Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[galaxy1]

As far as pain goes it has been not bad at all. The PTAL surgery was by far the most painful that was the worst two days for me. The first two weeks of the initial surgery is not great but manageable. I had the epidural for the first four days which I am sure would have been horrible without it.

I really like the monorails and don't see why they have such a bad reputation. I would get the monorails again I thought they were really comfortable considering the circumstances. The pins in the monorail are big but they do not hurt at all. The pins also are really strong and do not bend like the Illizarov. The only thing with the monorail is I am not sure if it can adjust alignment, but maybe they can.

@galaxy1 I think the most important thing is to have reasonable expectations which it seems you do with 6 cm. I remember when I first heard about this procedure I wanted 10 cm lol. Since I got here I have learned that it is better to be safe.

There are people who have lengthened successfully with monorails and my feeling is that it is mostly the larger lads that have valgus and equinus complications. Well, let's hope I won't have to deal with any of that.

[YellowSpike]

Height

Honestly the height is kind of hard to tell right now, I am not around people that I was when I had my old height so it doesn't seem like I am taller. However, I obviously am taller because I measure myself against the wall. Sometimes I have dreams that I am back to my old height which is terrible!

Amount Gained

I have gone back and forth on whether or not I am glad that I stopped at 6.35 cm instead of going to 7 cm. Sometimes I wish I pushed it farther to get to a solid 5'9" but than I realize that you can't get stuck in the numbers game. 6.5 mm is not that much and really doesn't make that much of different on how people will see you. I think that going past 6 cm is when you start losing athletic ability for the long term. It baffles me how someone that is 5'6" to start with could gain 10 cm in the tibia. Just my advice to future LLers.

Avoiding the forum

BTW I have been trying to avoid the forum because I don't want to think as much about height anymore. I am trying to get over my "height neurosis" and I feel it is easier if I avoid reading things about it. I do feel that I owe this forum a lot and so I try to update some.

Thanks Everyone!

Dude, I think the same exact way as you do. Once I'm fully recovered, I'm not gonna be visiting this forum much anymore, I want to put this height thing behind me. I have found myself obsessing over millimeters (freaking MILLIMETERS) that I maybe could have gone for, when I achieved a great gain already. Even caring about cm (thanks you Europeans - lol) is nuts when I think about it, it's all about the inches you gain. Splitting hairs has made me virtually nuts over this.

I also am like you in that I stopped a tiny bit sooner than I wanted (my goal was 6.5-7cm, I got 6.75+, so I'm mostly happy) because I was experiencing excruciating pain all around. My body was telling it was time to stop around 5cm, but there was no way in hell I was stopping before at least 6cm. And you're close to 5'9", so you're good. I feel very average at 5'8", and I still have duck ass taking some visual height away. When standing next to my dad and boss and a great friend of mine (all my former height), I virtually tower over them. I just feel so much taller than them.

[Time4LL]

Hey Yellowspike,

Yeah I have felt that me and you are in a really similar situation as far as height and what we were trying to achieve. I have been following your diary some and feel like you have the same thought process as me. That is cool that you feel so much taller with your current height. I am anxious to see my family and friends and hopefully feel the same way as you.

It sometimes bothers me that I didn't get 7 cm still but it is just important to get over our feelings of inadequacy with height because there are some really badass people that are 5'8" - 5'9", Sean Penn and Tom Cruise to name a few. There are basically no one cooler than those two and we are there height now! It makes me happy to think like that. I got 2.5 inches and is 2.75 inches really that much difference???  I really hope, Yellowspike, that me and you both get over our height problems and achieve other goals that we can actually share with everyone we know. It sometimes is frustrating feeling like you accomplished so much but never get to tell anyone.

Small Update

My bone bridged a couple of weeks ago and I have been getting to walking unaided. I walk pretty good now and once you start walking unaided it takes no time to start walking normally. My achilles lengthening surgery is pretty well healed but my achilles is still weak and sometimes gets sore if I walk too much. It is not that bad though. I expect to run, jump, and be 100 percent of my former self. My knees feel just like they did before LL now. There isn't much else to say.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

[Taller]

How are the scars from your monorail frames?

