Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: RB on March 05, 2021, 05:11:11 PM
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Hey guys,
After much consideration and given the recent circumstances and events surrounding the stryde nail, I have decided to travel to Germany and begin my LL journey with Dr. Betz using the Betzbone. I arrived yesterday and had my final consultation with Dr Betz today. Pre-op checks are scheduled for Monday and the surgery itself will take place on Wednesday pending a negative covid test and successful pre-op checks. I plan to stay in Germany for roughly 4 weeks before flying back home to finish lengthening.
Background
I have suffered from height neurosis since my teenage years and it has become progressively worse as I entered adulthood. I was always the shortest kid in class growing up so I became used to it, but that didn't prevent it from bothering me. My neurosis was always somewhat manageable until I discovered LL in its current form roughly 3 years ago. The realisation that I could one day do this surgery provided a huge ray of hope that I could stop feeling the way I do, however it only further fuelled my neurosis, which is unfortunately a consequence of knowing about this surgery.
Despite being 5'4", I have been successful in my business career thus far and have still been able to do fairly well with women, including my current gf who knows that I am undergoing this procedure. It has always been the one thing I wish I could change about myself, and to finally have the chance to do that is extremely liberating.
I hope to provide semi-regular updates to document my process and hope you guys find value in my diary so that it can serve as a helpful tool for current and future LLer's.
I will be shooting for 7-8cm on the femurs.
Stats
Current height: 163cm (5'4")
Goal height: 170cm (5'7")
Age: 25-30
Femur/tibia ratio - 0.85
Method: Betzbone
Segment: Femurs
Feel free to comment and ask questions!
RB
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Hey man, thanks for starting a diary, might see you there my surgery is in 3 weeks.
Good luck
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Hey man, thanks for starting a diary, might see you there my surgery is in 3 weeks.
Good luck
Sounds good man! Let me know when you arrive and hopefully we can catch up.
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Here is a very good LL Diary from a Betz patient bro.
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=6689.0
I did 7CM on my femurs with Betz too. Feel free to ask me anything u need
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Here is a very good LL Diary from a Betz patient bro.
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=6689.0
I did 7CM on my femurs with Betz too. Feel free to ask me anything u need
Thanks bro!
How is your recovery and function after lengthening 7cm and how long since your surgery? Were you able to weight bear during lengthening?
And did you stay in Elkes House or Parkhotel after the hospital stay? I am trying to decide where to stay for 2 weeks after the hospital.
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Thanks bro!
How is your recovery and function after lengthening 7cm and how long since your surgery? Were you able to weight bear during lengthening?
And did you stay in Elkes House or Parkhotel after the hospital stay? I am trying to decide where to stay for 2 weeks after the hospital.
7cm is a decent and realistic goal. Im back to normal already. Im 2 years Post Op now.
Yes I was weightbearing very early after surgery. Almost never used crutches, only when going outside for safety I took them with me.
100% Go for Elkes house. Shes lovely and cooking for you and washing clothes.
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7cm is a decent and realistic goal. Im back to normal already. Im 2 years Post Op now.
Yes I was weightbearing very early after surgery. Almost never used crutches, only when going outside for safety I took them with me.
100% Go for Elkes house. Shes lovely and cooking for you and washing clothes.
How's your running 2 years after surgery? Is it anywhere near what it was before?
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How's your running 2 years after surgery? Is it anywhere near what it was before?
Yes it is, I would say its 80+% , I still got the nail in me and will take them out in a few months.
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Is it full weight bearing nail?
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Is it full weight bearing nail?
Yes it is full weight bearing. For me its still the most advantage nail beside the Stryde nail.
The Click mechanism meight be diffecult for some people but its not a big deal.
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Yes it is full weight bearing. For me its still the most advantage nail beside the Stryde nail.
The Click mechanism meight be diffecult for some people but its not a big deal.
nice
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Yes it is, I would say its 80+% , I still got the nail in me and will take them out in a few months.
That's good to hear. Was there a particular reason why you waited so long to get nail removed? I was under the impression you could get it removed one year after surgery.
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God luck mate, wish you all the best.
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That's good to hear. Was there a particular reason why you waited so long to get nail removed? I was under the impression you could get it removed one year after surgery.
Its not wise to remove the nail already aftrr 1 year. The bone is stilk not modified. Its better to wait atleast 2 years.
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God luck mate, wish you all the best.
Thanks mate! Also wishing you the best for the rest of your process.
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Its not wise to remove the nail already aftrr 1 year. The bone is stilk not modified. Its better to wait atleast 2 years.
I heard that some doctors said that it's ok to remove it after 1 year
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Hey RB wish you all the best for the upcoming day tomorrow and I hope that everything will be fine. Looking forward to hear from you soon. :)
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10th of March 2021 - Day 0 - Surgery day
Hey guys,
Yesterday was surgery day and thankfully everything went very well. I arrived at the hospital at around 7am as surgery was scheduled for 8, I can't even describe how nervous I was and considered cancelling everything multiple times. After all the preparations and lying down on the OR table, I remember them putting a mask on me and I was out, next thing I know I am waking up and shivering so the nurses had to put a heater thing on me to warm me up. After I warmed up, I was wheeled into my room. I have a roommate so its good to have someone to chat to.
On a scale of 1-10, my pain on the day of surgery never really exceeded a 4 when lying down in bed. The pain came when Dr. Betz came at night to get me up walking with the crutches. Every movement is painful at this stage but walking wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, until I sat back in bed and had to take pain meds from the pump.
I am still sitting in bed most of the time as it is only the 2nd day, but I will give walking another go this afternoon / tonight. I am just glad the surgery itself is over with and all these years of thinking about doing it. Feel free to ask any questions!
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congrats!
Did you get general anaesthesia? Why not spinal?
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congrats!
Did you get general anaesthesia? Why not spinal?
Thanks mate!
I chose general as I didn't want to be awake at all for it and you pretty much wake up instantly with no concept of how long everything took. The anaesthetist also recommended general. I am fairly sure you can choose spinal though if you want to be awake for it.
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Well congrats on the safe surgery so far.
Have you made any bowel movements- or did they insert a catheter?
I am just glad the surgery itself is over with and all these years of thinking about doing it.
Must feel like a relief and a bit carthartic right? You thinking about the surgery all these years, pondering what's gonna happen, and etc, and now it's reality and the nails are in your legs. Good luck rb
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Well congrats on the safe surgery so far.
Have you made any bowel movements- or did they insert a catheter?
Must feel like a relief and a bit carthartic right? You thinking about the surgery all these years, pondering what's gonna happen, and etc, and now it's reality and the nails are in your legs. Good luck rb
Thanks man!
Yeah it still feels surreal that I’ve even done it. For a long time it seemed like a pipe dream but to your point now it’s done and the journey begins. Crazy to think in 3 months I could be 3 inches taller.
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And have had gone number 1 but no catheter, they gave me a jug to piss in haha. A bit difficult but I’d rather it over a catheter.
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Thanks mate!
I chose general as I didn't want to be awake at all for it and you pretty much wake up instantly with no concept of how long everything took. The anaesthetist also recommended general. I am fairly sure you can choose spinal though if you want to be awake for it.
Good choice in my opinion! Holy could you imagine being awake while they cut open your legs, ream out your femurs, insert the rod, drill the screws, and fracture it, then stitch you up?
That sounds like a nightmare scenario from some horror movie. Even if you can't feel it physically you can hear it happening. Oh god I am pretty sure I would have PTSD from that.
Congrats again bro and good luck with your recovery. You're young and should heal well. I'm sure you'll do okay.
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Good choice in my opinion! Holy could you imagine being awake while they cut open your legs, ream out your femurs, insert the rod, drill the screws, and fracture it, then stitch you up?
That sounds like a nightmare scenario from some horror movie. Even if you can't feel it physically you can hear it happening. Oh god I am pretty sure I would have PTSD from that.
Congrats again bro and good luck with your recovery. You're young and should heal well. I'm sure you'll do okay.
Yeah there was no way I wanted to experience any part of that lol. Thanks mate!
15th of March 2021 - 5 days post-surgery
The last few day have seen a lot of progress both in terms of pain management and walking with crutches. The first 2-3 days after surgery were the worst in terms of pain but since then, things have been quite smooth and the only pain that really presents itself is in the morning when I wake up, or when I come back from a long walk or using the stationary bike for more than 10 minutes.
I have finally learnt how to walk with the crutches effectively so that I am placing majority of my weight on the crutches themselves and not putting too much strain on my legs. I am actually starting to enjoy walking with them! I practiced walking up the stairs with them with the PT today, which was sort of difficult but manageable if done slowly.
Dr. Betz usually comes to visit every day and is impressed with my progress and ROM so far.
I start clicking tomorrow or Wednesday so I am incredibly excited to get that underway. My experience so far has been great, with the exception of the first 2-3 days being quite uncomfortable. Hopefully clicking isn't painful and my pain remains at manageable levels. The hospital staff have generally been pretty good but the food has been average (typical of hospital food).
I look forward to updating again when I start lengthening!
Feel free to ask any questions!
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This is a fantastic update, RB.
Also, I have heard with Betzbone some patients do have pain during and after clicking, but this varies from person to person. I hope for you it is painless.
All the best with clicking. I am excited to see how your journey unfolds. I wish you best luck.
Just few questions:
- Did you buy crutches before the surgery? Or does Dr. Betz provides the crutches?
- Do you share room with other patients? or is it private?
- Where do you plan to stay after your 14 day hospital stay is over?
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This is a fantastic update, RB.
Also, I have heard with Betzbone some patients do have pain during and after clicking, but this varies from person to person. I hope for you it is painless.
All the best with clicking. I am excited to see how your journey unfolds. I wish you best luck.
Just few questions:
- Did you buy crutches before the surgery? Or does Dr. Betz provides the crutches?
- Do you share room with other patients? or is it private?
- Where do you plan to stay after your 14 day hospital stay is over?
Thanks man! Also excited to follow your journey in May!
-Dr. Betz provides the crutches. They are the forearm ones so in my opinion it is a lot easier to practice your gait using them compared to underarm crutches.
-Yes I am sharing a room with another CLL patient who is from Germany. He's a great guy and it makes the hospital stay so much better if you have someone to talk to/do PT with during the stay. There are also 2 other Betz patients on the same floor in different rooms.
-I am going to stay at Elke's house for 2 weeks after the hospital before flying back home.
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Hi RB,
good to see you having gone well through the first days! How has your sleeping been? Do you wake up often/ need to stretch to go back to sleep or something?
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Thanks man! Also excited to follow your journey in May!
-Dr. Betz provides the crutches. They are the forearm ones so in my opinion it is a lot easier to practice your gait using them compared to underarm crutches.
-Yes I am sharing a room with another CLL patient who is from Germany. He's a great guy and it makes the hospital stay so much better if you have someone to talk to/do PT with during the stay. There are also 2 other Betz patients on the same floor in different rooms.
-I am going to stay at Elke's house for 2 weeks after the hospital before flying back home.
Not too sure if you feel the same but I found practising on the walker better and harder than the crutches. Crutches seem to support your weight higher up so you do not weight-bear as much as you do with a walker.
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Hi RB,
good to see you having gone well through the first days! How has your sleeping been? Do you wake up often/ need to stretch to go back to sleep or something?
Sleeping has been surprisingly good, although they do give you a pill to help you sleep. I sleep maybe 7/8 hours per night and wake up randomly at 3/4am for 20 minutes then back to sleep. The pain isn't too bad when waking up anymore.
Not too sure if you feel the same but I found practising on the walker better and harder than the crutches. Crutches seem to support your weight higher up so you do not weight-bear as much as you do with a walker.
Completely agree. I only used a walker for the 1st day and I found it really hard to put enough weight from my upper body to the walker and was putting too much weight on my legs. Interesting how it seems easier to distribute the load on crutches.
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17th of March 2021 - 7 days post-surgery
So today was quite an exciting day. It was the first day of lengthening. I was quite nervous as the clicking motion was demonstrated to me and was dreading intense pain. The first click was painful as I was not doing the motion correctly and couldn't relax mentally, but after I got the hang of the technique it was very smooth. The key is to relax and let your hand guide the motion rather than your leg. After the first few clicks there was zero pain and I completed my 6 clicks per leg. Tomorrow I will complete 10, then 16 the following day and the usual 20 after that. Each click is worth 0.052mm so 20 clicks equals 1.04mm and can be reduced when necessary. I don't feel any after effects from the clicking, although that may change when I have to do more.
So as of right now - including the 5mm gap per side Dr. Betz separated in the initial surgery, I am just over 0.5cm taller ;D
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23rd of March 2021 - 13 days post-surgery (1.08cm taller)
Hey guys,
I left hospital on the 20th of March and have been at the guesthouse since then. It's much better here than in the hospital and I am starting to eat more and establish more of a daily routine. Pain levels are still manageable, but it is very hard to sleep and find a comfortable position. I find that taking a muscle relaxer before bed actually works better than tramadol for the pain and also helps knock me out. I am trying to walk with the crutches as much as I can during the day and my walk is becoming a lot more natural, however the post surgery pains are still there so I am hopeful they will be gone by next week.
I am currently lengthening at 1.04mm per day and have just reached 1.08cm! I feel good with sleep being my main issue at the moment. If any vets have any tips for sleep that would be great. And as always, feel free to ask any questions!
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Nice to see your updates, RB.
Time goes by so fast, you already are 1.08cm taller!!!
Btw, Is it okay to lengthen at 1.04mm per day? What did Dr. Betz say?
I had read that nerves tolerate around 1 mm of lengthening per day. So, to be on the safer side, many doctors recommend staying around the lengthening rate of 0.75mm per day.
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Hi RB, in what way is it hard to sleep? Does it help if you get up at some point in the night and do stretches, and then go back to bed?
Also, how is your walking/standing? Care to share a video or something with you walking or just standing? Totally up to you.
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Nice to see your updates, RB.
Time goes by so fast, you already are 1.08cm taller!!!
Btw, Is it okay to lengthen at 1.04mm per day? What did Dr. Betz say?
I had read that nerves tolerate around 1 mm of lengthening per day. So, to be on the safer side, many doctors recommend staying around the lengthening rate of 0.75mm per day.
Dr Betz said it is ok to do 20 clicks especially in the beginning as it is only a fraction over 1mm but I may do 19 clicks some days which is slightly under 1mm to see if there is any difference in pain.
It is hard to sleep due to the atrophied glute muscles so even if I sleep on my back it hurts to lay down and other positions are too painful. The pain is also worse at night and I end up taking painkillers throughout the night and eventually I get some sleep. Waking up and stretching helps a little bit but the main pain is from the glutes, hopefully things improve soon as during the day things are going well.
My walking and standing is pretty good but my legs get fatigued quite quickly. I stand a lot each day with no assistance. I will think about making a video, but I’m not sure yet as I want to keep things private but if not I can send you a video.
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Dr Betz said it is ok to do 20 clicks especially in the beginning as it is only a fraction over 1mm but I may do 19 clicks some days which is slightly under 1mm to see if there is any difference in pain.
It is hard to sleep due to the atrophied glute muscles so even if I sleep on my back it hurts to lay down and other positions are too painful. The pain is also worse at night and I end up taking painkillers throughout the night and eventually I get some sleep. Waking up and stretching helps a little bit but the main pain is from the glutes, hopefully things improve soon as during the day things are going well.
My walking and standing is pretty good but my legs get fatigued quite quickly. I stand a lot each day with no assistance. I will think about making a video, but I’m not sure yet as I want to keep things private but if not I can send you a video.
Ahh, the glute pain. It was a real bother for me. Try putting a sort of cushion underneath the bum area on the side maybe like a folded t shirt. It also helps to have that side of the leg slightly elevated. Rest assured once you stop the lengthening those pain slowly go away.
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Ahh, the glute pain. It was a real bother for me. Try putting a sort of cushion underneath the bum area on the side maybe like a folded t shirt. It also helps to have that side of the leg slightly elevated. Rest assured once you stop the lengthening those pain slowly go away.
