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Author Topic: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016  (Read 255690 times)

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Whatever

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #868 on: February 21, 2018, 08:25:41 PM »

Hi Whatever,

Thanks for your empathy, I promise you, I'm to be blamed because I was vain, didn't do proper research, believed everything at face value even if it didn't make sense, so at the end of the day, I put myself in this situation.  I made my bed and now I've to sleep in it.

Everything else is just a side effect of our society, our fear for uncomfortable situations and our inherent pre-existing issues.  So, it's a harsh true color revelation for me.  At least I'm seeing it all in my 40s and not feel disillusioned at a later stage in life.

I'm praying and praying and praying that a miracle happens and calluses magically appear (at least even a little improvement would spark some hope).  I'm trying my very best to right my life, I didn't get here to be defeated and give up.  As they say, get there or die trying.  I've nothing else to lose.

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


Don't blame yourself like that. It wasn't your fault. It's the CLL industry's fault. These greedy doctors take advantage of our insecurities to make money of us. These greedy doctors don't explain in your initial consultation that several complications may arise and you can end up like a cripple for years. It was their duty but they were there for the money so they remained silent. They should Have told you .They should have rejected you as a patient, as well as many others who don't really need this should have been rejected by their doctors. PEOPLE should learn from your experience and other famous failed cases. DO PROPER RESEARCH, DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING AT FACE VALUE. This surgery can ruin your life.
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Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #869 on: March 07, 2018, 06:12:16 PM »

Short update :

Had xrays last week :

RIGHT LEG
Non-union, zero bone growth.  I've done hyperbaric oxygen chamber, forteo injections, Algaecal, John of Brazil healing, tianchi ginseng, daily hour swimming, hourly walking, hot/cold treatments... in vain  :'(

NHS doctor says no choice but to give me a bone graft after Easter, so had a bunch of bloodwork done to see if my pelvic bone can be used with cadaver bone chips.  She said since she doesn't know how long the g-nail's weight bearing feature can last, should my nails and screws break or bend, she's going to shorten me while exchanging to trauma nails.  She also noticed that the bottom screw of my right nail started wiggling (coming loose), hence, I feel bone movements when I cycle (like a nunchuck).  Length about 9.8cm

As a side story, one patient (whom you will not hear from, on this forum) had a screw that was slowly unraveling, almost piercing out of the skin and had to undergo emergency surgery to get it removed.

LEFT LEG
The left leg is fully consolidated at 8cm (after 3 surgeries).  Still looks fragile as the bone bridge is very thin but at least it has fused.  So the great IRONY here is I cannot bear weight on the left leg because my left knee hurts and the pain stretches all the way down the front of my shin.  I've been given some exercises and a lot of painkillers to relieve the pain but nobody knows why it's affecting my left knee so chronically.  I literally crumple if I try standing on my left leg.  Things have definitely gotten worse since December.  The NHS doctor is considering giving me some kind of soft tissue release on my left leg when she grafts my right leg after Easter.

Wish I had more good news to share, but this is my reality.  I'm pleased to announce that some of my classmates who have recovered (the young guys), have successfully removed their nails (not with Guichet).  So their trauma is completely over (takes 18 months) and nobody regrets ever having undertaken this procedure.

As for those discussing about other botched cases concerning Guichet or other CLL doctors, very few victims with complications actually come out and disclose their stories on this forum. 

Most patients suffer in silence, desperately trying to find a solution out of their crippling nightmare and the rest cower in fright of their doctors' threats and blackmails which comprise refusing to remove nails, withholding surgery deposit funds, lawsuits, blackmail of private information they have obtained from our lives like taxes/insurance/careers etc. 

It can spiral quickly to ruthless unscrupulousness when your doctor goes against you.  They will stop at nothing to prevent their failed cases from being exposed here, after all, it affects their bottom lines.  One of their new conditions now when you sign your waivers and agreements pre-surgery (ours were done 5 mins before we were rolled into the operating theatre... giving us 'plenty' of time to read what we were signing) is forbidding posts on any forums.