[YellowSpike]

Hey Yellowspike,

Yeah I have felt that me and you are in a really similar situation as far as height and what we were trying to achieve. I have been following your diary some and feel like you have the same thought process as me. That is cool that you feel so much taller with your current height. I am anxious to see my family and friends and hopefully feel the same way as you.

It sometimes bothers me that I didn't get 7 cm still but it is just important to get over our feelings of inadequacy with height because there are some really badass people that are 5'8" - 5'9", Sean Penn and Tom Cruise to name a few. There are basically no one cooler than those two and we are there height now! It makes me happy to think like that. I got 2.5 inches and is 2.75 inches really that much difference???  I really hope, Yellowspike, that me and you both get over our height problems and achieve other goals that we can actually share with everyone we know. It sometimes is frustrating feeling like you accomplished so much but never get to tell anyone.

Small Update

My bone bridged a couple of weeks ago and I have been getting to walking unaided. I walk pretty good now and once you start walking unaided it takes no time to start walking normally. My achilles lengthening surgery is pretty well healed but my achilles is still weak and sometimes gets sore if I walk too much. It is not that bad though. I expect to run, jump, and be 100 percent of my former self. My knees feel just like they did before LL now. There isn't much else to say.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

Yeah. I may need to leave this forum sooner rather than later. It's making me obsess about the difference between 6.75cm+ that I got vs pushing to 6.85cm or 7cm (10-25mm, less than 1/10th of an inch). That's how bad it's getting. I guess because 7cm was my ultimate goal and the top of my "acceptable" range of 6.5-7cm (and what Dr. Guichet said he believed I could go to)...but I did 5 more clicks today (to make sure the click file actually says 6.75cm (I'm virtually certain I'm over 6.75cm because it doesn't include practice clicks in the hospital plus a few extra I threw in early on) after 3 days of not clicking. Now I'm wondering if I really just stop or compromise and go to 6.85cm (in between where I am now and 7cm)? But then, at 6.85cm, will that be enough? I am working from home, and need to get back into the office within the next 2-3 weeks. I had wanted to go back without crutches, but now I've cut it very close. I'm just so ambivalent...

Height neurosis is the worst. I just want to know that I'm 5'8". If I'm a tad under, I don't have to know about it. I may be like an anorexic woman who has recovered from anorexia, but can't be weighed. Meaning, I may never allow myself to be measured (or, be told my height, at least) ever again in this lifetime. When I visit the doctor in the future, I will tell him beforehand not to tell me my height. I'll just consider myself 5'8" and be done with it.

Regardless, TrailBlazer, I wish you the best, and I hope both of our futures are very bright

[Time4LL]

Yellowspike,
I definitely understand what you are going through. I suggest getting off the forum because it does make all of us crazy. Height does matter but not as much as we make it out to be. I went about a month where I would measure myself against the wall everyday. I have decided not to measure myself anymore and not to worry about it because height is always varying and is frustrating. I think measuring ourselves is the worst thing we can do, just let it be.
What I have done in recently is stepped on something that was a quarter of an inch taller and looked in the mirror and ask myself, "will being a quarter of an inch taller make me any better." I really don't think it does and no one will notice that small amount anyway. Focus on your health now and let it go. I am sure that you will have a better life if you let it go rather than being any taller.

I wish you the best as well Yellowspike. If you need to talk I am definitely here for you.

Taller,
The scars are not that bad they are fading albeit slowly, if I get around to it I will post pictures.