Thanks mate.
I put a thick cushion near the tailbone while I am sitting now and it seems to lessen the discomfort. I will try the folded t-shirt during sleep to see if it makes a difference.
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Hi RB,
any updates?
I also wanted to ask about conditions in the hospital when you were there: Do you have any privacy? Is it quiet at night? Can you like wash your teeth in the morning? Can you do a shower (assuming you can, maybe not)?
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Hi RB,
any updates?
I also wanted to ask about conditions in the hospital when you were there: Do you have any privacy? Is it quiet at night? Can you like wash your teeth in the morning? Can you do a shower (assuming you can, maybe not)?
Hey pownzorgeek,
I plan to provide an update every cm lengthened but happy to answer your questions. The hospital was ok, not a state of the art facility but a standard hospital. I personally had a roomate who was also doing CLL but other patients had their own room. Yes it is quiet at night and you have a bathroom in the room where you can brush your teeth and have a shower. It took me about 4 days until I could have a shower standing up without using the chair in the shower.
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You’re same start height to me , good luck
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Hey pownzorgeek,
I plan to provide an update every cm lengthened but happy to answer your questions. The hospital was ok, not a state of the art facility but a standard hospital. I personally had a roomate who was also doing CLL but other patients had their own room. Yes it is quiet at night and you have a bathroom in the room where you can brush your teeth and have a shower. It took me about 4 days until I could have a shower standing up without using the chair in the shower.
Hi RB, didn't know you were planning to do so, great. All the same, thanks for the update.
To be honest, I am interested in doing the surgery with Betz, but I am afraid of some of the things I have read in this forum, like the IT band not being released, the nail clicking being painful, and somehow the idea that if you have any kind of problem, he's just gonna ghost you. I don't know if it's true, I hope not though.
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Hi RB, didn't know you were planning to do so, great. All the same, thanks for the update.
To be honest, I am interested in doing the surgery with Betz, but I am afraid of some of the things I have read in this forum, like the IT band not being released, the nail clicking being painful, and somehow the idea that if you have any kind of problem, he's just gonna ghost you. I don't know if it's true, I hope not though.
No problem.
The lack of IT band release is a valid concern as I was also concerned about this. You’re more likely to develop wide legs and duck ass if it isn’t released but that being said majority of patients it’s not severe and improves shortly after lengthening, and you also have the option of doing an IT band release with another doc if it really hasn’t improved.
Clicking is very individual. For myself it hasn’t been too bad at all. The first click is painful but after that it’s quite smooth and there is some aching in the muscles after a clicking session but that’s quite normal. Some patients do say it’s painful though.
I don’t believe that he will just ghost you if you have issues. Maybe there have been situations but I’d take what you read on the forum about Betz or any doctor with a grain of salt as people have their own agendas here and when you go through LL you realise that most of what people talk about here is bull . 90% of people on this forum will never do the surgery.
My experience so far with Betz has been great and I will always call it like it is should that change.
Feel free to ask any more questions.
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3rd of April 2021 - 23 days post-surgery (2.1cm taller)
Hey guys,
Thought I would update as I cross the 2cm mark.
Overall pain continues to be manageable, especially during the day. At night I am relying on painkillers to get through the night and am taking slightly more than I should as I wake up every 2 hours in pain and discomfort. Sleep is still easily the worst part of LL and really messes with your mood. I suspect the medication also causes mood swings as my mood will fluctuate throughout the day.
I have some slight tightness of the IT band which has resulted in mild wide legs. This seems to be a common issue among LL'ers, especially if it isn't released during surgery, however at this stage it isn't too bad and if I make a conscious effort to keep my legs close when walking, it isn't that noticeable. I am stretching 3 times per day to help loosen up the core muscle groups for femur lengthening - quads, hamstrings, IT band and hip flexors. I am also trying to walk as much as I can and my gait is fairly good with the crutches, although due to tightness my legs get fatigued quite easily and I have to stop and rest quite often. In terms of walking unassisted, I am able to walk around my room to the bathroom etc in the form of a penguin style walk but I am cautious and will use the crutches 90% of the time until I feel more comfortable.
My emotional state is quite fragile as I am now at the point where I just want to be home around my family and gf. I know that things will become infinitely easier from a mental standpoint when I am back home in familiar surroundings (leaving Germany in 1 week).
Physically, I am doing quite well with no major issues to report aside from wide legs and the usual muscle aches and pains. I have split my clicking sessions into 2 per day (10 in the morning and 9 in the late afternoon) = 0.988mm per day as doing all 19 clicks at once is just too much for the soft tissues to handle and I end up extremely tight.
I am trying to see if I can notice the height gain all the time ;D, but I guess 2cm isn't enough to be able to tell visually and I am also not around people I know. It will be interesting to see if I notice a difference when I am back home between that 3-4cm mark.
I will have an x-ray before I leave next Friday so will keep everyone updated with progress.
As always, feel free to ask any questions.
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3rd of April 2021 - 23 days post-surgery (2.1cm taller)
Hey guys,
Thought I would update as I cross the 2cm mark.
Overall pain continues to be manageable, especially during the day. At night I am relying on painkillers to get through the night and am taking slightly more than I should as I wake up every 2 hours in pain and discomfort. Sleep is still easily the worst part of LL and really messes with your mood. I suspect the medication also causes mood swings as my mood will fluctuate throughout the day.
I have some slight tightness of the IT band which has resulted in mild wide legs. This seems to be a common issue among LL'ers, especially if it isn't released during surgery, however at this stage it isn't too bad and if I make a conscious effort to keep my legs close when walking, it isn't that noticeable. I am stretching 3 times per day to help loosen up the core muscle groups for femur lengthening - quads, hamstrings, IT band and hip flexors. I am also trying to walk as much as I can and my gait is fairly good with the crutches, although due to tightness my legs get fatigued quite easily and I have to stop and rest quite often. In terms of walking unassisted, I am able to walk around my room to the bathroom etc in the form of a penguin style walk but I am cautious and will use the crutches 90% of the time until I feel more comfortable.
My emotional state is quite fragile as I am now at the point where I just want to be home around my family and gf. I know that things will become infinitely easier from a mental standpoint when I am back home in familiar surroundings (leaving Germany in 1 week).
Physically, I am doing quite well with no major issues to report aside from wide legs and the usual muscle aches and pains. I have split my clicking sessions into 2 per day (10 in the morning and 9 in the late afternoon) = 0.988mm per day as doing all 19 clicks at once is just too much for the soft tissues to handle and I end up extremely tight.
I am trying to see if I can notice the height gain all the time ;D, but I guess 2cm isn't enough to be able to tell visually and I am also not around people I know. It will be interesting to see if I notice a difference when I am back home between that 3-4cm mark.
I will have an x-ray before I leave next Friday so will keep everyone updated with progress.
As always, feel free to ask any questions.
Hi RB, thanks for the update. The sleep issue is also something on my mind. I know that if I don't sleep well a few days I get tired and grumpy. So I know what you mean.
How flexible were you before the surgery? And have you asked the doctor if you could slow down a bit to 0.75 mm per day? Maybe that could help.
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Hi RB, thanks for the update. The sleep issue is also something on my mind. I know that if I don't sleep well a few days I get tired and grumpy. So I know what you mean.
How flexible were you before the surgery? And have you asked the doctor if you could slow down a bit to 0.75 mm per day? Maybe that could help.
I was quite flexible prior to LL, especially my hamstrings (I could palm the floor with legs extended). My quads and hamstrings have been pretty good so far, but the IT band and hip flexors are the challenge.
The plan with the Dr was to go to 3cm at 1mm per day then switch to 0.75mm after that so seeing as I am less than a week away from 3cm, I will continue that plan unless the X-ray shows I have very fast bone growth.
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Hows it going RB
is clicking getting progressively more painful or less painful, and how is your wide legs atm
hoping youre doing okay, you almost half way there
cheers
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14th of April 2021 - 35 days post-surgery (3.1cm taller)
Hey guys,
I have finally hit the 3cm mark. It's crazy how quick this process goes by, even if it feels like the days sometimes last forever. I am now back in my home country, currently quarantining in a government hotel for 2 weeks (which absolutely sucks but it needs to be done before I can go back to my home). I left Germany on the 10th of April after a terrific 3 week stay at Elke's house. I cannot say enough about how great the stay at Elke's was and how lovely of a lady she is. Now that I am on my own in a hotel room, I realise how much assistance she provided and how good her cooking was ;D. I also met some other former patients who were there for nail or screw removal surgeries and they provided some excellent advice and info for the remaining process ahead. If anyone is considering where to stay after the hospital, definitely stay with Elke.
In terms of the last cm, it has largely been similar to the one before it. Basically all my surgical pains have gone with the exception of some slight sharp pain in my right hip which pops up from time to time. Walking with the crutches is similar and walking unassisted is still limited to very small distances due to the tightness of the IT band and the weakness of the glutes, but that being said I am very mobile and independent.
Hows it going RB
is clicking getting progressively more painful or less painful, and how is your wide legs atm
hoping youre doing okay, you almost half way there
cheers
Hey Serilium,
Clicking is almost painless now. The right leg is ridiculously easy to click, while the left is a bit stiffer and takes a bit longer to click, but is also as painless as the right. The wide legs are still there but they haven't become any worse as of yet which is a good sign.
This process is very mentally draining and full of discomfort. I cannot wait for the day I finish clicking but I know there is still a lot of work to be done before I get there. Being alone in the hotel room, being unable to even have fresh air is tough but I know things will improve mentally when I am able to see my family in 10 days.
I have still yet to notice any height difference, although I can definitely notice that my femurs are longer, which is kind of cool to see.
I have also attached an x-ray I took at 2.3cm. Dr. Betz was very happy with the early callus formation and says I am an above average bone grower, which makes me think that I will continue at 19 clicks until at least 4cm to avoid any pre-consolidation issues. Any thoughts?
Feel free to comment and ask questions!
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Also guys, how do I upload an image? It's not allowing me to do it through an attachment upload.
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Also guys, how do I upload an image? It's not allowing me to do it through an attachment upload.
imgbb.com
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imgbb.com
Thanks mate
https://ibb.co/jVQmYjV
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14th of April 2021 - 35 days post-surgery (3.1cm taller)
Hey Serilium,
Clicking is almost painless now. The right leg is ridiculously easy to click, while the left is a bit stiffer and takes a bit longer to click, but is also as painless as the right. The wide legs are still there but they haven't become any worse as of yet which is a good sign.
This process is very mentally draining and full of discomfort. I cannot wait for the day I finish clicking but I know there is still a lot of work to be done before I get there. Being alone in the hotel room, being unable to even have fresh air is tough but I know things will improve mentally when I am able to see my family in 10 days.
I have still yet to notice any height difference, although I can definitely notice that my femurs are longer, which is kind of cool to see.
I have also attached an x-ray I took at 2.3cm. Dr. Betz was very happy with the early callus formation and says I am an above average bone grower, which makes me think that I will continue at 19 clicks until at least 4cm to avoid any pre-consolidation issues. Any thoughts?
Feel free to comment and ask questions!
fantastic to hear man
I think you should continue becuase your bone growth is indeed strong. Betz usually makes you click everything at once right? Perhaps try splitting it to 2 times a day equally split or so if he gives permission? The last thing you want is another operation to rebreak the femur.
anyways i sympathize and ur hanging in there for now and hopefuly it get better
cheers
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14th of April 2021 - 35 days post-surgery (3.1cm taller)
Hey guys,
I have finally hit the 3cm mark. It's crazy how quick this process goes by, even if it feels like the days sometimes last forever. I am now back in my home country, currently quarantining in a government hotel for 2 weeks (which absolutely sucks but it needs to be done before I can go back to my home). I left Germany on the 10th of April after a terrific 3 week stay at Elke's house. I cannot say enough about how great the stay at Elke's was and how lovely of a lady she is. Now that I am on my own in a hotel room, I realise how much assistance she provided and how good her cooking was ;D. I also met some other former patients who were there for nail or screw removal surgeries and they provided some excellent advice and info for the remaining process ahead. If anyone is considering where to stay after the hospital, definitely stay with Elke.
In terms of the last cm, it has largely been similar to the one before it. Basically all my surgical pains have gone with the exception of some slight sharp pain in my right hip which pops up from time to time. Walking with the crutches is similar and walking unassisted is still limited to very small distances due to the tightness of the IT band and the weakness of the glutes, but that being said I am very mobile and independent.
Hey Serilium,
Clicking is almost painless now. The right leg is ridiculously easy to click, while the left is a bit stiffer and takes a bit longer to click, but is also as painless as the right. The wide legs are still there but they haven't become any worse as of yet which is a good sign.
This process is very mentally draining and full of discomfort. I cannot wait for the day I finish clicking but I know there is still a lot of work to be done before I get there. Being alone in the hotel room, being unable to even have fresh air is tough but I know things will improve mentally when I am able to see my family in 10 days.
I have still yet to notice any height difference, although I can definitely notice that my femurs are longer, which is kind of cool to see.
I have also attached an x-ray I took at 2.3cm. Dr. Betz was very happy with the early callus formation and says I am an above average bone grower, which makes me think that I will continue at 19 clicks until at least 4cm to avoid any pre-consolidation issues. Any thoughts?
Feel free to comment and ask questions!
Hey RB, cool, thanks for the update. Side note, is it natural for the nail to reach so high up in the femur?
Is there a chance you'll upload a video of you walking (just a timed video with you walking away from the camera is good enough)? It has been more than 1 month and this is theoretically a fully weight bearing nail. Moreover your bone growth is as Betz said above average. I would love to understand what walking looks like at the 1 month mark after this operation.
Thanks a lot
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fantastic to hear man
I think you should continue becuase your bone growth is indeed strong. Betz usually makes you click everything at once right? Perhaps try splitting it to 2 times a day equally split or so if he gives permission? The last thing you want is another operation to rebreak the femur.
anyways i sympathize and ur hanging in there for now and hopefuly it get better
cheers
Yeah for now I will continue at 19 clicks which is a fraction under 1mm. When I take an x-ray in 2 weeks, I will check callus growth and re-evaluate after speaking with Betz.
Hey RB, cool, thanks for the update. Side note, is it natural for the nail to reach so high up in the femur?
Is there a chance you'll upload a video of you walking (just a timed video with you walking away from the camera is good enough)? It has been more than 1 month and this is theoretically a fully weight bearing nail. Moreover your bone growth is as Betz said above average. I would love to understand what walking looks like at the 1 month mark after this operation.
Thanks a lot
I believe it's a normal insertion of the nail based on other Betz x-rays I've seen.
I'm happy to PM you a video of me walking at home when I get out of quarantine next week. Right now there isn't much space to walk and my walk has sort of regressed a bit due to pain in the right leg so I am using the crutches most of the time even in the hotel room. Once I am back home, I will work on my walk again and film it, I'd just rather send it privately than post it in this diary due to privacy reasons.
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Yeah for now I will continue at 19 clicks which is a fraction under 1mm. When I take an x-ray in 2 weeks, I will check callus growth and re-evaluate after speaking with Betz.
I believe it's a normal insertion of the nail based on other Betz x-rays I've seen.
I'm happy to PM you a video of me walking at home when I get out of quarantine next week. Right now there isn't much space to walk and my walk has sort of regressed a bit due to pain in the right leg so I am using the crutches most of the time even in the hotel room. Once I am back home, I will work on my walk again and film it, I'd just rather send it privately than post it in this diary due to privacy reasons.
Hi RB, sure, we can do via PM, thanks.
