Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: asian on October 03, 2020, 02:35:25 PM
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Hey guys, I had my surgery on September 22nd and stayed in the hospital for 4 days.
Day -1: Did a lot of checks and met a lot of doctors, they want to ensure I don't have any other disease.
Day 0: Went to the hospital at 5:30 lol, I was the first surgery on that day so I have to be there before 6 am. The nurse shaved my leg hair and changed cloth. Then they put me in the bed and push me to the operation room. When I woke up I was laying in my bed. I was unable to do anything, just sleep and eat. The food was pretty good, and nurses are nice.
Day 1: Same as day 0, just sleep and eat. I was able to walk a little bit with my walker.
Day 2: Sleep and eat. I was able to walk to the toilet to pee by using the walker.
Day 3: Sleep and eat. I walked a little bit more, went to another patient's room, and had a chat with him... and started to use crutches. Surprisingly I was able to do bowel movement on day 3, I mainly use my arm muscle to pull up myself. It was painful, but It's very important to me.
Day 4: Last day at the hospital, I hired a private nurse to help me to carry me into my apartment because it has a few stairs before the elevator...I was able to climb the stairs by using my arm and a crutch.
Day 5 - Day 11: I basically can do everything by myself, including cooking, washing clothes, going(taxi) to the physio center. Today is 11th day after the surgery, I'm able to walk a little bit without crutches like a penguin. I was very fit and flexible before the surgery(go to the gym 4-5 times a week, my palm can touch the floor), I think this helped me a lot. A guy who had surgery on the same day, he's recovery is very good as well, he's pretty flexible and fit. But another guy who had the surgery a day later than us got some troubles. He even couldn't stand and his knees couldn't bent to 90 degrees. If you want to do this surgery, you have to be very strong and flexible.
During the day, the pain is not very bad, it's only like 2-4/10. During the physiotherapy, it's like 8-9/10...it's really painful.
My only issue is that my sleep is not very well, I wake up 4-5 times every night. It's not because the pain, I feel my legs are very uncomfortable, I usually wake up and sit for one or two minutes. Does anyone have any idea on how to solve this issue? Thank you!
(https://i.imgur.com/80nPjCt.jpg)
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Congrats on starting your journey asian! Looking forward to the updates!
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What version of erc you are using?
It seems that lot of people having problems with erc1 device. Even another Giotikas patient on this forum. Can your device sense is the nail moving?
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My only issue is that my sleep is not very well, I wake up 4-5 times every night. It's not because the pain, I feel my legs are very uncomfortable, I usually wake up and sit for one or two minutes. Does anyone have any idea on how to solve this issue? Thank you!
(https://i.imgur.com/80nPjCt.jpg)
[/quote]
Try sleeping on your stomach or a few pillows under your legs if you’re sleeping on your back.
Dr. G will not prescribe muscle relaxer when your muscles get tight, after 5cm, but muscle relaxer did improve my sleep. You can buy some at the pharmacy, small pharmacy are like at every 10 blocks, pharmacy are the ones with the green cross. I used Sirdalud 2mg.
Also Tylenol PM if you are able to get some in Athens.
Hope this help
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Hi Asian, wish you the best of luck in your journey and I will be following your diary closely.
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I think it's an old version. A black one with one yellow button and one green button. I'm not sure if it's working properly. I have a post-op x-ray appointment next week, we will see.
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Hi Azman,
Yeah, I tried to sleep on my stomach but it didn't work for me... Add a pillow under my knees does help. I will ask the Dr if I can buy some medicine that you recommended. Thank you, Azman!
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A softer bed is much easier to sleep in than a harder bed
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Congratulations on starting your journey! Looking forward to seeing updates on this. I'll be possibly seeing you there as I'm scheduled in a few weeks :)
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Hey Asian! Best of luck. Planning on doing this within the next few months. What are your stats if you don't mind me asking?
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Hey Asian! Best of luck. Planning on doing this within the next few months. What are your stats if you don't mind me asking?
Hi bro, I'm 160cm 58kg, age 20s.
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Day 15: Had my first post-op appointment with Doctor. Everything is going well. The nail is moving.
(https://i.imgur.com/AGhRQfp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GIdwy7J.jpg)
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Hi asian,
Thanks for the update. Are you from Greece or somewhere close by? How is it coming from out of town if you are from a different country than Greece? Is it easy to navigate if you speak English?
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Hi Asian
You are a brave man who has the guts to go and get your legs broken voluntary ...
A couple of questions:
1) what were your thoughts before the surgery ( about the complications, pain n all ), what happened that you made your mind like ” I am doing this no matter what”
2) could you describe the first feeling after the surgery when the anesthesia wore off? some people say they felt immense pain... Some say legs just feel stiff and heavy...
3) in PT, that pain is due to the incisions getting stretched or it's like some deep bone pain?
4) Does anesthesia causes unbelievable pain? ( as mentioned in kilokhan and sunshine dairy ) Also, how painful was ur catheter experience?
5) You do your PT with other CLL patients in a batch or alone?
Sorry of bombarding so may question, my choice is Dr G also that's why I am so curious...
Hope you get through this without any pain or complication.
