Posted on Jun 18, 2026, 8:29 pm
#1
Introduction
This diary documents my limb lengthening journey at the Becker Betz Institute using the Betzbone method in the femur. I started at 164 cm with a target of 174 cm, aiming for a total gain of approximately 10 cm.
The key milestones were as follows:
• 21 November 2025 Surgery
• 26 November 2025 Start of distraction
The initial surgical gap was 0.6 cm
I decided to write this diary both to document my own process and, more importantly, to help others considering or going through the same journey. Throughout this experience, I have personally relied heavily on similar diaries, which provided clarity, reassurance, and realistic expectations during both the difficult and the more manageable phases. My hope is that this diary can offer the same kind of support by giving an honest and detailed account of the physical, mental, and practical aspects of the process from Week 1 through Week 20.
Chapter 1
Weeks 1 to 4
Early recovery and first distraction phase
Week 1
The beginning was painful. On Day 1 I could not lift my leg at all. By Day 2 the morning stiffness eased slightly and I managed to walk a little, although the pain increased later in the day. Throughout the week the left leg was consistently worse. By Day 5 I could walk properly with crutches, even though the left side remained painful. The food at the clinic was poor, so the transfer to the rehab hotel on Day 6 felt like a relief. That was also when clicking began, starting with 20 clicks per day. The clicks themselves were surprisingly fast, but the tension in my legs was intense and made it difficult to sleep. The rehab hotel was a clear improvement, with better food and a structured daily routine that included regular sessions with the masseuse, physiotherapist, and nurse.
Week 2
Clicking gradually became harder, so I began splitting the sessions into two, half in the morning and half before dinner around 5 pm. During this week I travelled from Freiburg to East Africa with a four hour transit. The journey was exhausting, but manageable with pain medication.
Week 3
This week was especially challenging. Clicking became extremely difficult and I spent a long time searching for the right position. The left leg, which had previously felt easier, suddenly became the most problematic. I had read that the 1.5 to 2.5 cm range was often the hardest part of the process, and that proved to be accurate. My legs felt permanently tense, as if they could never fully relax. On December 10 I was only able to complete 9 clicks due to tightness, despite a target of 14.
Week 4
The end of Week 3 marked a peak in tension, particularly in the left leg. After adjusting the leg slightly, clicking became easier at the start of Week 4. I also had a small accident at the pool and fell backwards, which caused pain for a while and required additional stretching and exercises. The IT band gradually became less tight, although finding the correct position to click on the left side remained difficult. The right leg caused no issues and took less than a minute to complete.
Chapter 2
Weeks 5 to 8
Increasing tension and mid distraction phase
Week 5
Passing the 2 cm mark felt like a milestone. The IT band was less tight, but still sore on the left side, and it continued to take time to locate the right position. A video call with the nurses reassured me that everything was progressing as it should. An X ray in East Africa confirmed that the bones looked fine, with the next scan planned for the end of January. The trip back to Europe was physically demanding, and I experienced significant pain for two days afterwards. On the day of arrival I skipped clicking for the first time, and the following day I completed only half. After that, clicking became increasingly difficult again due to rising tension in the left leg.
Week 6
This week was dominated by pain. The tension in the left leg felt almost unbearable. Eventually I discovered a new way to click by placing my left knee on the floor and moving my upper body until the click occurred, instead of repeatedly pressing the knee down. This reduced the pain, although the IT band remained sore.
Week 7
Suddenly the pain in the IT band disappeared and clicking became straightforward. Each session took less than five minutes per leg. Despite this, my body seemed to have developed a mental resistance to clicking after weeks of pain, and I often found myself postponing it. I had been clicking in the evening between 6 and 8 pm, but because I spent too much time thinking about it, I decided to switch to morning clicking. The goal was to complete the process quickly and move on with the day.
Week 8
In practice, morning clicking proved harder than expected. Even on weekends, I found myself postponing it throughout the day. I will go to the office on Tuesday for an event that will last all day, and I will also go to the office on Thursday, after which I will take the bus to visit my family, that too will be a long day. During this week, which is around 4cm of lengthening including initial gap, I started to have nerve pain, a sudden sharp pain in my left knee which depends on the position. Very annoying and very little I seem to be able to do.
