Hello friends,
I apologize for my very long absence, a lot has been happening since I had my nail surgery. Not to worry, though, all good things - for the most part.
Let’s begin with the nail surgery. It was successful and quick, I was awake for this one and got to see the doctors at work. It was a weird experience seeing my own blood on the scrubs of the surgeons and being able to see the back and forth movement as they hammered in the nail.
The doctors warned me before the surgery that because I still did have some muscles contractors (ballerina) that there was a possibility that inserting the nail could result in losing some height. I went through with the surgery anyways, and thank whoever needs to be thanked that I didn’t lose any height but it seems I may have gained half a cm or more.
For a several days after the surgery, I felt some pain in my right leg - and wasn’t able to fully extend it. What was strange about this, is that my right leg had been my good leg and didn’t have any ballerina. The doctors later explained that the bone canal in my right leg was narrower than in my left, and so it took longer for them to insert the nail in that leg and some of the surrounding tissue was bruised in the process. They assured me that it was nothing to worry about and that I would be fine in a few more days, and I was.
I had to stay in the hospital for ten days, they would inject antibiotics (to prevent any internal infection or the body rejecting the nail) through an IV, twice. Once in the morning and once at night. I ended up feeling really ill from all the anti-biotics and developed really painful mouth sores. It sucked, but two weeks after getting the nail I was ready to leave Russia and FINALLY go home.
My walking after the nail was much worse than it was before I got the nail. Before I had gotten the nail, I was walking really fast and could walk without crutches - but for a few weeks afterward, I was walking really slow and couldn’t walk very far without support. The nails are not meant to carry more than 50% of your body weight, and I had to be very careful about this because having the nails break or the screws come lose could be big trouble. Luckily, at that point, it had been months since I had last lengthened and my bones were in pretty good shape so I didn’t need to worry about it too much. An update before we go further, I’m walking fantastic now and can walk and stand quite a bit without crutches as long as I have shoes on and don’t need to go far or fast.
Okay, so now let’s talking about what happened when I got home - saw my family and friends and settled into life in my own country.
Seeing my family was, of course, wonderful and I was just so happy to be home. It amazed me how fast I adjusted back to life in a matter of days. It felt as if I had never left, and that my time in Russia was a million years away.
It was interesting to compare myself to my dad who was once my height, every time I see him it reminds me of why I needed to do this. When I stand beside him, I definitely feel much taller. Everyone seems much smaller to me now, and people that I once considered tall are completely average.
As for my friends.. the ones who knew me the best and saw me often without lifts were amazed. They all agree that I look much better and that I made the right decision in going. Seeing my ex-girlfriend who used to be the same height as me, was probably the most rewarding feeling.. having her look up at me and say wow as she hugged me made all of this so worth it.
I have to tell you guys that I honestly feel so much happier now… all my interactions with people are so much better and the attention I'm getting from girls is just unreal. I don’t feel uncomfortable around anyone or anywhere I go and that includes bars and clubs which I used to avoid with a burning passion.
For the first time in possibly.. ever in my life, I genuinely feel real comfort with myself. It’s such a beautiful feeling not to hate yourself for something you can’t control. I can finally focus on being who I want to be and doing what I want to do, without thinking about my height and how it gets in the way of who I want to be.
There are still a ton of people who haven’t noticed anything, actually most people that I have seen haven’t said anything - but I have a few theories. 1. I used to wear very heavy lifts, and most people never saw me without them. 2. People don’t notice height as much as we all think they do, and when they do, they forget about it pretty quickly after they get to know you for your other qualities. 3. If people have noticed, they haven’t said anything because I’m still on crutches and they’re often more focused on that.
The other day a girl who was 5’5 called me tall.. and it was such a good feeling. My best friend who I'm the same height as now and who I was MUCH smaller than before, couldn’t stop telling me how crazy it was to see me at this height. So for me, I would 100% say this entire experience with all of its crappy downs and hard times, was so worth it in the end.
As for what’s going on with me now physically. I still have some ballerina, and I went to see a physiotherapist that told me that my muscles were way too tight now for them to be able to do anything to help me and that I was likely going to have to do a surgery on my muscles to get it fixed.. that’s probably the only way I'll walk normally again, because right now I’m still using crutches to walk long distances and I need to have shoes on to be able to walk without crutches. I don’t feel any pain, but of course, it gets tiring to walk for very long distances or to stand for too long.
