Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: Raisin Bran on April 26, 2015, 03:23:16 PM
-
Hello everyone,
I am currently a patient of Dr. Betz. I am nearing the conclusion of my lengthening period, as my surgery was several months ago. Initially, I had wished to start this diary prior to my lengthening. However, work commitments and the initiation of a strict clicking/physio routine made starting a diary quite difficult. Lately, I have had more time to read through the LL forum, and I thought any input regarding my experiences as a recent patient of Dr. Betz in mid-2015 could prove invaluable to some people. Therefore, I will try to maintain and update this diary regularly, as I am near the completion of my process. Please feel free to respond to this diary with your inquiries and wish me luck with my lengthening.
- Raisin Bran
-
Welcome,
May I ask you some questions out of curiosity:
How old are you?
Where are you from?
Whats your gender?
Whats your intial height?
How much do you plan to lengthen?
Cheers!
-
1) 22
2) West Coast, US
3) Male
4) 163 cm
5) 10.4cm, roughly 4 inches
Apologies for the lack of detail in my initial post, but I assumed I'd just supply answers to whatever people were interested in.
-
How is your experience so far with Dr. Betz? Did you run into any complications?
-
Why did you chose to lengthen so much in only one surgery, what does Dr. betz have to say about amount lengthened?
Is it generally safe to lengthen beyond 8CM?
-
How do you feel about your body proportions (torso to leg ratio, arm to leg ratio, femur to tibia ratio etc) after lengthening such a large amount?
-
Another Exemple that Betz has the Best nail. Presice cannot go this amount. I do not recommend for These Ranges But it Shows the quality of the nail.
-
Another Exemple that Betz has the Best nail. Presice cannot go this amount. I do not recommend for These Ranges But it Shows the quality of the nail.
This is not because of the quality of the nail, but rather that the nail he uses can lengthening that amount physically. The Precice nail has a physically limitation, as in, the nail cannot stretch that far. It's not about the quality.
-
Re: Alittletooshort
My experience with Dr. Betz has been great so far. I'm living at Elke's house, which is close to Dr. Betz's home and the Komfortklinik. There are numerous other patients here as well. All have had a solid experience so far, with varying stages of lengthening or recovery. Since leaving the hospital, I've seen Dr. Betz 1-2 times a month, at least, either at Elke's house or at the physiotherapist's place. He is a cordial guy, who has tremendous faith in his nail and surgical methods. He has consistently answered my questions as best as possible. Right after my surgery, when I was still in the Komfortklinik, I had some worries that arose after a few patients introduced them to me, e.g. nail weakness, incorrect final heights, etc. However, Dr. Betz answered every last one of them very well and alleviated my concerns. Since then, he has followed along with my process diligently, and has given me worthwhile criticism or praise. Additionally, if I ever have any sudden questions, he's just one phone call away.
Fortunately, the complications I've had have been minimal. I had an excellent condition after surgery. I could even walk well without crutches. However, just before 2cm, I overstretched and badly strained my right groin. I had this groin issue since I was in high school, but it had pretty much disappeared when I started my various exercise regimens in college. Unfortunately, it came back in the worst of ways. Resting and tentatively working through this deep strain hurt every facet of my condition. I had to walk with a bad limp, my legs became much wider, and the muscles (hamstrings, quads, etc.) in both legs lost quite a bit in flexibility. Finally, after 4.5 cm, the groin issue had resolved itself, but I was still left with the problems I had just mentioned. According to my physiotherapist, Peter Woll, I was in a really bad place, considering my condition prior to the strain. However, we strongly worked on each individual problem during the subsequent physio sessions, and I attempted to correct these problems every chance I got, on my own. I avoided cheating with my walking - forcing the legs closer, keeping my pelvis and back straight, and attempting to develop a more appropriate gait. Regardless if my leg muscles were tired, I never hopped or swung on my crutches to move myself, in lieu of walking. Eventually, around 6 cm, my walking was pretty good again. Nevertheless, I had lost some flexibility in my left quadricep, though it was still greater than the minimum 90 degree flexion, and my hamstrings were a work in progress.
I should mention that I fell down once. I immediately had an accidental click and an inner thigh bruise. Fortunately, my arms were out, so they reduced the force of the impact. I was worried that something might have happened to the nail, but after informing Dr. Betz and evaluating the situation with Peter for the next week or two, I was relieved that nothing came of this fall. A few weeks later, I had my mid-lengthening x-rays at the hospital and they further proved that there were no issues.
- Raisin Bran
-
Re: Uppland and Taller
I figured I could answer you both together, as the questions are similar.
Before surgery, my legs were a bit odd. I had a long, lean lower leg, and a short, thick upper leg. My percentage for lower to upper was 86%, which is much higher than the typical 80%. So, I had more freedom in lengthening my femurs to a larger degree. However, I was also cognizant of the significant length that 10cm+ would be, in regards to my initial height. There is less stress on the body of a person who is 170cm+ or 180cm+ to lengthen 10cm than there is for someone who is 160cm+. Therefore, I was cautious throughout my entire lengthening process. I was told by my physiotherapist, Peter Woll, that the condition for numerous patients can change between 8cm and 9cm. When I reached 8cm, I did not have this noticeable change. However, more than a week later, when I reached 9cm, I began to feel it. I had more tightness in my legs after clicking than I'd had before 9cm. Therefore, I decided on two things. Following Dr. Betz's guidance, I have taken either every other day or 2 days on-1 day off from clicking. Also, I have pushed my leg muscles harder on the days I don't click, so that I can relieve the tightness. I am currently at 9.6cm, and have just 8 days of clicking left.
Before my surgery, I exercised regularly, with various HIIT and cardio regimens. My focus in exercise was on lean muscle, core strength, agility, and most importantly, flexibility. When I went to my consultation with Dr. Betz in late 2014, he informed me that my flexibility and core strength was fantastic and would definitely help me much in the lengthening process. After considering my aforementioned percentages and the width of my femurs, he said that I could go to 10cm with the 13mm nail. I was very pleased that I'd have the 13mm nail, just a surprising advantage my thick thighs afforded me. ;D
Following the consultation, I stopped my intensive workouts, and switched to yoga, Pilates, and additional core work. I continued this exercise regimen for many months, until my surgery in early 2015. I wanted to minimize unnecessary bulk muscle in my lower body, as this could've been detrimental for lengthening.
In terms of my feelings about my proportions, I think my legs finally have the appropriate dimensions. I wore my favorite blue jeans to a dinner yesterday, and I was amazed at how well they looked. My legs did not look stocky or oddly spaced in them, as they had before. My upper torso and lower body look great as well, considering that I always wear jeans/slacks/dress pants at the hip, with a lean cut. My wingspan leaves much to be desired, but we can't always have everything. All in all, I feel awesome about my proportions.
-
I'm happy for you raisin, good luck.
Could you post some of the exercise routines you used to prepare for the surgery?
