RLS’ Log Entries - Bilateral Femurs 2022

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This post is amazing so exciting thank you so much sharing your experience.

How long will you be at the rehab clinic for?
Hope we can hear more about your routine schedule days at the clinic
How are the rooms at the clinic is it single room is the wifi and food good?
Do you know has anyone ever died or been permanently disabled from LL from betz institute? (its my biggest worry)
How is your pain level now? How many hours of sleep are you getting?

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Quote from: wanderer on September 01, 2022, 03:56:52 AMIs Dr Becker still offering hair transplant procedures at his practice after taking up LL?

Just curious to understand his overall practice and how he splits time.

First of all, I asked him now and here is the answer: he is not doing anything other than LL anymore. It is impossible time wise to do anything else. In the past he did hair transplantation and some other aesthetic surgeries.

Quote from: yerzadotru on September 03, 2022, 05:49:13 AMThis post is amazing so exciting thank you so much sharing your experience.

How long will you be at the rehab clinic for?
Hope we can hear more about your routine schedule days at the clinic
How are the rooms at the clinic is it single room is the wifi and food good?
Do you know has anyone ever died or been permanently disabled from LL from betz institute? (its my biggest worry)
How is your pain level now? How many hours of sleep are you getting?


Hi thanks for the kind words
- about 2 weeks but if possible you should stay longer in my opinion. However, as of now the loneliness is hitting me hard so it has it‘s upsides as well, more on that below.
- sure I will update about it
- rooms are nice, like a hotel room, wifi is very good. Played some video games with a friend at night and it worked without any problems, btw doing so was a great momentary escape for me. The food is alright. Generally breakfast und dinner is quite good but lunch wasn‘t my taste as for now. Still can eat only slowly and not that much.
- I don‘t have a patient overview, only from what you can see on this forum and the old forums. There is a chance of death or permanent disability but it‘s low. If you are a young and healthy person you should be fine. The procedure is hard though, even if I think here it‘s much less hard than if you‘d do LON somewhere for example (I would never do externals on femurs ever). It‘s still a tough surgery, once you are in it, everyone knows it. It‘s just before when you are undamaged and dreaming of being taller where you might think “hm how hard is this going to be” - it is going to be very hard.
- except for the first night I am now getting full nights of sleep. Pain level is low. In the morning after waking up I have some pain (up to 5/10 at most) but for the rest of the day it’s barely there (1-2/10 or so)

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Happy to hear your updates. Glad your doing great.

Would you have any advice for someone getting the surgery from betz?
Is there a limit to how long and far you can walk today?
Is it ok to walk without crutches now or during lengthening?
Whats the total cost of the surgery and did it include everything and the rehab clinic for certain amount of days?
How long will you need to stay at the rehab clinic for before being able to go home?
How are you feeling mentally feeling compared to before with all the medicine?
How many hours per day are you exercising and physical therapy for?
What are you doing during the other personal time to pass time?
How did you go about finding a new physical therapist and medicine for when you go home? Did you do it ahead of time already?

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Quote from: yerzadotru on September 04, 2022, 08:06:03 AMHappy to hear your updates. Glad your doing great.

Would you have any advice for someone getting the surgery from betz?
Is there a limit to how long and far you can walk today?
Is it ok to walk without crutches now or during lengthening?
Whats the total cost of the surgery and did it include everything and the rehab clinic for certain amount of days?
How long will you need to stay at the rehab clinic for before being able to go home?
How are you feeling mentally feeling compared to before with all the medicine?
How many hours per day are you exercising and physical therapy for?
What are you doing during the other personal time to pass time?
How did you go about finding a new physical therapist and medicine for when you go home? Did you do it ahead of time already?

- good question I am still a bit early in the process but as of now I would say, first of all understand the medical details behind this, be really really sure you want to do this - you will not be able to grasp it until you are sitting in the boat, even with years of research, this is hard - even though imo for Betz patients it‘s less hard (no externals, weightbearing nail makes a huge difference, you can go home after some time, good surgical expertise thus as minimally invasive as possible), it‘s still hard as hell and nothing compared to other cosmetic surgeries. Hospital, thousands of drugs to take, stretching is very exhausting, stiffness, loneliness etc etc. It‘s a tough journey so beware of that. Follow the protocols, rigorously stretch! And don’t quit, even though its hard sometimes keep pushing. Oh and also if you want less than 6cm don’t do the surgery. All of this is only worth it to gain some good amounts of height. If you wouldn’t gain height this would be a very terrible experience. If you want to professionally pursue sports (you are an athlete) never do the surgery. By doing this you sign a pact in which you will have to sacrifice some things.
- haven’t tested out but I can walk long distances without a problem. Just after pt and stretching I am very tired.
- not now, no. You can walk without crutches during lengthening in a safe confined space like your apartment. But for public places you need crutches until a bit after lengthening.
- you can check it on their website. Bout 53k and yes reha is included
- about 2 weeks. If you can stay longer though, the only good side for me leaving so quickly is that I will be back home with my parents and not so lonely and home sick anymore…
- Not sure what you mean with that question? Before surgery or before a few days ago? And mentally in regards to mood/emotions or cognitively/thinking capacity?
- you will need to stretch 4h every day for entire lengthening and on top of that physiotherapy appointments.
- Resting, watching videos, calling friends, play video games.
- that was actually a bit if a hustle because I had to get a prescription for health insurance reasons but I have a sports therapist near my home whom I am going to visit, Dr Becker will give you a box  with your medication.

