Dear LL Forums,
After 2 decades of lurking on the number of phases that the LL forums went through, I finally decided to get my LL surgery. To all the people who have come and gone, I appreciate the bountiful amount of information everyone has provided. I will try and do the same in return.
I want to give a special thank you to HeightJourney as he has helped me at several different points during my decision-making process.
I also want to thank MadDogs as he is my guide for what I can possibly look forward to if I fast-forward a few months.
This won't exactly be a day-by-day diary of sorts but instead will be updated during what I feel are key points during the surgery. I will try to put in as much information as possible but not every detail will be included as some are redundant, unhelpful or I simply forgot.
Background:
I traveled and visited Dr. Guichet in 2014, Dr. Betz in 2016, Dr. Paley in 2018, Dr. Assayag in 2020, and Dr. Donghoon Lee in 2022.
This surgery was a careful and methodical decision, a decision I was not going to take lightly. I went through much contemplation. I thought about my future, my health, and my finances and attempted to cope without the surgery. But time and time again the inkling of the surgery would come back to me every 2-3 years.
My family had temporarily convinced me to get the surgery in Korea as I had an extensive network of family in Korea and Japan amongst other things. I had surgery scheduled with Dr. Donghoon Lee but backed out a week before it happened.
Something clicked in me that I did not want to do the surgery overseas although the support of my extended family was there. There was a few other reasons but ultimately, I just didn’t feel comfortable about it.
I immediately flew back home and scheduled surgery back in the United States with Dr. Assayag. He is the only other surgeon I would ever consider after meeting everyone else.
I am approximately about a month out of surgery at the moment. Lengthened around 18.50mm (1.85cm). I have Precice nails.
Starting Height: 170cm-171cm
Goal: 8cm
Weight: 145lbs
Nail: 50lbs Precice Nails
Picture of my ERC: https://imgur.com/a/yBd9mbX
Dr. Assayag - Internal Femurs - 2023
Current Key Points:
Operation Day:
You will walk into the hospital on your own two feet but you won't be walking out on your own two feet. This day for me, was filled with psychological torment. Was this the right thing? Will I regret this? Is this finally happening? Do I back out while I still have the chance?
I had to bite the bullet and clear my head at each step before reaching the OR room. During registration, during pre-op check-ups, after gown changing, and before being rolled into the OR room. Each phase cycled those same questions again and again.
For anyone choking up before the operation or during operation day, expect these difficulties. Once I was in the OR, there was a serene peace, especially in the hands of Dr. Assayag. He is honestly a one-of-a-kind doctor and I appreciate him to the ends of the world. I drifted off listening to the voices of him and his OR team. And woke up in the recovery room.
Day 1-3:
Some people have intense pain during the first few days. I was not one of those people. I woke up with pain but it was not unbearable by any means.
While lying down and stationary, the pain never breached a 3-4. While using a walker it breached 4-5 with a sharp knee pain to 6 when i tried to turn the walker during one of my bathroom visits.
The hospital had me on a tight schedule of pain meds and it really wasn't a bad time. But this wasn't the hardest point in the operation for me…
I did not have a catheter when I woke up. I had some sort of spinal numbing during the operation. It made it very very difficult to pee… I had to continue to try or else they were going to put a catheter in. I was finally successful after 12hrs of trying to pee off and on. I was discharged on the third day shortly after I could use the bathroom.
Day 4-10:
These were the hardest days for me. Luckily, I had my beautiful girlfriend accompanying me and helping me during this whole operation. And without her help, there was no way I personally got through these next few days.
The first hardest task was transferring from my wheelchair into the car upon hospital discharge. It is painful. I think it was more painful for me cause I injured my knee/groin while using the walker to go to the bathroom. It took me 10 minutes to try and transfer into the car the first time. For everyone else considering this surgery, you may want to try and practice this if you have a wheelchair. Also, buy a transfer board.
The next hardest thing was transferring onto the beds at the Hackerman Patz house. This is specifically for Dr. Assayag's patients who may be using hospital accommodations. The bed’s height is not transfer friendly but it is do-able. Prepare your upper body diligently, especially tricep dips.
The toilet transfer. It will be very difficult and painful to transfer onto a hard porcelain seat with a hole in the middle. From the loss of my butt, I felt my femur bones just sitting on them and it was very uncomfortable. Expect fair difficulties using the bathroom. Invest in a bathroom chair.
Showering. Not possible for me without a shower seat. I purchased the Medline Shower Bench. My favorite thing.
All my post-operative sutures bothered me. I personally don't like having stuff in or on my skin, which includes lotions etc. This bothered me quite a bit. There wasn't any pain but it was very discomforting for me. I got to take the tegederm and gauze off after the first week-ish and finally the butterfly tapes after 2 weeks. Expect fishing line stuff sticking out of your skin. I cut mine off with scissors.
This week was when it finally dawned on me that I am wheelchair-bound for the next 4-5 months. It was a rollercoaster of emotions… but talking to a few other LLers here and having the support of my girlfriend and friends, helped immensely when getting through this.
My injury from Day 1 constantly was lingering during this range of days. It progressed to my groin somehow and it made things very very difficult. I went to the Dr for him to check out and there was no dire concern and told me it should go away soon. The knee and groin pain persisted through the pain medication regime I was on, which was 1000mg of Tylenol every 6hrs and Celebrex every 12hrs. I tried oxy once but the sharp pain still pushed through so I decided to just endure it without the oxy.
