Hey there RB, one question about the IT band: Is it possible for someone to go and have their it band released a few days prior to the surgery?
Do you know if that's possible? Or if Betz can answer it?
Quote from: leoth2 on May 24, 2021, 10:37:30 AMDid you go alone?
How did you go toilet after operation?
Yes I did this alone. I needed help from the nurses to do a number 2 for the first 2 days, however after that I was able to train my self on how to go from crutches to toilet seat.
Quote from: pownzorgeek on May 24, 2021, 04:22:25 PMHey there RB, one question about the IT band: Is it possible for someone to go and have their it band released a few days prior to the surgery?
Do you know if that's possible? Or if Betz can answer it?
I guess it would be theoretically possible, however it might not be a good idea due to the extra surgery before the major surgery so there is an increased risk of infection plus more trauma to the body. The best thing to do would be to get an IT band release after lengthening if you did need one, however it seems majority of patients don't end up needing one. I feel that my duck ass and wide legs will improve shortly after lengthening as wide legs have already come in, however if it took months and months to resolve I would consider a release but only after lengthening.
76 days post-surgery - 6.06cm taller
Hey guys,
I have crossed the 6cm mark so thought I would provide an update. Generally I am feeling ok, so I am confident I will be able to press on to my goal of 7cm, although things are getting much more difficult.
Improvements:
-My nerve pain is essentially gone. I attribute this to the pregabalin starting to take effect and clearly having a positive effect on supressing the nerve pain (burning sensation and shooting pains), although my right shin remains numb, it is no longer an issue due to the lack of nerve pain resulting from it.
-Wide legs continue to close in while using the crutches, so I assume walking as much as possible is the key to overcoming this issue. I expect to make even more progress with this when consolidation starts, particularly with my unassisted walk as the legs are still quite wide without crutches due to duck ass and needing additional balance without a walking aid.
-My legs now get less fatigued when walking long distances.
-Started hydrotherapy last week and this is great for practising your gait in the water without getting too fatigued and also helps strengthen all muscle groups in the legs due to the resistance of walking in the water. I also squat and do other water based exercises. I wish I had started this earlier in the process.
Obstacles:
-Duck ass has become slightly worse. It is more noticeable now and despite my best efforts to fight against it, it is a losing battle while I am still lengthening. The key is to stretch the hip flexors (which I have been doing a crapload of) and strengthen the glutes and abs. This will be my main focus during consolidation and there is no reason why I can't reduce the duck ass in a reasonable time frame by following a vigorous strengthening program.
-Tightness is increasing which makes sense as I cross the 6cm mark. I find that it is manageable by stretching 3/4 times per day and increasing the intensity of each stretch helps reduce tightness/stiffness. My PT also provides a deep tissue massage now which helps.
-Sleep has become challenging again due to the increased tightness. I still sleep but it is more challenging to get as much as sleep as I was getting in the 3-5cm period.
-Frustrated that my unassisted walk isn't where I want it to be yet. It is very wide with a lot of hip sway. Its frustrating but I know that consolidation will be where I make the greatest gains in this area.
Overall, I feel in good spirits and am pushing to my goal of 7cm (max goal of 7.5cm). I have less than 2 weeks of lengthening left and while I am so over the whole process, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and just need to dig deep to get there.
As always, feel free to ask any questions!
Congrats bro! Almost there! Very happy for you and thanks for the feedback
RB
What's ur impression on Betz?Did he mention something about retirement?
Quote from: RB on May 25, 2021, 07:48:35 AM76 days post-surgery - 6.06cm taller
Hey guys,
I have crossed the 6cm mark so thought I would provide an update. Generally I am feeling ok, so I am confident I will be able to press on to my goal of 7cm, although things are getting much more difficult.
Improvements:
-My nerve pain is essentially gone. I attribute this to the pregabalin starting to take effect and clearly having a positive effect on supressing the nerve pain (burning sensation and shooting pains), although my right shin remains numb, it is no longer an issue due to the lack of nerve pain resulting from it.
-Wide legs continue to close in while using the crutches, so I assume walking as much as possible is the key to overcoming this issue. I expect to make even more progress with this when consolidation starts, particularly with my unassisted walk as the legs are still quite wide without crutches due to duck ass and needing additional balance without a walking aid.
-My legs now get less fatigued when walking long distances.
-Started hydrotherapy last week and this is great for practising your gait in the water without getting too fatigued and also helps strengthen all muscle groups in the legs due to the resistance of walking in the water. I also squat and do other water based exercises. I wish I had started this earlier in the process.
Obstacles:
-Duck ass has become slightly worse. It is more noticeable now and despite my best efforts to fight against it, it is a losing battle while I am still lengthening. The key is to stretch the hip flexors (which I have been doing a crapload of) and strengthen the glutes and abs. This will be my main focus during consolidation and there is no reason why I can't reduce the duck ass in a reasonable time frame by following a vigorous strengthening program.
