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Author Topic: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)  (Read 42403 times)

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0184946

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #62 on: July 10, 2018, 02:09:07 AM »

Hate hate hate feeling itchy on my feet especially the sole or the palm of my hand and neck pains. Praying for you Android.
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KiloKAHN

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #63 on: July 10, 2018, 02:31:15 AM »

How much have you spoken to the docs about scar tissue inhibiting your ROM with external femur lengthening, of at all? If so. how do they respond to you as far as dealing with ex femur complications?
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Initial height: 164 cm / ~5'5" (Surgery on 6/25/2014)
Current height: 170 cm / 5'7" (Frames removed 6/29/2015)
External Tibia lengthening performed by Dr Mangal Parihar in Mumbai, India.
My Cosmetic Leg Lengthening Experience

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #64 on: July 10, 2018, 11:37:52 AM »

Thanks Android. Do you care about too many scars on both tibia and femur with externals ? or do you believe that scar removing surgery can fade those to insignificance? did you discuss the scar topic with Kulesh and SOlomin? thanks a lot.
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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #65 on: July 13, 2018, 12:10:28 PM »

Now this is the most interesting diary I've seen in a while. Cross-lengthening, relatively low-cost, and external femur. I too am planning on doing both segments, but I thought external femoral lengthening was hell on Earth that should be avoided at all cost.

Do you know your wingspan? What will you do if you manage all 13cm and see that your arms don't fall as low as you want them to go? Iamready did ~12cm if I recall and he ended up doing arm lengthening, though I don't know how low his wingspan was.

Best of luck, and hopefully you'll keep updating and not disappear like some others.
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~168.5cm at night (5'6 1/2)

Goals: 6.5cm femur and 5cm tibia

7231

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #66 on: July 13, 2018, 05:56:53 PM »

Now this is the most interesting diary I've seen in a while. Cross-lengthening, relatively low-cost, and external femur. I too am planning on doing both segments, but I thought external femoral lengthening was hell on Earth that should be avoided at all cost.

Do you know your wingspan? What will you do if you manage all 13cm and see that your arms don't fall as low as you want them to go? Iamready did ~12cm if I recall and he ended up doing arm lengthening, though I don't know how low his wingspan was.

Best of luck, and hopefully you'll keep updating and not disappear like some others.

I agree with you that Android is undergoing a tough journey with external femur. Android is a good helpful guy and a long timer here , he won't disappear I am sure.
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myloginacc

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #67 on: July 13, 2018, 09:20:52 PM »

Hey, man, hoping from here that your sleep has been getting increasingly better since your last updates!

Glad that external femurs isn't being the worst segment, in terms of pain levels, in your lengthening too! Surprised about the tibial pain levels being higher. Just goes to show everything regarding CLL is not a very precise science, and will greatly vary on an individual basis.

Even among non-cosmetic LL, we still haven't fixed protocols for pin-site cleaning!

Not that any of this matters, anyway. As you shared once in the forums, your father was a super tough in guy in his life. You have those genes in you. You'll manage everything.

I'm sure some days are suc king really badly, but try to keep the adage in mind: the pain is only temporary, while the gain is not. Onward and upward, supra et ultra!
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Yes I do want to add, before doing this surgery, ask yourself if you have optimized your life to the fullest extent possible (job/career, personality, etc).

Thequietone

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #68 on: July 15, 2018, 08:00:54 PM »

We want to see more pictures, android! Please give us an report every 3-5days
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myloginacc

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #69 on: July 15, 2018, 11:16:26 PM »

We want to see more pictures, android! Please give us an report every 3-5days

Hey, he's sharing this very personal journey with all of us out of his own accord. There's way more proof than even necessary that he's a real patient currently undergoing CLL with the mentioned doctors, and also not having anyone else (like the doctors themselves) posting in his place. When something as big as that is out of the way, whatever he wants to do with his diary should be left entirely to himself alone (not that it already isn't): update frequency, amount of pictures/info he's sharing, etc. He could even agree with your position, but not be able to physically do that right now. Have you thought about that?

I hope you understand. :D
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Yes I do want to add, before doing this surgery, ask yourself if you have optimized your life to the fullest extent possible (job/career, personality, etc).