Chapter 3
Weeks 9 to 12
Finding rhythm and adaptation
Week 9
I am now at 4.25 cm, and clicking doesn’t hurt; I wasn’t able to start in the morning, so I continue clicking between 6–8 pm. I have some nerve issues in my left leg below the knee and near the crutch, and the nurses advised taking pregabalin twice daily, but since I used many pills earlier for IT band issues, I’m running low and was told my GP needs to prescribe more if I run out. I have about 38 pills left, so I’m taking one each morning to make them last, with a consultation scheduled for early February to hopefully get more; otherwise, one per day should last until I reach around 6+ cm, by which point the nerve issues should have resolved. Clicking remains easy as always and takes less than 10 minutes for both legs, and by the end of this week I’ll be halfway through the process, meaning I should reach my goal by week 18, which feels really good.
Week 10
I traveled to the UAE this week and my original flight was canceled so I had to wait 10 hours at the airport for another one. During the flight I felt a lot of pressure in my right leg and it honestly felt like I could be getting a blood clot so I definitely need to bring compression socks next time. When I arrived at the hotel I was able to do my clicks without any issues and did some stretching but my legs have still been quite sore since the flight. This week has also been different because I have had to attend an exhibition every day which meant I have not had any days at home to rest. Previously I was only going into the office two to three times per week. This time I went straight from a long flight to being on my feet at the exhibition every day and my legs are very sore. It does not affect my clicking but I can definitely feel that I am pushing my limits. This week I also reached 5 cm which feels like an important milestone since I am now more than halfway through and have started counting down.
Week 11
I did my xrays last week and based on my bone regeneration, Dr. Becker allowed me to do 15 clicks per day. So far I can't feel the difference between 14 and 15 clicks, but I am happy that I will reach my goal slightly faster than originally planned. Clicking in my left leg is now much faster than the right leg and the nerve issue has almost disappeared. I had a talk with the physio team and they informed me that I should stop taking ibuprofen. I can feel that I am now in an endurance phase, everything feels like a routine.
Week 12
Later this week, I will reach one of my milestones. When I started this process, I was 164 cm, and on Monday I will be 170 cm. That has been a goal of mine for a long time, and I can already sense that I am taller when I compare myself to people at work, at the mall, etc. I recommend having a series of goals or milestones to reach, as it makes everything easier and the process feel shorter. I’ve started to feel some pain in my left upper leg around the hip, where the Betzbone was inserted. It annoys me when I walk. Furthermore, I feel some pain in my right thigh, probably because the muscle is being stretched. Nothing I can’t handle though, I’ve still got 6 to 8 weeks to go.
Chapter 4
Weeks 13 to 16
Late distraction phase
Week 13
The pain in my right leg is gone, but I still feel pain in my left leg around the hip and now also at the top of my inner thigh. It’s quite painful and defintely related to stretching of nerves, as the pain is very sharp and depends on how my leg is positioned. I think it’s finally hitting me how tall I actually am, yet none of my colleagues have said anything. Initially, I was nervous, especially around the colleagues I will become taller than and those I might end up being the same height as. However, no one has commented, probably because I’m using crutches and rarely stand next to anyone at the office. I guess it’s all in my head. Overall, there have been no major issues with my body this week; clicking has now just become a matter of endurance.
Week 14
I went to Germany for a few days at the beginning of this week. Everything went well, and the bus trip lasted around six hours in total, back and forth. I stood up for a few minutes every hour, so I did not experience any real complications from the trip. I also reached 171 cm in height, and I still sadly feel a sharp pain in my left upper thigh. I am hoping the issue will disappear, just like the somewhat similar problem I had below my knee a few weeks ago. The pain there is now almost gone at the end of the week. It seems that the nerve issues only hurt for a few days before my body gets used to the stretching of my bones. I had a meeting with the physiotherapist this week. They saw a video of me walking and were happy with my progress. My gait is good, and I can bend my knees well.
Week 15
This week marks the start of March, I will reach 172 cm, and this will be my last month of clicking. I am excited, and even though I have felt pain throughout the process, I can hardly believe that the process is about to end. My left leg is still a bit painful, though in another spot and it depends on how I place my leg. I am also starting to feel a slight tingling in my feet sometimes, something that should be normal at this time in the process. I sometimes tend to postpone the clicking slightly, even though it does not actually hurt, though clicking is loud. I've had to reposition my left leg when clicking, so that instead of me moving the leg, I move place the leg on the side and move my upper body until it clicks. I did that in the beginning of January too, when clicking initially became better.
Week 16
I am so close to my goal, but I have never felt this tired in my life. It’s draining, especially when I have to physically go to work or attend events. I’m exhausted, yet I can’t really sleep. I’ve started using the crutches again, mostly because I feel tired all the time. I find myself wanting to take a nap every day around 2 pm, and if I’m at work and unable to, I’m completely exhausted by the time I get home around 5 pm. My nerves are being stretched so clicking can hurt a bit on the left leg. I've started to use the heating pad again, which helps my body loosen up ahead of clicking.
