Quote from: BoneStretching on December 23, 2019, 03:49:45 AMPretty much hit it on the nose, this is how I feel Alchemist.
Question, do you mind sharing your glutes/ hip strengthening program?
Awesome, good to know we're on par with each other and what we're feeling is normal!
Here is my glute/hip workout.
1) Squats (non weighted) 3 sets, 15 to 20 per set.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_HDus7RZFA
Knees just in front of toes, feet just about shoulder length, back flat and straight while you are leaning forward, weight on heels, squat down and hold for 10 to 15 seconds, and while squeezing your glute/butt, push back up.
2) Clamshell exercise 3 sets, 15 to 20 per set
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ9Rmst88iE
3) Side leg raises 3 sets, 15 to 20 per set
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgh6sGwtTwk
4) Laying flat on stomach - straight leg raise - 3 sets, 15 to 20 per set
Couldn't find a video on this. Lay on your stomach. With your legs straight, raise one leg up about 5 to 7 inches off the ground and hold while squeezing your butt/glute.
You can also do this while standing, similar motion as if you were doing this on your stomach, with a focus on avoiding leaning forward so you are working your butt.
5) Side steps (without resistance band for now, can progress to it with one once strength is regained) - In a slight squat position with knees slightly bent and back straight, weight on heels with glutes engaged, walk side ways. I do this for 3 to 5 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZgvMJhGr0
Diary: Stryde Femurs with Dr. Paley September 2019
Thank you for the great journal and I hope you are doing well. I met with Dr. Paley and Dr. Robbins for consultation couple of weeks ago and Planning on doing the surgery after the high season so I don't pay higher room rates. ....Below are some questions:
1. I go to the gym and lift weights 5 days a weeks. I have strong upper and lower body. Different journals suggest that it is easier during lengthening session for individuals who have skinnier legs. Should I stop doing leg workouts and concentrate on upper body only?
2. I stretch an hour a day. What other measures should I take before the surgery so I am more ready for the surgery and have a successful lengthening?
3. I am very independent and also private. How many hours a day should I hire the care taker the first couple of weeks after the surgery? Do I need them 24 hours a day?
Quote from: readyprecisestryde on December 24, 2019, 02:59:35 AMThank you for the great journal and I hope you are doing well. I met with Dr. Paley and Dr. Robbins for consultation couple of weeks ago and Planning on doing the surgery after the high season so I don't pay higher room rates. ....Below are some questions:
1. I go to the gym and lift weights 5 days a weeks. I have strong upper and lower body. Different journals suggest that it is easier during lengthening session for individuals who have skinnier legs. Should I stop doing leg workouts and concentrate on upper body only?
2. I stretch an hour a day. What other measures should I take before the surgery so I am more ready for the surgery and have a successful lengthening?
3. I am very independent and also private. How many hours a day should I hire the care taker the first couple of weeks after the surgery? Do I need them 24 hours a day?
Thanks for reading my diary! Best of luck on your journey. My responses:
1. This is purely anecdotal but yes I would recommend avoiding working out thigh muscles (quads and hamstrings) as it seems like patients with more leg mass and muscles in that area got tighter and had a much harder time stretching during physical therapy.
One guy who was a body builder with massive tree trunk legs got super tight at around 4 cm, to the point where he couldn't straighten his knee, was in painful agony during physical therapy (screaming), and was forced to stop lengthening by Dr. Robbins before reaching his goal due to tightness.
I believe working out non thigh muscles like the glutes and hip abductors pre surgery would be a good idea because they shouldn't impact PT flexibility and you lose those muscles fairly quickly and are the hardest to get back.
I would highly recommend working out the upper body as you will rely on your arms and core for mobility for the first 3 to 4 weeks after surgery.
2. Train yourself to sleep on your back with your legs straight. It's difficult to sleep on your sides post surgery and it's best to not bend your knee while sleeping to avoid tightness in your IT band. Many people struggle with sleep because they are only able to sleep on their sides with knees bent. I'd also recommend starting to take vitamin D supplements for bone health.
3. I would recommend having a caretaker 24 hrs/day for at least the first 3 days or more after hospital release. There is still a small risk of a severe complication like fat embolism occurring those first few days so you want someone with you in the event of an emergency. Afterwards you could probably reduce for a few hours a day for the next week or so. I found that after the first week, the caretaker became more a of a huge convenience that was helpful rather than a necessity.
Thank you TheAlchemist for the detailed suggestions and will start following your advice so I can have a successful lengthening. Merry Christmas!
Day 15 of Consolidation, Day 103 Post Op
Just over 2 weeks from distraction and things continue to get better every day, little by little. Was able to walk around public places like malls, bars, etc with a cane (mainly for balance and support when fatigued.) Was at a bar the other night and left my cane at the front and walked around with a beer in my hand. I'm starting to get used to the height when in front of the mirror now, I'm only reminded of how much I've changed when in the context of other people.
Don't feel much pain at all. The feeling of tightness remains but is only a matter of discomfort when getting up from a chair or laying in bed after an extended period.
I'm still stretching 2x a day and when going through the motions I can feel my flexibility improving every day.
Sleep is normalizing to about 7 hrs a night now. I still take Tylenol PM but I think I can start to lay off it soon.
