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Author Topic: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley  (Read 241464 times)

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DoingItForMe

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DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« on: April 28, 2015, 11:09:08 PM »

I'm about to have my consultation next week with Dr. Paley, so I decided it's time to start my diary.

The reason why I'm starting my diary is because I figured that many of you will probably not want to pay the $1,050 ($750 for consultation and $300 for X-Ray) to meet with Dr. Paley. But since I'm about to, leave your questions here and I'll ask him. His assistants sent me a FAQ from Dr. Paley, so I'll answer some of the questions based on his FAQ if it's already there. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to paste the whole FAQ here, so I'll just stick with that for now.

The X-ray is one day and the consultation is the following day. So you probably want to stay at a hotel in between days. Hotel for a day is probably $80-$100.

Here's the FAQ about me personally to preempt your questions:

Age: 26-30 (I won't give my exact age because it might reveal my identity, sorry)
Gender: Male
Starting height: 165 cm (5'5")
Starting weight: 154 lbs (might change when surgery day comes - I'm slightly overweight on purpose, because I want to have more soft tissue when the surgery comes. I will ask Dr. Paley if this is smart when the time comes.)
Wingspan: 170 cm (5'7")
Planned height: 173 cm (5'8") - 8 cm (3") increase
Starting flexibility: Standing straight up, I can touch the floor with the palms of my hand and still have a few cm of some slack left. I can't do a split, but if I sit in a V shape, my legs can split apart approximately 130 degrees. I'm capable of putting my legs behind my head. I can sit with my butt between my feet and knees bent and lean all the way back without a problem. Lying down with one leg straight up, I can form a 90 degrees angle without a problem.

How I'm paying for it: I'm self-made. I started coding apps after I read some poor person's autobiography about how he made millions from coding apps. One of the apps I wrote became very successful very quickly and is still successful (I will not say which one, because I'm not here to promote my business and because I don't want to reveal my identity). I expect all of the costs to add up to around $90,000-$100,000 (judging by other patient diaries from Dr. Paley). I plan to get my IT bands released. The financial loss and 6 months of not working much isn't a big deal to me.

Who I told about this surgery: My family and a few friends close to me who I trust to keep a secret. Nobody else. I learned from reading other people's diaries to not tell anyone, because supposedly this surgery is frowned upon by society. I don't need that kind of lack of support from people whose opinion I don't care about. So I will tell nobody else. A few years ago, I told a few close friends that I was considering it, and they were all against it and thought I was crazy for even considering it. The people who I've told that I'm actually doing it are also against it, but will support me if I go through with it.

Why I'm doing this: As my username implies, I'm doing this for me because I'm not 100% happy with the way I look. I look short and stumpy. I work out, but I'm not super cut or lean or anything like that. This is not for any other person besides myself. Two years ago, I was actually going to go to Dr. Betz for LL because I wanted 10 cm. But then I decided that I didn't want to spend 6 months of arguably my best physical years (mid-20s) in crutches. I also learned to accept my height and stopped giving much thought about my height after a while. Now in 2015, I'm still thinking about LL, and still can't stand the way I look in the mirror. And it's worse now because I'm getting older, so I can't pretend that I'm a teenager anymore. I'm perfectly happy with everything else going on in my life. I don't even have a issue with girls, because I've been dating pretty/smart girls since high school. Once girls get to know me, they stop caring about my height. But I'm realistic when I look in the mirror. I don't look attractive at this height. So I'm doing this purely because I want to finally be happy with the way I look. It's the only aspect of my life that I'm unhappy about. I understand the risks and pain, and I still want to go through with it. When I wear my 2-inch shoe lifts, I feel great about myself and the way I look. I want this feeling to be permanent.

Previous surgeries: None. The only things I've done to myself is Lasik and braces. Both of these corrected things that I wasn't too happy about in my life as well. And now I'm absolutely glad I did those operations. I hope LL will have the same effect on my life.

General health: Other than a slightly higher than average blood pressure and heart rate (still within healthy limits, but my dad suffered from HBP, so I'm watching what I eat now), I'm perfectly healthy. I'm going in for an annual physical tomorrow with my family doctor to check again to make sure. I read from some other diary that I should be doing this anyway prior to surgery.

Why I chose Dr. Paley: Proximity mainly. I live in the U.S. and don't want to go to a foreign country. The other reason is because I like the idea of Precice 2 (no pain with clicking like the Betzbone). I'm also okay with just 8 cm and below, because I don't want a higher risk of long-term complications. I think 8 cm and below is still sort of safe. I also don't want only 5 cm, because honestly, that really isn't that much. And the other reason is because other people seem to recommend him as the go-to doctor (besides Dr. G in Italy and Dr. R in NY) if money isn't a big issue. I'm not affiliated with Dr. Paley or any other doctor in any way, and will report on any complications I have and how Dr. Paley dealt with them.

Proportions: I think my femurs will be disproportional compared to my short tibia after surgery. I don't plan on getting my tibias lengthened until after I'm happy with my femur surgery. But most likely, I will not do it, because I don't want to put my body at risk again for something that isn't THAT important to me. I'm also worried that my 5'7" wingspan will look short compared to a 5'10" height, and I don't want to get my arms lengthened. My plan is to just wear 2-inch shoe lifts like I've been doing for the past few years. This will make my tibs appear longer and thus will make me look proportional again. Also, I think the ideal height for a male is 5'9"-5'11" (I read this online from a study). So 2-inch shoe lifts + 3-inch LL puts me right in that sweet 5'10" spot. But I think I will already look great at 5'8" (I tested this with 3" shoe lifts). I don't want to be greedy and gain permanent knee pain from internal tibia lengthening.

