UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016

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I am Chinese too, Shanghainese to be more specific. Which province are you from?

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Well, if the low blood circulation is due to lifestyle, some month of hard training, will solve the problem. Working out improve the blood circulation.  You're right about the fact we can't really know how our journey will be. We know when we start, but have no idea how and when we will be done. How tall was the 31 years old girl you're talking about? Do you often meet the others Guichet patients? Must to be nice to get to know people who are having your same experience.

Another thing that puzzles me is, how can your parents and friends not noting your legs aren't well? Have you made-up some incident story? XD

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Wow.... but it is so nice to have you back among us... you have one of the best diaries out there... you mean classmates are finding new problems with the G nail everyday?? So what is Dr G planning for you right now? Wait more months before another surgery?

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Quote from: 1683131665 on January 21, 2017, 11:32:17 PMHi Unicorn
I am a newcomer, please allow me to use poor English conversation with you.
Can you speak Chinese? It will make our communication easier.Your diary is very helpful to me.
Maybe I will meet you this year.

Hi there!

Welcome!  I cannot speak mandarin chinese unfortunately   Happy to meet when you're in London.  Take care!

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Quote from: Annalisa on January 22, 2017, 12:14:07 PMWell, if the low blood circulation is due to lifestyle, some month of hard training, will solve the problem. Working out improve the blood circulation.  You're right about the fact we can't really know how our journey will be. We know when we start, but have no idea how and when we will be done. How tall was the 31 years old girl you're talking about? Do you often meet the others Guichet patients? Must to be nice to get to know people who are having your same experience.

Another thing that puzzles me is, how can your parents and friends not noting your legs aren't well? Have you made-up some incident story? XD

The 31-year old girl started at 154cm, so she got to 161cm successfully. 

Yes, we're (Guichet's group) all on a group chat, and we meet up during PT everyday and stay in touch after lengthening.  The thing is after the 60 days of lengthening in London with Guichet/PT/Isokinetic etc etc etc. when you leave London, you're still using crutches or learning how to walk very slowly.  It still takes another 2 months to get to normal walking (not zombie like).  So you need to be realistic that when you return to your normal life, you'll still be working hard to walk normally. 

It depends on how much you lengthen (the more you lengthen, the longer it takes to heal) and how fast you heal (which can depend on age and gender).

My parents and friends saw me with crutches - but I was walking smoothly with crutches and not hopping painfully.  So they just think it's a part of post-surgery healing.  And what story did I feed them?  For my parents, I told them I had bow legged thighs, so I had my bones straightened   It's nonsense I know.  For some friends, I told them I fell in a rock climbing accident which broke both my femurs...  I'm sooooo going to hell for spinning these stories.  But I cannot really tell them the truth - they'll see this surgery as a whopping waste of money, an unnecessary health risk and unforgivingly vain     That's why I feel the need to lie...    

I took first class on the 12hr flight and BA wheelchaired me everywhere from check-in all the way to arrivals car pick-up.  I'm grateful that there're so much faciliities and assistance to help you travel.  Anyone doing it in London and needing to return home before full recovery, can do so with ease and comfort.

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Quote from: assa13ssin on January 22, 2017, 02:05:58 PMWow.... but it is so nice to have you back among us... you have one of the best diaries out there... you mean classmates are finding new problems with the G nail everyday?? So what is Dr G planning for you right now? Wait more months before another surgery?

Thanks assa13ssin!  I'm sharing my story so that anyone venturing into this procedure gets as much information as possible.  I might have a very complicated lengthening, but at least, you'll know the worst case scenario to expect

As for finding problems with the G nail, it's not due to the nail but more the healing process.  You can expect to get random pains and aches from time to time.  As long as they go away after a couple of days.  I cannot even explain how or why it happens, it just does because your bones and body have undergone quite an invasive surgery and lengthening process.  Lots of soft tissue have been moved around, stretched, grown and internal scars have been formed etc to get you back to normal.