Best Regards
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Hi asian,
Thanks for the update. Are you from Greece or somewhere close by? How is it coming from out of town if you are from a different country than Greece? Is it easy to navigate if you speak English?
Hi Brondo,
Most of the Greeks speak English since there are a lot of foreigners living here. I don't speak Greek at all.
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Hi Asian
You are a brave man who has the guts to go and get your legs broken voluntary ...
A couple of questions:
1) what were your thoughts before the surgery ( about the complications, pain n all ), what happened that you made your mind like ” I am doing this no matter what”
2) could you describe the first feeling after the surgery when the anesthesia wore off? some people say they felt immense pain... Some say legs just feel stiff and heavy...
3) in PT, that pain is due to the incisions getting stretched or it's like some deep bone pain?
4) Does anesthesia causes unbelievable pain? ( as mentioned in kilokhan and sunshine dairy ) Also, how painful was ur catheter experience?
5) You do your PT with other CLL patients in a batch or alone?
Sorry of bombarding so may question, my choice is Dr G also that's why I am so curious...
Hope you get through this without any pain or complication.
Best Regards
1. Too hard to answer, this is the question you're asking yourself every day haha. I made the decision very quickly because I know it's good for me.
2. I felt my legs are super heavy, couldn't turn my body nor move my legs. I didn't feel too much pain.
3. It's soft tissue pain. Just like you're pushing your limits.
4. I didn't feel too much pain. When I went to the toilet, I felt pain because I was using damaged muscles. You have to push it, your body can tolerate it. catheter? urinary catheter? is uncomfortable, only for a few seconds, but it's better than you couldn't pee... Another patient didn't need a catheter, it depends on the person.
5. PT is 1 on 1 session
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Yeah mate... I am pretty scared... What if sh*t goes sideways... It's a life changing decision so I need to think this through... For me cons are more as compared to pros so I will see...
Anyways... Thanks for answering champ! Congratulations on distraction going smooth ...
Many thanks
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Hi Asian,
Do you have someone to take care of you? Have you hired a caretaker？
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Thanks for replying asian. Can you tell me approximately how much I would need to save up if I wanted to go with Giotikas for Stryde coming from America? I guess I would be staying there until the end of distraction which would be 5cm for myself so two months or so.
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Hi Asian,
Do you have someone to take care of you? Have you hired a caretaker？
Hi init1alove, I hired a caretaker for the first night after discharged from the hospital. I was able to stand and walk with a walker but some people even couldn't stand up. It depends on how fit and flexible you were before the surgery. The caretaker rate is 10 euro/ hour, or you can stay longer in the hospital.
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Thanks for replying asian. Can you tell me approximately how much I would need to save up if I wanted to go with Giotikas for Stryde coming from America? I guess I would be staying there until the end of distraction which would be 5cm for myself so two months or so.
Hi Brondo, It's really depending on the person. I cook by myself, I take a taxi every time to go to PT, I rent an Airbnb studio. I spend about USD$1,000 a month. You will need at least operation fees + 2000 to 3000 USD + flight tickets.
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Hi Brondo, It's really depending on the person. I cook by myself, I take a taxi every time to go to PT, I rent an Airbnb studio. I spend about USD$1,000 a month. You will need at least operation fees + 2000 to 3000 USD + flight tickets.
Thank you!
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A softer bed is much easier to sleep in than a harder bed
Hi bro, yeah the soft bed helps. Last night I added a topper on my mattress and I also added some pillows under my upper body which makes my upper body is higher than my lower body. I think this helps the blood flow to my feet. I only woke up once last night lol... Thanks for the advice!
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Are you American. Are u software engineer or investment banking. Are u Asian.
Lmao sorry for questions asian.
I rly do hope stuff goes well. For you. Buy 3-4 small travel pillows and use as needed when sleeping. Need back support áss support side of head support (both sides) etc.
And what's your age. Anononimity is muy importante so please don't share if u ain't comfortable or give a range like (early 30s) or 27-32
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Hi Brondo, It's really depending on the person. I cook by myself, I take a taxi every time to go to PT, I rent an Airbnb studio. I spend about USD$1,000 a month. You will need at least operation fees + 2000 to 3000 USD + flight tickets.
Hey asian. Another question, how is life in general in Athens compared to where you are from? How is the food and quality of living. I don't think you are doing much in terms of fun given the surgery lol but is it a nice place to be in general?
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Hey asian. Another question, how is life in general in Athens compared to where you are from? How is the food and quality of living. I don't think you are doing much in terms of fun given the surgery lol but is it a nice place to be in general?
Hi anaverageperson, lol yeah, I arrived 2 days before the surgery date. I haven't been to any fun places yet. Athens is pretty nice, much warmer compare to where I from (the winter lasts 6 months). It's sunny every day and it's still in summer now... to sum up, the weather is really good, it's very safe, the food is pretty good, people are very nice.
I use 3 greek apps every day: eFood for food delivery, eFresh for grocery delivery, Beat for the taxi. btw, the taxi is really cheap here.
I made a mistake when I booking my Airbnb, the city center is not a good place to live because it's too noisy.
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e you American. Are u software engineer or investment banking. Are u Asian.