Physical therapy wasn't exactly possible due to the pain and I just relaxed and rested during this stint.
Full body aches are very noticeable during this time. I tested lowering to pain medication to nearly nothing just to see how much pain I was actually in. It isn't crazy but it's not an amount that you can comfortably function with on a daily basis.
Day 11:
This day was my first day of lengthening. I had so much knee and groin pain from injuring myself on Day 1, that I couldn’t lengthen on Day 5, which is the typical day to start. But I am not in a rush to finish lengthening.
I waited til I could do some stretches on my own on Day 11 finally and decided to start lengthening. I decided to lengthen 1mm for 5 days and then .75mm for the rest of the way til 8cm.
Day 11-21:
The knee and groin pain finally subsided around week 3. I felt so relieved.
I created a strict stretching regime after every lengthening session. I lengthen every 6hrs, 3 times a day, and stretch for 45min after each session.
The ERC machine was very uncomfortable for me psychologically to use. Something just felt wrong about it. It's not painful or difficult at all but it just made me uncomfortable. It also started making grinding noises one day in my nail and it comes and goes.
Other than that, most of my full-body aches went away. And I lowered my pain meds to just 650mg of Tylenol every 6hrs around day 15.
Day 22-30:
I tried a new PT place and they were far too aggressive with my legs. I was in intense soreness and aches the night after PT. My knee pain was 80% back from the prior injury and I could not sleep and still can't still due to my knee aching. The soreness subsided after 3 days but the knee ache continues til today.
I had decreased my pain meds to 0 around day 22 but I am back on 1000mg every 6hrs. I can't sleep even til today.
I also got a hip infection around day 24. I am currently taking Keflex/Mupriocin prescribed by my primary care physician. Hoping that subsides soon.
My hips are still very sore and it is difficult to roll over easily. My knees make a weird popping noise here and there. And my nails make a light rattle when using my legs abruptly with sudden movements.
My stretches are very intense and it is absolutely exhausting. After doing 3 rounds of intense stretches, eating properly, and sneaking naps in here and there due to the lack of proper sleep, there isn't much time in my day for anything else.
This whole journey so far has been a test of mental fortitude. I have to keep reminding myself why I did this as it is difficult to keep that in focus right now. This isn't easy at all and I feel as though the most difficult parts have not even started yet...
Good luck, the worst part is behind you! You did your due diligence and decided to go with a reputable doctor. And better late than never. You will come out of this as a better person, with a (literally) totally new outlook on life.
Hope everything goes well!
I wonder why did your hip infect? Why did your knee injure? Are u living local(Baltimore)? Did u have PT sesssions with Dr Assayag’s team?
I am considering Dr Paley, Dr Assayag and Dr Donghoon Lee. After u have consulted with Dr Lee, how do u think about Dr Lee?(don’t have enough information in this forums)
Hope u reach your goal!
Quote from: Siegfried on May 04, 2023, 09:21:54 AMGood luck, the worst part is behind you! You did your due diligence and decided to go with a reputable doctor. And better late than never. You will come out of this as a better person, with a (literally) totally new outlook on life.
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words. Sometimes I lose sight of why I did this due to the exhaustion of being wheelchair bound and immobile.
Quote from: Yau on May 04, 2023, 09:33:46 AMHope everything goes well!
I wonder why did your hip infect? Why did your knee injure? Are u living local(Baltimore)? Did u have PT sesssions with Dr Assayag’s team?
I am considering Dr Paley, Dr Assayag and Dr Donghoon Lee. After u have consulted with Dr Lee, how do u think about Dr Lee?(don’t have enough information in this forums)
Hope u reach your goal!
Thank you, I hope so too.
I injured my knee Day 1 as mentioned in the Day 1-3 section.
I am not exactly sure where the infection came from. I had hydrotherapy around Day 20 and had waterproof bandages on my sutures. This specific hip suture may have had a breach. But at the same time, suture abscess around day 30 aren't uncommon from some of the dissolvable sutures not dissolving all the way.
I stay mainly in Baltimore but go back and forth between States since my house is a few hour drive away.
I do PT at several places depending where I am at the time.
What do you want to know about Dr. Lee? To be honest you would have to go visit him yourself to get the best judgement.
Quote from: Vx88x on May 04, 2023, 09:58:31 AMThank you, I hope so too.
I injured my knee Day 1 as mentioned in the Day 1-3 section.
I am not exactly sure where the infection came from. I had hydrotherapy around Day 20 and had waterproof bandages on my sutures. This specific hip suture may have had a breach. But at the same time, suture abscess around day 30 aren't uncommon from some of the dissolvable sutures not dissolving all the way.
I stay mainly in Baltimore but go back and forth between States since my house is a few hour drive away.
I do PT at several places depending where I am at the time.
What do you want to know about Dr. Lee? To be honest you would have to go visit him yourself to get the best judgement.
Do your PT have experiences with LL patients? I think about when I finish my lengthening and go back to home. It is difficult to find a PT have LL experiences.
What did Dr Assayag think about your hip infection? Hope your hip inflection goes away!
What is your starting height btw? Good luck on your journey
Thank you for starting your diary!
I was wondering: How possible is it, given your experience, to work a remote tech job while lengthening? Is it plausible or ridiculous to expect to function at work after 2 weeks? It seems to me that if you "don't have time for anything else" after all your stretching that that includes work?
Quote from: informationispower on May 04, 2023, 01:44:25 PMWhat is your starting height btw? Good luck on your journey
170cm-171cm
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