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Author Topic: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian  (Read 19329 times)

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short2tall

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Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« on: March 04, 2018, 11:07:39 PM »

Hi everyone, I'm starting my own LL diary. I had bilateral femurs done with Dr. M on March 1st. I have been planning this experience for about a year now, and am glad I was finally able to take the plunge. I am currently on day 4 post surgery, and I will go back and recount my experience from the beginning. First, here are my stats:

Age: 30
Starting height (evening): 5'8.5"
Goal height: 5'11"
Pre-surgery weight: 170 (muscular build)
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2018, 11:31:17 PM »

Day 1

   I arrived at the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center at 5 am, and sat in the waiting area until the general admission office opened at 5:30. I was feeling a little nervous, but more so about the loss of independence for several months rather than the surgery itself. Like others have said, I knew that I would regret not taking this chance later on in life, knowing that I had the opportunity to achieve the height that I've always wanted. I was quickly admitted and shown the way to the pre-op staging area. After being assigned a room, I had to undress and out on a hospital gown. Next, several different nurses came in to ask me a few questions, put my IV in, etc. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled down the hall to the operating room. The anesthesiologist told me what she was going to do and then it was lights out.
   I woke up around 1 pm. I was hooked up to a pain pump and a catheter. I felt very little pain, but could not move my legs. Nurses were checking on me every few minutes, and said that I looked like I was doing well. Then Dr. Mahboubian came in and said the surgery went extremely well, my bones were very dense, and he was able to use the largest size precise nail (he didn't specify the actual diameter). He even told me I could fully weight bear as long as i was standing with even pressure on both legs. No walking without a walker of course. Next a hospital worker came in and took my lunch and dinner order. I was pretty hungry, and ate my whole lunch but then threw it right back up due to nausea from the anesthesia. Next, the hospital PT came in and helped me do some simple leg lifts and knee bends. After that she had me stand up with the walker and take a few steps forward, backward, and side to side. I was really nervous right before standing up, because I have read where many vets have felt extreme pain during this part. Surprisingly I felt very little pain and was able to walk ok, mostly using arm strength. After PT, I attempted to eat dinner but threw it up again. The nurses called Dr. M to ask for a nausea medication that I could take. Later that evening, the nausea meds arrived, and I did feel better after that. However, that feeling was short lived, because then the nurse informed me that she was going to have to take the catheter out. Again, from reading other diaries, I was very nervous about this part. First they deflate a balloon that was pressing against your bladder, and then they just yank the tube out. It hurt like a B%$#@!!!! Then the nurse informs you that you have to be able to pee into a plastic urinal in the next few hours or they will have to reinsert the catheter. I was not about to let that happen!! It was difficult, especially with my urethra still in pain from that tube being yanked out, but I forced it, and within an hour or two I had filled that plastic bottle. The rest of the night went ok, but I got very little sleep due to the dull but consistent pain.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2018, 12:11:25 AM »

Day 2

   I woke up (or rather stopped trying to sleep) pretty early in the morning. Was able to pee into the bottle again and it didn't hurt this time. Breakfast was served and I was able to keep it all down this time. I wasn't actually able to eat a whole lot though, due to my throat still being very dry from the surgery. However it felt good to keep some food down. The nurses still continued to check on me every hour or so. They had been extremely attentive and kind the whole night too. I felt like I was in great hands the whole time I was there. Dr. Dardacrapi, who does the pre-op blood panel tests for Dr. M, even came in to check on me this morning. I thought that was really nice of him. Shortly after that, Dr. M came again and checked my legs for stiffness, and said I looked good. He was impressed with my PT performance from the day before and said that I should do a morning and afternoon session of PT and then I was good to leave the hospital. That was pretty encouraging to hear. Another hospital PT came in and we did more of the same exercises, along with standing and walking with the walker. Then I ate lunch, and was able to get and keep the whole meal down. After that, the Occupational Therapist came in and asked me about my setup at home, if I had a walker, wheelchair, etc. Then she showed me a neat gadget for putting socks on, as well as a grabber tool that was different from the standard type with just the 2 "fingers" or suction cups. After a few hours of rest, the PT came back and we did another session of the same exercises. According to Dr. M, I was good to go after that 2nd PT session, so the head nurse started working on my discharge papers. I texted my caretaker to let her know I was ready for pickup. For the 3rd time that day, I had to get up out of bed so I could get into a wheelchair. This time it was a little painful, especially at the site that the screws were inserted near my right hip. I think part of this was because I had a nurse's aid helping me this time, and she wasn't as knowledgeable as the PT. I tend to get a little nervous anytime someone who isn't totally familiar with the procedure tries to help me. Then I was wheeled downstairs to the main entrance, where I met my caretaker. Getting into the car was the hardest thing I had experienced so far. It's very difficult to do while keeping even pressure on both legs. My caretaker (who is also my PT) tried to make it as easy as she could, but it still hurt my right hip quite a bit. We drove back to my hotel (where I'll be staying for the duration of the process) and getting out of the car into a wheelchair felt about the same as when leaving the hospital. I ate a quick dinner and my caretaker helped me get into bed. I took a Norco and went to sleep pretty quickly. I woke up about three hours later, took another Norco, and went back to sleep. I ended up sleeping pretty good most of the night.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2018, 12:21:13 AM »