R u gigga googa
Or dub
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e you American. Are u software engineer or investment banking. Are u Asian.
R u gigga googa
Or dub
Hi ghkid, yes, I'm Asian from North America. My occupation is irrelevant to this operation. Thanks
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Hi ghkid, yes, I'm Asian from North America. My occupation is irrelevant to this operation. Thanks
Anononimity is muy importante so please don't share if u ain't comfortable
Oh my god I am so sorry for asking so sorry plz forgive me so sorry didn't want to invasion privasee so sorry brotha from anotha motha so sorry sorry I and sorry sir please no destruction me sir daoh meuh gudod
Plz forigvb e me sir pleassewe
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Oh my god I am so sorry for asking so sorry plz forgive me so sorry didn't want to invasion privasee so sorry brotha from anotha motha so sorry sorry
Plz forigvb e me sir pleassewe
No worries bro! I think most of the people who had this surgery want to keep it private.
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Hi anaverageperson, lol yeah, I arrived 2 days before the surgery date. I haven't been to any fun places yet. Athens is pretty nice, much warmer compare to where I from (the winter lasts 6 months). It's sunny every day and it's still in summer now... to sum up, the weather is really good, it's very safe, the food is pretty good, people are very nice.
I use 3 greek apps every day: eFood for food delivery, eFresh for grocery delivery, Beat for the taxi. btw, the taxi is really cheap here.
I made a mistake when I booking my Airbnb, the city center is not a good place to live because it's too noisy.
Hey Asian, can you use credit cards for these apps? I'm attempting to adjust how much cash I should bring for expenses. If I can use credit cards for these apps I definitely don't need much in cash. How much cash would you suggest to bring for the stay based on your experience so far? Thanks, would help me out a ton!
Also are these apps in English? I've downloaded eFood and eFresh but not in English. However when I go on Google Chrome on my computer, it has a translator built in so was doable.
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Hey Asian, can you use credit cards for these apps? I'm attempting to adjust how much cash I should bring for expenses. If I can use credit cards for these apps I definitely don't need much in cash. How much cash would you suggest to bring for the stay based on your experience so far? Thanks, would help me out a ton!
Also are these apps in English? I've downloaded eFood and eFresh but not in English. However when I go on Google Chrome on my computer, it has a translator built in so was doable.
Hi AppleFanBoy,
eFood, eFresh and Beat are English, probably because my iPhone system language is English? eFood and eFresh accept credit cards but the taxi only accepts cash. I only brought 200 euro cash, I still have about 20 euros.. I only use cash for taxi. I'll have to withdraw some cash from an ATM machine.
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Day 20 after surgery: Yesterday, I was trying to reduce the dose of pain killers. I only took two pills of DEPON paracetamol 500mg before I went to the bed. I didn't sleep much last night, only about 2-3 hours.. I think it's because I didn't take Lyrica(Nerve pain killer) and Tramadol(Severe pain killer). I'm not sure the reason though. I didn't feel much pain, just felt legs discomfort. Like the blood flow wasn't moving smoothly. I ordered an Air Compression Blood Circulation Leg Massager on eBay. The PT Center has one and I use it every session, it makes me very sleepy every time. I hope it can improve my sleep.
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Hey Asian,
I just skimmed through your diary an couldn’t seem to find the cost for the surgery or which nail you used. I might possibly do the surgery with Dr giotikas but I want to do 2 surgeries. Please let me know which part you lengthened femurs or tibia, how much you want to lengthen and the cost for it. Also what is your opinion on doing 2 surgeries... please reply thank you, stay safe
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Hey Asian,
I just skimmed through your diary an couldn’t seem to find the cost for the surgery or which nail you used. I might possibly do the surgery with Dr giotikas but I want to do 2 surgeries. Please let me know which part you lengthened femurs or tibia, how much you want to lengthen and the cost for it. Also what is your opinion on doing 2 surgeries... please reply thank you, stay safe
Hi Gman23,
I did it on my femurs with Stryde nails. You can check the cost on the doctor's website. Doing both tibia and femurs at the same time will be super hard. Femurs are relatively easier than the tibia. I'm planning to do my tibia one year later.
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Day 21 after surgery: Last night, I took 1 Lyrica, 1 Tramal, and 2 Depon before I went to the bed. I slept pretty well, only woke up 2 times. Actually, I felt more pain on my legs after taking painkillers but I could sleep better. I have no idea how it works...
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Hi Gman23,
I did it on my femurs with Stryde nails. You can check the cost on the doctor's website. Doing both tibia and femurs at the same time will be super hard. Femurs are relatively easier than the tibia. I'm planning to do my tibia one year later.
Ayyyy happy for me you man, go for the tibia. That’s my goal aswell. So you want to gain a total of 10-13cm like me ?
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Ayyyy happy for me you man, go for the tibia. That’s my goal aswell. So you want to gain a total of 10-13cm like me ?
My goal is 13-14cm, but I'm not sure if my soft tissue can handle it.
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My goal is 13-14cm, but I'm not sure if my soft tissue can handle it.
Sounds like a bit too much then the safety limit but by all means go for it bro will be watching you all the way !! Good luck
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Also whats your age if I may ask and when will you go for tibia lengthening?