Chapter 5
Weeks 17 to 20
Final distraction and transition to consolidation
Week 17
I've decided that I want to stop the lengthening process by the end of this month, March. I will be crossing the 9 cm line this week, so I'm almost finished. By the end of this week, I'll be traveling to Paris for a short weekend trip, hopefully it won't be too draining. Nothing new, just a game of endurance as usual. My legs are sore and heavy and clicking is a bit painful.
Week 18
The trip to Paris was tough, and I am still a bit sore. I will be going to my hometown this week, as I need to attend a work event in the middle of the week. Clicking has become quite easy now; it almost feels like when I first started, and I can move my leg by itself and make it click without using my hands. I have decided to stop clicking by the end of this week, which should bring me to almost 10 cm, and I am really looking forward to finally relaxing and focusing on healing. I had a meeting with the physio team, and they explained how to gradually decrease my medication over the next 3–4 weeks and introduced some new exercises that I now need to do.
Week 19
This is my first week after stopping clicking. The tension is gradually disappearing, and I have been instructed to stretch with kneeling shin stretches and lunges. Both are quite difficult at this stage, and I can already tell it will take some time before I can properly perform the kneeling shin stretch. I have put my crutches away and have started walking outside using trekking poles instead. I began by walking around my building and have been slowly increasing the number of laps. The pain is essentially gone, but my walking is still limited, and I get exhausted quite quickly.
Week 20
This will be the last week for me to write this diary. I can feel that I’m becoming more flexible, and I try to do the new stretching exercises for 1–2 hours daily. I’m still not able to fully perform kneeling shin stretches or lunges yet, but I’m moving in the right direction. Last weekend, I attended a birthday party for my cousin, where I met relatives I hadn’t seen for years. I brought my crutches and said I had undergone knee surgery due to an old gym injury. Nobody commented on my height, nor could I see any surprise on their faces when they saw me. I’m so happy. I get less exhausted, and my gait is more stable, although I’m still using trekking poles. Overall, I’m very happy with my results and can feel that I’ll be back to walking normally within the next few weeks. I can’t believe that I’m finally done and achieved everything I wanted in terms of lengthening, all without anyone commenting on the height difference, it’s just amazing. I can highly recommend the Becker Betz Institute and its amazing and caring team
This diary documents my limb lengthening journey at the Becker Betz Institute using the Betzbone method in the femur. I started at 164 cm with a target of 174 cm, aiming for a total gain of approximately 10 cm.
The key milestones were as follows:
• 21 November 2025 Surgery
• 26 November 2025 Start of distraction
The initial surgical gap was 0.6 cm
I decided to write this diary both to document my own process and, more importantly, to help others considering or going through the same journey. Throughout this experience, I have personally relied heavily on similar diaries, which provided clarity, reassurance, and realistic expectations during both the difficult and the more manageable phases. My hope is that this diary can offer the same kind of support by giving an honest and detailed account of the physical, mental, and practical aspects of the process from Week 1 through Week 20.
Chapter 1
Weeks 1 to 4
Early recovery and first distraction phase
Week 1
The beginning was painful. On Day 1 I could not lift my leg at all. By Day 2 the morning stiffness eased slightly and I managed to walk a little, although the pain increased later in the day. Throughout the week the left leg was consistently worse. By Day 5 I could walk properly with crutches, even though the left side remained painful. The food at the clinic was poor, so the transfer to the rehab hotel on Day 6 felt like a relief. That was also when clicking began, starting with 20 clicks per day. The clicks themselves were surprisingly fast, but the tension in my legs was intense and made it difficult to sleep. The rehab hotel was a clear improvement, with better food and a structured daily routine that included regular sessions with the masseuse, physiotherapist, and nurse.
Week 2
Clicking gradually became harder, so I began splitting the sessions into two, half in the morning and half before dinner around 5 pm. During this week I travelled from Freiburg to East Africa with a four hour transit. The journey was exhausting, but manageable with pain medication.
Week 3
This week was especially challenging. Clicking became extremely difficult and I spent a long time searching for the right position. The left leg, which had previously felt easier, suddenly became the most problematic. I had read that the 1.5 to 2.5 cm range was often the hardest part of the process, and that proved to be accurate. My legs felt permanently tense, as if they could never fully relax. On December 10 I was only able to complete 9 clicks due to tightness, despite a target of 14.