[ItsMyLife]

Yellowspike,
I definitely understand what you are going through. I suggest getting off the forum because it does make all of us crazy. Height does matter but not as much as we make it out to be. I went about a month where I would measure myself against the wall everyday. I have decided not to measure myself anymore and not to worry about it because height is always varying and is frustrating. I think measuring ourselves is the worst thing we can do, just let it be.
What I have done in recently is stepped on something that was a quarter of an inch taller and looked in the mirror and ask myself, "will being a quarter of an inch taller make me any better." I really don't think it does and no one will notice that small amount anyway. Focus on your health now and let it go. I am sure that you will have a better life if you let it go rather than being any taller.

I wish you the best as well Yellowspike. If you need to talk I am definitely here for you.

Taller,
The scars are not that bad they are fading albeit slowly, if I get around to it I will post pictures.

I agree with the bolded parts. If you are fussing over 0.1 cm it might well be BDD, or at least a mild case of it. Its like obsessing over 1 kg (or, if we are talking about a fair comparison, obsession over 0.1 kg?? its kinda weird).

this forum people have a distorted view of height. (see my thread on this). You easily get influenced about the importance of height, the so-called ideal height, and yada yada yada. And even so many patients here have mental issues.

[YellowSpike]

Yellowspike,
I definitely understand what you are going through. I suggest getting off the forum because it does make all of us crazy. Height does matter but not as much as we make it out to be. I went about a month where I would measure myself against the wall everyday. I have decided not to measure myself anymore and not to worry about it because height is always varying and is frustrating. I think measuring ourselves is the worst thing we can do, just let it be.
What I have done in recently is stepped on something that was a quarter of an inch taller and looked in the mirror and ask myself, "will being a quarter of an inch taller make me any better." I really don't think it does and no one will notice that small amount anyway. Focus on your health now and let it go. I am sure that you will have a better life if you let it go rather than being any taller.

I wish you the best as well Yellowspike. If you need to talk I am definitely here for you.

Taller,
The scars are not that bad they are fading albeit slowly, if I get around to it I will post pictures.

Hey Trailblazer. Thanks a lot man. I really appreciate it. I have met some good people on this forum (ChrisIsaak is a great guy!). Perhaps I will PM you. I'm starting to feel like others are judging me, but I think you know how bad height neurosis can actually get. Especially when your starting height is 5'6" or below. I just know I'm NEVER, EVER doing another LL...so I just want zero regrets. Good luck, I'll talk to you soon!

[Time4LL]

Yellowspike,
Feel free to PM me. I have met a lot of great people here too, ChrisIsaak and Cooper I have met in person and are awesome people. I think that it is good you are thinking through of what height you would be okay with before you quit and not just let the pain dictate it, just be careful. I think everyone has height neurosis here so no one is judging you, it is good to talk to other people that feel the same way.

ItsMyLife,
I agree with everything you said. I think that weight is a great comparison. Those small amounts are not worth it in the long run and aren't noticeable so we need to get over that.

People cannot tell exact heights anyway. Basically they can tell if they are taller than you and if they are shorter than you. That really is all people can really tell. I think with this surgery it is about trending upwards and being in that next range of heights for people not necessarily hitting an exact height. For me, it was important to be in the range of family members height and taller than 90% of girls which I think I accomplished.

[ItsMyLife]

If I was at my old height 174 cm and a 173.9 guy stands next to me. I would most likely think hes around my height. I would not know if he is taller or shorter. That's insanity. Perhaps if a guy 173.5 stands next to me, I might think he is slightly shorter,  and even have doubts about it (ie, are we the same height? or is he taller? (some guys look taller due to higher shoulder and smaller head and higher eye  level).

1 mm, 5 mm, its not a significant difference. If you want 5 mm that bad, try Glucosamine. Just take 1500 mg daily. Its clinically proven in a study to give you around that much of excess night height.

[Time4LL]

That is interesting, I may try glucosamine just for the benefits of the joints. So are you saying with that supplement you may not lose as much height throughout the day?

Another interesting thing is people who did LL may look taller because there shoulders may be higher than the average person of that height. I am not sure if there would be any truth to it but it may be something to think about. At least our waists for sure would be higher.

[KrP1]

did you pay anything for PTAL surgery?