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Day 22 after surgery: My legs are stiff as .
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Day 22 after surgery: My legs are stiff as .
Don't leave us hanging c'mon 😂
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Hi Gman23,
I did it on my femurs with Stryde nails. You can check the cost on the doctor's website. Doing both tibia and femurs at the same time will be super hard. Femurs are relatively easier than the tibia. I'm planning to do my tibia one year later.
Is this really true that stryde on femurs are relatively easier than on tibias? I had heard the opposite.
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Is this really true that stryde on femurs are relatively easier than on tibias? I had heard the opposite.
Yeah, some people said tibia's rehab is easier. But from several diaries on the forum, tibia seems more difficult.
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Day 25 after surgery: My legs are very stiff. I don't use crutches anymore, I can walk very confidently but look like a robot. I feel more pain recently, especially during the night. Pain is from screw sites. I increased the dose of Tramadol, I take 3 pills a day.
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Yeah, some people said tibia's rehab is easier. But from several diaries on the forum, tibia seems more difficult.
from all the diaries ive read it seems that the physio for femurs is much easier in comparison to tibias
however there seems to be less pain from tibias and patients seem to sleep better
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Day 25 after surgery: My legs are very stiff. I don't use crutches anymore, I can walk very confidently but look like a robot. I feel more pain recently, especially during the night. Pain is from screw sites. I increased the dose of Tramadol, I take 3 pills a day.
Keep going Asian, I’ll jus come on this forum to read your diary for now... as my goal is the same as yours.stay safe!!!
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Day 25 after surgery: My legs are very stiff. I don't use crutches anymore, I can walk very confidently but look like a robot. I feel more pain recently, especially during the night. Pain is from screw sites. I increased the dose of Tramadol, I take 3 pills a day.
Dear asian, I think 3 (50 mg) Tramdol pills per day is very reasonable during distraction. I remember Dr. M. told me if there came a point that I could not tolerate pain, I could take 2 pill every 4 hours, but with the condition I would not go beyond 400mg per day; and that's what I did. It must have been around day 30 or so, when pain was too high for me and I had to go for 350 or 400 mg per day.
How is stretching going?
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Hey Asian! Check your PM.
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Dear asian, I think 3 (50 mg) Tramdol pills per day is very reasonable during distraction. I remember Dr. M. told me if there came a point that I could not tolerate pain, I could take 2 pill every 4 hours, but with the condition I would not go beyond 400mg per day; and that's what I did. It must have been around day 30 or so, when pain was too high for me and I had to go for 350 or 400 mg per day.
How is stretching going?
Thanks, SNC. My stretching is pretty good. It's pretty painful during the PT. My physiotherapist is pretty aggressive...but it's good to push my limits.
I checked your stretching routine. Some of them are pretty difficult for me. My hand still can touch my feet, but my other leg can't push down to the ground. it's kind of blocked by the IT band/screws area.
(https://i.ibb.co/hfL4xSr/1603268677701.jpg)
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Thanks, SNC. My stretching is pretty good. It's pretty painful during the PT. My physiotherapist is pretty aggressive...but it's good to push my limits.
I checked your stretching routine. Some of them are pretty difficult for me. My hand still can touch my feet, but my other leg can't push down to the ground. it's kind of blocked by the IT band/screws area.
(https://i.ibb.co/hfL4xSr/1603268677701.jpg)
Dear asian,
I mostly did self-PT'ing during my distraction phase. I was more into repeating the stretching sessions (e.g., 8 times per days) than making them too aggressive, but in your case, if your PTs think you should be aggressive, I think you should trust them.
I would not worry about your leg not pushing down during that exercise. It will get fixed over time after distraction is over. The main goal during distraction is to achieve the maximum height, but if you lost some flexibility on it, it can be fixed. I have been able to reclaim part of my flexibility already by day 10 since end of distraction, e.g., I can bend my knees much more than during the distraction times.
To max distraction asian bro!
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Hey! Thanks for making this diary.
1. How has covid affected your plans/process of getting stryde with Giotikas?
2. What are your tips for finding a place to stay and a caretaker?
3. What are your thoughts on Meska? Not worth the price?
4. What's process like if you get covid during the recovery?
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Dear asian,
I mostly did self-PT'ing during my distraction phase. I was more into repeating the stretching sessions (e.g., 8 times per days) than making them too aggressive, but in your case, if your PTs think you should be aggressive, I think you should trust them.
I would not worry about your leg not pushing down during that exercise. It will get fixed over time after distraction is over. The main goal during distraction is to achieve the maximum height, but if you lost some flexibility on it, it can be fixed. I have been able to reclaim part of my flexibility already by day 10 since end of distraction, e.g., I can bend my knees much more than during the distraction times.
To max distraction asian bro!
Great to hear that! Thank you SNC! I definitely need to have more self PT sessions.
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Hey! Thanks for making this diary.
1. How has covid affected your plans/process of getting stryde with Giotikas?
2. What are your tips for finding a place to stay and a caretaker?
3. What are your thoughts on Meska? Not worth the price?
4. What's process like if you get covid during the recovery?
Hi SpeedDialer,
1, Everything is normal here, people wear masks.