So, for those of you considering CLL, always imagine the scenario where things go wrong and your doctor is suddenly quick to drop, dismiss and in some cases, denounce you.  So, for your own sakes, please do look beyond the charm and initial sweet sales pitch.

https://www.instagram.com/unicorn_gets_taller/
« Last Edit: March 07, 2018, 08:07:54 PM by Unicorn888 »
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Android

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #870 on: March 08, 2018, 02:00:55 AM »

Devastating to hear about your legs, but glad to hear that things are moving along with NHS. Best of luck with the bone grafts, and I hope that your left leg stabilizes as well.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

OverrideYourGenetics

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Thank you, Unicorn
« Reply #871 on: March 08, 2018, 02:31:43 AM »

Unicorn, thank you so much for having the courage to share your negative experience. I don't believe in prayers, but I know that science has been making steady progress, and I know something will become available in the next years to help you - if it's not here already and we just don't know about it. Perhaps osteoblast delivery via targeted nanoparticles? You seem super smart - maybe you'll want to dig into the science a bit after you feel better psychologically, and take the matter into your own hands.

Your story has inspired me to aim for the safe length - 4-5cm in both segments, and go quadrilateral despite the extra cost and pain. It's also inspired me to go to Paley vs. Guichet, even though it seemed Guichet patients recovered faster. You've also inspired me to post my journey on Instagram and Twitter.

Thank you again, and best wishes.
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My diary. Tibias+femurs 3.75+3.75cm at the Paley Institute (5'5" -> 5'8") in my late 30s.
One of the last patients to use the PRECICE 2.2 nail. I met the first STRYDE patient and I strongly recommend the new STRYDE nail instead.

Out of Touch

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #872 on: March 08, 2018, 05:23:18 AM »

Thanks for updating us. Myself along with many others have been keeping up with your diary for it's entirety. Hopefully things improve for you.

If a surgeon didn't allow forum posts, then that's an instant deal-breaker for me. If I get this done, I'll discuss it in the initial consultation. Butchers can already get away with their crimes relatively unscathed as it is outside the US and the least we should have is this forum to discuss possible solutions.
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~168.5cm at night (5'6 1/2)

Goals: 6.5cm femur and 5cm tibia

Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #873 on: March 08, 2018, 09:20:31 AM »

Thanks for updating us. Myself along with many others have been keeping up with your diary for it's entirety. Hopefully things improve for you.

If a surgeon didn't allow forum posts, then that's an instant deal-breaker for me. If I get this done, I'll discuss it in the initial consultation. Butchers can already get away with their crimes relatively unscathed as it is outside the US and the least we should have is this forum to discuss possible solutions.

That's why certain surgeons keep moving countries.  I finally realized, having met many more medical experts, they tell me never TRUST a doctor who practices in different countries, it can be for sinister reasons.

Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #874 on: March 08, 2018, 09:22:23 AM »

Thanks for updating us. Myself along with many others have been keeping up with your diary for it's entirety. Hopefully things improve for you.

If a surgeon didn't allow forum posts, then that's an instant deal-breaker for me. If I get this done, I'll discuss it in the initial consultation. Butchers can already get away with their crimes relatively unscathed as it is outside the US and the least we should have is this forum to discuss possible solutions.

Yes, please check your fine print because I also did get verbal permission from mine to contribute to this forum.  But the moment things turn sour, it becomes insidious.

Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: Thank you, Unicorn
« Reply #875 on: March 08, 2018, 09:36:31 AM »

Unicorn, thank you so much for having the courage to share your negative experience. I don't believe in prayers, but I know that science has been making steady progress, and I know something will become available in the next years to help you - if it's not here already and we just don't know about it. Perhaps osteoblast delivery via targeted nanoparticles? You seem super smart - maybe you'll want to dig into the science a bit after you feel better psychologically, and take the matter into your own hands.

Your story has inspired me to aim for the safe length - 4-5cm in both segments, and go quadrilateral despite the extra cost and pain. It's also inspired me to go to Paley vs. Guichet, even though it seemed Guichet patients recovered faster. You've also inspired me to post my journey on Instagram and Twitter.

Thank you again, and best wishes.

Hi Overideyourgenetics,

Yes, my NHS doctor is angry that I'm constantly trying out new solutions.  I've written to many universities, labs, biotech companies etc. volunteering to be their test rabbit but no joy so far.  Nobody has ever replied.

If you can afford Paley, you're very lucky, definitely do it!  As I told you guys, I have met someone who's done both: a European doctor with a manual clicking nail and Paley with Precice, and this person offered me a rare glimpse of the massive difference in experience, comfort and care between the two.  Take advantage of this person's journey (not posted on forum).

