I stopped clicking at somewhere between 6.85cm/6.9cm per the click file (though I think it's 6.9cm because I had a few clicks in the hospital during days 1 and 2). I was flirting with the idea of doing another 1mm. Yes...I am aware it's not visible and makes no absolutely no difference. I'm aware I'm being overly anal and unreasonable. I had to take a break this last (almost) week and a half because my soft tissue was really begging me to stop. I had a lot of pain at the end. So, at the time, I decided to respect my body.
I was thinking that doing another 1mm wouldn't affect my recovery time too much, but Dr. G told me today that I shouldn't click anymore because it could cause a fracture at this point. I'm getting x-rays taken this weekend (which will be 2 weeks from my last x-rays and when I stopped clicking) to know for sure. But I have to admit that I was a bit saddened to hear this. Maybe it's just because I'm at the point where I'm no longer in control? My height bothered me for so long, and I guess having temporary control over it made me feel better about myself (as does the new height, which is obvious to all I've seen so far). I also have felt the pain go down these last few days, which kinda re-invigorated me to push for a bit more.
No one has to tell me that the 1mm I'm stressed over is totally ridiculous. I'm fully aware of this. And curing my duckass would probably more than make up for it (not to mention the fact that Dr. G said most patients get more than they click, since it's a bit less than 15 clicks per 1mm), and I've already been measured at over 5'8" in the evening (with duckass) several times. I just wish I wasn't such a damn super-anal competitive perfectionist 
I'll chalk it up to my fear of going back to have a "fixed height" soon. And the fact that my final height, while very good and a huge improvement (and my goal from day 1), is still somewhat borderline. Not sure if anyone else on here has experienced this towards the end.
Yellowspike - Dr. Guichet, Internal Femurs, Late 2014
What did Dr G say would fracture? Your entire femur bone? Has this happened to anyone before?
Quote from: kare69 on March 11, 2015, 01:55:04 AMWhat did Dr G say would fracture? Your entire femur bone? Has this happened to anyone before?
He said it could possibly fracture the new callus of between the femur bone segments (the new bone that's grown the length you've distracted). I was surprised to hear that he thinks this is already the case, as I thought it would be weeks until I was at risk for something like that. I thought full fusion of the bone bridge had to take place. So I'm gonna see what my new x-rays look like, hope to get them at some point this weekend.
The main reason I stopped clicking was because my left leg was in a ton of pain as I clicked. It was weird. The clicks themselves never hurt, but turning my leg into position hurt like hell. When I was sitting in the shower last night, I turned my left leg a bit as if to mimic the clicking motion (but had no intention of clicking), and the pain came back. So maybe my soft tissue is just done with it all.
For those who did LL with a ratcheting device, did anyone ever experience bad pain as they did the click movements (but not from the click itself)? I don't really have that bad pain now per se, but when I mimic the clicking motion with my left leg (previously the leg that was super easy to click), there's a lot of pain from my lower quad (back of my leg) down to my ankle. I'm wondering if this is my soft tissues' way of saying "I'm done now, b*tch." My left calf is also partially numb (I know this will take a while to go away), whereas my right leg is not. I won't click until Dr. G gives me the go ahead, and I only want to throw in a few more for good measure. I may be stupidly anal, but I won't put my health on the line.
I'm also wondering how much I'd be set back from (slowly) doing another mm or so. I was told right after my x-rays a week and a half ago that I could walk around my house without crutches, but I decided to wait a bit. Would be nice to be walking (funnily) in around 3 weeks or so.
Quote from: YellowSpike on March 11, 2015, 06:07:22 PMFor those who did LL with a ratcheting device, did anyone ever experience bad pain as they did the click movements (but not from the click itself)? I don't really have that bad pain now per se, but when I mimic the clicking motion with my left leg (previously the leg that was super easy to click), there's a lot of pain from my lower quad (back of my leg) down to my ankle. I'm wondering if this is my soft tissues' way of saying "I'm done now, b*tch." My left calf is also partially numb (I know this will take a while to go away), whereas my right leg is not. I won't click until Dr. G gives me the go ahead, and I only want to throw in a few more for good measure. I may be stupidly anal, but I won't put my health on the line.