2, Find a place that closes to the PT center and has an elevator. If you have enough budget, try to find a nice place. My apartment is too noisy. The doctor arranges a caretaker for you if you needed.
3, Current patients are not going to Meska for PT anymore. We go to another PT center.
4, Covid situation is not too bad in Greece, but try not to get it lol, I always wear a mask when I go out.
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Day 32 after surgery, lengthened 25mm: I have been very busy recently because I have a full-time job and I also have to go to the PT center. I had my second follow-up appointment with the doctor yesterday. Everything went very well, bones are growing. Both legs have lengthened equally. I push very hard when I use the ERC machine because Dr.Paley's paper mentioned that push harder will make it work better. The pain level is almost the same, it's like 1-4/10 if I only do daily activity. 6-9/10 during the PT. I still wake up 2-3 times every night. 2 days ago I got hamstring pain, it feels like muscle pain. Just like get injured from the sport. When I push it, I could feel a string(or tendon? I have no idea) was very tight and it was painful. I hate that feeling. I started to stretch my hamstrings harder. Today, I feel much better but still can feel it. It feels like it's recovering from injury lol. I guess that's how muscle lengthens and grows.
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Day 32 after surgery, lengthened 25mm: I have been very busy recently because I have a full-time job and I also have to go to the PT center. I had my second follow-up appointment with the doctor yesterday. Everything went very well, bones are growing. Both legs have lengthened equally. I push very hard when I use the ERC machine because Dr.Paley's paper mentioned that push harder will make it work better. The pain level is almost the same, it's like 1-4/10 if I only do daily activity. 6-9/10 during the PT. I still wake up 2-3 times every night. 2 days ago I got hamstring pain, it feels like muscle pain. Just like get injured from the sport. When I push it, I could feel a string(or tendon? I have no idea) was very tight and it was painful. I hate that feeling. I started to stretch my hamstrings harder. Today, I feel much better but still can feel it. It feels like it's recovering from injury lol. I guess that's how muscle lengthens and grows.
Dear asian,
I hear these recommendations that if your stretching starts to be painful you should take it easy. It has generally not worked like that for myself! In the past if I have some muscle or tendon injury, instead of taking easy on it, I would push it aggressively to a point that it would make me cry, but it would help with the healing. I did that for my ankle, shoulder and thumb. In all three cases, taking it easy did not work, but pushing it aggravated pain at start, but finally helped with the healing. What you said about your hamstrings reminds me of that! I am therefore in favor of pushing myself, especially now that I am in the consolidation phase, meaning, if I feel some pain while walking, I would not necessarily take it easy, but I would continue a bit more; that would even increase pain, but I think it helps with growth and healing.
My pain is much more predictable. It is mostly around the bone gap area and mostly appears when I walk close to 0.5 miles or longer, or during evening times! I am however very happy that I am finally painkiller free for days now! My way of handling pain is a combination of stretching a few times per day, and taking hot showers or sitting in a hot bathtub at least once per day.
By the way, when you get close to 4cm or so and all the way to your final length, you would start to experience a lot stiffness. Don't get disappointed by that. As far as I know it happens to everyone.
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Dear asian,
I hear these recommendations that if your stretching starts to be painful you should take it easy. It has generally not worked like that for myself! In the past if I have some muscle or tendon injury, instead of taking easy on it, I would push it aggressively to a point that it would make me cry, but it would help with the healing. I did that for my ankle, shoulder and thumb. In all three cases, taking it easy did not work, but pushing it aggravated pain at start, but finally helped with the healing. What you said about your hamstrings reminds me of that! I am therefore in favor of pushing myself, especially now that I am in the consolidation phase, meaning, if I feel some pain while walking, I would not necessarily take it easy, but I would continue a bit more; that would even increase pain, but I think it helps with growth and healing.
My pain is much more predictable. It is mostly around the bone gap area and mostly appears when I walk close to 0.5 miles or longer, or during evening times! I am however very happy that I am finally painkiller free for days now! My way of handling pain is a combination of stretching a few times per day, and taking hot showers or sitting in a hot bathtub at least once per day.
By the way, when you get close to 4cm or so and all the way to your final length, you would start to experience a lot stiffness. Don't get disappointed by that. As far as I know it happens to everyone.
Hi SNC,
Thank you very much for your advice! Congrats, you're painkiller free now! Yes, aggressive PT does help muscle recovery. Today, I'm about 34mm distraction, I only feel stiffness from tightness and a little muscle pain. My muscles are really tight, especially hamstring and IT band. Hope that I will not experience a lot of pain lol.
Thanks,
Asian
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Day 41 after surgery, lengthened 34mm: My sleep is getting much better, I only wake up 2-3 times every night and I usually can sleep 9-10 hours. Sleep on the stomach and soft bed topper changed my life lol. My muscles are getting really tight, especially hamstring and IT band. I don't feel much pain, only some pain from the bone gap during the night.
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Have any recent xrays of both AP and lateral view you could share?
