Quote from: TheAlchemist on June 14, 2019, 09:40:59 PMThanks vertical push! Super helpful, going to take your advice and book my care taker hours accordingly. Sorry I forgot to ask, with regards to flexibility, how important do you think building up flexibility is pre op? I can’t touch my toes and my op is 2 months away. How flexible were you before the op? Paley told me pre op flexibility is not a huge factor in putting the odds in my favor.
I'll be honest - Dr. D. got on me about flexibility pre-op, encouraging me to do yoga, but I didn't take it that seriously. I think I read the same thing you read about Paley's advice re: flexibility not being as much of a factor (especially if you do cardio at the gym pretty regularly). During my in person consultation before surgery, Dr. D. takes measurements of how flexible you are. Needless to say, I was NOT that flexible.
Having said all that, it's possible this would be a bit easier if I was more flexible. But, given that my experience so far has been about as smooth as I could hope for, I'm really not that upset. Build up your stamina. Build up your tolerance by pushing yourself beyond your limit in the gym. I think those two things make an even bigger impact in PT, which ultimately makes the biggest impact in your recovery.
My Vertical Push with Dr. Debiparshad (Strydes in Femurs)
Quote from: verticalpush on June 14, 2019, 10:00:00 PMI'll be honest - Dr. D. got on me about flexibility pre-op, encouraging me to do yoga, but I didn't take it that seriously. I think I read the same thing you read about Paley's advice re: flexibility not being as much of a factor (especially if you do cardio at the gym pretty regularly). During my in person consultation before surgery, Dr. D. takes measurements of how flexible you are. Needless to say, I was NOT that flexible.
Having said all that, it's possible this would be a bit easier if I was more flexible. But, given that my experience so far has been about as smooth as I could hope for, I'm really not that upset. Build up your stamina. Build up your tolerance by pushing yourself beyond your limit in the gym. I think those two things make an even bigger impact in PT, which ultimately makes the biggest impact in your recovery.
Congrats so far Vertical. Best wishes onward man!
Quote from: OGfivesevener on June 15, 2019, 04:05:57 AMCongrats so far Vertical. Best wishes onward man!
Thank you OGfivesevener! Still have a long way to go, but approaching 20 mm or 1/4 of the distraction is very exciting!
Quote from: verticalpush on June 16, 2019, 05:53:58 PMThank you OGfivesevener! Still have a long way to go, but approaching 20 mm or 1/4 of the distraction is very exciting!
Great to hear you are doing so well!
Have you had moments when you were scared on the days leading up to the op? Also have you had any moments of 'wtf have I done?!' since the op?
I'm very active and play a lot of sport and go to the gym- would you recommend I mentally prepare myself for not being able to use my legs and drive etc. it must be frustrating at first.
Thanks!
Quote from: MichaelJose on June 16, 2019, 05:58:40 PMGreat to hear you are doing so well!
Have you had moments when you were scared on the days leading up to the op? Also have you had any moments of 'wtf have I done?!' since the op?
I'm very active and play a lot of sport and go to the gym- would you recommend I mentally prepare myself for not being able to use my legs and drive etc. it must be frustrating at first.
Thanks!
First off, thank you MichaelJose! I consider myself VERY lucky because I took many chances along the way. I still have a LONG way to go before I can walk with a decent gait BUT every day I get closer to my goal!
I was PETRIFIED on the days leading up to the surgery. I booked a hotel on the strip (the Tropicana) and don't think I had a single alcoholic drink before surgery. I spent most of my time in the hotel room second guessing the whole thing and I couldn't sleep at all the 2 nights before surgery. I think if I was to do it over again, I'd either cut down the amount of time I spent in Las Vegas pre-surgery, or I'd convince a friend to go with me and force myself to go out and have fun.
As far as "WTF have I done" moments, the first day post-surgery in the hospital working with the hospital PT was the worst and I broke down a few times. I couldn't walk -- or at least I was convinced I couldn't walk. Here I was, having hiked the beautiful Red Rock canyon 2 days ago and now I couldn't get out of bed. The PT (and if you've followed my diary you know I thought she was wonderful) had no idea what to tell me that first day. I was angry at myself, I had regrets -- basically, I had the entire wrong attitude.
The GOOD NEWS is that those feelings largely went away the second day post-surgery as soon as I told myself that I *COULD* walk (with the walker), and I could successfully push myself. There were tears of joy on my face when I was able to walk out of my hospital room into the hallway. So, since that first day post-surgery, there have been zero times where I thought WTF have I done. It is NORMAL to feel that way before surgery, and it is NORMAL to feel that way until you can walk. But you WILL prevail and you WILL reach your goal. It isn't easy though!
Quote from: verticalpush on June 16, 2019, 09:49:04 PMFirst off, thank you MichaelJose! I consider myself VERY lucky because I took many chances along the way. I still have a LONG way to go before I can walk with a decent gait BUT every day I get closer to my goal!
I was PETRIFIED on the days leading up to the surgery. I booked a hotel on the strip (the Tropicana) and don't think I had a single alcoholic drink before surgery. I spent most of my time in the hotel room second guessing the whole thing and I couldn't sleep at all the 2 nights before surgery. I think if I was to do it over again, I'd either cut down the amount of time I spent in Las Vegas pre-surgery, or I'd convince a friend to go with me and force myself to go out and have fun.