YellowSpike

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #876 on: March 08, 2018, 08:07:40 PM »

Unicorn, I have no words. I am so sorry you're still having to suffer through such a nightmarish experience. I also know that "certain doctors" have switched/operate in multiple countries, and it always seemed odd to me. I remember thinking it made everything so unorganized and scatterbrain-ish, but didn't really think it was for "sinister' reasons, as you put it.

You will eventually come out on the other side of this. And you are helping so many people through keeping this diary. Looking back on things, I somewhat regret not going with Rozbruch (or Paley). While I had delayed healing in one leg, it eventually healed, and per Dr. Rozbruch, both nails are ready to come out (doing that in a few months - a bit nervous). So it took a while, but I escaped relatively unscathed. But I remember Rozbruch telling me that clicking rods, while they are better at working against soft tissue limitations (and actually getting you the height you want), they are terrible for bone recovery. My left leg probably would've healed much sooner. But, water under the bridge at this point...

I know that everyone loves to hate on Dr. Guichet these days, and I somewhat get it. But I also met a lot of patients (including female) who were very successful with him. I met a young lady who was on her second surgery with Dr. Guichet (re-breaking her femurs to get more height).

My takeaways from all this (including from having done LL myself are):

- If you can afford to stay in the US, spend the money and do so. I had the money, but went across seas because I wanted weight-bearing/no wheelchair
- The older you are, the harder time you'll have (I was in my late 20s/young 30s, so any older, and I don't know how things would've turned out)
- Women seem to have a harder time (but they also need it less, although I did meet some women who had dwarfism who were doing this, which I totally understand)
- With LL, no matter what doctor you go with, there are always risks. DO. YOUR. HOMEWORK.
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Purushrottam

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #877 on: March 08, 2018, 10:02:37 PM »

Unicorn, I wish you all the best. I read your diary from start to finish. I am at a loss for words.
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Had LL in Sept 2017 with Dr. Paley.
Starting height: 168.5 cm (5'6.5"); Ending height: 175 cm (5'9")
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=4823.0

Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #878 on: March 09, 2018, 01:26:41 PM »

Unicorn, I have no words. I am so sorry you're still having to suffer through such a nightmarish experience. I also know that "certain doctors" have switched/operate in multiple countries, and it always seemed odd to me. I remember thinking it made everything so unorganized and scatterbrain-ish, but didn't really think it was for "sinister' reasons, as you put it.

You will eventually come out on the other side of this. And you are helping so many people through keeping this diary. Looking back on things, I somewhat regret not going with Rozbruch (or Paley). While I had delayed healing in one leg, it eventually healed, and per Dr. Rozbruch, both nails are ready to come out (doing that in a few months - a bit nervous). So it took a while, but I escaped relatively unscathed. But I remember Rozbruch telling me that clicking rods, while they are better at working against soft tissue limitations (and actually getting you the height you want), they are terrible for bone recovery. My left leg probably would've healed much sooner. But, water under the bridge at this point...

I know that everyone loves to hate on Dr. Guichet these days, and I somewhat get it. But I also met a lot of patients (including female) who were very successful with him. I met a young lady who was on her second surgery with Dr. Guichet (re-breaking her femurs to get more height).

My takeaways from all this (including from having done LL myself are):

- If you can afford to stay in the US, spend the money and do so. I had the money, but went across seas because I wanted weight-bearing/no wheelchair
- The older you are, the harder time you'll have (I was in my late 20s/young 30s, so any older, and I don't know how things would've turned out)
- Women seem to have a harder time (but they also need it less, although I did meet some women who had dwarfism who were doing this, which I totally understand)
- With LL, no matter what doctor you go with, there are always risks. DO. YOUR. HOMEWORK.

Hi Yellowspike,

To date, 2 of my classmates successfully removed with Rozbruch, so you'll be in good hands!  :)

I'd add to your poignant advice :

-  Watch your fortnightly XRAY carefully, needs to show growing and bridging CALLUS (no matter how faint), don't rely blindly on your doctor

-  Don't lengthen too much, keep it within 6-7cm MAX - otherwise your soft tissue recovery time will exponentially increase (duck ass, IT band release, chronic TFL and knee pains, etc)

-  Lengthen S-L-O-W-L-Y, it's not a race!  Non-union could cripple you for years, so slow and safe should be your motto.

