Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[verticalpush]

Hi verticalpush
What a journey! You look amazing! You are almost as tall as 5'11". Wow! 
By the way, why do you prefer or have to stay in Texas?  seems like it is hard and long to travel to Vegas everytime, no to mention the cost of travel.  If you don't have to work, why not stay in Vegas until you finish lengthening so that you can see or talk to Dr. D anytime you need to.  When I was lengthening, I had stayed in hotel nearby Paley Institute.  One day, X-ray was broken, but I was rescheduled next day.  So it was not a big deal.
Regarding lengthening rate, I think you can tell him that you are doing great and don't have nerve pain anymore so you can ask Dr. D to increase the lengthening rate.
You are almost there!  Keep up the good work!

Thank you for the awesome words Ghostfish my friend! You're right, I'm just a few hairs shy of 5'11 right now (I think my official read at Dr. D.'s was 5'10.75) and should be approaching that within a few days. Yup, it was definitely a learning experience that when you lengthen from home you need to allow for uncertainties like a broken x-ray machine. My advice at a minimum to anyone lengthening at home is to at least plan to stay overnight when you fly in for check ups! If I had the second day I would've been able to get the x-rays there (assuming they fixed the machine by then) plus I wouldn't have been as tired. My rental car would've been the same price, so the extra cost would just be the hotel room (which can be as cheap as $35 at some of the casinos). Next time I go to Vegas I'm definitely spending the night.

For me, it definitely makes sense to lengthen from home. I'm far more comfortable here, plus it reduces costs significantly (the costs to travel to Vegas even every 3 weeks still pale in comparison to a month at a hotel). I also think that being able to see my friends helps tremendously with my mental health. For others, especially those coming from out of country, it makes more sense to stay closer to the CLL surgeon. You make a good point that if there are any complications it definitely would be tricky.

I'll definitely let him know thing have improved with the nerve pain, and hopefully I can get back to 3x/day by next week.

Great to hear you are doing so well. I forgot you started at a good height already! - what is your exact measurement now?

Can you describe your current views on whether this was the right decision? Has this experience so far changed your perception of height at all?

Hi SimonFuller! Thank you! I started a little over 5'9. I'm at 5'10.75 now. The 6' mark is my goal.

I definitely think this was the right decision. Even in moments of pain I was confident that I did the right thing. It hasn't compromised my life as much as I expected it to. Although I'm not globe-trotting or spending nights out, I'm still able to see people, date, etc. Before I always saw my height as average, but now when I look in the mirror I notice a major difference. Although I have a little ways to go, when I talk to my neighbors in the hallway that saw me before surgery I already feel a bit more confidence.

My height dysmorphia issues run deep and have been there for many, many years. Even on days when I was in pain, I knew that I was moving in the direction of a permanent change that will allow me to toss out my lifts and truly be myself.

Congrats on 43mm and crossing the halfway point- that milestone must feel amazing!

Your journey through the airport and x ray issues reminds me to always expect the unexpected and to take into account how everything challenging becomes amplified when lengthening. Sometimes I seem to think all this is equates to is 1) X amount of $'s, and 2) X amount of time, and boom, we're taller. Diaries like this give us insight into how you have to be agile and positive through the unknown and unexpected. Thanks for keeping it so detailed and informative man, your raw honesty + positive attitude is inspiring, rooting for you!

How is your sleep going now with the recent fluctuations in tightness and discomfort?

I really appreciate it, TheAlchemist! I fully agree, it has been a major learning experience for me. You're spot on. This isn't something you can throw money at and make it any easier. CLL is an intense physical battle and you get out directly what you put in. The harder you push yourself, the better the recovery will go.

Sleep is slowly improving given the reduction in pain. I still wake up 2-3 times a night and I still can't comfortably sleep on my side longer than 30 minutes or so. I try my best not to nap during the day. The less discomfort/tightness you feel, the better your sleep will be.

All in all, everything is improving!

[SimonFuller]

Bro that is so good to hear - congratulations.

It's great how you say it hasn't impacted your life - my feeling is that everyday it literally gets easier and easier.

Are you into sports at all? When do you think you'll get back into that based on your current progress?

[JsElysianEagle]

Hi VerticalPush!

