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[bluebarbie]

I can bend one around 75, and the second just 45. I just started lengthening so I am afraid of range loses with lengthening as you said.

why you say put only 20 - 30 % on legs ? by the way, I am doing with ilzarov, not side deveice as yours, but mine is not full rings ilzarov, it's the same as this
http://www.orthopediconlineshop.com/Illizarov/ILIZAROV-Italian-Femoral-Arches

Oh.. I don't know about ur fixator. What does ur doc say? Partial or full weight bearing? If it's partial weight bear I suggest u shouldn't put too much weight on it or pins will bend causing loss of gained length. 
About knee bending,  I read that u are only doing about 4 cms? Is it? So knee bending shouldn't be a big concern for u. I did 8cms and left with around 35 degrees. But if u want fast recovery u should keep ur range at highest. Tip: Every time u try to bend u should give them some time. Like try to pull to bend urself with the best u can and hold for about 20 secs each bend. After u reach ur limit like say 65' ask someone to push further as u bend for about only 5 to 10' or more but within tolerated range, not further and hold for 10 to 20 secs too. Do that for as many times as u can tolerate and also bend urself to get the latest range. When u do that focus on relaxing ur quadriceps yet pulling ur hamstrings as the bending goes. Give both knees an hour or so for the whole bending session and u'll see what I mean by it.

[alex]

Oh.. I don't know about ur fixator. What does ur doc say? Partial or full weight bearing? If it's partial weight bear I suggest u shouldn't put too much weight on it or pins will bend causing loss of gained length. 
About knee bending,  I read that u are only doing about 4 cms? Is it? So knee bending shouldn't be a big concern for u. I did 8cms and left with around 35 degrees. But if u want fast recovery u should keep ur range at highest. Tip: Every time u try to bend u should give them some time. Like try to pull to bend urself with the best u can and hold for about 20 secs each bend. After u reach ur limit like say 65' ask someone to push further as u bend for about only 5 to 10' or more but within tolerated range, not further and hold for 10 to 20 secs too. Do that for as many times as u can tolerate and also bend urself to get the latest range. When u do that focus on relaxing ur quadriceps yet pulling ur hamstrings as the bending goes. Give both knees an hour or so for the whole bending session and u'll see what I mean by it.

Thanks alot for your advices : ))

before you start length, how much you were able to bend ?

[bluebarbie]

Thanks alot for your advices : ))

before you start length, how much you were able to bend ?

Around 80'

[alex]

When are you going to remove the external device, did the doctor decide ?

by the way, during lenthing period, there were a lot of pain and sleepless nights ?

[bluebarbie]

I planned to remove them at the end of this month. But may extend one more month in them.
U can find everything I went through during lengthening in my diary or my blog.
https://bluebarbiedoll.wordpress.com

[alex]

I planned to remove them at the end of this month. But may extend one more month in them.
U can find everything I went through during lengthening in my diary or my blog.
https://bluebarbiedoll.wordpress.com

I read it, it's provided me good info and bad news as well as you are talking about pins pain while lenthing

Please look here, and tell me, is that duckass ?

http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=2317.0

[bluebarbie]

As u are doing only 4cms u don't have to worry about duckass. And it is a thing that goes away easily if u do ur stretchings well. Stretch ur hip flexers every day 2 to 3 times a day by lying on ur stomach and do back kicks. U can do them by standing, too. Remember to hold each kick for a while.

[alex]

As u are doing only 4cms u don't have to worry about duckass. And it is a thing that goes away easily if u do ur stretchings well. Stretch ur hip flexers every day 2 to 3 times a day by lying on ur stomach and do back kicks. U can do them by standing, too. Remember to hold each kick for a while.

Okay, but what I suffer from is that duckass ? I am suffering from this even befor I start lengthening, and I think duckass happen with lengthening, isn't that ?

as well dose duckass bent the back towards as this pic
http://seniorjournal.com/images/Symbols/Health/walker-man-200px.jpg

or bend backwards as this pic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lordosis.png

[bluebarbie]

Sorry.. I'm not an expert, buddy. I can just tell u from my experiences. Ask ur doctor about it and I m sure he'll handle that for u.