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5th day post op.

Today was a bit tough. Did 15 clicks, right leg was rather easy but left leg still hurt like hell at the incision site. Dr Becker had to help me. I know I started quite early, usually it’s 7th day post op but still a bit disappointed that I couldn’t do it by myself. Met another LL patient at lunch who stayed here for almost 3 months already. He looks very good, you couldn’t ever tell something’s off irl, even me I couldn’t see what segment he did before I asked (proportions are overrated anyways).
I could eat a lot more now that the compression pants are off. Also sitting together with someone else than myself at lunch was so much better for my mood.
I was quite disappointed by myself in my today’s stretch. I tried hard and even listened to hardstyle gym motivation music but I couldn’t really finish the entire sets in one go. I just felt too tired and kinda like fainting after a while so I had to make stops. I should be doing like at least 3h of stretching as of now but I struggle with a few exercises:(. I will ask if they can maybe give me some others that I could do while laying down as those are as of now really better for my cardiovascular system. Felt really tired today but got to speak with my new found LL friend. Cause he is here for 3 months he has seen a few LL patients coming and going. He told me preconsolidation is much much more of an issue than nonunion. Nonunion is really rare but a lot of patients who get lazy, don’t lengthen for a day or whatever run the risk of quickly having to return for reosteotomy.
Another old lady asked me if I got a skiing accident (in the middle of August xD), more people here are curious about me because I am so young.
Also one opinion of mine and everyone who is in this, age matters, some people here say it doesn’t matter because the bone heals at all ages, which is true but the bone lengthening is just one part of it. Stretching muscles and wound recovery, flexibility, overall fitness are also important factors. All of which young age favours. If you are old and especially with other health issues you run the risk of complications and a tougher process. Anyways, I am quite fast in learning to walk, wound recovery, flexibility and yea I was young and fit before surgery but I still struggle a lot. It’s a hard surgery and hard journey. It really is.

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Man i feel for you. I'm at day 11 post surgery in Athens by myself with the G-Nail .

I was having (maybe i still do) a down moment just before because I did a bad movement after my evening clicks and again strained my quad muscle (2nd time), which now I know will delay again my stretching and PT tomorrow.

I read your previous post where you said not to quit and to keep pushing and shared your other details.

It helped somewhat. So thank you for that.
Stay strong and keep in mind the long term goal. This is a F.....g mental battle. But we'll get through it.

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Quote from: OzBoy39 on September 04, 2022, 08:51:35 PMMan i feel for you. I'm at day 11 post surgery in Athens by myself with the G-Nail .

I was having (maybe i still do) a down moment just before because I did a bad movement after my evening clicks and again strained my quad muscle (2nd time), which now I know will delay again my stretching and PT tomorrow.

I read your previous post where you said not to quit and to keep pushing and shared your other details.

It helped somewhat. So thank you for that.
Stay strong and keep in mind the long term goal. This is a F.....g mental battle. But we'll get through it.

Thanks for the kind words. Yea man I totally understand. I strain my incision site and it hurts more making my stretching worse and clicking painful. Is that gone for you now at day 11? It’s an aching feeling when twisting my leg in my left hip where the nail came in.

I wish you also good luck, keep your head up and keep pushing. Listen to Gym motivational music and apply it for your stretching, we do this not to grow muscles but to grow height. And the more you push it with stretching the better and easier your process will be. So keep fighting!

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The hip incision sites doesn't really hurt.
But I do get a sharp pain in the knee incision site when I do hip flexor stretching. Really annoying. I basically can't stretch it to the limit because of that.

My hips (especially the left one) gives me jolts every now and then if I make fast rotational movements or when I go from sitting to standing too fast or if i sit on it. It's getting better though.