Bonez

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #70 on: July 16, 2018, 01:32:24 AM »

We want to see more pictures, android! Please give us an report every 3-5days

How entitled do you have to be to post something like this? Be grateful he’s contributed what he has.

Anyways great diary Android, stay strong. I’m hoping I can have a consultation with Solomin soon. I know you did your research so I’m now strongly considering him.
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Purushrottam

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #71 on: July 16, 2018, 02:51:34 AM »

We want to see more pictures, android! Please give us an report every 3-5days

If Android's experience is anything like mine, he will be very apathetic during this stage of lengthening. Probably more because I imagine external LL is more painful. The dull pain and lack of sleep saps your motivation. This is really asking too much. In fact, I'm really impressed with how dedicated Android is in updating his diary with such detail at this point. Him and OYG have been giving extremely detailed updates after starting the lengthening process. I remember when I was at that stage, it took me forever to fill out a simple online form (applying for ACA as I was no longer under my employer's insurance). A simple task like that took me a long time (and my parents had to pester me really hard to get me to fill it out).

Asking him to update every 3-5 days is really too much to ask. Be patient. Updates will come.
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Had LL in Sept 2017 with Dr. Paley.
Starting height: 168.5 cm (5'6.5"); Ending height: 175 cm (5'9")
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Moon knight

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #72 on: July 16, 2018, 08:39:48 AM »

Android did the doctor say it’ll be harder for your bones recovery or will it be as if your only lengthening one segment thanks for all the information and your diary.
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Android

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #73 on: July 19, 2018, 04:10:51 PM »

Time for more questions!

Is it necessary to have epidural catheter, can't we have a general anaesthesia given?

I think you can ask for general during surgery, but you'll probably be hooked up to a epidural anyway because the post-operative pain lasts several days. Seriously, it hurts when the anesthesia syringe runs out before the doctor can change it. It's a very thin tube that runs along your back, and I didn't feel it so it didn't bother me to have it.


Happy to hear from you Android!

Is it possible for you to get sleeping pills since sleep is really important to recover...and if you just take it for the first 2-3 weeks I'm sure you won't get addicted to it. I took strong sleeping pills whenever I was in a hospital.

The itching, do you think it's an allergic reaction, since you mentioned antihistamines?

What helps against the inflammation of your foot?

I didn't specifically ask for sleeping pills, but got some melatonin. Didn't work so well since all it does it induce sleep, not knock you out.

The itching is basically due to poor hygiene. You can't shower while in the hospital, and since it's been hot in St. Petersburg, you accumulate sweat. Your legs are still covered with Betadine from the operation, and that doesn't help I'm sure.

The inflammation of the foot was basically caused by constant pressure and rubbing from the homemade dorsiflexion boot. Hard to avoid if you have sensitive baby feet like me.


How much have you spoken to the docs about scar tissue inhibiting your ROM with external femur lengthening, of at all? If so. how do they respond to you as far as dealing with ex femur complications?

They haven't mentioned scar tissue at all, though I do feel some harder skin near one of the pins. Jim suspects that it's due to a different frame setup, specifically wires near the knee.


Do you care about too many scars on both tibia and femur with externals ? or do you believe that scar removing surgery can fade those to insignificance? did you discuss the scar topic with Kulesh and SOlomin? thanks a lot.

Not really, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this. I hope to have most of the scars fade via creams. If there's an especially bad scar, I'll consult with the doctors. Jim and I wondered if they offer scar revision, but haven't asked yet.


I thought external femoral lengthening was hell on Earth that should be avoided at all cost.

Do you know your wingspan? What will you do if you manage all 13cm and see that your arms don't fall as low as you want them to go? Iamready did ~12cm if I recall and he ended up doing arm lengthening, though I don't know how low his wingspan was.

It's not so bad when it's only on one side. I have more pain on my tibia more than my femur. It's certainly in convenient when trying to sit on the toilet, but I can still rest my butt cheek on the seat!

My wingspan was slightly longer than my height, but not significantly so. Proportions don't bother me as much, I'm in the camp that believes that longer legs look attractive. And it's not like I'm lengthening my torso so I can't reach my pants pockets anymore, that won't change.


Hey, man, hoping from here that your sleep has been getting increasingly better since your last updates!

Sleep has been a rollercoaster! Sometimes I get pain at night, sometimes I can't sleep, and yesterday I slept undisturbed until morning. If I lose sleep I catch up during the day, so it's not a big deal overall.