I also want to strengthen and stretch my legs as much as possible before I lengthen but I'm having troubles finding the right routines, thank you.
-
Re: Uppland
Sure, I'll look some up for you and post a few appropriate ones. The most important stretches are those that loosen up your hamstrings and your quadriceps, and improve the complete range of movement in your pelvis. When were you planning to have your surgery?
BTW, you can just call me Bran. :D
-
Re: coppkillr, DoingItForMe
I personally can not comment on the quality and strengths/weaknesses of the Precise nail. In my situation, I could've gone to Paley, which is much closer to me and would've allowed me to pretty much stay at home for the lengthening. However, I went with Dr. Betz because after my consultation with him and meeting with several patients who were having their removal at the time, I felt that this was the best option for me. Cost, travel, and recovery might be a deal breaker for some people, but I was fortunate that I did not have to concern myself with these issues. Therefore, I was able to select the best lengthening option available to me. Now that I'm nearing the conclusion of the lengthening phase, I have no regrets with my choice. Just looking forward to the recovery phase and eventually, returning back home.
-
You know what Bran? That would be really really helpful for everyone on the forum, we can never prepare enough for such a brutal surgery.
Thanks a lot mate.
-
Hey Bran why didn't you split the 10cm between two segments?
-
Would it bother you to post photos of your post-lengthening and pre-lengthening proportions?
-
Re: Uppland
I could actually do you one better bro, I'm currently trying to convince one of my housemates to contribute to the forum. He's completed his lengthening phase and he's like the stretch king in the house. Condition is near perfect for someone who completed 10. I'm thinking 2 points of views should be even more helpful for those interested in the lengthening process, especially those of relative success.
-
Welcome to the forum.
Oddly enough, I hate raisins but I really like Raisin Bran.
-
Re: theuprising
Personally, I did not want to do two surgeries. The recovery time for tibias is much longer than that of femurs. So, if I did both surgeries, I'd have to do tibias first. Additionally, my tibias were already oddly long, so it would not have made much sense. When I went for my consultation, I had like 7-8cm in mind, but as I mentioned in my previous post, the strength of my nail (13mm), the solid condition I have while lengthening past 8cm, and my pre-surgery ratio (86%) all led up to my choice of doing 10cm+.
Both tibia and femur surgery is quite stressful for your body. However, if I did do 2 surgeries, I probably would've gone to at least a total of 15cm.
-
Re: KiloKAHN
Haha, you and me both man, I think I've just seen way too many cheesy California Raisin commercials for one lifetime.
-
Re: Taller
I have not finished yet, though I'm very close. I'll try to post some pics when I'm done. If not, I definitely have my X-Rays as well.
-
However, I went with Dr. Betz because after my consultation with him and meeting with several patients who were having their removal at the time,
The consultation lasts only several hours from morning to evening. Patients who have their nails removed just stay 1 night in the clinic. So you are suggesting you met several of them during your consultation? That's highly unlikely to say the least.
And why did you attack MasterHY in his diary on the old forum with your very first post?
It is obvious you are part of a new marketing offensive from Betz. He uses the forums as his main marketing tool. He has had an unethical business relationship with the owner of the old forum. So readers shouldn't pay too much attention to the success stories but rather focus on the negative stuff. It is much more difficult to make up the bad stories.
Readers beware: Betz is not trustworthy and extremely unsafe.
-
Re: Metanoia
Wow, I figured a post like this might be coming. I'd rather not have this thread devolve into some type of flame war or angry back-and-forth. However, I will answer your questions as legitimately as I have to those from previous posters.
Yes, you are correct that most patients typically stay 1-2 nights at the clinic after removal. I met with 2 removal patients the day I was there for my consultation, in addition to around 4 or 5 other lengthening patients at the Komfortklinik. If that still does not seem plausible to you, then I'm not sure what else I could say to convince you otherwise.
In regards to my MasterHY post in the old forum, I just wished to remind people that a person's lengthening experience is typically unique to only themselves. People read about all these issues in that post, and they could actually start to believe that if they work hard, exercise, stretch, and do everything right prior to, during, and after lengthening, they might have all these problems that MasterHY has mentioned. There are 4 patients now at Elke's house, including myself. I have seen many other patients come through the house, staying for various periods of time. I can promise you that of all these patients, no two situations were identical or even similar. I did not attack him personally or criticize his problems, so I question the validity of your points. Being in Germany for some time now however, I am aware of who MasterHY actually is, what his situation was, how his stay at Orscholz was, and the things he's avoided disclosing in his posts, so as to craft a one-sided story. I am above petty criticism though, and it's not relevant to my experience at all. So, that is the last thing I will say about that.
As far as being in a business relationship or part of a marketing offensive, :o LOL. That is wayyy out there bro, honestly. I posted to that forum at the same time as this forum, but I can't make a new thread or post a diary there. Additionally, the activity in that forum is a lot less than this one. So, I'm just continuing with my story in this forum because it's easier to use and members have been more thoughtful and receptive to my posts.
Now, in terms of negative stuff, I have seen a few patients who have had bad conditions, i.e. duck a**, lack of bone growth, wide legs, bad walking, etc. Fortunately, the reasons for their issues are quite simple. THEY DID NOT PUT IN THE WORK OR LISTEN TO DIRECTIONS! If you don't consistently walk with crutches during the entire lengthening period or do too much physical activity with an unstable base, this is detrimental to bone growth. If you do physiotherapy and then do no exercise or stretching on your own, your condition will diminish. If you cheat with your walking, your condition will diminish. If you leave Germany, go back home, and do not continue with the proper physiotherapy, your condition will diminish RAPIDLY. Foolish people take this surgery/recovery lightly, and they put themselves in the condition they ultimately complain about. I have set aside 6-7 months of my life (January to July/August) to stay in Germany, get the best physiotherapy available, and focus on getting my entire condition back to at least 80% of where it was prior to surgery. Some patients are able to do this, while others do not have this luxury and have to go back home/work. For those people, they just have to work harder at improving. Ultimately, we're talking about our legs here. This isn't a breast enhancement or general cosmetic surgery. There would be no negative patient stories if every patient took this seriously everyday of their recovery.
I will answer any further questions you may have, but please do not criticize someone unless you have been affected by them personally. I can say all this because I'm a living, breathing, walking testament to the remarkable skill and ability of Dr. Betz and his surgical practice.
-
Bran is 80% of previous ability the most anyone can hope for in your opinion?
Also the combined input from you and your friend sounds great, I've already been stretching my hamstrings for a few weeks but I'm not sure what else to do or if I'm doing the right stretches.
-
Being in Germany for some time now however, I am aware of who MasterHY actually is, what his situation was, how his stay at Orscholz was, and the things he's avoided disclosing in his posts, so as to craft a one-sided story.
MasterHY never was in Orscholz. You are full of . If you are really a patient, which i doubt, then write about your experience and shut up about other people you don't know.