Surgery date: I plan on getting my surgery in late-June/early-July, so I'll probably be quiet in May/June. I'll let you guys know when I get it when I finalize the date during my consultation (they won't let me finalize the date until after the consultation is over).
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

crimsontide

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2015, 12:42:40 AM »

odds of knee pain  arent that great... the more diaries i read, it seems that most people arent having many issues with knee pain
longer tibias also look better, but not a huge concern


and girls never stop caring about your height, so I think it's a good decision
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DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2015, 01:40:10 AM »

odds of knee pain  arent that great... the more diaries i read, it seems that most people arent having many issues with knee pain
longer tibias also look better, but not a huge concern


and girls never stop caring about your height, so I think it's a good decision
Thanks for the first comment! I remember reading the statistic somewhere that about 40% of patients had knee pain after internal tibia surgery. If it isn't knee pain while walking, it's knee pain while kneeling. I don't want any of that. I don't remember reading anything about knee pain for internal femurs, so I'm going to go with internal femurs.

I'm aware that longer tibias look better, but it also takes long to stretch/recover and you also get less out of the surgery than femurs (I think 6 cm was the recommended max while femurs were 8 cm?). Don't normally wear shorts, so I think I'll be okay. I'll consider tibias after I'm done with femurs and recover fully (probably 2 years from now). Hopefully by then, there'll be something that doesn't give knee pain. Maybe external tibia? But for now, I'll be happy with 5' 8" and some shoe lifts to get to 5' 10". Shoe lifts will give me the same effect as a 2" tibia surgery without the actual surgery. I think that's a better choice for me. But shoe lifts to take me to 5'7" from 5'5" isn't that big of a difference. I still look short. Just less short. 5' 10" would be nice, and would be a dream come true.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

YellowSpike

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2015, 02:00:11 AM »

Congrats on starting your journey man. I think you've made a fantastic decision, and you're in the best hands possible with Dr. Paley.

5'8" is pretty decent height. I was a little over 5'5", and my final height is now 5'8" (internal femurs). I'm actually considering adding on another inch next year from just re-breaking the femurs and using the same rods already inside. My femurs will probably look pretty disproportionate at that point, but tibias just take way too long, and I don't want to do (or pay for) a second full-blown LL...and 5'9" is a height that I think I would be 100% perfectly fine with. I don't really care about proportions too much, and in clothes, long femurs are pretty easy to hide. I just slept with another girl this past weekend, told her I did LL...she said she would have never noticed had it not been for the crutches and me telling her (and obviously she saw me nked)..she was 5'6" and I was comfortably taller than her :)
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DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2015, 03:20:11 AM »

Congrats on starting your journey man. I think you've made a fantastic decision, and you're in the best hands possible with Dr. Paley.

5'8" is pretty decent height. I was a little over 5'5", and my final height is now 5'8" (internal femurs). I'm actually considering adding on another inch next year from just re-breaking the femurs and using the same rods already inside. My femurs will probably look pretty disproportionate at that point, but tibias just take way too long, and I don't want to do (or pay for) a second full-blown LL...and 5'9" is a height that I think I would be 100% perfectly fine with. I don't really care about proportions too much, and in clothes, long femurs are pretty easy to hide. I just slept with another girl this past weekend, told her I did LL...she said she would have never noticed had it not been for the crutches and me telling her (and obviously she saw me nked)..she was 5'6" and I was comfortably taller than her :)
You sound happy with your new height. That's awesome to hear! Yea, I wish my final height was 5'9" instead of 5'8". But 8 cm is the max that Precice 2 will go. I'll stick with shoe lifts I guess. I read through your diary. I'm not caught up in the numbers game and don't mind not reaching 5'9". I just want to look good. I'm also worried about being limited if I don't do an IT band release, which I see in your diary that you didn't do. You said that it's a 20% decrease in athletics once I do that? I'm not so worried about losing athletic ability, because honestly, I'm not great at sports to begin with and don't plan on playing more sports in the future. If you could go back in time, would you have done the IT band release?
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

YellowSpike

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2015, 03:36:58 AM »

You sound happy with your new height. That's awesome to hear! Yea, I wish my final height was 5'9" instead of 5'8". But 8 cm is the max that Precice 2 will go. I'll stick with shoe lifts I guess. I read through your diary. I'm not caught up in the numbers game and don't mind not reaching 5'9". I just want to look good. I'm also worried about being limited if I don't do an IT band release, which I see in your diary that you didn't do. You said that it's a 20% decrease in athletics once I do that? I'm not so worried about losing athletic ability, because honestly, I'm not great at sports to begin with and don't plan on playing more sports in the future. If you could go back in time, would you have done the IT band release?


Yeah I'm more or less happy with my new height, as it was in line with my expectations (around 7cm). I went with Dr. Guichet, and he does not do ITB releases as far as I know. I don't know if an ITB release would have made much of a difference. I personally didn't want the ITB release, as it was just one less part of my body that was tampered with. But Paley and Rozbruch do it for many patients, and they have no issues. I believe Dr. G ordered me to stop clicking when he did because my left leg was healing slowly (and it makes sense, because left leg clicks had become very painful, and I had a lot of numbness around the shin and knee area).

I was admittedly (and still am, to a degree) caught up in the numbers game because it's been so ingrained in my head that 5'8" is the absolute bare minimum that a guy should be to avoid most height discrimination. So getting to 5'8" (evening height) is great, but I'm thinking of doing a little more only as a buffer (and factoring in shrinking as I get older). I have the option of doing a femur re-break next year, and from what I know, it will be much, much faster to just bang out one more inch. But maybe I won't feel the need to do it. We shall see.

When is your surgery?
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DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2015, 03:57:16 AM »

I plan on getting my surgery in late-June/early-July. I already have time off from work planned and have someone planned to take care of me for the first month. I don't have an exact date yet, because Dr. Paley doesn't allow people to book a surgery date without a consultation first. I'll let you guys know when I finalize the date during my consultation next week.