We want to see more pictures, android! Please give us an report every 3-5days

I might have a lot of free time, but somehow it passes quickly! Using the laptop was very inconvenient for me in the hospital as well, so that makes it less enticing to update frequently. CLL takes a lot of patience, so perhaps it's good practice that you'll have to wait patiently for updates!


If Android's experience is anything like mine, he will be very apathetic during this stage of lengthening.


I'll be honest, I'm a lazy guy to begin with! And these updates usually take an hour or more to write, so naturally I'd rather just play games, talk to friends, or take a nap. And this 2010 MacBook Pro is heavy and hot!


Android did the doctor say it’ll be harder for your bones recovery or will it be as if your only lengthening one segment

No mention about that, though I'm sure the more bones you break, the tougher the recovery. But honestly I'm not having much trouble right now.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

Android

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #74 on: July 19, 2018, 07:42:02 PM »

Alright, daily updates are going to stop eventually, since things get a bit boring from now on. Changing the date format since I'm tired of counting. Off we go!


July 11: Don't Mind the Blood

Did training by myself a bit, basically getting my right leg with tibial frame dangling off the bed. Left leg with femur frame won't bend much, so left that alone.



Irina came for another training session. Sat at the edge of the bed, stood up with the walker, transferred to chair, back to walker, and back to bed. One of the pins started bleeding; I didn't even feel it, she had to point it out to me. Wiped it up, no big deal.

Showed Dr. Kulesh my blister when he visited. He said that he'll have Dr. Nikita drain it during tomorrow's rebandage... Heck yeah! I hate this thing. It's getting huge, so walking feels really awkward with it. I'm worried it's going to pop and get infected. Dr. Kulesh said this is why he doesn't like foot holders, not sure what he would use instead.


July 12: Drain That Sucker

Dr. Nikita and another doctor arrived around noon for rebandages, and yes... Drained my blister! Simply disinfected it, sliced it with a scalpel, and drained tons of yellowish fluid with gauze swabs. No pain at all, didn't feel good either, but psychologically it was amazing.

Decided to try to sit at the edge of the bed by myself. Got pretty far, tibial frame leg has no problems dangling from the bed. Femoral frame leg however, the knee ROM is still so limited that it took about 15 min to get it in this position. I gave up and laid back down, but within minutes a caretaker came in to change the sheets. She asked if I can transfer onto the chair, so with her help I did it. Felt good! Got back on bed with her help. This high bed makes it pretty difficult.



Physiotherapist arrived around 5 PM. Started with stretches on bed, then I sat on the edge of the bed. Stood up with the walker, actually took a couple steps forward, then back, before sitting back down! Rested a little, got back up on the walker... Was too tired to take another step. Sat back down, end of session. Baby steps.


July 13: It's Normal to Not Be Normal

Doctors Solomin and Kulesh came to visit. Dr. Solomin was concerned about my femur frame leg, saying it shouldn't be this restricted in ROM; that it gets like this after 5 cm. He abruptly lifted my femur frame to check it, which was painful. I told him I'll train harder. Dr. Kulesh said he'll drop by again later.

Dr. Nikita came at 3:40 PM for rebandages. Told him about my femur knee problem. He said it's normal. That's it's not normal, but that's normal... Femur is harder.

Dr. Kulesh visited at 6:20 PM. He said that my knee is normal, that this is typical for his patients.


July 14-15: Eye of the Tiger

Talked with Jim a lot, got inspired to train myself harder. Took his advice and got on the walker and just stood for as long as I could, which was about 3-4 minutes. Repeated this a few times, then also walked in place. It was tough at first, but I was encouraged since I was better at it the very next day.



Asked Dr. Kulesh for some supplies like more wet wipes and melatonin to help me sleep. Also asked for a Big Mac since Jim mentioned getting McDonald's!


July 16: I CAN WALK

I walked!!!!! I walked around the room and was able to do stuff that was impossible just a few days ago. I looked in the closet to see what's inside since I was really curious; my mom had put stuff in there for me but I couldn't remember what. Found some toilet paper and paper towels, score. Moved some things away from the window, because it gets scorching hot early in the day.

