Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019

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Quote from: CodyTheDog on October 14, 2019, 01:23:17 PMHey, thanks for making this diary, Great!

1. With Dr. Giotikas's new prices, how much would you budget for the entire thing (including accomodation, etc) for internal femurs 8 cm with Stryde?

1.5. How much would you budget in total for everything (including apartment,etc) if you were doing 7 cm internal tibias with Stryde?

2. How is the English of
a. the doctor
b. the hospital staff
c. your caretaker?

3. What are the most unexpected costs / problems you've bumped into from this experience?

4. Did he require a psychological evaluation? How did that go?

5. What apartment/place to stay would you recommend?

6. Do you feel safe in Athens?

7. Also, will he do internal tibias with stryde?

8. What are his length limits for each segment?

Thanks!


1.   I can’t really tell you because my experience is different from many of you since I was accompanied by family members who bought groceries and cooked for me. I didn’t need an extra caretaker. I didn’t have to order food… Regarding accommodation… for me it was about 2.000€ for 2,5months. (two bedrooms, location very close to the sea in the nice neighborhood of Alimos) The wheelchair friendly transportation (organized by Dr. Giotikas) from your apartment to the PT Center (Theseus) or to the hospital and back will cost you but as you are doing Stryde you might be able to change to a normal taxi sometime later which will be cheaper. We shouldn’t be sure of us being the exceptions where nothing will go wrong, so I would safe some more money (6.000-10.000€) in case of extra surgeries needed for corrections. (which can happen to any patient no matter which doctor, that means you either do the correction with another doctor or fly back to wherever you did the surgery which means flight+apartment costs for another 1-2weeks )

1.5. The price doesn’t change with 1cm more or less. You pay one price and you can lengthen your personal maximum.

2.   Dr. Giotikas lives in the UK mostly, so his English is perfect. The hospital staff’s English was very good. Dr. Giannakos' English is also very good.

3.   The most unexpected cost was my LATN surgery.

4.   It’s a long time ago but I had to fill out a sheet of paper about my mental health and during the consultation he asked me why I want to do the surgery.

5.   PM

6.   I always felt safe in Athens. My sister walked through the city on her own when it was very late and dark. She wasn’t afraid. Greek people are much friendlier and warmer than the average Germans. They offer help more often and smile more. Before my surgery a year ago I didn’t understand the bus system in Athens so I wanted to take the bus and buy a ticket inside but the bus driver told me that tickets can’t be bought inside. In the end he let me ride the bus without a ticket. It was a 30 minute ride. The same happened when I wanted to take the tram. The ticket machine was broken and the driver let me ride without a ticket. In Germany no one lets you ride any transport without a valid ticket. I prefer the southern mentality.

7.   https://www.athensbjr.com/cost-pricing-of-cosmetic-limb-lengthening/

8.   I guess it depends on each person. I forgot what he said a year ago. You can contact them anytime:
+30 216 8096703
[email protected]

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Hey Great321

You sound like you've been making great progress since you recovered from the nailing surgery, congrats! You deserve it.

I'm undergoing LON, had my frames removed about a month ago and I was wondering if you had any tips on getting rid of that last stubborn 0.5cm of ballerina? my heels don't quite touch the floor when I'm barefoot and I feel it really effects my balance/strength in my legs. Your heels look great in that video of you walking unaided. What was your stretching routine like? Also any other specific exercise that you think have helped you walk?

Keep working hard and I'm sure you'll be off crutches in no time 

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Quote from: BlueHen on October 22, 2019, 11:41:09 AMHey Great321

You sound like you've been making great progress since you recovered from the nailing surgery, congrats! You deserve it.

I'm undergoing LON, had my frames removed about a month ago and I was wondering if you had any tips on getting rid of that last stubborn 0.5cm of ballerina? my heels don't quite touch the floor when I'm barefoot and I feel it really effects my balance/strength in my legs. Your heels look great in that video of you walking unaided. What was your stretching routine like? Also any other specific exercise that you think have helped you walk?

Keep working hard and I'm sure you'll be off crutches in no time 

Thanks Bluehen, yes I’m doing better everyday.
Here is a video of me walking unaided from today:

https://i.imgur.com/fVLoEHZ.mp4

I only lengthened 5cm which made it easier for me. How much did you lengthen again? I forgot.
When the frames came off touching the floor with the heels was much easier for me. But I would still fall backwards if I didn’t lean forward. Now that problem is almost gone only by doing PT for a few weeks.
After Athens I rarely did PT, I couldn’t walk much (mostly with the walker), but what I occasionally did was using this device: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B073W9JCDZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I stood on top of it (with my back against a wall) and pushed my heels against the surface of the device. Your calves are supposed to feel uncomfortable. This stretches the calves and your Achilles Tendons. Stand there as long as you can and do it a few times a day.
Strengthening your muscles is also very very important! I have posted a few examples of my PT exercises. You might want to do them, too I will post the other exercises as soon as I have a drawing (explaining with just words is complicated).