I think programdude also didn't release his IT band, and he's having some pain, too. I wonder if this is related? Hopefully people who did and didn't have IT bands released can chime in on their experience with it.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

YellowSpike

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2015, 04:02:39 AM »

I plan on getting my surgery in late-June/early-July. I already have time off from work planned and have someone planned to take care of me for the first month. I don't have an exact date yet, because Dr. Paley doesn't allow people to book a surgery date without a consultation first. I'll let you guys know when I finalize the date during my consultation next week.

I think programdude also didn't release his IT band, and he's having some pain, too. I wonder if this is related? Hopefully people who did and didn't have IT bands released can chime in on their experience with it.

I know ChrisIsaak had an ITB release on only one leg, and has said his legs felt the same pretty much throughout the process. From what I know Programdude is doing well, I think maybe his recovery has taken a bit longer is because 8cm is actually quite a lot. I think it's considered the "safe" limit for femurs, but it's still a pretty high amount. I personally had never planned on doing past 7cm in one procedure (but might if I do the femur re-break for another inch max), but I think you'll be fine to go to 8cm, it just may take longer to recover.

Regardless, don't worry...either way, you're in great hands with Dr. Paley!
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DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2015, 04:59:39 AM »

Thanks! Dr. Paley probably has the most experience with ITB release vs no ITB release. So I'll ask him when the x-rays are done and the flexibility tests are done. I think programdude was flexible enough that he didn't have to have ITB released. But he also started off at 5'8" (lucky dude). I'll let you know what Dr. Paley says about it.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

YellowSpike

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2015, 05:08:19 AM »

Thanks! Dr. Paley probably has the most experience with ITB release vs no ITB release. So I'll ask him when the x-rays are done and the flexibility tests are done. I think programdude was flexible enough that he didn't have to have ITB released. But he also started off at 5'8" (lucky dude). I'll let you know what Dr. Paley says about it.

Everyone is different. My flexibility pre-op was pretty good, probably slightly above average I'd say. I was in very good shape pre-op (especially because I did Dr. G's pre-training requirements), yet I struggled to get ~7cm. I had a pretty good amount of pain from 5cm and onwards, and was told I had to stop around 7cm. I kinda feel like LL is one of those "life is like a box of chocolates" things...you can be young and in amazing shape and still really struggle with this. I also think it also helps to have a better starting height as PD did (I think that makes it a bit easier to stretch the soft tissue, which is the limiting factor for most LLs, and certainly was for me). I don't think adding on another inch or so in a year will be hard because I"ll know exactly what to expect at that point...

Keep us posted on your consultation!
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programdude

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2015, 07:18:34 AM »

Just want to comment that I don't think Paley will operate on someone who doesn't get a consult first. Best of luck man!
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Dr. Paley Patient- Surgery completed successfully on July 22nd
My Diary for those who want a real play by play to know what to expect:http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=733.0

Starting height: 5 8
End Height-:5 11 +

DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2015, 07:46:44 AM »

Just want to comment that I don't think Paley will operate on someone who doesn't get a consult first. Best of luck man!
Yup. His assistants told me the same. Are there any tips for me before I go next week? Something I should ask him when I see him?
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

MiniM

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2015, 02:01:54 AM »

if I book the surgery date, I'm consider about accommadation, still quit confuse about it. The hosipital will book that for u or urself? I will take the one Dr Paley recommended

And price for three month, I think if u r their patient and want to stay for months there's discount for it. but How much?

I'm from other country, do I only can use the credict card or I can apply for an account there in u.s

So many questions
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DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2015, 03:32:51 AM »

if I book the surgery date, I'm consider about accommadation, still quit confuse about it. The hosipital will book that for u or urself? I will take the one Dr Paley recommended

And price for three month, I think if u r their patient and want to stay for months there's discount for it. but How much?

I'm from other country, do I only can use the credict card or I can apply for an account there in u.s

So many questions
If you're under 18, you can stay with other people in the same house (called the Quantum House) for $35/night. If you're over 18, you can book a hotel close-by. They have a shuttle that will take you to the hospital. Prices are around $70/night for a studio and $80/night for a one bedroom. These are discount prices that the hospital helps you get for being a patient. Otherwise, they're normally around $100/night. The hotels probably take Visa/Mastercard if you have those. I don't know who books it yet, but I do know that you have to be a patient to get discount prices on the hotels. He recommends 4 different extended-stay hotels. They all seem similar. I will find out more for you when I have a surgery date and can finally book the hotel.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #14 on: May 16, 2015, 06:23:33 PM »

Just had the consultation last week. I also saw my family doctor two weeks ago, and I waited to update my journal until after I got back my lab results for a complete physical.

May 5th - X-ray Day
First thing I did when I got to the Paley Institute was sign in. I had already filled out and signed my forms prior to arriving. My appointment was at 2 PM, and I got the x-ray done at around 3 PM. The x-ray machine was called EOS, this was the first one in Florida. It does a fall body scan and gives high-res x-rays of the whole body. They gave me a green hospital gown and I stood for about half an hour in the x-ray machine, which was a circular cylinder looking machine with an opening for you to get it. If you were to look at the it from above, it'd look like the letter C. It stood about 8 ft high. They took only two scans. One with my legs staggered (right foot in front and left foot in back), and one without both legs together.

By 4 PM, I was out of the hospital, and I went to the outlet malls nearby and visited the Tesla dealership to pass time. All were only 10 minutes away from the hospital.