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #879 on: March 11, 2018, 03:29:49 AM »

Wowy, I am reading your story now. You are a warrior, there is no question about it. I normally skip over femur journals since I never planned on doing the surgery. I witnessed a patient undergo shortening to undo lengthening when I did my surgery. But I really hope the bone graft works. Shortening by frames can be done, I witnessed it myself (on tibias). But from what I saw, it is much harder to do than lengthening in terms of pain management. I've never seen a shortening and then re-lengthening, but I'm assuming it can be done.

And I totally agree with your statement about maintaining a callus connection before going nuts on lengthening. I've seen some questionable non-unions/weak bone connections on x-rays. Those patients rarely had happy endings or are many months behind in terms of recovery. It's all about being slow and steady, but like anything with this surgery, there are no guarantees :(.

Edit: I followed your insta, there is some good stuff on it.
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Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #880 on: April 18, 2018, 12:15:44 PM »

Hi everyone,

Short update :)    It's almost 2 years now since I had my initial LL surgery.  My left leg which was fractured during 1st surgery has now finished lengthening and fused beautifully.

My right leg on the other hand, has a bit of calluses on one side and nothing at all on the other.

I've learnt that one of my classmates who had surgery at the same time as me, had the g-nail break.  It is so sad because it means broken femur again.  Now, the option is to safely remove pieces of the gnail, implant a trauma nail while trying to maintain height since there's also non-union.  And maybe some bone graft in the bald areas.

doomsday

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #881 on: April 18, 2018, 12:27:16 PM »

Hi everyone,

Short update :)    It's almost 2 years now since I had my initial LL surgery.  My left leg which was fractured during 1st surgery has now finished lengthening and fused beautifully.

My right leg on the other hand, has a bit of calluses on one side and nothing at all on the other.

I've learnt that one of my classmates who had surgery at the same time as me, had the g-nail break.  It is so sad because it means broken femur again.  Now, the option is to safely remove pieces of the gnail, implant a trauma nail while trying to maintain height since there's also non-union.  And maybe some bone graft in the bald areas.
Hi
So do you have  scheduled nail replacement for your leg?
« Last Edit: April 18, 2018, 01:45:05 PM by doomsday »
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Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #882 on: April 18, 2018, 09:21:19 PM »

Hi
So do you have  scheduled nail replacement for your leg?

I don't have anything planned.  My NHS doc wants to bone graft me asap but I'm so traumatized by more surgeries, am not sure I'll be able to cope.  The pain, the non-healing, the helplessness, the lack of purpose, the fact that I've next to nothing makes my life a bit pointless.

I really really try to be happy each day when I wake up, to tell myself this too shall pass, to have hope... but today is not one of those days.  I'm just beat by this neverending nightmare.  And I don't see any light nor any end of the tunnel in which I hide my deformity.  And I'm free falling into an abyss.

Honore

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #883 on: April 18, 2018, 09:35:45 PM »

Dear sister, I wish mere words would suffice in reducing your pain. What I can say is that I think everyone on this board is shedding tears about your situation. I know I do, so you are not alone.. keep up the faith,

greetings
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Android

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #884 on: April 18, 2018, 10:04:55 PM »

I say do the bone graft ASAP like the doctor recommends. You've done a lot of alternative treatments in the past, and you feel defeated that they were in vain, but this is your way out. Best of luck.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

doomsday

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #885 on: April 18, 2018, 10:22:27 PM »

I don't have anything planned.  My NHS doc wants to bone graft me asap but I'm so traumatized by more surgeries, am not sure I'll be able to cope.  The pain, the non-healing, the helplessness, the lack of purpose, the fact that I've next to nothing makes my life a bit pointless.

I really really try to be happy each day when I wake up, to tell myself this too shall pass, to have hope... but today is not one of those days.  I'm just beat by this neverending nightmare.  And I don't see any light nor any end of the tunnel in which I hide my deformity.  And I'm free falling into an abyss.
you gotta man up and do it for you own sake.
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Body Builder

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #886 on: April 19, 2018, 12:09:14 AM »

I dont believe any bone graft could fix an 8cm gap.
The best for you is geting a precise 2 nail (even better stryde which is fully weight bearing when it comes out), shortn up to 3 cm, do a trauma in your bone edges to provoke a new bone bridge and then start slowly lengthen again.