Only patients with complications get to know the real ugliness of the character of Dr.Betz. He now seems to send all his patients to Elke. This is in order to isolate them. In Orscholz there are other doctors and nurses who might talk about what they have seen what has happened to his patients. But Elke will keep quiet.
So you are enjoying to live in one of her dog kennels? No gym, no swimming pool?
-
Sorry to venture away from Bran's story, but have you decided to do LL, Uppland?
Bran, what extent of recovery do you typically see of fellow Dr. Betz patients? Do they usually recover most or all of their pre-LL abilities?
Please ignore Metanoia and be assured that users like myself greatly appreciate your contributions to this forum and welcome your presence here.
-
Sorry to venture away from Bran's story, but have you decided to do LL, Uppland?
Bran, what extent of recovery do you typically see of fellow Dr. Betz patients? Do they usually recover most or all of their pre-LL abilities?
Please ignore Metanoia and be assured that users like myself greatly appreciate your contributions to this forum and welcome your presence here.
No I'm holding off on the decition until I see a shrink. However I'm leaning towards doing it and so I want to be prepared, I also want to save as much money as possible hence why I'm going with a public/state psychiatrist instead of a private one. I need a doctors permit though so the bureaucracy is moving a bit slow at the moment.
-
Re: Taller
Appreciate your point about Metanoia, lol, all I have to say is god damn, that user is really something else, dog kennels, wow. I hope people can ignore him or maybe someone can just delete his spam.
Anyway, back to your question, I met a few removal patients during my 2 weeks at the Komfortklinik post-surgery. Two of them were actually my roommates, one at the beginning and one at the end of my stay. The initial guy had a long road to recovery, but he was a semi-professional biker prior to surgery (significant lower body muscle). He had a lot of trouble with clicking in the beginning because of this muscle mass. The latter guy had a shorter recovery period, and he was the complete opposite. Just a normal non-athletic guy, but his starting height was maybe 175 or 176cm. He had stayed 1 or 2 months at Orscholz. They both lengthened about the same, 7-8cm. However, both of them were fully recovered by the time of removal. Two completely different paths to the same positive conclusion. That was encouraging to me.
The biggest detriments to recovery are what I mentioned in the last post: patients not putting in the necessary work or effort for the 6 months after surgery or doing too much strenuous lower body activity too quickly. I think of my approach as that of a professional athlete that has had a major injury. Let's say you play professional soccer or basketball, you need to work your way up to doing your usual things, from walking, running, dribbling, passing, shooting, and then contact drills. What can happen to some players who come back too soon though from injury? They re-aggravate the old injury and need to go out for more time. What can happen to some players who do the minimum during their recovery? They come back out-of-shape and need much time to get to match fitness. It's the same thing for LL, both mistakes lead to a longer and harder recovery.
As an LL patient, I'm just going to be cautious about sports or activities until the removal of my nail. I think that's the best option for avoiding any unnecessary risks.
-
What kind of permit do you expect to get from your meetings with a psychiatrist Uppland if I may ask? Are you doing this to get the treatment in sweden?
-
Please ignore Metanoia and be assured that users like myself greatly appreciate your contributions to this forum and welcome your presence here.
So you appreciate him spreading false informations about MasterHY?
You seem to be quite gullible my friend.
-
Please ignore Metanoia and be assured that users like myself greatly appreciate your contributions to this forum and welcome your presence here.
Why should he be ignored while the guy speaks the truth?
-
Raisin Bran obviously had a positive experience with Dr Betz. He should be allowed to post his point of view without being accused of doing marketing for his doctor. If you disagree with the positive opinion of Dr Betz, then post in Dr Betz's thread in the doctor section and people can read both points of view and form their own opinion. Let's not clutter Raisin Bran's diary with accusations, please.
-
What kind of permit do you expect to get from your meetings with a psychiatrist Uppland if I may ask? Are you doing this to get the treatment in sweden?
No I meant I need to see a doctor that confirms I'm in need of a psychiatrist and then the state will give me free sessions. There aren't just drop in state shrinks, not even here. They're only available when people need to see them.
-
Re: KiloKAHN
Thanks Kilo, I appreciate the support of a moderator. My lengthening has been pretty successful so far, and I'm just trying to pay it forward giving people some tips and advice that I wish I had been given prior to surgery. However, any chance of having a positive discussion here is hurt when we have to deal with this constant aggressive attacks and criticisms that aren't even relevant.
- Raisin Bran
-
Raisin Bran obviously had a positive experience with Dr Betz. He should be allowed to post his point of view without being accused of doing marketing for his doctor. If you disagree with the positive opinion of Dr Betz, then post in Dr Betz's thread in the doctor section and people can read both points of view and form their own opinion. Let's not clutter Raisin Bran's diary with accusations, please.
I agree with you but only under the condition that he really writes about his experience and doesn't continue to spread lies about other patients. Further he should give some proof that he is really a patient. So far his writing looks quite suspicious. He never even mentioned one date in his “diary”. And his post on the old forum makes him look even more suspicious. Therefore Kilokahn please consider the facts before giving him the benefit of doubt.
-
I agree with you but only under the condition that he really writes about his experience and doesn't continue to spread lies about other patients. Further he should give some proof that he is really a patient. So far his writing looks quite suspicious. He never even mentioned one date in his “diary”. And his post on the old forum makes him look even more suspicious. Therefore Kilokahn please consider the facts before giving him the benefit of doubt.
Raisin Bran didn't say anything about MasterHY in this forum, so whatever he posted on the old forum isn't really relevant to his diary here, imo.
Regardless of any controversy that has happened with the doctor, it's not something that should be taken out on the patients who happen to have a good experience with him.
Raisin Bran has also verified with me that he is a real patient of Dr Betz, so any doubts about his legitimacy should be put to rest.
-
@Kilo,
how? may I ask?
I am not taking sides but am just curious.
@Raisin,
good to see you here man!
-
Raisin Bran didn't say anything about MasterHY in this forum
In regards to my MasterHY post in the old forum, I just wished to remind people that a person's lengthening experience is typically unique to only themselves. People read about all these issues in that post, and they could actually start to believe that if they work hard, exercise, stretch, and do everything right prior to, during, and after lengthening, they might have all these problems that MasterHY has mentioned. There are 4 patients now at Elke's house, including myself. I have seen many other patients come through the house, staying for various periods of time. I can promise you that of all these patients, no two situations were identical or even similar. I did not attack him personally or criticize his problems, so I question the validity of your points. Being in Germany for some time now however, I am aware of who MasterHY actually is, what his situation was, how his stay at Orscholz was, and the things he's avoided disclosing in his posts, so as to craft a one-sided story.
No further comment Mr. Moderator.
-
No further comment Mr. Moderator.
He didn't say anything about MasterHY until you brought it up, so...
-
He didn't say anything about MasterHY until you brought it up, so...
So what? So you he is allowed to distort the truth? You just don't want to admit your mistake.
-
So what? So you he is allowed to distort the truth? You just don't want to admit your mistake.