A little later, I decided that I'll go to the bathroom. Hobbled my way over, saw my suitemate for the first time in weeks. Advantage of being male: don't need to sit to pee! Still took a while, but not too hard. Saw myself in the mirror for the first time in over two weeks, was really strange. I looked better than I felt, so that's nice. It was amazing to wash my hands with running water, and felt great to use soap. Washed my face too, awesome.

Talked to suitemate for a bit to catch up. Decided to take a look in the fridge, I had some expired milk I needed to trash. Found yogurt that was still good, which I proceeded to drop. Picking that up was a pain, but I did it. Suitemate couldn't see this entire ordeal, but said that it was the most interesting thing to happen after getting here. Goes to show just how mundane hospital life can be!

Got my Big Mac. Dr. Nikita didn't quite understand what a "meal" was, so no fries or drink. I'll have to use words like "set" or "combo" moving forward. But I said it's ok, don't spoil me; it'll give me something to look forward to for next time. And let me tell you, this tasted like the best food ever. It was the first non-hospital food since I got admitted, and it was glorious. It was gone within seconds.

Later on I decided it was time to go to the bathroom again, this time to do the deed. Definitely more work, but it was possible. It's a really tight bathroom so it was tricky. Getting back up was a little scary too, since all I could grab onto other than the walker was the sink. But wow, it was great. Goodbye, bed pan!

Irina came for training again. Showed her that I could walk, was very impressed. She said if I ever need more training, I know her contact info.

Later in the day I decided to pee again. This time my legs felt like bricks. I guess getting up five times was a bit much for my first day walking. I'll probably end up peeing in a bottle once I move into an apartment too, emptying it every few hours in batches. I need to conserve my energy for cooking and emergencies.

Speaking of apartments, I emailed Dr. Kulesh that I can walk, and that I'm ready to move out. He said he was happy for me, and that two staff members will assist me in my move on Thursday. It's amazing how fast he replied and got the ball rolling, it's all happening so fast!!!


July 17: First X-Rays Since Starting Distraction

Actually managed to put on underwear so that I could get transported to St. George's, where I had my first consultation with Dr. Kulesh. They have better equipment there, and I think the machine at St. Elizabeth's wasn't working right that day.

Back to the underwear bit, holy smokes. It was tough to do alone with a leg that doesn't bend. Basically I threw them down on the floor and wiggled my feet until they went into the leg hole. Slowly pulled them up, stretched it past the frames and pins, and it worked.



Dr. Nikita also came to wrap up my frames since I don't have my custom frame covers yet. He told the caretaker that I'm moving out on Thursday, and she was happy but sad at the same time. She said a lot of things, recognized a few ("he tells me thank you so often when he doesn't have to!"), and Dr. Nikita summarized it has: she says you are good people.

Anyway, got on a stretcher and went for a ride. It was about 10 minutes away, and I didn't get to see much. Took me through the back entrance and bam, I'm in the x-ray room. Made a few uncomfortable but tolerable poses and went back; the whole process was about an hour or two out of my day.

Awful sleep this night! Maybe two hours max total, basically was awake the entire night and into the morning. It wasn't specifically pain, but restlessness and crazy itching. Luckily I can catch up with naps.


July 18: X-Ray Results & Last Night at the Hospital

Had a pretty uneventful day. Two of the older ladies that help around with caretaking and food was telling me how they'll miss me. It was really nice of them.

Got an email from Dr. Kulesh asking how much I had lengthened. I replied 10.5 mm. He replied saying that my x-rays show 13 mm lengthened, so please be more accurate. I double checked my spreadsheet and I was missing a day; told him that it was actually 11.5 mm. Still overshot, but not as bad.

In that email he attached my x-rays, which I think was a mistake. I didn't have to ask for them, so that was convenient. So here they are, S-osteotomy for the tibia and a straight cut for femur.

Femur:





Tibia:





Slept really well this night. Took a while to fall asleep, but once I did, I was out until 7 AM since I heard the nurses moving around.


July 19 (~3 weeks post-op): Moving Day

Today's the day! Said some good byes, got another rebandage, and off I went on my stretcher. The apartment is just north of St. Petersburg, about 4 km (2.6 miles) away from St. Elizabeth's.

As for rebandage, this was about three weeks post-op. So Dr. Nikita finally decided to remove my stitches. Feels good, man.





He gave me a ton of supplies to do it myself. He didn't specifically teach me, but I've seen him do it so many times that it won't be a problem.