Great to read about your progress, looks like things are coming along fine which is awesome. I know you're still working on lengthening and it's probably too early to ask this, but I figured I should try since you posted a video a short while back of yourself walking.

So, with the added length, how does it feel when walking? I know it's awkward now and probably also painful, but in terms of balance and such - does it feel like you're walking on stilts? How does the added height make you feel when moving about, as opposed to before? One of my concerns (in addition to of course getting back to 100% normal "looking" gait) is that I should also "feel" completely normal, and not like I'm on permanent stilts or something. Can you speak to that, perhaps? Much appreciated!

I hope I worded the above adequately well to convey my concern!

[verticalpush]

Bro that is so good to hear - congratulations.

It's great how you say it hasn't impacted your life - my feeling is that everyday it literally gets easier and easier.

Are you into sports at all? When do you think you'll get back into that based on your current progress?

SimonFuller my man, thank you. YES - everyday truly does get easier and easier. Let me say, dropping down to 2 sessions/day was an absolute game change. I have ZERO nerve pain anymore and I'm regaining sensitivity in my shins. For certain you need to push yourself, but listen to the doctor! In the long run, spending an extra couple of weeks lengthening makes very little difference.

Great question about sports. You know, I always used my height as a crutch to shy away from sports. I was interested in basketball but 5'9 doesn't cut it. I did long distance running back in high school but I developed some nerve problems (unrelated to the recent batch) that went away as soon as I stopped running competitively. So, I was extremely active in the gym with mostly a mostly upper-body routine and would hike a moderate trail occasionally. Really, the only thing I wouldn't be permitted to do right now would be hiking. There really isn't a good excuse for me not going to the gym to work upper body aside from being worn out on PT days, but I will try slowly easing my way back to the gym next week.

If someone was more active in sports I'd advise them to carefully weigh the fact that anything involving lower body is pretty much out for a year or so. 

Hi VerticalPush!

Great to read about your progress, looks like things are coming along fine which is awesome. I know you're still working on lengthening and it's probably too early to ask this, but I figured I should try since you posted a video a short while back of yourself walking.

So, with the added length, how does it feel when walking? I know it's awkward now and probably also painful, but in terms of balance and such - does it feel like you're walking on stilts? How does the added height make you feel when moving about, as opposed to before? One of my concerns (in addition to of course getting back to 100% normal "looking" gait) is that I should also "feel" completely normal, and not like I'm on permanent stilts or something. Can you speak to that, perhaps? Much appreciated!

I hope I worded the above adequately well to convey my concern!

Hey JsElysianEagle -- you know, that's a very good question and one that's very difficult to describe. The added height alone doesn't make walking any more awkward -- it's the other stuff. I wore 2.5" lifts in my shoes pre-surgery, so I've already been used to walking in the 5'11" range. I don't at all feel like I'm walking on stilts - the section of missing bone doesn't feel any different from the rest of my body. Also, you lengthen relatively slowly - it's not like you just wake up one day and you're 3 inches taller. What's different is that your legs don't bend/rotate the same. One of the things my physical therapist pointed out is that normally when you walk your leg extends behind you. That doesn't happen when you recover from a leg injury / CLL, so your glutes aren't working nearly as hard.

The short of it is that it's not so much painful as it is awkward. Walking isn't comfortable or natural like it was pre-surgery, but it gets closer to that as time goes on. I've found walking to be far easier since reducing lengthening to twice per day.

[cena]

Twice a day = how many millimeters?

[verticalpush]

Twice a day = how many millimeters?

Hi cena, it's .33mm per session so I'm now lengthening .66mm / day.

[InFullStryde]

Hi cena, it's .33mm per session so I'm now lengthening .66mm / day.

Great Job, VP! You're on your way, man!

Yes, if it wasn't for rate limiting myself; I would have never made it to 3 inches.   It took me an extra 2, 2.5 weeks to reach 3 inches, but wow what a difference.  The tightness and numbness was rough; but rate limiting to 2 a day and even skipping a day here and there; really helped me get through this process.

[JsElysianEagle]

@VerticalPush - thanks for responding above!

[verticalpush]

Great Job, VP! You're on your way, man!