There's no mistake. He didn't bring up MasterHY until you did. Anyway, Bran doesn't want a flame war to start in his diary and it's pretty much a given that one will happen with two very opposing views on the same doctor. I know you had problems with the surgery with Dr Betz and I'm not saying that you can't post about your opinion of him or the complications others got, but do so outside of Bran's thread.
-
There's no mistake. He didn't bring up MasterHY until you did. Anyway, Bran doesn't want a flame war to start in his diary and it's pretty much a given that one will happen with two very opposing views on the same doctor. I know you had problems with the surgery with Dr Betz and I'm not saying that you can't post about your opinion of him or the complications others got, but do so outside of Bran's thread.
Ok i won't post my opinion here. But he will get flames if he lies about other patients because that has nothing to do with opinions. There is a difference between statements about facts and opinions. As long as we all agree on that there won't be any disturbance from my side.
-
Re: KiloKAHN
It's great to see how many views this diary has already gotten in less than 2 days. A large number of patients and/or family members that I've met just follow along with these diaries, and unfortunately do not post anything. So, I'll paste my single comment on here from the old forum, in order to give context to what I'm being unnecessarily criticized for.
"Hello, I should preface by saying that this is my first post on this forum, and I'm hoping to increase my post count, so that I can start a thread in the near future. I am a current patient of Dr. Betz, and I'm nearing the end of the lengthening process. In reading this post and the responses that have been given, I would like to sincerely ask people to consider the negative experiences of others with skepticism. Almost everyone has had a process that is unique to himself/herself, and the issues of one person do not apply to most. If anyone has any concerns about Dr. Betz and the lengthening process at this point in time (mid-2015), feel free to reply to this post. Thanks for reading this long response."
After this post, I have not received any responses on that forum. So, I stopped posting there. This is the last thing I will say about this topic, and I hope people can see that it was an unbiased, uncritical response to the MasterHY diary.
Re: SAD
Appreciate the warm welcome. I'll answer your question for you though. I provided sensitive information about my surgery, in addition to pictures of my mid-lengthening x-ray, medication, and crutches. These pictures included a tag with my account name for further verification. When I complete my lengthening, I will try to post the 3 x-rays I would've had in the beginning, middle, and end stages, in this diary.
- Raisin Bran
-
Day 95
I am now 7 days of clicking away from completion. I had initially calculated that I would need 100 days of clicking to reach my final goal of 10.4cm (~ 4in). My initial gap after surgery was 5mm, and I started clicking on January 25th. My nail (13mm) has 15 clicks for 1.05mm and the first 6-7 days of clicking were gradually increased until I reached the regular amount of 15 clicks daily.
As I'd mentioned in an earlier post, I started taking occasional days off when I reached 9cm. Before 9cm, I did not skip a single day of clicking 15 times. Today, I'll be going to my physiotherapy session with Peter Woll, and I probably won't click afterwards, since I clicked yesterday and I'll click tomorrow. On these physio days, I like to focus entirely on improving my stretches, walking, and motor functions, both during and following the session with Peter. After 9cm, my legs began to feel pretty exhausted if I clicked after these exercises. So, I've been skipping my clicks on those days. I have physio tomorrow as well, but I'll definitely click to avoid missing 2 days in a row.
I'm not sure when I'll be finished, but even with a few days off, it should be some time by the end of next week. I'm at ~9.7cm now.
I've convinced another patient at Elke's house to start posting on my diary as well, so you should see his posts here later today.
- Raisin Bran
-
Hey everybody,
İ am an another patient who is staying with Bran in Elke's place.İ decide to write something about me , so you can read 2 different stories because we know that it is hard to get some informations about patients.So both of us will try to help you about your questions and explain our situations.İ will start to write in the evening.
-
Hey bran,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
How much money did you spend for the surgery and the aftercare so far?
Keep us updated, the majority of us really appreciates the fact that you take your time to write all this.
Cheers!
-
Re: september14
Hey man, good to finally see you on here. Can't wait to see what your diary's going to be. I can only imagine, lol.
Re: Alittletooshort
Cost analysis was a big part of my decision making process before surgery. I've met patients who were fortunate enough to have their families pay for the surgery and/or recovery. I've also met patients who were able to pay for the surgery and/or recovery themselves. I had some savings set aside from working after I completed college, so I was able to pay for myself. My currency is in dollars, instead of the euro, so I really had to think about how much was needed. The femur surgery with Dr. Betz, including 2-3 week hospital stay, was like 49,028 euros, which was roughly $58k for me. I had to purchase the medication, so that was another 800 euros, I think. Physiotherapy sessions, massages, and rent totals about 2500 euros a month. My final budget was $80k, and with the way the US dollar is improving against the Euro, I will finish having spent closer to $75k after 6-7 months.
Personally, I think this is the best option available to patients of Dr. Betz, who have the available time and budget. Luckily, I was able to take off a lengthy period of time from my job. My focus has completely been on this surgery and a quick recovery during this time, and I believe that is why I have had success with my process. Same goes for september14, but I'll have him tell you about that if you ask him.
- Raisin Bran
-
Day 96
I forgot to post the diary entry I had written yesterday, so I'm posting it this morning.
Today, I am 6 days from the conclusion of clicking. My current height is roughly 9.8cm. I had a physiotherapy session with Peter earlier in the day. My left quad is still at the minimum 90-95 degree flexion, while my right quad is almost perfect. My heel can practically reach my butt on the right side, but I definitely avoid overstretching it at this stage. The significant difference in the quads is unexplainable, and neither Peter nor I have been able to understand how it could've happened. It just became like this somewhere between 4-6cm. The front of my thighs, though, are extremely hard and rigid. I purchased an electric massager over Amazon.de and as my thighs have gotten more solid, it has worked less effectively.
My hamstrings are fine, but I have a sensitive area on the back of my right knee. The knees can be a common issue for patients who lengthen past 8cm, so I am happy that this issue isn't too bad in comparison. The condition of my hip flexors is solid, and the rectus femoris (quad muscle) is decent as well.
I have tightness in my right IT band, which I've been working on with Peter for many months. It can cause my left hip to be a bit higher than my right hip, especially when I'm walking. Also, when I stand straight with my feet together, the left foot is a little bit off the ground sometimes. However, I can bring my left hip/leg completely down now if I stretch a little. This is the biggest issue that I currently have, and I hope that it can become much improved after my clicking is over. It has not affected my ability to walk with a straight posture and it isn't too noticeable now, but I still don't feel completely natural in my movement.
Anyway, I'll post tomorrow about Day 97. Thanks for reading.
- Raisin Bran
-
How did you become so knowledgeable about muscle anatomy and function Bran?
-
Re: Uppland
Peter Woll, bro. Lol, I'm like a sponge with everything he tells me, and I always have constructive questions for him. Plus, it helps that I had some academic knowledge about anatomy from my university studies and from developing my workout regimens the past few years before my surgery.