As far as "WTF have I done" moments, the first day post-surgery in the hospital working with the hospital PT was the worst and I broke down a few times. I couldn't walk -- or at least I was convinced I couldn't walk. Here I was, having hiked the beautiful Red Rock canyon 2 days ago and now I couldn't get out of bed. The PT (and if you've followed my diary you know I thought she was wonderful) had no idea what to tell me that first day. I was angry at myself, I had regrets -- basically, I had the entire wrong attitude.
The GOOD NEWS is that those feelings largely went away the second day post-surgery as soon as I told myself that I *COULD* walk (with the walker), and I could successfully push myself. There were tears of joy on my face when I was able to walk out of my hospital room into the hallway. So, since that first day post-surgery, there have been zero times where I thought WTF have I done. It is NORMAL to feel that way before surgery, and it is NORMAL to feel that way until you can walk. But you WILL prevail and you WILL reach your goal. It isn't easy though!
That's so interesting to hear. I complete agree with you in terms of the feelings you felt being normal. I think this process must be so special. Ultimately your life will not end badly at your current height - but this is your pursuit to see if your pre-conceptions of how your life will improve at your new height are actually real. I personally believe they will.
For me - what you have said above has me thinking that the joy is really in the process. Good luck and I hope to see another video soon!
Hi everyone! Here with a quick update on day 24 post lengthening. I'm now *officially* 2cm taller than I was when I started this journey! My closest friends who I did tell the truth about the surgery asked me if I notice a difference in my height yet. The truth is, sort of. I feel a *little* bit taller, but since I used to wear 2 inch lifts in my shoes it will probably be another month before I really notice a difference.
Like I mentioned in previous updates, I'm back at home now where I feel so much more comfortable. Just doing simple tasks like taking the trash down the hallway to the trash chute makes me feel like a normal person. Every day, however, people stop and ask me about my injury. It's especially difficult with neighbors who know me. When I say "leg surgery", many times people are concerned and want more details. Keep this in mind if you do lengthening at "home", where neighbors are going to see you and will be interested in what happened. One of my neighbors clearly knew a LOT more about leg surgery than I do and I felt like I was being interrogated! 
I met with the new PT today, and she seems great. She has experience working with limb-lengthening cases - but none of those cases were cosmetic. She was fascinated by the Stryde nail - I'm her first case. Right now I am praying that insurance will work as I expect it to, and it will help cover PT sessions. I will know in a day or two and then it will be onwards to scheduling. The goal of the meeting however was assessment. Guys - I have a LONG way to go. It's very clear I have much work to do to regain my flexibility. For example, I'm relying on upper body strength to lift myself up from a chair into the standing position. We set benchmarks today that I hope I will quickly beat. However, I worry that in the immediate future my flexibility may not improve (and it may actually get worse) as distraction continues. I'd love to hear from some veterans if their flexibility improved before they completed distraction.
The important thing is I've walked a LOT every single day, including down three flights of stairs yesterday. I'm also continuing the exercises I did every day with the PT in Las Vegas. Also, today I drove for the first time and it was so much easier than I expected it to be. I promptly used my newly regained driving abilities to pull into a drive thru for one of the easiest meals I've had in weeks.
Everything is improving by the day, and I'm excited to celebrate the 25% point!
Quote from: MichaelJose on June 17, 2019, 06:23:31 PMThat's so interesting to hear. I complete agree with you in terms of the feelings you felt being normal. I think this process must be so special. Ultimately your life will not end badly at your current height - but this is your pursuit to see if your pre-conceptions of how your life will improve at your new height are actually real. I personally believe they will.
For me - what you have said above has me thinking that the joy is really in the process. Good luck and I hope to see another video soon!
Thank you for the encouraging words, MichaelJose! I'd be happy to post another video of me walking soon. Truth be told my gait has not improved much from the first video (but at least it's not worse -- I think). But, now that I'm at the 2cm mark I'd be happy to post another video to give folks some idea of what to expect when they're at the 25% distraction point.
I'll give another update in a few days. Hope everyone is having a fantastic start to the week.
Quote from: verticalpush on June 18, 2019, 05:05:07 AMHi everyone! Here with a quick update on day 24 post lengthening. I'm now *officially* 2cm taller than I was when I started this journey! My closest friends who I did tell the truth about the surgery asked me if I notice a difference in my height yet. The truth is, sort of. I feel a *little* bit taller, but since I used to wear 2 inch lifts in my shoes it will probably be another month before I really notice a difference.
Like I mentioned in previous updates, I'm back at home now where I feel so much more comfortable. Just doing simple tasks like taking the trash down the hallway to the trash chute makes me feel like a normal person. Every day, however, people stop and ask me about my injury. It's especially difficult with neighbors who know me. When I say "leg surgery", many times people are concerned and want more details. Keep this in mind if you do lengthening at "home", where neighbors are going to see you and will be interested in what happened. One of my neighbors clearly knew a LOT more about leg surgery than I do and I felt like I was being interrogated!