Yes, if it wasn't for rate limiting myself; I would have never made it to 3 inches.   It took me an extra 2, 2.5 weeks to reach 3 inches, but wow what a difference.  The tightness and numbness was rough; but rate limiting to 2 a day and even skipping a day here and there; really helped me get through this process.

Thanks InFullStryde! You my friend are a pioneer -- I've been referring back to your diary so many times to get an idea of what to expect! I do remember reading how slowing down towards the end helped, so I definitely was more open to it.

It's like night and day how much better I feel. When I say the pain is gone I mean it's 100% gone! I also feel I walk better. I, too, went from thinking "there's no way I'm going to make it to 3 inches" to "I can do this!" simply by dialing it back to 2 sessions/day.

[verticalpush]

Update on Day 61, 5 CM taller!

Hi everyone, truthfully there hasn't been that much to report in the past week. The nerve issues haven't returned, fortunately, although my shins remain somewhat less sensitive. Still, that problem is NOTHING compared to the shooting electric shock feeling I'd get in my nerves when I was doing 3 lengthening sessions per day.

Dr. D. had a chance to review the same X-rays I posted here in my last big update. He said he's very happy with the bone growth but he wants to keep me at 2 sessions/day. I want to be finished ASAP but after hearing all the great advice from everyone, it's clear the extra couple weeks I'll be lengthening is a small price to pay to avoid pain and possible long term issues. Aside from that, sleeping still isn't easy. I still can't stay on either side very long without starting to feel discomfort in my hips. It seems other veterans were able to sleep on their sides by now so I'm hoping this changes soon.

I had a bit of a scare when my insurance company sent me a letter asking why I needed to do PT. I was afraid that doing this surgery might disqualify me. Turns out they were only interested in seeing if I had a car accident, an slip/fall on someone else's property, or a workplace injury. The reason they were asking was because if any of those cases were true, they'd try to bill from a third party insurance. For anyone else who lengthens at home using their own insurance, be aware you might get a letter like this. If you don't return the letter they will deny any future claim related to PT.

On a lighter note, this picture shows that there will be many pairs of pants I'll have to donate pretty soon. However, because I tailored my suit pants using 3 inch lifts in my boots, I'm hoping I won't have the same issue with my formal pants!

At this point, I'm considering stopping at the 7.5 CM point. I want to be finished lengthening as soon as I can be, and I'm not sure the extra 5mm is worth the risk. In three weeks I have a physical with my primary doctor scheduled and I'd expect to get another round of x-rays at that point. I'll keep everyone updated. Hope everyone is doing well!

[Movie]

Great update bro! you're doing great

[verticalpush]

Great update bro! you're doing great

Thanks my man! It feels awesome to be just over 2/3rds of the way to the finish line.

[InFullStryde]

Hi Vertical Push!

It took me about 3 months before I could officially sleep on my side; so you're good! I also had the numbness going and it took me an additional 15-20 days to conclude my lengthening due to nerve discomfort and tightness.  7.5cm is a rounded 3 inches of height and a great goal.  You're already killing it at 2 inches increase which is a giant height difference already.

Looking forward to seeing how everything wraps up; and you've already accomplished a lot!  Will stand by to learn more.

All the best,

IFS

[TheAlchemist]

Awesome progress man! The pants pic really puts things in perspective. Time flies, feels like you just started and you’re already 2/3 towards your goal.

[verticalpush]

Hi Vertical Push!

It took me about 3 months before I could officially sleep on my side; so you're good! I also had the numbness going and it took me an additional 15-20 days to conclude my lengthening due to nerve discomfort and tightness.  7.5cm is a rounded 3 inches of height and a great goal.  You're already killing it at 2 inches increase which is a giant height difference already.

Looking forward to seeing how everything wraps up; and you've already accomplished a lot!  Will stand by to learn more.

All the best,

IFS

InFullStryde -- thank you so much for weighing in on that decision, it means a lot coming from you since we had so many similar experiences in the lengthening process! Your decision to stop at 7.5cm was critical to me deciding that was the right place to stop. I know you were able to make a fantastic recovery by stopping at that point. I don't want to risk any permanent side effects for a measly 5mm / .20"!

