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[goldenegg]

glad to hear you're doing well yellow!  If you can live a happy life without having to go through another LL on your tibias then that's great.  you've already accomplished so much.

completely agree on what you've said about recovery. the whole journey takes way longer than just a few months and most people underestimate how long it really takes (myself included).

If it's not too much trouble, could you elaborate on needing a bone graft?  Is it because the bone on your left leg is not fully fused all around or is it fused and the consolidation/density of the new bone isn't good enough?  Would really appreciate it just so I know what to look out for in my own xrays...

[The View]

Hi Yellowspike

Thank you very much for your diary. I am a similar starting height to you and am very excited about potentially being 5ft8(I've always wanted to be atleast 5ft7). Your diary has really given me a better idea of what to expect, Thank you.

Perfectionism is a serious a problems and is something I have suffered from.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Imperfectionist-Self-Acceptance-Perfectionism/dp/0996435409/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465333232&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+be+an+imperfectionist

This book helped me a lot with understanding perfectionism and the potential issues that arise due to it. One thing it mentioned is sort of "number perfectionism" where people get obsessed with being a certain height or weight and how to deal with this.

Check it out

2 years of not getting back to normal doesn't sound great.

I am getting it in London like you, any London related advise for me?

[Blackhawk]

I was fortunate to have been able to meet Yellowspike a couple months ago.  I can tell you that his walking looked perfectly normal.  His proportions were definitely in a normal range. 

YS, I am glad that you are getting close to accepting your current height.  But if not I'll be ready to do LL with you next year bro

[YellowSpike]

Hey Yellowspike,

good to see you're still posting! Although you want to avoid that forum for "us" it's extremely helpful to have someone stay around, at least occasionally.

And of course i have a question for you:
Did you have any longterm side effect from medication or the trauma of surgery? something like the loss of sexual function or libido for example?

No. My libido is the same as it was before. The only person I know who has said that (off the top of my head) is DIFM, and I think he's currently just depressed with his current state. But I think he's still not even a year in after his surgery - he still has a ton of recovering to do. It's still early days for him (at least, when we talk about REAL recovery. Not ridiculously and almost unbelievably fast recoveries like ShyShy).

glad to hear you're doing well yellow!  If you can live a happy life without having to go through another LL on your tibias then that's great.  you've already accomplished so much.

completely agree on what you've said about recovery. the whole journey takes way longer than just a few months and most people underestimate how long it really takes (myself included).

If it's not too much trouble, could you elaborate on needing a bone graft?  Is it because the bone on your left leg is not fully fused all around or is it fused and the consolidation/density of the new bone isn't good enough?  Would really appreciate it just so I know what to look out for in my own xrays...

Yeah. I definitely don't regret this, but still feel bamboozled by certain diaries. True recovery takes much longer, especially if you have responsibilities and can't focus on stretching and exercising 24/7/365.

I don't know exactly. I think my left leg didn't fuse entirely all around. But I feel like I wasn't taking enough calcium and such. My left leg has actually been feeling stronger since Dr. R told me this in early March, so maybe it's improved a bit. I used to have pain in that leg but really don't anymore. I have to get new x-rays and see. Glad I stopped at 7cm now.

Hi Yellowspike

Thank you very much for your diary. I am a similar starting height to you and am very excited about potentially being 5ft8(I've always wanted to be atleast 5ft7). Your diary has really given me a better idea of what to expect, Thank you.

Perfectionism is a serious a problems and is something I have suffered from.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Imperfectionist-Self-Acceptance-Perfectionism/dp/0996435409/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465333232&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+be+an+imperfectionist

This book helped me a lot with understanding perfectionism and the potential issues that arise due to it. One thing it mentioned is sort of "number perfectionism" where people get obsessed with being a certain height or weight and how to deal with this.

Check it out

2 years of not getting back to normal doesn't sound great.

I am getting it in London like you, any London related advise for me?

You have the exactly same starting height as me. I would do 7cm, if you can. Don't go over 7cm. That's just asking for trouble (I know that now).

London advice? Ugh...just be sure you have your finances in order. London is ultra, ultra expensive. You will be relying on uber a lot too, mostly likely (since you'll likely live fairly far from where daily PT takes place). That's about it.

I was fortunate to have been able to meet Yellowspike a couple months ago.  I can tell you that his walking looked perfectly normal.  His proportions were definitely in a normal range. 

