3) The one that starts around second 2:04 in the same video:
https://youtu.be/T0SNDBUr6VI
However instead of towels, I use my hands to bring the leg up. Also when up, I try to tilt the leg as an extra exercise.
4) I think this exercise is similar to squats, but I do this on the bed. while sitting with my legs straightened at start, I bend my knees and try to sit up on my toes, using my hands on the floor as support. This is very difficult for me, cause of my stiff quads.
5) Thomas stretch:
https://youtu.be/MdDFndPNJWY
However I use my hands behind my thighs to push them further towards my chest.
6) While sitting on the bed, I make a diamond shape with legs (bent knees, toes touching). I push my chest towards my tibias, while my hands are on my toes.
Update: Now my toes a lot closer to my body, as I can bend my knees a lot more than the distraction times.
7) I lie down on my back, with knees bent and legs far apart by as much as my shoulders. I then roll my legs to the right all the way to the floor and then repeat for the left side. This exercises makes me feel relaxed a bit, otherwise, it's not as important as others.
8 ) This is like a set of exercises:
8a) I do the one that starts around second 1:25 in:
https://youtu.be/BhQimqvU1tM
8b) I lie down on my side at the edge of the bed, with my back facing the side of the bed. I then take on leg slightly up and then moving back from bed and down towards the side wall of the bed. I do that for several times for each side.
8c) I lie down on my back close to the edge of the bed, then move the leg that is closer to the edge down along the sidewall of the bed, while the other leg is on the bed, bent to support the move.
9) This is like a set of exercises.
I would like to clarify that my list mostly focuses on the legs, but there are some moves that are generally helpful for the body to stay flexible.
9a) Cobra:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa6zdmje-c4
9b) Cat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFBuCooCD6Y
But I also add this fellow's move around second 17 :D :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-U04bm7NdM
9c) I had recommended this to Movie, for knee pain. I had learnt this from a PT a few years ago, and it helped me manage the knee pain I had at the time: I start with a plank like around second 38 in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehy8G39d_PM.
I then move my body up and down for 40 to 60 times each time.
10) I sit with my legs bent towards my chest. I then use a stretch band to tie my knees together right at the upper knee parts. I then try to move the knees apart by as much as I can.
11) A set:
11a) I use a towel and do the exercise that starts around second 1.31 in the video of exercise 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0SNDBUr6VI&feature=youtu.be
11b) I wrap a towel around my ankle, and try to pull the towel towards myself (which makes my knee bend), while keeping the other leg straight. I do this several times for each leg.
12) I sit at the edge of a bed, chair, sofa, etc., with both legs on the ground, one bent and one straight. I then move my body forward. The more forward, the higher the pressure on hamstrings.
13) Standing next to the bed for support, I bend to touch the ground with my hands. This is my comfort zone, as it takes me a few second to warm up and easily touch the ground with both hands, or one hand, while trying to keep my knees straight using the bed sidewall as support.
14) I had lost my six-packs in the last couple years, but still had ab tones, and some horizontal lines that made it look athletic. One negative impact of this surgery was losing too much weight for me, out of which something good came out: I've got my six-packs back. The weight loss could partially be caused by the painkillers and the pain itself, but I have not read a reliable article about that. It's just what I have heard or red in blogs.
To maintain my six-packs I do a lot of quick short sit-ups. By short, I mean my sit-ups are like half way what a normal sit-up is. I barely get up from the floor, but my trick is that I do it many times (e.g., 200 times each round). While doing the fast sit-ups, I also move my face to the left and right, every ew sit-ups, to have the jawline and avoid getting double chins. I hope this helps those who would like to lose their love handles and abs' fat and create or maintain their jawline.
15) I have recently started doing this just once per day: I lie on my back and lift one leg up and down several times. I also do this while standing and using a chair or wall as support to life one leg towards back or sides. This is for butt guys like me (butt guy is an official name BoneStretching gave us on Movie's diary for those guys like us with flat butts :D) to try to reclaim their butt muscles.
Update: My butt muscles are a lot stronger now :D the muscle loss of at least 1cm I had is gradually compensated. However not yet back to normal, as I can feel the lower butt muscles are not as strong as before surgery:P
16) last but not least, walking, indoor cycling, and going uptrains and downstairs, are very helpful in stretching and strengthening leg muscles.
Update: In addition to walking in the house or outside to run errands, etc., I make sure to walk in a nearby park on the lawn [to minimize knee impact]. I stop every few minutes and try to do something like exercise 13. That has helped a lot with my back strength.
17) Clamshell exercises: I do the exercises that start around second 1:05, second 1:20, and 1:38 in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9OYnSbBMeg
Update: 17.1: I like the recommendation in this video to internally rotate tibia while externally rotating the hip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdSGcYjWcV4
18) Prone knee bend: like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_XxtdyMaLk
However since I am on my own, I do this with no help; which makes it not that great!
19) bridge: I do the first exercise in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9j_DU_4KXs
20) Side Straight Leg Raise: Like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELxVoey3-Q
Hope this helps! Feel free to add more to this list or make changes, if you think necessary. If so, it would be nice to know your idea here.
Acknowledgement: @readyprecisestryde, thanks once again for helping me with exercises 17 to 20. @ Movie and @IFS, thanks for the motivation and support. You helped the LL community here a lot, and that inspired me to write my own diary.
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Day 103 Post-op (Mon., Nov. 2) - Consolidation Day 22
Day 104 Post-op (Tue., Nov. 3) - Consolidation Day 23
Day 105 Post-op (Wed., Nov. 4) - Consolidation Day 24
Day 106 Post-op (Thurs., Nov. 5) - Consolidation Day 25
Day 107 Post-op (Fri., Nov. 6) - Consolidation Day 26
Day 108 Post-op (Sat., Nov. 7) - Consolidation Day 27 *
* I list all days, cause it would make it easier to search for a certain day. E.g., if you type Consolidation Day 13, hopefully you would easily find the corresponding updates. However it seems like I don't have much daily updates. Weekly updates seem more reasonable during my recovery phase.
Gait:
My walking looks much more normal, especially morning to late afternoon, when I don't have any discomfort.
I am at a state that I can make my walks look close to normal, even at times when I have discomfort; but for short walks. I mean I have gained enough strength to pull it off and show an almost normal walk! However for most of the evening to late night times, I end up walking a bit wobbly cause of discomfort in the bone gap area. E.g., yesterday when I was at a small grocery after like 6 months, they guy there remembered me from old times, asked me what was going on and if I was okay! so I had to tell them that I had done a leg surgery.
I was able to start driving I think in week 3 post-op, however my goal is to be back to normal in terms of my swimming, walks, taking stairs, and cycling. by Day 180.
I can take stairs up and down unassisted and I make progress on that on a daily basis. However my left is stronger. I can also do in-door cycling, but for stair climbing and cycling I need to develop more strength and for walks I need to show better gait. I have no doubt I can swim normally as fast as before by Day 180.
I was never a runner, but I'll try to run and make sure I can do a normal run by Day 180. My quest for complete recovery to "Normal" has begun and I am overall happy with my progress.
Pain:
I don't have discomfort typically starting 3am or so (if I am awake) and till late afternoon. However starting 4pm or so and all the way to midnight for as long as I am awake, I feel uncomfortable at times. I think a better term for the feeling is "discomfort" (not exactly pain) in the bone gap area. At times that area on each leg feels like a rock! it is a feeling that you would get after a tense soccer or basketball game, or if you do a serious hiking! I have the same feeling almost equally on both legs. My left leg has started to show more strength than my right during the consolidation phase. This is despite the fact that since Day 1 all the way to last day of distraction phase, my left leg was the one with pain and my right with almost zero levels of pain!
My goal is to post a video by the end of Nov to visually show the community my progress! I just need to ask a friend to take the video and be careful on privacy matters.
CLL'ers, I hope you all are doing well! let me know if you have any questions for me! and one last thing: I am happy the high election participation in the US broke a 120 year record!! I wish peace and happiness for the US and the whole world!
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Hey All!
I would like to open a new discussion topic here about any height shrink possibility post-op.
I was just at a clinic so they could measure my height accurately. I am measured at 179.7 mid-day around 3pm. Pre-surgery I was at least at 173.5 in the morning and 172.5 mid-day. That means I should be at 180.5 mid-day, given the 8cm distraction.
Of course any discrepancy could be due to wrong height measurements. Also the 8cm distraction is measured using the x-rays. There is a chance the actual height increase may not be exactly 8cm.
Another reason I could think of is the slightly bent knees post-op.
Another could be weaker abs that may not allow you to stand straight as you used to, pre-surgery.
One more reason could be the considerable weight loss some of us experience; which may result in height loss as well. I am however not sure, cause there are online articles, etc. that argue weight loss would make people taller, while some resources claim that it would result in height loss, e.g., because of foot heel fat loss!
I should say that my height was even lower post distraction phase. E.g., I remember right after the last day of distraction, I was definitely shorter than 179 mid-day. This means whatever the reason is, things are getting better; but I still have a gap of about 0.8~1 cm to fill in. It's not a big deal, but I am just curious.
Any comments would be appreciated.
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Dr Giotikas said that femur is not totally straight, so you may "lose" 1 mm per 1 cm gained. I wanted to do 5 cm lenghtening, and he said that would be 4.5-4.7 in height
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By the way, how tall do you thing you were right after disctraction? Now I'm scared to go trought all of it to be like only 2 cm after I finish lenghetining lol
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Dr Giotikas said that femur is not totally straight, so you may "lose" 1 mm per 1 cm gained. I wanted to do 5 cm lenghtening, and he said that would be 4.5-4.7 in height
You are right. I forgot to consider that; X cm of distraction would not result in X cm of height increase, cause femur is not totally straight.
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By the way, how tall do you thing you were right after disctraction? Now I'm scared to go trought all of it to be like only 2 cm after I finish lenghetining lol
Right after the distraction was over, I think I was definitely shorter than 179.7. But I don't remember exactly how much shorter. I think it was something between 178.5 and 179 cm.
In any case I have definitely gotten taller during consolidation, most likely because my bent knee problem has gradually been resolved. Stretching must have helped.
It could also be that other the knee area, the body can generally not be as straight as it could be right after distraction; and as we go into consolidation and recovery our body posture improves and we can stand straight more comfortably.
I hope I am correct and posture really improves during consolidation; which also implies stretching can help.
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Hey All!
I would like to open a new discussion topic here about any height shrink possibility post-op.
I was just at a clinic so they could measure my height accurately. I am measured at 179.7 mid-day around 3pm. Pre-surgery I was at least at 173.5 in the morning and 172.5 mid-day. That means I should be at 180.5 mid-day, given the 8cm distraction.
Of course any discrepancy could be due to wrong height measurements. Also the 8cm distraction is measured using the x-rays. There is a chance the actual height increase may not be exactly 8cm.
Another reason I could think of is the slightly bent knees post-op.
Another could be weaker abs that may not allow you to stand straight as you used to, pre-surgery.
One more reason could be the considerable weight loss some of us experience; which may result in height loss as well. I am however not sure, cause there are online articles, etc. that argue weight loss would make people taller, while some resources claim that it would result in height loss, e.g., because of foot heel fat loss!
I should say that my height was even lower post distraction phase. E.g., I remember right after the last day of distraction, I was definitely shorter than 179 mid-day. This means whatever the reason is, things are getting better; but I still have a gap of about 0.8~1 cm to fill in. It's not a big deal, but I am just curious.
Any comments would be appreciated.
I would like to add one more fact. Right after surgery I am pretty sure I was shorter than pre-op. I think it was because I had a hard time standing straight. I remember when I was in the distraction by about 0.5cm (5mm), instead of gaining height, I was actually still shorter than my pre-op by about 5mm. This means I must have gotten shorter post-op by about about 1cm [I hope temporarily due to the bent knees, and other negative aspects of the CLL surgery which makes your posture to not be as optimal as it used to be before the surgery].
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wow I will try to strech by back as well since the beginning¡
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wow I will try to strech by back as well since the beginning¡
Certainly. Stretching is going to be very helpful to make your life during distraction a lot easier. Also as we discussed here, it may help with limiting the temporary loss of height post-op.
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Hey All!
I would like to open a new discussion topic here about any height shrink possibility post-op.
I was just at a clinic so they could measure my height accurately. I am measured at 179.7 mid-day around 3pm. Pre-surgery I was at least at 173.5 in the morning and 172.5 mid-day. That means I should be at 180.5 mid-day, given the 8cm distraction.
Of course any discrepancy could be due to wrong height measurements. Also the 8cm distraction is measured using the x-rays. There is a chance the actual height increase may not be exactly 8cm.
Another reason I could think of is the slightly bent knees post-op.
Another could be weaker abs that may not allow you to stand straight as you used to, pre-surgery.
One more reason could be the considerable weight loss some of us experience; which may result in height loss as well. I am however not sure, cause there are online articles, etc. that argue weight loss would make people taller, while some resources claim that it would result in height loss, e.g., because of foot heel fat loss!
I should say that my height was even lower post distraction phase. E.g., I remember right after the last day of distraction, I was definitely shorter than 179 mid-day. This means whatever the reason is, things are getting better; but I still have a gap of about 0.8~1 cm to fill in. It's not a big deal, but I am just curious.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Hey Giotikas2021, I would like to make a suggestion that you may later find very helpful. I did this for myself, but unfortunately not very accurately. The goal of it is to 1) have a much better estimate of the practical height gain from your surgery, 2) find out whether your right and left legs have a height discrepancy:
Pre-surgery: Right before the surgery, find an accurate height measurement setup, like those in the clinics. Do the following three measurements:
a) Normal height measurement with both of your feet on the floor.
b) Stand on your right foot, while using your left foot for support. You may move your left foot toes anywhere just to create a good support to be able to stand as tall as possible on your right foot.
c) Repeat for the left foot.
Post-surgery, especially after distraction is over. Also you may repeat this on different days post-op and note down the numbers:
Repeat measurements (a), (b) and (c) above.
If you do the measurements correctly your height while standing on each foot would be higher than when standing on both feet. Also if your right and left measure as equal, it's good. That means you don't have a right vs left height discrepancy.
My pre-surgery numbers: Unfortunately I do not have the accurate numbers pre-surgery, but a rough estimate (early morning time pre-surgery) was: (a) normal height on both feet: 173 cm, (b) on right: 175 cm, and (c) on left: 174 cm.
The reason my right is taller, is that I had a height discrepancy with my right tibia about 8mm taller and right femur 5mm taller. Therefore overall my right leg was 1.3cm taller!!
I knew this from an accurate x-ray based measurement right before my surgery.
I tried to fix the femur height difference aiming for distraction on right femur by 7.5cm and on left by 8cm. When I was done with the distraction phase, Dr. M. measured my right distraction as 7.8cm (3mm longer than what I had aimed for) and left at 8cm. This means my right leg is still about 1cm taller than my left leg, mostly cause of the tibia difference.
My post-surgery numbers: As an example, a few days ago I measured my three numbers (early morning time) roughly as (a) 180 cm, (b) 182 cm (c) 181 cm.
This means compared to pre-surgery I have grown by 7cm so far. There is a chance I can be a bit taller, when the bent knee problem, and other posture issues do to surgery impact get resolved, but as your doctor also noted, femur is not straight, therefore there is a chance a full 8cm femur growth, made me taller by as high as 7cm only.
I thought I should share this with you and others who have not yet done the surgery, so hopefully you guys achieve two goals: 1) You would find out if you have any height mismatch between right and left and then arrange with your doctor to do distraction on right and left accordingly. 2) You would know the practical height gain from your surgery.
I hope this helps.
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lol, it´s true im 175.5cm rigth leg only, 174.5 cm left leg only and 174cm both legs, i didn´t try that haha.
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lol, it´s true im 175.5cm rigth leg only, 174.5 cm left leg only and 174cm both legs, i didn´t try that haha.
Great you tried :)
I tried it whole my life, cause I knew my left leg was shorter. I told Dr. M. about it on the first visit. He referred me to a Radiology center where they do very accurate measurement; so right before surgery I knew my left femur was shorter than right by 5mm. For the tibia (left shorter by 8mm) there is nothing I can do, cause I don't plan to do tibia surgery. This also means my femur adjustment brought the height discrepancy from 5 (femur) + 8 (tibia) mm = 1.3 cm down to about 1 cm now, cause I grew left femur by 8cm and right femur by 7.8cm.
One question is how would a height discrepancy of say 1cm to 1.3cm affect walking, knees, etc.? Based on my personal experience, no one could tell the difference cause it was tiny, but I felt like my shorter leg (left) was mostly under pressure while walking, so there is a chance the left knee gets more pressured than the right.
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Sorry i can´t answer that properly but i think if you only have tibias discrepancy it can be easily corrected with shoes inserts to level the knees. Sorry my english mate.
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Sorry i can´t answer that properly but i think if you only have tibias discrepancy it can be easily corrected with shoes inserts to level the knees. Sorry my english mate.
Thanks a lot Bushguy! This is a great reminder! I will talk to Dr. M. about it.
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;)
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Hey man, thanks for the advice¡ I will try the one leg measure, but I do know my "normal" height, as I measure myself all the time, always at night. My normal low is like 172.6, which is not bad at all. However, if I'm really tired (like after running for 1 hour) I go down to 171.5. My goal with this surgery is to be confortably over 175 (like 176). With worse posture right after the op I hope not to be less than 1.71, so 5.5 cm should be able to achieve my goal and guarantee good recovery. I do am afraid to go trought all of this to be only like 174 lol
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Hey man, thanks for the advice¡ I will try the one leg measure, but I do know my "normal" height, as I measure myself all the time, always at night. My normal low is like 172.6, which is not bad at all. However, if I'm really tired (like after running for 1 hour) I go down to 171.5. My goal with this surgery is to be confortably over 175 (like 176). With worse posture right after the op I hope not to be less than 1.71, so 5.5 cm should be able to achieve my goal and guarantee good recovery. I do am afraid to go trought all of this to be only like 174 lol
Hey Giotikas2021, You are welcome! Looking forward to seeing your successful surgery and updates.
By the way, I think Dr. Giotikas does stryde, right? why not doing stryde on femurs and getting 8cm, like in my case? Your original height is similar to mine. You would be going through the hassles and the pain; why not aiming for 180 cm, like in my case?
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Yeah, I'm doing STRYDE femurs, but I dont want to do too much. I understand is a risk anyway, but I want to do everything I can to guarantee decent athletic recovery. Sport is really important for me... Anyway, I don't really want to be tall, I am more than happy overcoming the 175 mark. My idea is to do 5 or 5,5 and I hope not to get crippled¡
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Yeah, I'm doing STRYDE femurs, but I dont want to do too much. I understand is a risk anyway, but I want to do everything I can to guarantee decent athletic recovery. Sport is really important for me... Anyway, I don't really want to be tall, I am more than happy overcoming the 175 mark. My idea is to do 5 or 5,5 and I hope not to get crippled¡
I have not done much research on which one, the tibia or the femur lengthening is less invasive for a professional athlete. It would be nice to know if there is a study that gathered some statistics on the chance of full recovery for athletes on femur and also tibia. If you find out tibia is less invasive and less painful, you may then do tibia and get 5 to 5.5 on your tibia. I am just loudly thinking. Pardon me if what I say is not reasonable!
As for my personal experience doing femurs, I believe the chance of full recovery to pre-surgery state is low; but possible.
I think I have a good shot at it, considering my background in sports. My goal is to recover fully by Day 180. The definition of full recovery for me includes: 1) almost perfect gait; such that no one can tell I have any sort of leg problem, 2) being able to swim at least as fast as before the surgery. I know I could swim 25 yards in less than 16 seconds fairly easily, pre-surgery. I have to beat that if I wanna show that I have fully recovered. 3) run with a decent speed, making sure no one would find my running weird by any measures. If I meet all the 3 criteria, 4) take stairs up and down as quickly and comfortably as before.
I will let you and the CLL community know. I will try my best to video tape my results if my results are satisfying.
If I can do it, then you have one more example of a success story to consider :P
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According to my research, femur recovery is better and I should have a decent chance doing only 5 cm, as I'm also really fit. Of course I know I will lose some ahtleticism, but I agree with you: if I can run decently and walk with no issues, it's worth it for me¡ I'm sure you will make it man, thanks for your advices¡
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Day 109 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 8 ) - Consolidation Day 28
Day 110 Post-op (Mon., Nov. 9) - Consolidation Day 29
Day 111 Post-op (Tue., Nov. 10) - Consolidation Day 30
Day 112 Post-op (Wed., Nov. 11) - Consolidation Day 31
Day 113 Post-op (Thurs., Nov. 12) - Consolidation Day 32
Day 114 Post-op (Fri., Nov. 13) - Consolidation Day 33
Day 115 Post-op (Sat., Nov. 14) - Consolidation Day 34
Day 116 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 15) - Consolidation Day 35 *
* Weekly updates make more sense (than daily updates) during consolidation. I still list all the days; just in case someone would like to search for a certain day. E.g., searching for "112" would hopefully point at the post with the updates related to Day 112.
Updates:
Exercises: I have continued to do the stretching exercises I had posted here. Typically 3 sessions per day with each session taking about 20 minutes. I also do a couple short indoor cycling sessions per day. In addition to walking here and there at home to do my work and run errands, I make sure to walk 1.5 miles daily in a park nearby. I am sure I can walk for much longer distances, but I get bored walking in the park doing nothing :P
Gait and Flexibility:
Walks: I have experienced major improvement since distraction stopped and that has continued in the last week. My wait is getting close to normal. There is a high chance for most of my walks, others may not notice anything abnormal. I also walk a lot faster and my speed is back to normal (speed pre-surgery). I used to walk fast pre-surgery; much faster than typical; now I am back at it!
Running: I cannot yet run, but I can kinda do a marathon looking run.
Stairs: Going downstairs has been fairly manageable for weeks now, but climbing upstairs unassisted was not easy for my right leg. That is resolved. I can now climb upstairs with right leg having sufficient strength so I can make it look normal. I am still slow. I have to build up more strength and I know it's gonna happen soon.
Flexibility: I think I can now keep my legs very straight without any knee bending issues, while standing tall.
As for bending legs, I see major improvement: I can now bend my right knee all the way to 170 degrees or so. It's very close to my right foot touching my butt. My left is still lagging behind and I think I can bend my left to 160 degrees or so. My quads get a bit sore. At times they feel like rocks, and they are the major barrier for not getting the full 180 degrees bending yet. I hope this will happen in a week or two.
I suffered from flat butt post-op. However, my gluteus muscles (butt muscles) grew fairly quickly post distraction. My butt does not look normal like pre-op normal, but definitely not flat either! By Day 180, I hope to have developed stronger gluteus muscles (than before the surgery) cause of the regular stretching and walking I do every day.
As I said before my goal is to be back to pre-surgery status by Day 180. Swimming is a major part of it. I hope to try swimming for the first time next week and see where I am!
Pain: I have been painkiller free since Oct 20th (Day 90 Post-op, also Consolidation Day 9). I still experience discomfort, but the times has shifted from late afternoon to late evening, i.e., starting around 7~8pm or so and continues till post-midnight. I don't describe it as pain, but a feeling of discomfort. If I were to number the discomfort based on comparison to pain out of a max level 10, I would say the discomfort at night times ranges between 1 and 3 on each leg, almost equally; almost, cause I feel numb in the left tibia (minor, not too bad).
Numbness: I have overall had 19 fast distraction days with 1.33mm daily distractions: 5 days at the beginning and 14 more later on following Dr. M.'s plan to avoid any premature consolidation, after he found out I had extreme callus growth!
As a result I may be one of the fastest (if not exactly the fastest) CLL'ers to achieve 8cm [My record of 8cm is 72 days!!]. That however must have come with some side effects, e.g., I experienced more pain during the fast distraction days. Also the numbness on my left tibia could be the result of fast distraction. Unfortunately the numbness is not yet resolved. Dr. M. told me that it would resolve over time. I hope it will!
Night Sleeps: My night sleeps have improved quickly post distraction phase. Overall I sleep more than 8 hours per day, but I still wake up one to three times during the 8 hours, not because of pain, but just randomly or to go to restroom!
Please let me know if I missed on any updates!
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Hello SNC,
I have numbness on my left shin and minor nerve pain. Dr. Robbins told me it can take weeks/months to improve. Hope the numbness goes away for both of us soon.
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Hello SNC,
I have numbness on my left shin and minor nerve pain. Dr. Robbins told me it can take weeks/months to improve. Hope the numbness goes away for both of us soon.
Thanks very much rpc ! It's about two months since the numbness started and almost 36 days into recovery/consolidation. I'll be patient :) Meanwhile I am trying to figure out if we could do any stretching that may accelerate recovery from numbness. I have not yet figured out which area hamstrings, quads, etc. may need more improvement, and hence stretching may help with the numbness. Please let me know if you find out.
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Do you mind sharing your quad and calve size? pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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Do you mind sharing your quad and calve size? pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Certainly. I'll post it asap. Just letting you know I am very thin for my height even before the surgery (very athletic body with almost no fat; not bulky at all, though). The small numbers would therefore most likely surprise you :D
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Do you mind sharing your quad and calve size? pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Here are the numbers:
Left calf: 33.4cm Right: 33.2cm
Left quad: 47.5cm Right: 46.4cm
I hope I measured them correctly. If you have a specific way of measuring in mind, let me know and I'll double check!
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Thanks for replying mate. I appreciate it. I have quad size smaller than yours. Do you think the lengthening would be less painful and easier for me?
Quads - 40cm
Calf - 33cm
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Thanks for replying mate. I appreciate it. I have quad size smaller than yours. Do you think the lengthening would be less painful and easier for me?
Quads - 40cm
Calf - 33cm
I have no idea Jackieeechan. I hope others jump in and help here, especially if they know of real cases or if they know of any research related to size and pain.
I should however remind you that even if size would impact pain, there are probably other more important factors that determine the pain level. I could mention, your tolerance to pain (I am a crazy guy for dangerous stuff, but surprisingly my pain tolerance is low), your nerve sensitivity (my nerves are super sensitive, e.g., if the dentists uses one short of anesthesia for a typical patient, they have to use three shorts for me), your flexibility (this saved me; I tend to believe I am one of the most flexible CLL'ers in the whole globe!!), your upper body strength (mine is very strong for my weight), stryde vs other procedures (I am not sure, but overall stryde may be less painful - please ask others but I highly recommend stryde), and whether you would be okay taking painkillers (I tried to quit on them several times, cause I don't wanna depend on them, but I realized I could not survive the post-op without them; until I was finally able to quit during the recovery phase). There is a good chance pain level depends on which doctor you'd go for.
Overall I should tell you you would most likely end up experiencing a lot of pain. You should therefore have a good motivation for doing the CLL.
SNC,
P.S. I am a big fan of Jackie Chan. I know a lot of Chinese who do not like him, but I love this guy for his innovations in martial arts and his acting skills.
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I am stretching several times a days and also started stretching my calves. The stretching hasn't helped with reducing the my numbness around my shin. Walking does help to relieve some of the minor nerve pain that I have been experiencing.
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I am stretching several times a days and also started stretching my calves. The stretching hasn't helped with reducing the my numbness around my shin. Walking does help to relieve some of the minor nerve pain that I have been experiencing.
My numbness is on the front (Tibia Shin) not the calf. Is yours mostly on the back (calf) side?
While bending knees, left aches more than right when I put pressure towards 180 degrees. My right has always been more flexible since distraction times. There is a slight chance if my left leg improves to be as good as right in bending, numbness may start to disappear. If that is a correct hypothesis, then I should work on my quads.
@readyprecsestryde (rpc) Do you have a similar situation? i.e., when you bend your legs, does the leg with numbness aches more when you go extreme?
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My numbness is on part of the shin only and very small amount of the calf(not much on the calf). I don’t feel much pain from it, just annoyance. Bending my knees does not bother or help it.
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My numbness is on part of the shin only and very small amount of the calf(not much on the calf). I don’t feel much pain from it, just annoyance. Bending my knees does not bother or help it.
I don't have pain either. For most of the day, I can't even feel it, unless I touch the shin area skin. I mean while bending legs do you feel discomfort (not related to numbness) or can you bend your legs like 180 degrees?
I can't. My left goes to about 160 degrees and right to 170. I am just hoping by the time I can bend my legs completely at 180 degrees, somehow the numbness disappears.
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Physical therapist measured my knees last week and my knees were bending 135 degrees. I am tight but not a lot of discomfort.
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Physical therapist measured my knees last week and my knees were bending 135 degrees. I am tight but not a lot of discomfort.
I hope we both get to 180 soon.
I remember my numbness started during the fast distraction days. That may imply the nerve got lengthened too much and created numbness. Therefore it may not really have anything to do with the callus or muscles. Therefore stretching or walking may not directly help, but my indirectly stimulate nerve repair. Sorry once gain that I am loudly thinking!
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I have no idea Jackieeechan. I hope others jump in and help here, especially if they know of real cases or if they know of any research related to size and pain.
I should however remind you that even if size would impact pain, there are probably other more important factors that determine the pain level. I could mention, your tolerance to pain (I am a crazy guy for dangerous stuff, but surprisingly my pain tolerance is low), your nerve sensitivity (my nerves are super sensitive, e.g., if the dentists uses one short of anesthesia for a typical patient, they have to use three shorts for me), your flexibility (this saved me; I tend to believe I am one of the most flexible CLL'ers in the whole globe!!), your upper body strength (mine is very strong for my weight), stryde vs other procedures (I am not sure, but overall stryde may be less painful - please ask others but I highly recommend stryde), and whether you would be okay taking painkillers (I tried to quit on them several times, cause I don't wanna depend on them, but I realized I could not survive the post-op without them; until I was finally able to quit during the recovery phase). There is a good chance pain level depends on which doctor you'd go for.