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Day 43 after surgery: I have lengthened 37mm. I had a follow-up appointment with the doctor this morning. Everything went very well, bones are growing fine. Recently, I feel more pain from the bone gaps during the night, it's like 1-4/10. I have lost a lot of flexibility. PT is getting more painful, it's really painful...I almost couldn't tolerate it. My sleep is still pretty good. I sleep about 8-10 hours every night.
(https://i.imgur.com/msD7D9x.jpg)
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Hi Asian,
How about your gait?
Are you on the same meds and doses?
So glad to see you are doing great... Hope the PT becomes easy for you...
Best regards,
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Keep strong¡ Seems like you are having great progress
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Hi AppleFanBoy,
eFood, eFresh and Beat are English, probably because my iPhone system language is English? eFood and eFresh accept credit cards but the taxi only accepts cash. I only brought 200 euro cash, I still have about 20 euros.. I only use cash for taxi. I'll have to withdraw some cash from an ATM machine.
Thanks. You had mentioned that your place was too noisy. What's your advice for finding a better place? What would you have done differently? Seems difficult to anticipate a place being noisy
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Reached 5cm today: I had an appointment with the doctor today. Everything went very well. Bones are growing fine. I haven't got numbness or nerve pain yet. I feel my legs are really tight, it feels like it would explode soon lol. The pain remains low, only 1-3/10 during the night. Aggressive PT is still pretty painful, everyone is screaming at the PT center... But I feel much better after each PT session. My sleep is still very well, I can sleep for 9-12 hours. Since I will stay in Athens until the end of January, the doctor recommends me to slow down to 0.75mm/day.
Even though my experience is not too bad, I still think this surgery is super hard... I feel the process is too long, damn if it only needs 2 weeks or one month, it definitely would be easier. But it needs about 3 months, it feels like an endless game, you have to work very hard every day. This is the hardest thing I've ever done.
Xray:
(https://i.imgur.com/ae6ACrk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pdSH6TV.jpg)
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Hi Asian,
How about your gait?
Are you on the same meds and doses?
So glad to see you are doing great... Hope the PT becomes easy for you...
Best regards,
Hi, my gait is fine. I can walk like a normal guy after stretching or a PT session. If I feel my legs are very tight, I walk like a robot.
Yes, I'm on the same dose. 1 tramadol + 2 Depon(Paracetamol) in the morning, 1 lyrica + 1 tramadol + 2 Depon(Paracetamol) before sleep.
PT became harder because my muscles and nerves became tighter.
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No worries if you walk like a robot sometimes, I still think your progress is amazing... I mean your LL journey so far is the best-case scenario till now in my perspective. No pain, no complication and your gait is normal for most of the time.
Hope you are enjoying your 2 inches gain, 1 more inch to go buddy... do your best, we are rooting for you...
Regards
PS: Don’t know what will happen to me, I am allergic to Paracetamol
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thats an unfortunate allergy to have, what happens when you take it?
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Hi wannabeidol,
I just feel throwing up, kinda makes me cough too...but will discuss with docs once I decide abt the surgery...
Regards
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Reached 6.5cm: Hey guys, I just reached 6.5cm. I had an appointment with the doctor on Saturday. The doctor said everything is very well. I noticed some patients' bone forming are faster than mine. Does my x-ray show my consolidation is pretty slow? I don't feel much pain, still around 1-3/10. I haven't got any numbness or nerve pain yet.
(https://i.imgur.com/MJIbZKu.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/uij3UDx.jpg)
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1. If someone was planning on doing both tibias and femurs internal stryde with Giotikas, how much money in Euros would you withdraw to have in cash for the whole thing?
2. Aside from taxis, when else do you need to use cash?
3. Can you get away with only using Beat instead of taxis?
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1. If someone was planning on doing both tibias and femurs internal stryde with Giotikas, how much money in Euros would you withdraw to have in cash for the whole thing?
I only brought a few hundred euros.
2. Aside from taxis, when else do you need to use cash?
I use my credit card everywhere.
3. Can you get away with only using Beat instead of taxis?
Actually, you can add your credit card to Beat.
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Reached 71mm. The pain level remains the same. I stopped taking Tramadol, Lyrica, and Depon(Paracetamol) last Friday (my dosage was 2 pills of Tramadol, 1 pill of Lyrica, 2 pills of Depon). I was feeling terrible yesterday(Day 2 without tramadol). It was like I had flu. I felt cold, depressed, tired. I only slept for 4 hours last night. I was feeling really cold at the beginning, then started sweating. I felt cold again this morning but much better than yesterday. I'm not sure why I had very serious withdrawal symptoms. It might due to my nerves are too sensitive? For example, I can't sleep if I drink coffee. I think I should have stopped taking Tramadol earlier since my pain levels have been very low.