Unfortunately my leg won't bend and my wheelchair didn't arrive in time, so I went to the apartment with a stretcher. I have no idea what went through my Airbnb host's mind, but hey... Money's money! By some miracle the stretcher fit in one of the two elevators, just barely.



The place is nice. It has no TV, but I don't care since it has WiFi. No air conditioning, but it's not as hot as the hospital so I won't need it. I really want Smart Homes to catch on, because it's getting dark and I don't want to go to the light switch!



I tried using the bathroom earlier, and it worked out great. There's a sink on my right and a washing machine on my left, so I can use them to lift myself up after I sit. This is awesome. Wish that the seat was higher, sort of want a raised seat installed.

It's a real chore to feed myself three times a day. Really, the freedom is great and it's much cheaper, but having to think about food -- and more importantly getting up to eat -- is daunting. But at least it'll taste better!

Speaking of cheaper, this place is way cheaper than the hospital. The municipal clinic, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, charges 4400 rubles ($70) per day. This Airbnb cost me $1471 for 91 days, or just over $16 per day. At this rate, I can order food every day and still save.

And speaking of ordering food... That's exactly what I did about 20 minutes ago. There's a restaurant on the ground floor that serves all kinds of food, from burgers, pizzas, pasta, to borscht. Tonight I got a huge burger, pasta, fresh OJ, and dessert for 1159 rubles ($18). I ordered extra so that I can heat stuff up later, pretty excited!

*A little later* It's 10:38 PM now, ate dinner. Rushed to the door to answer it, was very painful. It was my fourth time getting up to walk, so my legs were not happy. The food was good, fifth time getting up to put the leftovers in the fridge... Wow, that was painful. For a good 25 minutes I just didn't want to think about anything because of the pain. Now I barely feel anything, so I really have to limit the number of times I walk every day, especially since the distances are a little greater now. Hopefully it's easy to get in and out of that wheelchair!


Lastly, Dr. Kulesh asked me to lengthen 1.5 mm per day on my femur, so two more turns per day. Good news, it means I have healthy regenerate and I'll finish faster. Bad news, it might be a little less comfortable.


That's it for now. Onward and upward!
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

Dirona

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #75 on: July 20, 2018, 03:25:49 AM »

Great stuff Android..I am not sure whether I will have the time or resources to do this surgery but reading diaries here gives me a great idea on what to expect..
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Taking it easy

doomsday

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #76 on: July 20, 2018, 03:40:53 AM »

great update

btw arent they supposed to rim you bones if youre doing latn?
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Thequietone

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #77 on: July 20, 2018, 04:46:15 AM »

Glad you've been keeping us updated, android!
Is it true that you have to wait for 1 till your current tibia and femur is consolidated? And another year lengthening the other tibia and femur? So in total 2 years?

In the first 3 weeks you couldn't walk? How did you manage to go to the toilet for taking a crap ?
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Android

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #78 on: July 20, 2018, 08:18:15 AM »

btw arent they supposed to rim you bones if youre doing latn?

If LATN is planned, the doctors will place pins and wires slightly off-center to leave room for the IM nail. Reaming will be performed during the second surgery just before the IM nails are inserted. It's a good idea to do reaming after distraction and correction, because then the nail will have less resistance going in (even tiny misalignments during distraction would make it very difficult for insertion).

Is it true that you have to wait for 1 till your current tibia and femur is consolidated? And another year lengthening the other tibia and femur? So in total 2 years?

In the first 3 weeks you couldn't walk? How did you manage to go to the toilet for taking a crap ?


Mentioned both these things already.

Quote
As for when we could start the next set of legs in the cross-lengthening journey, Dr. Kulesh recommended a year apart. Dr. Solomin said as soon as the bones look consolidated via x-rays. Dr. Kulesh admitted that only one patient has ever taken his advice, adding that they had a great recovery.
Source

Nope, could not walk for almost three weeks. I used a bedpan, it's in the diary under July 3.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

Bosnian2018

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #79 on: July 21, 2018, 05:37:05 PM »

Hey Android,

Long time lurker, short time poster.


I have seen you in every thread and you are most helpful and positive.


I honestly did not see this coming.

Especially cross lengthening.


I am in the same boat.

