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[IwannaBeTaller]

Hey Unicorn, hope you have a happy Christmas and nice holidays, all the best and a healthy new year.

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

He said it in a hypothetical manner. It's a difference between how things are read in hebrew and in english (and any other non semitic language).

Yeah, from my understanding 5cm is feasible in most places.  10cm is an entirely different animal.  I might end up having to change nails (being too big prevents it from growing active cells/calluses) and shortening a bit.  But I think the NHS doc wants to take a stab at grafting first.

Don't forget, Guichet has already tried injecting marrow aspirate on the gap but I think it was as effective as rain on cement.

https://www.instagram.com/unicorn_gets_taller/

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Hey Unicorn, hope you have a happy Christmas and nice holidays, all the best and a healthy new year.

Happy new year to you too!  I've gotten into a schedule of walking in the pool everyday along with chiropractor.  Let's hope after 2 weeks of this intensive regime, I can stretch out my quad/psoas to reduce my duck ass and have better strength to walk with less dependence on crutches.

WISHING YOU A GREAT 2018!

edit: excessive Instagram link

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

I hope things are getting better even if it's just a little, stay strong Unicorn

Hi Zeo,

While I've no news regarding how to cure myself from my 10cm non-union and it's not going to get well like magic, I'm working hard on musculature, and reducing duck ass.  Daily pool walking now and intensive physio/chiro to treat my posture etc.

Thank you for thinking of me!  Hope all's going well with you too (heart)!

edit: excessive Instagram link

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Did the doctors give u any kind of medications to speed up the process of bone growth? hgh? calcium supplements?

Hi Leyla90,

Yes, the usual    Everything from calcium, magnesium, zinc, centrum multiple vits, high doses of vit C and D3, algaecal, risedronate, glucosamine, silica, whey isolate, magnesium oil to rub on muscles, castor oil for liver cleansing, folic acid, lycopene, alpha lipoic acid, L-lysine, collagen hydrolysate, ferrous sulphate etc even herbs from John the healer from Brazil

Am trying, hoping and praying

https://www.instagram.com/unicorn_gets_taller/

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Yes, your proportions definetely look much better for a girl now. I hope it works as a motivation for your recovery. I had a look at your insta, you're smart and beautiful just like Helloworld said, so don't waste that gift. We are not misfits at all 

Yes, it's strange that I've long tibias compared to femurs )   Hope all is good with you!  Happy 2018!  May all our dreams come true!!!

No, we're not misfits, we're just the courageous and sometimes foolhardy bandits who dare to dream, and make it reality at all costs.

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Wooooow you're a Harvard grad ??
That is my biggest dream.

Which department did you graduate from?

Btw you are really pretty and tall for a woman.
How did you manage to stay this good? I've looked like crap in 3 months after surgery.

Everything is okay, these days will surely pass and you will continue your life as a tall beautiful Harvard graduate which is the dream of every woman.

Hi Jexus,

Sorry for the late reply.  I did Economics from Harvard College (Faculty of Arts and Sciences) and did a minor in art conservation (geeky chemistry stuff involving spectroscopy).

What do you mean by you looking like crap after 3 months post-surgery?  Are you talking posture, duck ass etc?  Or face? 

I'm currently in Asia, and have been sleeping almost 14-17 hours a day, doing a lot of physio and walking in the pool and just reading on my Kindle, by the sea.  It's helped a lot with my psychological stress level and hopefully, my body will relax more.

Still hoping, praying and begging for the bones on my right leg to fuse on its own.  Apparently, sometimes that can happen, spontaneous healing...  well trying to just keep positive vibes going...

This is me right now


https://www.instagram.com/unicorn_gets_taller/

[helloworld]

This is me right now

Looking at the picture there are only three possibilities:
1. you send us accidentally a picture of your daughter
2. you misrepresented your age because as a minor you would not be allowed to do LL
3. you discovered a revolutinary procedure to get younger or at least look younger.
If 3, then please share with us!

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Looking at the picture there are only three possibilities:
1. you send us accidentally a picture of your daughter
2. you misrepresented your age because as a minor you would not be allowed to do LL
3. you discovered a revolutinary procedure to get younger or at least look younger.
If 3, then please share with us!