Overall I should tell you you would most likely end up experiencing a lot of pain. You should therefore have a good motivation for doing the CLL.
SNC,
P.S. I am a big fan of Jackie Chan. I know a lot of Chinese who do not like him, but I love this guy for his innovations in martial arts and his acting skills.
Asking this cause, I want to gain some mass overall. I am at 50 kg which is less at my height. I am planning to this surgery after 2 or 3 year, when i graduate from university.
I also love Jackie Chan, that's why I chose this name. And its also easy to pronounce.
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Day 109 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 8 ) - Consolidation Day 28
...
Day 116 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 15) - Consolidation Day 35 *
* Weekly updates make more sense (than daily updates) during consolidation. I still list all the days; just in case someone would like to search for a certain day. E.g., searching for "112" would hopefully point at the post with the updates related to Day 112.
Day 117 Post-op (Mon., Nov. 16) - Consolidation Day 36
Day 118 Post-op (Tue., Nov. 17) - Consolidation Day 37
Day 119 Post-op (Wed., Nov. 18) - Consolidation Day 38
Day 120 Post-op (Thurs., Nov. 19) - Consolidation Day 39
Day 121 Post-op (Fri., Nov. 20) - Consolidation Day 40
Day 122 Post-op (Sat., Nov. 21) - Consolidation Day 41
Day 123 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 22) - Consolidation Day 42
Updates:
Exercises: I have continued to do the stretching exercises I posted in my dairy. The latest version is version 2.1 on page 12. I do a typical 3 session per day workout with each session taking about 20 minutes. I also do a couple short indoor cycling sessions per day. I have stopped cycling in the last two days to see whether the slight pain in the screws' area on left leg (upper thigh/butt area) is due to cycling or the walks. In addition to walking here and there at home to do my work and run errands, I make sure to walk 1.5 miles (increased it 2, then 2.5 and now 3 miles per day) daily in a park nearby. I am sure I can walk for much longer distances, Doing 3 miles, I feel I should not push for longer distances. I therefore plan to keep the daily walks in the park limited to 3 miles per day.
I see improvement in my gait, and daily activities, such as stair climbing, in terms of strength and flexibility. For example I have been able to sit on a bed, sofa, chair etc. without using hands as support. I have recently been able to stand from a sitting position without using my hands if the height of the sitting area is fairly high. if the height is low, I need momentum by moving my body forward and sometimes using my hands on my knees to be able to stand.
The only exception is the numbness feeling on left tibia; which has not gotten better.
I am still hopeful I meet my own goal of getting back to normal (pre-surgery) on every terms by Day 180.
CLL'ers, please feel free to let me know what your definition of normal is and I try my best to see whether I can meet them by Day 180.
By the way, the reason I chose Day 180 as my deadline is that Dr. M. had told me that one of his patients could be back to normal (as if no surgery were done on him) in 6 months. Of course longer legs may define a new normal on some aspects, but I think there is this feeling you would have that you would think, I feel totally normal. I don't have it yet. It's actually far from it. I wanna see if I can feel normal by Day 180 and I know my best way to get there would be with PTs, exercises and workouts.
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Good job strydenailchallonge
thank you for this diary
i wud define normal as being able to do everything a normal person can do without pain even sports just poor strength, and like you dont even feel like you did surgery to legs ever or even did LL. i wud say this probably takes 15 months+
if going by the LL doctor's definition of normal, it's probably just 90%+ gait but pain/numbness is still there and everything. 6 month is normal as in u can walk and go to work but not normal normal as if LL never happened if you know what i mean
now for my cliche answer/for fun: i think the true normal is 3 years later when you don't even think about height anymore and this surgery isn't even a thought in your head anymore, it's just a phase that passed, history... and you don't come back to this forum
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Good job strydenailchallonge
thank you for this diary
i wud define normal as being able to do everything a normal person can do without pain even sports just poor strength, and like you dont even feel like you did surgery to legs ever or even did LL. i wud say this probably takes 15 months+
if going by the LL doctor's definition of normal, it's probably just 90%+ gait but pain/numbness is still there and everything. 6 month is normal as in u can walk and go to work but not normal normal as if LL never happened if you know what i mean
now for my cliche answer/for fun: i think the true normal is 3 years later when you don't even think about height anymore and this surgery isn't even a thought in your head anymore, it's just a phase that passed, history... and you don't come back to this forum
Hey ghkid2019, Happy to see you here! It's been a while and I was wondering when you'd be back! A sad reality of this forum is that any of us would stop at some point posting and if others are used to them, they would wonder what happened, miss them ...
I believe your definition of normal is correct and there is a very high chance that the record holder patient of Dr. M. who was back to normal in 6 months, was not following that definition. The chance that I would feel normal by Day 180 is probably as bad a 75 year old psycho, showing some signs of logic and empathy on his birthday :D but I try to fix my walking, gait, running, stair climbing, swimming, etc. by Day 180. I hope I can make it, but even that does not look that great :D I'll try to post a video by the end of the week so you guys judge for yourself how my gait looks these days.
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Day 109 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 8 ) - Consolidation Day 28
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Day 116 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 15) - Consolidation Day 35 *
Flexibility: I think I can now keep my legs very straight without any knee bending issues, while standing tall.
As for bending legs, I see major improvement: I can now bend my right knee all the way to 170 degrees or so. It's very close to my right foot touching my butt. My left is still lagging behind and I think I can bend my left to 160 degrees or so. My quads get a bit sore. At times they feel like rocks, and they are the major barrier for not getting the full 180 degrees bending yet. I hope this will happen in a week or two.
I don't have pain either. For most of the day, I can't even feel it, unless I touch the shin area skin. I mean while bending legs do you feel discomfort (not related to numbness) or can you bend your legs like 180 degrees?
I can't. My left goes to about 160 degrees and right to 170. I am just hoping by the time I can bend my legs completely at 180 degrees, somehow the numbness disappears.
Hello All,
I have an update based on a PT visit I had yesterday. Those who followed my journey know that I mostly did self-PT'ing.
Yesterday I went for my third PT center visit, since the surgery. The few visits have been very helpful in terms of evaluation, getting some new exercises and also getting some accurate measurements. I found out yesterday that I had listed some wrong numbers on knee bending; I'd like to apologize for the mistake and also post the right numbers.
I know that a straightened leg would be translated to 0 degree, as the extended line of femur would be aligned with the tibia.
However what I misunderstood was that while bending knees, the maximum level, i.e., foot heel touching butt would not mean 180 degrees. Assuming that wrongly as 180, I had guessed my numbers as 170 and 160 for my right and left legs, which are incorrect.
I would imagine doing 180 degrees knee bending would not look normal! cause for that to happen, tibia has to further get aligned with femur, beyond the heel touching butt.
The correct numbers for my right and left knee bending degrees are (measured by the PT as) 140 and 133, respectively.
I asked the PT what would be the maximum level in degrees. He did not give me a number; perhaps because it's subjective and may depend on the size of the thighs, etc.
I will soon update my list of exercises to Version 3 (most updated so far is version 2.1 on page 12 of my diary) with some new exercises I learned from the yesterday visit.
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I finally read through your entire diary SNC ... Inspiring, man! Your diary will be a great help to the future CLL'ers to come. I look forward to following the rest of your journey.
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I finally read through your entire diary SNC ... Inspiring, man! Your diary will be a great help to the future CLL'ers to come. I look forward to following the rest of your journey.
Thanks IFS for reading my diary. I am glad you found it helpful. The credit mainly goes to you, cause as I said before, I read the first few weeks of your diary right before the surgery and that helped me a lot in planning for the surgery; and I decided to write this diary as a way of returning the favor.
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Note: I think weekly updates make more sense (than daily updates) during consolidation. I still list all the days; just in case someone would like to search for a certain day. E.g., searching for "112" would hopefully help better with pointing at the post with the updates related to Day 112.
Day 124 Post-op (Mon., Nov. 23) - Consolidation Day 43
Day 125 Post-op (Tue., Nov. 24) - Consolidation Day 44
Day 126 Post-op (Wed., Nov. 25) - Consolidation Day 45
Day 127 Post-op (Thurs., Nov. 26) - Consolidation Day 46
Day 128 Post-op (Fri., Nov. 28) - Consolidation Day 47
Day 129 Post-op (Sat., Nov. 28) - Consolidation Day 48
Day 130 Post-op (Sun., Nov. 29) - Consolidation Day 49
Day 131 Post-op (Mon., Nov. 30) - Consolidation Day 50
Exercises: I have continued to do the stretching exercises I posted in my dairy (three times per day). I'll soon post the updated list of exercises (will call it Version 3. Version 2.1 is the latest so far that appears on page 12 of my diary).
Just a summary of dates: I started distraction on Day 10 post-op. I was done with 8cm distraction in 72 days; most likely a record, thanks to 19 days of 1.33 mm distraction days (5 days from Day 10 to Day 14 and 14 days from Day 48 to Day 61). Finishing the distraction phase early, had its pros and cons; i.e., it made my Day 48 to Day 61 more painful, but also allowed me to have more recovery days since post-op.
Updates:
I have continued to see improvement in my gait, and daily activities, in terms of strength and flexibility. For example I can now put on and take off my socks and pants while standing on one leg unassisted, and switching between legs. I know for a normal person it's not a big deal, but for me, this was not easy even a week ago.
Like last week I continued to walk 3 miles per day in a nearby park in addition to walks in the house or outside to run errands. My phone shows that my walks overall range between 4 to 6 miles per day, with the avg. standing at 5 miles per day.
I still suffer from the numbness on my left tibia. Those who followed my diary know that I am in the quest to be back to normal by Day 180. I have less than 50 days now. I know it's very unlikely I would feel normal by Day 180, but at least I could try making daily activities like running, etc. look normal.
Another update: I had lost a lot of leg muscle post-op, but now my calves look normal to me. My weight is around 140 pounds which is almost the same as pre-surgery. However since I am almost 8cm taller, I expect to gradually go towards 150, as I get my gluteus (butt) muscles back and gain more callus.
I had a video of my walk/gait taken (on Sunday the 29th) as promised to some guys here. I was not at my best, cause I almost fell off a side pedestrian curb, and hurt my left [hip area, close to where the nails are]; not major, but one may see an impact on how I walked on that Sunday. I did the video anyway, cause I was not sure when would be next time to have a friend available to take a video. I'll post it as soon as possible.
This evening, on Monday the 30th, I feel almost recovered, with no pain on the nails spot.
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What's your armspan??
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Nice update SNC, I'm glad your gait is improving I remember I still had a small limp to my gait around this time in your journey, I'd say a week or two more of practicing your gait in front of a mirror would fix the walking funny issue. Yikes out of all places the hip /: lol you'll be fine and get back on track soon bro! I don't know about the jogging normal at 6 months mark though, but best of luck! ;D my jogging is still waddley but I can definitely jog for a couple miles at a very respectable pace now .. I think it's the nails making it look or move unnatural.
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Nice update SNC, I'm glad your gait is improving I remember I still had a small limp to my gait around this time in your journey, I'd say a week or two more of practicing your gait in front of a mirror would fix the walking funny issue. Yikes out of all places the hip /: lol you'll be fine and get back on track soon bro! I don't know about the jogging normal at 6 months mark though, but best of luck! ;D my jogging is still waddley but I can definitely jog for a couple miles at a very respectable pace now .. I think it's the nails making it look or move unnatural.
Thanks Movie,
I had asked a couple times what Dr. M. thought the fastest time to recovery could be. He always mentioned this patient of his who could be back to normal in 6 months. I never asked exactly what normal meant. I just assumed whatever it was, for a crazy person like me, I have to beat that! Dr. M. keeps telling me it's not a race or competition, but for me, the whole life is about making records. It makes me feel good when I do something exceptional. I don't get devastated when I lose, but I will try my best to be the best.
For this CLL challenge, I have put almost all my attention and energy and I wanna see if I could convince Dr. M. that I recovered better than that patient. I also understand the notion of fastest in recovering from the CLL surgery may be subjective. In fact, Movie (you) could be the best of all CLL'ers overall, but Dr. M. mentions this other patient and I wanna win that game :P
I know you and others may laugh at my silly stuff! I know what I say may sound very stupid :D In any case I am very happy so far with everything. I can't believe this COVID thing with all its nastiness and tragedies it brought, let me go for this CLL challenge much more easily.
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What's your armspan??
I measured my height and wingspan today at 1pm. My height is sharp at 180cm and my wingspan a surprise 175cm. I thought last time when I measured (back in mid July 2020, a week before my surgery), it was 177, but perhaps I had measured it incorrectly. In the video I'll post, you might be able to tell that my arms are rather short for my height, but I hope not :P
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Thanks Movie,
I had asked a couple times what Dr. M. thought the fastest time to recovery could be. He always mentioned this patient of his who could be back to normal in 6 months. I never asked exactly what normal meant. I just assumed whatever it was, for a crazy person like me, I have to beat that! Dr. M. keeps telling me it's not a race or competition, but for me, the whole life is about making records. I makes me feel good when I do something exceptional. I don't get devastated when I lose, but I will try my best to be the best. For this CLL challenge, I have almost put all my attention and energy and I wanna see if I could convince Dr. M. that I recovered better than that patient. I know you and others may laugh at me! I know what I say may sound stupid :D
No I totally understand, I'm not laughing at you lol! I think all of us are very ambitious and competitive by nature, hence probably why we were able to afford such cosmetic surgery, go through with it, and come out okay... the keyword here is "Normal" as it's very subjective, specially since you didn't ask what he meant by normal lol because I felt normal at around 4.5-5 months post op, nobody would be able to suspect I had done CLL or any surgery for that matter really.. I could walk with a nice normal gait for miles, stand up sit down good, go up stairs no issues etc, but! Could I have jogged a mile or two? probably not, or maybe not definitely not "normal" to my standards, So maybe next time you see him ask him what he means by normal, I'd like to know too ;p ask if he's talking about "Movie" in the forums, he knows who I am hahaha ;)
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Hi snc, did you feel the pain so much different while walking compared to standing ?
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Day 9 (Friday, July 31) - 0.33 taller
.....
After the shower I got ready and we went to the doctor. Doctor M. was happy with my healing and said I am doing great. He knows my personality, so he said I have some tough competition. Apparently a patient from Hawaii was able to back to normal at month 6, and in one year did the Ironman Triathlon. Also he said he had a military personnel who was very tough and determined and a 16 year old who recovered very well.
He wanted me to be careful to not break the nails just because I wanted to break the record of recovery 😊
....
Hi Movie, I am quoting this from my Day 9 as a reminder on who Dr. M. referred to as the fastest in recovery. I wanna beat you and this guy and anyone else in this CLL game, haha.
But as you said, all of us, CLL'ers should be very proud for what we did. We came out not only taller, but more importantly wiser, stronger and more patient in hardships.
IFS said the same thing so nicely. I am just quoting him from page 31 of his diary:
"... I'm not only 3 inches taller as a result of CLL; but I am also a much smarter, stronger, and grateful person, having gotten through this journey..."
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Hi Movie, I am quoting this from my Day 9 as a reminder on who Dr. M. referred to as the fastest in recovery. I wanna beat you and this guy and anyone else in this CLL game, haha.
But as you said, all of us, CLL'ers should be very proud for what we did. We came out not only taller, but more importantly wiser, stronger and more patient in hardships.
IFS said the same thing so nicely. I am just quoting him from page 31 of his diary:
"... I'm not only 3 inches taller as a result of CLL; but I am also a much smarter, stronger, and grateful person, having gotten through this journey..."
Future CLL'ers and those who are following this forum. I would like to put a reminder in BOLD here that matters a lot to me. I don't want anyone to be motivated or encouraged to go for this surgery because of my diary.
My goal in writing this is NOT to encourage people. This diary is only for those who did their research and finally decided to go for the highly risky CLL surgery, NOT for those who have not done the surgery and by reading this get motivated and tell themselves, I wanna do this too!!
I say this, because I hate for someone to follow our footsteps and then find out he/she has to deal with all the problems, complications, etc. that may be attached to CLL.
I would like to compare the CLL to climbing Mount Everest. Both need a lot of preparation, planning, equipment, good team, etc. You don't wanna go for them, just because someone else wrote some nice words about the experience! CLL is no fun game! I look at it as one of the most challenging experience I have ever done. I have mentioned in my diary before about my view of climbing Mount Everest. I am a very good hiker and I believe I can do very tough hikes, but my body cannot handle low temperatures. I therefore know climbing Mount Everest means death for me. I had done my research and I am sure of that. I would therefore never go for that experience, even if the whole world encourages me to do so.
Please do your research and think very carefully about the CLL process before going for it.
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Hi snc, did you feel the pain so much different while walking compared to standing ?
Hi Tartar,
I never had pain standing, as far as I remember. In fact in early post-op days, I remember I used to stand just because pain would diminish (as compared to sitting or lying positions).
However walking is different. During the recovery phase I experience some discomfort and pain in the evening times. I also have always had this unnatural feeling on my legs, I guess cause of the combination of nails and the bone gap. When I walk I that feeling of unnatural aggravates.
I hope that feeling would be over by month 6, but it seems a lot of CLL'ers believe here that it's impossible. Some tell me to expect a year or 1.5 years to feel normal.
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......I try to fix my walking, gait, running, stair climbing, swimming, etc. by Day 180. I hope I can make it, but even that does not look that great :D I'll try to post a video by the end of the week so you guys judge for yourself how my gait looks these days.
This is the video I had promised to some of you (in two parts, cause imgur does not allow videos of more than a minute).
It's my first time posting a video, and on imgur. I am not sure if I am doing something wrong, but makes the video frame so small! let me know if there is a better way:
https://imgur.com/xW8mUgI
https://imgur.com/rxRD7W7
A few notes about this video:
1) It was taken on the 29th. On the 28th I almost fell off of a pedestrian curb side, and injured my hip [left leg, close to where nails are]. I therefore am not at my best gait.
2) For privacy reasons the clothes don't belong to me, haha! the shoes were too tight, so I could not really put them on properly :P also pants are short; and very tight which may give the impression of parenthesis legs a bit, but my legs are fairly straight, most likely better than an average person.
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This the video (in two parts, cause imgur does not allow videos of more than a minute).
It's my first time posting a video on imgur. I am not sure if I am doing something wrong, but makes the video frame so small!
https://imgur.com/xW8mUgI
https://imgur.com/rxRD7W7
A few notes about this video:
It was taken on the 29th. On the 28th I almost fell from a pedestrian curb side, and injured my hip [left leg, close to where nails are]. I therefore am not at my best gait.
For privacy reasons the clothes don't belong to me, haha! the shoes were too tight, so I could not really wear them properly :P also pants are short; and very tight which may give the impression of parenthesis legs a bit, but my legs are fairly straight, most likely better than an average person.
Looks pretty clean to me, especially from the distance filmed. (Then again I'm still walking like a penguin so I may not be the best judge.)
Good solution on the clothing. I plan to only record myself in only one outfit, which no one has seen me wear IRL before, and I will dispose of it after my last video :P
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Looks good , no hip swaying anymore it just looks a bit " mechanical" but that will correct itself in no time!, nice little jogging in place there too, agility and strength coming back. 8)
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Looks pretty clean to me, especially from the distance filmed. (Then again I'm still walking like a penguin so I may not be the best judge.)
Good solution on the clothing. I plan to only record myself in only one outfit, which no one has seen me wear IRL before, and I will dispose of it after my last video :P
Thanks BTM. I take you as a good judge, based on your posts.
I donated a lot of stuff this year (going for minimalism :p) including a lot of clothes :P Yours is a nice plan. I choose a set of clothes that I have never tried before and keep recording with those and then donate them :)
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Looks good , no hip swaying anymore it just looks a bit " mechanical" but that will correct itself in no time!, nice little jogging in place there too, agility and strength coming back. 8)
Thanks Movie,
You are correct. It indeed looks mechanical. To be honest with you, I did not know what "gait" means and its importance before the surgery. All I cared was to walk the fastest and that minimized my leg lifting and arm moving! I am the fastest I have ever seen walking, I am serious. I could easily beat a 2 meter guy walking as fast as he wanted to :D My family, and friends or colleagues who got close to me, made fun of my walks, cause they were extremely fast, but looked like a fast cartoon character or robot moving marathon speed, with its shoulders going down and up cause of the fast speed :D
Now that I have learnt how the right gait should look like, I know my new normal on gait would look better than before (cause of my terrible gait before). I'll keep practicing.
I was watching a clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger today, praising Muhammad Ali and it was just a great reminder for pushing it to move the limits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDvvx0FGAck
I started my today's walk in the park, feeling a bit of discomfort in both quads. First I thought I would take it easy and not go for a typical 3 miles. Then I thought following what Muhammad Ali did, I should go for even more, so I went for 4.2 miles! I think I am at a point that I can walk for long walks, but doing it when I feel discomfort, pushed my limits a bit. My watch also shows that my altitude was 214 feet today; instead of a typical below 100 feet.
Of course we should push it, only if we are confident our body can handle it.
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4 1/2 months in and you're walking that pace already? Whaa?
That's really good. 2 years ago when precice was what we had , at 4 1/2 months people still be bedridden or walker. Haha. They do what u doing at like the 8th month mark
If you want to go hard on the weightbearing, I'm a fan. I'm the biggest simp for weightbearing on stryde on this forum. But, I will recommend a thread by programdude who overdid his recovery and broke his femur in half. It's regarding stress fractures which are subtle but deadly.
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=2984.0
It ok to go hard on the weight bearing and walking. Just listen to your body. And don't go hard to the point you hurt significantly. Pain mean something wrong
Yes the walk looks mechanical and not normal yet but the pace is reassuring. Gait will probably be fixed with mindful walking for the months ahead. May not be normal by 6 months in terms of sports, that's for sure, but normal as in gait and walking? Definitely can see you do it considering the fact you survived for weeks of 1.33mm lengthening which I haven't read a diary yet of rapid extension for that much of a time block ever
Good job
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4 1/2 months in and you're walking that pace already? Whaa?
That's really good. 2 years ago when precice was what we had , at 4 1/2 months people still be bedridden or walker. Haha. They do what u doing at like the 8th month mark
If you want to go hard on the weightbearing, I'm a fan. I'm the biggest simp for weightbearing on stryde on this forum. But, I will recommend a thread by programdude who overdid his recovery and broke his femur in half. It's regarding stress fractures which are subtle but deadly.
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=2984.0
It ok to go hard on the weight bearing and walking. Just listen to your body. And don't go hard to the point you hurt significantly. Pain mean something wrong
Yes the walk looks mechanical and not normal yet but the pace is reassuring. Gait will probably be fixed with mindful walking for the months ahead. May not be normal by 6 months in terms of sports, that's for sure, but normal as in gait and walking? Definitely can see you do it considering the fact you survived for weeks of 1.33mm lengthening which I haven't read a diary yet of rapid extension for that much of a time block ever
Good job
Thanks ghkid2019.
It seems programdude did Precise. If so, have you seen anyone reporting similar fracture/femur break complications on Stryde?
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good work bubba.
Dr M and Dr D have a very high opinion in my heart now. This is the picture of LL which will make thousands do this procedure and make it mainstream.
'grats on the outcome n enjoy the new height!
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good work bubba.
Dr M and Dr D have a very high opinion in my heart now. This is the picture of LL which will make thousands do this procedure and make it mainstream.
'grats on the outcome n enjoy the new height!
Thanks lvb, I hope all the readers of this forum do their own research, make a well-informed decision and do what is best for them. My goal here has been to help those who have already decided to go for CLL and then use my diary to hopefully better plan it and deal with issues while at it.
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Looking good SNC for only 4.5 months since your surgery :)
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Looking good SNC for only 4.5 months since your surgery :)
Thanks rpc.
I also hope you are doing well.
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Note: I think weekly updates make more sense (than daily updates) during consolidation. I still list all the days; just in case someone would like to search for a certain day. E.g., searching for "112" would hopefully help better with pointing at the post with the updates related to Day 112.
Day 124 Post-op (Mon., Nov. 23) ....
Day 131 ...
Day 132 Post-op (Tue., Dec. 1) - Consolidation Day 51
Day 133 Post-op (Wed., Dec. 2) - Consolidation Day 52
Day 134 Post-op (Thurs., Dec. 3) - Consolidation Day 53
Day 135 Post-op (Fri., Dec. 4) - Consolidation Day 54
Day 136 Post-op (Sat., Dec. 5) - Consolidation Day 55
During the these last few days, I have enjoyed my best improvement in terms of recovery speed and the feeling of normal (as if no surgery were done).
Pain: It's been a long time I did not experience any pain related to the surgery, with one exception: the numbness on left tibia; but I am very hopeful the numbness will disappear very soon.
The type of pain I experience is very minor and happens when when I walk for miles, e.g., say 4+ miles. I would say I would get the same level of pian, even before surgery if I walked for miles. It's typically a pain in quads, and sometimes on the sides, where the nails are. By the time I go to bed, any pain or discomfort is over and when I wake up in the morning I feel fresh as new! Also things get better on a daily basis now in terms of my strength.
Night Sleeps: Thanks to the working from home situation during COVID-19, since week two of the recovery phase, my sleeps have been even better than pre-surgery! I sleep for at least 7 hours!
Walking: My average daily walks are above 5 miles. My longest walk with no breaks in between was on Day 136 (Sat. Dec. 5) for 5 miles and it took a bit shorter than two hours. I also tried to go as fast as I could this last Friday and I tried to set a record. I will try to break that record this coming week and I will post my numbers here to see if anyone can beat me on that :P Please stay tuned :D
Jogging: I tried jogging a few weeks ago for short distances, but with permission from Dr. M., I have increased the speed and duration.
My goal was to be back to normal (as if I had not done the CLL) by Day 180, and I myself was dubious whether I could really feel normal in every aspect by Day 180. However the progress I made during the last few days made me very hopeful. I now see a good chance I would achieve my goal even earlier than Day 180!! I am almost at 4.5 months post-op now, and I already feel normal in almost every aspects except for walking, jogging/running; and also swimming that I have not yet tried.
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Hey SNC, glad to hear that you're doing better and better every week. Whenever I have tight legs right after waking up, I think about some arbitrary point in the future when this won't be the case. Reading your journal gives me a glimpse into the future and inspires me. I can't wait to wake up feeling refreshed instead of waking up with tight legs and needing to exercise, stretch, and take pills just to feel normal.
It's crazy to think that you're "only" 116 days ahead of me in the process. With where I am right now I can't imagine being in your position in under four months. On the other hand, with how fast the last 20 days have passed for me, I might be where you current are in just a flash of time. My current goal for the 6 month mark is not to return to 100% normal. At that point I just want to have a walking gait that is good enough that no one will suspect anything. However, if my recovery turns out anywhere as good as yours I might have to set a harder goal! Any timed walks or runs that you post on here I'll definitely be looking at as a benchmark when I reach that point, so hopefully that gives you some extra motivation heh.
Oh, I do have one question: How is your gait toward the end of your long walks? Does it regress or get sloppy when your legs get tired, or do you think at this point you can walk well subconsciously and don't even have to think about gait at all? Thanks!
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Hey SNC, glad to hear that you're doing better and better every week. Whenever I have tight legs right after waking up, I think about some arbitrary point in the future when this won't be the case. Reading your journal gives me a glimpse into the future and inspires me. I can't wait to wake up feeling refreshed instead of waking up with tight legs and needing to exercise, stretch, and take pills just to feel normal.
It's crazy to think that you're "only" 116 days ahead of me in the process. With where I am right now I can't imagine being in your position in under four months. On the other hand, with how fast the last 20 days have passed for me, I might be where you current are in just a flash of time. My current goal for the 6 month mark is not to return to 100% normal. At that point I just want to have a walking gait that is good enough that no one will suspect anything. However, if my recovery turns out anywhere as good as yours I might have to set a harder goal! Any timed walks or runs that you post on here I'll definitely be looking at as a benchmark when I reach that point, so hopefully that gives you some extra motivation heh.
Hi BTM, I had a noticeable improvement a couple weeks into recovery, i.e., a couple of weeks after the last day of distraction. I kept seeing improvements, but the last few days during the month 4.5 mark time have been dramatic. At month 4.5 my gait looks normal for most of the day. It's not like old times, when family members or friends would comment on how to make it better. Now most of the comments are that I am back at normal. I also walk very fast. I know the video I had posted does not show that. As Movie and ghkid2019 commented, it looks mechanical, but it was mainly due to an injury (almost fell off a curb) I had a day before the video was taken. Also the shoes were small and very uncomfortable, as I had to flatten the back and my heels were not supported. I recovered from that injury the following day and I've seen dramatic improvements on a daily basis.
I know feel like 4.5 month mark time is the magic time for Stryde patients; this is based on what Movie said and my own experience.
I am hopeful you also experience the type of progress I experienced soon after the distraction phase. Hang in there, brother.
Feel free to reach out to me whenever you think I can help you with something.
Oh, I do have one question: How is your gait toward the end of your long walks? Does it regress or get sloppy when your legs get tired, or do you think at this point you can walk well subconsciously and don't even have to think about gait at all? Thanks!