I think that this solution has the best chances to succeed and solve your problem completely. I wonder why doctors dont try it and recommend bone grafts and all this bs in a huge 8cm gap which are almost sure to fail.
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Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #887 on: April 19, 2018, 12:17:43 AM »

Here's the latest 3D scan and even though my doctor hasn't seen it yet, this is what I measured.  I have some callus bridge on one side of the femur which I think is an improvement.

The other side is still completely empty.  I will definitely consider grafting, that's the only thing NHS wants to do right now.  They do not want to risk further with nail removal, shortening, fitting in new nails and relengthening.

Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #888 on: April 19, 2018, 11:28:11 AM »

I dont believe any bone graft could fix an 8cm gap.
The best for you is geting a precise 2 nail (even better stryde which is fully weight bearing when it comes out), shortn up to 3 cm, do a trauma in your bone edges to provoke a new bone bridge and then start slowly lengthen again.

I think that this solution has the best chances to succeed and solve your problem completely. I wonder why doctors dont try it and recommend bone grafts and all this bs in a huge 8cm gap which are almost sure to fail.

Hi Body Bulider,

I understand Precice 3 came out?  Magnetic lengthening + fully weight bearing?  Do you know?  That would change the lives and quality of leg lengthenings a lot.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2018, 11:56:14 AM by Unicorn888 »
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Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #889 on: April 19, 2018, 11:47:08 AM »

I dont believe any bone graft could fix an 8cm gap.
The best for you is geting a precise 2 nail (even better stryde which is fully weight bearing when it comes out), shortn up to 3 cm, do a trauma in your bone edges to provoke a new bone bridge and then start slowly lengthen again.

I think that this solution has the best chances to succeed and solve your problem completely. I wonder why doctors dont try it and recommend bone grafts and all this bs in a huge 8cm gap which are almost sure to fail.

Also, you've been right about many things.  We were so blind towards the procedure we received.  And with the latest nail break, we recognize that everything we were sold were scams and lies.  We were under a form of Stockholm Sydrome since our doctor was very dominant, always disapproving and psychologically abusive.

The fact that we had to do useless pre-training so the doctor can charge an additional £3k for it.  2-4 weeks of muscle training before surgery makes zero difference and the cybex tests to measure muscle improvements (at an additional charge, of course) were all circus hoops for us to jump through.  From my experience, if anything can help, it's to stretch and improve flexibility and even that cannot be achieved in a mere 1 month.

Even the psychological test where we had to pay an astronomical sum so that we can provide the doctor a cover should anything go wrong (same thing with the motivational essay he forces us to write).  There is no way a psych can evaluate how fit we are mentally for this procedure under the constraints of 60 minutes.  Let's be clear - if you're willing to pay an exorbitant price to get your legs broken and then lengthened = you ARE crazy to some degree.  And what about the classmates who failed, and then magically pass after they pay additional thousands of pounds to another psych?

Post surgery, even same day upon waking up from general anaesthesia, making us walk using our frames, climbing stairs (!!!) and cycling (you cannot imagine how painful it is trying to get up on the stationary bike when you've 2 broken legs, are dizzy and in excruciating pain) do not make you heal faster but rather exposes you to unnecessary risks and danger of falling (which some classmates did).

And then forcing us to go to physio everyday where most of us endure 20-30 minutes stress of taxi hell, and then frame hopping to the gym hallway (most of the time, we don't even have our own room so we exercise in the hallway! with gym folks gingerly walking between our legs) so that we can do some leg lifts that we could easily do at home.  The PT is not even allowed to touch us, much less contribute to anything at all.  Going to Isokinetic is even worse, we're left there by ourselves most of the time to be told by our designated PT to stretch.  That's about it.  And once in a while, we get a consultation with the Isokinetic doctor who is merely a glorified PA noting our complaints and dispenses painkillers/sleeping pills.

Best of all is the bi-weekly consultations with the doctor, who is constantly late by several hours, and when we finally get to see him, he never has our results in front of him because his server is not working, the hospital hasn't sent it - it's always one excuse or another and we leave with exactly the same info as when we arrive, no idea of our LL progress. But we're constantly reminded how lucky we are to be followed by him personally at no extra charge.

In hindsight, these are all reckless endangerment and they do not contribute to fast bone consolidation.  These are just to justify the high fees of the doctor which he will sell to you as a great deal because you're getting so much physio, isokinetic and consultations in one package.