As for what I tell people about my crutches, I told them I got into a car accident while I was away.
For those that have been messaging me on here, I’m sorry for not responding. I really never go on this forum anymore as I never think about height anymore. I have spent a lot of time on this forum, before and during my procedure.. and I just don’t feel like I'm in the same place anymore to frequent it…
but bring on the questions while I'm here. and for those who haven’t been reading but are wondering, it’s been 1 year and two weeks since I did my first surgery and almost 2 months since I got the nail.
Stripe's Journal - Dr. Barinov LATN Externals
Hello friends,
I apologize for my very long absence, a lot has been happening since I had my nail surgery. Not to worry, though, all good things - for the most part.
Let’s begin with the nail surgery. It was successful and quick, I was awake for this one and got to see the doctors at work. It was a weird experience seeing my own blood on the scrubs of the surgeons and being able to see the back and forth movement as they hammered in the nail.
The doctors warned me before the surgery that because I still did have some muscles contractors (ballerina) that there was a possibility that inserting the nail could result in losing some height. I went through with the surgery anyways, and thank whoever needs to be thanked that I didn’t lose any height but it seems I may have gained half a cm or more.
For a several days after the surgery, I felt some pain in my right leg - and wasn’t able to fully extend it. What was strange about this, is that my right leg had been my good leg and didn’t have any ballerina. The doctors later explained that the bone canal in my right leg was narrower than in my left, and so it took longer for them to insert the nail in that leg and some of the surrounding tissue was bruised in the process. They assured me that it was nothing to worry about and that I would be fine in a few more days, and I was.
I had to stay in the hospital for ten days, they would inject antibiotics (to prevent any internal infection or the body rejecting the nail) through an IV, twice. Once in the morning and once at night. I ended up feeling really ill from all the anti-biotics and developed really painful mouth sores. It sucked, but two weeks after getting the nail I was ready to leave Russia and FINALLY go home.
My walking after the nail was much worse than it was before I got the nail. Before I had gotten the nail, I was walking really fast and could walk without crutches - but for a few weeks afterward, I was walking really slow and couldn’t walk very far without support. The nails are not meant to carry more than 50% of your body weight, and I had to be very careful about this because having the nails break or the screws come lose could be big trouble. Luckily, at that point, it had been months since I had last lengthened and my bones were in pretty good shape so I didn’t need to worry about it too much. An update before we go further, I’m walking fantastic now and can walk and stand quite a bit without crutches as long as I have shoes on and don’t need to go far or fast.
Okay, so now let’s talking about what happened when I got home - saw my family and friends and settled into life in my own country.
Seeing my family was, of course, wonderful and I was just so happy to be home. It amazed me how fast I adjusted back to life in a matter of days. It felt as if I had never left, and that my time in Russia was a million years away.
It was interesting to compare myself to my dad who was once my height, every time I see him it reminds me of why I needed to do this. When I stand beside him, I definitely feel much taller. Everyone seems much smaller to me now, and people that I once considered tall are completely average.
As for my friends.. the ones who knew me the best and saw me often without lifts were amazed. They all agree that I look much better and that I made the right decision in going. Seeing my ex-girlfriend who used to be the same height as me, was probably the most rewarding feeling.. having her look up at me and say wow as she hugged me made all of this so worth it.
I have to tell you guys that I honestly feel so much happier now… all my interactions with people are so much better and the attention I'm getting from girls is just unreal. I don’t feel uncomfortable around anyone or anywhere I go and that includes bars and clubs which I used to avoid with a burning passion.
For the first time in possibly.. ever in my life, I genuinely feel real comfort with myself. It’s such a beautiful feeling not to hate yourself for something you can’t control. I can finally focus on being who I want to be and doing what I want to do, without thinking about my height and how it gets in the way of who I want to be.
There are still a ton of people who haven’t noticed anything, actually most people that I have seen haven’t said anything - but I have a few theories. 1. I used to wear very heavy lifts, and most people never saw me without them. 2. People don’t notice height as much as we all think they do, and when they do, they forget about it pretty quickly after they get to know you for your other qualities. 3. If people have noticed, they haven’t said anything because I’m still on crutches and they’re often more focused on that.