If you had asked me this question last week, I would have had a different answer. I think last week, but the end of mile 4 or so, I would start walking mechanical and robotic.
Today (Sunday Dec. 7 - Day 137 - Consolidation 56) I have walked for 7.1 8.2 miles already and I plan to bring it close to 8 9+ miles to set a record for myself.
A snapshot of my today's Activity is at: https://imgur.com/G1BNZvs
However, towards the end of 7.1 mile walk, I personally found my shoulders and butt looking very natural (checking on phone video).
Thanks to the exponential improvements I've had during the last few days, I feel so strong during walking, that I think I am pretty close to my pre-surgery conditions. I would therefore need to walk for much longer distances than 8 miles for my gait to look mechanical.
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Day 132 Post-op (Tue., Dec. 1) - Consolidation Day 51
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Day 136 Post-op (Sat., Dec. 5) - Consolidation Day 55
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Walking: My average daily walks are above 5 miles. My longest walk with no breaks in between was on Day 136 (Sat. Dec. 5) for 5 miles and it took a bit shorter than two hours. I also tried to go as fast as I could this last Friday and I tried to set a record. I will try to break that record this coming week and I will post my numbers here to see if anyone can beat me on that :P Please stay tuned :D
Day 137 (Almost 4.5 Months) Post-op (Sun., Dec. 7) - Consolidation Day 56
I just wanted to give an update on my gait and walking. I am at a point in this CLL journey that I am confident, distance won't be a limit for me. As an example today I very comfortably walked for 10.3 miles already and I believe my gait remains normal and I don't have any pain. I did not carry my phone with me all the time today, and I will probably have to add a few 0.1 miles to it tonight to do some stuff in the house. Therefore the final number would be higher than 10.3. I am adding a snapshot of my Activity so far: https://imgur.com/1NHcDKE
I know if I can easily walk for much longer distances. I can hold myself for long times if needed, so no need to go to restrooms and I can have a sandwich with me and keep walking :D I am very confident about my speed and endurance at this point. I know I would not get tired, before this other limit which is out of my control: what will end up happening is that something at work would come up and I have to be in front of a computer! I therefore do not plan to set a record in terms of distance for a 4.5 month mark time. Instead I will try to set a record in terms of speed. I will post my time record soon.
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the common believe is that with every cm there is 1 mm deviation eaing to valgus deformity what does your x ray say ? can you share it ?
another thing did dr mahoubian cut your biceps tendon to ease the procedure
did you have hip pain or front knee pain ?
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the common believe is that with every cm there is 1 mm deviation eaing to valgus deformity what does your x ray say ? can you share it ?
Hi 184dream,
I am sorry to say that my knowledge on the deformity you mentioned is zero. I therefore cannot answer your question. I however have posted my x-rays. Please feel free to check them and see whether you can identify the deformity you mentioned here.
another thing did dr mahoubian cut your biceps tendon to ease the procedure
I don't believe Dr. Mahboubian did anything on my biceps :D
did you have hip pain or front knee pain ?
During the distraction phase, I did have front knee pain among all the random types of pain. However the pain spot would randomly move. The knee pain was not something that persisted, except for early days post-op when it did, for a few days. I have written about the pain in my diary. In short, it was most likely due to intense indoor cycling I had on early days. I stopped indoor cycling and that took care of the knee pain. I never had a hip pain, except for a time in late November when I almost fell off a pedestrian curb and hurt my hip area (left leg, close to where the nails are). I recovered from the pain in about two days.
I hope these answer your questions, but let me know.
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Day 138 (Almost 4.5 Months) Post-op (Mon., Dec. 8 ) - Consolidation Day 57
Last week, I was finally able to bring my right heel to touch my butt. Today, I was able to do that for left leg. This is an important step for me towards the journey to "naturalization", :D
I can now easily sit on my legs, going all the way to heels touching butt. Also squats have become a lot easier for me.
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Fixing two typos:
Day 137 (Almost 4.5 Months) Post-op (Sun., Dec. 7 6) - Consolidation Day 56
Day 138 (Almost 4.5 Months) Post-op (Mon., Dec. 8 Dec. 7 ) - Consolidation Day 57
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Updates:
Day 139 Post-op (Tue., Dec. 8 ) - Consolidation Day 58
Day 140 Post-op (Wed., Dec. 9 ) - Consolidation Day 59
Day 141 Post-op (Thurs., Dec. 10 ) - Consolidation Day 60
My phone shows the following average daily walk numbers for the following months and days:
November: 3.8 miles (per day)
December: 5.9 miles
Last 7 days: 7.4 miles
My longest walk for the whole day has been 10.5 miles (on Sun., Dec. 6, Day 56 post-op).
My lonest walk without any breaks or stops, was on Wed. (Day 140) for 8.3 miles (check here: https://imgur.com/qeq9s8P). I was speaking on the phone for most of the part, and did not try to go fast, therefore it took a very long time of 3 and a half hours. The uphills in the park slow me down, but they help a lot with getting my strength back.
I however finally have a record in speed to report. Will do that shortly.
I remember before the surgery long walks would give me this soreness that would persist the following day or two. However now that I regularly walk and stretch every day, the soreness does not persist. Every morning I wake up, I feel fresh and soreness is gone. On that matter, I believe I am better than my old normal.
I hope this update helps.
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I remember I had read online about the time it takes for each 1cm of bone gap to consolidate and also to harden. E.g., https://www.limblength.org/treatments/limb-lengthening-the-process/ states that 5cm consolidation and hardening take about 2 months and 2~3 additional months, respectively.
Extrapolating that for 8cm distraction, consolidation may take about 3 months and hardening about 3 to 5 months.
It would be great if anyone could post some more info (such as any article you've seen) on the consolidation and hardening durations for limb lengthening. I assume it's case dependent (i.e., diet, exercise, genetics, tibia vs femur, stryde vs precise, quality of surgery and doctor's work, etc.) but any info is appreciated.
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What have you found to be the most useful objects you brought with you for lengthening?
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What have you found to be the most useful objects you brought with you for lengthening?
Hi SpeedDialer,
I am glad you used the plural form "objects" so I can list several items (cause it would've been difficult for me to rank them and pick the topmost useful one :D).
I believe physical and mental fitness, support of the friends and family have helped a lot.
There were other factors that I did not necessarily bring to the table myself, but got lucky to have them. E.g., it was a no brainer for me to choose Dr. M., considering his expertise in CLL and other deformities and the fact that I reside in the LA area.
COVID-19 has been one of the worst tragedies to humanity. A lot of lives, families and businesses were destroyed. It however had some bright sides for the CLL'ers like myself who did the surgery during the COVID-19 times. The fact that I could work from home helped a lot.
I would also like to clarify that prior physical and mental fitness would be necessary only if you'd aim for a fast recovery. Otherwise, I would say if you are content with a typical recovery (i.e., a recovery that would take more than a year), prior fitness would not be critical. Also I have seen CLL'ers who took care of themselves, while being away from home.
My goal is to break the norms and recover fully by the end of month 6. For that to happen, I believe prior physical fitness and mental fitness is a must and the help of family and friends is a must for me.
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Thank you. Aside from physical and mental fitness, what physical objects did you find most useful to bring with you?
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Thank you. Aside from physical and mental fitness, what physical objects did you find most useful to bring with you?
I am not sure if I understood your question. Therefore please let me know if the following is not what you meant:
I you meant physical objects useful during distraction; in addition to some necessary stuff (like a walker and crutches), anything that helps with pain management would help. Like the pain relievers I have listed in my diary.
During consolidation, I did not find need for anything, other than stretching exercises, walking.
If you meant any stuff to bring during the hospital stay, I had my laptop, cellphone, toothbrush, and extra clothes, so I could change my clothes every day.
I believe a calcium and protein rich diet helps a lot with fast bone consolidation.
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Day 142 Post-op (Fri., Dec. 11 ) - Consolidation Day 61
The walking time record results I had promised to some of you:
Start time around 5:01pm: https://imgur.com/BVdKAMw
Distance (Miles) Duration (Minutes) Video/Image
0.5 ? Unfortunately recording failed, but should be 7+ minutes
1 ? Unfortunately recording failed, but should be 14+ minutes
1.5 <23 https://imgur.com/jnJIfZ3
2 <30 https://imgur.com/PG8LTpb
2.5 ~37 https://imgur.com/MxAaAIp
3 <45 https://imgur.com/KFx1QOc
A few notes:
1) I walked on a grass area that was a bit muddy. I believe I can be faster on a hard floor, but I don't want to put too much pressure on my knee joints.
2) The land was a like a small square which each lab around 0.15miles. On a straight path I can do better.
3) My shoes were not that great for walking.
4) I had a mask on for the first 0.5 miles, but I removed it for the rest of the 2.5 miles, as no one was around and I felt like walking without a mask would be easier.
I am still happy with my results. Let's see who can break my record of 3 miles in less than 45 minutes. I have been able to easily beat any fast walker I found while walking outside :D As I had also said before I consider myself generally as a fast walker, so I think my record is not easy to break :D
I walk for long distances, so you probably notice that my speed did not degrade as I got close to 3 miles! I probably start to see a slow down if I walk for more than 10 miles!
I believe as far as walking is concerned, I definitely feel good about my progress and I consider my walking as back to my old normal.
In the quest of getting back to normal, I believe I should now focus more on jogging and swimming. I had started jogging a month ago, but from now on I will push for higher speeds and longer durations.
I hope to try swimming for the first time post-op, sometime next week.
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Thanks for the update SNC! I will do a 3 mile walk in 110 days to see how I compare to you! Recovery seems very far away though. My thighs are swollen again so I'm not doing too great, but at least I'm still lengthening at 1mm/day.
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Thanks for the update SNC! I will do a 3 mile walk in 110 days to see how I compare to you! Recovery seems very far away though. My thighs are swollen again so I'm not doing too great, but at least I'm still lengthening at 1mm/day.
Hi BTM,
I have not seen any Femur Stryder who did great during distraction; and by "great" I mean a pain free, swollen free process all the way to the max (say 8cm) perfectly, with no complications or problems. The best we can hope for would be to face no problems or complications with perfect x-rays, but painful and swollen legs would be part of the deal, I think.
This however quickly started to resolve itself for me, [starting] a couple weeks into the consolidation phase; already felt normal based on several factors, including experiencing almost zero pain, having stopped painkillers already; with great night sleeps.
I think the first times I felt normal (as if I had not done any surgery) happened while driving, sitting or sleeping and they mostly started around week two. If I remember correctly about a month after the last distraction, I felt completely normal all the time, while sitting, driving or sleeping.
Walking has not yet become an absolute normal, though. There are times I am self-aware of my surgery and my nails while walking. Although, my agility and strength seem to have come back to normal, but I am yet to "feel completely normal all the time" while walking, not remembering my nails, or my surgery at all! That would be a major milestone and I hope to get there by Day 180.
I guess you have about 40 days or so to finish up the distraction phase, right? How are your night sleeps?
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Hi SNC, approx how long post op were you fit enough to climb stairs?
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What are your thoughts for some example things to think about when deciding when to stop lengthening?
It seems like some people can reach 8 cm. But other people decide "eh time to stop now"
What usually ends up being the major factor in "eh time to stop now"? Like is there an exponential increase in pain at some point that gets people to stop or other reasons?
Excluding things like "fk it I just want to go home"
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Hi SNC, approx how long post op were you fit enough to climb stairs?
Hi fivetenneeded2016,
You hit on a very important practice item; I believe. Stair climbing would be very helpful to a fast recovery.
Although the first time I climbed a couple stairs must be very early during the distraction phase (e.g., taking the couple stairs at the entrance door at my place, and also any stairs I could find outside), I took my first long set of stairs (of 16 stairs) on Day 88 (Sunday Oct. 18) which is also the Consolidation Day 7, i.e., 7 days after the last day of distraction). My speed and gait were however not normal yet on that day. However that quickly improved. I however am not yet back to "normal" in stair climbing, if you define "normal" as skipping a few stairs, or going up and down with almost a running speed.
I would day I have been late in stair climbing, compared to some other CLL'ers. The main reason is that my place does not have a second story. I just have a couple stairs in front of the entrance door. Those CLL'ers who live on top floors, have the advantage the use the stairs from early distraction days (of course with approval from the CLL doctor; and PTs, if any). Since I did not have the option, I tried to use any stairs outdoor and also the park nearby which has a lot of uphill and downhill places to strengthen my legs.
I highly recommend to every CLL'er to first double check with their doctor and with his/her approval, include stair climbing frequently on a daily basis.
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What are your thoughts for some example things to think about when deciding when to stop lengthening?
It seems like some people can reach 8 cm. But other people decide "eh time to stop now"
What usually ends up being the major factor in "eh time to stop now"? Like is there an exponential increase in pain at some point that gets people to stop or other reasons?
Excluding things like "fk it I just want to go home"
Hi SpeedDialer,
This is what I think. A typical CLL'er must have a lot of trust in his or her doctor and that's why they chose that certain doctor to proceed. It is therefore very important to listen to them and stop if they recommend that.
That being said, the doctors obviously also listens to the CLL'er and if the CLL'er gives them a feeling that things (in terms of pain) are too severe, they may get convinced to recommend an early stop. I therefore think the CLL'ers themsevles ultimately influence the stopping time by a great extent.
I personally think if my x-rays look normal with no signs of issues or complications, I go all the way to end, given I have set up a pain management plan using painkillers, etc. This is because the CLL process is too tough and costly, a challenge to give up early. We the CLL'ers are in it to max it!
In my case I experienced a lot of pain, especially because I overall had 19 fast extraction days (of 1.33mm per day) but with the help of painkillers, taking multiple hot showers/hot bathtubs, and stretching, I was determined to go all the way to the end. I managed to lower the pain mostly below 4 (out of 10, with 10 being an absolute worst pain ever).
I think tolerating pain levels of 5 or lower for say 80 days is worth the results. If the surgery has gone fairly successfully, and there is no major issue or complication, then pain management should help lowering pain to below 5 and in that case I think it's tolerable to go all the way to the max.
Multiple stretching sessions per day are necessary. Although prior physical fitness is very helpful, it is not necessary. My point is as long as the pain level can be lowered to <5, even if one feels like their legs are extremely tight, that should not stop them from going all the way to the end. Once again this is based on the assumption that the doctor leaves it to the CLL'er to decide, as he/she sees no issues, but yet does not want to push the patient to suffer while going to the max.
I hope my notes helped, but let's continue this discussion if you think needed.
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SNC - Congrats on your journey. Very inspiring, especially for someone like me who is close to your age and starting height, and hoping to follow in your shadow. CLL’ers like you, Movie and others definitely help this community. I hope to rival your beast mode performance and can’t wait to meet this challenge myself in early 2021! Thks 👍
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SNC - Congrats on your journey. Very inspiring, especially for someone like me who is close to your age and starting height, and hoping to follow in your shadow. CLL’ers like you, Movie and others definitely help this community. I hope to rival your beast mode performance and can’t wait to meet this challenge myself in early 2021! Thks 👍
Hi L8GrowthSpurt,
Thanks for the kind words. Such notes from you and the rest of the community inspire do try to do better.
I wish you a great 2021 with a smooth CLL journey. I make sure to follow your posts here. Feel free to reach me here or on PM, whenever needed.
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This is the video I had promised to some of you (in two parts, cause imgur does not allow videos of more than a minute).
It's my first time posting a video, and on imgur. I am not sure if I am doing something wrong, but makes the video frame so small! let me know if there is a better way:
https://imgur.com/xW8mUgI
https://imgur.com/rxRD7W7
A few notes about this video:
1) It was taken on the 29th. On the 28th I almost fell off of a pedestrian curb side, and injured my hip [left leg, close to where nails are]. I therefore am not at my best gait.
2) For privacy reasons the clothes don't belong to me, haha! the shoes were too tight, so I could not really put them on properly :P also pants are short; and very tight which may give the impression of parenthesis legs a bit, but my legs are fairly straight, most likely better than an average person.
Unlike imgur, youtube does not limit the video length, so I thought of posting a youtube link (recorded on Day 130 Post-op, Sun., Nov. 29th, Consolidation Day 49) :
https://youtu.be/Q4IB_y8GGAQ
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Amazing display! Your walk looks totally normal to me. Very inspiring and makes me want to start my journey ASAP, like tomorrow...lol; Thanks for posting and happy holidays!
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Although I already watched the original videos you posted on Imgur, seeing it again gives me hope!! I'm still 90 days away from day 130, but seeing you walk around like that really gives me some optimism that I'm sorely lacking right now.
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Amazing display! Your walk looks totally normal to me. Very inspiring and makes me want to start my journey ASAP, like tomorrow...lol; Thanks for posting and happy holidays!
Thanks very much L8GrowthSpurt, and Happy Holidays!
I have mentioned here several times that I hope nobody here starts a CLL journey just by looking at this forum. The much safer way would be to do a lot of research beyond this forum.
I can tell you a lot about the challenges of CLL in terms of pain, etc. to make sure you are ready for them.
We are all different and and we should make sure we account for all the parameters before starting CLL. I hope you use your best judgement and research skills to make a decision. This forum would then be a great resource for someone who has already decided to move forward with all the details figured out (stryde or not, which doctor, when, etc.).
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Although I already watched the original videos you posted on Imgur, seeing it again gives me hope!! I'm still 90 days away from day 130, but seeing you walk around like that really gives me some optimism that I'm sorely lacking right now.
Hi BTM,
Based on the first few videos you posted, I think you are doing well. Do not get too much stress. I think the most important item to look for is the x-rays. If the doctor believes you x-rays are good to perfect, then the rest (pain, etc.) would be temporary.
I still remember how hard it was to even imagine a peaceful night sleep. I thought to myself, "would I ever have a normal sleep, ever again?" Turned out a couple weeks into consolidation, my night sleeps quickly started to be back to normal (long hours of no pain) and soon even better than my old normal, perhaps cause I take exercises, and diet more seriously and also working from home has reduced some work stress for me. I know you will be there very soon BTM. Feel free to message me whenever you think talking to me would help.
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Day 142 Post-op (Fri., Dec. 11 ) - Consolidation Day 61
The walking time record results I had promised to some of you:
Start time around 5:01pm: https://imgur.com/BVdKAMw
Distance (Miles) Duration (Minutes) Video/Image
0.5 ? Unfortunately recording failed, but should be 7+ minutes
1 ? Unfortunately recording failed, but should be 14+ minutes
1.5 <23 https://imgur.com/jnJIfZ3
2 <30 https://imgur.com/PG8LTpb
2.5 ~37 https://imgur.com/MxAaAIp
3 <45 https://imgur.com/KFx1QOc
A few notes:
1) I walked on a grass area that was a bit muddy. I believe I can be faster on a hard floor, but I don't want to put too much pressure on my knee joints.
2) The land was a like a small square which each lab around 0.15miles. On a straight path I can do better.
3) My shoes were not that great for walking.
4) I had a mask on for the first 0.5 miles, but I removed it for the rest of the 2.5 miles, as no one was around and I felt like walking without a mask would be easier.
I am still happy with my results. Let's see who can break my record of 3 miles in less than 45 minutes. I have been able to easily beat any fast walker I found while walking outside :D As I had also said before I consider myself generally as a fast walker, so I think my record is not easy to break :D
I walk for long distances, so you probably notice that my speed did not degrade as I got close to 3 miles! I probably start to see a slow down if I walk for more than 10 miles!
I believe as far as walking is concerned, I definitely feel good about my progress and I consider my walking as back to my old normal.
In the quest of getting back to normal, I believe I should now focus more on jogging and swimming. I had started jogging a month ago, but from now on I will push for higher speeds and longer durations.
Day 142 Post-op (Fri., Dec. 11 ) - Consolidation Day 61
I have decided to move my videos (from imgur) to youtube. I am therefore reposting my walking time records
Start time around 5:01pm:
https://youtu.be/czSDde3GnCY
Distance (Miles) Duration (Minutes) Video/Image
0.5 ? Unfortunately recording failed, but should be 7+ minutes
1 ? Unfortunately recording failed, but should be 14+ minutes
1.5 <23
https://youtu.be/lSI4hitEo98
2 <30
https://youtu.be/iJEomr85KdQ
2.5 ~37
https://youtu.be/U00eUru4Sdg
3 <45
https://youtu.be/PCNx-IRzxyU
In addition to the notes I had posted earlier for Day 142, I would also like to add that the way I speed walk, is not marathon style. Marathon style to me looks more like running than walking. I also find it a bit funny (with the hip movements :P), so I prefer to not walk like that in the park I was using to record this video :D However I know marathon style, would increase speed, substantially.
Also a request: If you know someone who is a fast walker, please see if you could convince them to do walk, using similar conditions like mine and then let me know the time. I'd like to know how slow I am compared to a normal fast walker (someone who has not done CLL) and if too slow, I'd know that I have to work harder towards getting back to normal speed.
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Hey SNC
In your sig it says you have a 1 cm discrepancy between your legs. Why didn't you just lengthen 1 cm less on the already longer leg to fix your discrepancy?
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Hey SNC
In your sig it says you have a 1 cm discrepancy between your legs. Why didn't you just lengthen 1 cm less on the already longer leg to fix your discrepancy?
Hey Highest,
That's a great question :D Unfortunately the 1cm discrepancy comes from the tibia area (i.e., my right tibia is 1 cm taller than my left tibia). Dr. M and myself both thought it would not be a good idea to try to fix that discrepancy by adding another discrepancy (of having uneven tibia and femurs both).
No one can tell the 1cm difference. I myself can see if when I compare my legs, as my right knee is a bit taller, when straightening my legs. I must have had this discrepancy for a long time perhaps since I was growing in my teen years. However I never felt any major (negative) impact cause of the 1 cm discrepancy.
I probably can treat it with having an insole (of 1cm) in left shoes, but I have not felt any pain in knees, and my walks look normal, so I have not had any motivation to look for treating it.
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SNC - couldn’t agree more with you; advice that should guide everyone. I’ve been researching and waiting for a very long time (over a decade) and look forward to pulling the trigger in early 2021. Happy holidays to you and all - esp those CLLers like you who have taken the time to share their experiences.
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SNC - couldn’t agree more with you; advice that should guide everyone. I’ve been researching and waiting for a very long time (over a decade) and look forward to pulling the trigger in early 2021. Happy holidays to you and all - esp those CLLers like you who have taken the time to share their experiences.
Good to see this, L8GrowthSpurt,
I wish you a great 2021 and hope to see you here tall and strong soon,
SNC
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Day 143 Post-op (Sat., Dec. 12 ) - Consolidation Day 62
Day 144 Post-op (Sun., Dec. 13 ) - Consolidation Day 63
Day 145 Post-op (Mon., Dec. 14 ) - Consolidation Day 64
Day 146 Post-op (Tue., Dec. 15 ) - Consolidation Day 65
Day 147 Post-op (Wed., Dec. 16 ) - Consolidation Day 66
Day 148 Post-op (Thurs., Dec. 17 ) - Consolidation Day 67
Day 149 Post-op (Fri., Dec. 18 ) - Consolidation Day 68
Day 150 Post-op (Sat., Dec. 19 ) - Consolidation Day 69
Day 151 Post-op (Sun., Dec. 20 ) - Consolidation Day 70
Day 152 Post-op (Mon., Dec. 21 ) - Consolidation Day 71
Day 153 Post-op (Tue., Dec. 22 ) - Consolidation Day 72
Day 154 Post-op (Wed., Dec. 23 ) - Consolidation Day 73*
* Weekly updates or longer make more sense (than daily updates). However I list all the days to hopefully make searches more convenient. E.g., if at the top right search box, we look for Day 150 or Consolidation Day 70, the following updates would hopefully be easily found.
Updates: In the journey of going back to normal, the most important items to note are my strength and flexibility. I feel stronger on a daily basis. E.g., I feel more comfortable with squats on a daily basis. My flexibility also improves as time passes. I have posted some videos related to my walks already.
I finally got a chance to try the monkey bars workout to check whether I could be as comfortable as I used to be, pre-op. Turned out to be piece of cake! I feel very completely while on monkey bars, as if I had not done any surgery. I now believe I could have resumed such activities much earlier. Here is a short video of my post-op monkey bars:
https://youtu.be/lKBfAGr4Yu8
Painkillers: I had stopped Gabapentin on Day 87 (Sat., Oct. 17, i.e., Consolidation Day 6). I had completed my Tramadol withdrawal on Day 90 (Tue., Oct 20, also Consolidation Day 9). I have not used any painkillers since then.
Pain: It's been a couple months I have experienced no pain or any discomfort related to the CLL surgery. I have added several daily activities (two stretching sessions, several mile walks, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc.). I get muscle soreness on legs (e.g., on calves when I walk for over 10 miles or so), which I think is normal for any athlete. Good thing is I typically feel fresh with soreness gone, by the following morning.
Sleep: My night sleeps (of minimum 7 hours per night) are even better than before the surgery. That could be thanks to my less stressful work during covid-19 times, better diet, and being more active. I also typically take an afternoon nap.
I will continue to post my updates until I feel completely normal on all activities I used to do before the surgery.
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Thanks for the update SNC. Sounds like everything is going flawlessly! I can't believe you're already less than a month away from the 6 month mark.
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Thanks for the update SNC. Sounds like everything is going flawlessly! I can't believe you're already less than a month away from the 6 month mark.
Thanks BTM,
Happy New Year! Wish you and ALL a pandemic free 2021, full of good things!
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Day 155 Post-op (Thurs., Dec. 24 ) - Consolidation Day 74
Day 156 Post-op (Fri., Dec. 25 ) - Consolidation Day 75
Day 157 Post-op (Sat., Dec. 26 ) - Consolidation Day 76
Jogging: I have been increasingly putting effort into jogging (in addition to the daily several mile walks) to help strengthening my legs.
Swimming: Due to the COVID-19 limitations, I stopped swimming (which has been my main workout for a long time) in early 2020 about 5 months before the surgery. It still looks scary to me to get into a pool with strangers swimming within a couple feet from me, but I thought I should take the risk and give it a try before the year ends.
The moment I got into the pool, I realized swimming is fortunately one of those activities that I feel completely normal with.
I was surprised that while swimming I did not feel like my legs are taller. It felt like old times, very normal and smooth! I have no idea why, but I take as as a good thing!
I did the first few laps cautiously to get to evaluate my legs and see whether I can kick as if I had not done any CLL. The following are some short videos from those easy laps:
Breaststroke : Although I took it easy at start, it felt so good to be back to swimming after about a year. Looking forward to a pandemic-free 2021 and regular swimming:
https://youtu.be/K6blX3E_hbk
Freestyle including flipping (but easy, not pushing onto the wall too hard :
https://youtu.be/P7gtDnVutWY
Butterfly : Back crawl followed by butterfly. This is my first butterfly lap since early 2020. I was hesitant on trying butterfly before getting into the pool, considering the heavy kicks it demands; however, the moment I started swimming; it felt so right and normal as if I had not done the CLL surgery:
https://youtu.be/l7HwGrMRyGU
I think I would have resumed swimming long ago during distraction, had we not have this lockdown situation or if I had my own private pool. I wish I can find a safe place to continue to swim. I feel like my body really needs that!
I hope at some point I swim even faster than before, using my new height! I will post more videos to show my progress.
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Happy New Year, SNC! Thanks for another great post; at your pace of positive progress and return to athleticism I’m half expecting to see a video of you summiting Everest by the end of January! 🤣😂
Thanks for sharing. Very informative and inspiring. 💪
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Happy New Year, SNC! Thanks for another great post; at your pace of positive progress and return to athleticism I’m half expecting to see a video of you summiting Everest by the end of January! 🤣😂
Thanks for sharing. Very informative and inspiring. 💪
Happy New Year L8GrowthSpurt,
I am glad you liked the post. Looking forward to seeing your journey and all the accomplishments.
Climbing Mount Everest would be a dream come true. My main weakness is my low tolerance of extremely low temperatures. Mount Everest can get as cold as -40 degrees Celsius; adding wind and low pressure, I don't see high chances of survival for myself! In fact I had written in my diary about it! that one of the reasons I decided to do CLL, was my lack of confidence in climbing Mount Everest. It's like I could not climb 800,000 cm, so instead I went for CLL to be 8 cm closer to it :P
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Day 155 Post-op (Thurs., Dec. 24 ) - Consolidation Day 74
...
As part of my daily stretching routine, I make sure to do some Forward Fold or Standing Forward poses, like this one:
https://youtu.be/VpdF_jEXeM0
I could resume such exercises, a couple weeks after the surgery. However I gradually lost flexibility during the distraction phase. The two week fast distraction time (of 1.33mm per day) was my worst time in terms of flexibility. About a week after the last day of distraction, I could resume the forward or standing fold pose and flexible enough to touch my toes or the floor; with a short warmup. Now I can do that without any warmup.
I would also like to write about another warmup time! I would like to call it the CLL'er Rebooting Time (CRT) :D By CRT , I mean the time it takes to start feeling normal while walking, after a long duration of being in a steady position, e.g., after a long drive, or being in a sitting position for a long time.
I think for someone to be back at normal, CRT should be zero. That is not the case for me yet. If I drive or sit for say more than an hour, then starting to walk, is also a reminder of my surgery. Not that I would necessarily have pain or soreness, but a general feeling that my walk does not feel normal and the gait may not be normal during CRT. However as I built strength, my CRT got shorter. E.g., back in November (around month 4 post-up) my CRT was around a minute. I would joke to my friends that I am like a Windows 95! I take time to reboot :P These days it is typically less than half a minute.