Reference: Tramadol Side Effects and Withdrawal are Daunting https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/tramadol-side-effects-and-withdrawal-are-daunting
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Congrats on reaching 71 mm! Hope you feel better!
a. If you could do it over again, what would you do differently in terms of finding a place to stay in Greece or finding a caretaker?
b. What foods in Greece do you think are good that are nutritious, cheap, and easy to prepare even when your legs are in pain? I'm a bit worried about peanut/nut/sheLL Forumish/shrimp allergy
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Reached 71mm. The pain level remains the same. I stopped taking Tramadol, Lyrica, and Depon(Paracetamol) last Friday (my dosage was 2 pills of Tramadol, 1 pill of Lyrica, 2 pills of Depon). I was feeling terrible yesterday(Day 2 without tramadol). It was like I had flu. I felt cold, depressed, tired. I only slept for 4 hours last night. I was feeling really cold at the beginning, then started sweating. I felt cold again this morning but much better than yesterday. I'm not sure why I had very serious withdrawal symptoms. It might due to my nerves are too sensitive? For example, I can't sleep if I drink coffee. I think I should have stopped taking Tramadol earlier since my pain levels have been very low.
Reference: Tramadol Side Effects and Withdrawal are Daunting https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/tramadol-side-effects-and-withdrawal-are-daunting
Congrats on 71mm. I'm glad your pain levels haven't gone up for these last few mm. The end is in sight! Have you been taking Tramadol this whole time? Doesn't it inhibit bone growth? I'm not taking too many painkillers right now since I don't want to get addicted, but I probably need to take more since my baseline pain has not been 0/10 these last few days.
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Hey Asian!
What is Giotikas's policy for people who want to do both tibia and femurs? How long does he require patients wait in between doing them?
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Congrats on reaching 71 mm! Hope you feel better!
a. If you could do it over again, what would you do differently in terms of finding a place to stay in Greece or finding a caretaker?
b. What foods in Greece do you think are good that are nutritious, cheap, and easy to prepare even when your legs are in pain? I'm a bit worried about peanut/nut/sheLL Forumish/shrimp allergy
My place is not very well but it's cheap. You can find pretty good places during the COVID pandemic... The caretaker was very good, no complaints.
I cook by myself since Day 1. You also can ask the caretaker to cook for you or order food. You should let the doctor and nurse know what you are allergic to before the surgery. I think they can arrange different food for you.
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Congrats on 71mm. I'm glad your pain levels haven't gone up for these last few mm. The end is in sight! Have you been taking Tramadol this whole time? Doesn't it inhibit bone growth? I'm not taking too many painkillers right now since I don't want to get addicted, but I probably need to take more since my baseline pain has not been 0/10 these last few days.
Hi BTM, yes, I took Tramadol for almost 3 months. I think it doesn't affect bone growth but it's hard to quit. If you don't have severe pain, I think Paracetamol should be enough.
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Hey Asian!
What is Giotikas's policy for people who want to do both tibia and femurs? How long does he require patients wait in between doing them?
Currently, there are 3 quadrilateral patients in Athens. One patient had 3 weeks gap. The other two had 4 weeks gap (They postponed the second surgery because the procedure is harder than they expected..lol). You can discuss it with the doctor.
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Yesterday, I had very serious withdrawal symptoms from stopping tramadol suddenly. I had very bad headaches and chill, it was like flu but my body temperature was normal...so that confirms it was from withdrawal symptoms. The doctor suggests me to reduce the dosage first(Tapering) but I want to overcome it. The withdrawal symptoms can last 4-10 days. I haven't taken Tramadol for 5 days now. Today, I don't have headaches but not sure what's going to happen tomorrow...
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Thanks!!!!
"They postponed the second surgery because the procedure is harder than they expected..lol). "
So the patient said he was in too much pain so he begged them to delay it one more week?
What happened?
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Thanks!! What do you think are the best websites or services to find a good caretaker and grocery delivery services in Greece?
One leg lengthening patient said that his caretaker would skim some money off when he got groceries for him
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Thanks!!!!
"They postponed the second surgery because the procedure is harder than they expected..lol). "
So the patient said he was in too much pain so he begged them to delay it one more week?
What happened?
Hi SD, I think it was due to the pain. They discussed it with the Doctor and rescheduled a new date. Quad is not a joke, you just had big surgery 3 weeks ago then you have to do another one. This is very hard both physically and mentally.
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Thanks!! What do you think are the best websites or services to find a good caretaker and grocery delivery services in Greece?
One leg lengthening patient said that his caretaker would skim some money off when he got groceries for him
I use eFood App to order groceries. I had Maria as my caretaker for the first night. She was very helpful, she kept all receipts. I don't know other caretakers, you can ask the doctor's team to recommend a good one.
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59days after surgery, it was about 5 cm.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/3xJMN4xuUoI
December 23, about 7.3 cm. My gait is getting worse than in November.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/5KY3kSidELE
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Thanks for the comparison videos! Definitely helpful. I can tell that my gait also got a little worse over time, especially in the week I didn't have PT scheduled. Hoping that my flexibility catches back up and I can maintain a reasonable gait until 5-6cm at least.
You're almost done! Are you still going 1mm/day? I bet you can taste the end of the distraction phase already.
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Nice to see you dancing and happy ... Your walk will be fine sooner than later because other folks were limping way worse than you .. Cheers mate ...
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Don't be to hard on your self. This is a major surgery and your walk is fine, give it time. You have no complications( knock on wood) and your getting better and better. Im happy for you mate. Thank you for keep posting about your journey!