[Time4LL]

Nope I did not pay any extra for PTAL surgery.

[Alittletooshort]

Nope I did not pay any extra for PTAL surgery.

Any updates? How is your recovery? Still no knee pain?

[ReadRothbard]

Any updates? How is your recovery? Still no knee pain?

He's dead.

[crimsontide]

i had tendon lengthening too... but pen... similar to ptal, but the open  gives the dr more control... my left leg scar thought isnt great

the achilles issues are the worst part of tibia lengthening.. getting me down now... takes so long to fully heal from this

ttrailblazer, we had surgery at around the same time...  can you do calf raises unassisted??? any video??

ive noticed the upper part of my foot bone gets sore when walking still... calves too... supposedly takes a year to recover

[itzrammi]

He's dead.

Trailblazer is back home and doing really great :')

[Time4LL]

update.

I have been back at home for over a month now and am doing better everyday. I have been trying to work on walking normal. I try to walk about 2 miles a day to help with this.

PTAL surgery
My achilles is getting stronger as well but if I use it a lot it gets sore easily. I can lift my heals off of the ground completely which was impossible for me to do just one month ago. Walking upstairs is not much of a problem but going downstairs is difficult. I am not sure why it is so much harder to walk downstairs but it will improve as well. I think you have to have a lot more strength and balance to walk downstairs.

People noticing
It is crazy because no one really notices but I can tell I am so much taller compared to them than I was. It makes me feel good but it is also strange no one notices. I hadn't seen anyone for at least six months so that may have contributed to it.

Last night my friend finally commented on my height and just said that I had grown and was the same height as him now. He seemed to have recognized it but never said anything to me about it.

I go out a lot and go to parties which is a lot of fun. It is great to be back to life and I really have tried to make the best out of it. I used to just think about height so much that I sometimes wouldn't do as much as I should have. I have been trying to find opportunities to meet people. Especially girls I am not naturally a partier so soon I will try to go back to school and have a career that I can focus on. I am excited for that.

Would I do it again?
Yes! It has been great to be taller and I just feel like I am in a good range of heights for me. With that being said do not go into this thinking that the height will completely change everything. In my opinion, it won't. We are basically, as people, who we are. I think that the height has helped me especially psychologically but I think we would probably gain more by enhancing are strengths rather than focusing on our weaknesses, but I could be wrong.

Sorry for never updating but I never get on here anymore because it can mess with you and it is better just not to think about it. I sometimes catch myself thinking it would be nice to have more height and so it is best not to think about it. I hope this helps someone out. Hopefully everyone I have met on this forum is doing well and figuring out what is best for them.

[KrP1]

it nice to see that everything is going well buddy, im happy for you.

[goodlucktomylegs]

update.

I have been back at home for over a month now and am doing better everyday. I have been trying to work on walking normal. I try to walk about 2 miles a day to help with this.

PTAL surgery
My achilles is getting stronger as well but if I use it a lot it gets sore easily. I can lift my heals off of the ground completely which was impossible for me to do just one month ago. Walking upstairs is not much of a problem but going downstairs is difficult. I am not sure why it is so much harder to walk downstairs but it will improve as well. I think you have to have a lot more strength and balance to walk downstairs.

People noticing
It is crazy because no one really notices but I can tell I am so much taller compared to them than I was. It makes me feel good but it is also strange no one notices. I hadn't seen anyone for at least six months so that may have contributed to it.

Last night my friend finally commented on my height and just said that I had grown and was the same height as him now. He seemed to have recognized it but never said anything to me about it.

I go out a lot and go to parties which is a lot of fun. It is great to be back to life and I really have tried to make the best out of it. I used to just think about height so much that I sometimes wouldn't do as much as I should have. I have been trying to find opportunities to meet people. Especially girls I am not naturally a partier so soon I will try to go back to school and have a career that I can focus on. I am excited for that.