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Happy new year! SNC, your flexibility is amazing!! I'm really impressed by your videos. Your gait is completely normal now! I think hard-working is the key to recovery.
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I'm amazed by your flexibility as well. Before the surgery I might have been able to touch the road while standing on the curb, but right now I'm many inches away from even touching my toes. I've been working hard on my hamstring and calf flexibility but clearly I have a long way to go! Your swimming videos are great as well. I'm a bit wary of going to a public pool during the pandemic as well, but I'd love to try swimming in my current condition.
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I stopped lengthening several months ago and I am several inches away from touching my toes too. I stretch several hours daily and work super hard at it. I am hoping to gain more flexibility in the coming months. Amazing recovery SNC!! :)
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Happy new year! SNC, your flexibility is amazing!! I'm really impressed by your videos. Your gait is completely normal now! I think hard-working is the key to recovery.
Thanks Asian.
I hope your 2021 will turn out to be your best year so far, in every terms.
SNC
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I stopped lengthening several months ago and I am several inches away from touching my toes too. I stretch several hours daily and work super hard at it. I am hoping to gain more flexibility in the coming months. Amazing recovery SNC!! :)
Hey rpc bro,
Thanks for your notes. You helped me a lot throughout this journey and I hope I manage to return the favor. Please feel free to PM anytime, so we double check the exercise routine you take.
SNC
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I'm amazed by your flexibility as well. Before the surgery I might have been able to touch the road while standing on the curb, but right now I'm many inches away from even touching my toes. I've been working hard on my hamstring and calf flexibility but clearly I have a long way to go! Your swimming videos are great as well. I'm a bit wary of going to a public pool during the pandemic as well, but I'd love to try swimming in my current condition.
Hi BTM,
Please do not worry too much about your Forward Fold flexibility during the distraction stage. Assuming you have at least one forward fold move added to your stretching set and you repeat the set, two or three times per day, you should get your flexibility back soon after you are done with the distraction phase.
Please feel free to PM me, anytime you think I can help with something.
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Happy new year! SNC, your flexibility is amazing!! I'm really impressed by your videos. Your gait is completely normal now! I think hard-working is the key to recovery.
I'd also like to add one point, since you mentioned the hard work.
As IFS and some others have stated, the CLL process changes us forever. It not only makes us taller, but also hopefully makes us a better person; wiser, stronger, more patient, more determined and more tolerant of tough situations. The fact that many of us stick to the exercises and diet and spend a good amount of time daily, is very impactful.
I am an athlete, but I've never been a pro; I therefore never needed to spend long daily hours for long periods, preparing for a professional competition. That has changed for me. I feel like the consistency with exercises and not missing them for almost six months have made me even stronger than my pre-op, physically and mentally.
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As part of my daily stretching routine, I make sure to do some Forward Fold or Standing Forward poses, like this one:
https://youtu.be/VpdF_jEXeM0
I could resume such exercises, a couple weeks after the surgery. However I gradually lost flexibility during the distraction phase. The two week fast distraction time (of 1.33mm per day) was my worst time in terms of flexibility. About a week after the last day of distraction, I could resume the forward or standing fold pose and flexible enough to touch my toes or the floor; with a short warmup. Now I can do that without any warmup.
I would also like to write about another warmup time! I would like to call it the CLL'er Rebooting Time (CRT) :D By CRT , I mean the time it takes to start feeling normal while walking, after a long duration of being in a steady position, e.g., after a long drive, or being in a sitting position for a long time.
I think for someone to be back at normal, CRT should be zero. That is not the case for me yet. If I drive or sit for say more than an hour, then starting to walk, is also a reminder of my surgery. Not that I would necessarily have pain or soreness, but a general feeling that my walk does not feel normal and the gait may not be normal during CRT. However as I built strength, my CRT got shorter. E.g., back in November (around month 4 post-up) my CRT was around a minute. I would joke to my friends that I am like a Windows 95! I take time to reboot :P These days it is typically less than half a minute.
What a beast! Amazing even for a normal person ;D
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Yeah, that kind of flexibility just barely 5 months after cutting your thigh tissue and breaking both femurs is illegal. The most impressive patient I've ever seen... StrydeNailChallenge
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What a beast! Amazing even for a normal person ;D
Thanks Tartar,
It feels good to be called a beast :P
How is it going? I hope you are happy with your gait and strength so far.
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Yeah, that kind of flexibility just barely 5 months after cutting your thigh tissue and breaking both femurs is illegal. The most impressive patient I've ever seen... StrydeNailChallenge
Thanks ghkid2019. Believe it or not, I was talking about you with a friend of mine yesterday. I think of you as the Simon Cowell of this forum! direct to the point, and precise :D it means a lot man; to receive such kind words from you!
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Thanks Tartar,
It feels good to be called a beast :P
How is it going? I hope you are happy with your gait and strength so far.
Unfortunately I'm a bit unlucky, my right leg is healed but the left one has problem with the nail, it's moving. I'm lazing in the bed to let it consolidate, I'm probably worse than a precice 2 patient :-\ but I hope to come back as soon as possible
But I'm happy to see that you and m7 are already so fine!
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Unfortunately I'm a bit unlucky, my right leg is healed but the left one has problem with the nail, it's moving. I'm lazing in the bed to let it consolidate, I'm probably worse than a precice 2 patient :-\ but I hope to come back as soon as possible
But I'm happy to see that you and m7 are already so fine!
Sorry to hear that Tartar! Did you doctor recommend using crutches and use your right leg to move around? just to keep your body mobility at a minimum level to avoid any health complications? I hope your consolidation phase passes soon successfully.
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Day 158 Post-op (Sun., Dec. 27 ) - Consolidation Day 77
Day 159 Post-op (Mon., Dec. 28 ) - Consolidation Day 78
Jogging and Walking: I have recently been jogging for a minimum of 1.5 mile (daily) in intervals of 0.1 to 0.5 miles, without pushing it too much. This is because, I'll have an appt. with Dr. M on Jan 12th. I hope I will have excellent bone consolidation and hardening with no nail bending, or any other complications, therefore have not pushed on jogging.
While jogging, I make sure stay below 30% of what I can do in terms of max speed and force; just to be safe, but figured doing a big zig zagging is totally safe, while helping me strengthen my legs. This is an example of how I do that:
https://youtu.be/_CJhWe-AXCk
I also try to do indoor biking daily.
Swimming: Swimming has been my main workout for a long time. I however had to stop swimming back in early 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions. I went to swimming for a second time this year, and since the surgery on Dec. 28th:
This video was taken on on that day. It was raining here in LA, which made my swimming experience so special. I don't think the video does justice on how beautiful that evening was, though:
https://youtu.be/LN4_YYC69DY
I feel pretty normal in the pool. Can do all the things I used to do with no issues. I could get into the pool and get out of it, without the need of using the stairs; like old times I grabbed the wall and jumped in and also pushed my body out and using my legs to stand up. Felt pretty good. I however am not at my maximum speed yet. I need to work on my upper body. Unfortunately the long duration of no swim, has made my upper body weak.
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Day 160 Post-op (Tue., Dec. 29) - Consolidation Day 79
Day 161 Post-op (Wed., Dec. 30) - Consolidation Day 80
Day 162 Post-op (Thurs., Dec. 31) - Consolidation Day 81
Day 163 Post-op (Fri., Jan. 1) - Consolidation Day 82
Day 164 Post-op (Sat., Jan. 2) - Consolidation Day 83
Day 165 Post-op (Sun., Jan. 3) - Consolidation Day 84
Day 166 Post-op (Mon., Jan. 4) - Consolidation Day 85
Day 167 Post-op (Tue, Jan. 5) - Consolidation Day 86
The major update is that in the last few days, I have felt like I am already back to normal life in every aspect, including walking and running. For most of the times, I feel pretty normal as I see progress daily on my strength. E.g., while walking, I feel like my legs are even stronger than before the surgery.
I feel like the key to fast recovery is prior physical fitness. Without prior physical fitness it would be hard to imagine a fast recovery (of say 5 or 6 months). However prior physical fitness is not sufficient. It is necessary to follow a carefully designed exercise routine, consistently, until full recovery is observed. Also a rich diet seems to be necessary. I would say for those CLL'ers who were not that fit before the surgery, the recovery may take a few months longer. I should also add that all this based on the assumption that the surgery goes well. If there are issues or complications, recovery may unfortunately take years. Finally I should note that the definition of "normal" is subjective. E.g., for a pro-athlete normal means to be able to compete in Olympics and win a medal. I don't know how long it takes to get to that kinda "normal", cause I am not a pro. My definition of normal is to be back to how I felt about my body before the surgery and being to do all the things I used to do, especially swimming which I am fairly good at.
I hope this information helps the current and future CLL'ers.
Swimming:: I went to swimming for a third time on Dec. 30th.
This is a short video of my freestyle on that day. The guy on my right was pretty fast. I don't think I could take him on multiple laps, but I felt I had a good chance of beating him on one lap:
https://youtu.be/p4PLs-6oc4U
The following is a short video of my butterfly on Dec. 30th:
https://youtu.be/dn5vavu7wAE
I am not at my max speed yet. I feel like more than my legs, I need to work on my upper body to be able to get back to the speed I was back in early 2020. It typically takes me a couple weeks to get my speed back, if I don't go to swimming for a fairly long time. However I feel like swimming in public pools within a couple feet from others could be very risky. I may therefore have to focus only on running/jogging, walking, biking and stretching and wait for COVID-19 to pass before I start swimming regularly.
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I feel like the key to fast recovery is prior physical fitness. Without prior physical fitness it would be hard to imagine a fast recovery (of say 5 or 6 months). However prior physical fitness is not sufficient. It is necessary to follow a carefully designed exercise routine, consistently, until full recovery is observed. Also a rich diet seems to be necessary. I would say for those CLL'ers who were not that fit before the surgery, the recovery may take a few months longer.
Beautiful Diary. When you say prior physical fitness, can you specify a little more? Do you mean cardio, muscle mass, or flexibility? Or do you believe that all of them are equally important.
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Beautiful Diary. When you say prior physical fitness, can you specify a little more? Do you mean cardio, muscle mass, or flexibility? Or do you believe that all of them are equally important.
Hi questpeanut,
There are many online resources which define the physical fitness. I am listing the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_fitness
Flexibility and cardio are definitely part of it, but muscle mass does not need to be crazy. Bruce Lee is an extreme example of physical fitness, who did not have bulky muscles.
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Sorry to hear that Tartar! Did you doctor recommend using crutches and use your right leg to move around? just to keep your body mobility at a minimum level to avoid any health complications? I hope your consolidation phase passes soon successfully.
You are right! I’m waiting hopefully for a quick development. I’m very careful, I could even walk a bit but I want to avoid until there’s a solid bridge in the left too.
At the moment I delight watching to your jogging videos ;D
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You are right! I’m waiting hopefully for a quick development. I’m very careful, I could even walk a bit but I want to avoid until there’s a solid bridge in the left too.
At the moment I delight watching to your jogging videos ;D
I assume your diet is also full of protein, calcium, vitamin D, etc. Hope all goes well and you'll be back to walking and running quickly.
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Day 160 Post-op (Tue., Dec. 29) - Consolidation Day 79
Day 161 Post-op (Wed., Dec. 30) - Consolidation Day 80
Day 162 Post-op (Thurs., Dec. 31) - Consolidation Day 81
...
Hello All,
I had planned to post updates regularly until my full recovery back to "normal".
My definition of "normal" is to be back to pre-op conditions in every aspects of life, including feeling and looking normal [as we no surgery were done] while walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc., with no feeling of pain, discomfort, and no feeling of the nails. E.g., I was also able to run for 3.3 miles non-stop yesterday, and I felt like I could continue to run for several more miles with no feeling of discomfort, etc.. Also my CRT time (defined CRT on page 15 of my diary) is 0 to a few seconds max.
I believe I got back to "normal" in every aspects in about 5 month after post-op (Day 150+). I have monitored my status since then to make sure the state of being back to normal is permanent with no issues. In fact in some aspects, I am better than normal, thanks to the consistent care and exercise I have had for months.
I therefore stop posting regularly here as I feel my job in reporting every details, is now done. Meanwhile I will still respond to any questions here and post any major updates, but not on a regular basis.
I have added all the information needed, in case anyone were to follow my steps into a fast recovery. In short, it's a combination of 1) good care and support from family and friends, 2) rich diet, 3) consistent daily exercise plan, 4) prior physical fitness and 5) passion to push limits and go beyond what others have been able to achieve.
I'd be curious to know whether anyone else could observe full recovery in 5 months or so. It would be great to find out that my diary helped anyone towards a complete and hopefully fast recovery.
Wish you all the best,
SNC
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I assume your diet is also full of protein, calcium, vitamin D, etc. Hope all goes well and you'll be back to walking and running quickly.
Yes I'm taking Calcium and vit D, I've taken for a while proteins too but now I've given up with them, but unfortunately my only period of fast bone growth was for the most between september and october (when I wasn't taking none of them lol), after that it has decreased, maybe due to the stress, maybe due to the cold winter or the more aggressive PT with rubber bands, I don't know. Probably I have just to walk more even if aided to improve callus on the femur axis, has Dr. M talked about this? What I've understood is that unfortunately many things during LL are very individual.
Anyway I think you're already done! I think that for hard runs and contact sports at a good level nails have to be removed.
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Day 158 Post-op (Sun., Dec. 27 ) - Consolidation Day 77
Day 159 Post-op (Mon., Dec. 28 ) - Consolidation Day 78
Jogging and Walking: I have recently been jogging for a minimum of 1.5 mile (daily) in intervals of 0.1 to 0.5 miles, without pushing it too much. This is because, I'll have an appt. with Dr. M on Jan 12th. I hope I will have excellent bone consolidation and hardening with no nail bending, or any other complications, therefore have not pushed on jogging.
While jogging, I make sure stay below 30% of what I can do in terms of max speed and force; just to be safe, but figured doing a big zig zagging is totally safe, while helping me strengthen my legs. This is an example of how I do that:
https://youtu.be/_CJhWe-AXCk
I also try to do indoor biking daily.
Swimming: Swimming has been my main workout for a long time. I however had to stop swimming back in early 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions. I went to swimming for a second time this year, and since the surgery on Dec. 28th:
This video was taken on on that day. It was raining here in LA, which made my swimming experience so special. I don't think the video does justice on how beautiful that evening was, though:
https://youtu.be/LN4_YYC69DY
I feel pretty normal in the pool. Can do all the things I used to do with no issues. I could get into the pool and get out of it, without the need of using the stairs; like old times I grabbed the wall and jumped in and also pushed my body out and using my legs to stand up. Felt pretty good. I however am not at my maximum speed yet. I need to work on my upper body. Unfortunately the long duration of no swim, has made my upper body weak.
Hi SNC
Your diary is a great motivation for all current and prospect CLLers, thank you. While it's great seeing you recovering at a fast pace I have noticed something in the video where you are jogging and doing zig-zags and I really don't mean to offend you or to make your success smaller than it actually is. From second 40 on to the end of the video your femur looks quite... long. I mean yeah of course you lengthened it 3 inches/8cm so it is longer than before. To put it in other words: Is it only me and my perception (with the knowledge that you had a femur surgery) or do you get comments on your proportions now? What do the other people on the forum here think about this?
Anyway, it's great to see that you are doing so well! Wish you all the best and a great recovery!
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Probably I have just to walk more even if aided to improve callus on the femur axis, has Dr. M talked about this? What I've understood is that unfortunately many things during LL are very individual.
Dr. M. emphasized walking, various stretching exercises, but also a diet full of calcium and vitamin D. Although he did not mention the impact of whether or stress, I would not be surprised to know that they indeed play a big role.
I also agree with you that above all, mobility may help with callus growth the most. Hope your left legs recovers and your mobility goes to a 100% very soon.
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Hi SNC
....I have noticed something in the video where you are jogging and doing zig-zags and I really don't mean to offend you or to make your success smaller than it actually is. From second 40 on to the end of the video your femur looks quite... long. I mean yeah of course you lengthened it 3 inches/8cm so it is longer than before. To put it in other words: Is it only me and my perception (with the knowledge that you had a femur surgery) or do you get comments on your proportions now?
Hi Longer,
I checked seconds 40 and later after seeing your post. You are certainly correct that my femurs look abnormally long in that video. As you noted, it's partly because the femurs are 8cm longer. However it could partly be specific to that video itself (e.g., the way I dressed especially my pants which look white on femurs down to below knees, also walking on the lawn that kinda hides my shoes, etc.). As an example in the other video I had posted, femurs may not look abnormally tall:
https://youtu.be/VpdF_jEXeM0
In any case I totally agree with you that my femurs look abnormally tall in the jogging video. I try to post more video with pants that have the same color from top to bottom to get a better perspective of the femur to tibia proportion.
What do the other people on the forum here think about this?
I guess we wait to find out about others here, but about others who see me in real: No one around me has yet suspected or at least hinted me on abnormally long femurs. This includes friends, colleagues, and relatives who do or do not know about my surgery. It could be that they don't care to carefully analyze me; or that the way I dressed did not reveal it like in that video.
Those who commented, say that I look taller and my answer has been that it's probably my shoes. Also some said I look thinner, which I know is not true, cause I am definitely heavier. [By the way I need to mention that my weight in the last few weeks has ranged between 144 and 148 pounds; which is higher than my pre-surgery weight; and given my fat has not increased at all, the extra weight must be due to additional muscle and callus compared to pre-surgery].
This is what I should add: If my tibias were longer to have perfect proportion, of course that could look best; better than my current now. However comparing my current and before the surgery, I am pretty sure my legs look a lot better. I think the reason is that height is so important to eyes (at least my own eyes) that you would enjoy looking at taller legs, even if the proportion is not perfect and eyes tend to not identify a disproportion of 8cm for most of the part.
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Hi Longer,
I checked seconds 40 and later after seeing your post. You are certainly correct that my femurs look abnormally long in that video. As you noted, it's partly because the femurs are 8cm longer. However it could partly be specific to that video itself (e.g., the way I dressed especially my pants which look white on femurs down to below knees, also walking on the lawn that kinda hides my shoes, etc.). As an example in the other video I had posted, femurs may not look abnormally tall:
https://youtu.be/VpdF_jEXeM0
In any case I totally agree with you that my femurs look abnormally tall in the jogging video. I try to post more video with pants that have the same color from top to bottom to get a better perspective of the femur to tibia proportion.
I guess we wait to find out about others here, but about others who see me in real: No one around me has yet suspected or at least hinted me on abnormally long femurs. This includes friends, colleagues, and relatives who do or do not know about my surgery. It could be that they don't care to carefully analyze me; or that the way I dressed did not reveal it like in that video.
Those who commented, say that I look taller and my answer has been that it's probably my shoes. Also some said I look thinner, which I know is not true, cause I am definitely heavier. [By the way I need to mention that my weight in the last few weeks has ranged between 144 and 148 pounds; which is higher than my pre-surgery weight; and given my fat has not increased at all, the extra weight must be due to additional muscle and callus compared to pre-surgery].
This is what I should add: If my tibias were longer to have perfect proportion, of course that could look best; better than my current now. However comparing my current and before the surgery, I am pretty sure my legs look a lot better. I think the reason is that height is so important to eyes (at least my own eyes) that you would enjoy looking at taller legs, even if the proportion is not perfect and eyes tend to not identify a disproportion of 8cm for most of the part.
Hey SNC Did you have that much flexibility before undergoing surgery? Or have you been gaining it through post-surgery rehabilitation? What surprises me the most is having a lot of flexibility in that video after the operation and lengthening 8 cm hahahaha
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Nice recovery SNC! Glad to see you're basically back to normal. At the end of your distraction phase, around 70-80mm, how was your range of motion on bending your knee, and how is it now? Would be great to see a vid if you can make it in your next one. I'm currently stuck at maybe 90 degrees at best.
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Hey SNC Did you have that much flexibility before undergoing surgery? Or have you been gaining it through post-surgery rehabilitation? What surprises me the most is having a lot of flexibility in that video after the operation and lengthening 8 cm hahahaha
Thanks sakmadik for the kind words.
I had it before the surgery. In teen years I went to gymnastics and then taekwondo. However for two reasons I stopped both: First that I found out I was not exceptionally great in gymnastics or taekwondo. I could probably win a medal in my city or state, but nationally no chance. Also some of my friends got injured and that scared me. After quitting both, I still continued to do stretching to maintain my flexibility.
I lost my flexibility during distraction. I got it back again gradually starting week two into the consolidation phase. I am planning to continue my stretching routine and see if I can get better than my pre-surgery, but so far, I would say I am at the pre-surgery levels.
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Nice recovery SNC! Glad to see you're basically back to normal. At the end of your distraction phase, around 70-80mm, how was your range of motion on bending your knee, and how is it now? Would be great to see a vid if you can make it in your next one. I'm currently stuck at maybe 90 degrees at best.
Hi brokeboy,
I had a painful distraction phase. Especially due to extreme growth, Dr. M. put me on a two week fast distraction of 1.33 mm per day. That made the process even more painful and degraded my flexibility significantly. If I remember correctly during the fast distraction I could not touch my toes in the forward folding pose. However a couple weeks after the last day of distraction things started to exponentially get better. The major breakthrough happened around month 4.5 post-op that I realized I have a good shot at getting back to normal in a couple months from then. I have been spending hours per day stretching, walking and jogging. Specifically on stretching, I pushed it almost every time. I highly recommend that, of course if your doctor approves it. It would help a lot with recovery.
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....I think that for hard runs and contact sports at a good level nails have to be removed.
Hi Tartar,
I would like to add some notes on the following two items related to nails:
1) Is it possible to feel normal while on nails? or is it that no matter how strong and fast your recovery has been, you would not feel a 100% normal until you have removed the nails.
You know I had a painful distraction phase, therefore this journey was certainly not easy for me. I cannot imagine how I would survive the first few weeks post-op and also the whole distraction phase, without painkillers and the rest of the pain management I did.
With that level of pain, and given that everyone, including Dr. M. told me that life cannot be a perfect normal with the nails, I had prepared for a full recovery in about 1.5 years when I'd remove the nails. However during the consolidation phase I realized I might have a chance on a much faster recovery.
I have no medical background, but I used my finance and engineering knowledge to look at the process of recovery as an optimization problem. My goal was to minimize the recovery time to "normal" (with a definition of "normal" that I have posted on this page and before).
There are several hard constraints, e.g., nails should not get bent, and callus should not get fractured. There are some soft constraints, e.g., LDL cholesterol should not rise too high as a result of including a lot of meat in my daily diet; but I am willing to let it rise for a while so I can gain strong muscles and callus.
To not violate the hard constraints, I lowered the intensity of some of the moves such as running, but added to the duration of exercises and kept adding to the duration almost on a daily basis. This was mainly to avoid pushing the nails into bending or callus into fractures. E.g., instead of running very fast, I have done jogging at 30% of max speed I can handle, but I do for long distances and that for today was running for 3.8 miles nonstop but with a low pace, while yesterday at 3.3 miles.
My theory was to make muscles so strong to overpower the nails, to a level my body would not be able to feel the nails at all. Since I experienced extreme callus growth during distraction, I figured I could continue the same diet to hopefully get extreme callus growth during consolidation. Around month 5, I finally started to feel that my legs are strong enough to overpower the nails. No matter what I do (jogging, walking, swimming, sleeping, driving, etc.) my legs feel so strong, as if I just had a one hour swim, and that helps me have no feeling of nails.
I have therefore proven to myself that it is quite possible to get back to a 100% normal before removing the nails and that happened staring Day 150+ post-op.
2) Is it possible to compete while on nails?
Unfortunately I am not a pro athlete who has competed and won medals. But it would be great to see a pro doing something like I did and experience a fast recovery and then see if he or she can compete say by month 6 or so. I understand it seems impossible, because people talk about consolidation and hardening taking months, blah blah, but after seeing item (1) above and proving to myself that things can get back to normal by month 5, I would not be surprised if someone in the future proves that even item (2) is possible.
Finally I would like to remind us all the CLL recovery is not a racing competition. We don't wanna push our bodies to a level that we would create complications and never recover from them. Recovering in 1.5 years is still better than having to deal with complications for the rest of our post CLL life. We therefore better listen to our bodies and adjust the level of intensity and duration of our exercises and also plan for our diet.
It's like a tradeoff. The more we push our bodies, the higher the chances are that we violate the soft and hard constraints, mentioned above. Obviously we should not violate the hard constraints. We should also consider a high cost for violating the soft constraints.
I hope this helps.
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SNC is slowly taking the place of movie as fastest recovery and showin' off.
I LOVE this diary. and the idea of this as a "challenge" to positively take on.
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SNC is slowly taking the place of movie as fastest recovery and showin' off.
I LOVE this diary. and the idea of this as a "challenge" to positively take on.
Thanks las vegas baby :)
Happy New Year!
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Update:
I just visited Dr. M.'s office for my appointment. All is perfect. I am beyond happy!
The x-rays look perfect. Dr. M. said 100% bone consolidation and hardening already happened and I can do whatever I want :D I am thinking of robbing a bank :P
I had hoped for extreme growth like what I had during distraction and I am so happy that continued for me to full consolidation and hardening around month 5 post-op! I asked Dr. M. if he sees any issues such as bone fracture or nail bending and he said no, all looks perfect.
Dr. M. had seen some of my videos, so he already knew what I am capable of. He checked my walk and asked me to do a complete squat down to my feet and back up with no use of hands. I showed off a very strong and quick one and he said it just could not get better :)
He also said I am ready for nail removal in 3 months :D which means I can have my nails removed 8 months post-op. However, I think I would like to do this something after May 2021 mainly due to my job. Also the fact that I don't feel the nails and they don't bother me at all, motivates me to wait and do that at a perfect time; when my job would not be affected at all.
He also asked me to continue whatever I am doing in terms of exercise and diet until sometime after nail removal (I think he said until 3 months after nail removal, but I am not sure. Will check with him later).
While talking about the videos, I told him that I had also posted them here on this forum. He then asked what my username is and I said StrydeNailChallenge, SNC. He then said I should change my username to StrydeNailIronManChallenge ;D
Many of you helped me through this journey. I had some painful times during the distraction phase and your advice and notes here worked for me. Thanks very much for all the help and motivation. I hope my diary would be looked at as a way of returning the favor.
StrydeNailIronManChallenge [Crowned by Dr. M. himself] :D
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wow, just wow! I'm sure this will be considered the gold standard of LL recovery on this forum, 8cm femur Stryde with max recovery in 5 months post op! I will definitely be referring extensively to this forum when I myself undergo Stryde femurs LL later this year!
Key takeaways I got so far:
- Consistent pain management during distraction
- Consistent stretching AND walking AND jogging during distraction/ consolidation FOR HOURS everyday without fail(the difference between you and Movie I believe as Movie never placed as much emphasis on stretching as he did walking/ jogging according to his diary.
- Consistent high protein diet throughout, even at the risk of high cholesterol, for the sake of recovery and bone consolidation
- consistency in all these factors daily, without fail! Consistency is key!
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wow, just wow! I'm sure this will be considered the gold standard of LL recovery on this forum, 8cm femur Stryde with max recovery in 5 months post op! I will definitely be referring extensively to this forum when I myself undergo Stryde femurs LL later this year!
Key takeaways I got so far:
- Consistent pain management during distraction
- Consistent stretching AND walking AND jogging during distraction/ consolidation FOR HOURS everyday without fail(the difference between you and Movie I believe as Movie never placed as much emphasis on stretching as he did walking/ jogging according to his diary.
- Consistent high protein diet throughout, even at the risk of high cholesterol, for the sake of recovery and bone consolidation
- consistency in all these factors daily, without fail! Consistency is key!
Hi Tokito_Ohma,
I agree with you that consistency on the whole process, including never missing on the daily hours of exercise (stretching, walking, etc.) is key. Also I somehow had extremely fast callus growth. It is most likely the result of the good diet I have had. I think without the extremely fast growth recovery to "normal" would go beyond a year.
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awesome! i would need to follow your diary. 8cm with consolidation in 7 months.wow!!
could you please post your xrays(blurring out sensitive info) if you dont mind.
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awesome! i would need to follow your diary. 8cm with consolidation in 7 months.wow!!
could you please post your xrays(blurring out sensitive info) if you dont mind.
Hi fivetenneeded2016,
Consolidation in month 5; cause today, I am at the end of month 5, and full consolidation must have happened a few weeks ago.
Sure, I'll post them. Dr. M.'s office gave me a CD this time (on Jan. 12th). I'll post them as soon as I find a PC with a CD player.
I have also already posted the distraction time x-rays.
I had also posted the info on two more x-rays, one pre-op to measure the left & right height discrepancy and another, at end of distraction, to double check that there was not femur height difference.
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Hi fivetenneeded2016,
Consolidation in month 5; cause today, I am at the end of month 5, and full consolidation must have happened a few weeks ago.
Sure, I'll post them. Dr. M.'s office gave me a CD this time (on Jan. 12th). I'll post them as soon as I find a PC with a CD player.
I have also already posted the distraction time x-rays.
I had also posted the info on two more x-rays, one pre-op to measure the left & right height discrepancy and another, at end of distraction, to double check that there was not femur height difference.
did other people notice your height change ? did you fell any posture change while walking ? how much you gain height ?
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did other people notice your height change ?
Hello montahn, sorry about the delay.