May 6th - Dr. Paley Consultation Day
The appointment was for 7:30 AM, but since I already registered myself, I came at 7:50 AM and was still okay. They don't officially open until 8 AM anyway. The first person I met was John the PA. He asked me a bunch of questions about my height and then made me stand on these wooden blocks that were 2 inches and 3 inches high. He asked how I felt standing on them. I said that I felt like I was at a normal height after standing on them. He told me that since I'm still young, I should expect a good recovery as long as I keep stretching every day: About 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the afternoon and 1 hour at night. The one hour of stretching in the afternoon will be with the PT, so it's really 2 hours of stretching on my own. It was recommended that I have someone for at least 2 weeks to help me stretch. Recommended is 4-6 weeks. I'll be having someone for 5 weeks to help me out.

About an hour later or so, Dr. Paley comes into the room and we talk about our lives. He was very interested in my life, because it's not normal for someone this young to pay for the surgery himself. Normally, it's parents paying for their kids. I explain that I was just a normal 9-5 office worker and living a normal life. But then I became a self-made millionaire app developer after I read and followed the advice from this autobiography from a successful app developer. The book's called Lifehacked and I highly recommend it as a good read even if you're not into app development - I wasn't prior to reading it. Anyway, I go to explain how my app helps people, and how I'm semi-retired and I mostly do charity work now. This part of the story is important, because later on, he helps me out with the surgery date because of my life story. I'll explain more at the end of this entry.

He has John do a flexibility test and confirmed that I needed an IT band release, because my legs don't drop when I lay on my side and make an open scissor shape with my legs. They stay straight and Dr. Paley explains that it's my IT band that's holding them up.

IT band release

In regards to the IT band, Dr. Paley explained that it shouldn't have any long-term effects. He said that after a few weeks, the area where he cuts heals up. And when he looks at the x-rays, it looks almost as if he never cut them in the first place. I asked if I'd lose any athletic ability for doing it. He said no.

Long-term effects of LL

I asked if he kept in touch with his old patients. He said that someone he operated on 26 years ago talked to him and the patient was still fine. He said that none of his previous patients have mentioned anything about arthritis or any other long-term effects. He said that since I'm in my 20s, I can expect an almost 100% chance that I'd have no long-term effects. He said that nobody in their 20s who had this operation had any long-term effects. He also explained that those with complications are usually the ones who don't follow the stretching or his advise. He said that there was one person who wouldn't return the device that stretches his nail.

What to do prior to surgery

Dr. Paley told me to start taking Silica supplements. These are mostly vitamins such as calcium and Vitamin D to promote bone growth. Seems expensive compared to other over-the-counter vitamin supplements. But Dr. Paley recommended them, so I'll be taking them. I was advised to start taking them a week before surgery. I asked if I needed to lose weight, and he said no. I have a suspicion that those with muscular legs will have a harder time with LL, so I'm going to not work out my legs prior to surgery. I hope that I'm correct with this theory. I asked him if stretching prior to the surgery will help, and he said that it probably wouldn't. He said that the effects of stretching only lasts for a few hours. I'm going to try to do some stretches anyway to get myself into a routine prior to surgery.

Precice 2.1

I was told that at around December 2014, he switched to Precice 2.1, which is an update to Precice 2.0. He said that it had better welding and was improved after his experiences with the Precice 2.0. I asked if this was the final nail version and can't be improved further. He said that things always have room for improvement, but that I shouldn't keep waiting for the next best thing, because I'd always just be waiting then. He explained that he's working on a nail that will be completely weight-bearing with much stronger material.

Finally, a nurse named Mary came in to take my vitals, such as height and weight and blood pressure, and then I was given the okay to leave. It was around 10 AM when they were all done. I tried to book my surgery date while I was still there, but the doctor was too busy to give me an available surgery date. I told them that I wanted a late June surgery.

I found out that I'm actually 164 cm from the test at Dr. Paley's office. And 164.5 cm from the test at my family doctor's office. So I'm actually 5' 4.5" - 5' 4.7". With 8 cm added, I'll be 5' 7.9", which is still very close to my realistic goal of 5' 8". Ideally, I'd like to be 5' 10" or 5' 11", but I don't think I'd want to do tibias.

Rundown of the Pricing

Paid by credit card:
$300 for x-ray
$750 for the consultation with Paley
$10,000 deposit for surgery
$159.95 for 3-month supply of Silica 1, Silica 2, and Silica Boost supplements.
$7,291.20 for 3-month stay at Hilton Homewood Suites (93-nights * $70/night + 12% tax)

Paid by wire transfer:
$75,000 surgery - Total surgery was $85,000 which includes the $5000 IT band release. Originally, it was $90,000, but I got a $5,000 discount for mentioning that I was part of the old forum, which was true.

My health insurance might have helped pay partially for these, but here's my out-of-pocket expenses:
$77 for Vitamin D test
$8 for one month supply of Vitamin D supplements

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have paid for the Vitamin D test, because my complete physical tested my Vitamin D levels. Also the nurse at St. Mary's who gave me the test, didn't bother finding a good vein. She just stabbed in a seemingly random location (not even close to the crease on my elbow), and this left that area bruised (internal bleeding).

In terms of accommodations, the Hilton Homewood Suites seems like the best choice. I was given the option of $70 for a studio suite or $80 for a one-bedroom suite. I chose a studio. It comes with free breakfast everyday and free dinner from Monday-Thursday. There is a swimming pool with a lift. The discount price is offered when you mention that you are a patient at the hospital. Normally it's $99 a night for the studio suite. Internet is free and comes with wired and wifi. Kitchen comes with a coffee pot, and free beverages. It also has pots and pans and dishes. The housekeeper can clean the dishes for you everyday. There's a $100 fee if you have a pet (up to 2 pets and 75 lb each). The $100 fee is to pay for the cleaners to clean the room after you leave, so that the room is allergy-free for the next person staying. I don't know how long I need to stay the hotel, but I was told that lengthening starts 5 days after surgery, and 80 days are needed to stretch 80 mm (1 mm per day). They told me to book the full 3 months to just be on the safe side, in case some days I might not lengthen the full 1 mm. I booked 93 nights just to be on the safe side. I was told by the hotel that I could shorten the days if I explain my situation when I arrive. We'll see how true this is. Be sure to book early, because there were only two studio suites left in my time frame when I booked.