Week 4
The end of Week 3 marked a peak in tension, particularly in the left leg. After adjusting the leg slightly, clicking became easier at the start of Week 4. I also had a small accident at the pool and fell backwards, which caused pain for a while and required additional stretching and exercises. The IT band gradually became less tight, although finding the correct position to click on the left side remained difficult. The right leg caused no issues and took less than a minute to complete.
Chapter 2
Weeks 5 to 8
Increasing tension and mid distraction phase
Week 5
Passing the 2 cm mark felt like a milestone. The IT band was less tight, but still sore on the left side, and it continued to take time to locate the right position. A video call with the nurses reassured me that everything was progressing as it should. An X ray in East Africa confirmed that the bones looked fine, with the next scan planned for the end of January. The trip back to Europe was physically demanding, and I experienced significant pain for two days afterwards. On the day of arrival I skipped clicking for the first time, and the following day I completed only half. After that, clicking became increasingly difficult again due to rising tension in the left leg.
Week 6
This week was dominated by pain. The tension in the left leg felt almost unbearable. Eventually I discovered a new way to click by placing my left knee on the floor and moving my upper body until the click occurred, instead of repeatedly pressing the knee down. This reduced the pain, although the IT band remained sore.
Week 7
Suddenly the pain in the IT band disappeared and clicking became straightforward. Each session took less than five minutes per leg. Despite this, my body seemed to have developed a mental resistance to clicking after weeks of pain, and I often found myself postponing it. I had been clicking in the evening between 6 and 8 pm, but because I spent too much time thinking about it, I decided to switch to morning clicking. The goal was to complete the process quickly and move on with the day.
Week 8
In practice, morning clicking proved harder than expected. Even on weekends, I found myself postponing it throughout the day. I will go to the office on Tuesday for an event that will last all day, and I will also go to the office on Thursday, after which I will take the bus to visit my family, that too will be a long day. During this week, which is around 4cm of lengthening including initial gap, I started to have nerve pain, a sudden sharp pain in my left knee which depends on the position. Very annoying and very little I seem to be able to do.
Chapter 3
Weeks 9 to 12
Finding rhythm and adaptation
Week 9
I am now at 4.25 cm, and clicking doesn’t hurt; I wasn’t able to start in the morning, so I continue clicking between 6–8 pm. I have some nerve issues in my left leg below the knee and near the crutch, and the nurses advised taking pregabalin twice daily, but since I used many pills earlier for IT band issues, I’m running low and was told my GP needs to prescribe more if I run out. I have about 38 pills left, so I’m taking one each morning to make them last, with a consultation scheduled for early February to hopefully get more; otherwise, one per day should last until I reach around 6+ cm, by which point the nerve issues should have resolved. Clicking remains easy as always and takes less than 10 minutes for both legs, and by the end of this week I’ll be halfway through the process, meaning I should reach my goal by week 18, which feels really good.
Week 10
I traveled to the UAE this week and my original flight was canceled so I had to wait 10 hours at the airport for another one. During the flight I felt a lot of pressure in my right leg and it honestly felt like I could be getting a blood clot so I definitely need to bring compression socks next time. When I arrived at the hotel I was able to do my clicks without any issues and did some stretching but my legs have still been quite sore since the flight. This week has also been different because I have had to attend an exhibition every day which meant I have not had any days at home to rest. Previously I was only going into the office two to three times per week. This time I went straight from a long flight to being on my feet at the exhibition every day and my legs are very sore. It does not affect my clicking but I can definitely feel that I am pushing my limits. This week I also reached 5 cm which feels like an important milestone since I am now more than halfway through and have started counting down.
Week 11
I did my xrays last week and based on my bone regeneration, Dr. Becker allowed me to do 15 clicks per day. So far I can't feel the difference between 14 and 15 clicks, but I am happy that I will reach my goal slightly faster than originally planned. Clicking in my left leg is now much faster than the right leg and the nerve issue has almost disappeared. I had a talk with the physio team and they informed me that I should stop taking ibuprofen. I can feel that I am now in an endurance phase, everything feels like a routine.
Week 12
Later this week, I will reach one of my milestones. When I started this process, I was 164 cm, and on Monday I will be 170 cm. That has been a goal of mine for a long time, and I can already sense that I am taller when I compare myself to people at work, at the mall, etc. I recommend having a series of goals or milestones to reach, as it makes everything easier and the process feel shorter. I’ve started to feel some pain in my left upper leg around the hip, where the Betzbone was inserted. It annoys me when I walk. Furthermore, I feel some pain in my right thigh, probably because the muscle is being stretched. Nothing I can’t handle though, I’ve still got 6 to 8 weeks to go.