Since my surgery happened during the covid-19 stay-at-home times, and also thanks to my fast recovery in months 5 post-op, I've got to meet only a few colleagues, friends and family members, in person, while I did not look normal!
Some close family members and friends knew about my surgery from the beginning. For the rest, If they notice that I look taller, I pretend it's the shoes, or that I got thinner. In any case, I don't mind telling people about my CLL if needed.
did you fell any posture change while walking ? ?
During distraction I walked like a robot or penguin :D That improved starting a couple weeks into consolidation.
I believe my posture has improved compared to before the surgery for two reasons: 1) I had a bit of femur height discrepancy (left femur a bit shorter than right) which was mostly fixed by lengthening the left a bit more than right.. 2) I have been consistently exercising and stretching; the keyword is "consistency". I've always been very active and athletic, but before the surgery, I was not consistent.
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how much you gain height ?
8cm.
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Wow I am very surprised that people do not "dig into" it more when they notice that you are taller.
Do you think they would notice if you also did tibias and gained 4-5cm more? (I know this is not your desire, but for example if you did want to)
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Hi SNC,
How are you feeling these days? It's been so many days that you haven't posted a video update, are you still doing your daily routine exercise? Have you tried anything new?
Hope you are feeling well :)
LuMu
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Wow I am very surprised that people do not "dig into" it more when they notice that you are taller.
Do you think they would notice if you also did tibias and gained 4-5cm more? (I know this is not your desire, but for example if you did want to)
Vibes, you answered your own question. I did the femurs' stryde mainly to experience the challenge and learn from it and looked at the height gain as a side benefit. I will not do tibias for various reasons including the following: 1) I look for challenges and at times I repeat them; but for the CLL, I don't think I would learn much if I did the tibias, 2) doing tibias, I would be too tall. I am quite happy with 180ish height, 3) CLL put a lot of pressure on my friends and family who knew about it. I don't want them to go through this once more.
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Hi SNC,
How are you feeling these days? It's been so many days that you haven't posted a video update, are you still doing your daily routine exercise? Have you tried anything new?
Hope you are feeling well :)
LuMu
Hi LuMu,
Thanks for checking on me. Everything is good and I feel better (stronger) than a few weeks ago, since my last post.
Sure, I'll post some videos soon.
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Welcome back snc glad everything is fine 💪🏻
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Welcome back snc glad everything is fine 💪🏻
Thanks ghkid, I appreciate your support since the beginning of my CLL journey.
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Hi SNC,
How are you feeling these days? It's been so many days that you haven't posted a video update, are you still doing your daily routine exercise? Have you tried anything new?
Hope you are feeling well :)
LuMu
This is a video of my post-op biking backwards, I took a few weeks ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tftdQ1UUEQ8
It was on my mind to give it a try to see if the new proportions would still let me do it. Turned out muscle memory wins! and I could do it with no trouble!
I went to a bike shop and asked the owner if I could check their bikes. He was watching me and it was a bit embarrassing, so I finished it quickly. Next time, I'll try to get a bike for a few hours and do some more damage :P
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This is a video of my post-op biking backwards, I took a few weeks ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tftdQ1UUEQ8
It was on my mind to give it a try to see if the new proportions would still let me do it. Turned out muscle memory wins! and I could do it with no trouble!
I went to a bike shop and asked the owner if I could check their bikes. He was watching me and it was a bit embarrassing, so I finished it quickly. Next time, I'll try to get a bike for a few hours and do some more damage :P
Nice man! Good to see you are happy and doing well
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please choose one of these for your next video
a) riding bike sideways
b) single leg squat
c) side split
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Nice man! Good to see you are happy and doing well
Thanks Jamesy998,
Just saw your diary. I make sure to follow it from now on. Best Wishes.
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please choose one of these for your next video
a) riding bike sideways
b) single leg squat
c) side split
;D biking sideways :D I try to post a video on one of these :P
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Hi snc when are you due to remove the nails? 1.5 years post op or do you think you can do it earlier?
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Please do a wheelie SNC for next video.
I'm kidding 😆
I'm curious how you doing now though
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Day 158 Post-op (Sun., Dec. 27 ) - Consolidation Day 77
Day 159 Post-op (Mon., Dec. 28 ) - Consolidation Day 78
Jogging and Walking: I have recently been jogging for a minimum of 1.5 mile (daily) in intervals of 0.1 to 0.5 miles, without pushing it too much. This is because, I'll have an appt. with Dr. M on Jan 12th. I hope I will have excellent bone consolidation and hardening with no nail bending, or any other complications, therefore have not pushed on jogging.
I feel pretty normal in the pool. Can do all the things I used to do with no issues. I could get into the pool and get out of it, without the need of using the stairs; like old times I grabbed the wall and jumped in and also pushed my body out and using my legs to stand up. Felt pretty good. I however am not at my maximum speed yet. I need to work on my upper body. Unfortunately the long duration of no swim, has made my upper body weak.
How long does it take you to jog the 1.5 miles? I am thinking of becoming a police officer a year after I get the surgery, and being able to run 1.5 miles under 16 minutes is one of the physical requirements.
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Hi snc when are you due to remove the nails? 1.5 years post op or do you think you can do it earlier?
Hello canterk,
Sorry about the delay. You would have the details on page 16 of my diary. In short, back in January 2021, Dr. M. said that I could remove my nails in 3 months [sometime in March 2021 which is already here!] Considering I did the surgery on July 23, if I removed my nails now, it would make it 8 months. A typical time for removal is 1 to 1.5 years after the surgery.
I believe my case should be looked at as an extreme case in the spectrum of CLL'ers. Everything went fast and almost perfect. I say almost, cause I experienced a lot of pain during distraction, however I made a record in finishing lengthening early and feeling normal with activities even normal people would have a hard time by month 5. I think for someone to decide whether they should do this surgery or not, they should carefully research about CLL, and also read some diaries here on average cases as far as recovery time, etc.
I hope this answers your questions.
SNC
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Please do a wheelie SNC for next video.
I'm kidding 😆
I'm curious how you doing now though
Hey ghkid,
Sorry about the delay!
Glad you were joking, cause I was always below average in wheelie. My friends did a lot better than me :P
I am doing great. Since month 5 that I felt like I am back to normal, there are many days I don't even think about my CLL. I have been planning for my next challenges since then. They demand a lot of brain power :D
You changed your name a couple of times, and I got worried it had something to do with GME. I hope you did not have any negative experience with it. Stay Safe!
SNC
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Probably a world record case study of CLL. Best recovery and surprising age as well.
Cheers StrydeNailChallenge! You really are an anomaly- I am inclined to say this is the best result on the entire forum, akin to Movie's recovery. Amazing!
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How long does it take you to jog the 1.5 miles? I am thinking of becoming a police officer a year after I get the surgery, and being able to run 1.5 miles under 16 minutes is one of the physical requirements.
Hello SPhantom,
I am currently in month 7 and can do 3 miles in less than 25 minutes and 1.5 miles in about 12 minutes on grass, without pushing it too much. I believe I can be faster if I have to, especially if I train myself for a few weeks before making the record and also if the track is better than a grassland.
I believe the earliest I could do 1.5 miles under 16 minutes would be in month 4 in early December 2020, but never tried that then. I took it easy on speed, but worked on increasing distance, e.g., walked for over 10 miles per day. My avg. "Walking + Running Distance" so far in 2021 is 6.1 miles per day. After my last appt. with Dr. M. on Jan. 12th (Month 5) and getting his confirmation on full callus consolidation, I increased my speed.
I have a feeling any CLL'er with no serious issues during surgery or post-op should be able to run 1.5 miles under 16 minutes, latest one year after the surgery, but please double check with others to make sure of that. Best wishes on your future endeavors.
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Probably a world record case study of CLL. Best recovery and surprising age as well.
Cheers StrydeNailChallenge! You really are an anomaly- I am inclined to say this is the best result on the entire forum, akin to Movie's recovery. Amazing!
Hi Serilium,
Thanks man for the kind words and support.
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Dear All,
I've just found out about the recall, cause I did not check the forum and news for a while. It looks troubling. I have sent an email to Dr. Mahboubian about it and will let all know if I hear anything. Meanwhile, I was wondering if anyone has some info on what the recall means for those who have done the stryde nail already and either removed it recently or are close to removal.
Thanks,
SNC
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I removed it couple of weeks ago. All Precise Stryde has been recalled by Nuvasive and there are corrosions on the Stryde. Nuvasive is recommending to remove the nail no more than a year. Please let us know when you hear back from your doctor.
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I removed it couple of weeks ago. All Precise Stryde has been recalled by Nuvasive and there are corrosions on the Stryde. Nuvasive is recommending to remove the nail no more than a year. Please let us know when you hear back from your doctor.
When are you allowed to generally remove the nail? I am seeing mixed numbers, some people say after 2 years, some 1, but you said Nuvasive said before 1 year?
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It all depends on bone formation.... can remove one year or less if there are lots of bone regenerate and the bones have healed. I took an X-ray and Dr. Paley emailed that I am ready for removal
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It all depends on bone formation.... can remove one year or less if there are lots of bone regenerate and the bones have healed. I took an X-ray and Dr. Paley emailed that I am ready for removal
After removing the nails, have you noticed it's easier to walk and bend your legs?
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I am still recovering from the surgery and sore around the hips. I am going to wait until fully recovered from the rod removal surgery before looking for gait improvement, easier to walk and flexibilities. It is way too early to tell if there is any improvement
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I am still recovering from the surgery and sore around the hips. I am going to wait until fully recovered from the rod removal surgery before looking for gait improvement, easier to walk and flexibilities. It is way too early to tell if there is any improvement
Congratulations on completing the last step of the CLL process! I hope you see great improvement soon.
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Hello SPhantom,
I am currently in month 7 and can do 3 miles in less than 25 minutes and 1.5 miles in about 12 minutes on grass, without pushing it too much. I believe I can be faster if I have to, especially if I train myself for a few weeks before making the record and also if the track is better than a grassland.
I believe the earliest I could do 1.5 miles under 16 minutes would be in month 4 in early December 2020, but never tried that then. I took it easy on speed, but worked on increasing distance, e.g., walked for over 10 miles per day. My avg. "Walking + Running Distance" so far in 2021 is 6.1 miles per day. After my last appt. with Dr. M. on Jan. 12th (Month 5) and getting his confirmation on full callus consolidation, I increased my speed.
I have a feeling any CLL'er with no serious issues during surgery or post-op should be able to run 1.5 miles under 16 minutes, latest one year after the surgery, but please double check with others to make sure of that. Best wishes on your future endeavors.
SPhantom,
I am wondering if you could record your 1.5 mile or 3 mile run. It would be good to know how you did before doing the surgery. Unfortunately I was never into running, so I did not record my time before the surgery. I do have that for swimming, though.
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SPhantom,
I am wondering if you could record your 1.5 mile or 3 mile run. It would be good to know how you did before doing the surgery. Unfortunately I was never into running, so I did not record my time before the surgery. I do have that for swimming, though.
Yeah that's my plan. I am out of shape right now, but my 1.5 mile time is 17mins. I think within the next 2 months or so, after losing some weight I should be able to get it at the 14min mark. I am still saving up for the surgery so my plan is to get to a time of 10mins or so for the 1.5 mile within the next year or so. People are saying that you can recover around 80% of your running so that should put my goal at 12mins post LL, which is good enough for what I need it. I am also stretching my muscles every day and already preparing the surgery 2 years in advance, so that I will be at my best and won't have to worry about being sore.
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Yeah that's my plan. I am out of shape right now, but my 1.5 mile time is 17mins. I think within the next 2 months or so, after losing some weight I should be able to get it at the 14min mark. I am still saving up for the surgery so my plan is to get to a time of 10mins or so for the 1.5 mile within the next year or so. People are saying that you can recover around 80% of your running so that should put my goal at 12mins post LL, which is good enough for what I need it. I am also stretching my muscles every day and already preparing the surgery 2 years in advance, so that I will be at my best and won't have to worry about being sore.
Sounds like a carefully drafted plan. I agree with all the things you said.
Just wanted to remind you that it would get exponentially harder as you shorten your time. I think my timing of <25 minutes per 3 miles or 12 mins. per 1.5 miles are average and easy to achieve. However as you push it towards 6 and half minutes per mile [to achieve 1.5 miles in 10 mins.] things get exponentially difficult. Be careful with your knees. If you have access to a running track, then avoid running on hard floors.
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Sounds like a carefully drafted plan. I agree with all the things you said.
Just wanted to remind you that it would get exponentially harder as you shorten your time. I think my timing of <25 minutes per 3 miles or 12 mins. per 1.5 miles are average and easy to achieve. However as you push it towards 6 and half minutes per mile [to achieve 1.5 miles in 10 mins.] things get exponentially difficult. Be careful with your knees. If you have access to a running track, then avoid running on hard floors.
Yeah I heard that too. I have a treadmill so that's what I am using for running right now. My plan is to also get an elevation mask and start wearing it while running, and eventually I am also going to be getting a weight vest, to increase the difficulty. The most important thing I have learned about mile times, is that pacing is the most important thing so hopefully the elevation mask helps to increase my lung capacity.
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I removed it couple of weeks ago. All Precise Stryde has been recalled by Nuvasive and there are corrosions on the Stryde. Nuvasive is recommending to remove the nail no more than a year. Please let us know when you hear back from your doctor.
Hi readyprecisestryde,
Dr. M. confirms there is rusting and corrosion on stryde nails, however he thinks I should not worry about the recall, as my surgery went well and my x-rays have been perfect.
My CLL surgery was back in July 23, 2020. Dr. M. had already told me [back in January] that I could remove the nails by March 2021. I am going to get that done soon; sometime in Month 8 post-op.
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Hello SNC,
Awesome and the nail removal surgery is easier than the original surgery. It is not a walk in the park though. I am happy that I removed the nail and the corrosion was causing me a lot of anxiety. Good luck!
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Day 252 (8 months and 9 days) Post-op - Hardware Removal Surgery
I removed the nails today (April 1st, 2021). All went perfectly :) The surgery started at 10:30am and by 2pm I was walking unassisted. So far, sitting and standing have been smooth, but I use my arms as support. I can use the restroom with no issues. I had an early release from hospital and was at home by 4pm :) Getting in and out the car was easy.
I feel a bit sore (hip area), but my plan is to avoid painkillers; and use ice packs instead. Overall this surgery been a lot easier to manage than I had imagined. I'll write more details soon and continue to update until full recovery.
Update @ 8pm pacific time: It's been over 4 hours since I got back home. I have continued to walk unassisted (short [<2minutes], and slow walks).
I have no pain, but my side hips are a bit sore. I had expected a lot more discomfort. Perhaps it's cause I was on anesthesia during the removal surgery, but I hope that's not the case, and it's because the removal causes little to no pain generally. I guess I'll find out soon!
I got sore throat which also propagates to my left ear. I have taken the two dozes of Pfizer, therefore I am not much concerned about covid-19, but it could be cold or flu.
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Wow SNC, your nails are already out? I bet that's a record as well! Great to hear that the surgery wasn't too rough on you. It seems like the people who have the toughest time with nail removal are those who got four nails (in two segments) taken out all at once.
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SNC - congrats! Add this to the book of CLLer Guinness book of records, which along with all your other feats has to put you at the top all-time! If I can do the journey in twice as much time as it took you with the same amount of success, I would consider that outstanding. Congrats again 👍
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Wow SNC, your nails are already out? I bet that's a record as well! Great to hear that the surgery wasn't too rough on you. It seems like the people who have the toughest time with nail removal are those who got four nails (in two segments) taken out all at once.
Thanks BelowTheMean,
I think you are right. I don't think anyone would dare to remove the nails in month 8. I think my quick consolidation phase was the main reason.
I however would not be surprised if we saw more stryder CLL'ers opting for an early removal around one year post-op (instead of 1.5 yrs or longer), due to the recall.
Did you already consult with your doctor about nail removal?
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SNC - congrats! Add this to the book of CLLer Guinness book of records, which along with all your other feats has to put you at the top all-time! If I can do the journey in twice as much time as it took you with the same amount of success, I would consider that outstanding. Congrats again 👍
Thanks L8GrowthSpurt for the kind words.
Please feel free to let me know during your CLL journey if you think I can help. I would be happy to help. I have already mentioned everything in my diary, but I know it's a long diary now, and one may miss some stuff.
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Wow SNC, your nails are already out? I bet that's a record as well! Great to hear that the surgery wasn't too rough on you. It seems like the people who have the toughest time with nail removal are those who got four nails (in two segments) taken out all at once.
By the way, isn't what you said (four nails in two segments) the case for every stryder? I am checking my x-rays (also posted here) and also any other x-rays I recall looked like what you described.
Two days ago during my pre-op visit, I thought I'd ask Dr. M. whether I could have the nails. I was not sure if he would agree, cause I had read on this forum that some doctors would not return the nails. However Dr. M. did not even hesitate for a second to say sure!! :)
They gave me the nails and screws (two stryde nails and 8 screws) in a plastic bag after I woke up from the surgery. I will post some pictures of them as soon as I get a chance, but man! the nails are heavy. and seem very strong. It would take a lot of weight and force to be able to bend them :P
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hi StrydeNailChallege,
I really enjoyed reading your diary. You are older in age but definitely look like the 25 year old man.
Dr Shahab is very popular option in los angeles for this operation and he gets the good result always. Did you discuss the risk of deep bone infection after initial surgery with the doctor? I want to know how many months or days after surgery you can develop the deep bone infection and can stop worrying about it.
I will probably do this operation with Dr Javier or Dr Shahab or Dr Kevin
cheers,
sergio
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Thanks BelowTheMean,
I think you are right. I don't think anyone would dare to remove the nails in month 8. I think my quick consolidation phase was the main reason.
I however would not be surprised if we saw more stryder CLL'ers opting for an early removal around one year post-op (instead of 1.5 yrs or longer), due to the recall.
Did you already consult with your doctor about nail removal?
I'm only three weeks into consolidation, so I haven't even had my first X-ray yet. I think I will try to get them out before the end of the year if possible though. BTW, how are your scars post removal, did you get any new ones? (Though I suppose you might not know yet since they are probably still covered with bandages.)
By the way, isn't what you said (four nails in two segments) the case for every stryder? I am checking my x-rays (also posted here) and also any other x-rays I recall looked like what you described.
Ah, what I meant to say was quadrilaterals, which should be four nails in four segments (both femurs and both tibias.) I think most of the people who complained about pain, not being able to walk, or needing assistive devices to walk after removal had four IM nails removed at once instead of two.
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Day 252 (8 months and 9 days) Post-op - Hardware Removal Surgery
I removed the nails today (April 1st, 2021). All went perfectly :) The surgery started at 10:30am and by 2pm I was walking unassisted. So far, sitting and standing have been smooth, but I use my arms as support. I can use the restroom with no issues. I had an early release from hospital and was at home by 4pm :) Getting in and out the car was easy.
I feel a bit sore (hip area), but my plan is to avoid painkillers; and use ice packs instead. Overall this surgery been a lot easier to manage than I had imagined. I'll write more details soon and continue to update until full recovery.
Update @ 8pm pacific time: It's been over 4 hours since I got back home. I have continued to walk unassisted (short [<2minutes], and slow walks).
I have no pain, but my side hips are a bit sore. I had expected a lot more discomfort. Perhaps it's cause I was on anesthesia during the removal surgery, but I hope that's not the case, and it's because the removal causes little to no pain generally. I guess I'll find out soon!
I got sore throat which also propagates to my left ear. I have taken the two dozes of Pfizer, therefore I am not much concerned about covid-19, but it could be cold or flu.
Updates:
Pre-Surgery Appointments:
Similarly to the CLL surgery I was given three appointments, one with a general doctor for pre-surgery tests (included blood/urine tests a chest x-ray), a pre-surgery screening at the hospital that included a covid test, and also a pre-surgery meeting with Dr. M.
There were some last minute mix up (the lab office lost my urine sample, lol, and also the chest x-ray report was delayed), but finally all were set for the removal surgery on April 1st.
The hospital screening took longer than the last time (for the CLL surgery itself). I think they had more checks and questions this time. They also have this new thing that you'd shower twice once the night before the surgery and another time in the morning before surgery; each time using a special soap package that they mail to you. You would use that soap neck down and avoid the genitals. Apparently it's supposed to lower the infection rate during the surgery.
My meeting with Dr. M. was short. He believed the surgery would go well. but he knows my crazy mind, so he asked me to hold on anything aggressive for 3 months after the surgery (no crazy biking, running, etc.). I told him that I would only walk and nothing more!
Nail Removal Surgery Day also Day 252 (8 months and 9 days) Post-CLL Surgery My surgery had been scheduled for April 1st starting at 7:30am, however it was later postponed to 10:30am. I was there at the hospital at 7:30am for preparation. The steps were similar to those of the CLL surgery. I only had a cellphone and a form of ID with me. Cellphone kept me busy in between steps. Dr. M. came by around 10am to let me know all is good to go. The anesthesiologist's talk was also similar to last time. I was in the surgery room around 10:20am. I felt very good the whole time. Especially knowing I was doing something amazing by removing the nails 8 months post-op, something no one has ever done before! Breaking records are my thing and I would do anything to break a record, kidding! haha!
Tried to memorize faces and everything, cause I always wanna remember the last minute before I am put to sleep! it's like a challenge for me and I always fail that! once again I cannot remember the last minute before going to sleep :D I remember the first moment they gave me anesthesia my hand (where the IV is) burnt and then I was gone :D
When I woke up, I asked a nurse and she said everything went well. They also called my family and let them know that all went well. It was around 1:30pm when I got my stuff back. I asked the nurse to walk, but she said I had to wait for the PT to give me the green light. There was no lunch, but some jelly, pudding and cold water. I felt thirsty and hungry since I woke up, so I had them all quickly. I felt like throwing up, but finally did not!
The PT came by around 2pm with crutches. I asked him whether I could try walking unassisted first; and walked to restroom and peed :D He said I made his job a lot easier and informed the nurse that I was set to leave the hospital. He just told me to be careful to not move my hips while my feet are firm on the ground, cause that may put too much pressure on the bones (the screws' areas where there are holes) and break them.
By the time my ride arrived it was around 3:15 and I was at home shortly before 4pm. I walked for 0.8 miles only, on the surgery day.
My walks are unassisted, but penguin like and very slow. I kept reminding myself what Dr. M. and the PT said about being careful to not put too much pressure on the screws' spots and avoid any fractures. Also given that I removed my nails 8 months post-op, it's wise to take it easy!
First night after surgery:
I felt no pain in legs since I woke up from the removal surgery. I had a great night sleep. Had to go to restroom twice, cause I drank a lot of water and tea (I had a bit of sore throat that migrated towards my left ear, so I tried to keep myself hydrated).
Hope this helps.
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Congrats SNC! I recommend to couch potato for 10 days, don't bother walking too much. I do not want to scare you, but a person called programdude removed his nails somewhat early like you, and decided to return to normalcy too soon and snapped his femur! Just be a couch potato for 10 days! Then slowly pick it up and walk a little! This is a success- but please take it easy SNC! It's okay to be a potato for 10 days !
You are already world record haha! Back then 8 months is when Precice patients STARTED walking unassisted. You REMOVED the nails at 8 months. You are f**king insane (in a good way!)
Actually probably worried that you will go too hard this week on recovery- you have that grind mentality and will work 200% hard and you will probably hate to slack off- but please forgive yourself and be a potato for 10 days :) 10 days of slacking and eating and then months of easy, no stress exercise.
congrats SNC! Best diary ever!
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By the way, isn't what you said (four nails in two segments) the case for every stryder? I am checking my x-rays (also posted here) and also any other x-rays I recall looked like what you described.
Two days ago during my pre-op visit, I thought I'd ask Dr. M. whether I could have the nails. I was not sure if he would agree, cause I had read on this forum that some doctors would not return the nails. However Dr. M. did not even hesitate for a second to say sure!! :)
They gave me the nails and screws (two stryde nails and 8 screws) in a plastic bag after I woke up from the surgery. I will post some pictures of them as soon as I get a chance, but man! the nails are heavy. and seem very strong. It would take a lot of weight and force to be able to bend them :P
Let’s see those corroded strydes....lol. Just kidding!! But seriously, I really want to see what’s up because I’m really wondering if mine are corroding in my legs right now. I’m about to start drinking WD-40 every night!! Hahaha
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hi StrydeNailChallege,
I really enjoyed reading your diary. You are older in age but definitely look like the 25 year old man.
Dr Shahab is very popular option in los angeles for this operation and he gets the good result always. Did you discuss the risk of deep bone infection after initial surgery with the doctor? I want to know how many months or days after surgery you can develop the deep bone infection and can stop worrying about it.
I will probably do this operation with Dr Javier or Dr Shahab or Dr Kevin
cheers,
sergio
Hi Sergio,
Thanks. I remember back in December 2020 when I met Dr. M. for the first time he told me that one of the possible complications would be infection, but he did not particularly talk about bone infection and how long after the surgery that would still be a possibility. However I would say since bone infection can be seen in x rays, I hope bone infections can be identified by the doctor soon enough.
CLL is a tough challenge but very joyful. I highly recommend stryde. I hope the recall ends soon with some noticeable quality improvement in strydes so you and others would have the chance to go for it.
SNC
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BTW, how are your scars post removal, did you get any new ones? (Though I suppose you might not know yet since they are probably still covered with bandages.)
Hi BTM, I did have multiple scars on the screw sides close to knees and up in the hips and also in the middle where they cut the bone. They all improved, but did not disappear. One reason is that I don't care to try any lotions or anything for removal or minimization. Leg hair covers them mostly. In any case, I kinda like to have some scars, as a reminder of the things I have done ;D I would say for girls it would be an issue. They don't want to have the scars I have :D Please remind me and in a few months I'll post the pictures, after bandages are gone and scars improved so you see for yourself.
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Fastest removal ever, your healing is blessed
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Congrats SNC! I recommend to couch potato for 10 days, don't bother walking too much. I do not want to scare you, but a person called programdude removed his nails somewhat early like you, and decided to return to normalcy too soon and snapped his femur! Just be a couch potato for 10 days! Then slowly pick it up and walk a little! This is a success- but please take it easy SNC! It's okay to be a potato for 10 days !
You are already world record haha! Back then 8 months is when Precice patients STARTED walking unassisted. You REMOVED the nails at 8 months. You are f**king insane (in a good way!)
Actually probably worried that you will go too hard this week on recovery- you have that grind mentality and will work 200% hard and you will probably hate to slack off- but please forgive yourself and be a potato for 10 days :) 10 days of slacking and eating and then months of easy, no stress exercise.
congrats SNC! Best diary ever!
Thanks very much Serilium. I remember ghkid told me about the programdude story, when I was in month 4 postop. I believe based on programdude's diary, he did precise with rods that are not as weight bearing as stryde nails back in July 2014. He then had his rods removes in July 2015. A few months later in October 2015 (around month 13 post-op), he had a left leg bone fracture.
There is a high chance his left callus was not fully consolidated and his walking and stretching exercises, gradually deepened a fracture that probably started possibly earlier than October 2015. I think had stryde been available at his time, he would not have experienced the fracture. In any case I am not a medical doctor and my guesses could all be wrong. That is the reason I have done what you said; I have been extra careful. I also listen to my body to make sure I continue to have zero pain. If any pain starts, I will immediately go for an x-ray.
I walked only 0.8 miles on the day of surgery and only 1.7 miles, yesterday, day 1 post-op. I made every move very slowly and cautiously. I have also stopped all other activities, including daily stretching exercises.
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Let’s see those corroded strydes....lol. Just kidding!! But seriously, I really want to see what’s up because I’m really wondering if mine are corroding in my legs right now. I’m about to start drinking WD-40 every night!! Hahaha
Sorry I have not posted them yet. Dr. M. said he would have them cleaned. When I got them, I saw some stuff close to the edges and I assumed corrosion. However when I got home, and double checked them, I found out they were my own bone marrow. I am trying to carefully clean it such as I remove the bone marrow parts, but do not remove any corroded parts and make a high quality picture, so we all get some good perspective of how much corrosion occurs month 8 post-op.
In any case, I trust Dr. M. that at least in my case, even if there were any corrosion, I would not have any long term impacts, considering how my body has responded so far.
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Fastest removal ever, your healing is blessed
Thanks Tartar,
How is it going? I hope all is well on your side.
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Friday, April 2: Day 1 Post-Nail Removal - Day 253 (8 months and 10 days) Post-CLL Surgery
Cold
Unfortunately the sore throat I felt, has persisted. The only time I removed my mask was after the surgery while eating. I may have gotten it from the nurses who were around during the lunch time; or possibly in the surgery room when they must have removed my mask for the oxygen tube. It's unfortunate I got cold. It's not that bad. I don't have a fever, nor body pain, runny nose, etc., but only mild sore throat now; perhaps because it's viral and I had the flu vaccine back in late September 2020; but I wish I were more careful while outside.
The last time I got cold like this was back in December 2020. I think I could avoid getting sick for this long, mostly cause of WFH and social distancing policies.
This is a good reminder for me and possibly you guys to be extra careful, especially if you are scheduled for a surgery; to do all it takes to minimize the risk of getting covid, cold, etc. while at the hospital.
Update:
I continued to be extremely cautious. My sitting and standing at times took more than 30 seconds, to make sure I leave no chance to any possible bone fracture near the old screw or nail areas.