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59days after surgery, it was about 5 cm.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/3xJMN4xuUoI
December 23, about 7.3 cm. My gait is getting worse than in November.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/5KY3kSidELE
Honestly great progress man looking good 🤩
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The gait looks awesome mate! I hope my walk is that good when I am beyond 7cm. Keen to see how you recovery and gait looks during consolidation.
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Hey Asian! Thanks for posting the videos
1. What are the most common ways you have found to save money in Greece?
2. What things are worth splurging a little bit on that improve your sleep/safety/recovery?
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Hey Asian! Thanks for posting the videos
1. What are the most common ways you have found to save money in Greece?
2. What things are worth splurging a little bit on that improve your sleep/safety/recovery?
Cooking by yourself and renting a cheaper place can save tons of money(Don't ask me how haha. Do your homework).
A soft bed improves my sleep. You can buy a soft bed topper.
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Dude, what's wrong with you? Can you please talk normal and not be rude?!
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Hey Asian, thanks for the advice about eFood and Maria! Hope you recover well!
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Yesterday I had my last in-person follow-up appointment with Dr.Giotikas. I have officially reached 8cm, the length of my left and right femur bones are equal. It's been a tough and long journey. I've learned a lot of things from this procedure. It definitely makes you stronger and become a real man. Dr.G is definitely a nice person, an excellent surgeon. I'm very grateful he's doing LL for cosmetic patients at an affordable price. Otherwise, I would have to wait one more year to be able to afford US doctors. I want to give a shout-out to Movie, MyEvolution, InFullStryde, OverrideYourGenetics, StrydeNailChallenge, and other LL veterans, they provided a lot of valuable information. I will keep updating my recovery in my diary. Good luck!
(https://i.imgur.com/3fnqdHx.jpeg)
Btw, Dr.Giotikas is pretty tall, he's about 186, 187cm.
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Congratulations asian on completing ur distraction....and good luck to ur recovery and enjoy ur new height and life....btw how tall r u now and wht is ur wingspan.
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Congrats Asian! Heard you're doing tibias later on too, I hope you recover from this fully asap so it'll be as smooth of an experience when the time comes for tibs! Appreciate all the x-rays and documentation dude!
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Good job Asian to you and Giotikas.
I wish you to enjoy your new life now healthy without ever have any problem with your height again.
Keep strong!
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Congrats man! thanks for the shout out. looking good
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Congrats Asian!!!!
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Hi, Is it possible to make a video of how you are walking now vs how it was in November? Thanks
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What are your thoughts on the best places/prices to get a covid test in Athens?
I read that some countries like USA require you to get it before coming back to USA:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html
Effective January 26, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will require all air passengers entering the United States (including U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days. Airlines must confirm the negative test result or proof of recovery for all passengers two years of age and over prior to boarding. Airlines must deny boarding of passengers who do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS900US900&sxsrf=ALeKk03vXyvbsJxvp5yihjn848kFNtoPfg%3A1610918333334&ei=vakEYJXRE9Gl_Qb55pD4Aw&q=athens+greece+covid+test+for+americans&oq=athens+greece+covid+test+for+americans&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzoHCAAQRxCwA1DSJ1ijLGD9LGgCcAJ4AIABhQGIAb4FkgEDNS4ymAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesgBCMABAQ&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjVo5S48qPuAhXRUt8KHXkzBD8Q4dUDCA0&uact=5
I never thought about this problem but it seems like someone could get stuck in limbo if they can't return to the USA but also can't stay in Greece due to reaching their time limit from the medical visa
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Hi, Is it possible to make a video of how you are walking now vs how it was in November? Thanks
My gait is almost the same, the recovery is slower than what I expected. I think I'll need a few more months to get back to a normal gait. I remember my gait was getting worsen after 6cm, so if you only lengthen 5-6cm, the recovery would be much faster.
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What are your thoughts on the best places/prices to get a covid test in Athens?
I read that some countries like USA require you to get it before coming back to USA:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html
Effective January 26, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will require all air passengers entering the United States (including U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days. Airlines must confirm the negative test result or proof of recovery for all passengers two years of age and over prior to boarding. Airlines must deny boarding of passengers who do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS900US900&sxsrf=ALeKk03vXyvbsJxvp5yihjn848kFNtoPfg%3A1610918333334&ei=vakEYJXRE9Gl_Qb55pD4Aw&q=athens+greece+covid+test+for+americans&oq=athens+greece+covid+test+for+americans&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzoHCAAQRxCwA1DSJ1ijLGD9LGgCcAJ4AIABhQGIAb4FkgEDNS4ymAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesgBCMABAQ&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjVo5S48qPuAhXRUt8KHXkzBD8Q4dUDCA0&uact=5
I never thought about this problem but it seems like someone could get stuck in limbo if they can't return to the USA but also can't stay in Greece due to reaching their time limit from the medical visa
There are hundreds of places you can get the covid test, this is not a problem at all.
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Congratulations Asian, loved reading your diary brother !!!
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Hi Asian, hope you're doing okay
Just random question, May I ask if you got the 10mm nail or 11.5?
Anyways, hope you're recovering good and gait is improving. Excited for your Tibias diary in the future. Appreciate everything bro.
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Hey Asian, been a while I was wondering if your still planning to do another surgery on your tibia?
I hope your well, stay strong