Day 3

   I woke up around 10 am, and my caretaker showed up around 10:30. She emptied my urinals, which I had filled during the night, and cooked breakfast. Then she helped me get out of bed with the walker and transfer to the wheelchair. I was having somewhat of a difficult time deciding where to place my hands when standing up out of bed, as everyone tells me I need to push off of the bed, but for me it feels better to just use my arms and push down on the walker like I am doing a dip. I was very hungry and ate a big breakfast. Then I used my exercise bike for a bit, which is just basically a little stand with pedals that you set on the floor in front of your wheelchair. It felt good. My caretaker left for a few hours, and I just watched TV. She came back to make dinner and help me get back into bed. This night went the same as the previous. I took a pain pill and went to sleep, but woke up about 3 hours later. I used the urinal, took another pain pill, and went back to sleep.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2018, 02:24:22 AM »

Awesome start short2tall! That's great that you found a caretaker who can also do your PT. Hope that the pain settles down soon for you.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2018, 04:35:18 AM »

Thanks Android, its definitely getting better day by day. Here is my next installment:

Day 4

   I woke up around 9am today and felt very little pain. Was just a little uncomfortable from lying in one position all night. I sat up in bed for about an hour until my caretaker arrived. She helped me do some simple stretches before I attempted to get out of bed. Today I was basically able to get out of bed with the walker and transfer to the wheelchair by myself. I ate a hearty breakfast and watched TV for awhile. My caretaker left for a few hours and I was able to use my stationary pedal exerciser on my own. I did practice transferring from the walker to the toilet in case I get a BM urge, but nothing has come yet. I'm getting a little worried because I've been eating a lot. I will continue to take stool softener as advised by the nurses. One of my main worries about this whole process was losing my freedom and being completely bored for several months, but I can already see that every little thing takes so much more time now that the days should fly by.
   After eating dinner, my caretaker wanted to make sure I could also transfer from the wheelchair back to the bed on my own, and I was able to do that successfully. She wants to start doing more intensive stretches with me starting this week. I took one Norco this morning, and took one around dinner time since my hip started to hurt from sitting up all day. I will probably take another one when I finish typing this and get ready to go to sleep. That's all I have for now guys, thanks for reading.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

Optimistic1

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2018, 05:18:17 AM »

short2tall,

It's good to hear that you are recovering so well and don't feel that much pain. As LAGrowin has previously stated, everyone reacts differently to the surgery. I felt some pain but it was manageable after the surgery. For me, the worst part was not being able to pee. That was the true pain and suffering for me. I hope I don't experience this same problem with my femurs.

How long did you plan on staying in Burbank or within a close proximity to Dr. M? Until your post-of appointment? If you leave before my surgery, would you mind sharing with me your PT nurse's number? I won't need her for the entire time, just a couple of days as my mom will be flying in to take care of me. If you're going to work with her for the entire process, don't worry about it.

Are you feeling more pain when doing PT? For me, I've been pushing myself and I think I overwork. This causes me to have some minor pain in my right knee (before it was my left knee) even with pain meds. I wish you the best and keep us posted.

Optismitic1
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LAGrowin

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2018, 06:05:48 AM »

Great start to your journal short2tall.  Congratulations on taking this step. It feels surreal at times that I actually took  the plunge and did it. I'm sure you've felt the same.

All very familiar and similar to what I experienced but I must say you are doing way better than most at this stage, which is remarkable.  I couldn't transfer into the wheelchair alone, or to the toilet for more than 2 weeks,  and I have high pain tolerance.  God willing it remains like this for you throughout the process.

But again, each body is different,  as I didn't have nausea at all, and had no issues at all with the catheter,  it was painless,  just awkward feeling.

I commend you for riding to the hotel in a car right after surgery. I had to rent a transport van to get me home. It is also impressive that you're mostly on your own!

I am glad to be in touch off the board. You'll see that some will question the validity of recent Mahboubian journals, which is unfortunate.  All this first hand info is invaluable for future patients. Past diaries is how I educated myself about this procedure and Dr. M has been great to me.