YS, I am glad that you are getting close to accepting your current height.  But if not I'll be ready to do LL with you next year bro

Thanks bud. You've become a legit good friend of mine. I'm currently undecided about tibias. I have to see how things are in about a year's time. I feel much better now than I did last year, and feel like I'm going to keep getting better. I still might wanna do tibs someday. Another inch would get me to a really great height, and would improve my proportions (which look fine to me now - I only feel like I have long femurs when I stare at myself nked in a full length mirror, and who really does that anyway? lol no girls have commented on it, even seeing me nked). But tibias scare me, and now with my left leg possibly needing a bone graft, I have some concerns about tibia consolidation (though Dr. R said femurs are not really an indication of how tibias will go, especially because ratcheting rods are rougher on recovery than Precice).

If I do tibs, you'll be the first to know and we'll def do this together. It'll be like the crippled leading the crippled 

[asfastaslight]

Yellow how it going?  hows the healing process?  Hows life?  Sent you a pm :p hope your doing well mate

[YellowSpike]

Yellow how it going?  hows the healing process?  Hows life?  Sent you a pm :p hope your doing well mate

I am doing quite well my friend. Aside from the pain caused by the left screw (which I'm just suk up for now, since I've been dealing with it for a year and a half now), I'm fine. I might need a bone graft in my left leg, but that remains to be seen.

This surgery is worth it - but it takes time to really enjoy your results. You will be walking terribly for a while and have side effects/pain for quite a while after the surgery. But if you're patient, and can just grin and bear it - it is worth it in the end. It just takes a lot of time. Much more than you are lead to believe. Many of the older diaries out there downplay this big time.

[The View]

Hi Yellowspike

How bad would you say the pain is? does it effect what you can and can't do? Is the bone graft to do with poor consolidation?

Also I am looking for a place in London with a couple of my friends, would you say I should try and avoid houses with stairs or do you think I could use stairs?

[The View]

also how possible do you think it would be to drive? maybe not straight away, but how about like a month into consolidation?

[YellowSpike]

Hi Yellowspike

How bad would you say the pain is? does it effect what you can and can't do? Is the bone graft to do with poor consolidation?

Also I am looking for a place in London with a couple of my friends, would you say I should try and avoid houses with stairs or do you think I could use stairs?

If you're asking about the left screw pain, its not that bad...just very very annoying. It tends to flare up if I sleep on my left side a lot (although lately that hasn't really happened), if I do certain movements, certain sex positions...it's just really annoying at this point. As for the bone graft, yeah, it has to do with my less than perfect consolidation on my left leg. It's weird...I feel like the left leg has been the bane of many LL'ers' existences based on past diaries. There's a chance I might not need it. Going for more x-rays within the next two weeks to see what's up. If I do need a bone graft, I'll likely wait until around September or so to do it. I was told I'd only be in the hospital one night, and that my insurance should cover it, so hopefully it's not too big a deal.

It's just luck of the draw. Dr. G said he had a 17 year old girl do LL, and she had slow consolidation (which you wouldn't think she would, since she was so young). LL in many ways = Pandora's Box.

also how possible do you think it would be to drive? maybe not straight away, but how about like a month into consolidation?

Yeah I think if you have a strong rod like the Gnail, driving one month post-clicking should be possible. I remember doing it two months post clicking. I probably could've done it earlier, but can't remember if I actually did.

[The View]

Thanks Yellowspike

How did you find stairs during lengthening? You think I could manage them e.g. raising and lowering myself just using my arms, like dips?

[YellowSpike]

Thanks Yellowspike

How did you find stairs during lengthening? You think I could manage them e.g. raising and lowering myself just using my arms, like dips?

I'm not sure how stairs would have work with a non-weight bearing rod...but with the Gnail, I was totally fine doing stairs with crutches. Obviously you have to go slowly and be super careful, but I had no problems with stairs throughout the lengthening process.

[LLuser1]

I'm not sure how stairs would have work with a non-weight bearing rod...but with the Gnail, I was totally fine doing stairs with crutches. Obviously you have to go slowly and be super careful, but I had no problems with stairs throughout the lengthening process.

Gnail is the best for stairs. I'm not sure about Precise and I know Fitbone and Betzbone are very bad. The nails of many patients got broken. Some of them told the truth in their diaries and some of them didn't. I like Paley more but I think Gnail is better than Precise.