    LL makes you younger 

Actually, it runs in my family, hypermobility.  Our skins are stretchy and do not wrinkle much except crows' feet and eyebags around the eyes.  My mum who's 72 doesn't have wrinkles either, just eyebags, same with my aunts who're in their 70's, they pass for 50's

It's pretty scary but as I said before, it has its pros and cons.  Hopefully, the pros having stretchy collagen means I can eventually stretch my soft tissues to match the 10cm runaway length.  Cons were when I was lengthening, because I was so flexible, it was hard to find sufficient tension to get a click     hence, the trauma of manual clicking.   Total PTSD.  Currently helping various patients survive their manual lengthening procedure and reach their goals safely.

Just found out too that another doctor who's manual nails failed after the patient suffered from non-union from 2 years had abandoned his patient citing nothing else he can do.  I find this behaviour rife amongst LL doctors, is unscrupulous and contradictory to their charming/attentive first consultations    So please beware, when crap hits the fan, your miracle wiz doc might turn into a snake and slink away...

[Pattycake]

Hello Unicorn! I hope you're having an amazing start of this new year.
I have spent a few hours reading your diary and also created this account just to send you this message!
Your diary is really eye opening for me and others.
I also have gone through your IG account and happy to see you recover.
I also have a question. The duck walk you're talking about, is it perm or just temporary? Is it going to be fixed?

Best of luck!

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Hello Unicorn! I hope you're having an amazing start of this new year.
I have spent a few hours reading your diary and also created this account just to send you this message!
Your diary is really eye opening for me and others.
I also have gone through your IG account and happy to see you recover.
I also have a question. The duck walk you're talking about, is it perm or just temporary? Is it going to be fixed?

Best of luck!

Hi Pattycake,

Thanks for reading.  It's eye opening because the truth of the process is never clear.  I'm just illustrating the moments when I try to walk without crutches.  I spend 90% of my day in crutches.

The lordosis/duckass happens because my quad and psoas muscles in front are too short for my longer femurs.  As a result, it pulls my entire pelvis downwards, creating a duck ass in the back and an inward turning left leg. With time, the body soft tissues should slowly be able to stretch out to match my femurs and my pelvis will hopefully straighten again.

The duck walk happens too because I don't have sufficient glute muscles to walk properly, hence, I lean from side to side harnessing momentum from each side of my body to propel myself forward.

I had my first surgery in July 2016, and to this day, I'm still unable to stand up without hand reinforcements, my left knee cannot straighten completely flat on the floor and cannot contract fully.  But the biggest impediment is, my right leg has a 10cm non-union gap, which can fracture/shorten if my nail bends or breaks.  I'm not looking forward to a large bone graft which might never work and create more complications like infections etc.

So, I'm just trying to stay positive and show improvements on IG, but the reality is still plagued with aches and  pains around the knees, where the pins are nailed and even around the empty gap.  I'm still on A LOT of medication and supplements everyday.  I really really long to walk like a normal person again (I even envy toddlers who walk so sure footed than I).  Without crutches, I have to stop every 20 metres to catch my breadth.

But before this, I couldn't even sit in a car with my knees folded 90 degrees without pain, or I could not even stand on my crutches for more than 5 minutes and I couldn't crutch far without bending over and panting hard.

I do see improvements and I can only beg my body to help me speed up the healing    Now I swim a lot everyday to improve my back and straighten and strengthen my legs.

Thank you for following me, I'm here to answer any questions you have!  Take care and happy 2018 to you!

[Android]

Glad that you're recovering Unicorn, even if slower than you want. Swimming sounds like a great idea, good use of muscles without having to carry your entire body weight. Best of luck, stay strong!

[Pattycake]

Hi Pattycake,

Thanks for reading.  It's eye opening because the truth of the process is never clear.  I'm just illustrating the moments when I try to walk without crutches.  I spend 90% of my day in crutches.

The lordosis/duckass happens because my quad and psoas muscles in front are too short for my longer femurs.  As a result, it pulls my entire pelvis downwards, creating a duck ass in the back and an inward turning left leg. With time, the body soft tissues should slowly be able to stretch out to match my femurs and my pelvis will hopefully straighten again.