My lab results from my family doctor found that I'm mostly healthy. My cholesterol levels are a bit high, and my doctor told me to go on a low-carb idea to lose weight. My glucose levels are also a bit high, so I'm going to cut back on my sugar intake (which coincides with my cut back on carbs anyway). I'm currently at 153 lb. Dr. Paley said that my weight is fine, but I plan on being a bit more fit prior to surgery to get into the routine of having a strict diet and ample stretching and exercising.

My surgery date is booked for June 30th with June 29th as a pre-op day. Dr. Paley actually was going to be on vacation in those two weeks. But he explained that he liked who I was, and was willing to come during his vacation to do the surgery. The next available surgery date if he didn't do that was in September. He said that most people book a year in advance to get a summer date, because summer is usually when his patients don't have school, so thus is when he is the busiest. While I don't need to go to school, the person who's taking care of me for 5 weeks is in college and is only available in July. So that's why I requested a late June surgery date, and Dr. Paley was nice enough to help me out. He explained that he meets with many prospective stature patients but rarely does he take the interest he did with me. I guess you can call it karma.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

YellowSpike

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #15 on: May 16, 2015, 06:57:17 PM »

It always sucks finding out that we're shorter than we had originally thought. Makes it that much harder to achieve the goal we had in mind, even if the height increase is still a great improvement. I barely made it to 5'8" (based on late evening height) from 166/5'5.3" (when I thought I was closer to 5'6"). It's why I'm strongly considering doing another (much quicker) round of LL to get about another inch for sake of completion (since the rods already inside my legs are good for about another inch, possibly a tad more).

Your accomplishments are very impressive. I'm glad Paley helped you out. Dr. Guichet was similar with me and helped me out in a number of ways because I think he took a liking to me. Go for as close to 8cm as you can get, but be warned that recovery for anything above 7cm (possibly even anything about 6.5cm) starts to get quite difficult. May not be a problem for you since you do charity work and have plenty of money (and can afford the time off), but it may get frustrating. I've been fortunate to have a situation where I can work from home a lot while my walking still improves (5 months post op now), but I don't feel great about it. I'm just thankful I've been able to keep getting paid throughout the entire process (I'm nowhere near as rich as you, even though I'm fairly well off for my age and where I live).

Best of luck to you. You'd better enjoy your last few weeks of being able to walk normally!
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tallerbetter

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #16 on: May 16, 2015, 08:00:14 PM »

Just had the consultation last week. I also saw my family doctor two weeks ago, and I waited to update my journal until after I got back my lab results for a complete physical.

May 5th - X-ray Day
First thing I did when I got to the Paley Institute was sign in. I had already filled out and signed my forms prior to arriving. My appointment was at 2 PM, and I got the x-ray done at around 3 PM. The x-ray machine was called EOS, this was the first one in Florida. It does a fall body scan and gives high-res x-rays of the whole body. They gave me a green hospital gown and I stood for about half an hour in the x-ray machine, which was a circular cylinder looking machine with an opening for you to get it. If you were to look at the it from above, it'd look like the letter C. It stood about 8 ft high. They took only two scans. One with my legs staggered (right foot in front and left foot in back), and one without both legs together.

By 4 PM, I was out of the hospital, and I went to the outlet malls nearby and visited the Tesla dealership to pass time. All were only 10 minutes away from the hospital.

May 6th - Dr. Paley Consultation Day
The appointment was for 7:30 AM, but since I already registered myself, I came at 7:50 AM and was still okay. They don't officially open until 8 AM anyway. The first person I met was John the PA. He asked me a bunch of questions about my height and then made me stand on these wooden blocks that were 2 inches and 3 inches high. He asked how I felt standing on them. I said that I felt like I was at a normal height after standing on them. He told me that since I'm still young, I should expect a good recovery as long as I keep stretching every day: About 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the afternoon and 1 hour at night. The one hour of stretching in the afternoon will be with the PT, so it's really 2 hours of stretching on my own. It was recommended that I have someone for at least 2 weeks to help me stretch. Recommended is 4-6 weeks. I'll be having someone for 5 weeks to help me out.

About an hour later or so, Dr. Paley comes into the room and we talk about our lives. He was very interested in my life, because it's not normal for someone this young to pay for the surgery himself. Normally, it's parents paying for their kids. I explain that I was just a normal 9-5 office worker and living a normal life. But then I became a self-made millionaire app developer after I read and followed the advice from this autobiography from a successful app developer. The book's called Lifehacked and I highly recommend it as a good read even if you're not into app development - I wasn't prior to reading it. Anyway, I go to explain how my app helps people, and how I'm semi-retired and I mostly do charity work now. This part of the story is important, because later on, he helps me out with the surgery date because of my life story. I'll explain more at the end of this entry.

He has John do a flexibility test and confirmed that I needed an IT band release, because my legs don't drop when I lay on my side and make an open scissor shape with my legs. They stay straight and Dr. Paley explains that it's my IT band that's holding them up.

IT band release

In regards to the IT band, Dr. Paley explained that it shouldn't have any long-term effects. He said that after a few weeks, the area where he cuts heals up. And when he looks at the x-rays, it looks almost as if he never cut them in the first place. I asked if I'd lose any athletic ability for doing it. He said no.

Long-term effects of LL

I asked if he kept in touch with his old patients. He said that someone he operated on 26 years ago talked to him and the patient was still fine. He said that none of his previous patients have mentioned anything about arthritis or any other long-term effects. He said that since I'm in my 20s, I can expect an almost 100% chance that I'd have no long-term effects. He said that nobody in their 20s who had this operation had any long-term effects. He also explained that those with complications are usually the ones who don't follow the stretching or his advise. He said that there was one person who wouldn't return the device that stretches his nail.