As you can read above, Optimistic1 recently had surgery with Dr M.  but on his tibias.  Wish you both well!
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short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2018, 04:27:11 PM »

@ Optimistic1

   I do plan on staying here for the duration of the process, including lengthening and consolidation. So, unfortunately I will need my caretaker/PT the whole time. The pain during PT hasn't been bad yet, but I probably am not pushing myself 100% yet, I was kind of waiting until after my post-op with Dr. M to start with the heavy duty stretching. Mostly just doing mobility exercises like leg lifts, knee bends, and hip abductors right now. I hope your femurs go as smoothly as mine did. Any other questions feel free to ask.

@ LAGrowin

   I have seen some of what you're talking about, which doesn't make sense to me. If it weren't for having Dr. M as an option, I probably wouldn't have been able to afford the surgery right now. Going out of the country was not something I wanted to do. But as others have said, I'm not here to debate that. If someone chooses not to believe or trust us, they can look elsewhere for advice.

Thanks again to both of you for your support. Happy lengthening.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2018, 06:32:17 AM »

Day 5

   Today was great. I was able to transfer from the wheelchair to the walker to the toilet by myself, and then went #2! I was so relieved that it was not painful like I had been expecting. I have been taking stool softener so I'm sure that helped. I also got in and out of bed several times by myself for practice. It definitely takes some concentration as you plan out every step, but it is doable. Fingers crossed that things keep going well.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2018, 07:23:22 AM »

It always reminds me how humbling it is at first, in which going to the bathroom is an accomplishment. It's like you're a newborn again!
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2018, 10:21:06 PM »

Hey thanks Android. It is amazing how humbling it is, and the fact that you have to rely on a lot of people for help at first. The one positive part about that is that it does make the day go by much faster.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #12 on: March 07, 2018, 05:50:22 AM »

Day 6

  Today was the best day yet. Was able to get out of bed and transfer to wheelchair by myself again. After breakfast, with my caretaker keeping an eye on me, I was able to take about 20 steps with the walker in the hallway. Later I was able to transfer to the toilet and go #2 again. I'm starting to get into somewhat of a routine. Still very little pain. Took one Norco around 3 am this morning to help me fall back asleep. I may take one more when I'm ready to go to sleep tonight. My legs are aching just a little bit, probably from the fair amount of walking I did today. Only a few more days until my follow up.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2018, 07:04:14 AM »

Day 7

  It's hard to believe that tomorrow morning will make 7 days since my surgery! Then only one more day til my post-op with Dr. M. Nothing really exciting to report today. I did feel a bit of pain in my left leg near the osteotomy site while walking down the hall with my walker today. I'm thinking i may have been compensating for the slight pain I was having in my right hip (basically gone now) by putting more pressure on my left leg. It doesn't seem like anything serious is wrong, just a little ache. I am trying not to take any more pain pills for right now, unless something really starts to hurt.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2018, 05:03:28 AM »

Day 8

   Today went well. I woke up to a little stiffness and swelling in my left knee and ankle. I guess this was the result of the little bit of pain that I was feeling the day before. After icing it during breakfast, it felt much better and the swelling went down. When I was done with breakfast, I went out in the hallway to take some steps with my walker. I was anticipating a little bit of pain, but felt none. I walked 15 or 20 steps and it felt great to get moving for a while. I haven't taken a Norco in over 48 hrs. I've just been taking ZQuil to help sleep, and it's been working ok so far. I'm excited for my post-op appointment tomorrow, although I'm going to have to figure out a better way to get into the car. I hope everything goes smoothly and I'm allowed to start lengthening. I will also post X-rays if I receive any.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

Optimistic1

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2018, 05:15:04 AM »

short2tall,

It's great how you don't feel any pain and can go for that long without a Norco. I'm still taking 1 Norco plus 1/2 Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours. I hope I'll feel the same or similar when I do my femurs next week. Good luck with your post-op appointment with Dr. M and keep us posted.
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short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #16 on: March 09, 2018, 09:12:21 PM »

Thanks Optimistic1! I just got back from me post-op and it went well. The Precise rep showed me how to use the machine. Then Dr. M took off my bandages and marked my thighs so I know where to put the ERC when lengthening. I have to return a week from today to get my sutures removed. Then another week after that for my next visit with Dr. M. I'm assuming that's when they take the first X-rays? As soon as I got home from the appointment I took a shower for the first time since surgery. It felt so good! It was a little difficult because I only have the standard bath bench/chair and not an actual transfer bench, but all in all not bad. I do have some pictures I would like to post, but I'm having trouble at the moment.