I actually made a post about 2 months ago, that I was planning to go to Medem for Cross lengthening.


Mainly because of the price and doctors.


My issue is that after the first phase is complete.

I want it to remain a secret from my family.


Would that be possible after returning home to consolidate, assuming I can walk normally or half decently by then?
Is the knee height difference apparent in walking? or when wearing clothes?



I know you answered this but you will complete the first phase then come back in a year or at the first sign of consolidation?

You are doing 7 femurs and 5 tibia?

I want to do the same exact thing,


Really, do I need to save $40k even for Russia for LATN cross lengthening?


 I am up next


I am confirming all of these details because truly its about my time as well.


Just saving up now, working 2 jobs.

Yes I could have PM'ed but maybe it is better to restate the specifics down the thread.


Anyways man let me tell you that I have been in Trauma as my name suggests. Do not want to reveal anything specific but I know the fight in the hospital and the recovery period.

Especially with all the drugs, pain, and being alone.

It drives you insane, and sometimes into a dark place. Watch Comedies. It may sound dumb but it worked for me, I spent a few months in the hospital. Truly my mom was my savior though. It may not be possible but it is good to have a friend that visits. Not necessarily someone you know though, anyone really just to talk and smile with. Even PT, or a nurse, maid, anything.


Another thing I will tell you is that, when it is dark and gloomy, that is one of the best things, because there is only up from there.

Yes you might face a minor complication or even a bigger one (doubt it ). But thats really as low as it gets, and it sucks but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

When it is all said and done and the rods are out. You will forget all about the most sucky days. Yeah you will remember the journey, but the worst moments will only be remembered as a time you persevered and won.

my 2 cents because you are a helpful member of this forum and I experienced something 10 times worse then lengthening, I came out on top and I did not know if I would ever walk again or live a normal life. Now I am better than ever, truly, but it was a long journey.



It is really just down to these details of being able to hide it , the time frame, and the price. Obviously recovering as well but I think if you work hard and follow these doctor's advice, in conjunction with trying your best, you will be a fine.


One more thing, and this is a long post lol,

Scars man, I know you have not had your frames out yet or even finished lengthening but are they anticipated to be really bad?

The bad ones are atrophic or the pitted, sunken in ones. They get excised or cut out and restitched for a smaller linear, flat scar.

I do not  mind scars and they are inevitable but I have met a girl in my college who had achondroplasia and she lengthened her arms and legs using ex fix.

Her scars were horrible. I mean you could tell there was something really fuc*ked up that happened to her. But I think she lengthened over 10  years ago with much larger pins

I have seen other threads for scars like KiloKahns and that is totally doable. So just throwing that out there if you have any insight.

Again man wish you all the best. Hey if you need anything just PM me. We might be strangers but you got a friend in me.



Edit: for typos
« Last Edit: July 21, 2018, 05:57:50 PM by Troma »
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..

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #80 on: July 21, 2018, 07:02:15 PM »

Hi Android, what did your doctors say to you regarding athletic recovery? Did they say that you'll lose much more than if you only did one segment?
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Pyotr

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #81 on: July 26, 2018, 11:41:55 PM »

Thank you for your informative and detailed posts. 

I am going to St. Petersburg in September and will essentially repeat your process.

While at St. Elizabeth's, where did you keep you phone, and laptop, and other valuables during surgery?

Did you bring your own wheelchair or walker or crutches?

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Moon knight

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #82 on: July 27, 2018, 01:30:45 AM »

How have you been lately android any new pain any new information on this hope everything is going well for you
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Android

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #83 on: July 27, 2018, 09:47:39 AM »

Would that be possible after returning home to consolidate, assuming I can walk normally or half decently by then?
Is the knee height difference apparent in walking? or when wearing clothes?

I know you answered this but you will complete the first phase then come back in a year or at the first sign of consolidation?

You are doing 7 femurs and 5 tibia?

Really, do I need to save $40k even for Russia for LATN cross lengthening?

Scars man, I know you have not had your frames out yet or even finished lengthening but are they anticipated to be really bad?

Hey Troma!

It'll take a few weeks before you can walk normally, even if you get nailing. Observant friends and family will notice that something is wrong. Knee height difference won't be noticeable if you wear pants. You can wear lifts on one foot to even out any discrepancy if you lengthen more on femur.