The other day a girl who was 5’5 called me tall.. and it was such a good feeling. My best friend who I'm the same height as now and who I was MUCH smaller than before, couldn’t stop telling me how crazy it was to see me at this height. So for me, I would 100% say this entire experience with all of its crappy downs and hard times, was so worth it in the end.
As for what’s going on with me now physically. I still have some ballerina, and I went to see a physiotherapist that told me that my muscles were way too tight now for them to be able to do anything to help me and that I was likely going to have to do a surgery on my muscles to get it fixed.. that’s probably the only way I'll walk normally again, because right now I’m still using crutches to walk long distances and I need to have shoes on to be able to walk without crutches. I don’t feel any pain, but of course, it gets tiring to walk for very long distances or to stand for too long.
As for what I tell people about my crutches, I told them I got into a car accident while I was away.
For those that have been messaging me on here, I’m sorry for not responding. I really never go on this forum anymore as I never think about height anymore. I have spent a lot of time on this forum, before and during my procedure.. and I just don’t feel like I'm in the same place anymore to frequent it…
but bring on the questions while I'm here. and for those who haven’t been reading but are wondering, it’s been 1 year and two weeks since I did my first surgery and almost 2 months since I got the nail.
Congrats man! I'm glad you're enjoying the new height.
Congrats man! I'm glad you're enjoying the new height.
You mentioned that your doctor advised you against further lengthening at around 7 months since your bones had already consolidated too much. With that said, at the 10 month mark I imagine they were nearly consolidated to the point where you may have only needed another month or two before frame removal. What was the point of having the nail inserted then? Were you just eager to get back home? Doctor's advice?
One of the major reasons I chose externals was the prospect of not having an additional surgery down the road (nail/rod removal).
-I'm glad things are going well for you.
Congratulations
What was your length gained and your final height?
Congratz man.How tall are you now?
Hi Stripes, I'm compiling a list of things to buy now. Do you still think the Kneehab device was useful after having gone through all of this? Also, I think you've mentioned this to me before, but are the soft splints more for during lengthening? I'm assuming no since they would never reach past the pins. I haven't really noticed anything with them, even with additional padding. But I think you and some others said that would be the case if the flexibility is already good (though I am double-jointed, so that could be why). I did buy a pro-stretch though and love it. I have the adjustable one and use it everyday. I do feel a stretching sensation when I use it, but only for the first two 30 second reps. I'm hoping I can bring it with me if I go to Russia.
Hi. how are you now? write please. i want to know
Quote from: Whereintheworld? on January 04, 2017, 10:17:12 PMYou mentioned that your doctor advised you against further lengthening at around 7 months since your bones had already consolidated too much. With that said, at the 10 month mark I imagine they were nearly consolidated to the point where you may have only needed another month or two before frame removal. What was the point of having the nail inserted then? Were you just eager to get back home? Doctor's advice?
One of the major reasons I chose externals was the prospect of not having an additional surgery down the road (nail/rod removal).
-I'm glad things are going well for you.
Good question... the thing with regeneration is that it's completely different for everyone. I didn't want to wait any longer.. being there for nearly 11 months had nearly driven me crazy by that point. Another 2 months was not guaranteed, it easily could have been another 3 or 4 months if my regeneration slowed down. Also, the nail offers much more stability and for me it just made more sense to get the nail, that way I could go home quicker and also start walking on my own without worrying.
There is a guy that is still at the clinic who has been there for 1 year and 6 months and is still trying to regenerate. He's around 48 now, so that has a lot to do with it. He walks every day for hours and has a strict stretching regime and takes lots of supplements and vitamins.. but he is also a pescetarian which I suspect is part of the reason. I hope he'll be regenerate fully soon because he deserves to get back to his life. This is a pattern with older patients doing illizarov, it takes a very long time to regenerate in comparison to younger guys. Younger guys up until 30 are able to regenerate much quicker..