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Quote from: Great321 on October 22, 2019, 01:13:35 PMThanks Bluehen, yes I’m doing better everyday.
Here is a video of me walking unaided from today:

https://i.imgur.com/fVLoEHZ.mp4

I only lengthened 5cm which made it easier for me. How much did you lengthen again? I forgot.
When the frames came off touching the floor with the heels was much easier for me. But I would still fall backwards if I didn’t lean forward. Now that problem is almost gone only by doing PT for a few weeks.
After Athens I rarely did PT, I couldn’t walk much (mostly with the walker), but what I occasionally did was using this device: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B073W9JCDZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I stood on top of it (with my back against a wall) and pushed my heels against the surface of the device. Your calves are supposed to feel uncomfortable. This stretches the calves and your Achilles Tendons. Stand there as long as you can and do it a few times a day.
Strengthening your muscles is also very very important! I have posted a few examples of my PT exercises. You might want to do them, too I will post the other exercises as soon as I have a drawing (explaining with just words is complicated).

Wow! Your walking progress is great. I guess it's true when they say once you start walking unaided it gets better very quickly.

I did 5cm also. Thanks very much for that advice. I will definitely get one of those calf stretch board things.

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Quote from: BlueHen on October 22, 2019, 01:33:26 PMWow! Your walking progress is great. I guess it's true when they say once you start walking unaided it gets better very quickly.

I did 5cm also. Thanks very much for that advice. I will definitely get one of those calf stretch board things.

You're welcome I wish you success!

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what I forgot to say: I can also climb stairs unaided but only upwards not downwards. And only when I make the first step with my left leg which seems to be stronger for this task.

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Quote from: Great321 on October 05, 2019, 12:15:13 PMNew Video

This is me walking unaided: (I hold the crutches for safety reasons)

https://i.imgur.com/uLSMEUl.mp4

As Dr. Giotikas advised me to walk with crutches, I use them for moving around the house. After about 7 minutes certain feet muscles hurt/are tired so I have to rest again. I guess that's because my leg muscles aren't trained much yet. I'm sure it'll get better.



I took this picture maybe a day after the surgery:

https://i.imgur.com/y9q4m1H.jpg

This is how my bed looks like and the reason why I sleep well:

https://i.imgur.com/3XgC3k9.jpg

If needed I use this kind of pillow to rest my knee on:

https://i.imgur.com/3X7ocNe.jpg


Also: I rarely take painkillers. I might take some before PT which starts next week. I only got 2 appointments for the start. They first want to see me.

Quote from: azman on September 12, 2019, 08:01:36 PMHey Everyone,

In Athens and had my CLL surgery, meet another Dr. Giotikas patient that did the same surgery and it turn out we became good friends, Planning.  Each day we push and encourage each other, plus getting into mischief with the staff at the Theseus.

I’m not planning to load my dairy till my lengthening is complete, but I’m keeping a personal daily dairy of my experience and might post the whole thing all at once when I’m complete.

There are a few rumors going around about the PT not be good at Theseus, not true.
Planning is the first dairy on this forum for Stryde and as I too were worry on Dr. Giotikas experience with Stryde since there was no dairy, all the worries went away after meeting a couple of current Dr. Giotikas Stryde patients prior to my surgery.

Have met another Dr. Giotikas Stryde chinese girl patient at the Theseus during PT and she is doing good after 6cm of lengthening. 

The moment before the surgery, before you are wheel into the OR, just remember that you were able to walk, run, jump, sit up, and sit down just to name a few.  The moment someone tap you on your shoulder and say your surgery was a success, but you have no idea that it already happened.  Remember about being able to walk, run, jump, sit up, and sit down, all that goes away, but not forever depending on the success of surgery and recovery.  Just have to retrain your body to do it all over again, cause your mind remember and know just 6 hours before you were able to and now your lower body won’t allow you to.

Overall the experience is awesome and the recovery is better than expected.  Well I’ll 99% focus on lengthening and recovery, so I will not be posting till my lengthening is done.
My dairy will mainly be on my experience since no matter what you read on pain level, recovery and complications, it will never be 100% of what you will experience if you have this surgery, cause this surgery is NOT for the weak, but can be worth it!!!