I'll probably return to Russia as soon as consolidation is at an acceptable level. I will send my doctors regular x-rays so that they can confirm.

My goal was 7 cm femurs and 6 cm tibias, but I may lower the latter to 5 cm. I don't want to risk ballerina for 1 cm, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

If you don't have any cash flow while doing this, and you're doing cross lengthening with LATN, then I recommend having $40k. I say this because you may run into surprises, like having to stay at the hospital for entire duration for distraction instead of an apartment.

I'm not too concerned about scars at the moment. I won't deal with it until nail removal a few years in the future.

Thanks for the advice, there are definitely tough days!


Hi Android, what did your doctors say to you regarding athletic recovery? Did they say that you'll lose much more than if you only did one segment?

I didn't ask about it since it's not a concern of mine since I don't play sports.


While at St. Elizabeth's, where did you keep you phone, and laptop, and other valuables during surgery?

Did you bring your own wheelchair or walker or crutches?

I just kept my stuff in the room. Keep them out of sight and you'll be fine.

I didn't bring my own wheelchair or walker. The walker is pretty flimsy, so you might want to pick one out that you feel comfortable with.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

Android

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #84 on: July 27, 2018, 10:23:53 AM »

July 20-24: Apartment Hell

So, the past week was rough. First couple days of being in the apartment seemed great, but it quickly dawned on me that this isn't practical for a person with a knee that won't bend.

First, I have to get up a lot more often. Answer the door for food delivery, carry food to kitchen to eat, put leftovers in fridge, answer door for grocery delivery, etc. My legs really couldn't take it, because I feel stabbing pain every time I have to walk. Doing this a couple times a day is tolerable, but some days I had to get up five times. Not being able to answer the door fast enough meant that the delivery person had to come back later, adding an unnecessary trip to the door for me.

Then there was the fear factor. What if I fall? What if I drop my phone? No one will come to check on me, I felt scared. With my painful, shaking legs, it was completely possible for me to eventually collapse and become helpless.

I got a wheelchair delivered, but it was useless with my locked knee. It really hurt to use it, so it was impractical to use.

And... What the heck do I do with the trash? I couldn't even leave the apartment since the walk to the trash schute was so far.

I eventually emailed Dr. Kulesh and Dr. Nikita on the 21st, saying that I need to return to the hospital because I don't feel safe. Dr. Nikita responded that he can get me on the 24th, but then Dr. Kulesh added that I might have to wait until the 29th since there's no agreement with the hospital. I was panicking. But thankfully Dr. Nikita was able to work it out, and picked me up on the 25th.


July 25: Back in the Hospital

I was at the apartment for less than a week, but it felt like eternity. Dr. Nikita and two guys came to pick me up with a stretcher, and I was shuttled back to St. Elizabeth's. The nurses and staff welcomed me back with big smiles, felt great to be back!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqAw5iBv-o/

This is the kind of thing I warned about when it comes to money; be prepared to spend more than you initially plan. Apartment was way cheaper, and probably manageable with bilateral tibias, but it was impossible for me.

This night I started to feel really sharp pain on my femur frame knee. Burning, needles, numbness... Seems like nerve pain. The pain goes away if I constantly rub on it, but it surges back up if I stop for 15 seconds. The pain level can range from 6 to 8, I had to get an injection painkiller that night to sleep.


July 26-27: Pain!

I'm currently in pain as I write this, for now the main culprit is the tibia frame leg. The shin feels like it's been hit with a bat, pain level 6-7. Femur frame knee pain comes and goes. I may need to meet with a neurologist to get prescribed some neuropathic painkillers like gabapentin, which Jim recommended. I have to go to Medem, the private clinic, to get a prescription; sort of want to avoid that since it's so much work to go there with a stretcher... We'll see.

I'll get x-rays on Monday, hoping for good progress.


Total Lengthened so Far:
Tibia 22.5 mm (1 mm day)
Femur 24.5 mm (1.5 mm day)
Estimated Days Remaining Before Correction/Nailing: 33 days
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

myloginacc

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #85 on: July 27, 2018, 02:20:31 PM »

Almost only one more month until correction... Hang in there!!

So glad Dr. Nikita was able to arrange for you to get out of the apartment, and that it didn't take any longer. Was very glad to hear you were managing to walk, otherwise!

