Femurs with Dr. Shahab Mahboubian - July 2020

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Quote from: readyprecisestryde on January 03, 2021, 08:04:38 PMI stopped lengthening several months ago and I am several inches away from touching my toes too. I stretch several hours daily and work super hard at it. I am hoping to gain more flexibility in the coming months. Amazing recovery SNC!!

Hey rpc bro,
Thanks for your notes. You helped me a lot throughout this journey and I hope I manage to return the favor.   Please feel free to PM anytime, so we double check the exercise routine you take.

SNC

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Quote from: BelowTheMean on January 03, 2021, 03:27:34 PMI'm amazed by your flexibility as well. Before the surgery I might have been able to touch the road while standing on the curb, but right now I'm many inches away from even touching my toes. I've been working hard on my hamstring and calf flexibility but clearly I have a long way to go! Your swimming videos are great as well. I'm a bit wary of going to a public pool during the pandemic as well, but I'd love to try swimming in my current condition.

Hi BTM,

Please do not worry too much about your Forward Fold flexibility during the distraction stage. Assuming you have at least one forward fold move added to your stretching set and you repeat the set, two or three times per day, you should get your flexibility back soon after you are done with the distraction phase.
 
Please feel free to PM me, anytime you think  I can help with something.

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Quote from: asian on January 03, 2021, 02:03:17 PMHappy new year! SNC, your flexibility is amazing!! I'm really impressed by your videos. Your gait is completely normal now! I think hard-working is the key to recovery.

I'd also like to add one point, since you mentioned the hard work.

As IFS and some others have stated, the CLL process changes us forever. It not only makes us taller, but also hopefully makes us a better person; wiser, stronger, more patient, more determined and more tolerant of tough situations. The fact that many of us stick to the exercises and diet and spend a good amount of time daily, is very impactful.

I am an athlete, but I've never been a pro; I therefore never needed to spend long daily hours for long periods, preparing for a professional competition. That has changed for me. I feel like the consistency with exercises and not missing them for almost six months have made me even stronger than my pre-op, physically and mentally.

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Quote from: StrydeNailChallenge on January 03, 2021, 02:06:13 AMAs part of my daily stretching routine, I make sure to do some Forward Fold or Standing Forward poses, like this one:



I could resume such exercises, a couple weeks after the surgery. However I gradually lost flexibility during the distraction phase. The two week fast distraction time (of 1.33mm per day) was my worst time in terms of flexibility. About a week after the last day of distraction, I could resume the forward or standing fold pose and flexible enough to touch my toes or the floor; with a short warmup. Now I can do that without any warmup. 

I would also like to write about another warmup time! I would like to call it the CLL'er Rebooting Time (CRT)    By CRT , I mean the time it takes to start feeling normal while walking, after a long duration of being in a steady position, e.g., after a long drive, or being in a sitting position for a long time.

I think for someone to be back at normal, CRT should be zero. That is not the case for me yet. If I drive or sit for say more than an hour, then starting to walk, is also a reminder of my surgery. Not that I would necessarily have pain or soreness, but a general feeling that my walk does not feel normal and the gait may not be normal during CRT. However as I built strength, my CRT got shorter. E.g., back in November (around month 4 post-up) my CRT was around a minute. I would joke to my friends that I am like a Windows 95! I take time to reboot These days it is typically less than half a minute.


 
What a beast! Amazing even for a normal person

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Yeah, that kind of flexibility just barely 5 months after cutting your thigh tissue and breaking both femurs is illegal. The most impressive patient I've ever seen... StrydeNailChallenge

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Quote from: Tartar on January 04, 2021, 08:31:03 PMWhat a beast! Amazing even for a normal person

Thanks Tartar,

It feels good to be called a beast    

How is it going? I hope you are happy with your gait and strength so far.

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Quote from: ghkid2019 on January 04, 2021, 08:33:28 PMYeah, that kind of flexibility just barely 5 months after cutting your thigh tissue and breaking both femurs is illegal. The most impressive patient I've ever seen... StrydeNailChallenge

Thanks ghkid2019. Believe it or not, I was talking about you with a friend of mine yesterday. I think of you as the Simon Cowell of this forum! direct to the point, and precise   it means a lot man; to receive such kind words from you!

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Quote from: StrydeNailChallenge on January 04, 2021, 09:47:52 PMThanks Tartar,

It feels good to be called a beast    

How is it going? I hope you are happy with your gait and strength so far.
Unfortunately I'm a bit unlucky, my right leg is healed but the left one has problem with the nail, it's moving. I'm lazing in the bed to let it consolidate, I'm probably worse than a precice 2 patient but I hope to come back as soon as possible
But I'm happy to see that you and m7 are already so fine!

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Quote from: Tartar on January 05, 2021, 12:49:58 PMUnfortunately I'm a bit unlucky, my right leg is healed but the left one has problem with the nail, it's moving. I'm lazing in the bed to let it consolidate, I'm probably worse than a precice 2 patient but I hope to come back as soon as possible
But I'm happy to see that you and m7 are already so fine!

Sorry to hear that Tartar! Did you doctor recommend using crutches and use your right leg to move around? just to keep your body mobility at a minimum level to avoid any health complications?  I hope your consolidation phase passes soon successfully.

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Day 158 Post-op (Sun., Dec. 27 ) - Consolidation Day 77
Day 159 Post-op (Mon., Dec. 28 ) - Consolidation Day 78



Jogging and Walking: I have recently been jogging for a minimum of 1.5 mile (daily) in intervals of 0.1 to 0.5 miles, without pushing it too much. This is because, I'll have an appt. with Dr. M on Jan 12th.  I hope I will have excellent bone consolidation and hardening with no nail bending, or any other complications, therefore have not pushed on jogging.

While jogging, I make sure stay below 30% of what I can do in terms of max speed and force; just to be safe, but figured doing a big zig zagging is totally safe, while helping me strengthen my legs. This is an example of how I do that:



I also try to do indoor biking daily.


Swimming:  Swimming has been my main workout for a long time. I however had to stop swimming back in early 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions. I went to swimming for a second time this year, and since the surgery on Dec. 28th:

This video was taken on on that day. It was raining here in LA, which made my swimming experience so special. I don't think the video does justice on how beautiful that evening was, though:



I feel pretty normal in the pool. Can do all the things I used to do with no issues. I could get into the pool and get out of it, without the need of using the stairs; like old times I grabbed the wall and jumped in and also pushed my body out and using my legs to stand up. Felt pretty good. I however am not at my maximum speed yet. I need to work on my upper body. Unfortunately the long duration of no swim, has made my upper body weak.