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14th of April 2021 - 35 days post-surgery (3.1cm taller)
Hey guys,
I have finally hit the 3cm mark. It's crazy how quick this process goes by, even if it feels like the days sometimes last forever. I am now back in my home country, currently quarantining in a government hotel for 2 weeks (which absolutely sucks but it needs to be done before I can go back to my home). I left Germany on the 10th of April after a terrific 3 week stay at Elke's house. I cannot say enough about how great the stay at Elke's was and how lovely of a lady she is. Now that I am on my own in a hotel room, I realise how much assistance she provided and how good her cooking was ;D. I also met some other former patients who were there for nail or screw removal surgeries and they provided some excellent advice and info for the remaining process ahead. If anyone is considering where to stay after the hospital, definitely stay with Elke.
In terms of the last cm, it has largely been similar to the one before it. Basically all my surgical pains have gone with the exception of some slight sharp pain in my right hip which pops up from time to time. Walking with the crutches is similar and walking unassisted is still limited to very small distances due to the tightness of the IT band and the weakness of the glutes, but that being said I am very mobile and independent.
Hey Serilium,
Clicking is almost painless now. The right leg is ridiculously easy to click, while the left is a bit stiffer and takes a bit longer to click, but is also as painless as the right. The wide legs are still there but they haven't become any worse as of yet which is a good sign.
This process is very mentally draining and full of discomfort. I cannot wait for the day I finish clicking but I know there is still a lot of work to be done before I get there. Being alone in the hotel room, being unable to even have fresh air is tough but I know things will improve mentally when I am able to see my family in 10 days.
I have still yet to notice any height difference, although I can definitely notice that my femurs are longer, which is kind of cool to see.
I have also attached an x-ray I took at 2.3cm. Dr. Betz was very happy with the early callus formation and says I am an above average bone grower, which makes me think that I will continue at 19 clicks until at least 4cm to avoid any pre-consolidation issues. Any thoughts?
Feel free to comment and ask questions!
Hey RB. Great progress. Your X-ray showing Callus formation looks very good.
Congrats on completing almost more than one-third of the lengthening process, growing 3 cm in one month is mind-boggling!
What size of Betzbone nail did Dr. Betz use for you?
Also, How long did you stay at the hospital before moving to Elke's house?
Right now, how many times in a day and for how long do you do stretches/PT?
Anyway, overall, it seems you are doing great and I am glad to see your progress so far.
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Hey RB. Great progress. Your X-ray showing Callus formation looks very good.
Congrats on completing almost more than one-third of the lengthening process, growing 3 cm in one month is mind-boggling!
What size of Betzbone nail did Dr. Betz use for you?
Also, How long did you stay at the hospital before moving to Elke's house?
Right now, how many times in a day and for how long do you do stretches/PT?
Anyway, overall, it seems you are doing great and I am glad to see your progress so far.
Thanks man!
I have the 12mm Betzbone. I stayed at the hospital for 10 days before going to Elke's. I try and do my stretches about 2/3 times per day. One time in the morning, then after clicking and then before I go to bed.
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Thanks man!
I have the 12mm Betzbone. I stayed at the hospital for 10 days before going to Elke's. I try and do my stretches about 2/3 times per day. One time in the morning, then after clicking and then before I go to bed.
How would you describe or compare the pain to?
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Awesome to see these results already RB! Hope it pays off as you expect it to be :D Looking forward to more updates.
- Is walking without crutches doable? And did you fly home without any problems or did you go by car :)
- Are you doing the PT all by yourself or do you need a professional Physical Therapist throughout the lengthening phase?
- Also, I am wondering if you plan to go to work after you can leave quarantaine? And if so, what kind of work do you do if I may ask? ;D
- Did Betz say something about the possible additional cost if complications would occur?
I am considering Betz as well, especially now that Stryde is not available. Take care mate!
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How would you describe or compare the pain to?
It's hard to describe but now that I am 6 weeks post surgery, it sort of feels like constant discomfort in the form of sore legs rather than pain. There are times when I will have some sharp pain in a particular area of the leg that feels like a painful cramp or when the medication wears off, but for the most part after the surgical pains are gone, it's more so the constant discomfort that wears on you mentally. But there is rarely acute pain.
Awesome to see these results already RB! Hope it pays off as you expect it to be :D Looking forward to more updates.
- Is walking without crutches doable? And did you fly home without any problems or did you go by car :)
- Are you doing the PT all by yourself or do you need a professional Physical Therapist throughout the lengthening phase?
- Also, I am wondering if you plan to go to work after you can leave quarantaine? And if so, what kind of work do you do if I may ask? ;D
- Did Betz say something about the possible additional cost if complications would occur?
I am considering Betz as well, especially now that Stryde is not available. Take care mate!
Thanks mate!
-Walking without crutches is doable but only for small distances due to a tight IT band and weak/atrophied glutes. I am going to work more on my unassisted walk when I am out of quarantine but right now it has sort of regressed and is still very penguin like so I use crutches majority of the time. I flew home and it was a very tough flight because of how far I had to fly home lol but I got there in the end.
-In Germany I did a combination of professional PT and my own PT. Now that I am home I plan to do professional PT 2/3 times per week and the rest on my own.
-I have just resumed working remotely again from quarantine. I work in business/sales for a large company and run my own business on the side. It's doable to work remotely but my focus has been really poor due to the medication and constant discomfort.
-There would be additional costs if the complication required additional surgery so barring an additional surgery everything is included in the original price.
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Hey RB, awesome thread appreciate the intel.
Quick questions: why did you decide to stay in Germany for so long instead of just going home right after the 10 days in the hospital? Also, was 10 days a requirement or could you leave sooner if you’d like?
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Hey RB, sounds good mate! Nice that you run your own business. Money needs to keep flowing I can imagine haha ;)
I am also curious, did you already drive car? Or are you planning to try anytime soon?
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Hey RB, awesome thread appreciate the intel.
Quick questions: why did you decide to stay in Germany for so long instead of just going home right after the 10 days in the hospital? Also, was 10 days a requirement or could you leave sooner if you’d like?
Hey man,
I decided to stay in Germany for 4 weeks as I wanted to be a bit more healed/recovered before flying back home since I had a long-haul flight and knew I would be going into forced quarantine. If I flew at 10 days I would have been in too much pain from the initial surgery to fly.
You can leave as soon as you understand how to click properly, I stayed 10 days just to be safe, but you can even stay up to 14 days if you want.
Hey RB, sounds good mate! Nice that you run your own business. Money needs to keep flowing I can imagine haha ;)
I am also curious, did you already drive car? Or are you planning to try anytime soon?
Haha yeah gotta recover that money lost from the surgery cost ;)
I haven't tried to drive yet but I feel I could easily drive so when I get out of quarantine on Sunday I will try and drive during the week and report back how it is.
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It's hard to describe but now that I am 6 weeks post surgery, it sort of feels like constant discomfort in the form of sore legs rather than pain. There are times when I will have some sharp pain in a particular area of the leg that feels like a painful cramp or when the medication wears off, but for the most part after the surgical pains are gone, it's more so the constant discomfort that wears on you mentally. But there is rarely acute pain.
Thanks mate!
-Walking without crutches is doable but only for small distances due to a tight IT band and weak/atrophied glutes. I am going to work more on my unassisted walk when I am out of quarantine but right now it has sort of regressed and is still very penguin like so I use crutches majority of the time. I flew home and it was a very tough flight because of how far I had to fly home lol but I got there in the end.
-In Germany I did a combination of professional PT and my own PT. Now that I am home I plan to do professional PT 2/3 times per week and the rest on my own.
-I have just resumed working remotely again from quarantine. I work in business/sales for a large company and run my own business on the side. It's doable to work remotely but my focus has been really poor due to the medication and constant discomfort.
-There would be additional costs if the complication required additional surgery so barring an additional surgery everything is included in the original price.
Hey RB! I've been reading your story and I'm wondering how was your experience with Dr. Betz in general? Would you say he's actually that good as people say?
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Thanks for the reply RB!
One more question: why are you only doing 3” instead of 4-5” as Betz allows each nail to go up to 4.92”. Do you think maybe you’ll change ur mind as you get closer to the original lengthening goal?
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Hey RB! I've been reading your story and I'm wondering how was your experience with Dr. Betz in general? Would you say he's actually that good as people say?
Hey mate,
My experience with Betz so far has been great. He's very thorough and is always available to answer questions via phone/WhatsApp now that I am back home. People on this forum have mixed opinions / experiences with Betz but for me so far he has been awesome. At the end of the day he is one of the most experienced LL surgeons in the world so you would be in good hands with him.
Thanks for the reply RB!
One more question: why are you only doing 3” instead of 4-5” as Betz allows each nail to go up to 4.92”. Do you think maybe you’ll change ur mind as you get closer to the original lengthening goal?
Doing 4-5" on one segment would simply be too risky in my opinion in terms of complications and would look a bit weird proportion wise. 3 inches is a huge visual gain so I hope I can even get to that. Even Betz advised not to exceed 9/10cm despite the nail being able to go to 12.5cm. At this stage, I won't go above 8cm.
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Hi RB, good luck on your journey. Wish you the best. If possible, please look at your messages, I would like to ask you a few questions.
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Hey RB.
How's it going mate? Long time no update. Is everything okay?
- Also, how is your pain and flexibility so far?
- Do you do stretches on your own?
- How many times in a day and for how long do you do the stretches?
I presume you must be somewhere around 5 cm by now!
Eagerly waiting for you progress update :)
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Hey RB.
How's it going mate? Long time no update. Is everything okay?
- Also, how is your pain and flexibility so far?
- Do you do stretches on your own?
- How many times in a day and for how long do you do the stretches?
I presume you must be somewhere around 5 cm by now!
Eagerly waiting for you progress update :)
Hey man,
I’m doing well! I’m at about 4.6cm as I slowed down clicking to 15 per day but I will provide an update at 5cm. Overall going well but been quite busy with work and lengthening that I haven’t updated.
-I don’t have much pain anymore apart from some slight nerve pain in the right shin which I am taking pregabalin for. It has helped slightly.
-I am doing stretches on my own but am starting PT again tomorrow for these last few cm’s.
-I stretch 3 times per day and do 2/3 stretches per muscles group each time, holding them for 30-40 seconds each and quite intense of a stretch.
Will provide another update in a few days :)
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62 days post-surgery - 5.05cm taller
Hey guys,
Apologies for the lack of an update, been so busy with lengthening and work and the days just sort of blend into one.
I have officially hit the 5cm mark! It took a while longer as I slowed down to 15 clicks per day (0.78mm) somewhere after 3.5cm but it turned out to be a great decision as I have less discomfort and tightness. It will take longer to reach my goal but I'm ok with that if it means an easier process.
Things have been more or less positive since my last update, especially since getting out of quarantine and clicking has now become totally painless to the point where I don't even have to warm up my muscles anymore. I prefer to do 7 clicks in the morning and 8 clicks in the afternoon as it results in less tightness and aching afterwards and the fact that it is now painless makes it easy to click at anytime without extensive muscle stretching and warming up.
The negatives: it hasn't all been smooth sailing and one of the more annoying issues I am dealing with is nerve pain/numbness in the right shin. It isn't all that bad yet but the numbness is quite annoying and I will occasionally get burning sensations/pains throughout the day/night. I have started taking pregabalin for it (generic version of Lyrica) and I'm not sure if it is working yet as they say it can take up to 2 weeks to take effect. The wide legs are still there but they have come in quite significantly when using the crutches. When walking unassisted they are still quite wide but since I was able to bring them in on the crutches, I am confident that the more I walk unassisted, the sooner they will close in. Unfortunately I have also developed slight duck ass due to tight hips and weak glutes. It isn't extreme or very noticeable yet but it's definitely there so I am working with my physio to combat that. Sleep is also slightly better but there are nights when I struggle to get more than 4-5 hours still.
Sometimes the mental side of things can get to you and you feel like stopping but whenever that happens I remember my struggles of being short and how much I hated it and it helps me push on. LL is such a tough, constantly changing process that you will have days where you feel great and can't believe you are getting taller and then you have days where you ask yourself why you are putting yourself through this which is why it is so important to keep visualising the end goal.
The good news is that apart from the nerve pains, I have no other pains and the only thing reminding me that I have done LL is the muscle weakness and tightness. I know that things will get tighter as I complete this next cm and reach 6 but I am excited to push on and hit my goal of 7. I am now really starting to notice the height increase as I am noticeably taller than my gf and dad (I was the same height as both prior to surgery) and I generally just feel taller when walking around. I am confident I will notice it even more when I resolve the wide legs and duck ass. At this point I am unsure if I will go past 7 as that will result in a quicker and better recovery than going to 8 but I will decide when I get there. 7cm still gets me to 170cm which is crazy to even think about. I can't believe in less than 2cm I will be 5'7. It truly is a lifetime dream coming true but I know I still have a lot of work to get there and in recovery.
Here is my x-ray from about 3.9/4cm. Dr. Betz said everything looks great and that bone formation is looking strong.
https://ibb.co/2SZMQ2M
As always, feel free to ask any questions!
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62 days post-surgery - 5.05cm taller
Hey guys,
Apologies for the lack of an update, been so busy with lengthening and work and the days just sort of blend into one.
I have officially hit the 5cm mark! It took a while longer as I slowed down to 15 clicks per day (0.78mm) somewhere after 3.5cm but it turned out to be a great decision as I have less discomfort and tightness. It will take longer to reach my goal but I'm ok with that if it means an easier process.
Things have been more or less positive since my last update, especially since getting out of quarantine and clicking has now become totally painless to the point where I don't even have to warm up my muscles anymore. I prefer to do 7 clicks in the morning and 8 clicks in the afternoon as it results in less tightness and aching afterwards and the fact that it is now painless makes it easy to click at anytime without extensive muscle stretching and warming up.
The negatives: it hasn't all been smooth sailing and one of the more annoying issues I am dealing with is nerve pain/numbness in the right shin. It isn't all that bad yet but the numbness is quite annoying and I will occasionally get burning sensations/pains throughout the day/night. I have started taking pregabalin for it (generic version of Lyrica) and I'm not sure if it is working yet as they say it can take up to 2 weeks to take effect. The wide legs are still there but they have come in quite significantly when using the crutches. When walking unassisted they are still quite wide but since I was able to bring them in on the crutches, I am confident that the more I walk unassisted, the sooner they will close in. Unfortunately I have also developed slight duck ass due to tight hips and weak glutes. It isn't extreme or very noticeable yet but it's definitely there so I am working with my physio to combat that. Sleep is also slightly better but there are nights when I struggle to get more than 4-5 hours still.
Sometimes the mental side of things can get to you and you feel like stopping but whenever that happens I remember my struggles of being short and how much I hated it and it helps me push on. LL is such a tough, constantly changing process that you will have days where you feel great and can't believe you are getting taller and then you have days where you ask yourself why you are putting yourself through this which is why it is so important to keep visualising the end goal.
The good news is that apart from the nerve pains, I have no other pains and the only thing reminding me that I have done LL is the muscle weakness and tightness. I know that things will get tighter as I complete this next cm and reach 6 but I am excited to push on and hit my goal of 7. I am now really starting to notice the height increase as I am noticeably taller than my gf and dad (I was the same height as both prior to surgery) and I generally just feel taller when walking around. I am confident I will notice it even more when I resolve the wide legs and duck ass. At this point I am unsure if I will go past 7 as that will result in a quicker and better recovery than going to 8 but I will decide when I get there. 7cm still gets me to 170cm which is crazy to even think about. I can't believe in less than 2cm I will be 5'7. It truly is a lifetime dream coming true but I know I still have a lot of work to get there and in recovery.
Here is my x-ray from about 3.9/4cm. Dr. Betz said everything looks great and that bone formation is looking strong.
https://ibb.co/2SZMQ2M
As always, feel free to ask any questions!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Huge achievement, especially considering that you have travelled across the globe, spent two weeks quarantined and are working while going through this. Respect and well done! :)
Also, what you said above is so true, and not just for the lengthening process itself but for everything that comes before that as well, such as the periods when one has to save up for it, when loved ones question our intentions or when the fears begin to creep in before the surgery. It's always important to remember why we're doing this.