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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

Optimistic1

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #17 on: March 10, 2018, 03:10:12 AM »

short2tall,

You can go to Imgur, create an account then post your pictures on there. Copy the link and paste it on here. That's the best way to post your images as the attachment option here is very limited in terms of capacity.

I know how it feels when you can finally shower, lol. I'm a clean freak and I have OCD too so it was amazing when I could finally shower. Make sure to get your sutures removed on time and don't wait for too long. I waited for too long so the it healed over my stitches. The doctor had to dig down and take the dried scrapes out so there's a small hole on my leg. It's healing but I think I might have a big scar. Dr. M had to cancel my post-op appointment so I had to fly back to my hometown to have the sutures removed. It's painful when it heals over the stitches.

I'm still using my shower chair in the shower. It's not the same as standing up but it gets the job done. What's your pain level. How well do you tolerate pain in general. For me, it depends but I think I am average. I'm not a cry baby but I also hate dealing with pain, lol. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Optimistic1
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short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #18 on: March 10, 2018, 08:32:43 PM »

Thanks for explaining that Optimistic1. Guys, let me know if these links work. The first pic is my ERC machine:

https://imgur.com/yZ4FNvU

This next one shows some of my sutures, and where Dr. M marked my thigh so I know where to put the ERC:

https://imgur.com/XCYUYOW

Finally, here is a pic showing the only real bruising that I have from the surgery, underneath my thigh:

https://imgur.com/dDuos3h
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #19 on: March 10, 2018, 08:52:33 PM »

Day 10

   Today was the first day that my PT started really pushing me. WOW. Much tougher than I expected. I believe that I have a high pain threshold, but this was intense. She advised me to take a Norco before the session, which was smart. I hadn't taken one in about 3 days prior to this, but I'm glad I listened to her. Certain stretches, like trying to touch heel to butt, were excruciating. You just have to keep reminding yourself that it is for your own good. Intense PT really is the only way to reach your lengthening goals, as well as making for a faster recovery. My PT is very knowledgeable and I feel like I'm in good hands. She accompanied me to my post-op yesterday and asked Dr. M some specific questions about what she could and couldn't do with me. I'm definitely going to work on the stretches that I had a difficult time with on my own as often as possible. Right now my plan is to have formal PT sessions M-W-F, so 3 times a week. I'm aware that it may be necessary to increase to 4-5 sessions per week later in the lengthening phase. We will see how it goes.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2018, 04:39:23 AM »

Day 11

   As I suspected, I was quite sore today from the rigorous PT yesterday. It wasn't too bad when I first woke up, but around lunch time I started to feel a lot of pain in my right leg. It developed into a sharp pain in my knee, and no longer felt like soreness from a workout or stretching. I don't have any swelling or bruising, so I'm hoping everything is ok. I eventually had to cave in and take a Norco. The pain remained persistent throughout the day and I've had to take a Norco every 4 hours to keep it under control. I'll ask my PT about it tomorrow, and see what she thinks is causing it. Hopefully it subsides somewhat by then.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

myloginacct

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #21 on: March 12, 2018, 03:13:59 PM »

You're average, not short, but good luck with your journey.
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fallen774

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #22 on: March 12, 2018, 04:47:42 PM »

Hi Short2tall, thanks for your writing down your experience and I wish you a fast and healthy recovery! My surgery with Dr. M is in less than 4 weeks from now and I'm wondering if you can refer your PT via private msg?

Thank you and wish you the best!
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before: 5'5.5
now: 5'8.2 (+2.7")
surgery date: April 5th, 2018
stopped lengthening: June 20th, 2018
Dr. Mahboubian, North Hollywood

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #23 on: March 12, 2018, 09:43:32 PM »

You're average, not short, but good luck with your journey.

Thanks for the encouragement myloginacct. I know I'm not super short, but average height for my demographic is 5'10, and I definitely feel short most of the time. I just want to remove that "handicap". Not trying to sound full of myself but I believe that I have better than average looks, better than average build, but below average height. That's my reason for doing this surgery. I just want to eliminate that weak link.

Hi Short2tall, thanks for your writing down your experience and I wish you a fast and healthy recovery! My surgery with Dr. M is in less than 4 weeks from now and I'm wondering if you can refer your PT via private msg?

Thank you and wish you the best!

Thanks fallen774. That's great that you've decided to take the leap as well. I'm sure you will do fine. I'm not sure if my PT can take on another client, but I'll pm you, maybe we can meet up before your surgery or something.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

myloginacct

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #24 on: March 12, 2018, 11:14:35 PM »

Thanks for the encouragement myloginacct. I know I'm not super short, but average height for my demographic is 5'10, and I definitely feel short most of the time. I just want to remove that "handicap". Not trying to sound full of myself but I believe that I have better than average looks, better than average build, but below average height. That's my reason for doing this surgery. I just want to eliminate that weak link.