What to do prior to surgery

Dr. Paley told me to start taking Silica supplements. These are mostly vitamins such as calcium and Vitamin D to promote bone growth. Seems expensive compared to other over-the-counter vitamin supplements. But Dr. Paley recommended them, so I'll be taking them. I was advised to start taking them a week before surgery. I asked if I needed to lose weight, and he said no. I have a suspicion that those with muscular legs will have a harder time with LL, so I'm going to not work out my legs prior to surgery. I hope that I'm correct with this theory. I asked him if stretching prior to the surgery will help, and he said that it probably wouldn't. He said that the effects of stretching only lasts for a few hours. I'm going to try to do some stretches anyway to get myself into a routine prior to surgery.

Precice 2.1

I was told that at around December 2014, he switched to Precice 2.1, which is an update to Precice 2.0. He said that it had better welding and was improved after his experiences with the Precice 2.0. I asked if this was the final nail version and can't be improved further. He said that things always have room for improvement, but that I shouldn't keep waiting for the next best thing, because I'd always just be waiting then. He explained that he's working on a nail that will be completely weight-bearing with much stronger material.

Finally, a nurse named Mary came in to take my vitals, such as height and weight and blood pressure, and then I was given the okay to leave. It was around 10 AM when they were all done. I tried to book my surgery date while I was still there, but the doctor was too busy to give me an available surgery date. I told them that I wanted a late June surgery.

I found out that I'm actually 164 cm from the test at Dr. Paley's office. And 164.5 cm from the test at my family doctor's office. So I'm actually 5' 4.5" - 5' 4.7". With 8 cm added, I'll be 5' 7.9", which is still very close to my realistic goal of 5' 8". Ideally, I'd like to be 5' 10" or 5' 11", but I don't think I'd want to do tibias.

Rundown of the Pricing

Paid by credit card:
$300 for x-ray
$750 for the consultation with Paley
$10,000 deposit for surgery
$159.95 for 3-month supply of Silica 1, Silica 2, and Silica Boost supplements.
$7,291.20 for 3-month stay at Hilton Homewood Suites (93-nights * $70/night + 12% tax)

Paid by wire transfer:
$75,000 surgery - Total surgery was $85,000 which includes the $5000 IT band release. Originally, it was $90,000, but I got a $5,000 discount for mentioning that I was part of the old forum, which was true.

My health insurance might have helped pay partially for these, but here's my out-of-pocket expenses:
$77 for Vitamin D test
$8 for one month supply of Vitamin D supplements

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have paid for the Vitamin D test, because my complete physical tested my Vitamin D levels. Also the nurse at St. Mary's who gave me the test, didn't bother finding a good vein. She just stabbed in a seemingly random location (not even close to the crease on my elbow), and this left that area bruised (internal bleeding).

In terms of accommodations, the Hilton Homewood Suites seems like the best choice. I was given the option of $70 for a studio suite or $80 for a one-bedroom suite. I chose a studio. It comes with free breakfast everyday and free dinner from Monday-Thursday. There is a swimming pool with a lift. The discount price is offered when you mention that you are a patient at the hospital. Normally it's $99 a night for the studio suite. Internet is free and comes with wired and wifi. Kitchen comes with a coffee pot, and free beverages. It also has pots and pans and dishes. The housekeeper can clean the dishes for you everyday. There's a $100 fee if you have a pet (up to 2 pets and 75 lb each). The $100 fee is to pay for the cleaners to clean the room after you leave, so that the room is allergy-free for the next person staying. I don't know how long I need to stay the hotel, but I was told that lengthening starts 5 days after surgery, and 80 days are needed to stretch 80 mm (1 mm per day). They told me to book the full 3 months to just be on the safe side, in case some days I might not lengthen the full 1 mm. I booked 93 nights just to be on the safe side. I was told by the hotel that I could shorten the days if I explain my situation when I arrive. We'll see how true this is. Be sure to book early, because there were only two studio suites left in my time frame when I booked.

My lab results from my family doctor found that I'm mostly healthy. My cholesterol levels are a bit high, and my doctor told me to go on a low-carb idea to lose weight. My glucose levels are also a bit high, so I'm going to cut back on my sugar intake (which coincides with my cut back on carbs anyway). I'm currently at 153 lb. Dr. Paley said that my weight is fine, but I plan on being a bit more fit prior to surgery to get into the routine of having a strict diet and ample stretching and exercising.

My surgery date is booked for June 30th with June 29th as a pre-op day. Dr. Paley actually was going to be on vacation in those two weeks. But he explained that he liked who I was, and was willing to come during his vacation to do the surgery. The next available surgery date if he didn't do that was in September. He said that most people book a year in advance to get a summer date, because summer is usually when his patients don't have school, so thus is when he is the busiest. While I don't need to go to school, the person who's taking care of me for 5 weeks is in college and is only available in July. So that's why I requested a late June surgery date, and Dr. Paley was nice enough to help me out. He explained that he meets with many prospective stature patients but rarely does he take the interest he did with me. I guess you can call it karma.

What a nice account. Thanxs bro
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alps

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #17 on: May 16, 2015, 08:31:03 PM »

Thanks for the detailed recap mate! All the best!
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programdude

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #18 on: May 16, 2015, 11:33:51 PM »

Sorry I didn't check to see your post about tips, but it looks like you did fine.

