Hi Infinite,
No problems at all. You asked lots of good questions that also I didn't understand before taking the surgery.
I think there's a number of videos online about gnail and stryde that try to portray the picture of patients "walking" unaided from day 0.
That is not the way it is. Or at least it wasn't for me.
Specifically, the G-nail is definitely weight bearing. I have the 11mm one (the small one) implanted and that can withstand up to 75 Kg per leg when fully extended (at it's weakest). I am 62Kgs bodyweight so... Yeah it is fully weight bearing.
What is NOT fully weight bearing (not even partially or even just a little bit) are my leg muscles after the surgery.
What I didn't realise before the surgery is that your legs are pretty much immobile (or very close to) after you wake up from Anesthesia.
And from what I have heard from other patients and from the nurses (I'm still at 11 days post surgery), it takes around 3 weeks for enough strength and flex to come back to your legs and allow them to "step" properly and somewhat safely. (And for the swelling to go down).
So, the only thing I was able to do at day 0 or day 1 after surgery was to hold my legs straight.
(Even today at day 11 post op, even though now I can help stand up by pushing a little bit of weight through my legs, there is no way I would be able to hold my body weight if I flex the knee by more than 15 or 20degrees... Meaning from fully extended, if I bend them little bit, I would collapse right away).
With a device like the Walker, you can "hop" with both legs straight and move around like that. Easily? Well, it depends on your upper body strength. I find it easy, but slow. Other patient (especially females who don't hold much strength with their arms, find it harder).
I do not understand even now how people (if any), manage to use crutches from day 1. I wouldn't be able to. Not because the G-nail, but because crutches require you to do steps, do a little knee bending, and have balance. I had NONE of those during the first days.
Was that a problem? Not really for me because I even had less general energy after surgery so once I did 5 or 6 trips to the toilette, get out of the room to say hello to other people and a few back and forth within the room, i was pretty much exhausted.
Said that though, I was independent and mobile from day 1. Yes with the Walker (and wheelchair for longer distances) but I was.
Precise patients do not get to this level of mobility until their consolidation period.
Then, from what I understood from the doctor and nurses, at week 3 post op, I should have regained enough strength and control of my legs that we can safely re introduce steps and therefore walking with crutches.
I honestly feel I could do it even now, and in fact I do take little steps to maneuver around the room and also tried the crutches myself, but I'll be patient.
I can also tell you that, in the last few days l, I've gone to PT by myself (no nurse or assistance at all). So, with the Walker I went downstairs, hopped in and out of a taxi, reached the PT place and walked in myself.
Once in there, I could independently move in and out of the various stations without any assistance at all, whilst my friends with precice they all need to be either lifted into place or they can just stand still and stationary until someone bring them a wheelchair.
For them (especially for the bigger dudes) this will be the case for the next 3 or 4 months. Let that sink in. Wheelchair bound for that much time with the risk of bending the nail at each "missteps" you take.. I wouldn't be able to do that. Kudos to the ones that go through it, but also think about the consequences to your muscles and time to recovery.
Again, in this regard, yesterday afternoon I grabbed the Walker and went to the gym, did a good one hour between cycling and weights and felt really good. All by myself, indipendent. I chatted with people and felt good overall. And it'll hopefully go downhill from here.
And so, with the G-nail, in another 10 days or so, I should reach the next milestone which is making steps and using crutches and at that point life goes almost back to normal .... will start visiting Athens, will plan trips to the Greek islands and more.
So, is G-nail all good and great?NO, hell no. I hate the clicking. The thought of having to do this twice a day makes me cringe. Why?
Because the process and the movement required is awful.
In details, it doesn't hurt. The clicks don't hurt (unless you consolidate prematurely), but the process of having to warm up on the bike, stretch, find your position each leg, find the "first" click and repeat twice a day for months is tiring.
What makes it so (especially now) is that I am also sore on top of that... My legs are sore. Every day I do something more than usual, a little more exercise or movement in general, I get sore and twisting your leg while sore isn't the most pleasurable sensation. Not painful again, but definitely annoying.
In conclusion, me personally Im happy with the G-nail so far and would never go precice and be wheelchair bound for months. Hopefully some company brings back some sort of Stryde derivative in the future so to remove the clicking aspect from the nail and that would be bingo.
Feel free to DM me of you want. We might do a video call or something along those lines to show you how it is.
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Topic: G-Nail on femurs in Greece on Aug24th. Let's do this!!! (Read 22092 times)