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[Wintersleep]

Hey all,

I aim to lengthen my tibia's by 5cm with LON - this would make a huge difference to my life. I am going to university next year and I would love to get this done in a summer one year between academic years because I will have a job lined up immediately when I finish university and I can not postpone it for a few months while I get LL. I only have about 104 days off for summer so I will only have about 100 days post operation until I need to be back at university. I would want to be at a stage where I can walk with crutches at maybe half a normal pace when I go back.

Do you think this is possible? I am young (I will be 20/21 at the time), light (60kg), tallish for a LL patient (176cm), I have a modest goal (5cm) and I am healthy but I understand complications can delay things so I would be willing to stop short of my goal at 4cm if I had a complication. I have $30,000 dollars set aside for the surgery from working and I am looking at India. Hopefully I will find a part time job at uni and be able to save more money (I will be living off university loans that I will not have to pay back until I am earning $30,000+)

If there was an affordable internal option I would strongly consider that - doing one leg at a time. I would do one leg in the summer so I would have one strong leg and would be able to walk on crutches 100 days post op. And then during my winter break I would get the other leg implanted with the device and finish lengthening at university because I only have 35 days off in winter, again I would have one strong leg so I should be able to walk with crutches. I believe I could live with a 5cm discrepancy for a few months - I could put a 3cm insole my shoe so it gets reduced to 2cm.

Sorry for blabing so:

TL;DR - Is it possible to lengten 5cm with LON and be at a stage 100 days post op where you can walk with crutches at around half a normal pace?

Thanks.

[ForcedPuberty]

first 7 days checks and doctor checks, settling in, flights. (this could be negated but I don't advise it)

day of surgery.
7 days later inflammation down and lengthening starts.

0.66mm per day, 1cm every 15 days. 5cm = 75days.

7+7+75 = 89 days. assuming no complications.

your doctor will not remove your external frames for lon at this stage.

end result= 100 days is not possible.

also a side note: lon does not save much time like people think.

4 months in frames, then external frame is removed and you only have lon, but you usually can not walk normally straight away. assuming it takes 1 month to walk un aided that is 5 months.

or 7 months in external frames.

I could be wrong on the lon needing an extra month to walk unaided but its how I understand it.
also you risk permanent life long knee pain. my advice is take 1 year off. life is not a race, it is a marathon. the 8 weeks you save or even that year of study you will regret if you get life long knee pain.

[ForcedPuberty]

if your really desperate.

then my advice is 100 days is enough to finish the lengthening phase.

come back with frames on to finish consolidation in your home country doing full external only.

disadvantage= everyone will see your frames, you might need a wheelchair and a walker for long distances.
advantage= no chance of time constraints, and no chance of permanent life long knee problems.

[Medium Drink Of Water]

It's possible to finish lengthening that fast, but you'll probably be using a walker at much less than half speed by the time 100 days have passed.  It took me 150 days to lengthen 7.5cm and then about another month before I was able to start using crutches.  I just didn't have the balancing ability to use crutches right after completing lengthening.

[tx1111]

In my consultatiin with Dr Solomin he told me with LON you are basically incapacitated for almost the same time as standard Illzarov.

He said LON is basically just to remove frames and cut the total time by 1.5 months to 2 months. He said LON nail is not weight bearing.

So does LON vary between each doctor or what? This is something i keep hearing diffrent things about.

[Blackhawk]

I think many people have been able to lengthen 1mm a day.  5cms = 50 days lengthening.  I think it is possible to do in 100 days but it would be difficult.  Can you take classes online at your school?  You may be able to do that fall semester while you recover.  I think RGKEY had small frames that were easily hidden under his pants and he seemed to have a normal life while he lengthened and consolidated.  Read his diary.

[Medium Drink Of Water]

In my consultatiin with Dr Solomin he told me with LON you are basically incapacitated for almost the same time as standard Illzarov.

He said LON is basically just to remove frames and cut the total time by 1.5 months to 2 months. He said LON nail is not weight bearing.

So does LON vary between each doctor or what? This is something i keep hearing diffrent things about.

My nails I got in Beijing were fully weight-bearing.  I think they went up to 90kg each.  I did leg presses on a weight machine with those nails.

[Wintersleep]

Thank you everybody for your advice - I really appreciate it.

I'm sure you are right and I know I have to be responsible. I know It's no good planning for the best case scenario - I need to be realistic.

I will continue to research different methods and maybe consider the possibility of lengthening one leg at a time. I will also see if there is any possibility I could study away from university for part of a term.

Also if over the next few years (since I will be at uni for 3 years) a promising russian doctor emerges who is inexpensive ( <$15,00) and uses small compact frames that could fit under clothing I might consider doing 3cm external only and do femurs later in life. Don't just say 'wear lifts' because I do that already and I still will after LL  .

If there aren't any realistic options I will wait until I graduate and if I have the money go to Dr. Peng in China.

Thanks again for all your advice.

[llx54511]

Try finding out if your university has spring admission.

You and me are in the same boat, time is of the essence.

I plan on having my surgery in early June 2015 (Paley, Internal Femurs) lengthen all summer, start consolidating in early September and attend the spring semester of my university in January a new man. So basically 3 months to lengthen and 4 months to consolidate.

Of course you'll have to graduate a semester late however you can always make up classes and obtain credit during summer/winter breaks.

[llx54511]

Try finding out if your university has spring admission.

You and me are in the same boat, time is of the essence.

I plan on having my surgery in early June 2015 (Paley, Internal Femurs) lengthen all summer, start consolidating in early September and attend the spring semester of my university in January a new man. So basically 3 months to lengthen and 4 months to consolidate.

Of course you'll have to graduate a semester late however you can always make up classes and obtain credit during summer/winter breaks.