That is a very useful compilation of information for someone examining this, and looks to be accurate(though I think home woods rates change based on time of year?)
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Dr. Paley Patient- Surgery completed successfully on July 22nd
My Diary for those who want a real play by play to know what to expect:http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=733.0

Starting height: 5 8
End Height-:5 11 +

DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #19 on: May 18, 2015, 05:04:28 AM »

Thanks for all the support guys. I'm going to give as much detailed account as possible whenever it's possible. YellowSpike, I don't mind not reaching 5'8" fully. I just want to be taller. At 5'4.5, I'm only taller than about 4% of adult males (20-29). At 5'8, I'll only be taller than 33% of males, but that's a big improvement! Source: https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0209.pdf If you're 5'9, you'll be taller than 42% of males. It sounds like you won't be happy unless you get that extra inch. I'd say go for it. Just go get to 5'9" and then want more again. Gaining height can be addictive, as John the PA told me. But he also said that most people only do one surgery, because they're happy with their new height already.

Sorry I didn't check to see your post about tips, but it looks like you did fine.

That is a very useful compilation of information for someone examining this, and looks to be accurate(though I think home woods rates change based on time of year?)

Homewood discount rates seem to change based on their negotiations with St. Mary's. The price I gave $70 per night started since December 2014, and apparently still is at that price.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

YellowSpike

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #20 on: May 18, 2015, 12:01:54 PM »

YellowSpike, I don't mind not reaching 5'8" fully. I just want to be taller. At 5'4.5, I'm only taller than about 4% of adult males (20-29). At 5'8, I'll only be taller than 33% of males, but that's a big improvement! Source: https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0209.pdf If you're 5'9, you'll be taller than 42% of males. It sounds like you won't be happy unless you get that extra inch. I'd say go for it. Just go get to 5'9" and then want more again. Gaining height can be addictive, as John the PA told me. But he also said that most people only do one surgery, because they're happy with their new height already.

Oh yeah, 5'8" is a huge improvement, and not a bad height. I just personally feel now (comparing myself to other guys as I walk around) that I'm very close to being average. And since the rods inside my legs already are good for another inch (and won't take nearly as long as this has), I'm heavily considering it. But not entirely sure I'm gonna do it yet. I want to do it, just don't know if I'll have the time.

I would never do tibias, so that would be the end of it for me.
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KrP1

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #21 on: May 18, 2015, 12:47:27 PM »

Oh yeah, 5'8" is a huge improvement, and not a bad height. I just personally feel now (comparing myself to other guys as I walk around) that I'm very close to being average. And since the rods inside my legs already are good for another inch (and won't take nearly as long as this has), I'm heavily considering it. But not entirely sure I'm gonna do it yet. I want to do it, just don't know if I'll have the time.

I would never do tibias, so that would be the end of it for me.

hi yellow, i really think that you are more 5´9 than 5´8 . most people use their morning height when they talk about it
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Tyler_Durden

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #22 on: May 29, 2015, 11:30:19 PM »

Hey man good luck!
I'm going to have consultation with Paley on the 21-24th of June

I wanted to ask you regarding the IT band release . You said :
"because my legs don't drop when I lay on my side and make an open scissor shape with my legs They stay straight"

If I do that they are not falling as well but thats because I'm holding my legs on purpose so if I just let them go they will fall. What does it means? I don't think I've understand how do you if you need to release your IT band?

 
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Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.

Chenboy

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #23 on: June 05, 2015, 01:09:30 PM »

Hi guy yesterday I just have consultation with parley ....
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DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #24 on: June 07, 2015, 09:16:32 AM »

Hey man good luck!
I'm going to have consultation with Paley on the 21-24th of June

I wanted to ask you regarding the IT band release . You said :
"because my legs don't drop when I lay on my side and make an open scissor shape with my legs They stay straight"

If I do that they are not falling as well but thats because I'm holding my legs on purpose so if I just let them go they will fall. What does it means? I don't think I've understand how do you if you need to release your IT band?
Don't try to figure this out on your own. If you're doing the consultation with Paley anyway, they will test your flexibility. Most likely, you will want your IT bands released if you are trying for 3 inches. Other than losing $5,000, Dr. Paley says that there's no long term side effects of having your IT bands released.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

Chenboy

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #25 on: June 16, 2015, 11:47:44 PM »

Are you still in Wpb.  I will go to there also I want to see you
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CBixler

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #26 on: July 15, 2015, 07:33:12 PM »

So it has been two weeks since your surgery, I do hope you post an update soon.... Yogi Bear also seems to have vanished, I wonder what Paley is up to....
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DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #27 on: July 19, 2015, 04:46:48 PM »

As you may know, the first two weeks after surgery are the most painful. Yogi and I met up in person and realized how painful the first two weeks are. She and I have been busy dealing with the pain to want to write about it. I actually changed my surgery date due to a flight delay, so to simplify things, I'll just say the days away from surgery.

But I'm feeling better now, so here's the recap:

Day 0:
Just pre op. This is just a three hour thing where you register with the hospital and sign your living will and fill out more paperwork. Before that, they first take your blood and vitals I make sure things are okay for surgery. The anesthesiologist also examines you to see which one he will use. Also asks if you want an epidural. I opted out because I heard you lose a day or two of recovery if you have it. After pre op, I returned to the hotel to check in.

Day 1:
Surgery day. Super easy. They basically make you strip and put all your clothes in a bag. Then you wear a gown. Then they inject a pain killer in your spine. Then threw put a gas mask on and start wheeling you to the operating room. You don't even leave the prep room before you fall asleep. Ten seconds later, you wake up with the sound of the nurses over you. You then realize that it wasn't ten seconds later. It's about three hours later. No pain. Just confusing and super high. Feel super happy that things went well and that I'm not dead.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

Cooper

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #28 on: July 19, 2015, 05:00:45 PM »

DoingItForMe- you are in good hands with elite team. I was just having conversation with my LL mate. We had such a great time at WPM and her mother even says so!!!

Dr. Paley has great setup. I really liked it and partly the reason I picked him over Dr. M or Dr. R. If you have a car than get out from hotel and go to perry bridge, mall or city center. Obviously after few weeks of surgery. Many places to enjoy.