The duck walk happens too because I don't have sufficient glute muscles to walk properly, hence, I lean from side to side harnessing momentum from each side of my body to propel myself forward.

I had my first surgery in July 2016, and to this day, I'm still unable to stand up without hand reinforcements, my left knee cannot straighten completely flat on the floor and cannot contract fully.  But the biggest impediment is, my right leg has a 10cm non-union gap, which can fracture/shorten if my nail bends or breaks.  I'm not looking forward to a large bone graft which might never work and create more complications like infections etc.

So, I'm just trying to stay positive and show improvements on IG, but the reality is still plagued with aches and  pains around the knees, where the pins are nailed and even around the empty gap.  I'm still on A LOT of medication and supplements everyday.  I really really long to walk like a normal person again (I even envy toddlers who walk so sure footed than I).  Without crutches, I have to stop every 20 metres to catch my breadth.

But before this, I couldn't even sit in a car with my knees folded 90 degrees without pain, or I could not even stand on my crutches for more than 5 minutes and I couldn't crutch far without bending over and panting hard.

I do see improvements and I can only beg my body to help me speed up the healing    Now I swim a lot everyday to improve my back and straighten and strengthen my legs.

Thank you for following me, I'm here to answer any questions you have!  Take care and happy 2018 to you!

You are very brave Unicorn. Thank you for explaining.
Oh, what one does for their dream. You have gone through a lot and time will slowly fully heal you.

Btw wow! Your long legs look stunning. You said you are around 40 years old? Sorry but I don't buy that

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

You are very brave Unicorn. Thank you for explaining.
Oh, what one does for their dream. You have gone through a lot and time will slowly fully heal you.

Btw wow! Your long legs look stunning. You said you are around 40 years old? Sorry but I don't buy that

Yup, will be 43 this year, so hopefully I have another half life to enjoy my new height

[blacksheepwall]

I spent the whole of last night and read your diary carefully. Over a year and half... Has it healed.for the most part? I saw your Instagram pics, it looks to me that you are on speedy way towards recovery.

Has the right leg been consolidated? When will you be able o forget about this and move on with the next chapter of your life?

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

I spent the whole of last night and read your diary carefully. Over a year and half... Has it healed.for the most part? I saw your Instagram pics, it looks to me that you are on speedy way towards recovery.

Has the right leg been consolidated? When will you be able o forget about this and move on with the next chapter of your life?

Unfortunately, no I am far from healed and have sought a lot of doctors in various countries.  Nobody really knows how to heal me :

My right leg ran away to almost 10cm and there is complete NON-UNION.  Nothing is growing or consolidating, so all my 'fake' walking on Instagram are short spurts, not my real life.

My left leg is suffering from overly tight/short psoas/quads/IT band/soft tissues which cause daily knee pain (am still on painkillers) and I cannot straighten my left leg, it's bent at the knee.

Because of these soft tissue shortness, I suffer from anterior pelvis tilt, which causes duck ass (hyper lordosis) and my left leg to turn inwards (valgum).  It makes it very difficult for me to walk like a normal person.

Aside from all this, yes there is PTSD from all the trauma, being unemployed, very little finances left, and I just don't know how to get back to normal life, in less than 3 months, I would not be able to pay for my mortgages anymore.  This is from someone who had ample savings and trading in 2016 but everything flipped for the worst when I got affected emotionally as well.

NHS wants to open my right leg up and change nails, do a biopsy and bone graft when I get back to London.  I just don't know how to face another invasive surgery like this.  My 2016, 2017 have been ruined, I just cannot imagine losing 2018 as well but something has to be done (I know  ).

I keep praying and praying and praying that my right leg will consolidate miraculously (to the point of going today for a 2hr evangelical sermon and being 'healed' by a dubious preacher) and I'm even spending 2 hours a day every morning in a hyperbaric chamber inhaling pure oxygen in the hopes that it will oxygenate my blood and trigger circulation and bone healing.  A friend is taking me to Lourdes as well very soon to try for more 'miracles'.