The only thing I did that may seem crazy was trying driving. I was pretty confident I could drive even a couple hours after the nail removal; therefore listening to my body, I saw the risk of driving at day 1, as zero.
Everything else was super conservative. I only walked for 0.8 miles, yesterday on the surgery day, and today on day 1, only for 1.7 miles. I was careful on every step to make sure I don't sway or rotate that may increase the risk of a bone fracture.
I would not mind doing assisted walks to minimize the risk, however I had donated my wheelchair and walker long ago! I also planned to use the crutches only outside (to not make home dirty) therefore the plan is to continue to walk unassisted while at home and use crutches outside, if necessary.
As long as I don't walk, it feels as if I never did any surgery. However when I move (sit, stand, walk) I feel some very low level of soreness, on the two screw spots (mainly hips, and rarely above knees, where screws had been put). I should say the best surprise I have had, has been the zero pain I have experienced since I woke up from the surgery yesterday. It's amazing, that the removal may not create any pain at all! I have had great night sleeps since a couple weeks into consolidation. I am so happy that my night sleep quality did not degrade after the nail removal. I am also glad I have not needed to take painkillers for this surgery.
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Sat., April 3: Day 2 Post-Nail Removal - Day 254 (8 months and 11 days) Post-CLL
Updates:
Forgot to mention before that I have been taking aspirin (prescribed by Dr. M. as a blood thinner medicine) twice per day.
I walked unassisted, for 1.8 miles only today. Similarly to Day 1, I was extra careful in taking steps, sitting and standing. My gait is not yet perfect. I also figured as a tradeoff of gait vs safety; I compromise on gait by trying to minimize standing on one leg and instead quickly going on both legs on the ground, so that I can make my steps safer. Similarly to the surgery day and day 1, no pain and therefore no painkillers. My biggest happiest surprise of the surgery :) Soreness on right leg is almost gone now, however left leg lags and I feel some soreness on the left hip area, while walking.
Night 3 post-op: As usual I had a great sleep of more than 8 hours. I woke up a couple times to use the restroom, though. I believe the first time I woke up (around 2am) I felt like my sore throat and left ear irritation are gone. This means my cold took little over 48 hours. I hope now that I have recovered from cold, I can focus on brining my gait to a 100%.
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Let’s see those corroded strydes....lol. Just kidding!! But seriously, I really want to see what’s up because I’m really wondering if mine are corroding in my legs right now. I’m about to start drinking WD-40 every night!! Hahaha
Sorry I have not posted them yet. Dr. M. said he would have them cleaned. When I got them, I saw some stuff close to the edges and I assumed corrosion. However when I got home, and double checked them, I found out they were my own bone marrow. I am trying to carefully clean them such that I remove the bone marrow parts, but do not remove any corroded parts, and then make a high quality picture, so we all get some good perspective of how much corrosion occurs month 8 post-op.
In any case, I trust Dr. M. that at least in my case, even if there were any corrosion, I would not have any long term impacts, considering how my body has responded so far.
I finally got a chance to make a video on the nails. The vide appears below.
After carefully checking the nails to make sure not much bone marrow is still on the nails, I don't see any sign of corrosion/rusting.
I see one of the Stryde nails as a few millimeters longer. That must be the one for my left femur. I had already noted in my diary that I went to max (of 8cm) on left, but 7.97 mm or so on the right; as my right femur was a bit longer than my left pre-op. The longer left Stryde seems to have a design pattern towards the end. In the video I point at it. That does not show on the right one, cause I did not max the right out, so it must be inside the nail.
Just because I don't see corrosion/rusting does not mean there cannot be.
Please check the pictures that Azman had provided on his corroded Stryde nails. In fact Dr. M. had also told me that they see rusting/corrosion, on Stryde nails when they remove the nails. I hope the recall finds any issues including rusting related and resolves them.
However rusting/corrosion must be a function of time, as well as some parameters related to the patient's body (chemical, etc.). It just happens that perhaps in my case there was no rusting/corrosion.
Let me know if you have any comments, or questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RJkKKjI7ME
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I finally got a chance to make a video on the nails. The vide appears below.
After carefully checking the nails to make sure not much bone marrow is still on the nails, I don't see any sign of corrosion/rusting.
I see one of the Stryde nails as a few millimeters longer. That must be the one for my left femur. I had already noted in my diary that I went to max (of 8cm) on left, but 7.97 mm or so on the right; as my right femur was a bit longer than my left pre-op. The longer left Stryde seems to have a design pattern towards the end. In the video I point at it. That does not show on the right one, cause I did not max the right out, so it must be inside the nail.
Just because I don't see corrosion/rusting does not mean there cannot be.
Please check the pictures that Azman had provided on his corroded Stryde nails. In fact Dr. M. had also told me that they see rusting/corrosion, on Stryde nails when they remove the nails. I hope the recall finds any issues including rusting related and resolves them.
However rusting/corrosion must be a function of time, as well as some parameters related to the patient's body (chemical, etc.). It just happens that perhaps in my case there was no rusting/corrosion.
Let me know if you have any comments, or questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RJkKKjI7ME
Dude, that video gave me hope. I know people’s body’s can produce different chemicals which in turn affects corrosion possibilities, but hopefully mine are as clean as yours. I had to speed up lengthening due to fast consolidation too, so maybe I can remove them soon as well. My last xrays showed excellent bone growth as if they are consolidation fast. I’m 3 months into consolidation.
I’m glad I have the stainless steel stryde. I’m hitting the gym and walking without fear and it’s great.
Another side note, being 6’ now at the gym (easily 6’1” with my shoes), I’m noticing that I’m nearly taller than 90% of everyone in there. It’s a great confidence booster and building the upper body along with hitting the shoulders (delts) gets me to the serious physique I’ve been looking for.
So for all those prospective LL’rs, Stryde is the shiznit and COMPLETELY, and I mean COMPLETELY solved any height neurosis I may have had. ITS GONE!!!!!
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damn dude 8 months. You gotta pay respect to the stryde nails by keeping it in your body for atleast 1 year. Thats the protocol.
Anyway if you had made up your mind on the removal, I wouldve requested you to remove only one first and then the other after 12 months so we could see if corrosion happens between 8 and 12 months. Now youve crossed off that possibility :(
anyway sir, jokes aside, congrats on your completion of the journey and we still look forward to seeing how you recover. of course none of this is useful to us because just because YOU recover and do crazy things doesnt mean us common plebs can because we dont have that superman DNA.
cheers SNC, I like the idea of living life challenge to challenge and lookin' forward to challenges instead of cryin' about them.
btw whats your next challenge?
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SNC,
I read through your diary again and I like your attitude in general. it's prob all genes but do you have some stuff younger guys can read/watch to become like you in attitude?
Even though I am a full adult now I have a habit of blaming things on others and the situation instead of taking control over it with full responsibility.
thank senor
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Dude, that video gave me hope. I know people’s body’s can produce different chemicals which in turn affects corrosion possibilities, but hopefully mine are as clean as yours. I had to speed up lengthening due to fast consolidation too, so maybe I can remove them soon as well. My last xrays showed excellent bone growth as if they are consolidation fast. I’m 3 months into consolidation.
I’m glad I have the stainless steel stryde. I’m hitting the gym and walking without fear and it’s great.
Another side note, being 6’ now at the gym (easily 6’1” with my shoes), I’m noticing that I’m nearly taller than 90% of everyone in there. It’s a great confidence booster and building the upper body along with hitting the shoulders (delts) gets me to the serious physique I’ve been looking for.
So for all those prospective LL’rs, Stryde is the shiznit and COMPLETELY, and I mean COMPLETELY solved any height neurosis I may have had. ITS GONE!!!!!
Don't want to go totally off topic in SNC's journal, but do you notice that sometimes when you're walking down the street and you see a guy from far away and he looks taller than you, but then when you cross paths you are actually taller than the other guy? It has happened to me so many times since surgery! I don't think my perception has fully adjusted to being taller yet ;D
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I finally got a chance to make a video on the nails. The vide appears below.
After carefully checking the nails to make sure not much bone marrow is still on the nails, I don't see any sign of corrosion/rusting.
I see one of the Stryde nails as a few millimeters longer. That must be the one for my left femur. I had already noted in my diary that I went to max (of 8cm) on left, but 7.97 mm or so on the right; as my right femur was a bit longer than my left pre-op. The longer left Stryde seems to have a design pattern towards the end. In the video I point at it. That does not show on the right one, cause I did not max the right out, so it must be inside the nail.
Just because I don't see corrosion/rusting does not mean there cannot be.
Please check the pictures that Azman had provided on his corroded Stryde nails. In fact Dr. M. had also told me that they see rusting/corrosion, on Stryde nails when they remove the nails. I hope the recall finds any issues including rusting related and resolves them.
However rusting/corrosion must be a function of time, as well as some parameters related to the patient's body (chemical, etc.). It just happens that perhaps in my case there was no rusting/corrosion.
Let me know if you have any comments, or questions.
It's pretty cool that you can measure the nails after taking them out to know what the true amount lengthened was. I am definitely curious and plan to measure mine when I take them out because I don't think I actually maxed out either leg, but I should be very very close.
It makes sense that you were less likely to have corrosion since you didn't exactly have the nails in for a long time!
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Don't want to go totally off topic in SNC's journal, but do you notice that sometimes when you're walking down the street and you see a guy from far away and he looks taller than you, but then when you cross paths you are actually taller than the other guy? It has happened to me so many times since surgery! I don't think my perception has fully adjusted to being taller yet ;D
OMG you hit the nail right on the head!!! I thought it was only me thinking that. It happens ALL THE TIME! I would see a guy far from me and think he’s way taller than he is, then I get closer and POOF, I’m taller than him. Then I actually start to think if I look super tall to people now from far away. So strange huh??? Sure makes you feel great and confident though!Do you think it’s our old perception still trained to perceive things in our old ways??? I’ll tell you what man, you definetly get to experience the world in a whole new way now. Almost as if we are living a new life or journey.
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Congrats SNC! staying tuned to the post removal updates ;D
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Dude, that video gave me hope. I know people’s body’s can produce different chemicals which in turn affects corrosion possibilities, but hopefully mine are as clean as yours. I had to speed up lengthening due to fast consolidation too, so maybe I can remove them soon as well. My last xrays showed excellent bone growth as if they are consolidation fast. I’m 3 months into consolidation.
I’m glad I have the stainless steel stryde. I’m hitting the gym and walking without fear and it’s great.
Another side note, being 6’ now at the gym (easily 6’1” with my shoes), I’m noticing that I’m nearly taller than 90% of everyone in there. It’s a great confidence booster and building the upper body along with hitting the shoulders (delts) gets me to the serious physique I’ve been looking for.
So for all those prospective LL’rs, Stryde is the shiznit and COMPLETELY, and I mean COMPLETELY solved any height neurosis I may have had. ITS GONE!!!!!
Hello itseasy,
I am glad the video had some positive impact on you. I hope all goes well for you and you'll also be completely happy with your nail removal and finally mark the end of your CLL journey.
Also glad that you are happy with your results.
Cheers,
SNC
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damn dude 8 months. You gotta pay respect to the stryde nails by keeping it in your body for atleast 1 year. Thats the protocol.
Anyway if you had made up your mind on the removal, I wouldve requested you to remove only one first and then the other after 12 months so we could see if corrosion happens between 8 and 12 months. Now youve crossed off that possibility :(
Hi lvb :)
While reading this, in my mind I was imagining a platform for one of the nails to be kept in a human-body-like emulator for 4 more months to see how much it would corrode. It would need a lot of mechanical engineering and AI. Perhaps someone should do a Ph.D. on it :P
Had the recall not happened, I would have removed my nails in July 2021 or later. I did not have much motivation for early removal, even if my consolidation went extremely great and formed completely by month 5 post-op, and also that Dr. M. had told me that I could do the removal as early as March 2021. . The nails did not bother me at all. I felt normal with them. However as soon as I heard about the recall, I called Dr. M.'s office and asked for the earliest surgery date. They gave me April 1st, which makes it 8 months post-op; something I had never imagined to happen, when I started my CLL journey. I hope the recall ultimately turns out to be a success for future CLL'ers.
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anyway sir, jokes aside, congrats on your completion of the journey and we still look forward to seeing how you recover.
Thanks lvb.
I don't believe in life after death!!! this life is all I have and I wanna max out my happiness and satisfaction feelings. I learnt long ago that helping others gives me this extreme joy. I started checking this forum one week before my surgery and throughout my CLL journey and I decided to write my own diary to hopefully help others. I will try my best to check this forum as frequently as possible to answer any questions.
of course none of this is useful to us because just because YOU recover and do crazy things doesnt mean us common plebs can because we dont have that superman DNA.
cheers SNC, I like the idea of living life challenge to challenge and lookin' forward to challenges instead of cryin' about them.
I believe ANYONE can be a superman or superwoman. No one is common. Everybody can do something crazy special. I truly believe in that.
btw whats your next challenge?
I had started practicing for 180 split and seeing your post [to make a video of side split] further motivated me. The best I could do happened a few days before my removal surgery with my center height to the ground as about 15cm. Considering when I started practicing splitting I was worse than 90 degrees, it was a great improvement for me, but not perfect enough to make a video. Unfortunately I have to wait for 3 months before I can resume my split challenge :D
I had decided to learn hoverboarding, however it turned out to not be a real challenge. I figured it out in less than a minute and I am sure anyone else could figure it out quickly.
My other challenges are all related to my main profession and I am afraid I cannot go into too much details, but they are all finance and mathematics related and they take a lot of brain power and determination. I find them harder than CLL, but I hope I can succeed at least in a couple of them.
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SNC,
I read through your diary again and I like your attitude in general. it's prob all genes but do you have some stuff younger guys can read/watch to become like you in attitude?
Even though I am a full adult now I have a habit of blaming things on others and the situation instead of taking control over it with full responsibility.
thank senor
Hi lvb,
Thanks for all the kind words. Actually what you said nailed it: in the even of failures, even if others are to blame, we should look at ways to avoid similar future incidents, that they get the opportunity to hurt us again. E.g., let's say a team or individual claims after the game that bad weather and the unfair referee where the reasons they lost the game. Then they should train themselves at such a high level that the external factors such as extreme weather conditions and unfair judgements, would not make much difference, cause relatively they trained themselves to be the best by far.
I know it's easy to say the above, and it takes a lot of energy and attention to follow, but it would be effective most of the times.
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It's pretty cool that you can measure the nails after taking them out to know what the true amount lengthened was. I am definitely curious and plan to measure mine when I take them out because I don't think I actually maxed out either leg, but I should be very very close.
Hi BTM, I can see the length difference between the two, but I did not see clear marks to follow to double check whether the left Stryde got lengthened by 8cm. Do you see any marks or indications for that?
It makes sense that you were less likely to have corrosion since you didn't exactly have the nails in for a long time!
Yes, I think time is an important factor. I am curious if any paper specifically showed the impact of time on corrosion in Stryde nails. E.g., is the corrosion to time dependency linear? sublinear? I hope not superlinear!
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Don't want to go totally off topic in SNC's journal, but do you notice that sometimes when you're walking down the street and you see a guy from far away and he looks taller than you, but then when you cross paths you are actually taller than the other guy? It has happened to me so many times since surgery! I don't think my perception has fully adjusted to being taller yet ;D
It seems very weird, but it has also happened to me, exactly how you described it. It has happened at places, where I could actually verify that my eyes and brain were being inaccurate at start: e.g., we are standing at a cashier line and the guy next to me seems taller, but then we pass in front of a mirror and I see I am taller than him by an inch or so :D
I think as time has passed the accuracy of height comparison has increased for me, though.
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Congrats SNC! staying tuned to the post removal updates ;D
Thanks Movie.
Definitely. I continue to report daily till full recovery and then I will continue to post whenever I have any major updates.
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snc i think the lack of corrosion its 100% due to you early removal :) good to know you wont have elevated chromium levels and stuff
i am still in shock that you removed your nail in month 8. thats a world record, especially for 8 cm lengthening. it wasnt 5cm, or 6cm, no no, it was EIGHT!
cheers snc
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Thurs., April 1: Nail Removal Surgery Day also Day 252 (8 months and 9 days) Post-CLL Surgery
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Friday, April 2: Day 1 Post-Nail Removal - Day 253 (8 months and 10 days) Post-CLL Surgery....
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Sat., April 3: Day 2 Post-Nail Removal - Day 254 (8 months and 11 days) Post-CLL
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Sun., April 4: Day 3 Post-Nail Removal - Day 255 (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL - Marking the official end of my CLL Challenge
I felt the improvement was exponential today from morning to night. By the evening time, I felt very confident that there was no chance my femurs or old screw areas would fracture, while walking. That allowed me to bring my gait to a 100% and walk fast. I have recorded a video of the evening walk and I'll post it soon. I overall walked for 3.7 miles today. By evening, I felt like I was back to my normal me like in pre-NailRemoval, or Pre-CLL times.
Per post-surgery instructions, I removed the bandages and took a shower for the first time since the surgery day. The cuts seem to have healed much faster this time (than post-CLL).
I believe for the next 3 months or so, I will use safe ways (walking, safe stretching exercises) to build strength while not pushing it too far. I should then be good to resume intense exercises I used to do (biking, swimming, etc.)
I am going to stop reporting daily. However I will post whenever I have some major updates. I believe the next one would be on the coming Friday, after I'll have met Dr. M. for my post-removal visit.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
This officially marks my end of the CLL challenge. I would like to thank everyone in this forum who have inspired and guided me throughout the journey.
Cheers,
SNC
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Man I'm so happy for you..
Can't wait for you to post that video!
Kind request....
Please dont stop reporting ever.....
Not daily, bt say weekly?
A video per week?
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Sun., April 4: Day 3 Post-Nail Removal - Day 255 (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL - Marking the official end of my CLL Challenge
I felt the improvement was exponential today from morning to night. By the evening time, I felt very confident that there was no chance my femurs or old screw areas would fracture, while walking. That allowed me to bring my gait to a 100% and walk fast. I have recorded a video of the evening walk and I'll post it soon. I overall walked for 3.7 miles today. By evening, I felt like I was back to my normal me like in pre-NailRemoval, or Pre-CLL times.
Per post-surgery instructions, I removed the bandages and took a shower for the first time since the surgery day. The cuts seem to have healed much faster this time (than post-CLL).
I believe for the next 3 months or so, I will use safe ways (walking, safe stretching exercises) to build strength while not pushing it too far. I should then be good to resume intense exercises I used to do (biking, swimming, etc.)
I am going to stop reporting daily. However I will post whenever I have some major updates. I believe the next one would be on the coming Friday, after I'll have met Dr. M. for my post-removal visit.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
This officially marks my end of the CLL challenge. I would like to thank everyone in this forum who have inspired and guided me throughout the journey.
Cheers,
SNC
Never seen a recovery as fast as yours. You are a true wolverine. 8)
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Congrats, SNC. You conquered yet another challenge!
On to the Next!
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Man I'm so happy for you..
Thanks man!
Can't wait for you to post that video!
Sorry it has taken long. I typically pass the videos to a friend who takes care of covering/blurring my face, etc. for privacy reasons. That friend got busy :P I will post it as soon as I get the video.
Kind request....
Please dont stop reporting ever.....
Not daily, bt say weekly?
A video per week?
If I know frequent videos would help, then why not. I am not sure I have material for weekly videos though :D In any case I will continue to monitor this forum and try to help out as much as I can with any tips, videos, etc. that I can offer.
SNC
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Never seen a recovery as fast as yours. You are a true wolverine. 8)
Thanks Tartar! I owe it partly to you and also many others. You guys helped me a lot, especially during distraction, with advice on stretching, pain management, etc.
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Congrats, SNC. You conquered yet another challenge!
On to the Next!
Thanks very much IFS! On to the Next :)
Cheers!
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Sorry I have not posted them yet. Dr. M. said he would have them cleaned. When I got them, I saw some stuff close to the edges and I assumed corrosion. However when I got home, and double checked them, I found out they were my own bone marrow. I am trying to carefully clean it such that I remove the bone marrow parts, but do not remove any corroded parts and make a high quality picture, so we all get some good perspective of how much corrosion occurs month 8 post-op.
In any case, I trust Dr. M. that at least in my case, even if there were any corrosion, I would not have any long term impacts, considering how my body has responded so far.
I finally got a chance to make a video on the nails. The vide appears below.
After carefully checking the nails to make sure not much bone marrow is still on the nails, I don't see any sign of corrosion/rusting.
I see one of the Stryde nails as a few millimeters longer. That must be the one for my left femur. I had already noted in my diary that I went to max (of 8cm) on left, but 7.97 mm or so on the right; as my right femur was a bit longer than my left pre-op. The longer left Stryde seems to have a design pattern towards the end. In the video I point at it. That does not show on the right one, cause I did not max the right out, so it must be inside the nail.
Just because I don't see corrosion/rusting does not mean there cannot be.
Please check the pictures that Azman had provided on his corroded Stryde nails. In fact Dr. M. had also told me that they see rusting/corrosion, on Stryde nails when they remove the nails. I hope the recall finds any issues including rusting related and resolves them.
However rusting/corrosion must be a function of time, as well as some parameters related to the patient's body (chemical, etc.). It just happens that perhaps in my case there was no rusting/corrosion.
Let me know if you have any comments, or questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RJkKKjI7ME
My Final Visit with Dr. M. on Friday, April 9
Dear CLL'ers,
I had my final appointment (8 days after Nail-Removal on April 1st) today. Dr. M. said no x-ray was necessary, as he took some x-rays after the surgery and everything looked great. They removed the stitches.
I asked whether I could resume stretching sooner than 3 months, e.g., some right away. He said absolutely! He said I need to be careful with moves that put a lot of pressure on legs (such as intense running or jumping), but he said while being careful, I could resume jogging and stretching.
It was a short meeting, but towards the end Dr. M. asked whether I got the nails. I said I did. Then I told him that after carefully checking the nails, I found the minimal spots that we had thought to be corroded, were really bone marrow. However Dr. M., was certain they were NOT bone marrow, and they were indeed corrosion!!! He said, his staff were careful in cleaning and what I saw, though minimal, was corrosion. He however repeated that I should not worry at all about that minimal corrosion, considering how my body has healed.
The few tiny spots I had cleaned were all at the edges where the nail lengthens. I used a wet napkin and my nails at times to remove those parts, assuming corroded parts cannot come off using a wet napkin and a push of my nail :( I am very sorry for making that assumption and concluding my nails had no corrosion; and possibly giving some false hope to all of us that corrosion can be at zero, if someone removed their nails very early.
I hope this news does not scare any of those who still have the Stryde nails. I think we soon would get better information regarding the recall, and whether corrosion is a major concern (e.g., resulting in cancer), but I am very confident based on my discussions with Dr. M., and quickly checking a couple articles that we should not worry about the level of corrosion we may get if our CLL process went well, and we removed our nails within a few years,
SNC
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The stryde nail is gonna be fine. I’m not so worried about my corrosion if it’s there. I do more damage to my body with McDonalds and Starbucks....trust me!!! Breathing the fresh smog in downtown LA is more dangerous...lol.
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The stryde nail is gonna be fine. I’m not so worried about my corrosion if it’s there. I do more damage to my body with McDonalds and Starbucks....trust me!!! Breathing the fresh smog in downtown LA is more dangerous...lol.
Hey itseasy,
Good to hear from you! I am generally an optimistic and agree with you. Also Dr. M. has repeatedly tried to assure me that the risk (of corrosion or generally the recall findings) in my case is zero.
However I know some of us may wonder whether in the worst case there is a bit of corroded metal left inside bones, and then at some point that creates the body defense system to react and somehow enforce a surgery (for treatment), or even worse, to create cancer. Most likely the chance of both is zero, but I hope the recall findings shed some light on this.
All said, you are correct that the things we do on a daily basis (such as eating fast/restaurant food, drinking heavily, smoking stuff, breathing the city air, and long durations of sun exposure) result in serious issues in the long term.
SNC
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Im curious to know if the same surgical metal used Stryde is the same used in other rods used in typical treatments like the standard broken bones or hip or knee replacements. I even wonder if some of the cheaper Lizarov method external frames and rods made in other countries (where maybe they don’t have gnarly FDA rules) were manufactured from subpar materials. I would have thought that some bad effects would have been reported from those as well in regards to symptoms decades after use.
Also, wasn’t stryde used in cases for length discrepancies before cosmetic reasons? I wonder if there is additional data on that as well. In any case, I’m optimistic that it will be ok in the end. The cure of the night neurosis is pretty major from this procedure.
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@ ItsEasy: I am sure STRYDE became the go-to for discrepancy cases once it hit the market, however, I am pretty sure it was primarily developed as a full weight-bearing competitor to the Betz and Albizza nail for cosmetic leg lengthening. The titanium Precice nails have a long track record of success and honestly, if you are only lengthening one leg for a discrepancy, the need for WB over 75 lbs is a lot less.
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My Final Visit with Dr. M. on Friday, April 9
....Today on April 8 (8 days Post-Nail-Removal which was on April 1st) I had my final appointment with Dr. M.
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I had felt I was back to normal by Day 3 post-nail-removal, i.e., Day 255 (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL. However to be safe, I had decided to focus on walking only for 3 months and postpone jogging, stretching and other activities by 3 months. However Dr. M. gave me the green light on jogging and stretching, but he wanted me to not do any crazy stuff, e.g., no intense running for 3 months.
Having Dr. M.'s approval I resumed my stretching exercises today. I am glad I don't need to wait for 3 months on them!
I also walked for 6.4 miles today. which is close to my average daily walks (of 6.1 miles before the surgery).
I hope this helps.
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Hi SNC
you walk more than i have walked ever and i didnt even do LL yet ;D ;D
glad you are approved to jog brotha
also i want to say it migth be a good idea to get an xray for fun, maybe possible unknown fracture. you did remove nail quite early perhaps world record so if it's not too costly to get an xray in a few months or get one with insurance (just call pcp and say you hurt ur femurs both of em, easy xray script thru online they dont care) and potentially that may see if your activity is still keeping femur safe
good job cheers
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Im curious to know if the same surgical metal used Stryde is the same used in other rods used in typical treatments like the standard broken bones or hip or knee replacements.
I believe Debiparshad said that the material (Biodur 108 stainless steel) is used in multiple orthopedic devices, many of which are still on the market.
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I believe Debiparshad said that the material (Biodur 108 stainless steel) is used in multiple orthopedic devices, many of which are still on the market.
Ahh, that is good to know!!!
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Hi SNC
you walk more than i have walked ever and i didnt even do LL yet ;D ;D
glad you are approved to jog brotha
also i want to say it migth be a good idea to get an xray for fun, maybe possible unknown fracture. you did remove nail quite early perhaps world record so if it's not too costly to get an xray in a few months or get one with insurance (just call pcp and say you hurt ur femurs both of em, easy xray script thru online they dont care) and potentially that may see if your activity is still keeping femur safe
good job cheers
Thanks very much Serilium for the kind words and also the x-ray suggestion.
I was planning to do an x-ray in a couple weeks, cause Dr. M. said the x-rays right after removal looked great, and I have not yet done anything crazy that could create a fracture. Now that I am back to normal in terms of walking and stretching exercises, I think x-rays in a couple weeks would show the impact. I am hopeful there would be no fracture, but I am curious whether the screw and nail spots would be filled up in a couple weeks. I will report the results as soon as I have the x-rays.
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Do they protect your man parts with a shield during x-rays?
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Hi SNC!
I'm glad of your speedy recovery. I have some questions because I am in the process of distraction and I want to know if I am on the right track ...
Now I have 6 cm long and I want to reach 8 cm.
By the way, I'm also an athlete and I've lost all the muscle in my ass ... I think it's inevitable ...
The last few days I have started to feel discomfort in my knees and hips from trying to walk with my legs together and my back straight.
During the end of the distraction, could you walk with your back completely straight? I try to walk without putting my ass out, but it seems almost impossible to do so and if I try to walk with my back straight my legs separate and my lower back hurts ...
Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks!!
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Do they protect your man parts with a shield during x-rays?
:D I remember in Dr. M.'s office for the front side x-ray of femur they covered my other leg and my General :D However for the side view they said covering would not work! I plan to call myself Anesthesia if my General drops or something :D
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Hi SNC!
I'm glad of your speedy recovery. I have some questions because I am in the process of distraction and I want to know if I am on the right track ...
Now I have 6 cm long and I want to reach 8 cm.
By the way, I'm also an athlete and I've lost all the muscle in my ass ... I think it's inevitable ...
Hi FSchez,
Thanks. In my case, I got my ass back almost as quickly as I lost it!! and even better, thanks to the stretching and walking I believe my ass and legs are heavier and stronger :P so no worries, you'll get it back soon during consolidation!
The last few days I have started to feel discomfort in my knees and hips from trying to walk with my legs together and my back straight.
During the end of the distraction, could you walk with your back completely straight? I try to walk without putting my ass out, but it seems almost impossible to do so and if I try to walk with my back straight my legs separate and my lower back hurts ...
Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks!!
I could always walk with my back straight, however overall the gait looked very strange. I don't think you should worry about it. As long as your doctor is okay with it, then just continue to do as much stretching as you can. There would be exponential improvement during consolidation.
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Sun., April 4: Day 3 Post-Nail Removal - Day 255 (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL - Marking the official end of my CLL Challenge
I felt the improvement was exponential today from morning to night. By the evening time, I felt very confident that there was no chance my femurs or old screw areas would fracture, while walking. That allowed me to bring my gait to a 100% and walk fast. I have recorded a video of the evening walk and I'll post it soon. I overall walked for 3.7 miles today. By evening, I felt like I was back to my normal me like in pre-NailRemoval, or Pre-CLL times.
