Quote from: uponly on May 31, 2023, 05:12:27 PMYesterday, my ERC device read "Goal Complete!" after I hit 8 CM on both femurs. Having started at (depending on stadiometer, as stated either here or on another thread) at 178.5 - 179 CM, I measured at 187.3 or so after last lengthening.
It seems that I may have gotten some additional benefit from my legs straightening out a bit by the Precice nails being implanted by a highly experienced Dr. I didn't even know this was possible until Dr. Marie mentioned it in the interview. Either that or the measurement was generous that time of day. Who knows 
. But I got my 8 CM, I'm incredibly happy, I'm done lengthening and onto consolidation.
My last set of x rays continue to show amazing bone growth. Out of sheer precaution, as one of the nails show a bit of ever so slight bending, Dr. Rozbruch is recommending not progressing from wheelchair/walker for another 4 weeks or so. I'm completely fine with that.
I literally could not have hoped for a better outcome. I have no side effects, no drop foot, duck ass, ballerina foot, nerve pain is gone, legs feel very strong. Absolutely nothing. My ROM (range of motion) has decreased by about 35%, but as I was incredibly flexible before starting lengthening, my ROM is still above that of the average person, according to my PT. He expects me to get it all back in 6-12 months. He expects me to regain close to my previous levels of athleticism, etc. if I work hard (this will take 2-3 years). I'm not really concerned. Fitness wise, he said there will be no difference. I'm giving up some sports and starting others. Everything worked out as it should.
Overall experience: Aside from the first 3 weeks of the procedure (and the first week was sheer hell), I was mostly pain free aside from the 4-5 CM period where nerve pain hit, because I controlled my pain pretty well with the right meds. I flew through the rest of it, especially the last 2.5 cm because I was sped up instead of being slowed down. The lengthening process itself never hurt once, which is the biggest benefit of Pecice aside from the ability to reverse. In fact, I'd choose Precice 100 times out of 100 just for that, and I hear that soon the new Precice full weight bearing nail will take care of the mobility part. It's inconvenient to not have mobility but certainly not to the point where it's a total life blocker. I got around in my wheelchair and walker just fine for the most part. I slept 10-12 hours every day, like a kid growing, and had some of the best sleep of my life. I ate really well - I'm keeping my new diet.
Overall, this is the best life decision I ever made. I feel absolutely AMAZING with my new height, and most important, the proportion of my femurs is no longer so skewed that I'm embarrassed to wear shorts because my femurs are so short. I'm actually more proportionate now than before. I would not change a thing if I had to do it again, and I'm incredibly grateful to have a world-class surgeon like Dr. Rozbruch perform the operation to get to such an awesome outcome.
Parting words for those looking at CLL and hoping for a similar outcome. Below are from my experience and believe to be good advice, but can be taken as my opinion only. Take what's useful to you, leave the rest. I just hope it's helpful.
- Sleep, nutrition, supplements, rigorous PT, exercise bike, pool, sauna. The first 4 are absolute requirements. If you can, hire a PT and/or do PT every day. A list of supplements and the diet I took to get to the bone growth I got is somewhere on this thread. I'm keeping my PT every day for at least another 2 months to ensure I get my gait and ROM back as quickly as possible.
- Don't do this on a budget. Just don't. I know the feeling of wanting to do this so bad as soon as possible. The theorem of "Good, Fast and Cheap - you can only pick two" applies here. Your desired outcome is not height, that's a preferred benefit, it's to safely walk again and get fully back to normal. Do this with an experienced Dr., in a country with a great medical system, where not only the procedure but any complications that arise can be swiftly handled.
Save your money, work a side gig, hustle. I could afford Dr. Rozbruch or Dr. Paley, but I would have done it in LA or Vegas for 70-80K all inclusive if I couldn't instead of Turkey or Greece or wherever. Be smart and give yourself the best and safest possible outcome.
- Be patient and listen to your doctor. This procedure will either teach you patience or put you back in the hospital by breaking a nail. Be OK to sacrifice a few months for a life-changing outcome. Protect your investment, because that's what this is, so you can enjoy it for the rest of your life.
- Have a support group, and do this with a friend. I was honest with people about what I was doing. It's a personal decision, but I didn't see any point in hiding what would become the obvious. I found that people were curious, supportive, mostly non-judgmental, and two are now signed up for surgery. My neighbors and friends have been rooting me on and are throwing me a party .
I could not have done this without the support and friendship of hippo06. Find someone who is doing the procedure and befriend them. We talked every day, encouraged each other, traded tips, got each other through tough times. This is now a lifelong friendship and I'm so grateful I made another close friend. Thank you so much brother for everything you did to help.
Best of luck, and farewell!!
Congratulation! I am glad to see every LLer is going well. Please ignore the provoking post and keep to update your post. I support u💪!