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betz makes the cleanest bone breaks. his xrays look ... NEAT. meant to be framed and displayed on the wall.
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betz makes the cleanest bone breaks. his xrays look ... NEAT. meant to be framed and displayed on the wall.
That's because he uses a saw. Most other surgeons use an osteotome. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages.
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Congrats RB, you are almost there! All these pains and efforts will surely pay off.
Also, your x-rays look so clean. The callus formation is also very excellent. I am happy that your are progressing well.
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Congrats!! Keep it up! You're brave!
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@DonBones
Thank you for the kind words! So true mate. It's crazy how much dedication this process requires before, during and after surgery. I can't think of any other surgery / enhancement that requires so much time, money and discipline even before the surgery actually takes place.
@las vegas baby
Yeah that it true, I've noticed from several Betz x-rays that the break tends to be very clean and the alignment of the nail is usually quite straight.
@chasing_higher_dream
Thanks man! I'm looking forward to following your journey soon as well!
@Future Skycraper
Thanks man appreciate it!
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Hi RB,
Great to read of your successful progress. It all looks fantastic - inspiring stuff!
In addition to stretches etc., are you using any other instruments as part of your process (e.g.; ESWT, TENS, ultrasound etc.)?
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Hi RB,
Great to read of your successful progress. It all looks fantastic - inspiring stuff!
In addition to stretches etc., are you using any other instruments as part of your process (e.g.; ESWT, TENS, ultrasound etc.)?
Thanks man!
I use a massage gun sometimes and my physio has used acupuncture to release tightness but haven’t used things like electric therapy etc it all looks very interesting though and I may ask my physio about using them.
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That's because he uses a saw. Most other surgeons use an osteotome. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages.
meanwhile Guichet uses his ffkin hands to karate chop the bone ;D
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meanwhile Guichet uses his ffkin hands to karate chop the bone ;D
I couldn't stop laughing when I first heard that he does that ;D I really want to see a surgery video of him performing the karate chop lol.
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I couldn't stop laughing when I first heard that he does that ;D I really want to see a surgery video of him performing the karate chop lol.
haha me too but it's been scrubbed from the webs sadly
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Can't say anything bad about it as this cut, alignement / nail placement and most importantly callous growth looks like a text book ideal. This will definitely be a good outcome.
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Can't say anything bad about it as this cut, alignement / nail placement and most importantly callous growth looks like a text book ideal. This will definitely be a good outcome.
Thanks man!
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Why didn't you stay in Germany RB? Do you feel safe being away from Betz? If you need him, are you planning to fly? How are you doing your biweekly consultations?
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Why didn't you stay in Germany RB? Do you feel safe being away from Betz? If you need him, are you planning to fly? How are you doing your biweekly consultations?
I stayed for 5 weeks as that period, the early weeks after surgery are the most critical in terms of something going seriously wrong. I didn’t stay because Betz gives the option of lengthening at home and didn’t want to be away from my gf and family for that long. There is a world renowned limb lengthening practice 5 minutes from my house in my home country so if anything went wrong to the point I needed surgery I have that as an option. I am also in contact with Betz regularly via WhatsApp and phone discussing my progress so I feel fine doing it that way.
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I stayed for 5 weeks as that period, the early weeks after surgery are the most critical in terms of something going seriously wrong. I didn’t stay because Betz gives the option of lengthening at home and didn’t want to be away from my gf and family for that long. There is a world renowned limb lengthening practice 5 minutes from my house in my home country so if anything went wrong to the point I needed surgery I have that as an option. I am also in contact with Betz regularly via WhatsApp and phone discussing my progress so I feel fine doing it that way.
It's great that you have an LL surgeon near you. But unless you feel something wrong or xrays look wrong, you will not meet any doctor?
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It's great that you have an LL surgeon near you. But unless you feel something wrong or xrays look wrong, you will not meet any doctor?
Yeah basically I am lengthening based on X-ray progress and feedback from my PT based on function and also listening to my own body. Ideally it’s better to have in person check ups but a lot of people complete their lengthening phase without in person check ups provided they are using a weight bearing nail. I believe most of the stryde docs with the exception of Paley also let you fly home to lengthen and not all require in person check ups but if you can stay local while lengthening it’s definitely more ideal so I understand where you are coming from.
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Does the acupuncture help at all? Have you thought about hiring a massage therapist who could just do your legs 1-2x per week?
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Does the acupuncture help at all? Have you thought about hiring a massage therapist who could just do your legs 1-2x per week?
It helped somewhat, but I've only done 2 sessions so maybe I need more to feel the full benefit. My PT does a regualr sports type massage 1-2x per week while I'm there which seems to help more than the acupuncture but I feel like he is a bit hesitant to massage too hard as probably thinks he will damage the leg/implant so I guess looking into a massage therapist and seeing how it is with them could be a good idea.
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Yes you should definitely find a legit massage therapist, maybe Korean or Brazilian. One that can do a good deep tissue massage! This is my game plan for when I do the procedure. And maybe just don’t even tell them you have an implant as it’s in the bone anyways lol, just tell them you exercise your legs and your training for a sports thing. If you do this - let me know how it goes, I feel like this would help ease the pain/cramps/etc and maybe with nerves too. 🤞
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Did you go alone?
How did you go toilet after operation?
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Hey there RB, one question about the IT band: Is it possible for someone to go and have their it band released a few days prior to the surgery?
Do you know if that's possible? Or if Betz can answer it?
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Did you go alone?
How did you go toilet after operation?
Yes I did this alone. I needed help from the nurses to do a number 2 for the first 2 days, however after that I was able to train my self on how to go from crutches to toilet seat.
Hey there RB, one question about the IT band: Is it possible for someone to go and have their it band released a few days prior to the surgery?
Do you know if that's possible? Or if Betz can answer it?
I guess it would be theoretically possible, however it might not be a good idea due to the extra surgery before the major surgery so there is an increased risk of infection plus more trauma to the body. The best thing to do would be to get an IT band release after lengthening if you did need one, however it seems majority of patients don't end up needing one. I feel that my duck ass and wide legs will improve shortly after lengthening as wide legs have already come in, however if it took months and months to resolve I would consider a release but only after lengthening.
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76 days post-surgery - 6.06cm taller
Hey guys,
I have crossed the 6cm mark so thought I would provide an update. Generally I am feeling ok, so I am confident I will be able to press on to my goal of 7cm, although things are getting much more difficult.
Improvements:
-My nerve pain is essentially gone. I attribute this to the pregabalin starting to take effect and clearly having a positive effect on supressing the nerve pain (burning sensation and shooting pains), although my right shin remains numb, it is no longer an issue due to the lack of nerve pain resulting from it.
-Wide legs continue to close in while using the crutches, so I assume walking as much as possible is the key to overcoming this issue. I expect to make even more progress with this when consolidation starts, particularly with my unassisted walk as the legs are still quite wide without crutches due to duck ass and needing additional balance without a walking aid.
-My legs now get less fatigued when walking long distances.
-Started hydrotherapy last week and this is great for practising your gait in the water without getting too fatigued and also helps strengthen all muscle groups in the legs due to the resistance of walking in the water. I also squat and do other water based exercises. I wish I had started this earlier in the process.
Obstacles:
-Duck ass has become slightly worse. It is more noticeable now and despite my best efforts to fight against it, it is a losing battle while I am still lengthening. The key is to stretch the hip flexors (which I have been doing a crapload of) and strengthen the glutes and abs. This will be my main focus during consolidation and there is no reason why I can't reduce the duck ass in a reasonable time frame by following a vigorous strengthening program.
-Tightness is increasing which makes sense as I cross the 6cm mark. I find that it is manageable by stretching 3/4 times per day and increasing the intensity of each stretch helps reduce tightness/stiffness. My PT also provides a deep tissue massage now which helps.
-Sleep has become challenging again due to the increased tightness. I still sleep but it is more challenging to get as much as sleep as I was getting in the 3-5cm period.
-Frustrated that my unassisted walk isn't where I want it to be yet. It is very wide with a lot of hip sway. Its frustrating but I know that consolidation will be where I make the greatest gains in this area.
Overall, I feel in good spirits and am pushing to my goal of 7cm (max goal of 7.5cm). I have less than 2 weeks of lengthening left and while I am so over the whole process, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and just need to dig deep to get there.
As always, feel free to ask any questions!
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Congrats bro! Almost there! Very happy for you and thanks for the feedback
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RB
What's ur impression on Betz?Did he mention something about retirement?
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76 days post-surgery - 6.06cm taller
Hey guys,
I have crossed the 6cm mark so thought I would provide an update. Generally I am feeling ok, so I am confident I will be able to press on to my goal of 7cm, although things are getting much more difficult.
Improvements:
-My nerve pain is essentially gone. I attribute this to the pregabalin starting to take effect and clearly having a positive effect on supressing the nerve pain (burning sensation and shooting pains), although my right shin remains numb, it is no longer an issue due to the lack of nerve pain resulting from it.
-Wide legs continue to close in while using the crutches, so I assume walking as much as possible is the key to overcoming this issue. I expect to make even more progress with this when consolidation starts, particularly with my unassisted walk as the legs are still quite wide without crutches due to duck ass and needing additional balance without a walking aid.
-My legs now get less fatigued when walking long distances.
-Started hydrotherapy last week and this is great for practising your gait in the water without getting too fatigued and also helps strengthen all muscle groups in the legs due to the resistance of walking in the water. I also squat and do other water based exercises. I wish I had started this earlier in the process.
Obstacles:
-Duck ass has become slightly worse. It is more noticeable now and despite my best efforts to fight against it, it is a losing battle while I am still lengthening. The key is to stretch the hip flexors (which I have been doing a crapload of) and strengthen the glutes and abs. This will be my main focus during consolidation and there is no reason why I can't reduce the duck ass in a reasonable time frame by following a vigorous strengthening program.
-Tightness is increasing which makes sense as I cross the 6cm mark. I find that it is manageable by stretching 3/4 times per day and increasing the intensity of each stretch helps reduce tightness/stiffness. My PT also provides a deep tissue massage now which helps.
-Sleep has become challenging again due to the increased tightness. I still sleep but it is more challenging to get as much as sleep as I was getting in the 3-5cm period.
-Frustrated that my unassisted walk isn't where I want it to be yet. It is very wide with a lot of hip sway. Its frustrating but I know that consolidation will be where I make the greatest gains in this area.
Overall, I feel in good spirits and am pushing to my goal of 7cm (max goal of 7.5cm). I have less than 2 weeks of lengthening left and while I am so over the whole process, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and just need to dig deep to get there.
As always, feel free to ask any questions!
Woahhh, that is some great news, RB! Congrats, you are almost there.
I would say if your condition is good, go for 7.5 cm. Or heck even 8 cm.
Btw, I am curious what was your tibia to femur ratio pre-surgery? If it's less, then it makes sense to not lengthen more, as it may skew up proportions.
Anyway, I wish you luck for a speedy recovery.
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Congrats bro! Almost there! Very happy for you and thanks for the feedback
Thanks bro!
RB
What's ur impression on Betz?Did he mention something about retirement?
My impression of Betz is very good, he strikes me as a doctor who is very passionate about what he does. He peformed my surgery prior to his back surgery so I'm not sure if anything has changed with him but he seemed the same to me when I saw him just before I left Germany (after his surgery). No, he did not mention anything about retirement.
Woahhh, that is some great news, RB! Congrats, you are almost there.
I would say if your condition is good, go for 7.5 cm. Or heck even 8 cm.
Btw, I am curious what was your tibia to femur ratio pre-surgery? If it's less, then it makes sense to not lengthen more, as it may skew up proportions.
Anyway, I wish you luck for a speedy recovery.
Thanks man, appreciate the support as always!
My ratio pre-surgery was 0.85 so I've always had short femurs relative to my tibias. However, when I look in the mirror when nked, my femurs are starting to look very long but this could also be because they are quite skinny at the moment. I'd consider going to 7.5cm but I think 7/7.5 would be the max I'd go to for recovery reasons and the fact that I will reach my goal of 5'7 with 7cm so I don't see the need to do any extra. Proportions aren't as important to me but the femurs are starting to look quite long for sure.
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Fantastic news and update RB!
Really good to read a successful and relatively trouble-free experience to a very decent length!
May I know your experiences with x-rays and acquisition frequency? Have you been able to gauge progress properly, with the lower frequency of x-raying, with this nail? Have you seen recent progress - what was the feedback? For peace of mind, I would happily arrange to do more regular x-rays (e.g.; every 2-3 weeks), but I wanted to know if that was actually an issue/worry that those going through the process faced.
Good luck the final few mm!
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Fantastic news and update RB!
Really good to read a successful and relatively trouble-free experience to a very decent length!
May I know your experiences with x-rays and acquisition frequency? Have you been able to gauge progress properly, with the lower frequency of x-raying, with this nail? Have you seen recent progress - what was the feedback? For peace of mind, I would happily arrange to do more regular x-rays (e.g.; every 2-3 weeks), but I wanted to know if that was actually an issue/worry that those going through the process faced.
Good luck the final few mm!
Thanks for the support Zatoichi!
I requested one extra x-ray before I left Germany as I wanted to make sure I was generating sufficient callous early on. Once I saw there was good growth and then on my most recent one a few weeks ago showing the same thing, I was confident in the lower frequency from then until the end of lengthening. The feedback on my most recent x-ray was very good, however if it wasn't, I would request additional x-rays to monitor progress. I guess it depends on your individual progress but it doesn't hurt to get x-rays more frequently anyway.
The good thing about mechanical nails is, as long as you record the clicks properly (I have been religious in how I record clicks), you can gauge exactly how much you have lengthened at any point in time with total accuracy as each click produces the same exact distance, something which is not possible with magnetic nails (as progress needs to be checked more frequently to determine length gained). So as long as callous growth is good in the first few x-rays, you won't need too many x-rays due to the accurate tracking of length gained. This is one advantage of mechanical nails that is rarely spoken about.
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Looks like you are doing great mate, good to hear.
I am constantly reading your updates as they are extremely helpful.
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Looks like you are doing great mate, good to hear.
I am constantly reading your updates as they are extremely helpful.
Thanks mate, glad to hear they have been helpful!
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Jon
Thank you for sharing ...it really gave me two Cs - Courage and Confidence!
;)
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Wish you all the best, RB
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Hope all is well in Down Under, you are recovering as well as you used to and perhaps have even reached your goal by now :)
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90 days post-surgery - 7.1cm taller
And the lengthening journey has finally come to an end! Today I did my last clicks to exceed my pre-surgery goal of 7cm, ending with roughly 7.1cm of distracted height according to my lengthening sheet. I debated whether I should continue to 8 or even 7.5, but I am incredibly happy with 7.1, my height neurosis is essentially gone (and I'm not even fully recovered) and I don't want to unnecessarily extend my recovery timeline as from 6.5cm onwards, things have started to become much harder. I also believe that 7cm is the perfect sweet spot for femur lengthening as you are getting a great return on investment, while being a little safer and beneficial for athletic recovery than 8cm+. While you are lengthening, there are days where it seems like you will never reach the day when you hit your goal, but the day does come and wow does it feel great! ;D
It has been an incredibly tough and rewarding journey and I will go into the psychological aspect/impact in more detail in a future post. I'd like to thank all of you guys for following my diary and for your support and encouragement. I will be getting an x-ray tomorrow so I may have to a few clicks here and there if there is any discrepancy. For now, my main goal is recovery - being able to walk normally again and getting rid of this pesky duck ass is my top priority lol.
As always, feel free to ask any questions.