Yeah I'll follow your advise and watch some good motivational video when I feel it's needed.  But I also wanted to say again that just being able to write here to people like yourself and others who are going through the same process and  exchange thoughts and words is a huge help indeed.

Let's both keep pushing through!

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It does feel lonely being at rehab but time will pass quick and you will be home. This is awesome diary.

Do you have to wear compression pants all day?
How much luggage did you pack? Will you be able to carry it home and via plane by your self?
It seems everything is paid for but will you need to bring extra money for other expenses?
What did you pack? Mainly just clothes and laptop? Do you to bring need soap, toothbrush all that too?
Is all the lengthening done in 1 sitting or split through the day?
How long does it take you to fully lengthen?
Is it ok to miss a day of lengthening like when we travel back home?
Are you able to leave the rehab center go into town or around maybe?
What was your impression of betz and becker? Do they seem like they put patient safety 100% into consideration?
Do you think you can study remotely during this time?
How often are you seeing betz becker at the rehab?
Will you xrays and physiotherapy be paid out of pocket when you get home or insurance?

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Quote from: yerzadotru on September 05, 2022, 07:40:35 PMIt does feel lonely being at rehab but time will pass quick and you will be home. This is awesome diary.

Do you have to wear compression pants all day?
How much luggage did you pack? Will you be able to carry it home and via plane by your self?
It seems everything is paid for but will you need to bring extra money for other expenses?
What did you pack? Mainly just clothes and laptop? Do you to bring need soap, toothbrush all that too?
Is all the lengthening done in 1 sitting or split through the day?
How long does it take you to fully lengthen?
Is it ok to miss a day of lengthening like when we travel back home?
Are you able to leave the rehab center go into town or around maybe?
What was your impression of betz and becker? Do they seem like they put patient safety 100% into consideration?
Do you think you can study remotely during this time?
How often are you seeing betz becker at the rehab?
Will you xrays and physiotherapy be paid out of pocket when you get home or insurance?

Hi thanks for the kind words.

- I wore them for 5 days, yes the entire day, it was pretty uncomfortable but finally got them off. Usually you wear them for a week but I have had literally 0 swelling (which is quite uncommon) and great wound healing so I got rid of them earlier. Was a relief haha
- Quite a lot. I have a big suitcase with me. Honestly can‘t tell. A lot of patients go home by plane or train by themselves so it‘s possible but I wouldn‘t be able to do it alone with that heavy suitcase. My mother is going to pick me up by car so it‘s whatever.
- No, I mean tomorrow Tanja is bringing me some groceries so for that I obviously have some cash but if you don‘t plan on that I would say no.
- A lot of clothes for the time, laptop, headphones, toothbrush set (I have had braces years ago thus still need to wear a retainer so a cleaning set for that too), razor to shave myself, an anatomy book to study, a small plushie for the mental comfort. Honestly just regular stuff, you will figure out. Soap no, toothbrush idk. I have mine. If you forget the hospital can give you one.
- this is important, you need to do it in 1 sitting if possible and always in the morning. Because then the muscles can adapt throughout the day and you can sleep well. If there is something important once that makes it impossible to do it in one setting then you can finish later (even though it’s suboptimal) but finishing the clicks is priority number 1, even if it takes 5h and you will miss pt.
- depending on how much you do it‘s 3 or 4 months.
- this is even more important, never miss out on lengthening. If you do it will be very hard the day after and you could be screwed like a few other patients I have heard of. Consolidation is like a lion that you have to run from. If it catches you you are doomed, and it’s much much faster than you think. Missing one day can be enough for you to have to redo surgery. So always finish lengthening for the day even if it takes long. When traveling home you click before you go.
- will go for a walk outside tomorrow, im looking forward for that
- Yeah definitely. I am honest, everyone I met here thinks highly of Dr Becker. He is a really great person and doctor. Also Tanja (his assistant) has my big respect. She helped me so much with the lengthening it‘s amazing (more on that when I update later). As of now I am so glad I did it here. Can‘t complain about anything. Betz did a great surgery, I haven‘t seen him since but he is very experienced so I definitely felt I am in safe hands. I mean you can always get yourself into trouble like the guy who jumped on a trampoline but if you stay cautious, follow the protocols and pay attention to what they tell you you will be good. Yes, to me they seem very responsible in regards to patient safety.
- yes definitely. I will be going to Uni in a few weeks too, no problem. I already feel more focused, my cognitive capacities will soon be 100% back to normal.
- daily, either him and/or Tanja when he is in the other clinic for new surgeries. You can also always reach them, they respond quickly it‘s no problem.
- insurance.



> will update and post more tomorrow