1. How long are you planning to stay in the area? I heard that Americans can only stay 90 days unless they apply for the Greece Schengen Visa beforehand https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/greece-visa/us-citizenship-passport-holders/

2. The thing is, if someone needs more than 90 days (8 cm is about 90 days exactly, right? Cutting it pretty close, not to mention if anything goes wrong and the patient needs to stay) , I'm not sure what happens. The process to get a Greece Visa seems like a pain in the butt but I might do it. Did you do it?
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/greece-visa/


The requirement of "Travel medical insurance confirmation of minimum 30,000 € coverage within Greece and the entire Schengen area" seems like a problem. I don't know what this means- I have medical insurance in America, not in Greece so would I have to buy a second kind of insurance with Greece somehow?

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Quote from: Great321 on October 22, 2019, 08:25:44 AMSince last week I can get out of the house completely on my own and drive the car . I use the crutches. But I can walk stairs without crutches as long as there is at least one railing. I stopped taking Lyrica a while ago. I stopped taking pain killers a while ago as well. My muscle pain especially in my left leg is mostly gone when I use "Birkenstock" sandals. But I want to switch to shoes which I can't currently as other flat sandals or shoes cause the pain again.

Because the first orthopedist didn't want to prescribe me any insoles for my shoes (she wasn't even examining me, she didn't take me seriously), I went to my family doctor again and he saw that I have something called "splayfoot" and I had that even before LL, he told me that that can cause pain. So soon I will go to another orthopedist who will most likely prescribe me what the family doctor recommended.

I have 3 PT sesssions per week. I asked for more sessions but they said that 1. we shouldn't exaggerate and 2. that they show me the exercises which I can then do on my own as well. While the PT sessions in Athens lasted like an hour, they only last 20 short minutes here in Germany. Without the frames on many more exercises are possible so I have gotten 12 examples of what to do so far. For the calves, thighs, gluteus muscle, hip, abs.


PT examples:

This is what my PT wrote and draw. It's an example for one day. On other days I'm supposed to train other muscles.

--> https://i.imgur.com/3kXj3Gl.jpg
--> https://i.imgur.com/RUgBx6N.jpg

calves: You stand. You go up on your toes. You go down again. Up again.. 15 repetitions. 3 sets. You can do it on books, so that the Achilles Tendons are getting stretched, too.

thighs:
1. You stand in front of a chair or similar and hold your hands on the grips of the crutches or sth else, upper body is leaned forward while going slowly down into the sitting position. Then you stand up again. If you are a stronger you go down but don't sit, just remain above the seat for 1-2 seconds. 

The ball he draw is an exercise ball. On the first drawing it shows that you have to push the ball with your heel until your leg is fully stretched, you slowly go back again and stretch your leg again. On the second drawing you push your forward section of the foot against the ball as much as possible and back again. It's an exercise for the calves. The exercise ball can be replaced with a Thera-Band which ends you hold with your hands.

Next time I see him I will ask for another draft for the other exercises.


@CodyTheDog: I will reply soon (today)!

What Greek phrases have been most useful for you to know during your time in Athens?

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Today I started to just use one crutch inside the house for safety reasons. I feel safe enough. It's easier to have one hand free to open doors quickly and carry things around.


@TwinMusicom: Since I have a German passport I didn't need to apply for visa. I'm pretty sure that Dr. Giotikas assistance can help you with your questions though. They are really responsive. Overseas health insurances are also easy and cheap to get.

In Greece you won't need to speak Greek to get by. But of course understanding "Good Morning", "Hello", "Ok", "Bye", "Thank you", "You're welcome" will be helpful and they will appreciate your efforts.

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Quote from: Great321 on September 18, 2019, 04:47:08 PMYes, I have attached them in the diary. You can see the X-rays. I have lengthened 5cm. Maybe I lost a few mm through the LATN surgery. I'll see. I don't think that stopping the lengthening would have prevented it. But maybe lengthening slower would have been better and I couldn't walk as much as needed.

Anyways. I feel better now. My nausea isn't as bad anymore. I'm not afraid anymore of standing up and making steps as the dizziness is gone.

But I don't dare to put my whole weight on only one leg yet. My femur muscles are literally aching for exercise and weightbearing. I do some exercise but it doesn't replace a good walk. I try to dare more every day. Dr. Giotikas' assistant offered me help, I can message her whenever I need something. She is a studied nurse.

As soon as I'm at home again I will continue with professional PT.

1. Did you have to do the LATIN surgery because of an emergency? What was the reason they gave?

2. Do people doing internals ever have to do the LATIN surgery?