Per post-surgery instructions, I removed the bandages and took a shower for the first time since the surgery day. The cuts seem to have healed much faster this time (than post-CLL).
....
Man I'm so happy for you..
Can't wait for you to post that video!
Kind request....
Please dont stop reporting ever.....
Not daily, bt say weekly?
A video per week?
This is the video of my Day 3 Post-Nail-Removal (also Day 255 Post-CLL). Sorry the quality of video is not that great, but I hope gait is visible enough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTspO2HImns
Towards the end I show my daily walks. Day 3 post-removal: 3 miles (I ended up going 3.7 miles by the end of the day), Day 2: 1.8 miles, Day 1: 1.8, Stryde-Removal Day: 0.8 miles and a few before the surgery which averaged in 2021 as 6.1 miles.
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Mon., April 12: Day 11 Post-Nail Removal - Day 263 (8 months and 20 days) Post-CLL
Per Dr. M.'s approval I have started soft jogging. This is a video of my slow jogging and walking, I took 11 days after Stryde removal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjlMeBA_Jks
I think the level (in terms of speed, strength and confidence) I am currently at, is similar to December 2020 times (Month 4 post-CLL). I hope to quickly get to my pre-stryde-removal time in March and hopefully better.
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This is the video of my Day 3 Post-Nail-Removal (also Day 255 Post-CLL). Sorry the quality of video is not that great, but I hope gait is visible enough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTspO2HImns
Towards the end I show my daily walks. Day 3 post-removal: 3 miles (I ended up going 3.7 miles by the end of the day), Day 2: 1.8 miles, Day 1: 1.8, Stryde-Removal Day: 0.8 miles and a few before the surgery which averaged in 2021 as 6.1 miles.
Walking with swagger I see. congrats
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Hi FSchez,
Thanks. In my case, I got my ass back almost as quickly as I lost it!! and even better, thanks to the stretching and walking I believe my ass and legs are heavier and stronger :P so no worries, you'll get it back soon during consolidation!
I could always walk with my back straight, however overall the gait looked very strange. I don't think you should worry about it. As long as your doctor is okay with it, then just continue to do as much stretching as you can. There would be exponential improvement during consolidation.
Thank you very much for responding so soon!!
I hope that one day soon I can regain my walking and my leg muscles. I would be very happy if I recover as fast as you, although I know that it is very difficult I will try, I also like challenges, I am quite competitive ... ;D
By the way, it seems incredible that you had surgery less than a year ago after seeing the video running after the extraction of your nails ...
Good job my friend !!
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Looking excellent for 11 day post removal! small swaying on hips with the jog but that's to be expected walk is good 100% though normal people probably wouldn't suspect a thing on your gait at this stage, incredible ;D
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Walking with swagger I see. congrats
Thanks very much Serilium!
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Thank you very much for responding so soon!!
I hope that one day soon I can regain my walking and my leg muscles. I would be very happy if I recover as fast as you, although I know that it is very difficult I will try, I also like challenges, I am quite competitive ... ;D
By the way, it seems incredible that you had surgery less than a year ago after seeing the video running after the extraction of your nails ...
Good job my friend !!
You are welcome FSchez and thanks so much for the kind words.
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Looking excellent for 11 day post removal! small swaying on hips with the jog but that's to be expected walk is good 100% though normal people probably wouldn't suspect a thing on your gait at this stage, incredible ;D
Hi Movie,
Thanks a lot for stopping by and the kind words :)
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Hey man, eagerly waiting for your next update....I'm sure ther must have been some great improvement!!
The last video was crazy! Already running just after post op....! Hope your are doing great!
Best wishes!
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Hey man, eagerly waiting for your next update....I'm sure ther must have been some great improvement!!
The last video was crazy! Already running just after post op....! Hope your are doing great!
Best wishes!
Hey Dreamer57,
Good to hear from you.
I have been busy, but I plan to make a list of my achievements and records and post them here.
The following is a video my silly stuff, taken in Month 9 post CLL surgery, which is also around Day 40 post nail removal surgery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB5QRMnsvXY
I have been careful on running, because Dr. M. wanted me to take it easy during the first 12 weeks post nail removal. In about 5 weeks or so, I can run with my max speed:
Let me know if you have any other specific move you want me to demonstrate and I'll try my best.
SNC
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB5QRMnsvXY
Good to see you SNC! Awesome goddamn video.
Dogecoin to the moon! (Jk f**k Elon musk pump and dump 😂😂 crypto bubble poppin)
I honestly think you are a super human. It hasn't even been like what, 10 months yet? And you already removed the damn nails, can run like that and potentially better because you're intentionally taking it easy, you are at an age that most people gave up in terms of life improvement and challenges and settled into complacency/mediocrity (work, watch TV after work, sleep, repeat) yet you are just pushing your own body and doing insane challenges like bilateral bone breakages and lengthening. You are the warrior of all LLers and the only negative you cause is trick people into thinking LL is easier than it really is because you're a f**king freak of nature and have a work ethic of Kobe Bryant and your result is just the pure result of hard work and not luck or by chance nor is your result typical or even matched by any that I'm aware of.
By the way, you must have no Anterior pelvic tilt if you can do that arch stretch right? How'd you deal with this "duck ass" APT back then when you had it? Asking for other LLers since this seems to be a major concern.
Cheers SNC. You are doing all of us a big favor man. 🙏🏻
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Good to see you SNC! Awesome goddamn video.
Dogecoin to the moon! (Jk f**k Elon musk pump and dump 😂😂 crypto bubble poppin)
Haha, so witty and funny :D
I honestly think you are a super human. It hasn't even been like what, 10 months yet? And you already removed the damn nails, can run like that and potentially better because you're intentionally taking it easy, you are at an age that most people gave up in terms of life improvement and challenges and settled into complacency/mediocrity (work, watch TV after work, sleep, repeat) yet you are just pushing your own body and doing insane challenges like bilateral bone breakages and lengthening. You are the warrior of all LLers and the only negative you cause is trick people into thinking LL is easier than it really is because you're a f**king freak of nature and have a work ethic of Kobe Bryant and your result is just the pure result of hard work and not luck or by chance nor is your result typical or even matched by any that I'm aware of.
By the way, you must have no Anterior pelvic tilt if you can do that arch stretch right? How'd you deal with this "duck ass" APT back then when you had it? Asking for other LLers since this seems to be a major concern.
Cheers SNC. You are doing all of us a big favor man. 🙏🏻
Thanks man! Means a lot. I try to address your questions in the following and also add some comments:
Duck ass APT: I have always (and by that I mean since I was a teenager) tried to avoid tilted back, but strengthening my core and doing stretching exercises such as those shown @ https://backintelligence.com/anterior-pelvic-tilt-fix/
However I did not suffer from it during this surgery. It could be because I strengthened my core and perhaps some right muscles whole my life. As I had noted in my diary, my main problem was the extreme level of pain during extraction; that ruined my night sleeps. very torturous...
but that quickly changed a couple weeks into consolidation.
Hard work You are very correct on this. I can't emphasize the importance of hard work in recovery. E.g., my average walking and running miles per day is 6.2 miles and the maximum I walked/ran in one day is 13.4 miles. I also take stretching very seriously. Also rich nutrition matters a lot. My callus growth was exceptionally fast and that is most likely thanks to eating well. I have listed all the pills and types of food in my diary, but let me know if you can't find the info.
Am I misleading our folks here This has always been my concern too; that my diary may encourage someone to do CLL and they later regret it. That is the reason I have repeatedly asked the readers to do what I did for years before going for CLL: I did research for years and that included reading many articles on CLL. No one should decide to go for CLL, just based on this forum.
Hope this helps.
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Awesome vid, SNC! I can only hope to be jogging a bit by month 9, let alone sprinting after nail removal ;D
Of course, I haven't put in even a fraction of the effort into recovery as you have, so naturally my recovery should be much slower. However, based on my experience, I don't think my legs could take nearly as much walking during consolidation as you have done.
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Hey man, first of all, thanks for replying!
The video looks great...
Looks like you are almost back to normal
Saying almost, bcuz I want you to keep improving atheltically, to a point where u r better than ppl who haven't gone through ll😂
Also, a couple of questions...
1) When you go out in Public....shopping etc, do ppl notice anything off? Or you are now absolutely back to normal....in terms of that?
2) You asked for a specific move that we would like to see in next vid.... Probably full and half squats?
A few burpees if u can....
And sprint or a run on like regular road/street.....
That would be absolutely wonderful to watch...!
Anyways congratulations on your great progress and recovery....it's beem 9 months post op, and u got those nails out already....that's incredible!
Keep going!
Best wishes!!!!
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Hey man, first of all, thanks for replying!
The video looks great...
Looks like you are almost back to normal
Saying almost, bcuz I want you to keep improving atheltically, to a point where u r better than ppl who haven't gone through ll😂
Thanks Dreamer57 for the feedback and encouragement.
Also, a couple of questions...
1) When you go out in Public....shopping etc, do ppl notice anything off? Or you are now absolutely back to normal....in terms of that?
Nothing off I believe. I believe I was back to normal in Month 5 post-CLL and I had reported all the details here. Nail removal surgery was in Month 8. It was a super easy surgery in my case. I felt back to normal once again after Day 3 post-nail removal, but took it easy in jogging/running and plan to keep it that way until 12 weeks post-nail removal, i.e., for about 5 more weeks.
Cause of the pandemic, I have not seen many friends since the surgery, but some whom I've met [and did not know about the surgery] said that I look so tall, and I told them I lost wait and also it's the shoes. I don't mind talking about the surgery, if someone insists, but that has not yet happened :D
2) You asked for a specific move that we would like to see in next vid.... Probably full and half squats?
A few burpees if u can....
And sprint or a run on like regular road/street.....
That would be absolutely wonderful to watch...!
Sure, I'll try to make a video of all those, asap.
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Awesome vid, SNC! I can only hope to be jogging a bit by month 9, let alone sprinting after nail removal ;D
Of course, I haven't put in even a fraction of the effort into recovery as you have, so naturally my recovery should be much slower. However, based on my experience, I don't think my legs could take nearly as much walking during consolidation as you have done.
Thanks BTM,
Hope all goes well for you and you get back to 100% soon.
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Hey man! How are you holding up?
I suppose you have improved your atheletic abilities since your last update! It would really be amazing to hear an update! And btw...can't wait for that video!!
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Hey man! How are you holding up?
I suppose you have improved your atheletic abilities since your last update! It would really be amazing to hear an update! And btw...can't wait for that video!!
Hi Dreamer57,
I am doing well. I did make some videos two months ago, after I had seen your video request. Sorry that I got busy and could not get time to edit them. I just did that. These clips are from early Month 10 post CLL, which is also early Month 2 post nail removal:
https://youtu.be/KFMdmYwgP0U
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Hey man! How are you holding up?
I suppose you have improved your atheletic abilities since your last update! It would really be amazing to hear an update! And btw...can't wait for that video!!
Update: I am at one year post CLL, which is also month 4 post nail removal:
I still stretch (takes about 40 minutes per day). My average walks/runs so far in 2021 has been 6.3 miles per day. My record walk time is 13 and a half minutes per mile and I can keep that speed for 6+ miles. I have been doing long hikes and walks whole my life. However not a runner. In the last 3 months I worked on that. I am very fast but have not done any formal records. If anyone gives me a reference I would try to follow that and report my timing. My older record was 3 miles in less than 24 minutes but I am now faster.
I do 50 to 100 squats per day (no extra weights). Usually half very slow with a few as full squats; but the rest fairly fast (like in the video). Before this surgery I was never into squats; but a different animal now! I wish a CLL’er could squat for like a 1000 per day so I beat them right away 😂 In Month 10, my contractor did not show up and I had to carry 5 concrete bags each 90 pounds. Had to lift them from my car and carry them for a distance of 100 feet or so. It was super easy; something I would probably find difficult had I done swimming only.
I cannot yet do a 180 split. My best is 10cm from the ground. Turns out the last 10cm needs consistent commitment which I have not been able to provide due to my work.
You know I did this surgery as a challenge. It was not the hardest I have ever done (hardest have been technical/scientific) but it was something that helped me improve physically and mentally. E.g., after many years of playing soccer and doing Parkour-like exercises my knees got sensitive and I had to take it easy on crazy exercises and limit myself to swimming only; but now i can jog/run for miles without feeling weird on my knees.
Since end of 2020 I’ve mainly focused on several challenges related to my technical skills and still a long way to go.
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Very very inspiring SNC.
Did you take that pre-op and post-op photo with Dr Mahboubian? Were you ever concerned that there would be loss of privacy from doing this with him knowing that he is world renowned for this procedure and he does aggressive marketing? Do you close family and friends know about this or do you plan to keep it a secret?
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Hey man, when is your xray scheduled...would love to have a look at what's happening inside...bcuz u r recovering pretty good!... Also if there's any update video like previous...we would love to see one!
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Hey SNC - A belated thanks for all the updates as always - an inspiration to all CLLers (and wannabes like me). I would humbly suggest that its probably time for you to just go ahead now and formally change your name to CLLJesus! Amazing progress and recovery. And, please do send us all a pic or 2 from the summit of Mt. Everest, which I am sure you could tackle now that those nails are not holding you back 😆. Hope you are well and thanks again for the updates and inspiration. 💪
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Woah this is amazing, and so inspiring for me! Awesome job and all the best with everything.
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Wow. Amazing. That's a fantastic recovery and progress. Thanks for the videos, SNC. It's really inspiring!!
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Very very inspiring SNC.
Did you take that pre-op and post-op photo with Dr Mahboubian? Were you ever concerned that there would be loss of privacy from doing this with him knowing that he is world renowned for this procedure and he does aggressive marketing? Do you close family and friends know about this or do you plan to keep it a secret?
Thanks interactive,
I did have pre-op and post-op photos with Dr. M., however my arrangement with him was that my privacy would be preserved, and his office would not post anything that causes my identity to be revealed.
My close family and friends already know. For the rest, not all were curious, but those who were, I told them that I got thinner cause of aggressive exercises. My plan is that if anyone insists on figuring out exactly why I am much taller, I would tell them about all the details :)
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Hey man, when is your xray scheduled...would love to have a look at what's happening inside...bcuz u r recovering pretty good!... Also if there's any update video like previous...we would love to see one!
Hey Dreamer57,
The last time I met with Dr. M. he told me that no xray was not needed; as he took xrays on the nail removal surgery before and after the surgery and he was certain everything would be ok. I was planning myself to take xrays a couple months after nail removal, however unlike the actual CLL surgery which was very painful, my nail removal was incredibly easy and I probably had a record in recovering from it (no pain, no painkillers at all, walking unaided right after surgery, and feeling normal by day 3). I was jogging in about two weeks post nail removal and I gradually thought I would not need xrays as Dr. M. had suggested :P
About the videos, I hope you liked the previous one. I believe I did what you had asked me. If you have any other moves in mind, let me know and I'll make videos based on those.
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Man, first of all thank you so much for the previous videos....I gotta give it to you man, your recovery is legit crazy! I don't have any moves in my mind lol... though would love to see a video update for sure! Just do anything you like....even a stroll down the street or a little run... whatever u like...just seeing you doing better makes us all feel positive and motivated...and how are you man...
Btw, how do you feel, like in general?
How was the callus during the last xray update...what did the doc had to say about it?
Do you feel like the strength in your legs has returned how much wrt pre ll strength would you say?
Do you think training rigorously will bring back the explosiveness and agility? I guess your flexibility is very good judging from the previous videos...
apart from cll, how's life...how are you doing...I hope everythings good...
Best wishes mate!
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Hey SNC - A belated thanks for all the updates as always - an inspiration to all CLLers (and wannabes like me). I would humbly suggest that its probably time for you to just go ahead now and formally change your name to CLLJesus! Amazing progress and recovery. And, please do send us all a pic or 2 from the summit of Mt. Everest, which I am sure you could tackle now that those nails are not holding you back 😆. Hope you are well and thanks again for the updates and inspiration. 💪
Thanks L8GS. It'd happy to check here once in a while and try to help out the current and future CLL'ers.
I like the CLLJesus title very much. Thanks ;D much stronger than what Dr. M. gave me (StrydeNailIronManChallenge), cause I guess Jesus is stronger than the Iron Man, lol.
AS the Mt. Everest, I am sure I would not try it unless I do professional training to avoid death cause of lack of air. I grew up in a very cold mountainous area and did hiking weekly since I was a child. That was the main reason to make me a great hiker. I have tried some very difficult summits, but the tallest was 4000 meters shorter than Everest and also not as crazy cold. Who knows, maybe after I am done with my current challenges I will do that. Thanks a lot for the motivation and the kind words.
SNC aka StrydeNailIronManChallenge (crowed by Dr. M) aka CLLJesus (crowned by L8GS) ;D
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No contest - Son of GOD vs Son of Howard ;)
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Woah this is amazing, and so inspiring for me! Awesome job and all the best with everything.
Thanks very much ab608! Wish you the best,
SNC
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Wow. Amazing. That's a fantastic recovery and progress. Thanks for the videos, SNC. It's really inspiring!!
Thanks very much.
My pleasure. I will continue to check and see if there is any questions or video requests for any certain moves :)
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Quick Update:
I have been able to speed up my walks (from 13+ minutes for a mile) to 12.40+ minutes for each mile and I can keep that speed for least 6 consecutive miles.
I walk on streets; there are some uphill and downhill areas, but overall I don't think that has a major impact on my speed.
I feel like I am very close to hitting my limit. My walks are so intense that my shin and upper feet spots burn at start; however keeping the tense walk, after a while the burn stops!
I would need to change my walking form to be more like marathon style if I wanna lower my time to below 12 minutes for each mile. Something that I feel a bit shy to do on streets :D
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But can StrydeNailChallenge duck walk with a low stance continuously for 60 seconds?
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Stryde, you still feel good towering over random people at the grocery checkout lines?
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But can StrydeNailChallenge duck walk with a low stance continuously for 60 seconds?
wtf? I can't even do that and I haven't had CLL yet 😂
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Man, first of all thank you so much for the previous videos....I gotta give it to you man, your recovery is legit crazy! I don't have any moves in my mind lol... though would love to see a video update for sure! Just do anything you like....even a stroll down the street or a little run... whatever u like...just seeing you doing better makes us all feel positive and motivated...and how are you man...
Thanks Dreamer57. Certainly. I will continue to post updates and videos :)
Btw, how do you feel, like in general?
As far as CLL related and my legs, I have felt beyond normal for a long time. Month 5 post-op was the start of feeling normal for me; as pain was gone and I could do things I could pre surgery like fast swimming, walking, and jogging. I think by month 7 or so, I felt like I was getting even better than pre-CLL thanks to the consistent workout. Month 8 I did the nail removal which slowed me down for about two weeks, but then I resumed my activities gradually. If you remember one month after nail removal in Month 9 post-op I was running quite fast (e.g., check my video at the beach).
Whole my life I have been extremely active, but I never had the consistency I've had post CLL. Thanks to the consistent several-hour daily workouts, my legs are in my shape ever. That is not the case for my upper body. I have not been able to swim regularly during the pandemic and that has negatively impacted my upper body. I do sit-ups and chin-ups but no weight lifting. I hope I can resume swimming soon.
How was the callus during the last xray update...what did the doc had to say about it?
I think I had 3 x-rays post CLL in Dr. M.'s office. For the first one he said great! The second one he said it's too great!! cause of the extreme callus growth. He then prescribed two weeks of accelerated extraction (1.33mm per day). On their one, he said my callus had completely healed and I could do nail removal in month 7 (i.e., March 2021). I was not in rush, so I thought I would do nail removal in one year, but as soon as I heard about the stryde recall, I scheduled the removal and the earliest the hospital and him were available were at month 8.
Do you feel like the strength in your legs has returned how much wrt pre ll strength would you say?
I would say more than 100%, perhaps 120% based on a rough estimate in how fast I can walk and run and also my squat power.
I feel my legs are much stronger than before. This is only thanks for consistent workout, meaning I would most likely achieve the same agility and power had I not done CLL, but if I had done the same workout routines.
Do you think training rigorously will bring back the explosiveness and agility? I guess your flexibility is very good judging from the previous videos...
Yes, I am sure I have not yet seen my peak and I will continue to get stronger and faster.
I must be at least as fast as pre-CLL in running, but most likely faster.
At walking I have no doubt I am faster than pre-CLL.
I tried swimming at month 5 and I did not achieve my best time, cause I was afraid to push it too much. I will report my swimming timing as soon as I get a chance, but I am hoping I am at least back to my highest speed pre-CLL.
apart from cll, how's life...how are you doing...I hope everythings good...
Best wishes mate!
It's all good. I am working on a couple things, that are super challenging for me and keep my mind very busy. It's been a long time that for days I don't not think of my CLL as long as I am at home. The only times I am reminded of my CLL, is when I get out and see myself taller than normal. But the satisfaction I get being done with the CLL challenge makes me much happier than being taller. For me height was not the main reason I did this surgery.
My mind is so madly in love with doing crazy things that I would have done this CLL even if it was the last day of my life. I just wanted to cross it off of the list of crazy things I wanted to do in this life. My next challenges are brainy :D I better work more on my brain :D
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What's your 100m sprint time now. What was it before if you had any record? Thanks!
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But can StrydeNailChallenge duck walk with a low stance continuously for 60 seconds?
Hi Want-3-inches,
I had never tried it before seeing your message. I just watched a youtube video to make sure I understand exactly how a duck walk with a low stance should look like. Then I tried it. I believe I can do it, but I have to first do it really for at least 60 seconds before making an official claim. I will try it and if that works I will make a video of it.
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No contest - Son of GOD vs Son of Howard ;)
;D
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Awesome update man! Really happy for you! You are an inspiration!
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wtf? I can't even do that and I haven't had CLL yet 😂
Hey Growing! I think he is correct. If I can't do it, then I don't deserve the IronMan title Dr. M. gave me or the CLLJesus title I recently got :D If a CLLJesus cannot do a duck walk for 60 seconds, then how could he be a CLLJesus, haha. I'll report soon if I am the CLLJesus or not :D
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What's your 100m sprint time now. What was it before if you had any record? Thanks!
Hey Audous,
You asked a question that makes me write a fairly long story :D Unfortunately the last time I recorded a 100m was when I was a teenager, back in 1980s when Carl Lewis was making world records around 10 seconds and faster. Carl Lewis had created this fever among us to try 100m. To my surprise a friend of mine (who was shorter than me, but had slightly longer legs than mine) could beat me repeatedly with a few meters ahead of me by the finish line. He was unbelievably fast and could beat us all. He was the reason I thought I should put my focus on soccer, gymnastics, and taekwondo and not much on running! Since then I never ran for the sake of practicing for running, but in soccer mainly. I later quit soccer and started swimming and therefore I ultimately became more of a swimmer than a runner.
Since CLL, I have resume jogging and running. I believe my speed is good, but the numbers I have are for a mile the least: I can jog for at least 3 miles while keeping my timing to shorter than 24 minutes (i.e., shorter than 8 minutes per mile). I can jog for at least 6.5 miles in shorter than 55mins (i.e., lower than 9 mins per mile). These speeds are not easy to achieve, but yet, I don't wanna claim much on them. I would not be surprised if one of you guys beat me on it soon. On walking that's a different story. For someone to break my record, they have to put an exceptional level of commitment, effort, and training.
Let me try and report my timing on a 100m, but I don't think it's going to be impressive!
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Awesome update man! Really happy for you! You are an inspiration!
Thanks Dreamer57. My pleasure! I love helping out people and I would stick around and try to do just that.
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Stryde, you still feel good towering over random people at the grocery checkout lines?
Hey itseasy! Long time no see, glad you showed up here :)
Yes, I still feel like towering most of the people in LA public places, but let me add some of my observations related to your question:
1) Although my real peak height is around 180.5cm, the iphone app estimates my height as 6' barefoot at night, I guess cause my hair adds to my height. Depending on the shoes I wear, I may be at 6'1" or taller.
I have gradually met more friends as LA opens up a bit. As many of us know already, guys tend to brag about their heights. I have in several occasions met friends who claimed to be 6' or 6'1", but finding out that post CLL I am taller than them! ...reminds me of President Trump claiming to be 6'3", but standing next to President Obama (who is 6'1") on almost every occasion seems shorter, haha.
2) My brain still underestimates my height as compared to others. It's very typical that I see a guy who seems taller than me when far, but when they get close to me, I am clearly taller. Not sure why my brain decides to still remember my old height and not use my current eye level and height!
3) In publics areas on the rich sides of West LA, or places that are close to colleges or universities, there are a lot more tall folks. I feel like there must be many young boys and girls above 185cm, even in LA.
4) In my professions and areas of work, it's the brain that counts and I don't think anyone would care if you are short or tall. Some of the best of us are shorter than 165cm.
5) As I have said before, height has not been my main motivation to do this surgery, cause I never had any major issues with my height, enough to motivate me to do this surgery. It was the thought of the challenges and surprises that the CLL surgery had to offer; the fact that very few can do it successfully; and the motivation to try to make world records during the process, that made me determined to go for it at some point.
Hope this helps.
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But can StrydeNailChallenge duck walk with a low stance continuously for 60 seconds?
Hey Want-3-inches,
I have tried various forms of duck walk including what these video show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM3GNLKI9rg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCZ1nsRtaRc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMNFxYLGsBg
I find it very very simple. I believe I can do it for much longer than 60 seconds, but so far tried various walks several times, and over one minute each time. I believe the non-stop 120+ squats I typically do these days, is tougher.
Let me know if what you had in mind is different from the one above, but if not, I can confidently say that what you asked (duck walk with low stance for 60+ seconds) is not tough at all and I think many CLL'ers would be able to do that.
SNC
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Yeah that is what I meant.
Ok you can do that >:(
But surely you can't do jump lunges for 120 seconds without taking a break (break = standing on both feet or resting your knee on the floor for long)
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Yeah that is what I meant.
Ok you can do that >:(
But surely you can't do jump lunges for 120 seconds without taking a break (break = standing on both feet or resting your knee on the floor for long)
I believe this one is a bit more difficult than the 60 second duck walk; however it's quite doable too. This is a video of my first attempt right after seeing your post. My socks kept sliding, so could not deliver a perfect one, but I have no doubt I can do a perfect one with knees close to the ground, if I have my running shoes and do that outside on a hard floor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxS0hqVbQIw
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Nice, your balance is good. Yeah maybe you will do better outside with shoes. You have to take your knee lower and the jump should be explosive. If you are planning to record yourself, see if you can record sideways. Cheers!
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Nice, your balance is good. Yeah maybe you will do better outside with shoes. You have to take your knee lower and the jump should be explosive. If you are planning to record yourself, see if you can record sideways. Cheers!
I know. Just wanted to show that even without practice is doable. If you do 100s of squats per days, bringing knees down would not be a problem on a hard floor if your feet don't slide.
I think with a few days of practice and with running shoes on, it would be easy for most of the CLL'ers 4 months post nail removal or a year post CLL.
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Whoa crazy man! Keep posting such videos, feels good to watch you do crazy stuff!
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Hey itseasy! Long time no see, glad you showed up here :)
Yes, I still feel like towering most of the people in LA public places, but let me add some of my observations related to your question:
1) Although my real peak height is around 180.5cm, the iphone app estimates my height as 6' barefoot at night, I guess cause my hair adds to my height. Depending on the shoes I wear, I may be at 6'1" or taller.
I have gradually met more friends as LA opens up a bit. As many of us know already, guys tend to brag about their heights. I have in several occasions met friends who claimed to be 6' or 6'1", but finding out that post CLL I am taller than them! ...reminds me of President Trump claiming to be 6'3", but standing next to President Obama (who is 6'1") on almost every occasion seems shorter, haha.
2) My brain still underestimates my height as compared to others. It's very typical that I see a guy who seems taller than me when far, but when they get close to me, I am clearly taller. Not sure why my brain decides to still remember my old height and not use my current eye level and height!
3) In publics areas on the rich sides of West LA, or places that are close to colleges or universities, there are a lot more tall folks. I feel like there must be many young boys and girls above 185cm, even in LA.
4) In my professions and areas of work, it's the brain that counts and I don't think anyone would care if you are short or tall. Some of the best of us are shorter than 165cm.
5) As I have said before, height has not been my main motivation to do this surgery, cause I never had any major issues with my height, enough to motivate me to do this surgery. It was the thought of the challenges and surprises that the CLL surgery had to offer; the fact that very few can do it successfully; and the motivation to try to make world records during the process, that made me determined to go for it at some point.
Hope this helps.
I still get those tricks that my brain plays on me. I’ll constantly see people who I think may be the same height or taller, but then I’ll get closer and notice I’m taller. I’m 6’ with no shoes now. The CLl pain is gone and I’m about to hit one year post CLL surgery soon.
I visit here every so often, but I can see how some go on with life after CLL. This forum is a valuable resource for everyone thinking about or going through CLL.
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Whoa crazy man! Keep posting such videos, feels good to watch you do crazy stuff!
Hey Dreamer57,
Not really crazy (and obviously I did not do it correctly, mainly cause of slippery floor and lack of practice! That video was my first try ever on jumping lunges) but thanks for your all time support!