Guichet's going to see me next week to discuss left leg lengthening.  He can do it first week of February.  It's an outpatient surgery since the G nail is already inside my femur.  So he just needs to break my left leg so that I can start the lengthening process.  He wants me to lengthen at a slower rate this time around.  I was achieving 1mm per day on my right leg and I had no lengthening pain.  So Guichet thinks this speed has been too fast for my soft tissues and bones to heal.

And depending on how much calluses/bones have formed on my right lengthened leg, he might give me a marrow injection to stimulate growth and healing.

I have waited months for the left leg surgery (since September) but Guichet wasn't ready to start my lengthening until my previous fracture is fully healed.  So it has taken a good 4 months (Sep-Jan) for my bones to be stable, healed, consolidated and strong enough to be REBROKEN again for lengthening.

Sounds terrifying, no?  It's less scary when it's your own body   You'll always feel like, "eh no problem, I can handle anything as long as I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...  I shall persevere and make this dream come true

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Well, hope your friends and parents don't talk with each others and find out you have told them different things. Otherwise,you'll be in big troubles lol

Well, if yours is the worst case scenario, I cand handle it. It is taking you much more than expected, but you seem on the path of a realizing your dreams without bad  permanent consequences.

Since you will lengthening slower, in which months do you think will you finish?

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Hi everyone

As promised, here are all my xrays from the initial surgery until this week.  I'll be going for surgery next Wednesday and Guichet's charging me £9k for it.  So yes, he's a l'il blood sucker!

Anyways, I tried to preserve the quality of the images so that you can observe the calluses growing and bone consolidating - click to enlarge.

Keeping my fingers super crossed for Wednesday!    Hope you'll find this helpful.


RIGHT LEG



JULY 2016 (Guichet clicks 1cm during surgery)



SEPTEMBER 2016 (Lengthened to 7cm)



NOVEMBER 2016 (Calluses appear to have resorbed/less than October)



DECEMBER 2016 (Calluses growing back - see the long smoky fingers?)



JANUARY 2017 (Long smoky fingers reaching out to each other)




LEFT LEG



JULY 2016 (Guichet clicks 1cm during surgery)



AUGUST 2016 (At fracture, the lengthened gap collapsed)



SEPTEMBER 2016 (After 2nd surgery, pin is nailed lower on a new site)



NOVEMBER 2016 (Awaiting bone consolidation - still tiny gaps)



DECEMBER 2016 (Consolidating)



JANUARY 2017 (Consolidated)




SURGERY - DRILLING AND OSTEOTOMY

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hi unicorn!!

really hope this is the end of the tunnel for you!!!
how long will be your LL this time?






Quote from: Unicorn888 on January 29, 2017, 08:40:38 PMHi everyone

As promised, here are all my xrays from the initial surgery until this week.  I'll be going for surgery next Wednesday and Guichet's charging me £9k for it.  So yes, he's a l'il blood sucker!

Anyways, I tried to preserve the quality of the images so that you can observe the calluses growing and bone consolidating - click to enlarge.

Keeping my fingers super crossed for Wednesday!    Hope you'll find this helpful.


RIGHT LEG



JULY 2016 (Guichet clicks 1cm during surgery)



SEPTEMBER 2016 (Lengthened to 7cm)



NOVEMBER 2016 (Calluses appear to have resorbed/less than October)



DECEMBER 2016 (Calluses growing back - see the long smoky fingers?)



JANUARY 2017 (Long smoky fingers reaching out to each other)




LEFT LEG



JULY 2016 (Guichet clicks 1cm during surgery)



AUGUST 2016 (At fracture, the lengthened gap collapsed)



SEPTEMBER 2016 (After 2nd surgery, pin is nailed lower on a new site)



NOVEMBER 2016 (Awaiting bone consolidation - still tiny gaps)



DECEMBER 2016 (Consolidating)



JANUARY 2017 (Consolidated)




SURGERY - DRILLING AND OSTEOTOMY

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hi unicorn, also you recommend the PREGNANCY PILLOW £24.50 - U-Shape Body Support Pillow.... but is it ok for Dr Guichet to have his patients sleep in that position?? I mean on the side??