Best of all is the torture device.  Those of you who've done manual clicking will know how crazy it is, to be twisting your leg in weird positions, fresh after they've been broken, 15 times a day for 60 days.  It's mental anguish and trauma.  Simply get anyone who's broken anything to bend their broken bone in 90 degree angles 15x a day, see their reaction (if they don't punch you in the face first).  The pain, the frustration, the dread, the nightmares that follow afterwards, the PTSD ensues.

While it is true that weight bearing might help with bone growth, it plays such a small part when you factor in other attributes like genetics, diet, age, gender - anyone who's plastered up with a leg cast hanging in the air, being immobile for a month, will still FUSE.  There is zero need to perform the circus stunts prescribed by our doctor.

At the end of the day, it's all just to justify his ego and price.  This is the hindsight and conclusion we've come to, after seeing our classmate's recent gnail break; when we've all paid a hefty price for the "best doctor" for a fully weight bearing and "strongest nail" in the world (it's not even titanium, just stainless steel).  All BS.  And all those youtube success videos?  Staged.  It's not the doctor who makes successful stories, young male LLers ARE naturally the best candidates for this procedure.

The gnail belongs to a museum of medieval torture devices.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2018, 12:47:14 PM by Unicorn888 »
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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #890 on: April 19, 2018, 12:33:58 PM »

Hi Body Bulider,

I understand Precice 3 came out?  Magnetic lengthening + fully weight bearing?  Do you know?  That would change the lives and quality of leg lengthenings a lot.
Yes Unicorn, Stryde (precise 3) will be out in a few months worldwide and has all the features of precise 2 olus it is fully weightbearing.
This nail changes completely the rules of LL and put the dangerous Guichet and his crappy nail completely out of game.

As for the other things you said, I knew them very well but its good to write them for some naive future LLers who still think that Guichet, the worst internal LL doctor out there, is a good option.

Anyway, I hooe that bone graft will work but I doubt it because your gap is too big.
But don't lose your faith. Stryde will almost for sure fix your problem while you could walk unaided at the same time, so if doctors insist on grafts and all these bs the best you can do is to find 20-25k euros and go to another doctor to implant you a stryde on your non aligned leg and then everything will be fixed with patience and time.

Keep strong!
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YellowSpike

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #891 on: April 19, 2018, 03:20:01 PM »


As for the other things you said, I knew them very well but its good to write them for some naive future LLers who still think that Guichet, the worst internal LL doctor out there, is a good option.


Honestly BodyBuilder, you need to take a seat. While there is absolutely no question that Unicorn has gone through absolute hell (and is still not out of the woods), and while there is also no question that Guichet is quite arrogant and disorganized (and definitely could have been much more understanding with Unicorn and her extremely unfortunate situation) - I still don't think he is the "worst LL doctor." He has had plenty of patients with great results.

Of course, people will accuse me of defending him because I had a mostly good result with him. And I'll concede that maybe that's part of it. But having had LL with him myself, I won't dispute that he has a terrible bedside manner and is very disorganized. However, I don't think he's "evil" as you make him out to be. While I do agree that the pre-training is unnecessary, he actually helped me get like 70% of that back from insurance (trust me, he didn't have to help me with that). I do think he's a good surgeon and generally means well, but maybe he's very hit or miss as far as if he likes you or not (and this I agree is unfair).

As Unicorn herself said, young men are the best candidates for this. Honestly, no woman over 5ft really needs LL. Yes, women have the right to do what they want with their bodies and yes they may face some discrimination in the workplace, but it's merely a drop in the bucket compared to what short men (men under about 5'8") have to endure. So, FOR THE MOST PART, WOMEN DO NOT NEED LL. We have seen that women have a harder time with this, but they simply don't need it the way short men do!

And also, what we are experiencing here is confirmation bias. Dr. Paley has had complications too (Big D almost died due to a blood clot I believe, but I think he ended up just fine and with a great result). I have also heard that Dr. Paley doesn't have much of a bedside manner himself. I'm sure there have been patients from some of the "perfect" doctors that have had complications, but maybe those doctors handled them better and/or we never heard about them because the patients just don't post on here. Unicorn has of course (and understandably!) been very vocal about what she's gone through, so it's easy to point fingers at Dr. Guichet. And yes, I know another patient recently had their nail break with Dr. G. Now that Precice 3 is out or almost out (not sure, haven't been following), the Gnail will be all but entirely obsolete, so Dr. Guichet will really only be a good option for people living near where he operates anyway.