[Jessie Believer]

Me and my friends have the betzbone and none of us has any problems climbing stairs from the beginning. It's just that we shouldn't take more than 1 stair going down while being in consolidation (that's what Betz said). But otherwise we'll be totally fine.

[LLuser1]

All Monegal's patients report problems with stairs and some Betz patients too but nail bending and failure occured in both cases.

[YellowSpike]

Yeah the strength and weight-bearing capabilities were a huge reason of why I chose Dr. Guichet. Granted, I'm sure if you go with a non-weight bearing rod you can find accommodations to deal with it...but when I was starting to walk again unaided, drive my car again...just knowing I had the Gnail made me a lot more confident in what I was doing.

[CCMidwest]

Hey yellow,

Reading your various comments on the forum in the time I was gone, it seems like you've had a major mental shift for the positive.

I'm happy for you man!

[YellowSpike]

Hey yellow,

Reading your various comments on the forum in the time I was gone, it seems like you've had a major mental shift for the positive.

I'm happy for you man!

Thanks man. I'm just trying to accept it. The main thing...after you actually go and do LL...you really realize firsthand that height, while "tweak-able" is NOT fixable like acne, losing weight, getting braces, or even a nosejob. This sh*t takes a lot longer to really truly recover from. If you go with a good doctor and don't lengthen a crazy amount, you can and will recover...but it takes a LOT of time. And you will have a lot of annoying little things along the way that make it such that you're always aware of what you did. Or at least, aware a good amount of the time. I still don't know how certain people were able to recover so fast (or at least, as fast as we are lead to believe). But I think diaries like mine, DIFM and PD are a lot more realistic. You can and will recover...but not like ShyShy. No effin way.

The only real frustration I have with height now is online dating. I know plenty of guys that have great/pretty gfs that are below 5'9"...but they tended to have met their women in real life. So I've been trying to stay busy, expand my social circle, and try to meet women organically (while still doing online dating). I'm willing to make a lot of concessions on the height thing...but I stand by the fact that height is a big factor for online dating. Whether you want a hook-up or a wife, when we're talking online dating (which is where most if takes place now - even if you meet a girl in real life, you're still competing with her online world)...height counts a lot. Just the way it is.

[CCMidwest]

It's not easy to accept, trust me I know. (you're 1/2" taller than I)

Still, glad you're making progress.

Thanks for the crash course on online dating. If I ever end up divorced (likely), then it's good info to know. Especially since I think we are about the same age...I know what to expect.

No easy answers with the height thing, for sure.

I'm watching dream catchers diary closely, since that is probably the same route I would go if I did LL. So far? Kinda terrifying actually.

[YellowSpike]

It's not easy to accept, trust me I know. (you're 1/2" taller than I)

Still, glad you're making progress.

Thanks for the crash course on online dating. If I ever end up divorced (likely), then it's good info to know. Especially since I think we are about the same age...I know what to expect.

No easy answers with the height thing, for sure.

I'm watching dream catchers diary closely, since that is probably the same route I would go if I did LL. So far? Kinda terrifying actually.

Yeah but aren't you rich? LOL if you have money, I'd say that is the one thing that can override height. Of course, you don't want women that want you JUST for your money...but it's a major positive (and especially the fact that you earned it on your own) that can help overcome the major negative of being short.

The only thing that makes me not want to do a second LL is how damn long it takes. And tibias from what I hear just take sooooo much longer. There's more to life than this sh*t. Whatever...I have an awesome body (that I've busted my ass for, I look better than I ever have, actually), great facial aesthetics, I make over 6 figures (nothing special for where I live, but hey), am educated with a pretty good career...if that's not enough for some of these b*tches, that's fine. Being 5'8" (evening height - still must say that ) shouldn't kill me with all this other stuff. I'm just kinda...done.

[CCMidwest]

Yeah but aren't you rich? LOL if you have money, I'd say that is the one thing that can override height. Of course, you don't want women that want you JUST for your money...but it's a major positive (and especially the fact that you earned it on your own) that can help overcome the major negative of being short.

The only thing that makes me not want to do a second LL is how damn long it takes. And tibias from what I hear just take sooooo much longer. There's more to life than this sh*t. Whatever...I have an awesome body (that I've busted my ass for, I look better than I ever have, actually), great facial aesthetics, I make over 6 figures (nothing special for where I live, but hey), am educated with a pretty good career...if that's not enough for some of these b*tches, that's fine. Being 5'8" (evening height - still must say that ) shouldn't kill me with all this other stuff. I'm just kinda...done.