I met with the new PT today, and she seems great. She has experience working with limb-lengthening cases - but none of those cases were cosmetic. She was fascinated by the Stryde nail - I'm her first case. Right now I am praying that insurance will work as I expect it to, and it will help cover PT sessions. I will know in a day or two and then it will be onwards to scheduling. The goal of the meeting however was assessment. Guys - I have a LONG way to go. It's very clear I have much work to do to regain my flexibility. For example, I'm relying on upper body strength to lift myself up from a chair into the standing position. We set benchmarks today that I hope I will quickly beat. However, I worry that in the immediate future my flexibility may not improve (and it may actually get worse) as distraction continues. I'd love to hear from some veterans if their flexibility improved before they completed distraction.
The important thing is I've walked a LOT every single day, including down three flights of stairs yesterday. I'm also continuing the exercises I did every day with the PT in Las Vegas. Also, today I drove for the first time and it was so much easier than I expected it to be. I promptly used my newly regained driving abilities to pull into a drive thru for one of the easiest meals I've had in weeks.
Everything is improving by the day, and I'm excited to celebrate the 25% point!
Thank you for the encouraging words, MichaelJose! I'd be happy to post another video of me walking soon. Truth be told my gait has not improved much from the first video (but at least it's not worse -- I think). But, now that I'm at the 2cm mark I'd be happy to post another video to give folks some idea of what to expect when they're at the 25% distraction point.
I'll give another update in a few days. Hope everyone is having a fantastic start to the week.
Great update and thanks for keeping us all posted on your journey. When you say you have a LONG way to go - I wouldn't put that pressure on yourself - just take it day by day - I have a feeling that you will fly through this (esp considering your video after only 2 weeks). And how have you been able to drive already! that's so good.
To be honest - it is really difficult to gauge what are appropriate goals during this process - could you share what yours are please - for example do you aim to walk with no cane by X day or did you aim to drive by X day.
It is really hard to understand exactly how mobile you are! All the best and good luck bud.
Quote from: verticalpush on June 18, 2019, 05:05:07 AMThe important thing is I've walked a LOT every single day, including down three flights of stairs yesterday. I'm also continuing the exercises I did every day with the PT in Las Vegas. Also, today I drove for the first time and it was so much easier than I expected it to be. I promptly used my newly regained driving abilities to pull into a drive thru for one of the easiest meals I've had in weeks.
Everything is improving by the day, and I'm excited to celebrate the 25% point!
This is very encouraging that you're driving and going down flights of stairs on day 24! Keep up with the great posts VP.
P.S. I sent you a message(s).
Thank you for the nice comments, SimonFuller and Artificial Stature! I responded to your direct message, Artificial Stature.
I especially appreciate your advice to take it easy on myself, SimonFuller! I'm happy to talk about goals. Now that I'm about 3 days away from my first inch, and 5 days since my initial surgery, my main goal is to develop a better way of walking with my cane. I can walk without the cane, but without the cane it's far less natural and I feel like it is beginning to hurt my hips. You also take a significant risk of falling when you don't use the cane. Basically, from reading other Stryde diaries, it sounds doubtful my gait will improve very much until distraction is complete, and it also sounds like it's doubtful I'll give up the cane until distraction is complete. I'd love to be wrong about that though.
Here are two quick updates. First, insurance has been an absolute disaster with arranging physical therapy. I went to one PT who's practice was listed as covered under my PT. There were two issues leading to a denial - Dr. D., who I listed on the form instead of my (local) primary physician, is out of network. That's a big no no. Also, the specific therapist apparently isn't affiliated with my insurance. So, I had a second assessment with a different PT at a different clinic earlier today which went fine, but she has no experience working with limb lengthening patients. She's a younger PT, but she seemed very curious and told me she did all sorts of research on this when I was assigned to her. Maybe she'll run across this forum 
! I'll find out for certain tomorrow if insurance will finally work as it should.
The second update is a bit jarring to me. My left leg is overall more stiff than my right leg, and I'd say I notice a dull pain in my left hip. But here is the issue -- as of yesterday, while lengthening with the external remote controller (ERC), I now feel my bone distracting on my left femur in the form of short "pulses" or micro spasms, particularly after the first 30 seconds or so of using the machine. I still don't feel anything while lengthening the right femur, but before yesterday I didn't feel a thing during the distraction process on either leg.
It's not painful, and it's a little hard to describe the sensation. Every few seconds or so while lengthening I feel a pulse coming from inside my leg. I'm sure it's what you'd feel if you had an external device and had to "click" to lengthen. I always have my legs straight on the bed while distracting, and moving or stretching my leg seems to have no effect on this pulse sensation. The pulses each last for a split second, then it's another few seconds or so until I feel another pulse. Because it isn't painful I'll keep trucking, but I intend to contact Dr. D. and the Nuvasive rep tomorrow to let them know about this and to confirm that is normal. I'd rather not "feel" my femur stretching even though there is no pain, but sadly that might not be an option. I haven't seen this mentioned on anyone else's diary, so maybe this is just a special case. I'm curious what changed to cause me to feel the lengthening process on my left femur.
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