I'm also wondering how much I'd be set back from (slowly) doing another mm or so. I was told right after my x-rays a week and a half ago that I could walk around my house without crutches, but I decided to wait a bit. Would be nice to be walking (funnily) in around 3 weeks or so.
I think the pain is so traumatic and your body is not used to the new length of your bone it's like when people have no legs and they feel pain. I think it's related to phantom limb pain you need to get a Ferrari and find an Italian girlfriend stat!
Quote from: Joel on March 11, 2015, 11:41:28 PMI think the pain is so traumatic and your body is not used to the new length of your bone it's like when people have no legs and they feel pain. I think it's related to phantom limb pain you need to get a Ferrari and find an Italian girlfriend stat!
Haha! The funny thing is I tend to always go for girls with blonde hair and blue eyes (they're my kryptonite among women). My family says I need a nice Italian girl. I'm starting to think they're right.
If it wasn't for the pain in my left leg as I clicked, I may have done a bit more. But I promise all of you, this isn't me p*ssying out...this pain was REALLY bad. I can't really describe but like an intense shooting nerve pain down your leg, that even lingers for a while after you've done the click movement. My right leg starting having problems, but I was able to find a new method to click that one. But the left leg seems to have pain no matter what. And it makes sense, because it's only my left shin that has partial numbness. Maybe my left leg's soft tissue has just reached it's limit? I don't know.
It's all good though. With the extra height that the Gnail seems to give most patients (it's a bit less than 15 clicks per 1mm) and with the duckass correction, I should be fine and pretty much where I wanted to be regardless of throwing in extra clicks or not. I'm just a perfectionist...but I guess this is something different where we can only "play God" so much with our bodies. I just can't see myself every doing this again, pain/money/time/and proportion-wise.
Interesting. Does the doctor tell you when you feel immense pain you should stop? Is that how you know you've reached your limit? BecAuse I figure the entire clicking process is a bit painful itself. How can you distinguish between the two pains?
Also I too am interested in lengthening 7cm to 7.5 cm, proportion wise what are the limits the doctor tells you can go so as to not look like a freak?
Fyi I'm presently 171cm hoping to do lengthening in my femur alone of 7.5cm to be 178.
Quote from: kare69 on March 12, 2015, 01:39:12 AMInteresting. Does the doctor tell you when you feel immense pain you should stop? Is that how you know you've reached your limit? BecAuse I figure the entire clicking process is a bit painful itself. How can you distinguish between the two pains?
Also I too am interested in lengthening 7cm to 7.5 cm, proportion wise what are the limits the doctor tells you can go so as to not look like a freak?
Fyi I'm presently 171cm hoping to do lengthening in my femur alone of 7.5cm to be 178.
I believe he will only tell you to stop clicking when your flexibility drops below a certain level. But I have to talk to him about this pain. It's potentially the worst pain I've had throughout this experience. I think I maybe lengthened more than I realized (I may be over 7cm), because my soft tissue is really rebelling at this point.
Proportions are all individual. At your consultation he will tell you about that (he'll measure your sitting height and femur/tibia ratio and such). Actually, maybe it's good that I stop now....not sure if it's because I've lost considerable muscle mass, but my femurs look so long!
YellowSpike
Do you think you would have had this problem if you used PRECISE II? Think it was the mechanics? Have you heard of others who were lengthening with you having this problem?
Most importantly does the dr say with time a problem like this will get better?
Has he seen it before?
Quote from: kare69 on March 12, 2015, 02:00:41 AMYellowSpike
Do you think you would have had this problem if you used PRECISE II? Think it was the mechanics? Have you heard of others who were lengthening with you having this problem?
Most importantly does the dr say with time a problem like this will get better?
Has he seen it before?
I think the pain would have been a little better with Precice, but I know several people who had bad pain with Precice after around 5cm. As you lengthen more, you push your soft tissue more. But the Gnail is a little tougher in this respect (maybe also because you get a bit more height than what you click, that may have something to do with it too). I know a guy who did Precice, and stopped at 5cm because his soft tissue just wouldn't allow for anymore.
And yes, he's confident it will get better, as am I. I'm just somewhat annoyed that it forced me to stop a tad early, even though I probably did get my goal. I'm just very paranoid given all that I've invested to this point.
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