Also, who's to say that Unicorn or another female of her age might not have had similarly bad complications with another doctor? She's a female and over the prime age for even men to do this! Yes, there is no question that she's been treated horribly, and my heart absolutely goes out to her. I just don't think your incessant onslaught against Dr. Guichet is completely warranted, as this could have been any other doctor. I don't mean to defend him so much as caution others that if you're not a prime candidate for LL (a young, fit male), you might have complications. Hell, even IF you're a prime candidate (young male), you might still have terrible complications! I did this in my young 30s and was in amazing shape, and it wasn't an easy road (still get right knee pain from time to time). And ProgramDude had this with Paley in his young 20s, after having his rods removed by Dr. Rozbruch (both "perfect" doctors as you describe), one of his femurs snapped in half and he was walking around, and he had to have a rod put back in.

This sh*t is risky no matter what and people need to realize that.

Unicorn, sorry for hijacking your diary again. I'm just tired of BodyBuilder's know-it-all schtick and blaming it all on just one doctor. I know you've been through the ringer, and my heart continues to go out to you :)

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Annalisa

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #892 on: April 19, 2018, 04:35:21 PM »

Really, quit this nonsense of women do not needing LL. Women over 5'4 do not need LL, but being 5'1 is still way too small, even for a woman. The fact that short men face more discriminations, doesn't mean short women have it easy. Surely, short women do not have dating problems, but the tendency of treating short paople, regardless of sex, as children, it is very strong and source of great pain. Most males here, are doing LL, simply to improve the chance of getting a relation. Some good tip: if you want women to like you, do not try to mansplain them what they need.
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YellowSpike

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #893 on: April 19, 2018, 04:47:21 PM »

Really, quit this nonsense of women do not needing LL. Women over 5'4 do not need LL, but being 5'1 is still way too small, even for a woman. The fact that short men face more discriminations, doesn't mean short women have it easy. Surely, short women do not have dating problems, but the tendency of treating short paople, regardless of sxx, as children, it is very strong and source of great pain. Most males here, are doing LL, simply to improve the chance of getting a relation. Some good tip: if you want women to like you, do not try to mansplain them what they need.

I'm not going to engage with you on this. We just have two very different perspectives, but no matter what you say, at the end of the day, a woman's height MOST of the time is not going to hurt her career. I work in an extremely competitive field and know many women around 5ft flat who have very high power jobs and you never hear anything about their height. Of course, these are just anecdotal stories. You're entitled to your opinion.

Short men often have their manhood taken away from them. I can tell you there is no worse feeling than that. As a short woman, yes, you may get some jabs here and there and it MAY have a slight effect on your career, but these are rare occurrences and your womanhood won't be taken away or questioned.

What I was trying to convey is that the (apparently) increased risk of doing LL as a woman isn't as worth it, because you won't get as many benefits on average as men to offset the increased risks.

That's all I have to say on this. Don't want to start a war with you or anyone else. This is Unicorn's diary, and everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But I think most people would agree with me on this. Short women simply do not need this as much as men do (with some rare exceptions), period.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2018, 05:46:37 PM by YellowSpike »
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Body Builder

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #894 on: April 19, 2018, 04:52:32 PM »

Yellowspike, Guichet is the worst internal LL doctor out there because he has almost the price of Paley with a cheap an obsolete nail and mainly bad ethics and manners which put his patient on risk and lead to poor results.
No other doctor in the world put his patients in exhausting work out before LL which not only offers any benefit but makes LL even harder. And of course, the pt he follows is very risky and torture his patients.

For all these reasons Yellowspike and regardless of what you say about me, Guichet is the worst case of doctor someone could find.
Having some good results after so many patients means nothing to me. Even Mirzoyan and Sarin had some good results and with 1/4 of the money this madman wants.

In a few words, Guichet is veey expensive with a  ty nail and the methods he uses are against a safe and good result.
So imo Guichet, for internals, is for sure the worst case out there.
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YellowSpike

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #895 on: April 19, 2018, 04:56:39 PM »

Yellowspike, Guichet is the worst internal LL doctor out there because he has almost the price of Paley with a cheap an obsolete nail and mainly bad ethics and manners which put his patient on risk and lead to poor results.
No other doctor in the world put his patients in exhausting work out before LL which not only offers any benefit but makes LL even harder. And of course, the pt he follows is very risky and torture his patients.