Jumping lung is a great exercise (and so is the duck walk). I thank Want-3-inches for suggesting them. I have already incorporated them into my daily workouts.
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Hey Dreamer57,
Not really crazy (and obviously I did not do it correctly, mainly cause of slippery floor and lack of practice! That video was my first try ever on jumping lunges) but thanks for your all time support!
Jumping lung is a great exercise (and so is the duck walk). I thank Want-3-inches for suggesting them. I have already incorporated them into my daily workouts.
Try to do high intensity interval training if you haven't tried it already. Doing such exercises (jumping lunges, duck walk) in the midst of a 40 minute workout is far more difficult than doing them in isolation. The workouts usually have 45 seconds of some exercise and 15 seconds of rest and this is repeated 30 or 40 times. There are lots of youtube videos.
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Try to do high intensity interval training if you haven't tried it already. Doing such exercises (jumping lunges, duck walk) in the midst of a 40 minute workout is far more difficult than doing them in isolation. The workouts usually have 45 seconds of some exercise and 15 seconds of rest and this is repeated 30 or 40 times. There are lots of youtube videos.
Thanks Want-3-inches. I already do intense exercises and part of them are in intervals. I am a believer in quick tense exercises. Specifically for someone like me who prefers non-bulky athletic body, they help a lot. I agree with you that youtube is a great source for various cardio interval workouts.
The duck walk of 60+ seconds I had report here, was after doing some exercises including 120 non-stop squats. The lunge was after some exercises and shortly after I did 120+ non-stop squats. the duck walk is not difficult at all, but I have started adding it, cause I believe it may help with some muscles. The lunge is more difficult because for a long time I did not do anything similar to it. I have added that to my routines (no hard jumping though, cause I don't want to trigger any knee issues down the road). In general change routines, would be good. So I appreciate your suggestions very much.
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Hey itseasy! Long time no see, glad you showed up here :)
Yes, I still feel like towering most of the people in LA public places, but let me add some of my observations related to your question:
1) Although my real peak height is around 180.5cm, the iphone app estimates my height as 6' barefoot at night, I guess cause my hair adds to my height. Depending on the shoes I wear, I may be at 6'1" or taller.
I have gradually met more friends as LA opens up a bit. As many of us know already, guys tend to brag about their heights. I have in several occasions met friends who claimed to be 6' or 6'1", but finding out that post CLL I am taller than them! ...reminds me of President Trump claiming to be 6'3", but standing next to President Obama (who is 6'1") on almost every occasion seems shorter, haha.
2) My brain still underestimates my height as compared to others. It's very typical that I see a guy who seems taller than me when far, but when they get close to me, I am clearly taller. Not sure why my brain decides to still remember my old height and not use my current eye level and height!
3) In publics areas on the rich sides of West LA, or places that are close to colleges or universities, there are a lot more tall folks. I feel like there must be many young boys and girls above 185cm, even in LA.
4) In my professions and areas of work, it's the brain that counts and I don't think anyone would care if you are short or tall. Some of the best of us are shorter than 165cm.
5) As I have said before, height has not been my main motivation to do this surgery, cause I never had any major issues with my height, enough to motivate me to do this surgery. It was the thought of the challenges and surprises that the CLL surgery had to offer; the fact that very few can do it successfully; and the motivation to try to make world records during the process, that made me determined to go for it at some point.
Hope this helps.
I would like to add two more observations:
6) While walking/jogging in the streets, I find all sedan and some suv/truck cars as short! It's interesting how 8cm can make a big difference for my brain, when it comes to car heights, yet when it comes to people, it typically overestimates their height. I can't figure out why!
7) I think Queen mattress length of 80 inches would be sufficient for someone around 180cm tall; however 75 inch full size mattresses (i.e., length of 6' 3") could be short, cause lying on your belly your feet position can extend your height to a level that 75 inches may not be high enough to provide a pleasant sleep. I recommend queen or king for those close to 180cm and above.
Hope this helps.
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I still get those tricks that my brain plays on me. I’ll constantly see people who I think may be the same height or taller, but then I’ll get closer and notice I’m taller. I’m 6’ with no shoes now. The CLl pain is gone and I’m about to hit one year post CLL surgery soon.
I visit here every so often, but I can see how some go on with life after CLL. This forum is a valuable resource for everyone thinking about or going through CLL.
Good to know you are doing well. I also visit here once in a while. Take care.
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Good to know you are doing well. I also visit here once in a while. Take care.
Thanks Stryde. One of the things I’d like to share with prospective CLL’rs is that this process and journey is truly a test. When it comes to challenges, it tests your physical ability, mind, soul and your determination/perseverance on achieving what you want regarding CLL.
It’s diaries like these that demonstrate that things of this intensity can be done. For me personally, it was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had because it tests you on so many levels.
Now, with that being said, I can kind of remember the times where I wanted to stop or I questioned myself on what have I done or got my self into during distraction phase. But, I can tell you right now that those are distant memories and I can’t totally remember the pains or mental state I was in at the time. This should tell you something....you will end up coming out the other side happy with your achievement and you will feel totally normal doing your day to day things, feeling like a normal walking person, you’ll just be taller now. You’ll even often forget that you’ve even had a major surgery. That’s a fact!
Was it worth it???? Yes, every single penny. No regrets!!!!
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Thanks Stryde. One of the things I’d like to share with prospective CLL’rs is that this process and journey is truly a test. When it comes to challenges, it tests your physical ability, mind, soul and your determination/perseverance on achieving what you want regarding CLL.
It’s diaries like these that demonstrate that things of this intensity can be done. For me personally, it was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had because it tests you on so many levels.
Now, with that being said, I can kind of remember the times where I wanted to stop or I questioned myself on what have I done or got my self into during distraction phase. But, I can tell you right now that those are distant memories and I can’t totally remember the pains or mental state I was in at the time. This should tell you something....you will end up coming out the other side happy with your achievement and you will feel totally normal doing your day to day things, feeling like a normal walking person, you’ll just be taller now. You’ll even often forget that you’ve even had a major surgery. That’s a fact!
Was it worth it???? Yes, every single penny. No regrets!!!!
Thanks itseasy! I second you!
Just one more note: You and I and many other CLL'ers have had a happy version of the CLL journey. The prospective CLL'ers should be very careful in planning for theirs to minimize complications. Here in the US things are fairly easy. You choose any of the well-known doctors and you will most likely be set with almost everything (hospital, reliable resolution of potential complications down the road, etc.).
Those going to other countries, should do a lot of research beyond this forum to make sure they have everything right (reliable doctor, equipment, postop care, etc.) otherwise, complications might at least take a couple years of your life with pain and regret.
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This gives us a lot of confidence! Thanks!... I have this weird question...
Now that they ream our femurs bones to put nails...once the nails/rods are removed...do our bones remain hollow for life time? Or the bone marrow re-generates back?
Also after the removal of scews....does our bone remain with holes or are those holes healed later?
Maybe ask this on your next visit!
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This gives us a lot of confidence! Thanks!... I have this weird question...
Now that they ream our femurs bones to put nails...once the nails/rods are removed...do our bones remain hollow for life time? Or the bone marrow re-generates back?
Also after the removal of scews....does our bone remain with holes or are those holes healed later?
Maybe ask this on your next visit!
I know the holes fill in back to normal. I also believe the bone marrow returns.
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In Month 13 Post-CLL, also Month 5 post Nail Removal:
Hello CLL'ers,
180 side split was always something in my mind and I worked well for it up until nail removal on month 8. I had 10cm to the ground two days before the nail removal surgery. However after the nail removal, I did not practice for a while and later my mind was occupied with other stuff. I got back to it during the current month and I could finally do it.
I believe this is the toughest move I have tried post CLL.
The following video shows the split and also the warmup routine I do daily before each try:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ__RbZyKSM
All CLL'ers are welcome to try to break my records, but specifically on this one, I advise careful planning and preparation.
SNC
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Wtf!!!!! I CANT EVEN DO THAT!... I bet lot of healthy ppl who haven't done this can't do it!!! This is insane....mannnnn I am now gonna do this surgery 💯 percent!!!! This insaneeeeeee brother...! Congratulations on such great recovery!!
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Nice man! I feel like my nails stop me at some point from doing the full split, but everybody who goes through CLL should do this stretch a lot as well! one of the muscles that gets the tightest after CLL, Very good job SNC!
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I couldn’t even do anything near that PRE CLL!!
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Wow man that's insane!
Unrelated question: I'm curious did you ever measure your pre-surgery tibia / femur proportions?
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watching your progress make me wish stryde was still available. It's hidden and weight bearing. I wish their was docs outside the US that just said f**k it, and did stryde anyways..lol. it obviously works. may I ask what your weight was before surgery and did you lose any during recovery? I'm 5'8 as well. but a little over 173cm. So are you currently 5'11.5 measured? that would be awesome. you could technically claim 6ft. Have people noticed? How has life been after lengthening? And I swear if you didn't tell your age in the beginning I wouldn't peak you a day over 30. Your athletic ability and flexibility is better than guys my age and younger with no surgery.
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Wtf!!!!! I CANT EVEN DO THAT!... I bet lot of healthy ppl who haven't done this can't do it!!! This is insane....mannnnn I am now gonna do this surgery 💯 percent!!!! This insaneeeeeee brother...! Congratulations on such great recovery!!
:)) Thanks Dreamer57! but on a serious note, I don't believe anyone should go for CLL based on my experience. If you look at the worst cases and still decide to do it, then that's logical (cause you are prepared even for the worst), but think of me as a mean plus 6 sigma of CLL'ers :)) you don't decide only based on best cases :P
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Nice man! I feel like my nails stop me at some point from doing the full split, but everybody who goes through CLL should do this stretch a lot as well! one of the muscles that gets the tightest after CLL, Very good job SNC!
Thanks Movie!
At least in my case, nails were not any issue as far as splitting. Two days before the nail removal in Month 8 I was at 10cm gap above the ground. I know (and I saw for myself) the last 10cms is tough but I had no doubt I could make it to full split by Month 8 or 9 post CLL with the nails on.
Doing nail removal postponed it, cause I had to stop practicing splitting for at least a month and later I got distracted by work. What it takes is a lot of commitment.
In general, my experience with nail removal has been very different from others. Everyone reports more flexibility after removal. Mine was almost no difference. I believe for two reasons: 1) I used my legs so much to a level that nails did not really matter, and 2) I removed the nails very early. I believe that makes a huge impact. I watched a video of Dr. Paley explaining why nail removal becomes a hassle to them if the CLL'ers remove it too late, say 2 years or longer. I would imagine the longer you wait, the more painful the nail removal surgery is (mine: no pain whatsoever; no painkillers; felt back to normal on day 3).
The only minor difference I felt was that for a couple stretching exercises like lying down on stomach and lifting legs upward one at a time, I felt my legs were a bit lighter during the first couple weeks post nail removal. Later I could not tell a difference.
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In Month 13 Post-CLL, also Month 5 post Nail Removal:
Hello CLL'ers,
180 side split was always something in my mind and I worked well for it up until nail removal on month 8. I had 10cm to the ground two days before the nail removal surgery. However after the nail removal, I did not practice for a while and later my mind was occupied with other stuff. I got back to it during the current month and I could finally do it.
I believe this is the toughest move I have tried post CLL.
The following video shows the split and also the warmup routine I do daily before each try:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ__RbZyKSM
All CLL'ers are welcome to try to break my records, but specifically on this one, I advise careful planning and preparation.
SNC
👏👏 so impressive
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I couldn’t even do anything near that PRE CLL!!
Hey itseasy. The last time I had done this was a long time ago. Post CLL as I got fitter I decided to go for it. It was a harder than I had imagined at start!
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Wow man that's insane!
Unrelated question: I'm curious did you ever measure your pre-surgery tibia / femur proportions?
Thanks Want-3-inches ::)
I actually didn't, but I think my femur was longer than my tibia pre-CLL and now even 8cm longer.
No one so far has been able to spot it though, or at least no one has yet made a comment on why my femurs look longer than my tibias!
But let me tell you this: In a weird way I really enjoy the long femurs. I don't know if I am describing it accurately here, but I feel like when I walk it feels so good and also looks weirdly awesome to me! Perhaps because my brain is weird, haha!
There is just one thing I am wondering: has there been a study to see the impact of high femur/tibia ratios on knees or any other negative impact? If so, I may do a tibia lengthening to make it balanced; of course when I am done with my current challenges and then find no better challenge than repeating the CLL! I hope there is no serious health issues with long ratios! cause I don't want to be too tall and also that the high ratio looks good to me :P
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I have noticed my CLL has enhanced my butt , it somehow looks tighter, less elongated/droopy and more "perky" - maybe this is mostly illusion because the butt length to femur length ratio has changed?.
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watching your progress make me wish stryde was still available. It's hidden and weight bearing. I wish their was docs outside the US that just said f**k it, and did stryde anyways..lol. it obviously works.
Hello Growing,
Sorry about the delay.
I also hope an upgraded stryde (that will have addressed the recall related concerns) will be back soon.
may I ask what your weight was before surgery and did you lose any during recovery?
My weight has been around 135 to 145 pounds for a long time. My body fat level was measured to be low. I remember I heard from doctors that my my body fat level was at Olympic Gold medalists' levels! The sad thing is that I don't have an Olympic medal! just got low fat levels, haha!
My weight has been around 146 to 150 pounds during the last few months. The increase is because of the added femur parts and more muscles in my legs; as I worked out much more post-op.
I'm 5'8 as well. but a little over 173cm. So are you currently 5'11.5 measured? that would be awesome. you could technically claim 6ft.
I am at 180.5cm morning time. By evening I got to 179ish. I definitely look tall, especially considering my thin/athletic tone of my body. I think the chance that someone guesses my height as 6' is higher than 5'11".
Have people noticed?
A couple points:
1) Yes, they have. Most of the reactions are speechless. They look at me and they know something has changed, but I think they would either not believe height increase is possible, or if they know about CLL, they would not think I would be crazy enough to do it :P
2) I figured that in my case, those who were much taller than me (190cm or above) or much shorter (165 or below) are much less likely to notice anything different.
How has life been after lengthening?
Life has been good. Although getting taller was not the main reason I did this surgery, I definitely enjoy my new height.
I had a very fast recovery. I felt like back to normal (in terms jogging, walking, swimming, etc.) by Month 5 post-op. Doctor M. believed I could do nail removal by Month 7 post-op. I was not in rush, but as soon as I heard the recall, I scheduled it within a couple weeks and by Month 8 removed the nails.
I have focused on my jobs and also my next challenges in the last few months.
And I swear if you didn't tell your age in the beginning I wouldn't peak you a day over 30. Your athletic ability and flexibility is better than guys my age and younger with no surgery.
I have never seen anyone close to my age who could beat me in speed and endurance. There are certain exercises I can do that even athletic guys in their 20s or late teens cannot do. I think I got lucky on genes and later put a lot of effort into maintaining my fitness. That being said, I know at some point my health will decline. We are all going to die!!! I am just postponing the old age issues :P
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I have noticed my CLL has enhanced my butt , it somehow looks tighter, less elongated/droopy and more "perky" - maybe this is mostly illusion because the butt length to femur length ratio has changed?.
Hello AimHigh,
I did a lot of exercises including some for glutes starting early distraction days and have been consistently continuing my various daily workouts since then. That made my legs and butt a lot stronger and fitter than before CLL.
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I bet the Girls are lovin those Buns ;)
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I bet the Girls are lovin those Buns ;)
:))
I think most of us now can be good trainers! helping others to be in shape Imagine my new ad: "Are you suffering from LBN (Low Buns Deficiency"? Call within the next twenty minutes and Dr. Butts will fix it! wait! it gets better! The first 20 callers will get twenty large pizzas for free" :P
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Hey SNC.....where are you man!? Missing your updates....I hope everything is going good! Would love to hear an update or a video on your physical status!!! Hoping the best for you! Have a great day!
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Hey SNC.....where are you man!? Missing your updates....I hope everything is going good! Would love to hear an update or a video on your physical status!!! Hoping the best for you! Have a great day!
Hi Dreamer57! Thanks for checking on me bro! I am doing well. Hope things are also great on your side!
Here is a quick update:
Walking: Average daily walks in 2021: 6.4 miles. I can easily do 6 miles in less than 75 minutes (about 12 mins. 40+ seconds per mile).
Running/jogging: I experienced knee pain a few years ago after many years of playing European soccer and also doing Parkour specifically high jumps. With physical therapy, I managed to recover a couple years before the CLL surgery and since then I have been hesitant in running aggressively. The only times I try being fast is on soft tracks. I feel like I pretty fast, but to record a time I need to practice. Have you seen anyone here reporting a time record on 100m or one mile?
Swimming: missing it so much! I can't wait for pandemic to be over! If anyone has any suggestions for indoor pools in LA, I would love to know.
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That's good here man....everything is okay around here except my height neurosis lol....anyways...ur gait , walking and running....is it completely back to normal? Like no one notices? Any lingering pain or any discomfort....? Any other issues?
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That's good here man....everything is okay around here except my height neurosis lol....anyways...ur gait , walking and running....is it completely back to normal? Like no one notices? Any lingering pain or any discomfort....? Any other issues?
Hi Dreamer57!
Happy New Year! Good to know you are doing well. Hope you'll figure out a safe and efficient plan for your height soon. I also hope Stryde or something more modern comes to market soon, so future CLL'ers would have more options than just the older methods.
My gait and walks were back to normal by end of month 4 post CLL. My runs looked normal starting month 5.
I experienced high levels of pain and discomfort during distraction. A couple of weeks into consolidation pain completely stopped; a very rapid change from high to zero.
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Hey man, I read your diary, your results are awesome, congrats. This is making me want to wait for whatever new weight bearing technology is deployed. I just feel like the weight bearing allowed you to recover and work so much more efficiently! incredible
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Hey man, I read your diary, your results are awesome, congrats. This is making me want to wait for whatever new weight bearing technology is deployed. I just feel like the weight bearing allowed you to recover and work so much more efficiently! incredible
Hi, I am sorry for the delay.
Thanks for the kind words. I also believe with any other CLL method (other than stryde) it would've been impossible for me to make some of the records.
I hope the new weight bearing tech. (updated stryde or something even more advanced) will come out soon.
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Hello CLL'ers!
It's been a while since I checked in here.
I found the following interesting, so I thought of sharing it. I hope you find it interesting too:
It's argued that Putin is obsessed with his height. There are many online posts about that, such as this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6lHjZjYXE
Some have gone further to associate short height with aggressiveness and brutality. It's formally called the Napolean Complex.
A 2007 research work found that Napolean Complex is a myth. However there are some researchers who claim to have found evidence of "the small man syndrome".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_complex#:~:text=short%20man%20syndrome.-,Research,they%20are)%20is%20a%20myth.
Just in case, we all should fund a height lengthening surgery for Putin :P
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At the end of the day, any powerful man who is not average height will be dubbed with this kind of "syndrome", but lets face the facts, the reason any short man makes it big is this world is by virtue of the "energy" he brings, his masculinity he conveys, his remarkable ability to execute on tasks, his fearless demeanor in any situation set forth upon him. This is the reality. People will always try to find a way to take jabs at others. This is a covert form of jealousy.
If the man is wearing lifts (which frankly looks like he is), so be it, its all cosmetic, and at the end of the day no one fking cares, if you dont fking care. It comes down to you.
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At the end of the day, any powerful man who is not average height will be dubbed with this kind of "syndrome", but lets face the facts, the reason any short man makes it big is this world is by virtue of the "energy" he brings, his masculinity he conveys, his remarkable ability to execute on tasks, his fearless demeanor in any situation set forth upon him. This is the reality. People will always try to find a way to take jabs at others. This is a covert form of jealousy.
If the man is wearing lifts (which frankly looks like he is), so be it, its all cosmetic, and at the end of the day no one fking cares, if you dont fking care. It comes down to you.
Your response to my post is very interesting, but not surprising!
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Did you have knee pain in consolidation? Specifically when you walk with crutches or without crutches?
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Did you have knee pain in consolidation? Specifically when you walk with crutches or without crutches?
No. BTW, I stopped using crutches pretty early (early stages of distraction), i.e., during consolidation no crutches.
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I have noticed my CLL has enhanced my butt , it somehow looks tighter, less elongated/droopy and more "perky" - maybe this is mostly illusion because the butt length to femur length ratio has changed?.
Hey! How are you doing now? I’m very afraid of the opposite happening. I have a very curvy behind that I’m happy with and I’m afraid CLL will flatten it out. Can anyone comment on this?
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Hi SNC! I just came to this forum, but I can't watch all the videos in your diary. Is there any way to see your video? I really like your diary and attitude to life. Thank you so much!
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Hi SNC! I just came to this forum, but I can't watch all the videos in your diary. Is there any way to see your video? I really like your diary and attitude to life. Thank you so much!
Hi youyin12, Thanks!
I had removed the videos for privacy reasons. I am sorry about that.
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Thanks for your reply. How are you feeling now? How is your performance in sports?
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Hi youyin12 and All,
As far as my legs, everything same as it used to be. The only difference is that I mostly walk and run instead of stretching. Here are some updates:
Speed: I typically do 6 miles in less than an hour (a combination of fast walks and runs of various speeds, with no resting in between; that overall averages to about 9 mins or so per mile. - the routes are mostly flat, but involve some gentle uphill/downhills).
Agility: For the ~6 miles run/walk I am more fit than before surgery thanks to practicing. My swimming speed is like before CLL. However my speed has degraded when it comes to tall jumps. I used to jump better before surgery even if I was shorter. Now I can clearly feel I am not as agile when it comes to jumping over barriers like fences, etc., stair leaping and also the takeoff or initial acceleration of my runs. I also feel slower when it comes to soccer and basketball; therefore I don't recommend CLL for those who'd want to professionally do sports such as soccer or basketball.
Height: The nurse measured my height during a physical exam recently and I was at 179cm around 2pm. Also measured myself this morning and I was at 180cm shortly after I woke up. This means that my height has shrunk (from 180.5 morning times) by about .5cm or that it's part of the normal day-to-day height variations mixed with any differences in the measurement setups. I should be able to confirm this in the next couple months, repeating measurements. Will have an update here on this!
Health: No change since 2020. I still can beat others in their 30s by far in almost any activity. I can beat even some teenagers in endurance and speed (running, swimming, easy parkour stuff ..). I hope when the time comes that my health goes downhill due to old age, I would be mature enough to accept it :(
Life: I have moved out of LA county as the relocation made sense for my business.
Unfortunately, I am not happy; I've felt this way since late 2021. I am most likely the richest guy on this forum (assuming all the rich guys directly or indirectly revealed themselves here!) or at least one of the richest.. however, I made several decisions in life that emotionally ruin me!
For privacy reasons I am not going to discuss details, but I decided to be open about this to hopefully help others; to be positive and be happy with the good things they have in life. Height was never an issue to me, not even before my CLL. Those who have read my diary should know that already.. I am thinking of seeing a good therapist, but last time that I tried them was a few years ago and they sounded stupid :(
I hope this update is helpful. Let me know if anything else.
SNC
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Thank you very much for your update. Life is complex and influenced by many factors. Happiness is also a subjective feeling. In the eyes of other members of this forum, you are very successful and wealthy, and your height has also improved, with no long-term complications. However, everyone has different pursuits and standards in life. At least now your legs are healthy and you can do any sport you want. I hope everything is good. Best wishes.
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Hi youyin12 and All,
As far as my legs, everything same as it used to be. The only difference is that I mostly walk and run instead of stretching. Here are some updates:
Speed: I typically do 6 miles in less than an hour (a combination of fast walks and runs of various speeds, with no resting in between; that overall averages to about 9 mins or so per mile. - the routes are mostly flat, but involve some gentle uphill/downhills).
Agility: For the ~6 miles run/walk I am more fit than before surgery thanks to practicing. My swimming speed is like before CLL. However my speed has degraded when it comes to tall jumps. I used to jump better before surgery even if I was shorter. Now I can clearly feel I am not as agile when it comes to jumping over barriers like fences, etc., stair leaping and also the takeoff or initial acceleration of my runs. I also feel slower when it comes to soccer and basketball; therefore I don't recommend CLL for those who'd want to professionally do sports such as soccer or basketball.
Height: The nurse measured my height during a physical exam recently and I was at 179cm around 2pm. Also measured myself this morning and I was at 180cm shortly after I woke up. This means that my height has shrunk (from 180.5 morning times) by about .5cm or that it's part of the normal day-to-day height variations mixed with any differences in the measurement setups. I should be able to confirm this in the next couple months, repeating measurements. Will have an update here on this!
Health: No change since 2020. I still can beat others in their 30s by far in almost any activity. I can beat even some teenagers in endurance and speed (running, swimming, easy parkour stuff ..). I hope when the time comes that my health goes downhill due to old age, I would be mature enough to accept it :(
Life: I have moved out of LA county as the relocation made sense for my business.
Unfortunately, I am not happy; I've felt this way since late 2021. I am most likely the richest guy on this forum (assuming all the rich guys directly or indirectly revealed themselves here!) or at least one of the richest.. however, I made several decisions in life that emotionally ruin me!
For privacy reasons I am not going to discuss details, but I decided to be open about this to hopefully help others; to be positive and be happy with the good things they have in life. Height was never an issue to me, not even before my CLL. Those who have read my diary should know that already.. I am thinking of seeing a good therapist, but last time that I tried them was a few years ago and they sounded stupid :(
I hope this update is helpful. Let me know if anything else.
SNC
Do you think your unhappiness is due to your age or getting older in general? I have been thinking alot about the utility of LL past the age of 30 and if you get the same benefits as younger guys or not because you have lived most of your life. What do you think?
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Do you think your unhappiness is due to your age or getting older in general?
No, it's not related to my age or getting older, or my CLL; in fact it's not even about me, exactly!
I have been thinking alot about the utility of LL past the age of 30 and if you get the same benefits as younger guys or not because you have lived most of your life. What do you think?
Whether someone 30+ could get the same benefits as younger guys, depends on the person themselves. I'd say, in your case since you have done a lot of thinking and sure about it, then you should do the CLL before 30.
As for myself, my journal here should be very clear why I did the CLL and why it worked well for me.
Hope this helps,
SNC
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@SNC
its so nice to hear an update from you!
i followed your diary when you from the beginning and its nice to see you are still here!
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Nice Journey wished I could've done stride nail looks like your recovery was very quick but it's LON for me.
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If you lengthened your bones by 8 cm, are you taller by 8 cm or less?
The bones of the legs are not in a vertical axis.
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If you lengthened your bones by 8 cm, are you taller by 8 cm or less?
The bones of the legs are not in a vertical axis.
A typical Q angle is 12 degrees for men and 17 degrees for women.
Cosine(12)*80mm=78.25mm
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@SNC
its so nice to hear an update from you!
i followed your diary when you from the beginning and its nice to see you are still here!
Thanks Hagane,
This forum helped me a lot during my CLL journey. I've tried to stay as part of it to help the current and future members and guests.
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Nice Journey wished I could've done stride nail looks like your recovery was very quick but it's LON for me.
Yeah I got lucky! Stryde was perfect. Work from home during covid times, also helped. My recovery was perfect; I made records that are impossible to break if any other current or older method was used.
I hope an enhanced version of stryde or a totally new technology is developed that makes CLL even safer and faster.
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If you lengthened your bones by 8 cm, are you taller by 8 cm or less?
The bones of the legs are not in a vertical axis.
I quoted my xrays results below. I got 8cm on left femur and 7.97 on the right one.
I cannot however come up with a very accurate number on my pre-CLL height. This is the measurements could have a different setup than those I currently have. did not necessarily have an exact setup. But the xrays showed 8cm.
I never cared much about how much extra cm I would get out of the CLL, but I did it as a challenge; like the way I did for a lot of other crazy stuff. All mattered to me was to do CLL perfectly; to get the best results, and try to beat other CLL'ers in the quality of results including minimizing the recovery time.
For future CLL'ers, I suggest doing a very accurate measurement in a clinic before the surgery and go back to that same clinic and repeat the measurements post-CLL and at exact same time of the day (as that of the pre-CLL).
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A typical Q angle is 12 degrees for men and 17 degrees for women.
Cosine(12)*80mm=78.25mm
Sounds reasonable to me.
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I finally got a chance to make a video on the nails. The vide appears below.
After carefully checking the nails to make sure not much bone marrow is still on the nails, I don't see any sign of corrosion/rusting.
I see one of the Stryde nails as a few millimeters longer. That must be the one for my left femur. I had already noted in my diary that I went to max (of 8cm) on left, but 7.97 mm or so on the right; as my right femur was a bit longer than my left pre-op. The longer left Stryde seems to have a design pattern towards the end. In the video I point at it. That does not show on the right one, cause I did not max the right out, so it must be inside the nail.
Just because I don't see corrosion/rusting does not mean there cannot be.
Please check the pictures that Azman had provided on his corroded Stryde nails. In fact Dr. M. had also told me that they see rusting/corrosion, on Stryde nails when they remove the nails. I hope the recall finds any issues including rusting related and resolves them.
However rusting/corrosion must be a function of time, as well as some parameters related to the patient's body (chemical, etc.). It just happens that perhaps in my case there was no rusting/corrosion.
Let me know if you have any comments, or questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RJkKKjI7ME
Since you guys asked for it; my xrays showed 8cm and 7.97cm for left and right femurs respectively. Given 180.5cm morning times (post CLL), I must've been around 172.7 or so pre-CLL (assuming EngGame's angle estimate posted earlier here, applies).