Sorry to hear about the recent pain. I hope it becomes better now that you're back at the hospital again. Have to try believing in it.

I've only been logging in here to check your diary. I'm glad you're still able to at least play games and such while lengthening. Others have described their experience as becoming total zombies! Thank you very much for the all updates, Android. 

Now's the final lap. You do - multiple - one hour updates, despite even getting 6-8 pain levels. You'll handle this!

I also honestly thought I would have a lot more questions when your journey finally came. Yet, I can almost never think of anything.


You have already shared it before, but I guess it doesn't hurt asking again?

  • What meds and supplementations are you on right now, at this specific part of your journey? Were there any changes regarding those (as in: swapping for another brand with much of the same effects)?
  • Did you stop taking any med or form of supplementation that you were taking after your initial week(s) post-surgery?
  • Did you recently stop taking anything else?
  • Did you recently add any new form of supplementation to your daily routine?

Haven't managed to check on here as much as I wish I could, but the feelings stay the same: still wishing you the best everyday. Wardon and wardup!
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Formerly myloginacct; had issues with my login account.
Yes I do want to add, before doing this surgery, ask yourself if you have optimized your life to the fullest extent possible (job/career, personality, etc).

doomsday

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #86 on: July 27, 2018, 07:30:53 PM »

i had the same problem but got the arrangement with my nurse daughter and she was coming every other day to cook some stuff and keep me company. Doing LL on your own seems almost impossible and i was doing tibias.
edit

as far as i know Dr kulesh can arrange some lady to cook and clean the house. Wouldnt that be enough?
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Pyotr

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #87 on: July 27, 2018, 09:41:33 PM »

Thanks!
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Purushrottam

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #88 on: July 28, 2018, 09:38:49 PM »

Nice update! Hang in there, Android!
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Had LL in Sept 2017 with Dr. Paley.
Starting height: 168.5 cm (5'6.5"); Ending height: 175 cm (5'9")
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=4823.0

Android

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #89 on: July 29, 2018, 12:20:54 PM »

Hey myloginacc! Yeah, I can't wait to get these frames off. Pain is manageable now with injections, but it doesn't mean I can walk without pain. Basically I'm fine if I don't move much, so I'm still anchored. I get an injection in the morning and at night, Dr. Kulesh said it's better for my body than pills if it continues to work.

Now, the questions:

  • What meds and supplementations are you on right now, at this specific part of your journey? Were there any changes regarding those (as in: swapping for another brand with much of the same effects)? Still just Omeprazole and Pradaxa. Nurofen (ibuprofen) if I need something for the pain, but now I just ask for injections since I'm in the hospital. I need to ask what it is.
  • Did you stop taking any med or form of supplementation that you were taking after your initial week(s) post-surgery? I planned on taking supplements like weight gainers and bone growth pills, but I decided to save that for consolidation. Shakes, it's just hard to make it without a blender; clumps a lot. As for the bone growth pills, I don't want above-average regenerate because then I'd have to increase my daily distraction rate!
  • Did you recently stop taking anything else? Nope
  • Did you recently add any new form of supplementation to your daily routine? Nope

as far as i know Dr kulesh can arrange some lady to cook and clean the house. Wouldnt that be enough?

From what I recall during consultation, he no longer offers this. I'm sure he'll help if you ask nicely though.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

Moon knight

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #90 on: July 29, 2018, 01:12:35 PM »

Android have you done any weight baring exercises yet and if not has the doctors told when it’ll be possible to try and put weight on your legs
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Johnson1111

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #91 on: August 02, 2018, 01:17:32 AM »

So how did it feel to have your femur sawed completely through? Can you describe the pain once the meds first started to wear off post surgery?

My fear is that it comes up like "Oh my god, oh my fking god!!" And it just comes rushing to you.
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Rocky

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Re: Android's Cross Lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh (2018)
« Reply #92 on: August 05, 2018, 04:16:05 PM »

Hello Android

I am really glad to see you progressing. 1,5 mm a day is not bad at all. As you mentioned, you will finish earlier than expected. But I hope it will not be uncomfortable. Just listen to your body and adjust the lengthening accordingly.

I wish you truly good luck. May God bless you.


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Current situation: Failed limb lengthening
 
Future goal: Even the legs & Non-union treatment... (Maybe shorten the legs to close the non-union)
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