You're spot on, the 2 inch increase is absolutely incredible and I already feel that the hard work has been worth it. I feel like these 2 inches have changed my life. An extra inch beyond that will be icing on the cake. That's good to know that I'm not an outlier with the side sleeping issues. If my schedule works out like yours then I'll be able to sleep on my side again in less than a month, which will make sleeping so much easier! I feel almost reliant on sleeping medicine to fall asleep at this point.

 

Awesome progress man! The pants pic really puts things in perspective. Time flies, feels like you just started and you’re already 2/3 towards your goal.

Thanks TheAlchemist! You're right - once you notice concrete evidence of your new height like the way pants fit you differently then it really hits you! Just looking in the mirror everyday you don't really notice your new height because the change is so gradual. I also don't really notice differences with my neighbors because they're used to only seeing me with lifts in my shoes. One of the most satisfying things for me will be throwing those lifts out once I hit that final goal. The time sure did fly by, and I can't wait to finish lengthening!

[MirinHeight]

InFullStryde -- thank you so much for weighing in on that decision, it means a lot coming from you since we had so many similar experiences in the lengthening process! Your decision to stop at 7.5cm was critical to me deciding that was the right place to stop. I know you were able to make a fantastic recovery by stopping at that point. I don't want to risk any permanent side effects for a measly 5mm / .20"!

You're spot on, the 2 inch increase is absolutely incredible and I already feel that the hard work has been worth it. I feel like these 2 inches have changed my life. An extra inch beyond that will be icing on the cake. That's good to know that I'm not an outlier with the side sleeping issues. If my schedule works out like yours then I'll be able to sleep on my side again in less than a month, which will make sleeping so much easier! I feel almost reliant on sleeping medicine to fall asleep at this point.

 
Thanks TheAlchemist! You're right - once you notice concrete evidence of your new height like the way pants fit you differently then it really hits you! Just looking in the mirror everyday you don't really notice your new height because the change is so gradual. I also don't really notice differences with my neighbors because they're used to only seeing me with lifts in my shoes. One of the most satisfying things for me will be throwing those lifts out once I hit that final goal. The time sure did fly by, and I can't wait to finish lengthening!

Hey man how’s your walk now?
Would love to see a video of you walking !

[Kenda]

Hii Vertical,
How much cm did you reach uptill now?
& what would you say about the overall experience?

[TheAlchemist]

Was just thinking about you today Vertical- Hope all is well on your journey!

[verticalpush]

Update on Day 79, 6.3 CM taller!

Hey everyone! Thanks for the nice replies my friends, TheAlchemist, Kenda, and MirniHeight! I'm sorry for the time since my last update. Fortunately everything is going extremely well and I'm quickly reaching the end of the distraction process. I can't wait! I'm able to live much of my life like I had before starting this journey. I can now go out with friends knowing I'll be doing a good amount of walking. I've started dating again (I'll talk about that in a bit). But most importantly, I'm at the lowest pain level since starting the process. I don't need to rely on medicine nearly as much as I used to. I'm also not using my cane at all. My walking has improved a bit, but it still has a long way to go before I can pass as normal. At some point in the next couple of weeks I'll post another walking video. PT (twice a week) is going extremely well.

I'm now very close to my goal height of 6' (183cm). One of the most amazing moments of my life was finally being at a point where I felt comfortable ripping out all the lifts I had in my shoes. There will never again be anxiety about taking off my shoes. That alone has done wonders for my self-confidence. I had a date with a girl who was 5'6 (168 cm) - the same height as an ex of mine who called me short so many years ago. This girl told me after her date, as we went to hug each other, that she's not used to hugging a guy that's "so tall" (her words, not mind). I have *never* thought of myself that way (and still don't agree with "so" tall!). By the way, none of the two girls I've been on dates with had issues with the way I was walking. One said she wouldn't have even known if I didn't tell her beforehand. I also went out with a group of neighbors I've known for at least 3 years. When one of them saw me, he said "you look so much taller." Guys - moments like this were what I was hoping and praying to happen before signing up to do this. This entire process has been so worth it to me and if I went back in time I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I'll be getting x-rays locally on Wednesday. I'll post those here of course. I'm not sure when I'll get back to Las Vegas. I'm still a bit disappointed in how the last trip out there went (when the x-ray machine was down), so that's why I'm doing the x-rays here. On a similar note, in my last update I mentioned that I was getting (small) bills mailed to me from the surgery. Sadly the two bills still went on unpaid by LPX. I finally told the folks at LPX that I'd pay them myself (since altogether they were less than $100) and I'd expect to be reimbursed. It's just not worth risking having the bills sent to collections. I remain extremely impressed in Dr. D.'s work - there have been very few issues and the scars are almost unnoticeable unless you were looking for them. But it's clear they are still tweaking minor things on the back end like billing and scheduling. I say that because I swore in the beginning I'd be upfront about everything.

