Tiktok | Limb Lengthening Diary Betzbone '24

Quote from: shawtleg on July 18, 2024, 12:16:21 PMHey guys its me again. Sorry for the late reply. I had to keep all my relatives updated haha.

Day 0 (Operation): I was operated very early in the morning at around 8 and was awake again at 11 o'clock. It was my first time in an operation so everything was new for me. I went in happy and came out really happy. Did not feel much pain. Actually didn't even feel my legs haha because of anaesthesia. They showed me some excersises that I should do and everything went fine. After around 4 hours of operation I even could stand on my legs for a few seconds. Could do it really long because anesthesia kicked in again and my eyes started to black out. So I laid in bed the whole day actually. I had a button I could press, so pain killers will be injected to my body. I used it once this day. At night I did not use the button or the strong opioids they gave me, because the pain was not too bad. It hurt of course but it felt more like a sore muscle to me. And the places where the doc went in only hurt when touching.

Nice I am following you! I am also considering him. Have you met other patient? Will you stay in Freiburg for lengthening phase?

Day 1: This day I woke up and my legs felt stiff. I thought like how should I walk like this. Then doing exercise, it loosened up again. When the doc came we walked a few steps together with crutches. It gets better every step I do. Everything goes really well so far and I am really glad to choose Dr Becker. I will keep you guys updated. Maybe later I will post a video on TikTok how I am walking right now.

Nice I am following your Videos! I am considering him as well since I am just living 2 hours from Freiburg! Will you stay during lengthening in Freiburg? Did you meet other patients?

Any update on your progress Shawtleg?  Feel free to inbox me if you would like.

Hey guys!! Sorry for the Late reply i am not too often at this forum. If you have questions feel free to ask on tiktok.

Its around 12 Days now After Operation and i feel really well. Can walk with crutches comfortably. I get around 1500 steps daily. Pain is okay. Its more like ups and downs. But also the downs arent toooo worse. You can go through it. Stretching take a loooot of time (i am doing around 2hours in total per day) and i feel like its barely enough Right now. Probably will have to increase it in the Future.

Right now I am still in Freiburg and met 5 other patients already. They are doing good all in all also. Its good to have someone also going through this - and it doesnt get Voting. At the Moment I am so glad to be able to do it here. I really cant Imagine the pain with lengthening 1mm per day.

I am also able to walk a few steps without crutches but i Look Like a Penguin hahahaha still walking with crutches 90% of the time.

Any updates? How are you doing haven't seen a new video on TikTok?

I posted a few Videos on tiktok. I am currently at 7.9cm. You can Check my videos on tiktok how i walk and my xrays. There is no real Update because there isnt a big Change. Walking without crutches gets better every day.

I can do everything you could do on crutches. That means going to the cinema, shows, going for a walk. I can drive my car with Automatic transmission (didnt try manual because it gets exhausting fast). I spend some time outside but do the stretches always at home. But These are all the things i could do already after the rehab. But now they are easier.

There are some negative things too. I cant sit too much because i feel like my muscles start to hurt. My mobility Right now isnt of course like pre op and everything is a lot more exhausting. There is a lot of times where it feels just uncomfortable especially after i reached 7cm. Like laying or turning in bed can sometimes feel  just not comfortable.

But the pain meds are doing the work. I noticed if i sleep without taking my pain meds i only Sleep for a few Hours. But if i Take them i can easily sleep 10 Hours because life with broken legs is really exhausting. However all in all i am really satisfied with my decision. There is just 1-2 months left to finish lengthening depending on where I will stop.

Are you still in Freiburg until you complete lengthening?

No I went home after 2 weeks rehab. And didn’t visit again. But I have meetings every 3 weeks with the Physio team of dr Becker and I get xrays every 6 weeks. You can check my first xray on my tiktok account.

Hey shatleg, how you are you doing? Are you still planning to got to 10cm? How is your walking? How is your general condition

My walking with crutches is since a few weeks after the surgery very good. It looks like nothing happened. Walking without crutches now (15 weeks After surgery) is pretty good but i still have a swing on my walk. I guess its because of weak side muscles that have to adapt now and get stronger.

I have to admit since the last few day i walk more and more without crutches. For example if i go out to eat and Drive there i leave the crutches inside because i don’t Walk much. If i Go to bigger or crowded places i take them with me. Because they are a Signal to others that i am „disabled“ and also its less exhausting than Walking without crutches.

My goal is still 12cm Right now actually like in the beginning, but still thinking if i Maybe stop at 10cm. I reached 8cm today and i am very happy. My condition is very good. I feel Like its mentally more challenging than physically. Especially now when the weather outside is Cold and i am home a lot. And the days get a bit too similair for me. My Morning Routine Looks like this:

waking up, stretching (45min), clicking (7min), stretching(45min)

So there is no more spontanenous Trips really or Planning for the Morning. I mean i can tweak a bit around, but don’t want to do the clicking too late. Thinking about tibia in the future but its very expensive so idk right now. I want to finish this first, than i will look further into it.

Everything went like the doctor said actually. Also now i understand why they told me the lengthening isnt the big Problem, the bigger Problem is time. Because its Been nearly 4 months. Lengthening itself isnt that bad, also the stretching and so on. But it is so time Consuming and i want to turn back to normal (not stretching hours a day, Starting with a 2 hour routine a day and so on, less exhausting walking, longer sitting and so on)

Actually i could talk about it for hours. There should be a Podcast on this Forum or the abilitiy to Upload Audios haha

If you have any detailed questions just ask i don’t want to shower you with too much unrelated talking (or writing)