It is very valuable knowledge to have because issues in hamstrings, ITBs, general quads, glutes, adductors, rectus femoris, etc. can eventually lead to issues in your condition, such as duck a**, wide legs, locked knees, bent back, drop steps, etc. So if you notice an issue somewhere, you know exactly where you need to work harder at.
- Raisin Bran
-
Day 97
Today, I am 5 days away from being finished. I clicked 15 straight in the morning after breakfast. Throughout my process, I've played around with the manner of clicks many times. I've alternated between a complete 15 clicks in the morning/early afternoon, 5 clicks split 3 times a day, 10 clicks in the morning/5 in the afternoon, and 5 in the morning/10 in the afternoon (my favorite for physiotherapy days). Lately, I've gone back to the usual 15 clicks all at once. Some patients might prefer clicking at night, but the few times I tried this, my muscles felt really tight and would cramp up during my sleep. You can never sacrifice a good night's sleep for anything. Continuous movement and/or stretching after I click has always worked for me.
My total is ~9.9cm now. I am planning to have my final x-ray this Tuesday, along with another patient who recently arrived at Elke's and has finished clicking (exactly 10cm) recently. After I get my x-ray back, I'll try to upload my initial, middle, and final x-rays to this diary.
I spent a solid 20 minutes on the bike today, without resistance and limited breaks. It is really a surprise each time I have to raise the seat another level. It takes my brain at least a few minutes to comprehend this. The bike is very helpful with the quad/hamstring flexibility of my weaker left leg. I can just feel the leg loosening up more every minute that I'm cycling.
Tomorrow will be Day 98. Wish me luck and I appreciate any comments or feedback. Additionally, make sure to check out the diary of my housemate, september14. This guy is literally the perfect patient. Just sleeps, eats, and exercises. His amazing recovery and form is something that I always strive to emulate.
- Raisin Bran
-
That's great Bran I'm sure you'll make a swift recovery but could you perhaps upload some of the routines you used to prep for surgery, or at least point to where I could learn more about this sort of stuff.
I would like to be as well prepared as possible, just as you and your friend are.
-
Re: Uppland
Before I begin this post, I'll just say that if you can find the workout programs for Insanity, P90x, or P90x3, they have some excellent workouts and stretches that can prepare your core strength and leg flexibility. Before the surgery, I was doing the Pilates and Yoga workouts from P90x3, the 60min+ Yoga stretch from P90x, the Max Cardio Conditioning and Core Cardio and Balance workouts from Insanity, and the isolated Ab programs from each series.
Now, on to the yoga stretches. If you can hold each of these stretches/poses well for at least 40-60 seconds, then you should be great in terms of flexibility for hamstrings, quads, glutes, flexors, lower back, and the core. The big keys for these stretches are to always use proper form and not to cheat (swinging, bending knees, etc.) You should work your way up to the perfect stretch/pose.
WARRIOR I
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/HP_260_03_FNL_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/warrior-i-pose/
WARRIOR II
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/245_hp_01_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/warrior-ii-pose/
WARRIOR III
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/246_hp_13_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/warrior-iii-pose/
**THE WARRIOR TRIO SHOULD BE THE STARTING SETS FOR ANY ROUTINE**
CRESCENT LOW LUNGE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/HP_AM06_02_195.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/low-lunge/
CRESCENT HIGH LUNGE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/highlungecrescentvariation.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/high-lunge-variation/
RESTING HIGH LUNGE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/high-lunge.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/high-lunge/
PARTIAL CORE TWIST
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/HP_269_FNL_81011.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/bharadvaja-s-twist/
FULL CORE TWIST
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/263_hp_bas_01_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/marichi-s-pose/
ALTERNATE FULL CORE TWIST
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/lordofthefisheshalf.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/half-lord-of-the-fishes-pose/
WIDE HIP STRETCH
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/garden_228_03_4501.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/bound-angle-pose/
FLAT WIDE HIP STRETCH
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/252_hp_move_13_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/reclining-bound-angle-pose/
EXTENDED SIDE ANGLE POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/extendedsideanglepose.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/extended-side-angle-pose/
REVERSE SIDE ANGLE POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2888-301.jpg)
*I LOVE THIS POSE, HITS EVERYTHING PERFECTLY, JUST LIKE WARRIOR*
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/revolved-side-angle-pose/
EXTENDED TRIANGLE POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/266_hp_side16_4501.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/extended-triangle-pose/
HALF MOON POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/halfmoonpose.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/half-moon-pose/
CORE SHREDDER POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/boatpose.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/full-boat-pose/
SIDE STRETCH POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/intensesidestretch.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/intense-side-stretch-pose/
CLASSIC TOUCH TOE POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/255_HP_01_fnl_4501.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/big-toe-pose/
FLOOR TOUCH TOE POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/251_hp_calm_10_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/head-to-knee-forward-bend/
STANDING SIDE LEG LIFT
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/yogapedia_270_08_450x450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/extended-hand-to-big-toe-pose/
FLOOR SIDE LEG LIFT
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/248_hp_mc_05_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/side-reclining-leg-lift/
FLOOR FRONT LEG LIFT
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/recliningbigtoe.jpg)
*USING A TOWEL OR A BAND TO PULL THE FOOT DOWN IS VERY HELPFUL IN THIS STRETCH*
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/reclining-big-toe-pose/
SPINAL MOVE POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/252_hp_move_03_4501.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/cat-pose/
*THE NEXT THREE STRETCHES HAVE DIFFERENT ANGLES AT THE PELVIS, IF YOU CAN DO THE UPWARD DOG PERFECTLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THE SPHINX OR COBRA ANYMORE*
SPHINX POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/235_hp_08_fnl_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/sphinx-pose/
COBRA POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/248_hp_sit_04_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/cobra-pose/
UPWARD DOG POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/230_hp_07_fnl_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/upward-facing-dog/
*THE NEXT SEVEN POSES SHOULD BE DONE IN CONTINUOUS PROGRESSION, EACH ONE FOLLOWS THE NEXT IN MOVEMENT*
CHILD'S POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/266_hp_side06_4501.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/child-s-pose/
EXTENDED CHILD POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/266_feat_tri03_4501.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/extended-puppy-pose/
DOWNWARD DOG POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/266_hp_side12_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/downward-facing-dog/
FLAT STAFF POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/chaturangafourlimbedstaff.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/four-limbed-staff-pose/
PLANK POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/244_hp_01_450.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/plank-pose/
BRIDGE POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/257_HP_13_fnl_4502.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/bridge-pose/
UPWARD PLANK POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/UpwardPlankPose.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/upward-plank-pose/
*NOW, THIS FINAL POSE IS MY FAVORITE. IT BUILDS STRENGTH ON ALL THE AREAS WE SHOULD WORK ON. FYI, TRY TO PUT YOUR KNEES AT 90 DEGREES, IT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER*
ELECTRIC CHAIR POSE
(http://media.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/HP_269_FNL_81135.jpg)
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/chair-pose/
For any comments or feedback, feel free to post in this thread. I hope this visual post can help future and former lengthening patients to improve their condition.