5'8 is nothing to be distraught over for sure. (talking to myself more so than you lol)

Yeah, gold diggers. They are EVERYWHERE. And yeah, I earned it myself. Most my family is broke. Just bought my parents a house actually.

Women want the world though. Bleh. Whatever. Still, there are tons of good girls out there...tons.

[YellowSpike]

5'8 is nothing to be distraught over for sure. (talking to myself more so than you lol)

Yeah, gold diggers. They are EVERYWHERE. And yeah, I earned it myself. Most my family is broke. Just bought my parents a house actually.

Women want the world though. Bleh. Whatever. Still, there are tons of good girls out there...tons.

Yeah I respect guys such as yourself, DIFM and PD who made their own fortunes. Not people who were just born into it and are rich snobs. I detest those kinds of people.

There are good and attractive women out there...but finding them really is like finding a tiny needle in a giant haystack. Maybe even harder.

[YellowSpike]

Getting more and more comfortable with my height. I really don't think I'm going to do tibias after all. I trust Dr. Guichet with my life...and he has warned me against tibias several times, even if I were to only do 3-4cm. He says that femurs are typically an indicator of how tibias will go...and my femur consolidation was slow-ish. I think that my slow-ish (especially in my left leg) consolidation had to do with me being a light smoker and also that I restricted my calories so as not to become morbidly obese during LL. I did gain weight...I have pictures of myself from last year...horrible duck ass and a huge belly. Due to my post LL confidence...feeling like being a strong 5'8" is decent enough for a guy...I've invested a lot more in myself in terms of my wardrobe and time at the gym. And I'm in the absolute best shape of my life right now. I've never looked better, ever. To the point where people are coming up to me at the gym and asking me workout/diet advice. And I got my ass back about 90%-95% of the way. Feelsgoodman.

I've seen some pictures of myself recently...and I'm quite taller than I realized. I now tower over my 5'5" dad, and taller than my (formerly?) 5'8" uncle, and about as tall as my other two uncles who are between 5'8" and 5'9" (based on pictures of us all standing together). It's taken some time...but my confidence with women has skyrocketed. I may not be tall, and may even still be considered short...but I'm at least taller than most women. And that's priceless and worth everything I put on the line for this sh*t. Going from the average height of a woman to taller than most women (even if high heels still pose an issue here) really does make a huge difference. The other night, a 5'8" girl I hadn't seen in a while looked at me and said "did you get taller Yellowspike?" I said "yeah, I tacked on a few inches after college," since I hadn't seen her in like a decade. She then wouldn't stop bugging me to dance with her all night. Too bad I'm not attracted to her...lol

I think I underestimated the recovery aspect of LL. This sh*t changes your life, and takes a lot longer to fully recover from than you can imagine. Yeah, if you go with Guichet and have a weight bearing rod, you'll be walking soon enough. But it took me over a year and a half to be able to run well (my running is just fine now), and I still have to stretch every day to maintain my flexibility, but I think as the years go on, the soft tissue will recover more such that I won't need to do this as much.

I'm thinking of doing what ShyShy did and leave the rods in. My understanding is that when you take the rods out, you can't do weight training on your legs for like 3-4 months. I'm not sure I wanna deal with the hassle of that. So I think I might just have the screws taken out in the hip area (both sides, even though only the left side still bothers me), then have plastic surgery to remove the scars near my ass, and then call it a day. Still have to think about it.

Definitely do not regret doing LL, and definitely happy I did with with Dr. G. You really get what you pay for with him. I sometimes still can't believe I did this. I sometimes still can't believe I literally went through hell, in a foreign country, crippled and on my own. I feel bad for the others with complications. I'm lucky to have (so far) escaped relatively unscathed from those (knock on wood).

I think I'm now done with voluntarily breaking bones.

[YourSpaceBoyfriend]

And that's why i said few days ago money is worth it if you will be satisfied with results.

Glad you are doing well considering your mood about LL earlier.

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Feelsgoodman.

Definitely do not regret doing LL, and definitely happy I did with with Dr. G. You really get what you pay for with him. I sometimes still can't believe I did this. I sometimes still can't believe I literally went through hell, in a foreign country, crippled and on my own.