-Tightness is increasing which makes sense as I cross the 6cm mark. I find that it is manageable by stretching 3/4 times per day and increasing the intensity of each stretch helps reduce tightness/stiffness. My PT also provides a deep tissue massage now which helps.
-Sleep has become challenging again due to the increased tightness. I still sleep but it is more challenging to get as much as sleep as I was getting in the 3-5cm period.
-Frustrated that my unassisted walk isn't where I want it to be yet. It is very wide with a lot of hip sway. Its frustrating but I know that consolidation will be where I make the greatest gains in this area.
Overall, I feel in good spirits and am pushing to my goal of 7cm (max goal of 7.5cm). I have less than 2 weeks of lengthening left and while I am so over the whole process, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and just need to dig deep to get there.
As always, feel free to ask any questions!
Woahhh, that is some great news, RB! Congrats, you are almost there.
I would say if your condition is good, go for 7.5 cm. Or heck even 8 cm.
Btw, I am curious what was your tibia to femur ratio pre-surgery? If it's less, then it makes sense to not lengthen more, as it may skew up proportions.
Anyway, I wish you luck for a speedy recovery.
Quote from: Johnp86 on May 25, 2021, 08:18:49 AMCongrats bro! Almost there! Very happy for you and thanks for the feedback
Thanks bro!
Quote from: Limbfan2020 on May 25, 2021, 09:27:20 AMRB
What's ur impression on Betz?Did he mention something about retirement?
My impression of Betz is very good, he strikes me as a doctor who is very passionate about what he does. He peformed my surgery prior to his back surgery so I'm not sure if anything has changed with him but he seemed the same to me when I saw him just before I left Germany (after his surgery). No, he did not mention anything about retirement.
Quote from: chasing_higher_dream on May 25, 2021, 08:55:43 PMWoahhh, that is some great news, RB! Congrats, you are almost there.
I would say if your condition is good, go for 7.5 cm. Or heck even 8 cm.
Btw, I am curious what was your tibia to femur ratio pre-surgery? If it's less, then it makes sense to not lengthen more, as it may skew up proportions.
Anyway, I wish you luck for a speedy recovery.
Thanks man, appreciate the support as always!
My ratio pre-surgery was 0.85 so I've always had short femurs relative to my tibias. However, when I look in the mirror when nked, my femurs are starting to look very long but this could also be because they are quite skinny at the moment. I'd consider going to 7.5cm but I think 7/7.5 would be the max I'd go to for recovery reasons and the fact that I will reach my goal of 5'7 with 7cm so I don't see the need to do any extra. Proportions aren't as important to me but the femurs are starting to look quite long for sure.
Fantastic news and update RB!
Really good to read a successful and relatively trouble-free experience to a very decent length!
May I know your experiences with x-rays and acquisition frequency? Have you been able to gauge progress properly, with the lower frequency of x-raying, with this nail? Have you seen recent progress - what was the feedback? For peace of mind, I would happily arrange to do more regular x-rays (e.g.; every 2-3 weeks), but I wanted to know if that was actually an issue/worry that those going through the process faced.
Good luck the final few mm!
Quote from: Zatoichi on May 26, 2021, 02:43:42 AMFantastic news and update RB!
Really good to read a successful and relatively trouble-free experience to a very decent length!
May I know your experiences with x-rays and acquisition frequency? Have you been able to gauge progress properly, with the lower frequency of x-raying, with this nail? Have you seen recent progress - what was the feedback? For peace of mind, I would happily arrange to do more regular x-rays (e.g.; every 2-3 weeks), but I wanted to know if that was actually an issue/worry that those going through the process faced.
Good luck the final few mm!
Thanks for the support Zatoichi!
I requested one extra x-ray before I left Germany as I wanted to make sure I was generating sufficient callous early on. Once I saw there was good growth and then on my most recent one a few weeks ago showing the same thing, I was confident in the lower frequency from then until the end of lengthening. The feedback on my most recent x-ray was very good, however if it wasn't, I would request additional x-rays to monitor progress. I guess it depends on your individual progress but it doesn't hurt to get x-rays more frequently anyway.
The good thing about mechanical nails is, as long as you record the clicks properly (I have been religious in how I record clicks), you can gauge exactly how much you have lengthened at any point in time with total accuracy as each click produces the same exact distance, something which is not possible with magnetic nails (as progress needs to be checked more frequently to determine length gained). So as long as callous growth is good in the first few x-rays, you won't need too many x-rays due to the accurate tracking of length gained. This is one advantage of mechanical nails that is rarely spoken about.
Looks like you are doing great mate, good to hear.
I am constantly reading your updates as they are extremely helpful.
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