RB
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90 days post-surgery - 7.1cm taller
And the lengthening journey has finally come to an end! Today I did my last clicks to exceed my pre-surgery goal of 7cm, ending with roughly 7.1cm of distracted height according to my lengthening sheet. I debated whether I should continue to 8 or even 7.5, but I am incredibly happy with 7.1, my height neurosis is essentially gone (and I'm not even fully recovered) and I don't want to unnecessarily extend my recovery timeline as from 6.5cm onwards, things have started to become much harder. I also believe that 7cm is the perfect sweet spot for femur lengthening as you are getting a great return on investment, while being a little safer and beneficial for athletic recovery than 8cm+. While you are lengthening, there are days where it seems like you will never reach the day when you hit your goal, but the day does come and wow does it feel great! ;D
It has been an incredibly tough and rewarding journey and I will go into the psychological aspect/impact in more detail in a future post. I'd like to thank all of you guys for following my diary and for your support and encouragement. I will be getting an x-ray tomorrow so I may have to a few clicks here and there if there is any discrepancy. For now, my main goal is recovery - being able to walk normally again and getting rid of this pesky duck ass is my top priority lol.
As always, feel free to ask any questions.
RB
That is fantastic to hear :) I am glad it was relatively smooth for you so far and hope it will continue this way.
What is your new height now?
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That is fantastic to hear :) I am glad it was relatively smooth for you so far and hope it will continue this way.
What is your new height now?
Thanks man appreciate the support!
I haven’t officially measured since duck ass would be taking some height away but prior to surgery I measured exactly 163 in the afternoon so if my lengthening is accurate, once I improve my posture I should be roughly 170.1cm
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Wow, I was eagerly waiting for this update from you :)
I am happy that your height neurosis is at bay now! Overall, I felt you had a smooth experience and I am glad of it.
The tough part is done! Going forward, I wish you the best of luck for the consolidation phase.
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This is fantastic news! Great to hear about the positive outcome.
I know the process must have felt like forever for you, but I've followed this diary from the first post, and it seems you've completed in no time at all!
Good luck with consolidation and getting back to normal.
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Congrats RB!
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Congratulations man, 7cm is amazing!
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Congratulations RB!
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Congratulations champion! We're proud of you!!!!
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Thanks man appreciate the support!
I haven’t officially measured since duck ass would be taking some height away but prior to surgery I measured exactly 163 in the afternoon so if my lengthening is accurate, once I improve my posture I should be roughly 170.1cm
Congrats RB!
A note on measured height. You tend to lose 1mm for every cm lengthened due to the curviture of the femur. If you lengthened 7.1, you should expect around 6.4 in increased height after you recover from duckass.
Since I've been tracking my measured height vs clicks, there is already a 7mm difference, not all attributable to wide-legs. So I'd lengthen to 7.8-8cm, to guarantee youself a final height of 170.
Regardless, congrats on such a huge milestone.
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Wow, I was eagerly waiting for this update from you :)
I am happy that your height neurosis is at bay now! Overall, I felt you had a smooth experience and I am glad of it.
The tough part is done! Going forward, I wish you the best of luck for the consolidation phase.
This is fantastic news! Great to hear about the positive outcome.
I know the process must have felt like forever for you, but I've followed this diary from the first post, and it seems you've completed in no time at all!
Good luck with consolidation and getting back to normal.
Congrats RB!
Congratulations man, 7cm is amazing!
Congratulations champion! We're proud of you!!!!
Thanks guys! The support means a lot :)
Congrats RB!
A note on measured height. You tend to lose 1mm for every cm lengthened due to the curviture of the femur. If you lengthened 7.1, you should expect around 6.4 in increased height after you recover from duckass.
Since I've been tracking my measured height vs clicks, there is already a 7mm difference, not all attributable to wide-legs. So I'd lengthen to 7.8-8cm, to guarantee youself a final height of 170.
Regardless, congrats on such a huge milestone.
Thanks man!
That's a good point regarding the curvature of the femur and something that I was aware of but didn't really factor in. Even if I lost a bit and am in the 6's I am still fine with that as the few mm's lost aren't a huge concern to me and can round myself up to 5'7. I will consider continuing but at this stage I am just so over the whole process and happy to be finished that I will likely stay at 7. 1mm seems like a lot to lose per cm, is that 100% confirmed to happen?
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Well, there is indeed some minor loss when you lengthen femurs and is very much individualistic. There is a thread talking in depth regarding this: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66448.0
Though, IMO, I highly doubt that there would loss of 1 mm for every cm. During lengthening you do not have a proper posture, hence its hard to measure the real height.
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Well, there is indeed some minor loss when you lengthen femurs and is very much individualistic. There is a thread talking in depth regarding this: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66448.0
Though, IMO, I highly doubt that there would loss of 1 mm for every cm. During lengthening you do not have a proper posture, hence its hard to measure the real height.
Very interesting. There is no doubt some minor loss but I agree that when posture is corrected, the loss would be minimal and close to the distracted amount. I've decided to stay at 7. I'm only on day 2 of consolidation and I already feel so much better.
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Also, if anyone knows of some effective strength exercises to help resolve duck ass, that would be much appreciated. I know I need to target the glutes especially but they are a very difficult muscle group to work on when you're a cripple haha.
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I think it's also important to measure after recovering posture. Another user I talk to said he did 7.8 and was only like 6.8 after lenghtening. A few weeks later he is like 7.4. It's impossible to have your full height when you finish lenghtening. In my case, being a healthy young guy, last year I lost like 0.7 cm because of months without much activity during lockdown, and I got it back one month after.
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Also, if anyone knows of some effective strength exercises to help resolve duck ass, that would be much appreciated. I know I need to target the glutes especially but they are a very difficult muscle group to work on when you're a cripple haha.
Engage your glutes at all times when walking and push your hips forward during every step. Duckass is a normal compensation due to weak glutes and your intent to narrow wide legs. You'll find that once you push your hip forward, glutes are much easier to engage and your wide legs will return, though this is necessary.
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105 days post-surgery - Consolidation +14 days
So now that I am 2 weeks into consolidation, I thought I would provide a quick update.
Firstly the good news, I have made enormous progress in several areas. Since finishing lengthening, all the pain and general discomfort has slowly faded away. I no longer have any pain at all. The only thing that remains is slight discomfort in the legs if I sit for too long or walk long distances or when I am driving long distances but this too is improving. I have started a strength program with my PT which includes body squats, hydrotherapy and low-weight exercises that target the glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips. My legs feel 100 times stronger than they did during distraction. My duck ass is also slowly improving and with more glute strengthening, I should be able to eliminate it over the next month.
For the bad, my wide legs still persist and this is the one thing preventing me from walking normally. I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon to inquire about an ITB release and he said I have abduction to the extent that it can't be solved by PT and he can release it in 5 weeks time and it is covered by my insurance and essentially would resolve my wide legs instantly. I am strongly considering going this route because I have made great progress in all other areas yet the ITB is not something I can really work on since it cannot stretch. Betz is a great surgeon and performed the surgery perfectly, however the lack of an ITB release can cause issues and it should really be done in the original surgery. The good news is that I am covered by insurance and 5 weeks also gives me time to completely strengthen everything else before releasing the ITB.
All in all I am happy with my progress and happy that I did the surgery but slightly annoyed about the ITB but at least there is a solution that should get me walking normally again within the next 5-8 weeks.
Also, here are my x-rays right after lengthening finished (2 weeks ago). Callus is developing nicely, more so on the left as the right is a bit behind but Dr. Betz said the regenerate is looking very solid and healthy.
https://imgur.com/xevnaOM
https://imgur.com/lXuWvHu
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That looks like genuinely great bone healing. I'm envious - whatever the hell you're doing, keep it up man!
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105 days post-surgery - Consolidation +14 days
So now that I am 2 weeks into consolidation, I thought I would provide a quick update.
Firstly the good news, I have made enormous progress in several areas. Since finishing lengthening, all the pain and general discomfort has slowly faded away. I no longer have any pain at all. The only thing that remains is slight discomfort in the legs if I sit for too long or walk long distances or when I am driving long distances but this too is improving. I have started a strength program with my PT which includes body squats, hydrotherapy and low-weight exercises that target the glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips. My legs feel 100 times stronger than they did during distraction. My duck ass is also slowly improving and with more glute strengthening, I should be able to eliminate it over the next month.
For the bad, my wide legs still persist and this is the one thing preventing me from walking normally. I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon to inquire about an ITB release and he said I have abduction to the extent that it can't be solved by PT and he can release it in 5 weeks time and it is covered by my insurance and essentially would resolve my wide legs instantly. I am strongly considering going this route because I have made great progress in all other areas yet the ITB is not something I can really work on since it cannot stretch. Betz is a great surgeon and performed the surgery perfectly, however the lack of an ITB release can cause issues and it should really be done in the original surgery. The good news is that I am covered by insurance and 5 weeks also gives me time to completely strengthen everything else before releasing the ITB.
All in all I am happy with my progress and happy that I did the surgery but slightly annoyed about the ITB but at least there is a solution that should get me walking normally again within the next 5-8 weeks.
Also, here are my x-rays right after lengthening finished (2 weeks ago). Callus is developing nicely, more so on the left as the right is a bit behind but Dr. Betz said the regenerate is looking very solid and healthy.
https://imgur.com/xevnaOM
https://imgur.com/lXuWvHu
Fantastic news. This is exactly what I'm going through. PT simply doesn't work nearly as magically on ITB as Betz says. It should've been a deal-breaker. What did he say when you consulted him on ITB release?
Thanks
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105 days post-surgery - Consolidation +14 days
So now that I am 2 weeks into consolidation, I thought I would provide a quick update.
Firstly the good news, I have made enormous progress in several areas. Since finishing lengthening, all the pain and general discomfort has slowly faded away. I no longer have any pain at all. The only thing that remains is slight discomfort in the legs if I sit for too long or walk long distances or when I am driving long distances but this too is improving. I have started a strength program with my PT which includes body squats, hydrotherapy and low-weight exercises that target the glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips. My legs feel 100 times stronger than they did during distraction. My duck ass is also slowly improving and with more glute strengthening, I should be able to eliminate it over the next month.
For the bad, my wide legs still persist and this is the one thing preventing me from walking normally. I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon to inquire about an ITB release and he said I have abduction to the extent that it can't be solved by PT and he can release it in 5 weeks time and it is covered by my insurance and essentially would resolve my wide legs instantly. I am strongly considering going this route because I have made great progress in all other areas yet the ITB is not something I can really work on since it cannot stretch. Betz is a great surgeon and performed the surgery perfectly, however the lack of an ITB release can cause issues and it should really be done in the original surgery. The good news is that I am covered by insurance and 5 weeks also gives me time to completely strengthen everything else before releasing the ITB.
All in all I am happy with my progress and happy that I did the surgery but slightly annoyed about the ITB but at least there is a solution that should get me walking normally again within the next 5-8 weeks.
Also, here are my x-rays right after lengthening finished (2 weeks ago). Callus is developing nicely, more so on the left as the right is a bit behind but Dr. Betz said the regenerate is looking very solid and healthy.
https://imgur.com/xevnaOM
https://imgur.com/lXuWvHu
Great news and good to hear you're stronger! Hope the ITB release will be smooth if it comes to it :)
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The callus is looking amazing, RB :)
That is some great progress you have made.
Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.
Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!
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The callus is looking amazing, RB :)
That is some great progress you have made.
Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.
Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!
That's a valuable insight, thanks.
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The callus is looking amazing, RB :)
That is some great progress you have made.
Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.
Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!
Hey Chasing, can you point me to the patient's diary? I am really interested to see his/her situation and techniques.
I think RB and dreamingcloud were both recently clinically diagnosed to not being able to recover their normal functions unless an ITB release was performed. This is definitely not them feeling bad about wide legs and looking for an easy way out.
Betz would first prescribe several months more of PT, and then proceed to ignore the patient. He has not replied to my first 6-week x-ray email for 6 days.
I believe Betz has good intentions in not wanting to release ITB, since too much release can lead to permanent problems. However, since the band is just a fibrious tissue, it cannot stretch. For some people, their tensor fasciae latae muscle simply cannot stretch for the full length of their lengthened femurs.
dremaingcloud (Feb 2021): http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66226.msg188865#msg188865
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Sorry, I do not have any link to the diary here.
But, I did met with a patient during my hospital stay, he had resolved his wide legs through months of PT.
Also, I have heard past patient experiences from Peter (physiotherapist), all the patients, even those who had done insane lengthening (around 10 cm), at first could not walk straight because of wide legs and duck ass post lengthening phase. But past 1-year mark post-surgery, they were completely fine and walking like normal people, but this required daily rigorous PT!
You never know, maybe I too would require IT-band release surgery, but before going this way, I am willing to put faith in Dr. Betz and Peter and dedicate myself to 1 year of rigorous PT. Until I try and experience on my own, I will not know what will work and what will not!
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Sorry, I do not have any link to the diary here.
But, I did met with a patient during my hospital stay, he had resolved his wide legs through months of PT.
Also, I have heard past patient experiences from Peter (physiotherapist), all the patients, even those who had done insane lengthening (around 10 cm), at first could not walk straight because of wide legs and duck ass post lengthening phase. But past 1-year mark post-surgery, they were completely fine and walking like normal people, but this required daily rigorous PT!
You never know, maybe I too would require IT-band release surgery, but before going this way, I am willing to put faith in Dr. Betz and Peter and dedicate myself to 1 year of rigorous PT. Until I try and experience on my own, I will not know what will work and what will not!
We have almost the same starting and desired height. I think it's a fantastic attitude to want to rely on PT through this, but 8 months of rigorous PT after 4 months of exhausting lengthening seems tough even if it does work...
My wide legs became apparent around 3cm and immobilizing around 4cm. How far have you lengthened, and do you see any sign of wide legs?
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That looks like genuinely great bone healing. I'm envious - whatever the hell you're doing, keep it up man!
Thanks man! I just tried to stand and walk with the crutches as much as possible so I guess that speeds growth up.
Fantastic news. This is exactly what I'm going through. PT simply doesn't work nearly as magically on ITB as Betz says. It should've been a deal-breaker. What did he say when you consulted him on ITB release?
Thanks
When I spoke about the possibility of an ITB release, Betz mentioned that PT alone is enough to resolve the wide legs and that a release is not required. While I have no doubt that PT would eventually resolve them, my ITB is extremely tight and I believe it would take many, many months for me to resolve them naturally and at this point I just want to be back to normal as quick as possible and cannot afford to have them for the better part of this year due to work and family/social reasons.
Great news and good to hear you're stronger! Hope the ITB release will be smooth if it comes to it :)
Thanks mate!
The callus is looking amazing, RB :)
That is some great progress you have made.
Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.
Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!
Thanks man! Yes I agree that wide legs can most likely be resolved on their own but they are just not making the same progress as my muscles and is one of the only areas on my leg that remains tight so it makes sense for me to speed up my recovery and walking progress especially since insurance will cover the cost. I will however see how my progress goes over the next few weeks and evaluate.
Hey Chasing, can you point me to the patient's diary? I am really interested to see his/her situation and techniques.
I think RB and dreamingcloud were both recently clinically diagnosed to not being able to recover their normal functions unless an ITB release was performed. This is definitely not them feeling bad about wide legs and looking for an easy way out.
Betz would first prescribe several months more of PT, and then proceed to ignore the patient. He has not replied to my first 6-week x-ray email for 6 days.
I believe Betz has good intentions in not wanting to release ITB, since too much release can lead to permanent problems. However, since the band is just a fibrious tissue, it cannot stretch. For some people, their tensor fasciae latae muscle simply cannot stretch for the full length of their lengthened femurs.
dremaingcloud (Feb 2021): http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66226.msg188865#msg188865
Yeah basically the surgeon I spoke with said that in my case the ITB is really the only thing causing an issue with my walk and that the two options are to not do it and maybe the wide legs would resolve themselves after a further 6 months to 1 year of adapting to training and walking or I could do the release in 5 weeks time and restore normal function instantly and after a 2 week recovery from the release surgery. After being out of action for nearly 4 months now, I really want to get back to normal and not have to wait that long to even practice my normal gait. I definitely agree that Betz had good intentions but unfortunately for some it can't be resolved the same way as building strength in the quads and glutes for example can be.