[bluebarbie]

Next 3 days it'll be 5 months post operation and alil over a month from last distraction day. More callus has formed beautifully and the difference can be visibly seem from the last xray taken 41 days ago.
And today we made up our mind to do the next surgery exactly a month from now.
Ohhh yeah!!! Im sooooo happy and excited to be spending my last month my those devices that have changed my life.
Actually my doctor said I can do it this month but my mum and I wanted to wait abit longer for the callus to form more and all muscle tension to go away to make sure not to lose much on the gained length.

My Roms, muscle mass and strength are returning but very slowly, now knee ranges at around 40 degrees. The pinsites have healed completely but when I try to bend my knees further, the skin and underlying tissues around the pins struggle and try to tear themselves to be able to move. I don’t want to risk infection or manipulate them so I just go slowly.

[bluebarbie]

Me today, legs are stiff every early mornings before exercises.


Notice the visible formation of improved callus form in the lower two xrays? And Id like to request some people here who are very concerned for me about the alignment thing, please don't. I m sure Dr. Singh will def fix that during the nailing procedure.


And my current legs.

[bluebarbie]

Thanks alot music maker. How are u.? Long time no talk.
I definitely love my proportions now. I m like u, love long legs and very ambitious to get them. Before my femurs are shorter than my tibias and I feel very unattractive. Now they are only slightly longer than the tibs. But my doctor said I could get between one to two cms shortened again during nailing time. 
Trying my best and all that I can to maintain them...

[just_me]

You are doing a good job - Good luck.

[alex]

And today we made up our mind to do the next surgery exactly a month from now.

That's great, I am waiting for my day as well. external femur not easy.

[bluebarbie]

Thx @ Just me

@Musicmaker,  my doctor said the final lenghtening would be in between of 6 to 7 cms, which is quite upsetting for me. But I can tell he'll try his best not to lose much,  he just doesn't want to make a promise.

@alex, yes yes, I can know how u are feeling. External femur is a time in hell, yes. Just be strong and u 'll get there one day, too. And it's not too far from right now. Time flies real fast and it'll be over before u know it.

[alex]

Bluebarbie

After you finished lengthening, walking became easier ?

I am asking that as walking for me became hard, I started lengthening 13 days after the operation, during these 13 days, walking was much easier.

[bluebarbie]

Only 15 days left.....and still counting down. I had my xrays done two days ago and callus was forming great with the gap showing about 8.2cm
Had some problems at the xray department. It was crazy. Usually the xrays are enlarged so you never get ur exact measurements from them, right? That's why our xrays have to be calibrated to get the exact lenght . What I was facing is that they put a measurement for calibration but never calibrated my xrays. You see, that's what you have to face in an underdeveloped country. So that day the same xrays with the same gap(8.2cms) were showing over 9cms without being calibrated. I was outraged and complained and finally after about two hours of hanging in there, they told us they left out one step in there!!!!

My range of motions are currently around 45-50 degrees. Psychologically I am getting really impatient for the final days to pass but again really satisfied and happy with myself that I had struggled, endured and waited this long.

[bluebarbie]

Callus clouding up real quick

[bluebarbie]

Bluebarbie

After you finished lengthening, walking became easier ?

I am asking that as walking for me became hard, I started lengthening 13 days after the operation, during these 13 days, walking was much easier.

Mobility is really limited during or after lenghtening.. Even bending ur knees slowly during therapy tears the skin around pins close to knees so leave out comfortable walking. I m sure things will become easier only when the frames come off.

[Overdozer]

You look nice, barbie. And damn, your frames look so much better than my piece of crap. I was wondering... is it possible to do LON with monorail frames? That would eliminate problems with misaligment and loose of height when nailing with LATN, also you wouldn't have to wait. Not possible, right?