Excellent summary Yellowspike!  Inspirational to me, esp since I've to do a second surgery Sep 1st

Can't wait to cross the finishing line with a shiny trophy like you!  You truly deserve an 'INSANITY' t-shirt

[Deads]

Getting more and more comfortable with my height. I really don't think I'm going to do tibias after all. I trust Dr. Guichet with my life...and he has warned me against tibias several times, even if I were to only do 3-4cm. He says that femurs are typically an indicator of how tibias will go...and my femur consolidation was slow-ish. I think that my slow-ish (especially in my left leg) consolidation had to do with me being a light smoker and also that I restricted my calories so as not to become morbidly obese during LL. I did gain weight...I have pictures of myself from last year...horrible duck ass and a huge belly. Due to my post LL confidence...feeling like being a strong 5'8" is decent enough for a guy...I've invested a lot more in myself in terms of my wardrobe and time at the gym. And I'm in the absolute best shape of my life right now. I've never looked better, ever. To the point where people are coming up to me at the gym and asking me workout/diet advice. And I got my ass back about 90%-95% of the way. Feelsgoodman.

I've seen some pictures of myself recently...and I'm quite taller than I realized. I now tower over my 5'5" dad, and taller than my (formerly?) 5'8" uncle, and about as tall as my other two uncles who are between 5'8" and 5'9" (based on pictures of us all standing together). It's taken some time...but my confidence with women has skyrocketed. I may not be tall, and may even still be considered short...but I'm at least taller than most women. And that's priceless and worth everything I put on the line for this sh*t. Going from the average height of a woman to taller than most women (even if high heels still pose an issue here) really does make a huge difference. The other night, a 5'8" girl I hadn't seen in a while looked at me and said "did you get taller Yellowspike?" I said "yeah, I tacked on a few inches after college," since I hadn't seen her in like a decade. She then wouldn't stop bugging me to dance with her all night. Too bad I'm not attracted to her...lol

I think I underestimated the recovery aspect of LL. This sh*t changes your life, and takes a lot longer to fully recover from than you can imagine. Yeah, if you go with Guichet and have a weight bearing rod, you'll be walking soon enough. But it took me over a year and a half to be able to run well (my running is just fine now), and I still have to stretch every day to maintain my flexibility, but I think as the years go on, the soft tissue will recover more such that I won't need to do this as much.

I'm thinking of doing what ShyShy did and leave the rods in. My understanding is that when you take the rods out, you can't do weight training on your legs for like 3-4 months. I'm not sure I wanna deal with the hassle of that. So I think I might just have the screws taken out in the hip area (both sides, even though only the left side still bothers me), then have plastic surgery to remove the scars near my ass, and then call it a day. Still have to think about it.

Definitely do not regret doing LL, and definitely happy I did with with Dr. G. You really get what you pay for with him. I sometimes still can't believe I did this. I sometimes still can't believe I literally went through hell, in a foreign country, crippled and on my own. I feel bad for the others with complications. I'm lucky to have (so far) escaped relatively unscathed from those (knock on wood).

I think I'm now done with voluntarily breaking bones.

Yellow, that was the most satisfying post I've read in a long time on here. 5"8 is a solid height. It may not be 5"9/10 but it closes the gap hugely between you and the taller fella's.. And you're right. It is hard to find girls taller than 5"8... And even if you do meet a 5"9/10 woman, there won't be much difference in height between the two of you. Not enough to be overly noticeable anyway. My gf is 174, I'm 169 and it isn't hugely noticable to me.... So in terms of women, you can pretty much pick anyone you want without height being a limiting factor. In a group of guys, you'll blend in better, even if you are the shortest of the group (unless they're all 6"2 haha, but don't worry about that s**t)... The next step for you (unless there are more updates to give on your recovery) is to get off this forum and continue to develop your positive mindset, because that's what is truely attractive.

Good work man. You are an inspiration.

[aagood11]

Dear IML, I am also in Singapore and have strongly intent to do LL, can I contact u personally?

[YellowSpike]

Excellent summary Yellowspike!  Inspirational to me, esp since I've to do a second surgery Sep 1st

Can't wait to cross the finishing line with a shiny trophy like you!  You truly deserve an 'INSANITY' t-shirt

lol thanks Unicorn I saw your diary and read about your complication. I'm really sorry to hear that. If it makes you feel any better, even though I've technically been complication free, I had slow consolidation and have had my fair share of issues. My right leg acts up from time to time due to a congenital contracture I had before the surgery, and I've had the left screw pain on my hip. No one really escapes from this unscathed.

All I can say is that you're in the best hands possible with Dr. G. He will follow through and make sure you end up ok and get your height goal. He really is the real deal. You will be ok.