But regardless I will evaluate over these next few weeks and keep you guys updated!
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We have almost the same starting and desired height. I think it's a fantastic attitude to want to rely on PT through this, but 8 months of rigorous PT after 4 months of exhausting lengthening seems tough even if it does work...
My wide legs became apparent around 3cm and immobilizing around 4cm. How far have you lengthened, and do you see any sign of wide legs?
Yes, this is tough indeed.
Right now, I am around 2.1 cm. I can feel tightness in my IT bands, especially my right one. It's becoming harder to bring my legs together. But while walking I do not have wide legs yet (maybe a little bit). I will update my diary on the situation once I reach the 3cm and the 4 cm mark.
Here is the post where I shared a video of my walking gait: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66215.msg197160#msg197160
Are your wide legs still getting worse?
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Thanks man! I just tried to stand and walk with the crutches as much as possible so I guess that speeds growth up.
When I spoke about the possibility of an ITB release, Betz mentioned that PT alone is enough to resolve the wide legs and that a release is not required. While I have no doubt that PT would eventually resolve them, my ITB is extremely tight and I believe it would take many, many months for me to resolve them naturally and at this point I just want to be back to normal as quick as possible and cannot afford to have them for the better part of this year due to work and family/social reasons.
Thanks mate!
Thanks man! Yes I agree that wide legs can most likely be resolved on their own but they are just not making the same progress as my muscles and is one of the only areas on my leg that remains tight so it makes sense for me to speed up my recovery and walking progress especially since insurance will cover the cost. I will however see how my progress goes over the next few weeks and evaluate.
Yeah basically the surgeon I spoke with said that in my case the ITB is really the only thing causing an issue with my walk and that the two options are to not do it and maybe the wide legs would resolve themselves after a further 6 months to 1 year of adapting to training and walking or I could do the release in 5 weeks time and restore normal function instantly and after a 2 week recovery from the release surgery. After being out of action for nearly 4 months now, I really want to get back to normal and not have to wait that long to even practice my normal gait. I definitely agree that Betz had good intentions but unfortunately for some it can't be resolved the same way as building strength in the quads and glutes for example can be.
But regardless I will evaluate over these next few weeks and keep you guys updated!
I can totally understand why you would want a release surgery.
Spending months and months in suffering and physiotherapy is no joke!
This really takes a toll on your psychological state.
Irrespective of the path you take, I wish you luck and great success :)
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Yes, this is tough indeed.
Right now, I am around 2.1 cm. I can feel tightness in my IT bands, especially my right one. It's becoming harder to bring my legs together. But while walking I do not have wide legs yet (maybe a little bit). I will update my diary on the situation once I reach the 3cm and the 4 cm mark.
Here is the post where I shared a video of my walking gait: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66215.msg197160#msg197160
Are your wide legs still getting worse?
Yeah, I can see one of your legs is trying to swing inwards. It's similar to my state when I was 1.5cm.
I'm around 4.5cm now and my legs are 55cm wide. I predict they will be 60cm by the time I reach 5cm. The widening will happen gradually, but appear suddenly, then worsen every week.
Now you can hide the wide legs by bending your knees and leaning forward / hips back. This is called duck ass. It hides your wide legs, but when you stand straight, your legs will widen again.
It's difficult to understand why RB and I are considering doing it unless you go through wide legs yourself. It's ugly, immobolizing, and makes walking exhausting (which spills over to everything else).
The problem is stretching/therapy is not effective on ITB as they are with hamstring/quads/hip flexors. Only your TFL will stretch, and it's a tiny muscle.
People say surgery is the hard part. If anything, it was the happiest days for me. Wide legs and muscle weakness during lengthening is ruining my life, and I'm only half way to my goal...
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Hey guys,
So quick update - I will be doing ITB release tomorrow instead as the surgeon can get me in earlier so I'm happy about that. A bit nervous undergoing another surgery but it's quite minor and should improve function so it's something that needs to be done.
In terms of my other muscles, they feel so much better each and every day and I barely have any tightness when I wake up anymore. I still have some tightness if I walk long distances but I continue to experience no pain with the majority of the tightness coming from the ITB which should be solved tomorrow. Flexibility is also returning quite quickly. It's quite amazing how the body recovers once you are no longer lengthening your legs on a daily basis.
I'll give you guys an update after my surgery! Feel free to ask any questions.
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Tell me about it. I can't walk normally and am on crutches again two years after surgery. Betz is simply ignoring me. My right leg is f*cked and hurts like hell.
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Hey guys,
Just discharged from the hospital after the ITB release. Doctor came to visit me before I left and said everything went well, he released both IT bands completely and also aligned my hips while I was in surgery as my left had become crooked due to the left ITB being tighter.
Pain has been very minimal, the only pain I have is at the incision site (4/10) when I bend my legs in bed or when I bend them to walk but no pain otherwise and doctor said incision pain will get improve over the next couple of days. But holy crap I am excited to tell you guys that my wide legs are completely gone and my legs are 100% in like a normal person when I have been walking with the crutches! My duck ass has also 100% disappeared when putting my legs together! I knew doing the release would help but I didn't think it would work instantly for both duck ass and wide legs. I will be mainly using crutches for the next 2 weeks or so as my legs are still weak and heavy from surgery but I am so glad I decided to undergo this procedure.
This really demonstrates that an ITB release should be done for all femur lengthening's. Some people may get lucky and not get hit with wide legs / duck ass but majority of people will have some form of issue that arise from tight IT bands such as a hip deformity on top of the wide legs and duck ass. I still recommend Betz in the current LL market as his nail is truly weight bearing and I'd still choose that over Precise, however be aware that not doing an ITB release can cause major issues and be ready to do it with another doctor willing to perform it unless you want to spend months and months rehabbing after lengthening with no guarantee that it will fix the issues caused by tight IT bands.
Once again I am extremely happy with the result! Just need to rest and recover for the next few days and stay on top of PT.
Tell me about it. I can't walk normally and am on crutches again two years after surgery. Betz is simply ignoring me. My right leg is f*cked and hurts like hell.
Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know what is causing the right leg issues? Did it just appear randomly after 2 years and were you walking normally before this? Any response from Betz yet?
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Yeah, he responded by saying after reviewing my X-rays he cannot find an explanation for the pain. It may well be my own fault, as I over-aggressively twisted my leg trying to internally rotate the hip and the next day the pain started. I did get an X-ray and found a bone spur growing out of the new bone, so that may be it, too. I just don’t know, but it hurts badly and I cannot walk normally at all. This whole process has been nightmarishly slow for me. My improvement has been very, very slow. Even now when I lie in bed on my back, my lower back feels as though I have duckass. My front upper thighs are also sore every time I get up from a seated position. Does that mean I have a tight IT band? No amount of stretching helps for two years now. I am also sore in the inner groin area on both legs. Two years now.
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Hey guys,
Just discharged from the hospital after the ITB release. Doctor came to visit me before I left and said everything went well, he released both IT bands completely and also aligned my hips while I was in surgery as my left had become crooked due to the left ITB being tighter.
Pain has been very minimal, the only pain I have is at the incision site (4/10) when I bend my legs in bed or when I bend them to walk but no pain otherwise and doctor said incision pain will get improve over the next couple of days. But holy crap I am excited to tell you guys that my wide legs are completely gone and my legs are 100% in like a normal person when I have been walking with the crutches! My duck ass has also 100% disappeared when putting my legs together! I knew doing the release would help but I didn't think it would work instantly for both duck ass and wide legs. I will be mainly using crutches for the next 2 weeks or so as my legs are still weak and heavy from surgery but I am so glad I decided to undergo this procedure.
This really demonstrates that an ITB release should be done for all femur lengthening's. Some people may get lucky and not get hit with wide legs / duck ass but majority of people will have some form of issue that arise from tight IT bands such as a hip deformity on top of the wide legs and duck ass. I still recommend Betz in the current LL market as his nail is truly weight bearing and I'd still choose that over Precise, however be aware that not doing an ITB release can cause major issues and be ready to do it with another doctor willing to perform it unless you want to spend months and months rehabbing after lengthening with no guarantee that it will fix the issues caused by tight IT bands.
Once again I am extremely happy with the result! Just need to rest and recover for the next few days and stay on top of PT.
Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know what is causing the right leg issues? Did it just appear randomly after 2 years and were you walking normally before this? Any response from Betz yet?
Thanks for the update. Happy to hear it went well. By the sounds of it IT band release will be necessary for me too. It sucks, but at least it does not seem to be a complicated procedure. May I ask how much it costs?
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Yeah, he responded by saying after reviewing my X-rays he cannot find an explanation for the pain. It may well be my own fault, as I over-aggressively twisted my leg trying to internally rotate the hip and the next day the pain started. I did get an X-ray and found a bone spur growing out of the new bone, so that may be it, too. I just don’t know, but it hurts badly and I cannot walk normally at all. This whole process has been nightmarishly slow for me. My improvement has been very, very slow. Even now when I lie in bed on my back, my lower back feels as though I have duckass. My front upper thighs are also sore every time I get up from a seated position. Does that mean I have a tight IT band? No amount of stretching helps for two years now. I am also sore in the inner groin area on both legs. Two years now.
Sorry to hear that. I may upset you saying this, but two years later, and with only x rays to go by Betz won't be able to help you. He can't know a lot that could have happened in between such as what you described above. It sucks, but you should likely consult someone else closer to you.
Hopefully at least you achieved your lengthening goal and can enjoy your height. How much did you lengthen?
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Thanks for the update. Happy to hear it went well. By the sounds of it IT band release will be necessary for me too. It sucks, but at least it does not seem to be a complicated procedure. May I ask how much it costs?
Thanks man!
My insurance covered it so I only ended up paying about $750 AUD out of pocket but if I had to fund it it would have been roughly $3000-4000 AUD which is probably around 2000 to 2500 euros. That's for Australia but it may be similar to other countries.
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Thanks man!
My insurance covered it so I only ended up paying about $750 AUD out of pocket but if I had to fund it it would have been roughly $3000-4000 AUD which is probably around 2000 to 2500 euros. That's for Australia but it may be similar to other countries.
Okay cheers, at least it's quite manageable money wise. How are you doing otherwise? Walking alright? Enjoying the new height?:)
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Hey guys,
Just discharged from the hospital after the ITB release. Doctor came to visit me before I left and said everything went well, he released both IT bands completely and also aligned my hips while I was in surgery as my left had become crooked due to the left ITB being tighter.
Pain has been very minimal, the only pain I have is at the incision site (4/10) when I bend my legs in bed or when I bend them to walk but no pain otherwise and doctor said incision pain will get improve over the next couple of days. But holy crap I am excited to tell you guys that my wide legs are completely gone and my legs are 100% in like a normal person when I have been walking with the crutches! My duck ass has also 100% disappeared when putting my legs together! I knew doing the release would help but I didn't think it would work instantly for both duck ass and wide legs. I will be mainly using crutches for the next 2 weeks or so as my legs are still weak and heavy from surgery but I am so glad I decided to undergo this procedure.
This really demonstrates that an ITB release should be done for all femur lengthening's. Some people may get lucky and not get hit with wide legs / duck ass but majority of people will have some form of issue that arise from tight IT bands such as a hip deformity on top of the wide legs and duck ass. I still recommend Betz in the current LL market as his nail is truly weight bearing and I'd still choose that over Precise, however be aware that not doing an ITB release can cause major issues and be ready to do it with another doctor willing to perform it unless you want to spend months and months rehabbing after lengthening with no guarantee that it will fix the issues caused by tight IT bands.
Once again I am extremely happy with the result! Just need to rest and recover for the next few days and stay on top of PT.
Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know what is causing the right leg issues? Did it just appear randomly after 2 years and were you walking normally before this? Any response from Betz yet?
Wow I'm envious you completely recovered. My wide legs improved significantly, but hamstrings are still too tight for me to completely close my legs. More work is needed for me. :)
Thanks for the update. Happy to hear it went well. By the sounds of it IT band release will be necessary for me too. It sucks, but at least it does not seem to be a complicated procedure. May I ask how much it costs?
If you haven't paid the deposit, I would consider Guichet. He uses the same nail as Betz and performs the release during initial surgery. Note that the ITB incisions are quite large. You don't want more scars.
I paid 2350 Euros for Giotikas from Athens. Great doctor. If you do go with Betz, be prepared for minimal post-surgical care if you leave Germany.
Considering you're only doing 6cm, it is on the border of what's possible by PT. Work hard and maybe you will get through it. As soon as your legs widen out of control, perform the release immediately. Not only does it immobolize you and prevent you from stretching other muscle groups, it could also deform your knees/hip as it had for RB.
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Wow I'm envious you completely recovered. My wide legs improved significantly, but hamstrings are still too tight for me to completely close my legs. More work is needed for me. :)
If you haven't paid the deposit, I would consider Guichet. He uses the same nail as Betz and performs the release during initial surgery. Note that the ITB incisions are quite large. You don't want more scars.
I paid 2350 Euros for Giotikas from Athens. Great doctor. If you do go with Betz, be prepared for minimal post-surgical care if you leave Germany.
Considering you're only doing 6cm, it is on the border of what's possible by PT. Work hard and maybe you will get through it. As soon as your legs widen out of control, perform the release immediately. Not only does it immobolize you and prevent you from stretching other muscle groups, it could also deform your knees/hip as it had for RB.
Already paid the deposit, booked the flights, my stay with Elke and even a driver! :D Too late to back out I'm afraid.
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Yeah, he responded by saying after reviewing my X-rays he cannot find an explanation for the pain. It may well be my own fault, as I over-aggressively twisted my leg trying to internally rotate the hip and the next day the pain started. I did get an X-ray and found a bone spur growing out of the new bone, so that may be it, too. I just don’t know, but it hurts badly and I cannot walk normally at all. This whole process has been nightmarishly slow for me. My improvement has been very, very slow. Even now when I lie in bed on my back, my lower back feels as though I have duckass. My front upper thighs are also sore every time I get up from a seated position. Does that mean I have a tight IT band? No amount of stretching helps for two years now. I am also sore in the inner groin area on both legs. Two years now.
Yeah I would also feel my duck ass through my lower back when I laid down in bed so it could be tight IT bands. Do you walk with wide legs still?
Okay cheers, at least it's quite manageable money wise. How are you doing otherwise? Walking alright? Enjoying the new height?:)
Walking is good from the standpoint that I can now walk with my legs close but since the surgery was only 24 hours ago the pain and swelling from the incisions is causing me to walk very slow but I think this will improve in the coming days.
Now that I can see and feel my full height it's the best feeling. Although I'm not fully recovered by a long shot, it's great to see the hard work pay off in the form of the new height finally.
Wow I'm envious you completely recovered. My wide legs improved significantly, but hamstrings are still too tight for me to completely close my legs. More work is needed for me. :)
I think because I spent the last 4 weeks of consolidation really stretching out my hamstrings that it allows me to put the legs in all the way. Once you loosen your hamstrings more I'm sure your will come all the way in too :)
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Congrats, RB. Now enjoy your new height. The sweet outcome of the hard labor you did for previous months ;)
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Hey RB, what did your hip realignment entail?
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Congrats, RB. Now enjoy your new height. The sweet outcome of the hard labor you did for previous months ;)
Thanks man! Wishing you the best for the rest of your journey. You’ll be at your goal height in no time :).
Hey RB, what did your hip realignment entail?
Hey man, the hip realignment was known as manipulation under anaesthesia of the hips and it involves stretching/realigning the hips in a way that is not possible while awake due to pain. That was the explanation he gave and looking at my hips they definitely look straighter now.
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Hey guys,
Speaking on the subject of an ITB - release, it Def. Should be considered when lengthening the femurs.