My advice is to go with the nail if you can. Many people want to avoid it because they think it's risky and want to avoid a second surgery, but in my experience, it was well worth the decision. I think the risk of complications is much larger when you don't get the nail because of how easily the bone can get bowed without the support. You will lose a lot of weight during this process and when you go back home, you will gain a lot of it back.. in addition to all the walking you'll be doing and how anxious you'll be to get back to normal life, it's all too easy to put additional stress and weight on your legs.. just look at RGKEY. I believe it might be happening to another patient that I'm speaking to, that wasn't willing to wait another 2-3 months after he had already been there for 13 months. He didn't get the nail and thinks he might be developing X legs.. it's been 4 months since he removed the frames and he's gained some weight and has been walking like any other normal person.. thinks he's lost some height because of it as well..
Anyways, having done the nail surgery.. my life has gone back to pretty much normal. I still have some aches and pains here and there, and sometimes I don't walk as well.. but I'm no longer using crutches... Still have some trouble getting up and down stairs without using the railing, but otherwise, everything is good. Am I back to 100%? Not even close. 100% means I'm running and jumping around.. that's not the case. My friends still walk much faster than me while walking a regular pace... it's still obvious some morning that "I was injured" and walking without shoes is still a little uncomfortable. I think with time i'll get much better, but I also have had no time to exercise or stretch which really is a big mistake on my part.
Quote from: Peaceout on January 05, 2017, 07:30:27 AMCongratz man.How tall are you now?
174-175 without shoes. With shoes around 177-178
Quote from: Bigpoppapump on January 04, 2017, 10:32:53 PMCongratulations
What was your length gained and your final height?
Gained about 8 CM
Quote from: ibuse on February 12, 2017, 02:23:22 PMHi Stripes, I'm compiling a list of things to buy now. Do you still think the Kneehab device was useful after having gone through all of this? Also, I think you've mentioned this to me before, but are the soft splints more for during lengthening? I'm assuming no since they would never reach past the pins. I haven't really noticed anything with them, even with additional padding. But I think you and some others said that would be the case if the flexibility is already good (though I am double-jointed, so that could be why). I did buy a pro-stretch though and love it. I have the adjustable one and use it everyday. I do feel a stretching sensation when I use it, but only for the first two 30 second reps. I'm hoping I can bring it with me if I go to Russia.
The kneehab device is something that is a luxury device, if you can afford it and know you will commit to using it, then yes it's very useful and will get you up and walking much faster.. It's not a necessity though. Walking is the main key.
The soft spints are to be used before the surgery... if you can't feel them, you need to tighten them more.. I would try putting them on, and then trying to touch your toes.. believe me you'll feel them. If you can't feel a stretch, you need to stretch harder. I would HIGHLY recommend doing yoga during the months leading up to surgery, if you can get a membership at a studio then do it!!!!!! The Pro-Stretch is a great tool, keep using it as much as you can.. but try to do as many stretches as you can find on the internet..
--
Now that it's been 1 year 4 months since my first surgery.. and 4-5 months since I returned back home.. I can honestly say that this was 100% worth it for me. I very rarely think about height anymore and have been able to return to a normal life. Futher, I feel like I've been able to work on a lot of personal issues that I never realized stemmed from my height insecurity even from an early age.. although I'm not a completely different person now, I am much more motivated and confident. My life is in a much better place than it was before.. and it's only been a few months now. I think a lot of it also had to do with my time away from home and the experiences I had in Russia.. it was a tough year for me, but it made me much stronger and I learned a lot about myself. I had a lot of time to think about life and that to me was just as valuable in a sense. As for others, some people notice and others don't. For sure I get more attention from girls now.. but I'm also more confident and am taking better care of myself.. the way I think about height is different now too.. when I see shorter guys, I don't really feel bad for them or see them as less the way I did when I was short as well.. I really think a lot of that is in our own heads because it's our biggest insecurity and we think other people care about it as much as we do. I think people see height the same way they see any other feature, the acknowledge it - and they move on to who you are as a person.
I get a lot of messages asking if this was worth it.. and my opinion is that it depends on who you are and what you're willing to give up. If you want to remain an athlete or love hiking and see those activities as a priority over height, then no. This is not the surgery for you, at least not the illizarov method. If you're willing to understand that you're taking some risks here and that it will take a long time to recover.. then it is absolutely worth it, if height means that much to you. You'll see a lot of stuff on here about completing the surgery within 9 months.. it is possible but i've only seen two people do it. Those two people both got the nail. Those two people also were very athletic and very committed to walking and stretching and eating right. They were also fairly young.
Good luck.
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