- Raisin Bran
-
Wow, thanks Bran you're a big help to all of us.
-
That last one looks like it would be very hard with lengthened femurs, from a biomechanical standpoint, as you'd be far more inclined to fall backwards due to the change in your center of gravity (it moves further back for squats).
-
Re: Taller
You're absolutely right. This compiled list of stretches is to develop the optimal flexibility and range of motion in the lower body, prior to surgery. At my current point in lengthening, I can only do several of these stretches with moderate success due to my lack of flexibility. Even after I'm done clicking, there will still be a few of these stretches that I'll have to avoid due to instability. As you mentioned, my favorite, Electric Chair, is completely out of the question, unless I use the support of a wall behind me.
- Raisin Bran
-
Day 98-101
I had skipped my posts the last few days because of a lack of things to mention in each individual day. Therefore, I decided to compile everything into a single post. Today is Day 101. On Day 98, I reached the 10cm point. If I recall correctly, my nail (13mm) can lengthen up to 12cm. However, my plan has always been 10.4cm, which is 4 inches. Honestly, the final 4mm does seem to be a bit of an odd addition, but I promised myself that if my condition at 10cm was positive, I would continue on for these 4 more days. I've resolved this extra portion as just providing me some additional peace of mind. Once I return back to the states, if someone asks me how much I've grown, I can simply say 4 inches.
I've stopped skipping days for rest, so Day 99 was 10.1cm, Day 100 was 10.2cm, and Day 101 (today) is 10.3cm. I haven't included the hundredths digit in my lengths, but from my calculations, Day 102 will be exactly 10.44cm.
I had my x-ray exam earlier today at the Komfortklinik. After I got to look at the image of the nails, bones, and bone development, I felt very reassured. My screws were straight, my nails were perfect, and I was developing a noticeable bone bridge on the outside of each leg. Additionally, the IT band tightness on my right leg had relaxed a great deal since my last x-ray. My hips were almost at an equal level, with just a slight rise on the left side. I was hoping to correct this issue after the conclusion of clicking, but I'd definitely made significant improvements with the ITB these last 5 weeks. This was all great news. Dr. Betz was unable to see me at the hospital, but he informed us of this ahead of time. Instead, he will come by Elke's house later today or tomorrow to discuss the x-ray and visit the other patients there.
I can't wait to start feeling relief from the muscle tightness associated with clicking after I finish tomorrow. I should expect some noticeable change in my legs, in regards to flexibility and range of motion, roughly 10 days after I finish. I am very fortunate that I do not have to work on fixing any underlying issues with my condition, such as wide legs, duck ass, etc. Therefore, I can focus solely on recovering my former mobility, strength, and coordination.
Also, a new removal patient is at the house now. He came earlier yesterday and plans to stay for an entire month. His surgery is next week. He had stayed the entirety of his lengthening at Elke's house, working with Peter Woll. To hear him and Peter tell it, the start of his lengthening period was very difficult. He had a lot of mass (muscle/fat) in his thighs. Unable to click by himself after surgery, he needed to have his initial clicking done under anesthesia. Later on, he developed very wide legs as well. If you were to look at him now, however, you could've never guessed that he'd had such difficulty in lengthening. He lengthened a full 10cm with the 13mm nail and his condition is just fantastic. It is definitely a confidence booster to see these remarkable success stories.
Tomorrow is the conclusion of my lengthening process. Wish me luck.
P.S. I hope prospective patients who read this diary will try to follow the yoga breakdown I provided earlier. You don't have to attempt all of them, but mastering some of them will definitely be useful prior to lengthening surgery.
- Raisin Bran
-
Yeah man that yogu stuff was super useful although I haven't tried allof them yet.
-
Congrats Bran! Sounds like all your hard work and preparation paid off. I admire your realistic goal setting approach to the whole process. I think everyone should be as strict and vigilant as you to do everything in their power to put the odds in their favor when leg lengthening. Please continue to update your diary through your recovery process and share your insight.
-
Re: Uppland
Happy to here that. Keep it up man, incremental improvement in flexibility is the path to success. As the say, Rome wasn't built in a day. Let me know if you need anything else.
Re: ouroboros
I appreciate the positive remarks. You've grasped the mindset that all patients need to have to succeed. Like you said, you have to do everything in your power to put the odds in your favor. Honestly, I came into this lengthening experience expecting just one big constant war. However, it wasn't that at all. It was many individual battles, each one forcing you to adjust and adapt your methods in order to persevere through. A few weeks of a strained groin, another few weeks of wide legs, then IT band tightness, etc. Just as you think some issue or difficulty has resolved itself, something else pops up. I think the people who end up having long-term problems are those who can not understand and/or accept this concept. They focus on a few things, and lose sight of the many other parts that need just as much attention.
- Raisin Bran
-
Day 102 - LAST DAY!
Today is my last day of clicking. As I'm writing this, I have reached the apex of my journey, 10.44cm. As you can imagine, I am very glad to be finished. Although I've reached the top of the mountain, I have to deal with my descent down now. The recovery process will definitely be easier than the lengthening period, but there is still much work remaining.
Earlier in the afternoon, I had a 1hr physiotherapy session with Peter Woll. It was the last physio I will have during lengthening. I discussed my x-ray results with Peter, and he was surprised that I had more bone growth on the outer portion of the femur than the inner. Typically, patients will see a bone bridge on the inner portion of the leg because the muscles are more prevalent in this area. He even showed me some pictures of x-rays from previous patients on his phone as further evidence of this growth. Regardless, this was not an issue for my level of bone consolidation.
At the end of our session, I showed Peter the improvements I'd made in my right ITB. I could stand with both legs closed and straight, back straight, heels down, and shift my entire body weight onto each leg pretty well. He was a bit shocked at this dramatic change in my ITB during the lengthening phase, but I told him I had been working on this constantly. I did not do a specific exercise for the IT band, but I focused on lowering the left heel every time I would stand up, and balancing my weight evenly on each leg every time I would walk. On a negative note, I have developed a very slight lordosis in my lower back. It was imperceptible until Peter showed me in the mirror. However, it is there and can develop into a larger issue if it is ignored. This will be a new issue to focus on for the next few weeks.
According to Peter, I should be able to do physio training without the crutches in 3-4 weeks because of the 13mm nail and my current condition. I can't wait until my mobility is strong enough for me to put away the crutches. My long term plan is to stay in Germany for a full 3 months of recovery. I think 3 months should be more than enough time for me to regain my old form.
Since my lengthening phase has concluded, I will post less frequently in my diary now because my days will be less eventful. Instead of daily updates, I think I will post every 3 days, regarding my progress. Of course, I will always be available to answer any questions or requests within 24 hours. Feel free to reach out to me in this thread.