I think the findings are I've very little live cells left where the lengthened gap is on the right leg (and maybe a bony infection that's resistant to antibiotics) and it's near impossible for it to form sufficient calluses to bridge at this point 

I'm relying on the 'weight bearing' abilities of the G nail as I've no bones to support an empty 10cm gap.  So I hope the pins won't bend, unscrew or the nails break, like in other cases.  That's why I'm using crutches religiously and try not to walk 100% unsupported.

I exercise, swim, walk in water, stretch, do yoga for hours every day, hoping that I can speed up some form of recovery, be it muscular, flexibility, bony or stamina.  There is A LONG WAYS to go as confirmed by another osteopath I recently consulted.  He is equally stumped at how much my surgeries were messed up.

https://www.instagram.com/unicorn_gets_taller/

[observer]

My right leg ran away to almost 10cm and there is complete NON-UNION. 

https://www.instagram.com/unicorn_gets_taller/

Hi Unicorn, you said you had a 10cm non-union of your right leg, how much you lengthened on your left leg? Is it because too much lengthening over recommended amount caused non-union?

[Thatdude950]

would removing the gap by going back to your original length help/be possible?

[Android]

What a nightmare this must be. Glad that you have caring people that are supporting you along the way. I'd listen to NHS' recommendations, as hoping for a miracle is cathartic, but it's not quite immediate action with observable results.

[cobalt]

I hope your next surgery goes well. You are in my prayers. Hang in there. You will get through it.

[tallernacho]

would removing the gap by going back to your original length help/be possible?

I'm not an expert, but she says she has spoken to many doctors. It might not be as "easy" as that.
However, that is what I would try to do if I was in her situation, despite having to undergo another lengthy process. That might imply using external frames (painful) or using a device such as the precice/fitbone nail. The later might also imply shortening her other leg, as those nails extend only up to 8cm, and I don't remember any (maybe incorrectly) internal nail except the guichet/albizzia nail that can extend up to 10cm.

In any case, I'd like to wish Unicorn the best and I hope that she can recover rather sooner than later.

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

Hi Unicorn, you said you had a 10cm non-union of your right leg, how much you lengthened on your left leg? Is it because too much lengthening over recommended amount caused non-union?

The right leg was lengthened to 7cm (within 2 months) as recommended by Guichet.  But because of non-union and because the G nail cannot be stopped or reversed, it kept accidentally clicking on its own.  1 year later, Guichet measured it finally and said I had reached about 9.7cm, it is still clicking accidentally about 5 times over these 2017 holidays.  This is not something I can control.

My left leg was lengthened only to about 8cm because the new NHS doctor didn't want me to risk non-union.  I had lengthened to 8cm on my own through about 4-5 months which is much much slower than what Guichet recommended and I am happy to report that my left leg is fully fused and consolidated.

So, the non-union on the right leg can be caused by lengthening too fast without checking for callus bridging, maybe the nail was contaminated causing osteomyelitis, NHS had scanned me for cysts because that can cause non-union (negative), so now the next step is a biopsy.  Once that is done, either we change nails, bone graft, shorten or all or none.  I don't know 

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

would removing the gap by going back to your original length help/be possible?

Yes, I can go through another invasive surgery to remove the nail.  The G nail cannot be reversed or shortened.  So all I can do is remove it from my right leg entirely.  If that happens, we can either insert a normal trauma nail and there is no guarantee of how much length I will lose.  If I don't, my entire leg will collapse causing the 10cm to compress.  This can also have severe effects on my soft tissues as well.

It's not that straight forward at this point.  I'm really praying for a miracle but with 2 accidental clicks in the car today, I know for sure that I still have zero bones formed.

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

I hope your next surgery goes well. You are in my prayers. Hang in there. You will get through it.

Thank you Cobalt.  This is going to be my 4th surgery and 18 months from my 1st surgery.  So, bear in mind people that this procedure can haunt you for a very long time causing you to lose everything in your life.  The chain of events are like a domino effect.  One bad thing leads to another and before you know it, you don't know how to get out from the abyss.

[Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo]

I'm not an expert, but she says she has spoken to many doctors. It might not be as "easy" as that.
However, that is what I would try to do if I was in her situation, despite having to undergo another lengthy process. That might imply using external frames (painful) or using a device such as the precice/fitbone nail. The later might also imply shortening her other leg, as those nails extend only up to 8cm, and I don't remember any (maybe incorrectly) internal nail except the guichet/albizzia nail that can extend up to 10cm.

In any case, I'd like to wish Unicorn the best and I hope that she can recover rather sooner than later.

Hi TallerNacho,

You're absolutely right!  I need to undergo another invasive procedure.  One successful one if I'm lucky.  NHS wants to bone graft me instead of exchanging nails as they find that less risky.

To remove nail and then insert a new one is not simple.  And yes, Precice lengthens to 8cm which actually matches my left leg which was lengthened to only 8cm to be conservative.

However, because in my situation, my 13mm nail is too big for my femur bones, so removing it is a very risky surgery.  Like during my 3rd surgery, when Guichet performed the osteotomy on my left leg, he broke the nail in the process and had to replace with a new one which he is now forcing me to pay.

So yes, there are several solutions and I really wish the ONE further surgery I take will be the LAST ONE.  I'm exhausted with watching life go by and being the handicapped one. 

Our non-union group is exhausted with our individual situations and our non healing.  We've collectively tried so many things and we remain disappointed, helpless and desperate.

[backrandom]

Thank you Cobalt.  This is going to be my 4th surgery and 18 months from my 1st surgery.  So, bear in mind people that this procedure can haunt you for a very long time causing you to lose everything in your life.  The chain of events are like a domino effect.  One bad thing leads to another and before you know it, you don't know how to get out from the abyss.

There's one guy in this forum who is suicidal because he thinks he is too short at 5´8. I told him to consider that complications can make him even more suicidal and begged him to read your diary. He basically told me he wasn't interested. Those people shouldn't be allowed to get LL. RETARDED. DELUSIONAL. STUPID. Yours is one of the greatest CAUTIONARY TALES about LL I've ever read. Please stay strong.

[observer]

Our non-union group is exhausted with our individual situations and our non healing.  We've collectively tried so many things and we remain disappointed, helpless and desperate.

This is so heart-breaking...I can't believe there is a NON-UNION GROUP out there??? How many people are in this unfortunate group? I think this definitely shows how risky this surgery is...People!!!

[backrandom]

This is so heart-breaking...I can't believe there is a NON-UNION GROUP out there??? How many people are in this unfortunate group? I think this definitely shows how risky this surgery is...People!!!

Not 100% sure about that group but there are many patients from ALL doctors suffering from non union. It's a very common complication, especially among women and Asian people.

[MirinHeight]

Not 100% sure about that group but there are many patients from ALL doctors suffering from non union. It's a very common complication, especially among women and Asian people.

nonunion is mostly seen in complex or open fractures where immobilzation and fixation of the fracture does not happen in a timely manner. For example, car accidents.

a precise surgical cut with good technique of the femur bone along with immediate fixation should not generally cause a nonunion. Dr. Guichet has very questionable ways of performing osteotomies. I do not like his surgical approach to internal fixation either.
Furthermore unicorn lengthened 10 cm...

bad surgeon technique + bad advice to pt + lengthening too much too fast
led to this particular nonunion case.

[IwannaBeTaller]

The 10 cm lengthening only happened because Guichet's nail is irreversible and constantly clicked on accident. How can this happen with one of the most respected surgeons in the entire field of bone distraction, in a first world country? Like, seriously?

[backrandom]

nonunion is mostly seen in complex or open fractures where immobilzation and fixation of the fracture does not happen in a timely manner. For example, car accidents.

a precise surgical cut with good technique of the femur bone along with immediate fixation should not generally cause a nonunion. Dr. Guichet has very questionable ways of performing osteotomies. I do not like his surgical approach to internal fixation either.
Furthermore unicorn lengthened 10 cm...

bad surgeon technique + bad advice to pt + lengthening too much too fast
led to this particular nonunion case.

Unicorn is not the only one . There are cases of non union in many European doctors in that group