I also did my LL with betz and was operated 3 days after RB (hey bro we did it congrats :D)
I lengthened a total of 9,9cm, everything went pretty similar to RB's journey, towards the end it got harder and harder, it definitely was the toughest time of my entire life. While in general everything went smooth during lengthning, the wide stance and tight IT Band present by far the worst problem-for me as well! It got progressively worse during lengthning and its now keeping me from being able to walk even one step unassisted, legs are just to wide apart. I've been in, constant contact with RB throughout the entire lengthing process and now that he has successfully undergone ITB-release I'm strongly considering it as well.
I also talked to betz about the entire issue and was quite disappointed by his reaction and behavior towards me. He insists its not necessary and that the problem will subside overtime with enough PT (which may be true) but at a certain point TIME becomes the main issue there, cause IMO doing 6 Monts to 1 year of rigorous PT to get the legs to come in is totally inacaptable and mentally a huge negative for ANY patient having that problem.
It's quite insane that even tho I'm done lengthing you don't really notice a real increase in height due to the wide stance, which is quite frustrating.
Betz, as RB said is a very good surgeon but him not releasing the IT Band during the first surgery seems to be huge mistake as so many people struggle with that afterwards so IF you do LL with betz, make sure you got options of doing an ITB-release and be prepared for these circumstances.
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Hey guys,
Speaking on the subject of an ITB - release, it Def. Should be considered when lengthening the femurs.
I also did my LL with betz and was operated 3 days after RB (hey bro we did it congrats :D)
I lengthened a total of 9,9cm, everything went pretty similar to RB's journey, towards the end it got harder and harder, it definitely was the toughest time of my entire life. While in general everything went smooth during lengthning, the wide stance and tight IT Band present by far the worst problem-for me as well! It got progressively worse during lengthning and its now keeping me from being able to walk even one step unassisted, legs are just to wide apart. I've been in, constant contact with RB throughout the entire lengthing process and now that he has successfully undergone ITB-release I'm strongly considering it as well.
I also talked to betz about the entire issue and was quite disappointed by his reaction and behavior towards me. He insists its not necessary and that the problem will subside overtime with enough PT (which may be true) but at a certain point TIME becomes the main issue there, cause IMO doing 6 Monts to 1 year of rigorous PT to get the legs to come in is totally inacaptable and mentally a huge negative for ANY patient having that problem.
It's quite insane that even tho I'm done lengthing you don't really notice a real increase in height due to the wide stance, which is quite frustrating.
Betz, as RB said is a very good surgeon but him not releasing the IT Band during the first surgery seems to be huge mistake as so many people struggle with that afterwards so IF you do LL with betz, make sure you got options of doing an ITB-release and be prepared for these circumstances.
Hey bro! Good to see you on the forum and congrats on hitting 10cm, huge achievement! Yeah I agree, Betz is still a good option but people need to be aware of what no ITB release can mean as it can lead to many post lengthening issues. At least there is the option to release it after but doing it in the initial surgery is ideal.
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Hey guys,
Speaking on the subject of an ITB - release, it Def. Should be considered when lengthening the femurs.
I also did my LL with betz and was operated 3 days after RB (hey bro we did it congrats :D)
I lengthened a total of 9,9cm, everything went pretty similar to RB's journey, towards the end it got harder and harder, it definitely was the toughest time of my entire life. While in general everything went smooth during lengthning, the wide stance and tight IT Band present by far the worst problem-for me as well! It got progressively worse during lengthning and its now keeping me from being able to walk even one step unassisted, legs are just to wide apart. I've been in, constant contact with RB throughout the entire lengthing process and now that he has successfully undergone ITB-release I'm strongly considering it as well.
I also talked to betz about the entire issue and was quite disappointed by his reaction and behavior towards me. He insists its not necessary and that the problem will subside overtime with enough PT (which may be true) but at a certain point TIME becomes the main issue there, cause IMO doing 6 Monts to 1 year of rigorous PT to get the legs to come in is totally inacaptable and mentally a huge negative for ANY patient having that problem.
It's quite insane that even tho I'm done lengthing you don't really notice a real increase in height due to the wide stance, which is quite frustrating.
Betz, as RB said is a very good surgeon but him not releasing the IT Band during the first surgery seems to be huge mistake as so many people struggle with that afterwards so IF you do LL with betz, make sure you got options of doing an ITB-release and be prepared for these circumstances.
Man I've been writing about Betz and ITB release for months. It's good to see now that I and RB have done it with positive results, others with similar problems are coming out.
My wide legs exploded at 4cm. By 5cm, I was 60cm wide. By 9.9cm I'd imagine you doing a permanent split, lol. Most doctors will tell you at that point, you're unlikely to recover normal function unless ITBs are released.
Further, while you will notice a 50%~ reduction in wide legs, your hip flexor and hamstring shortness are actually hidden by the wide legs. It'll take you another month of stretching to narrow back completely.
Hence why it is important to get ITB release in the beginning, so you don't widen to start with.
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Man I've been writing about Betz and ITB release for months. It's good to see now that I and RB have done it with positive results, others with similar problems are coming out.
My wide legs exploded at 4cm. By 5cm, I was 60cm wide. By 9.9cm I'd imagine you doing a permanent split, lol. Most doctors will tell you at that point, you're unlikely to recover normal function unless ITBs are released.
Further, while you will notice a 50%~ reduction in wide legs, your hip flexor and hamstring shortness are actually hidden by the wide legs. It'll take you another month of stretching to narrow back completely.
Hence why it is important to get ITB release in the beginning, so you don't widen to start with.
Yeah that's true. I was good until like 3 or 4 cm, then at 5cm+ the wide legs really startet to flare up. I stopped lengthing on July 2,since then they came in a bit but nowhere near where they need to be. I don't want to spend 6+months on rigorous PT to get my normal function back, that makes no sense, I rather instantly resolve the problem via an It Band release and you're right, when I stand by myself without crutches my stance is VERY wide, it almost completely hides my height gain, which is crazy considering I went from 172cm to almost 183cm....
Im really disappointed in betz, sure not ERVERY case might need an release but there are Def. Various cases out there who do indeed need one.
Also Walking with wide legs is SO exhausting it really hinders you in your efforts to move enough to where you restore strength and endurance in your legs.
I'm searching for an experienced orthopedic surgeon in my area right now and hope to get an appointment as quickly as possible. Maybe I'll document everything on here in a separate thread.
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Yeah that's true. I was good until like 3 or 4 cm, then at 5cm+ the wide legs really startet to flare up. I stopped lengthing on July 2,since then they came in a bit but nowhere near where they need to be. I don't want to spend 6+months on rigorous PT to get my normal function back, that makes no sense, I rather instantly resolve the problem via an It Band release and you're right, when I stand by myself without crutches my stance is VERY wide, it almost completely hides my height gain, which is crazy considering I went from 172cm to almost 183cm....
Im really disappointed in betz, sure not ERVERY case might need an release but there are Def. Various cases out there who do indeed need one.
Also Walking with wide legs is SO exhausting it really hinders you in your efforts to move enough to where you restore strength and endurance in your legs.
I'm searching for an experienced orthopedic surgeon in my area right now and hope to get an appointment as quickly as possible. Maybe I'll document everything on here in a separate thread.
Indeed. I went through the exact same experience. 3 points.
1) The exaustion partly comes from the widening, but more from muscle atrophy. Now that I've closed in, I definitely walk faster, but the exhaustion remains.
2) It is expected that most of your bone length will not be reflected in your height, because the ITB has only lengthened minimally. It will compensate for any bone length growth by abducting your legs sideways, so the ITB itself can remain the same length.
3) The ITB release will remove ITB as the bottleneck for your wide legs, but your hip flexor will become the next bottleneck. You will likely narrow 30-50% after surgery. It will take weeks of PT afterwards to stretch your hip flexors hence why I would not consider it an "instant fix."
Regardless, Betz' argument for not wanting to harm healthy tissue is completely trounced by the months, of debilitating abduction, which will cause deformities if not resolved long term. He's 70 and considers himself authoritative. That's why he will never take our experiences seriously and change his mind.
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Indeed. I went through the exact same experience. 3 points.
1) The exaustion partly comes from the widening, but more from muscle atrophy. Now that I've closed in, I definitely walk faster, but the exhaustion remains.
2) It is expected that most of your bone length will not be reflected in your height, because the ITB has only lengthened minimally. It will compensate for any bone length growth by abducting your legs sideways, so the ITB itself can remain the same length.
3) The ITB release will remove ITB as the bottleneck for your wide legs, but your hip flexor will become the next bottleneck. You will likely narrow 30-50% after surgery. It will take weeks of PT afterwards to stretch your hip flexors hence why I would not consider it an "instant fix."
Regardless, Betz' argument for not wanting to harm healthy tissue is completely trounced by the months, of debilitating abduction, which will cause deformities if not resolved long term. He's 70 and considers himself authoritative. That's why he will never take our experiences seriously and change his mind.
Yeah you may be right on that, I´m looking for appointments now and will most likely have to wait 1,5-2 Months before having a safe surgery date anyway, so i´m going to use that time to at least TRY to stretch the IT-band as much as possible and also work a lot on my hip flexor mobility, that seems to be a good plan for the next weeks ahead. Other than that of course muscle athrophy and lack of strength is the second major issue, I´m already working multiple times a week on bringing back quads, glutes etc. but of course that will take some time as well, since I´m only 1 week into consolidation phase. Betz looked over my Xrays 2 days ago and basically told me everything is where its supposed to be at this point, still have to be careful tho and walk on crutches for at least 3 more months until he needs the next Xrays from the front and side. Honestly thats all to be expected and tolerable but as RB´s experience already showed, just being able to stand up STRAIGHT with feed in close from the ITB-release and feel your true height makes such a huch difference and most likely gives you a huge mental advantage for the next months in crutches that lie ahead. I hope to experience the same feeling soon, right now my mental state really isnt all that good as lengthning itself was very tough and now I gotta deal with the wide legs issue.
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Yeah you may be right on that, I´m looking for appointments now and will most likely have to wait 1,5-2 Months before having a safe surgery date anyway, so i´m going to use that time to at least TRY to stretch the IT-band as much as possible and also work a lot on my hip flexor mobility, that seems to be a good plan for the next weeks ahead. Other than that of course muscle athrophy and lack of strength is the second major issue, I´m already working multiple times a week on bringing back quads, glutes etc. but of course that will take some time as well, since I´m only 1 week into consolidation phase. Betz looked over my Xrays 2 days ago and basically told me everything is where its supposed to be at this point, still have to be careful tho and walk on crutches for at least 3 more months until he needs the next Xrays from the front and side. Honestly thats all to be expected and tolerable but as RB´s experience already showed, just being able to stand up STRAIGHT with feed in close from the ITB-release and feel your true height makes such a huch difference and most likely gives you a huge mental advantage for the next months in crutches that lie ahead. I hope to experience the same feeling soon, right now my mental state really isnt all that good as lengthning itself was very tough and now I gotta deal with the wide legs issue.
If you're in Europe, I'd recommend Giotikas from Athens. You shouldn't have to wait 1.5-2 months for an ITB surgery. It's 20 minutes long, and can fit into any doctor's schedule. I would do it ASAP so you can stretch more effectively. The ITB will compltely prevent you from stretching your hip abuctors for example.
If you're already in consolidation, then your muscle atrophy will reverse quite quickly. You will experience significant reduction in weakness each week. It's one of the few problems that go away by itself after lengthening. :)
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If you're in Europe, I'd recommend Giotikas from Athens. You shouldn't have to wait 1.5-2 months for an ITB surgery. It's 20 minutes long, and can fit into any doctor's schedule. I would do it ASAP so you can stretch more effectively. The ITB will compltely prevent you from stretching your hip abuctors for example.
If you're already in consolidation, then your muscle atrophy will reverse quite quickly. You will experience significant reduction in weakness each week. It's one of the few problems that go away by itself after lengthening. :)
Yeah bro but I'm not going to go to another country to get that done, I'll do it here in Germany plenty of orthopedic surgeons out here who should be able to solve that problem.... I'll def do it asap once I found out the right guy to perform it on me so I can get back to 100% as quickly as possible.
Hope you are right on the muscle weakness slowly leaving each week, I'm only one week inti, consolidation so I'm just going to continue training and see how it goes. :)
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Do you plan on also doing tibias later down the line?
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Do you plan on also doing tibias later down the line?
Probably not. I’m very satisfied with my height now and don’t want to put myself through this process again. Would be nice to be 175-176 after tibias but to me it’s not worth the extra money, recovery, risks with tibias and loss of athleticism. Never say never though.
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Probably not. I’m very satisfied with my height now and don’t want to put myself through this process again. Would be nice to be 175-176 after tibias but to me it’s not worth the extra money, recovery, risks with tibias and loss of athleticism. Never say never though.
Sup RB any update? Andy photos or walking videos?
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Sup RB any update? Andy photos or walking videos?
Hey man, I'm doing well at the moment. Walking 100% unassisted with gait at about 85-90% normal. I'll provide a full update and xrays in about 3.5 weeks time when I hit the 6 month post surgery mark which will probably be one of my last update posts on the forum. DM me if you want to see a walking vid.
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How much did it cost as entire process? Nail + Surgery + Removel + Additional Costs in Germany? I'd like to have approx number.
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How much did it cost as entire process? Nail + Surgery + Removel + Additional Costs in Germany? I'd like to have approx number.
I’d say around 56k euros inclusive of surgery, accomodation, medication, food, PT etc. The removal is an extra 6.7k euros I believe.
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Hey guys,
It's been a while since an update - mainly because life is slowly moving on and every day the memory of the surgery fades more and more. I started this journey excited, scared and hopeful. My height neurosis had developed from early high school and had only intensified into adulthood. Being 5'4" is a rough height for a man and people will often make sure that you aware of that. I would think about my height every day and it would be the first thing on my mind in every face to face interaction with people. It became so ingrained in my subconscious to the point where I couldn't escape my own thoughts regarding my height, or lack thereof. Despite having a beautiful girlfriend and multiple past relationships, despite building my own business and progressing well in my corporate career at an early age, despite having lots of friends and despite enjoying life by travelling and experiencing as much as the world has to offer, I could never shake the feeling that no matter what I did or how successful I became, I would always be the 'short guy' and have that defining characteristic follow me wherever I went. Not all short men feel like this though, I know 3 men at my previous height who genuinely seem like they don't have an issue with their height at all and would never consider something as drastic as this. Short height is not a barrier to living a happy and successful life so I made sure that I lived life to the fullest in everything that I did despite my nagging height neurosis.
I am the type of person that if there is a solution to something that is deeply important to me, I just have to explore it, no matter how drastic that solution might be. When I first discovered internal LL in 2018, my first thought was "These people are insane, I could never break my legs for a few inches", but then as I learned more and more about the procedure, I began to feel the opposite way and began to intensely research and decided to get this done one day. That process took about 6 months from first discovering LL. I would go back and forth between wanting the surgery then not wanting it and then back again. I finally decided to commit that one day I would get the surgery and nothing would stop me from achieving that goal. Not a global pandemic with a narrow window to get a travel exemption to leave the country, not the recall of Stryde 1 month before I was scheduled in Greece, not being locked up in a hotel room with no fresh air for 2 weeks with 2 broken legs. I decided that nothing would stop me from achieving my goal. I was hellbent on achieving it. The greatest thing that this process has taught me as cheesy as it sounds is that no matter how difficult the changing circumstances are that will attempt to derail you from achieving your goal, if it is extremely important to you and you dedicate yourself completely to that goal, you will achieve it.
Now 6.5 months later, I can honestly say this has been one of the best decisions of my life. I no longer hate the way I feel around other people and I no longer think about how short I am. In fact, I bought a stadiometer to measure my final height and to my surprise I measure 172cm out of bed and stay around 171.5-171 throughout the day. Either I measured my initial height wrong or Betz made a bigger gap in the osteotomy than 0.5mm. Either way I am thrilled at basically being 5'8" now lol. I had a relatively smooth process apart from needing an ITB release (which was an insanely quick recovery) and I do know that my thoughts on if this is worth it would be affected if I had run into severe complications. This is why it is so important to choose a safe method and doctor. I may not agree with Dr. Betz not performing an ITB release but aside from that he is as a good of an LL surgeon as there is in the world especially from a technical standpoint.