Would I do it again?
Yes! It has been great to be taller and I just feel like I am in a good range of heights for me. With that being said do not go into this thinking that the height will completely change everything. In my opinion, it won't. We are basically, as people, who we are. I think that the height has helped me especially psychologically but I think we would probably gain more by enhancing are strengths rather than focusing on our weaknesses, but I could be wrong.

Sorry for never updating but I never get on here anymore because it can mess with you and it is better just not to think about it. I sometimes catch myself thinking it would be nice to have more height and so it is best not to think about it. I hope this helps someone out. Hopefully everyone I have met on this forum is doing well and figuring out what is best for them.

Happy to hear that you are happy.
But please keep pdate  at least once a month or once a year's quarter .we still want to know how it is going?

[Taller]

Wow! Good for you! Now that your 176CM, you are exactly average height in the United States! That's pretty sweet    I'm so glad to hear that it's all been worthwhile!

[KiloKAHN]

Good to know you're happy with your results and are getting back to normal life. Seems like CLL really benefited you.

[petite91]

update.

I have been back at home for over a month now and am doing better everyday. I have been trying to work on walking normal. I try to walk about 2 miles a day to help with this.

PTAL surgery
My achilles is getting stronger as well but if I use it a lot it gets sore easily. I can lift my heals off of the ground completely which was impossible for me to do just one month ago. Walking upstairs is not much of a problem but going downstairs is difficult. I am not sure why it is so much harder to walk downstairs but it will improve as well. I think you have to have a lot more strength and balance to walk downstairs.

People noticing
It is crazy because no one really notices but I can tell I am so much taller compared to them than I was. It makes me feel good but it is also strange no one notices. I hadn't seen anyone for at least six months so that may have contributed to it.

Last night my friend finally commented on my height and just said that I had grown and was the same height as him now. He seemed to have recognized it but never said anything to me about it.

I go out a lot and go to parties which is a lot of fun. It is great to be back to life and I really have tried to make the best out of it. I used to just think about height so much that I sometimes wouldn't do as much as I should have. I have been trying to find opportunities to meet people. Especially girls I am not naturally a partier so soon I will try to go back to school and have a career that I can focus on. I am excited for that.

Would I do it again?
Yes! It has been great to be taller and I just feel like I am in a good range of heights for me. With that being said do not go into this thinking that the height will completely change everything. In my opinion, it won't. We are basically, as people, who we are. I think that the height has helped me especially psychologically but I think we would probably gain more by enhancing are strengths rather than focusing on our weaknesses, but I could be wrong.

Sorry for never updating but I never get on here anymore because it can mess with you and it is better just not to think about it. I sometimes catch myself thinking it would be nice to have more height and so it is best not to think about it. I hope this helps someone out. Hopefully everyone I have met on this forum is doing well and figuring out what is best for them.

hello, ive Been reading your diary and its Good to know youre doing Well right now.
i am planning to do my LL This year and im trying to Get a hold on Dr.  Inan as Well as he is on my top list Bec of the price and he seems to be really skilled as Well.  is there any way i could contact him besides the email contact thats provided on his profile on This forum? thank you

[Time4LL]

Hey everybody.
I just thought I would tell everyone I am doing fine and have taken huge strides the last couple of months in my recovery. I feel about like I did before the surgery when I  walk. I really don't even think about the surgery or anything anymore. It has been 13 months since I had the surgery I haven't attempted to run or do anything like that yet. I have some numbness on the outside of my right leg which is strange but I think that it will be okay.

I realize now why people don't get on here after the surgery because its just something that I don't think about as much anymore. I know for sure that it is possible to get the surgery and recover fully now. Before the surgery I wondered if this was all too good to be true. No one ever has questioned my proportions or anything like that. I am sorry this update is brief but I really don't like coming on here. I just thought it would be good to tell everyone that I am doing well and hopefully everyone on here fulfills there wishes. I have also been thinking about doing femurs next in a few years. We will see.

[shorthandsomedoc]

Hey Trailblazer,
How are you doing? Can you update your diary?