- Raisin Bran
-
Day 110
It's been 8 days since the conclusion of my clicking. Apologies for not updating my journal according to the writing timeline I had given. When nothing of consequence transpires over the course of many days, I suddenly lack the initiative to write another entry. However, as it's been more than a week now, I do have a few things of interest to write about.
Dr. Betz came for a visit to Elke's house last Friday, which was a few days after I had finished. He discussed the positive results of the x-ray with me. Everything he said was pretty much in line with my earlier statements about my x-ray in the last post: solid bone development, bridge formation in the inner leg, nails and screws in perfect condition, and equal lengths between the two legs. My initial femur-tibia percentage was an uncommon 86%, and my final percentage is 70%. Although 86% is closer to the average of 80% than 70% would be, my proportions look fine in my opinion and in the opinions of other people I have asked. As I've mentioned before, I wear all my pants at hip level, before and after surgery, so that definitely allows me to get away with the lower percentage.
As far as the other patients in the house, Dr. Betz met with each of them as well, and gave his points of praise and/or concern. The LL user, september14, was there too, but Dr. Betz had very little to say to him because of his very positive condition. He is a testament to the benefits of youth, exercise, and short-term human hibernation, lol.
The worst patient was this Asian girl (femurs) who was just completely delusional about her physical issues. Dr. Betz was very worried about her because she would only do exercises that she was already good at, such as quad or hamstring stretches, and avoided working on her major problem areas, such as the hip flexors and IT bands. At less than 3 cm, she had already developed a bad duck a**, wide legs, no bone growth, and much more. Just terrible. Even worse, she would not listen to the advice of current patients or professionals, like Dr. Betz and Peter. Her mindset is that she has all the time in the world to get better, on her own terms. She would say things like, "It's fine if I need 3 more years to walk normal." Fortunately, she left the house recently, so we don't have to see this walking tragedy ever again. I only mention her as a strong example of what not to do for future and current patients. Always listen to the advice of your doctors, trained professionals, and successful patients. Their combined knowledge is much greater than your own.
Also, my medication is almost finished. I still take the various painkillers and a blood thinner, but I have significantly lowered my intake since last week. Hopefully, when I have run out of meds, I will feel fine without their assistance. Of course, I still need my daily intake of calcium and magnesium, which I can buy without a prescription.
In terms of my current physical condition, I don't feel much different than during the lengthening phase. It has just been 8 days. Every few days, the areas of weakness in my legs changes and that does feel very strange. You get used to standing straight a certain way to leverage your weight on a part of your legs, and when things randomly change, that former area of strength suddenly feels stiff when you try to walk afterwards. This is more of a nuisance than an issue though. Today, when I woke up, my quad and hamstring muscles felt looser when I touched and massaged them. This is definitely an important development that I'd been hoping for. Also, the nerve sensitivity on the back of my right knee is mostly gone, which is a big relief in my everyday routine.
In conclusion, I'm feeling better and I can't wait to get back the parts of my function that I had lost in lengthening. I will try to write an update soon, but I don't want to promise a time frame. However, it should be more recent than this last 8 day hiatus. I appreciate everyone who reads my diary and hope that you continue to read and post.
- Raisin Bran
-
Good luck Raisin, hopefully you can prove that 10CM is possible to do in one egment under the right circumstances.
-
Day 110
The worst patient was this Asian girl (femurs) who was just completely delusional about her physical issues. Dr. Betz was very worried about her because she would only do exercises that she was already good at, such as quad or hamstring stretches, and avoided working on her major problem areas, such as the hip flexors and IT bands. At less than 3 cm, she had already developed a bad duck a**, wide legs, no bone growth, and much more. Just terrible. Even worse, she would not listen to the advice of current patients or professionals, like Dr. Betz and Peter. Her mindset is that she has all the time in the world to get better, on her own terms. She would say things like, "It's fine if I need 3 more years to walk normal." Fortunately, she left the house recently, so we don't have to see this walking tragedy ever again. I only mention her as a strong example of what not to do for future and current patients. Always listen to the advice of your doctors, trained professionals, and successful patients. Their combined knowledge is much greater than your own.
Wow, so how come you know all those intimate details about this “bad patient”? Did Betz tell you in breach of his medical confidentiality? I remember him often badmouthing other patients in front of me. However you should abstain from respectlessly bashing other patients. It's disgusting.
-
Re: Uppland
Thanks Uppland, hope everything turns out well. There are actually 4 patients in our house, including myself, who have lengthened 10cm or more with the femurs. You already know my condition. If you looked through september14's diary, he's doing very well. The other patient is the one I mentioned earlier, who left to go home just 2 weeks after surgery, did not do any Physio at home, and returned a couple of weeks ago with little flexibility in his hip flexors and a bad duck a**. His condition is gradually improving, but it will take another month or two for him to get rid of this issue. The final guy is a removal patient, who had his nails taken out 2 days ago. Looking at his condition after 18 months with the 13mm nail, it is just amazing. He was actually running and weight training, before he came back for removal. It seems that doing 10cm in one segment is somewhat common for the femur patients of Dr. Betz.
Re: Metanoia
LOL, buddy, do you even read the entirety of my posts? She was staying at our house, so I was closely familiar with her habits and issues. I'm sure readers would like to know how it is possible for some patients to have a terrible lengthening and recovery period, and that is why I provide these anecdotes. Just sharing all positive success stories can be a bit boring and one-sided. I could care less about your vendetta against Dr. Betz, so please don't spam my diary again with your nonsense. If you are honestly disgusted with my entries, I should suggest something that might help: ignore them. Please and thank you.
-
I made it very clear that you would get flames if you lied about other patients. Therefore stop it and i'll leave you alone. How are you supposed to know about her exercises just because you live in the same guesthouse? Does she make the exercises in front if you? And you can immediately judge it? Your so-called diary is the most disingenuous ever.
-
Re: Metanoia
It's amazing that you know I must be lying. ;D Regardless, if you live with another person in the same house for months and go to Physio together, you know all of their lengthening successes and failures intimately. Stop trying to second-guess everything I post bro, just worry about your own life.
-
Hey Bran,
Could you post a picture of your current proportions or will you post one in the future? I´d be highly interested in how you look after such a large amount of lengthening.
Cheers!
-
Hey Bran,
My name is Ilay, I'm 15 years old and 1.63cm (done growing...)
I've read all of your comments, and I would be happy if you'd let me talk to you personally. Phone call would be best. My Email address is: ilayron8@gmail.com
I'm interested in a surgery at Dr.Betz's, but I'm very concerned about the healing process, pain and gaining back my full abilities from before the LL.
This is my story by the way: http://www.reddit.com/r/short/comments/32bj59/being_short_for_life_is_new_for_me/
Since then I've learned a lot about the surgery and got more used to the "short for life" thing, since It's been almost 2 months after I've been told I won't grow any taller anymore.
Thanks a lot (:
-
I made it very clear that you would get flames if you lied about other patients. Therefore stop it and i'll leave you alone.