So I will be posting another update this week with x-rays, and I anticipate finishing the distraction phase in two weeks. Hope everyone is doing fantastic!

[TheAlchemist]

Update on Day 79, 6.3 CM taller!

Hey everyone! Thanks for the nice replies my friends, TheAlchemist, Kenda, and MirniHeight! I'm sorry for the time since my last update. Fortunately everything is going extremely well and I'm quickly reaching the end of the distraction process. I can't wait! I'm able to live much of my life like I had before starting this journey. I can now go out with friends knowing I'll be doing a good amount of walking. I've started dating again (I'll talk about that in a bit). But most importantly, I'm at the lowest pain level since starting the process. I don't need to rely on medicine nearly as much as I used to. I'm also not using my cane at all. My walking has improved a bit, but it still has a long way to go before I can pass as normal. At some point in the next couple of weeks I'll post another walking video. PT (twice a week) is going extremely well.

I'm now very close to my goal height of 6' (183cm). One of the most amazing moments of my life was finally being at a point where I felt comfortable ripping out all the lifts I had in my shoes. There will never again be anxiety about taking off my shoes. That alone has done wonders for my self-confidence. I had a date with a girl who was 5'6 (168 cm) - the same height as an ex of mine who called me short so many years ago. This girl told me after her date, as we went to hug each other, that she's not used to hugging a guy that's "so tall" (her words, not mind). I have *never* thought of myself that way (and still don't agree with "so" tall!). By the way, none of the two girls I've been on dates with had issues with the way I was walking. One said she wouldn't have even known if I didn't tell her beforehand. I also went out with a group of neighbors I've known for at least 3 years. When one of them saw me, he said "you look so much taller." Guys - moments like this were what I was hoping and praying to happen before signing up to do this. This entire process has been so worth it to me and if I went back in time I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I'll be getting x-rays locally on Wednesday. I'll post those here of course. I'm not sure when I'll get back to Las Vegas. I'm still a bit disappointed in how the last trip out there went (when the x-ray machine was down), so that's why I'm doing the x-rays here. On a similar note, in my last update I mentioned that I was getting (small) bills mailed to me from the surgery. Sadly the two bills still went on unpaid by LPX. I finally told the folks at LPX that I'd pay them myself (since altogether they were less than $100) and I'd expect to be reimbursed. It's just not worth risking having the bills sent to collections. I remain extremely impressed in Dr. D.'s work - there have been very few issues and the scars are almost unnoticeable unless you were looking for them. But it's clear they are still tweaking minor things on the back end like billing and scheduling. I say that because I swore in the beginning I'd be upfront about everything.

So I will be posting another update this week with x-rays, and I anticipate finishing the distraction phase in two weeks. Hope everyone is doing fantastic!

Amazing update verticalpush! 6.3 cm is incredible and time has flown by, very happy to see you in positive spirits and already experiencing the benefits of this journey. Rooting for you all the way man!

Question - how did you respond to your neighbor's comments about looking taller? Did you explain LL? I'm guessing since they noticed you look taller than you did when you wore 2.5 inch lifts?

[verticalpush]

Amazing update verticalpush! 6.3 cm is incredible and time has flown by, very happy to see you in positive spirits and already experiencing the benefits of this journey. Rooting for you all the way man!

Question - how did you respond to your neighbor's comments about looking taller? Did you explain LL? I'm guessing since they noticed you look taller than you did when you wore 2.5 inch lifts?

I laughed it off and said "are you sure you're not shrinking?" I've also lost about 22 pounds since before the surgery, so people comment on that a lot too. I'm definitely surprised people who saw me before with lifts on are saying I look taller. That tells me either (1) my posture is better now (I don't slouch as much since I'm always aware of my body), or (2) I wasn't fooling nearly as many people by always wearing boots and lifts as I thought! I have no idea, but I always figured there was a chance people who knew me saw through the lifts. I used to never wear flip flops or sneakers despite having many pairs in my closet. They're all in rotation now.