Do I recommend this surgery? I recommend it to people who have genuine height neurosis and have other areas of their life maxed out. I don't mean some slight dissatisfaction with your height (as most guys below average have anyway) but a genuine neurosis that cannot be cured with therapy (which it can't despite what they tell you). If that sounds like you then this surgery can definitely change your life for the better. It has changed mine. I still haven't seen my friends due to lockdown (will in a few weeks) and am a bit worried about their reactions to the height increase but at the end of the day I did this for me and I would rather receive comments on looking taller the first couple of times I see them than living the rest of my life with height neurosis. This surgery is risky but if you mitigate risk by going to a good surgeon and dong an internal method and keeping your goal realistic, it can absolutely be worth it.
My gait is now at about 90-95% and is undetectable to the casual observer. I am still a few months off running as even though my consolidation is great, I want to take it easy in the athletic recovery department. One day I hope to get back to competitive sports although a I acknowledge this will never be at the same level. But I am ok with that.
I wanted to thank you guys for providing info and good discussion in the lead up to my prep for this surgery. The forum isn't what it once was with some of these ridiculous trolls and threads but there are some good people here with genuine intent to learn about this and get it done in the future. I hope the community continues to improve and has found value and benefit in my experience. This will be one of my last posts before I leave for good. As always feel free to ask any questions! Thanks guys, wishing you all the best with your future LL journeys.
RB
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My gait is now at about 90-95% and is undetectable to the casual observer. I am still a few months off running as even though my consolidation is great, I want to take it easy in the athletic recovery department.
Long time no see, RB. I am glad to know that you are doing good and are happy about undertaking this surgery. Also, it's good to know that your gait is now almost normal.
I wish you good luck and success in your life.
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I was waiting for your feedback, happy to read that you are back to almost 100% with your gait and that your height neurosis is now cured. Thanks for sharing your story and experience, enjoy your new life bro
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Congrats RB. Your will power is impressive. I wish I had the courage to go to Betz. In spite of many such good outcomes, some bad outcomes and potential problems with clicking makes me feel afraid to go there. But in most cases I think it's a pretty smooth a fast experience with Betz.
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Congratulations RB. Thank you for sharing your experience.
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Long time no see, RB. I am glad to know that you are doing good and are happy about undertaking this surgery. Also, it's good to know that your gait is now almost normal.
I wish you good luck and success in your life.
Thanks man! Glad to see you have also achieved your goal and are also happy with the results. I also wish you good luck and success!
I was waiting for your feedback, happy to read that you are back to almost 100% with your gait and that your height neurosis is now cured. Thanks for sharing your story and experience, enjoy your new life bro
Thanks man means a lot. Might see you again one day when I'm back in Europe!
Congratulations RB. Thank you for sharing your experience.
No problem at all man! Glad I could be of help to the community.
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6.5 months and unnoticable gait! Congrats!
Do you happen to have trouble sleeping in certain positions or feel tight in certain areas? Does your butt hurt from sitting too long?
Thanks
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6.5 months and unnoticable gait! Congrats!
Do you happen to have trouble sleeping in certain positions or feel tight in certain areas? Does your butt hurt from sitting too long?
Thanks
Thanks man! Also really great to see you achieve your goal and finish lengthening.
I had trouble sleeping in certain positions up until around 4.5-5 months post surgery. Now especially in the last few weeks I have no issues moving as much as I want, tossing and turning etc. It lasts for a while after lengthening but it goes away completely eventually.
As for the butt hurting, I don't have any pain anymore unless I sit on a wooden chair or something. The butt muscles do come back so the pain will decrease over time but I still have a flat pancake but unfortunately lol.
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I wanted to thank you guys for providing info and good discussion in the lead up to my prep for this surgery. The forum isn't what it once was with some of these ridiculous trolls and threads but there are some good people here with genuine intent to learn about this and get it done in the future. I hope the community continues to improve and has found value and benefit in my experience. This will be one of my last posts before I leave for good. As always feel free to ask any questions! Thanks guys, wishing you all the best with your future LL journeys.
RB
Congraulations and well done! thanks for sharing your experience here in the forum!
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Congraulations and well done! thanks for sharing your experience here in the forum!
Thanks mate appreciate it!
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Thanks man! Also really great to see you achieve your goal and finish lengthening.
I had trouble sleeping in certain positions up until around 4.5-5 months post surgery. Now especially in the last few weeks I have no issues moving as much as I want, tossing and turning etc. It lasts for a while after lengthening but it goes away completely eventually.
As for the butt hurting, I don't have any pain anymore unless I sit on a wooden chair or something. The butt muscles do come back so the pain will decrease over time but I still have a flat pancake but unfortunately lol.
Nice! I think you even worked harder than I did. I'm 5 months since surgery and still wake up from sores from certain sleeping positions, lol.
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Nice! I think you even worked harder than I did. I'm 5 months since surgery and still wake up from sores from certain sleeping positions, lol.
I think in the end it will go away for you too lol, it just might take a bit longer since you did 10cm.
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Congrats RB. Your will power is impressive. I wish I had the courage to go to Betz. In spite of many such good outcomes, some bad outcomes and potential problems with clicking makes me feel afraid to go there. But in most cases I think it's a pretty smooth a fast experience with Betz.
Thanks man!
Yeah I understand your concern regarding clicking. Most patients are fine with it in the end but it really is based on luck who struggles and who doesn't.
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Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, it's nice to hear how much it helped someone else out. I'm 5'6 on a good day and considering going for this.
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Questions
Questions
- Is it safe to bend over and pick up something off the floor?
- Can I work out if lying on a bench
- Do I need a physio or is dedicated stretching by yourself enough?
- How long do I need crutches for 7-8cm at 15 clicks per day
- How short distances I can walk around without crutches (5 mins? 20 mins?) is it risky to do this?
- Can I walk my dog with it?
- Possible to still have sex?
- Can I cook or will I need crutches
- Lifts in shoes? Or not good
- Best stretches?
- How do I get home with crutches and luggage
- Sleeping position at night. Can I lie on my side?
- Sleeping tablets a good idea at night?
- What’s stretches and exercises should I do prior to coming?
- Have you noticed more attention from ladies?
- What are the key things to avoid risking a bent nail or screw.
- What are the key things to pack when coming over?
- Any good excuses to tell coworkers?
- Is it possible to work in office full time after surgery or is too hard.
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Hi RB,
Great Diary.
Would you say you are fully recovered now?
Sent DM asking other details.
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Any update on reactions from friends and family to your new height? Did you tell close family?
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Hey man, I'm doing well at the moment. Walking 100% unassisted with gait at about 85-90% normal. I'll provide a full update and xrays in about 3.5 weeks time when I hit the 6 month post surgery mark which will probably be one of my last update posts on the forum. DM me if you want to see a walking vid.
Hey RB! Congrats on your journey. I am following in your footsteps and going for 8 cm with Becker in March this year. Can I DM you for links to videos of walking over time? Curious to see how gait improved.
I believe all LL femur patients get ITB release now as well.
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Hey guys. Wow it’s been a while since I have properly visited the forums. Mainly because life has been normal for a while and I don’t think about this anymore. This surgery has changed my life drastically and I can’t even describe how much of a difference being 5’7 is when you have lived your whole life at 5’4. This surgery is seriously life changing. I am also back to running and light sports and plan to go back to martial arts when i get the nails out which will be later this year to be on the safe side even though I am fully consolidated. Quick answer to qs:
Any update on reactions from friends and family to your new height? Did you tell close family?
Funnily enough I have integrated quite well back with fam send friends with minimal suspicion raised. I think covid and lockdowns really helped me mask it but some people especially those close to my original height defs noticed and made comments but I just brushed it off and now it dosent come up anymore. Some people genuinely didn’t notice any change. And then there’s people who you can tell know something is different but don’t know what it is exactly. Overall I stressed so much over reactions but it ended up being ok in the end. People can have their suspicions but at the end of the day I couldn’t care less anymore.
Hey RB! Congrats on your journey. I am following in your footsteps and going for 8 cm with Becker in March this year. Can I DM you for links to videos of walking over time? Curious to see how gait improved.
I believe all LL femur patients get ITB release now as well.
Congrats mate and good luck with your journey. I wish I had the ITB release at the same time lol but I have a 100% normal gait for a while now.
I will likely post again when I get my nails out.
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Did you notice any change in your dating life?
Edit: just noticed you already have a gf
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The second to last page of this thread was a serious wake up call to the importance of ITB.
You recovered quickly post ITB release and not getting it done was a huge hinderence to your lengthening.
I'm going to 100 percent push for an ITB release when the nails are put in. I might even get one done myself before hand if there's any resistance.
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Hey guys. Wow it’s been a while since I have properly visited the forums. Mainly because life has been normal for a while and I don’t think about this anymore. This surgery has changed my life drastically and I can’t even describe how much of a difference being 5’7 is when you have lived your whole life at 5’4. This surgery is seriously life changing. I am also back to running and light sports and plan to go back to martial arts when i get the nails out which will be later this year to be on the safe side even though I am fully consolidated. Quick answer to qs:
Funnily enough I have integrated quite well back with fam send friends with minimal suspicion raised. I think covid and lockdowns really helped me mask it but some people especially those close to my original height defs noticed and made comments but I just brushed it off and now it dosent come up anymore. Some people genuinely didn’t notice any change. And then there’s people who you can tell know something is different but don’t know what it is exactly. Overall I stressed so much over reactions but it ended up being ok in the end. People can have their suspicions but at the end of the day I couldn’t care less anymore.
Congrats mate and good luck with your journey. I wish I had the ITB release at the same time lol but I have a 100% normal gait for a while now.
I will likely post again when I get my nails out.
So happy you.
I saw an earlier post of yours where you mentioned you'd get an ITB release to begin with if you could do it all over again.
Would getting a proper (not soft) ITB release have made a difference?
What is your answer to people who claim cutting the ITB band will cripple you and hamper your recovery.
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So happy you.
I saw an earlier post of yours where you mentioned you'd get an ITB release to begin with if you could do it all over again.
Would getting a proper (not soft) ITB release have made a difference?
What is your answer to people who claim cutting the ITB band will cripple you and hamper your recovery.
I think a soft release would have defs made a difference but people who say an ITB release even a full one like I had will cripple you are out of their minds lol. It’s a tendon release that athletes get and go back to their full athletic capability. ITB release is critical for femur lengthening and the lack of one is the one draw back of how Betz used to run his practice. It worked out well in the end for me but all that pain and wide legs could have been avoided.
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I think a soft release would have defs made a difference but people who say an ITB release even a full one like I had will cripple you are out of their minds lol. It’s a tendon release that athletes get and go back to their full athletic capability. ITB release is critical for femur lengthening and the lack of one is the one draw back of how Betz used to run his practice. It worked out well in the end for me but all that pain and wide legs could have been avoided.
It's almost surreal directly talking to you now. I remember like nearly a year ago i was lurking and your journey was one of the ones that stood out to me, and pushed me to choose Dr Betz. I am so so happy for you.
I honestly am going to be making this journey having basically closed my self off to the world to work over time and nights, and i will be doing this in secrecy.
Knowing what you've just told me, that after getting an ITB band, you didn't have months added to your recovery, or you weren't crippled for a long time, or it didn't debilitate your recovery, just confirms all of the evidence experts themselves relay, and the many other diaries out there.
When i tell users on here, yes, stretch, but sometimes it isn't enough, especially for the ITB band, they tell me people like you didn't stretch enough. Anyone who has read your diary knows how much effort you put into it.
If it would be okay, to help my self in my own lengthening soon, and to help many others, would you be able to give us advice on one thing?:
1. When you had your ITB releae by Goitikas, how was your mobility and walking like before, and one week after ITB release?
2. Do you have any specific details about exactly how he cut your iTB? A lot of people sasy soft/proper but i think it's also about the depth cut. Unless it is personal to you, do you have any OP notes, or do you remember what Goitikas said about how much of the ITB he would possibly cut/where specifically?
3. Would getting this done just before lengthening/at the same time as putting the nails in, have helped, if your ITB band quickly heals? Would it be better to get it once you have wide legs and duck ass and are extremely stiff, or is it better to get it from day one? I ask this because people who get the 'soft' ITB release notice next to no improvements, the ITB heals within weeks and the next few months after results in severe difficulties with wide legs, duck ass etc.
Lastly, congratulations on your journey. I hope once the nails are out you can maybe put this part of your life to bed and consign it to history. The new you is between 5'9-10 in good thick shoes. Unbelievable from someone who was 5'4.
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The website was down for ages. It would be lovely to have you back again.
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Hey man,
Anyone who thinks I didn’t do enough PT is laughable. I had no other issues with any of my other muscles and the ITB is not something that can be simply stretched in PT. If you are atheltic beforehand it increases your chance of wide legs too due to the thickness of your ITB to begin with. I got wide legs at 2cm before I even had a chance to develop them from lack of PT so without it I was always destined to get them. It is a very important release.
1) I didn’t get it done by Giotikas but by a regular ortho in my home country and my mobility improved instantly. After about 4-5 weeks I was walking normally with a slight swing due to weak muscles
2) I remember that it was a z cut release which helped instantly
3) I guess it is possible but I would push to get a release at the same time or after if you develop issues as doing it before would expose you to another surgery before the major surgery which would complicate recovery.
Thanks man
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Hey RB,
How's life now? Could you even tell you've had a surgery like this done?
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Hey RB,
How's life now? Could you even tell you've had a surgery like this done?
Hey man, life is great now. And no, my walk is totally normal and has been for a bit over a year now. My athletic ability isn’t still where I want to be as I have nails in and am still training my legs again so whenever I play sports with people I say I have a previous leg injury but apart from that 100% normal and no one could suspect I have had a drastic surgery like this.
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Thank you so much,
So the Z cut release is what helped you?
When you began to walk after, were you walking with a swing / unable to walk properly for 4-5 weeks due to the iTB release? That's what is being argued to me now, that getting it properly cut will immobilise and cripple me.
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On another note, this is for any future lurkers on this thread:
Read this: https://uesca.com/it-band-syndrome-myths-and-facts/
"Let’s first address stretching. The ITB is a very tough structure. In fact, in a 2010 study by Falvey et al., a strain gauge was used to test various stretches on the ITB and the result was that the ITB was unaffected.
Therefore, it is highly unlikely that stretching will have any effect on the ‘tightness’ of the ITB."
I highly recommend reading this: https://www.painscience.com/articles/iliotibial-band-syndrome-stretch.php
"Even if you do everything right, even if you perform the ideal stretch and manage to pull firmly on your IT band for a couple minutes — which is longer than most people ever bother — how much would you actually change the length of your IT band? How far would it move?
Roughly 2 millimeters — an overall change in length of less than half a percent.
You still won’t actually change its length, any more than you can make a leather belt longer by pulling on it. This is the most important thing IT band stretchers need to understand."
And also this: https://thedoctorsofpt.com/it-band-pain-myth-v-reality/#:~:text=Myth%202%3A%20The%20ITB%20can,to%20actually%20induce%20a%20stretch.
"Myth 2: The ITB can and should be stretched
Since the ITB is made up of fascia, which is different from a muscle, it’s nearly impossible to stretch it. It would take way more force than we’re capable of producing on our own, to actually induce a stretch. This is a good thing – since the roles of the ITB are to stabilize the side of the knee and provide energy storage and release during running, we don’t really want it to be stretchy anyway. "
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Please post some walking videos. I want to see how normal is your walking after the surgery
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If you have recent imaging data please put it at this thread. Redact any information that could be used to dox you.
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Would love to hear from you again
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still here bro?
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If you do read this, would love an update about how things are now.
Whether you feel.the bone saw being electric if this is true caused any issues