Thanks fallen774. That's great that you've decided to take the leap as well. I'm sure you will do fine. I'm not sure if my PT can take on another client, but I'll pm you, maybe we can meet up before your surgery or something.

I understand the feeling of wanting to eliminate that weak link. Since 5'8.5 is your evening height, during the mornings you're probably like 5'9. You'll easily get your 5'11. Would be fun seeing some before and after pics when it's all said and done, but I know people almost never share these here.

I wish the best for you during this whole process.
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short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #25 on: March 13, 2018, 01:15:07 AM »

I understand the feeling of wanting to eliminate that weak link. Since 5'8.5 is your evening height, during the mornings you're probably like 5'9. You'll easily get your 5'11. Would be fun seeing some before and after pics when it's all said and done, but I know people almost never share these here.

I wish the best for you during this whole process.

Exactly. Actually, Dr. M had me take a before pic with him, and will have me take one after as well. If I can get a hold of these at the end I will gladly post them.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #26 on: March 13, 2018, 07:19:43 AM »

Day 12

   Much to my relief, the soreness in my legs had subsided by this morning. I didn't have to take anything for pain until this evening, when I had another PT session. I took one Norco before PT because I knew it would be painful otherwise. It was actually still pretty painful after taking the pill, but not as bad as it could've been. As I write this, my legs are still quite sore from the PT, but it's bearable. definitely not as bad as the pain I felt after the first session. I also forgot to mention yesterday that I worked out my chest and triceps with dumbbells to the best of my ability. It felt good to get a little bit of a pump going. I just took one more Norco to help me go to sleep, otherwise the dull ache from PT would make sleeping very difficult.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #27 on: March 14, 2018, 07:04:10 AM »

Day 13

   I was in a lot of pain last night from PT. I had to take a Norco every 4 hours and still got almost zero sleep. When I finally got up, the pain subsided a bit. It seems sitting is more comfortable than lying down. By the afternoon, I felt good enough to get a little bit of a bicep workout in. Then I was able to take a shower completely by myself. This evening I connected with some other local LLers. It was great to hear their stories and advice and answer a few questions for them. We are going to try to meet up in person in the near future. Just did my 4th lengthening session of the day. I'm 7mm taller already! Still don't feel any pain or sensation when actually lengthening. As I lay back down in bed, I'm starting to feel the soreness come back again. At the suggestion of one of the other LL patients, I'm going to see if Dr. M can prescribe me a muscle relaxer so I don't have to rely on the pain killers as much.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

Android

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #28 on: March 14, 2018, 05:43:28 PM »

You're really popping those Norco, hopefully the muscle relaxer suggestion pans out for you.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #29 on: March 15, 2018, 06:52:11 AM »

You're really popping those Norco, hopefully the muscle relaxer suggestion pans out for you.

Yeah, I was really trying to avoid that but PT has been really painful so far. Today I started taking regular Tylenol when I felt pain and so far it seems to be working. My goal is to be able to take just one Norco before each PT session.

Day 14

   Had another PT session this morning and certain stretches were still very painful. Immediately after it is done though I feel nice and relaxed for awhile. I'm really starting to dread the heel to butt stretch, that is the one that hurts the most. My knee doesn't really go past 90 degrees right now.
   One interesting thing I noticed today was something I read in the manual that came with the ERC device. In the manual the only weight restriction that it gives for the 2 larger sizes of the femoral nails (10.3 and 11.5mm) is that the patient should not weigh more than 250 lbs. I'm certainly not going to do anything risky, but I think these Precise nails are sturdier than we think.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"

short2tall

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Re: Short2tall internal femurs with Dr. Mahboubian
« Reply #30 on: March 16, 2018, 07:23:10 AM »

Day 15

  I can't believe it's already been 2 weeks since my surgery! Nothing unusual to report today. However, it was my first day lengthening only 3 times instead of 4. At the post op appointment, Dr. M told me to lengthen 4 times a day for the first 5 days and then reduce it to 3 times a day. I think this is standard practice for everyone. I felt the usual tightness/stiffness today but it was very manageable. I can't tell if it is from the additional length already, or just soreness from doing PT. Also got in a shoulder workout with dumbbells and another shower today. Tomorrow I will have my stitches removed, so I'm looking forward to that.
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Bilateral femurs with Dr. M on March 1st
Starting height: 5'8.5"
Shooting for 5'11"
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