Chapter 4
Weeks 13 to 16
Late distraction phase
Week 13
The pain in my right leg is gone, but I still feel pain in my left leg around the hip and now also at the top of my inner thigh. It’s quite painful and defintely related to stretching of nerves, as the pain is very sharp and depends on how my leg is positioned. I think it’s finally hitting me how tall I actually am, yet none of my colleagues have said anything. Initially, I was nervous, especially around the colleagues I will become taller than and those I might end up being the same height as. However, no one has commented, probably because I’m using crutches and rarely stand next to anyone at the office. I guess it’s all in my head. Overall, there have been no major issues with my body this week; clicking has now just become a matter of endurance.
Week 14
I went to Germany for a few days at the beginning of this week. Everything went well, and the bus trip lasted around six hours in total, back and forth. I stood up for a few minutes every hour, so I did not experience any real complications from the trip. I also reached 171 cm in height, and I still sadly feel a sharp pain in my left upper thigh. I am hoping the issue will disappear, just like the somewhat similar problem I had below my knee a few weeks ago. The pain there is now almost gone at the end of the week. It seems that the nerve issues only hurt for a few days before my body gets used to the stretching of my bones. I had a meeting with the physiotherapist this week. They saw a video of me walking and were happy with my progress. My gait is good, and I can bend my knees well.
Week 15
This week marks the start of March, I will reach 172 cm, and this will be my last month of clicking. I am excited, and even though I have felt pain throughout the process, I can hardly believe that the process is about to end. My left leg is still a bit painful, though in another spot and it depends on how I place my leg. I am also starting to feel a slight tingling in my feet sometimes, something that should be normal at this time in the process. I sometimes tend to postpone the clicking slightly, even though it does not actually hurt, though clicking is loud. I've had to reposition my left leg when clicking, so that instead of me moving the leg, I move place the leg on the side and move my upper body until it clicks. I did that in the beginning of January too, when clicking initially became better.
Week 16
I am so close to my goal, but I have never felt this tired in my life. It’s draining, especially when I have to physically go to work or attend events. I’m exhausted, yet I can’t really sleep. I’ve started using the crutches again, mostly because I feel tired all the time. I find myself wanting to take a nap every day around 2 pm, and if I’m at work and unable to, I’m completely exhausted by the time I get home around 5 pm. My nerves are being stretched so clicking can hurt a bit on the left leg. I've started to use the heating pad again, which helps my body loosen up ahead of clicking.
Chapter 5
Weeks 17 to 20
Final distraction and transition to consolidation
Week 17
I've decided that I want to stop the lengthening process by the end of this month, March. I will be crossing the 9 cm line this week, so I'm almost finished. By the end of this week, I'll be traveling to Paris for a short weekend trip, hopefully it won't be too draining. Nothing new, just a game of endurance as usual. My legs are sore and heavy and clicking is a bit painful.
Week 18
The trip to Paris was tough, and I am still a bit sore. I will be going to my hometown this week, as I need to attend a work event in the middle of the week. Clicking has become quite easy now; it almost feels like when I first started, and I can move my leg by itself and make it click without using my hands. I have decided to stop clicking by the end of this week, which should bring me to almost 10 cm, and I am really looking forward to finally relaxing and focusing on healing. I had a meeting with the physio team, and they explained how to gradually decrease my medication over the next 3–4 weeks and introduced some new exercises that I now need to do.
Week 19
This is my first week after stopping clicking. The tension is gradually disappearing, and I have been instructed to stretch with kneeling shin stretches and lunges. Both are quite difficult at this stage, and I can already tell it will take some time before I can properly perform the kneeling shin stretch. I have put my crutches away and have started walking outside using trekking poles instead. I began by walking around my building and have been slowly increasing the number of laps. The pain is essentially gone, but my walking is still limited, and I get exhausted quite quickly.
Week 20
This will be the last week for me to write this diary. I can feel that I’m becoming more flexible, and I try to do the new stretching exercises for 1–2 hours daily. I’m still not able to fully perform kneeling shin stretches or lunges yet, but I’m moving in the right direction. Last weekend, I attended a birthday party for my cousin, where I met relatives I hadn’t seen for years. I brought my crutches and said I had undergone knee surgery due to an old gym injury. Nobody commented on my height, nor could I see any surprise on their faces when they saw me. I’m so happy. I get less exhausted, and my gait is more stable, although I’m still using trekking poles. Overall, I’m very happy with my results and can feel that I’ll be back to walking normally within the next few weeks. I can’t believe that I’m finally done and achieved everything I wanted in terms of lengthening, all without anyone commenting on the height difference, it’s just amazing. I can highly recommend the Becker Betz Institute and its amazing and caring team