Quote from: ballsackoffury123 on April 03, 2023, 08:00:35 AMgreat read, great journal. I’m 1.4cm in my precise 2.2 journey with dr d in Las Vegas and know I’ll have a long journey ahead. Great to be able to read about what to expect going forward
Thank you! Wishing you the best on your journey.
Quote from: user1396 on April 08, 2023, 03:58:05 PMThanks! Not much of a change since last time, slowly increasing my step count. My cardiovascular condition is pretty bad right now (obviously), that’s a bit of a bottleneck along with muscle tightness. I’m going to see the doctor in a few weeks and will post an update then.
Did u tell your cardiovascular condition to Dr Assayag? What did he say? How bad is your condition?
Hope u will be better!
Quote from: Yau on April 08, 2023, 04:46:52 PMDid u tell your cardiovascular condition to Dr Assayag? What did he say? How bad is your condition?
Hope u will be better!
Thanks - I just meant I’m in bad cardio shape since I’ve been sedentary for 6 months! Nothing to worry about.
Quote from: user1396 on April 08, 2023, 04:56:29 PMThanks - I just meant I’m in bad cardio shape since I’ve been sedentary for 6 months! Nothing to worry about.
Keep to update your diary! Let us know your progress!
I am also considering Dr Assayag, he is a honest and caring dr.
Amazing diary! Glad you're doing better with your recovery.
When you did the accordion method, you were doing just 1mm back and forth or more? And that was weeks into your consolidation? I'm in a somewhat similar position so would be interesting to hear how it worked for you (I remember Assayag doing it with other patients as well).
Besides walking, are you working on strength as well? Or not yet?
Quote from: hippo60 on April 12, 2023, 10:28:54 PMAmazing diary! Glad you're doing better with your recovery.
When you did the accordion method, you were doing just 1mm back and forth or more? And that was weeks into your consolidation? I'm in a somewhat similar position so would be interesting to hear how it worked for you (I remember Assayag doing it with other patients as well).
Besides walking, are you working on strength as well? Or not yet?
Thank you, hippo! In my case, we knew bone growth was a little lagging on the left side for about a month approaching consolidation. So when I finished lengthening to 8cm, I immediately started doing accordion of 1mm back and forth each day. For example, Monday contract by 1mm, Tuesday lengthen 1mm…and so forth for about a month until I saw Dr. A in person and he gave me the okay to stop.
It’s hard to tell how much of a difference it made since there’s no real baseline to compare with, but guess my bone growth was satisfactory by one month into consolidation that the doctor was okay stopping accordion. It was certainly a huge relief to turn in the ERC!
Quote from: user1396 on April 13, 2023, 01:01:26 AMThank you, hippo! In my case, we knew bone growth was a little lagging on the left side for about a month approaching consolidation. So when I finished lengthening to 8cm, I immediately started doing accordion of 1mm back and forth each day. For example, Monday contract by 1mm, Tuesday lengthen 1mm…and so forth for about a month until I saw Dr. A in person and he gave me the okay to stop.
It’s hard to tell how much of a difference it made since there’s no real baseline to compare with, but guess my bone growth was satisfactory by one month into consolidation that the doctor was okay stopping accordion. It was certainly a huge relief to turn in the ERC!
That's super interesting! Maybe the baseline is the comparison to your other leg?
After that month you were ok to start walking with a walker? Did you have any limitations?
And just out of curiosity, did you have to re-program the machine every day? Or did you just turned it upside down?
Just to share my perceptive - I'm a Dr. Rozbruch's patient, and in a somewhat similar scenario. I'm finishing in a few days and will start the accordion method as well. In my case, he wants me to go back to 7cm and then back to 8cm (over 30 days). He's fairly confident I'll catch up with my other leg and able to weight-bear. Was slightly nervous about it but definitely prefer that over just waiting and hoping for the best.
Quote from: hippo60 on April 13, 2023, 01:51:15 AMThat's super interesting! Maybe the baseline is the comparison to your other leg?
After that month you were ok to start walking with a walker? Did you have any limitations?
And just out of curiosity, did you have to re-program the machine every day? Or did you just turned it upside down?
Just to share my perceptive - I'm a Dr. Rozbruch's patient, and in a somewhat similar scenario. I'm finishing in a few days and will start the accordion method as well. In my case, he wants me to go back to 7cm and then back to 8cm (over 30 days). He's fairly confident I'll catch up with my other leg and able to weight-bear. Was slightly nervous about it but definitely prefer that over just waiting and hoping for the best.
I'm not sure my left ever caught up to the right, still a bit behind, but apparently it was good enough to move to the next phase. I had been using a walker already, so I was able to switch over to crutches following that month of accordion and then switched to a cane one month later after my next x-rays.
I didn't have to reprogram daily, just did it once at the beginning with the help of the Nuvasive guy and then just flipped upside down on contraction days and right-side up on lengthening days.
Yeah, I've heard there are multiple approaches to accordion - 1mm, 5mm, and 1cm - depending on the doctor. I asked if I could try the 1mm variety just because it would have been psychologically disturbing to me to retract by a full cm. That said, there's a good chance it could be more effective the way Dr. R is recommending.
Congrats on making it this far - wish you the best! Keep me posted.
Quote from: user1396 on April 14, 2023, 10:40:53 PMI'm not sure my left ever caught up to the right, still a bit behind, but apparently it was good enough to move to the next phase. I had been using a walker already, so I was able to switch over to crutches following that month of accordion and then switched to a cane one month later after my next x-rays.
Yeah, I've heard there are multiple approaches to accordion - 1mm, 5mm, and 1cm - depending on the doctor. I asked if I could try the 1mm variety just because it would have been psychologically disturbing to me to retract by a full cm. That said, there's a good chance it could be more effective the way Dr. R is recommending.
Congrats on making it this far - wish you the best! Keep me posted.
You were already on a walker as soon as you finished lengthening? Or did you finish, move to walker, and then did that to speed things up?
I wasn't "offered" any other options 
, he basically said it's either just wait or do this. He mentioned the bone likes to get crushed and he had very positive results with that method. I can definitely see the psychological aspect but honestly I don't care too much, I'll do what needs to be done to move forward 
And thanks man, likewise!
Quote from: hippo60 on April 15, 2023, 12:37:33 AMYou were already on a walker as soon as you finished lengthening? Or did you finish, move to walker, and then did that to speed things up?
I wasn't "offered" any other options , he basically said it's either just wait or do this. He mentioned the bone likes to get crushed and he had very positive results with that method. I can definitely see the psychological aspect but honestly I don't care too much, I'll do what needs to be done to move forward
And thanks man, likewise!
I actually started with the walker way earlier during the distraction period. I weighed about 135 pounds and had the 75 pound rods so we figured there was little risk, and in general I think Dr. A is comfortable with the risk / reward profile of getting people to partially weight bear a bit earlier to stimulate bone growth. I suppose that helped me but no way of really knowing.
“Bone just likes to be crushed” - that’s gotta be one of my favorite new LL sayings, Lol.
You must be logged in to post a reply.