[bluebarbie]

You look nice, barbie. And damn, your frames look so much better than my piece of crap. I was wondering... is it possible to do LON with monorail frames? That would eliminate problems with misaligment and loose of height when nailing with LATN, also you wouldn't have to wait. Not possible, right?

Yes it is possible but only for those with bigger diameter bones. But it's like many doctors don't do it on femurs I think.

[YellowSpike]

Congrats on almost being finished Bluebarbie! You are surely one of the strongest people on here to have braved external femurs. I'm not sure I could've done it to be honest.

Yeah, those x-rays are never accurate. Dr. G said they can be off by up to 1cm. My recent x-ray estimates said I lengthened 8.3/8.4cm, but it's more like 7.2/7.3 cm in reality after adjusting for the x-ray estimate error.

[bluebarbie]

Thank you YellowSpike.
About the inaccuracy of xrays, LLers should always be aware of that fact.You can't do anything if u find out about it after ur bones start to consolidate. And end up not meeting ur actual goal.

[YellowSpike]

Thank you YellowSpike.
About the inaccuracy of xrays, LLers should always be aware of that fact.You can't do anything if u find out about it after ur bones start to consolidate. And end up not meeting ur actual goal.

This is very true, especially for external methods where you could lose some due to compression. But you seemed to have lengthened a lot, so I'm sure your final gain will be close to 7cm, which is a great gain!

The funny thing about the Gnail (and the Betzbone, I think too) is that you typically end up with a bit more height than you click. Though, this may just be due to the "formula" (15 clicks = 1mm) being somewhat off. Dr. G said I'm probably a bit over 7cm as a result of this (maybe 7.2-7.3cm), so it somewhat compensates for the femur angle issue. Which makes sense, since the x-rays (which are wrong) are saying I'm at like 8.4cm lol. Dr. G said when he retrieves the nails, almost all patients have a bit more than what they click, which is kinda nice.

Anyway, your life will become much easier once those frames are off. Internal nails are going to seem like a cakewalk to you, trust me 

[bluebarbie]

Yes yes, I def hope my final gain is closest to 7.
Ohh and thanks for believing in me on internal nailing. As for now I m really freaking out about it...the worst fear is death from embolism; second, rotational misalignments and third, not gaining my targeted length. I just can't get death out of my mind these days, whatever I do or think about, there is this thing what if I die during this traumatic surgery lasting around 6 hours.  I know it is so rare but I just can't get it out of my mind.

[YellowSpike]

Try not to worry about it too much. You've already come so far, and are on the home stretch. Those risks are quite rare, so I'm sure you will be fine. And you're going to love having an internal nail, your ROM will be a lot better and your pain level will go down too.

[alex]

Hey

Did you remove your device

[KrP1]

Your callus look good. Did your doctor remove the device?

[bluebarbie]

Thanks YellowSpike. I really appreciate ur encouragement. I don't feel scared anymore these few days.. I m just happy that the days are soo near and just can't wait. Not sure when itll b back, on surgery day?..  

Alex and KirP1,
I will be removing them and exchanging with internal nails on the 16th on this month, meet dr Singh on 10th when he visits my country and follows him back to Singapore on 15th. I m currently working on my Roms which are now at around 50'.

[alex]

Alex and KirP1,
I will be removing them and exchanging with internal nails on the 16th on this month, meet dr Singh on 10th when he visits my country and follows him back to Singapore on 15th. I m currently working on my Roms which are now at around 50'.

You didn't think about waiting for more 1 month maybe and remove the device without having internal nail, your new bones looks good in the last ray especially the left leg.

[bluebarbie]

Just popping up to let u all know that my day has finally come.  8)Today I arrived in Singapore and now trying hard to sleep coz tomorrow is my operation day. I m feeling so excited yet very very scared, worrying alot about complications during surgery or even death.
Ok goodnight to you all  and oh one thing left, I promise I will keep updating my diary until I fully recover; so only if something like death or something very very bad happened  that I would be unable to carry on from now on. Don't think I m crazy, just letting u all know.
Please pray for me for tomorrow operation, hope to meet u all very soon.