Or you can leave Raisin Bran's thread alone because flaming is against forum rules:
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=1007.0
Major Violations(will result in a warning or immediate ban depending on severity)
1) Insulting/Name Calling/Hostility toward another member (ie. retard, piece of s**t, mentally ill). This include instigating/provoking another member into hostility.
Minor Violations (will result in warning if repeated)
8 ) Taking a thread off topic
Do not derail threads with posts that are not related to the topic of the discussion. Either find/create another more relevant thread or send a private message if you want to discuss something off topic with people contributing to the thread.
9) Getting into an heated argument with someone
Similar to taking a thread off topic, if you are getting into a heated argument with someone in a thread, start a private conversation with that person so you do not take the thread off topic.
I said before that you're free to voice your dissatisfaction with Dr Betz on the forum, but do so outside of Raisin Bran's thread. Accusing Raisin Bran of lying is also unfair. You're not there to share his experience with him.
-
Congratulations on reaching 10cm!!
Please post a picture of you standing up. Just cover your face with a Tshirt or something.
-
So mean people over here... :-[
-
Re: KiloKAHN
Appreciate the support and the clarification of forum rules.
Re: Sweden, Alittletooshort
Appreciate the warm regards from both of you. In terms of photos of my current condition and proportions, I have been going back and forth the last few days on whether I should post or not, due to worries about being recognized by anyone that I am familiar with. As I've mentioned before, no family members, friends, or acquaintances know that I've done this surgery. However, I finally decided that I will provide some pictures of my lower body proportions. I'll definitely try to post them on my diary later this week.
Re: greatheight
Yes, there are. :'( Can't let them phase you though.
-
Day 115
Hey, it's been 5 days since my last post, so let me update on my recent happenings. I've finished taking my painkiller prescriptions (Mydocalm, Tramadol) and my blood thinner (Xarelto). I should also mention that I stopped taking a third painkiller (Novalgin) about 6-7 weeks ago, and returned my remaining boxes to the pharmacy for a full refund. My supply of magnesium and calcium has also been exhausted, but I purchased a combination calcium/magnesium supplement that includes a proper daily intake of each. Dr. Betz said that they were a fine replacement for the original supplements that I'd been taking and they were only €5 at the drug store for a 6 week supply. 8)
Since removing painkillers, my leg muscles have been more tense and fatigued daily, especially right after a physiotherapy session and the morning after the session. Peter Woll has definitely increased the intensity of our stretches and exercises since I've stopped clicking. I think I will start drinking a slow-acting casein protein shake every night now. I purchased a few KGs of high-grade casein prior to the surgery, in anticipation of this recovery period. I think this is the perfect time to start giving my leg muscles some extra fuel.
Late last week, I almost caught a fever/cold. I had a bad headache for 2 days and starting getting other early symptoms all through the weekend. Fortunately, it passed on Sunday night, leaving me with a small cold sore/fever blister. It's remarkable to get something like this in mid-May, but it's been quite cold in Wadern (Germany) lately. However, this had a terrible effect on my last 2 physio sessions this past week. According to Peter, it's the worst condition he'd seen me in since we started. I persevered through the combined 2 hours and we did not reduce the intensity, but I was just physically worn down after each session.
Lately, I've been walking short distances without my crutches again. The walking is a work-in-progress, but it's getting more normal everyday. The difference in height between the left leg and the right leg, due to IT band tightness, has especially improved. I can walk without a slight drop on my left side now, and when I stand straight with my legs closed, I can get both heels down with almost equal weight on each. Trying to do this before would require a lot of effort. Also, I have been working on moving my shoulders and torso more as I walk, so I don't look as stiff as I did when walking with crutches.
Anyway, I haven't had much else happen these past 5 days. The best time I had though was probably watching the Golovkin boxing match on HBO Sunday night. I think that match got me pumped up enough to kick the fever out of my system. LOL.
I'll update again later this week, and hopefully, have some pictures of my proportions as well. Thanks for the reads and responses.
- Raisin Bran
-
That's great you're able to walk. Feels much better than being bed ridden even if walking is difficult.
So I take it that Dr Betz doesn't perform an IT release? My surgeon doesn't like doing IT releases most of the time and I hear that Dr Guichet is the same way, despite Dr Paley insisting that everyone should get one when lengthening femurs.
-
Re: KiloKAHN
Thanks bro, I read through your diary recently and in a kind of selfish way, it made me appreciate my own improving condition even more. I came into this with a lot of self-discipline, but I think I would've gone insane if I had a longer process of recovery since no one knows about my surgery. Probably would've had to exile myself to another country for years. It's great to see how much you've progressed though, from the earlier days post-surgery.
As for the IT band release, I forgot to mention this in my diary, but Dr. Betz talked about this at my consultation last year. He mentioned that typically, patients develop much tightness in the ITBs during lengthening and that proper physiotherapy will help resolve this. Then, he told me that some other lengthening doctors decide to alter the bands during surgery, but he chooses to avoid this because he believes that it can lead to an unnatural function during recovery. He prefers to have patients work through their IT band issues through stretching and exercise. Also, Peter Woll talked to me about the releases maybe 6-8 weeks ago during a session. To paraphrase him to the best of my abilities, he said that the function of patients can be quite compromised after the releases. Although a patient would not have the tightness in their ITBs, they could have to worry about the opposite problem: unstable legs, from the knees to the hips, that cause a weakened gait. So, if a ITB release patient has such a condition, they would have to work with physiotherapy on resolving those issues instead. In my opinion, I'd take the tight IT band over loose/limp IT band. However, I'm just making this judgement from the advice of others and my own IT band experiences.
- Raisin Bran
-
Why didn't you go with Guichet since his nail is better at weight bearing?
-
Day 325
Hello, I just wanted to post back on my diary after a significant period of time had passed, and I did not really have anything notable to write about. Regardless of that, my experience in this 210 day period has been good, but also very ordinary. I have been working, traveling, and exercising. Just moving on with an ordinary life. My biggest mistake in this recovery period has been not practicing yoga or low-impact pilates. Doing either one of them would have greatly benefitted my overall lower-body flexibility. For exercise, I have been doing low-impact cardio, plyometrics, and weight training. The keyword here, of course, is low-impact. It's always important to be safe, as Peter Woll loves to say. Personally, in terms of physical performance, my sprinting (running) is back, but still extremely lacking. I only feel comfortable for 15-20 minutes. Side-to-side lateral movement is really great for less than a 1 year after the procedure. I have even been shooting some hoops (basketball).
My bone growth has been developing nicely. I will be getting some new x-rays in a few weeks, and I'll try to figure out a way to scan it into my computer. If anyone has any questions, I'll try to post a few times a week, hopefully.
- Raisin Bran
-
However, I finally decided that I will provide some pictures of my lower body proportions. I'll definitely try to post them on my diary later this week.
I'll update again later this week, and hopefully, have some pictures of my proportions as well. Thanks for the reads and responses.
any updates on your pictures? very curious to see your proportions considering how much you lengthened