[Moubgf]

how many cm's did you do with guichet?. is 8 cm doable. or even 10?

[Jessie Believer]

Hey Yellowspike.
 
I'm really happy to hear about your achievements! Congratulation! Hope I'm getting to your point soon. I send you a personal message. Would be happy to receive a reply

JB

[CCMidwest]

Yellow, that was the most satisfying post I've read in a long time on here. 5"8 is a solid height. It may not be 5"9/10 but it closes the gap hugely between you and the taller fella's.. And you're right. It is hard to find girls taller than 5"8... And even if you do meet a 5"9/10 woman, there won't be much difference in height between the two of you. Not enough to be overly noticeable anyway. My gf is 174, I'm 169 and it isn't hugely noticable to me.... So in terms of women, you can pretty much pick anyone you want without height being a limiting factor. In a group of guys, you'll blend in better, even if you are the shortest of the group (unless they're all 6"2 haha, but don't worry about that s**t)... The next step for you (unless there are more updates to give on your recovery) is to get off this forum and continue to develop your positive mindset, because that's what is truely attractive.

Good work man. You are an inspiration.

QFT. ^ ^ ^ ^
 
It's been my experience with women that if you aren't afraid to talk to them, and you are their height or taller, you are good. Also, lots of women in the 5'7-5'10 range seem to like guys in the 5'7-5'9 range, I don't know why that is, but in my experience it's true.

Yellow, really happy for you man! Time to move on and live a good life bro.

[Thatdude950]

Getting more and more comfortable with my height. I really don't think I'm going to do tibias after all. I trust Dr. Guichet with my life...and he has warned me against tibias several times, even if I were to only do 3-4cm. He says that femurs are typically an indicator of how tibias will go...and my femur consolidation was slow-ish. I think that my slow-ish (especially in my left leg) consolidation had to do with me being a light smoker and also that I restricted my calories so as not to become morbidly obese during LL. I did gain weight...I have pictures of myself from last year...horrible duck ass and a huge belly. Due to my post LL confidence...feeling like being a strong 5'8" is decent enough for a guy...I've invested a lot more in myself in terms of my wardrobe and time at the gym. And I'm in the absolute best shape of my life right now. I've never looked better, ever. To the point where people are coming up to me at the gym and asking me workout/diet advice. And I got my ass back about 90%-95% of the way. Feelsgoodman.

I've seen some pictures of myself recently...and I'm quite taller than I realized. I now tower over my 5'5" dad, and taller than my (formerly?) 5'8" uncle, and about as tall as my other two uncles who are between 5'8" and 5'9" (based on pictures of us all standing together). It's taken some time...but my confidence with women has skyrocketed. I may not be tall, and may even still be considered short...but I'm at least taller than most women. And that's priceless and worth everything I put on the line for this sh*t. Going from the average height of a woman to taller than most women (even if high heels still pose an issue here) really does make a huge difference. The other night, a 5'8" girl I hadn't seen in a while looked at me and said "did you get taller Yellowspike?" I said "yeah, I tacked on a few inches after college," since I hadn't seen her in like a decade. She then wouldn't stop bugging me to dance with her all night. Too bad I'm not attracted to her...lol

I think I underestimated the recovery aspect of LL. This sh*t changes your life, and takes a lot longer to fully recover from than you can imagine. Yeah, if you go with Guichet and have a weight bearing rod, you'll be walking soon enough. But it took me over a year and a half to be able to run well (my running is just fine now), and I still have to stretch every day to maintain my flexibility, but I think as the years go on, the soft tissue will recover more such that I won't need to do this as much.

I'm thinking of doing what ShyShy did and leave the rods in. My understanding is that when you take the rods out, you can't do weight training on your legs for like 3-4 months. I'm not sure I wanna deal with the hassle of that. So I think I might just have the screws taken out in the hip area (both sides, even though only the left side still bothers me), then have plastic surgery to remove the scars near my ass, and then call it a day. Still have to think about it.

Definitely do not regret doing LL, and definitely happy I did with with Dr. G. You really get what you pay for with him. I sometimes still can't believe I did this. I sometimes still can't believe I literally went through hell, in a foreign country, crippled and on my own. I feel bad for the others with complications. I'm lucky to have (so far) escaped relatively unscathed from those (knock on wood).

I think I'm now done with voluntarily breaking bones.

Congrats yellowspike!