[SimonFuller]

I laughed it off and said "are you sure you're not shrinking?" I've also lost about 22 pounds since before the surgery, so people comment on that a lot too. I'm definitely surprised people who saw me before with lifts on are saying I look taller. That tells me either (1) my posture is better now (I don't slouch as much since I'm always aware of my body), or (2) I wasn't fooling nearly as many people by always wearing boots and lifts as I thought! I have no idea, but I always figured there was a chance people who knew me saw through the lifts. I used to never wear flip flops or sneakers despite having many pairs in my closet. They're all in rotation now.

Amazing news Vertical Push - it's great to hear you are doing so well.

It's crazy how many of the Stryde patients (and Precise tbf) are saying they don't regret this for a moment - it's pretty crazy - in a good way!

[gustavklimt]

So even you wear a 2.5 inch lift won’t bring you 2.5inch taller becoz of the texture. I do have lift too. Because of the pressure of weight and the material of lift not going to gain me 2.5inches. So you are definitely taller than you used to be wearing lift. That a good news. And people will notice!
Congrats

[InFullStryde]

So even you wear a 2.5 inch lift won’t bring you 2.5inch taller becoz of the texture. I do have lift too. Because of the pressure of weight and the material of lift not going to gain me 2.5inches. So you are definitely taller than you used to be wearing lift. That a good news. And people will notice!
Congrats

Yes, very true. Even, Dr. Paley is quoted to say that he has not encountered one of his patients that regret the procedure once they are completed. It's hard; but it's worth it.  The inches make life easier.  Great job, Vertical! Keep pushing vertically! ha.

[verticalpush]

Everyone, I uploaded my x-rays here. The first 3 are my left femur, and the last 3 are my right femur. I'm waiting to hear from Dr. D. tomorrow to give me the official thumbs up on these x-rays.

Amazing news Vertical Push - it's great to hear you are doing so well.

It's crazy how many of the Stryde patients (and Precise tbf) are saying they don't regret this for a moment - it's pretty crazy - in a good way!

Thank you my man SimonFuller! You're absolutely right - it seems everyone who's done Stryde so far has had an overall positive experience, and I have yet to see anyone who's regretted doing it.

Having said that, I think we all (myself included) gloss over how difficult it is mentally to go at least 2 months without having much freedom to walk that far before getting tired. Even though you *can* walk short distances, you don't always want to. As a result, you have a lot of time on your hands and you won't socialize as much in person. If you have any demons in your closet or if you got out of a relationship recently like I did, you're going to be thinking about that a lot. We focus so much on the physical aspect of the journey that we don't think that much about the mental part, which I consider to be equally difficult.

So even you wear a 2.5 inch lift won’t bring you 2.5inch taller becoz of the texture. I do have lift too. Because of the pressure of weight and the material of lift not going to gain me 2.5inches. So you are definitely taller than you used to be wearing lift. That a good news. And people will notice!
Congrats

Thank you gustavklimt! That is an excellent I didn't consider. I never got the full 2.5 inches from my lifts. I think when I measured myself I was 1.75-2 inches taller, so I'm well past that point. Within the last week I've had lunch with 3 folks from work who I haven't seen since before the surgery. The one guy was definitely taller than me even with my lifts, and now I'm clearly taller than him (I was a bit embarrassed, so I tried to make myself look a bit shorter when we were standing!). The real test would be if I were to date someone I dated before who *did* see me without lifts.

Yes, very true. Even, Dr. Paley is quoted to say that he has not encountered one of his patients that regret the procedure once they are completed. It's hard; but it's worth it.  The inches make life easier.  Great job, Vertical! Keep pushing vertically! ha.

Haha much appreciated as always, InFullStryde! The inches have absolutely made life easier. The boost in confidence alone is worth the procedure, but of course there are many other benefits that go alone with confidence. I've spent a lot of time thinking how much easier or better life would've been the past 5 years if I had it done sooner, but in reality I don't know if I would've appreciated that as much at the time.