The biggest obstacle continues to be regaining strength in my glutes and hip abductors. I can tell this is going to be a long process that will take months of daily work to finish.
Mentally I still haven't gotten back into my productive/ cognitive mindset yet. I'm still "hiding" out from friends/co workers as my plan is to return once I've recovered my walk/gait to a reasonable level. I think the laziness lingers as a result of just recently recovering from the painful stage of distraction, physical limitation from weak muscles, and that weird time in between the holidays.
Reflecting on my stretch of time during LL, it feels unreal. I did this alone. It's feels like a blur in between liminal spaces, like airport layovers. No concept of time exists. I wake up when I want. Go to bed when I want. I had ice cream for breakfast. You are your own god. It feels nice but I want to get back on my purpose around my career and hobbies. I've gotten way more comfortable with leisure solitude but I'm eager to get back to work and being productive again. I'll have to update my diary with a focus on the mental aspect of this as it's one of the more unique and fascinating parts of this journey.
Going from 5’9 to 6 ft....fking awesome dude.
Do you often feel like the tallest in a room of people?
Since everyone thinks they’re 6 ft these days, how often do you see 6 footers in your day to day life? Only 13% of people in America are 6 ft and over.... do you think that’s accurate?
You will get the “DiD yoU GeT TaLlEr Or SoMeThInG”, how do you plan on handling that with close friends/relatives?
I wear shorts a lot, and hiding the scars on your knees is pretty tough to do. I had a close call with a friend who saw the scar and asked and I just replied with it’s a scab. My heart honestly dropped because this dude was peppering me with questions. He probably knows something is fishy but whatever Lol. Be very wary of that!
Quote from: E Z on December 29, 2019, 11:34:53 PMGoing from 5’9 to 6 ft....fking awesome dude.
Do you often feel like the tallest in a room of people?
Since everyone thinks they’re 6 ft these days, how often do you see 6 footers in your day to day life? Only 13% of people in America are 6 ft and over.... do you think that’s accurate?
You will get the “DiD yoU GeT TaLlEr Or SoMeThInG”, how do you plan on handling that with close friends/relatives?
I wear shorts a lot, and hiding the scars on your knees is pretty tough to do. I had a close call with a friend who saw the scar and asked and I just replied with it’s a scab. My heart honestly dropped because this dude was peppering me with questions. He probably knows something is fishy but whatever Lol. Be very wary of that!
5'9 to 6 ft is amazing man - life changing and most importantly got rid of my own personal issues with my height neurosis. I truly feel free.
Yeah I've noticed that the majority of the time I'm the tallest person in the room. When I'm out in a crowded area like a bar, I'm almost always taller than all women now, even in their heels, and I'm probably in the top 20% in height around men.
You're right, I'm probably going to get the "“DiD yoU GeT TaLlEr Or SoMeThInG” from friends and relatives, especially since a lot of them were around my original height. One thing that will help is that I started wearing 2 inch shoe lifts every day about 5 years ago that my family, friends, and co workers have been conditioned to. I plan on throwing those shoe lifts away, so my effective height gain will be just over an inch.
I also plan on getting a haircut, I've had a pretty vertically high (about 3 inch) side part quiff hairstyle (kinda Johnny Bravo ish) and I plan on getting a short buzz cut that should hopefully give off the illusion of less height, or at the very least distract people away from my height and re focus on my new hair. I'm hoping the combination of the removal of shoe lifts and shorter hair cut will distort people's perceptions and memory but I wouldn't be surprised if curiosity and stares persist to which I'll just brush it off, smile, and say I've been working on my posture. I think my ex girlfriends would likely notice and possibly my parents. Not too concerned other than my parents worrying about it/freaking out about my health.
Thanks for the reminder with the shorts! I love shorts these days as my primary goal has been staying comfortable but I'll be sure to ditch them when I get back home.
How has your experience been with integrating back at home with family/friends outside of that close call with your friends in shorts? Have people consistently called you out on the height?
Man I’m so happy for you...
I Only told immediate family of the procedure.
I starting seeing friends towards the end of my lengthening and it’s been annoying with the comments. Every single one of my friends has obviously noticed and i just awkwardly blame it on these hideous shoes that I’ve been wearing with a bit of a heel until I stop getting pestered with questions. Or I blame it on shoe lifts for my back
Most people have no clue this procedure even exists, so they’re just in a confused state as to how it happened anyways. Oh well. Lol.
Interesting take away from all of this is realizing how distorted everyones perception of height is. I've measured myself at home as exactly 6 ft. It's crazy when I'm out...the handful of girls I've talked to all think I'm over 6ft, one girl thought I was 6'3.
I've realized that women's perception of height is distorted because in general men inflate their height by a couple of inches or at least tend to round up to the next inch. I wouldn't be surprised if most guys who claim 6 ft are actually 5'10 or 5'11 barefoot. Hell I'm guilty of this, pre-LL I was around 5'9, maybe just under in the evening, and I self listed myself as 5'10 on my drivers license. Bottom line is women with shallow height standards probably perceive "6 ft" as a guy who is 5'10 or 5'11 in real life, hence their superficial standard of "only dating guys over 6 ft."
I am really happy for you guys. Cant wait to see y'all land safely.
We will cross this finish line around the same time. (give or take 1 to 3 weeks)
#Alpha
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