We did BBQ outside the pool every weekend and party late. I am sure there are other LLers in hotel and you can regroup and enjoy. Good luck mate!
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Starting Height: 160
Gained Femur: 6.9cm (Dr. Paley)
Right Tibia Goal: 5.5/6CM

DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #29 on: July 19, 2015, 05:20:53 PM »

Day 1 continued:
They roll me to my hospital bed. I'm feeling great. No pain. I can even do bicycle kicks with my legs. It was very odd, because I remember reading about how everyone else was in so much pain. Nurses kept taking my vitals every 4 hours. The main nurse (the one you call when in pain) kept asking how I was doing every 4 hours as well as gave me the drugs I needed. But they were alternating with the nurses that take vitals, so you really see a nurse every 2 hours or so. The main nurses switch every 8-12 hours or so. All nurses were very kind. I slept well that night without pain. Problem is that you get woken up every 2-4 hours because of nurses taking your vitals. Peeing wasn't a problem, because they stick a tube up your penis and you don't even know that you're peeing. It just leaks out of you. They gave me stool softeners, but I didn't poop until 5-7 days later. Didn't have any alien poop. Just looked like normal poop. I even bought milk of magnesia as suggested by other patients, but I didn't need it at all. I've been pooping everyday normally after I was discharged from the hospital.

Day 2-5:
So I stayed in the hospital for a total of 4 nights, 5 days. They started distraction since day 1 (1 mm on surgery day as well), so each day is equal to 1 mm already. Days 2-5, I felt pains ranging from 3-8. It mostly hovered around 3, because they gave me this great pain killer called toradol that they inject in your ivy. I recommend it, because it always kills the pain from 8 to almost 1-3 within 45 minutes or so. Without it, you get percocet, which is a mix of oxycodone and tylenol (acetaminophen). You only get percocet in the hospital, I believe because you can overdose on Tylenol. When discharged, you get Oxycodone. Percocet only lasts about 2-4 hours for me. So I actually ask for it every 4 hours (usually to coincide with the nurses taking my vitals, so that I only get bothered every 4 hours instead of every 2 hours). I take 2 every 4 hours. That's the max you can take. At the beginning, I didn't know that you had to request for pain killers. I thought that they just give it to you without asking. So there was a time when I didn't get any pain killers for 12 hours. This was the only time my pain level went to 8. All other times it was just 3. I have a high pain tolerance (as confirmed by my nurses), so my pain levels might be different from yours. But a 3 is like soreness after hitting the gym for too long. An 8 is like someone constantly pulling your leg after it's broken.

During this time, they also showed me some physical therapy (PT) exercises. One hour per day. It wasn't much. Mostly just moving my ankles and bending my knees to my chest and raising my legs up. They found that my flexibility was very high. Just a day or two after my surgery, I was already able to touch my ankles to my butt. Not many people can do it. Also on day 2, I was already able to walk 4 times around the hospital hallways. That was also something they haven't see before. I walked 1 time around the hallway fully during the first PT, which was about 30 hours after surgery. And then at night of day 2 (40 hours after surgery), I walked 3 times in a row around the hallway. By day 4, I was able to walk more than half a dozen times in a row around the hallways during PT, and they only stopped me because my hour of PT was over.
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8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience

DoingItForMe

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Re: DoingItForMe's Precice 2 Internal Femurs with Dr. Paley
« Reply #30 on: July 19, 2015, 05:34:53 PM »

Day 5:
Discharge day. Since they discharged me on a weekend, they actually made me pay $35 to hire a wheelchair-accessible taxi to bring me to the hospital. The Paley team messed up there and never reimbursed me for that. Turns out that there's actually a $5-8 roundtrip wheelchair-accessible taxi, and the hospital screwed me over by hiring the more expensive $35 one that was only one-way. They also tried to get me to buy the drugs from Garden Drugs Inc, which deliver to the hospital, but Garden Drugs Inc wanted $600+ for all drugs because my insurance wasn't accepted by them. I went with Walgreens instead, which also delivers to the hospital, and ended up paying only $300-400 for all drugs. Again, I suspect that the hospital gets some kind of cut for hiring the more expensive companies for the same services. I suggest not falling for their tricks.

Week 1 in the hotel (starting on the 5th day after surgery):
The hotel is not bad. $70 a night. Pots and induction stove suck. They barely get hot and are all warped. I don't suggest doing much cooking with it. Breakfast and dinner taste like food you get at a cheap buffet. They gave me stomachaches, because my stomach is sensitive to cheap foods.

In terms of pain, week 1 was the worst. Day 1 after discharge was the first and only time I experienced level 10 pain. They said level 10 pain is when you cry involuntarily. That's the only time I ever did. And the feeling is like if someone shot your parents in front of you and made you watch them die. Now imagine that emotional pain as a physical pain in your legs, and that's what it feels like. It's like if someone cut your leg open and decided to pull your wound apart with his salty, sweaty hands.

I realized why I was experiencing this pain. It's because it was first day off toradol and percocet, and I was going cold turkey with pain meds. The only pain med is Oxycodone, which I found out only lasts 1-2 hours and only kicks in after an hour. And you can only take 2 pills (10 mg) every 4 hours, so you have 2-3 hours of suffering. Since this is the closest time to my surgery without much pain meds, this was the first time I experience level 10 pain. First the first few days in hospital, I thought every patient who complained about pain was a wuss, because I didn't have much pain. I expecting pain levels like child-birthing pains, and never got to that level in the hospital.

Once I got to this level 10 pain, I finally realized what everyone was talking about. Yes, this was the most pain I ever felt in my life. This is probably what it feels like to be tortured.
Logged
8 cm gained with Dr. Paley using Precice 2.1 internal femurs in Summer 2015.
Starting height: 167 cm (5'6") Currently at: 175 cm (5'9")
Link to my experience
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