[verticalpush]

Update on Day 86, 7 CM Taller!

Hey everyone - very quick update for today. I've pretty much lengthened 3 times every day since my last update without any of the problems I had before. Someone (it might have been your diary, InFullStryde) posted that there are different "pain points" - where you're more likely to feel pain. For me, from about 3cm to 5.5cm were the most difficult parts of the journey, where I would get nerve pain in my left shin if I lengthened 3 times a day. Decreasing lengthening sessions to twice a day fixed the worst of the problem - the sharp nerve pain, but I still had major sensitivity issues in each shin. I have only very mild sensitivity issues now, and I expect to have no issues once I stop lengthening. Sadly, however, my gait has declined since stepping it up to 3 sessions a day.

In case anyone is curious about dating life, I want to give you the brutal reality of dating life while you're still in distraction mode. Until you stop walking like Frankenstein, you're going to have problems getting second or third dates. Most girls are completely fine having the first date even after I tell them I had leg surgery, but when they see me limping it seems to give most girls some pause. If you find a girl who doesn't care, she's a keeper. Only one of the 4 girls I've had first dates seemed to not be bothered (she's the one who said she barely notices it, which is probably her being generous! But she's the front runner by leaps and bounds.). The two girls I was talking to prior to the surgery mysteriously disappeared after they had dates with me post-surgery and saw my walking. There is nothing attractive about struggling to go up stairs, or waddling like a penguin. It's been worth it to me to get back into dating because it forces me outside and it gets me to socialize, but it's frustrating to clearly have more problems getting second and third dates than I had before surgery (when I wore lifts in my shoes). Hopefully that improves as my walking starts returning to normal.

I should be done lengthening in less than 7 days. I can't be more excited. I *wish* I had an official read on how long each leg is, so I'd know if I needed to continue to lengthen one side a bit longer. They seem to my untrained eye to be about even, but you never know for certain unless you get it measured at the Doctor's office.

One of the things I'm looking forward to after lengthening is working out my upper body again. I've held off on that because I figured my body was so busy creating new muscles in my legs. On a lighter note, I bought this "butt cushion" off Amazon:  I'm hoping this will make it easier to sit on hard surfaces like wooden chairs. A lot of the newer crop of LL soldiers complain about discomfort when they sit down - I think the common denominator is that it hurts a lot more when there isn't padding on the chair because you lose most of your glutes.

That's it for today. I'll update if Dr. D. says anything noteworthy about the x-rays I posted in my last update.

[SimonFuller]

Update on Day 86, 7 CM Taller!

Hey everyone - very quick update for today. I've pretty much lengthened 3 times every day since my last update without any of the problems I had before. Someone (it might have been your diary, InFullStryde) posted that there are different "pain points" - where you're more likely to feel pain. For me, from about 3cm to 5.5cm were the most difficult parts of the journey, where I would get nerve pain in my left shin if I lengthened 3 times a day. Decreasing lengthening sessions to twice a day fixed the worst of the problem - the sharp nerve pain, but I still had major sensitivity issues in each shin. I have only very mild sensitivity issues now, and I expect to have no issues once I stop lengthening. Sadly, however, my gait has declined since stepping it up to 3 sessions a day.

In case anyone is curious about dating life, I want to give you the brutal reality of dating life while you're still in distraction mode. Until you stop walking like Frankenstein, you're going to have problems getting second or third dates. Most girls are completely fine having the first date even after I tell them I had leg surgery, but when they see me limping it seems to give most girls some pause. If you find a girl who doesn't care, she's a keeper. Only one of the 4 girls I've had first dates seemed to not be bothered (she's the one who said she barely notices it, which is probably her being generous! But she's the front runner by leaps and bounds.). The two girls I was talking to prior to the surgery mysteriously disappeared after they had dates with me post-surgery and saw my walking. There is nothing attractive about struggling to go up stairs, or waddling like a penguin. It's been worth it to me to get back into dating because it forces me outside and it gets me to socialize, but it's frustrating to clearly have more problems getting second and third dates than I had before surgery (when I wore lifts in my shoes). Hopefully that improves as my walking starts returning to normal.

I should be done lengthening in less than 7 days. I can't be more excited. I *wish* I had an official read on how long each leg is, so I'd know if I needed to continue to lengthen one side a bit longer. They seem to my untrained eye to be about even, but you never know for certain unless you get it measured at the Doctor's office.

One of the things I'm looking forward to after lengthening is working out my upper body again. I've held off on that because I figured my body was so busy creating new muscles in my legs. On a lighter note, I bought this "butt cushion" off Amazon:  I'm hoping this will make it easier to sit on hard surfaces like wooden chairs. A lot of the newer crop of LL soldiers complain about discomfort when they sit down - I think the common denominator is that it hurts a lot more when there isn't padding on the chair because you lose most of your glutes.

That's it for today. I'll update if Dr. D. says anything noteworthy about the x-rays I posted in my last update.

I think the dating thing is to be expected. I wouldn't come to any dating conclusions until after you are walking like normal. Just because one girl is more accepting of limp than another doesn't give me enough to go by to say she is a guaranteed nicer person.

7cm and still going - good on you! I hope you get through this week with no problems - will we get another video? 

[Movie]

suuper awesome bro! congrats you're nearing the last stretch, you got this! as far as dating best wishes bro It's hard while on CLL I bet

[InFullStryde]

Valiant effort on dating! Haha. When I read you had been on dates I saluted you!  Understandable that some pause is had by the lady; however super cool that the one lady didn't make it a deal-breaker.  Once distraction is done; you'll be walking smoother each day.

[verticalpush]

All, thanks for your great responses and the encouraging words of wisdom about dating! Just wanted to quickly point out that Dr. D. had a chance to review the x-rays and says things look good. He noted I'm not producing "a ton of new bone", but he's not worried. As long as that's not doctor talk for "you're really screwed!" then I feel good.

I think the dating thing is to be expected. I wouldn't come to any dating conclusions until after you are walking like normal. Just because one girl is more accepting of limp than another doesn't give me enough to go by to say she is a guaranteed nicer person.

7cm and still going - good on you! I hope you get through this week with no problems - will we get another video?

Great point SimonFuller! You're right that everything will change once I'm walking like normal. For now, girls might think I'll permanently walk like this (and I can't blame them for thinking that), especially after I tell them I had leg surgery a few months ago. Probably best to not treat dating very seriously until I'm walking normal, but easier said than done!

Right now my walking is nothing I'm proud of. However, if there is demand for a new walking video I'll ask for my PT to take a video of me on Monday. I certainly intend to post some walking videos after distraction ends and my walking really does begin to improve!

suuper awesome bro! congrats you're nearing the last stretch, you got this! as far as dating best wishes bro It's hard while on CLL I bet

Thank you my man Movie! I'm keeping up with your diary -- you are doing AWESOME! You must feel great at this point - you've made it far past the most difficult phases of the journey.

Valiant effort on dating! Haha. When I read you had been on dates I saluted you!  Understandable that some pause is had by the lady; however super cool that the one lady didn't make it a deal-breaker.  Once distraction is done; you'll be walking smoother each day.

Thank you brother, InFullStryde! It's a nice litmus test to see how genuine a girl is! If she'll stick with you during this (like Movie has in his girlfriend), then they are for certain a keeper. I said it before but I can't wait to be at your point, and reading how much better things got for you after distraction was over is the best motivation I could possibly have!!

[verticalpush]

Everyone, very quick update. I officially stopped lengthening this past Monday at 7.5 cm's on each side -- but don't get excited for me yet.

I'm flying back to Vegas one week from Monday. I was fearing there is a discrepancy between my left and right femur. When I started, my right leg was slightly shorter than my left leg. Now, it seems pretty obvious to me my right leg is longer than my left leg. I asked my PT to measure both femurs, and she found the left femur was about 1cm shorter than my right femur. I contacted Dr. D.'s people and they scheduled me right away for another round of x-rays to precisely determine the measurements of each femur. According to his people, if they do find the left femur is 1cm shorter, they'll reset the machine and I'll start lengthening again to catch up to the right femur.

There's a bit of pain in my left femur but I think that's because I've walked so much more this past week than I have since the surgery. Walking is getting a *bit* closer to normal, but my gait is still far from normal. I'll keep everyone updated, especially after I meet with Dr. D. I will say I'm enjoying this window where I'm not lengthening!