For all these reasons Yellowspike and regardless of what you say about me, Guichet is the worst case of doctor someone could find.
Having some good results after so many patients means nothing to me. Even Mirzoyan and Sarin had some good results and with 1/4 of the money this madman wants.

In a few words, Guichet is veey expensive with a  ty nail and the methods he uses are against a safe and good result.
So imo Guichet, for internals, is for sure the worst case out there.

I agree that for you get for the price, he's not a good option. He's really only a good option for those living in any of the countries he operates in. If I could do things over, I'd probably have gone to Rozbruch, although Guichet was considerably cheaper and I got a good result.

Don't wanna fight with you buddy. We short/formerly short men have to stick together. Peace brotha :)
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myloginacct

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #896 on: April 19, 2018, 06:04:32 PM »

Women over 5'4 do not need LL, but being 5'1 is still way too small, even for a woman.

Personal anecdote. Everyone has their own height thresholds in their minds. It all depends on where they live and their culture, etc.

The fact that short men face more discriminations, doesn't mean short women have it easy. Surely, short women do not have dating problems, but the tendency of treating short paople, regardless of sxx, as children, it is very strong and source of great pain.

I agree with this and CLL should be a personal decision after one understands all the risks, and possible complications and consequences that may arise from it.

Which leads to my next point...

Guichet himself posted in this very forum that "small diameter brittle bones in some asiatic type patients" "heal slowly". Some of the things posted here may sound offensive, but is absolutely important to try and assess any increased risks for certain groups of patients in an extremely invasive and controversial procedure such as CLL. The people who tend to have smaller diameter bones tend to be female, asian, or a combination of both. The Kurgan Ilizarov center (essentially the birthplace of LL) doesn't take patients over 40 - possibly because of brittler bones and slower healing in older age. Paley doesn't accept any smoker because he sees them as too much of a risk group. All risks should be properly investigated, analyzed, and assessed, no matter how offensive they might sound to those groups involved. This is so everyone can make truly informed decisions, no matter if man or woman, about their lives and their decision to do CLL.

I'm sorry for the off-topic post in your diary, Unicorn. Still wishing you all the best.
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Android

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #897 on: April 19, 2018, 06:32:36 PM »

Really, quit this nonsense of women do not needing LL. Women over 5'4 do not need LL, but being 5'1 is still way too small, even for a woman. The fact that short men face more discriminations, doesn't mean short women have it easy. Surely, short women do not have dating problems, but the tendency of treating short paople, regardless of sxx, as children, it is very strong and source of great pain. Most males here, are doing LL, simply to improve the chance of getting a relation. Some good tip: if you want women to like you, do not try to mansplain them what they need.

I agree, especially since my 4'11" mom has confided in me about her issues with short stature, and that's in a country with lower average height. We already have studies concluding that women don't get equal pay as men, imagine being short as well. In fact, women being shorter in general may be a large contributor for this pay gap, it's compounding discrimination on top of another.

And come on, it's cosmetic surgery. Who's to say you can and can't do something? Plenty of women have had CLL too, more often than not for correcting leg curvature.
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5'4" and 1/4" (163.2 cm) | United States | early 30s | Cross-lengthening with Dr. Solomin & Dr. Kulesh

Unicorn888 by Elaine Foo

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Re: UNICORN - Dr. Guichet Internal Femurs 8cm - Summer 2016
« Reply #898 on: April 19, 2018, 07:16:22 PM »

Guichet himself posted in this very forum that "small diameter brittle bones in some asiatic type patients" "heal slowly". Some of the things posted here may sound offensive, but is absolutely important to try and assess any increased risks for certain groups of patients in an extremely invasive and controversial procedure such as CLL. The people who tend to have smaller diameter bones tend to be female, asian, or a combination of both.

I agree with you and I wished our doctor had practiced some scruples in discouraging us from having the surgery, because we were over 40, women and asian.  Instead, we were approved even without all our pre-surgery test results reviewed, as long as we paid up.

And, since he is of the opinion that women and asiatic types tend to have smaller diameter brittle bones, why jam a 13mm MALE nail into us?  This is the root cause of the endless suffering of non-union, fractures and nail breakage.  Basically, our femurs are over reamed, cortices too thin and there are no live cells remaining for normal callus growth.  Not that this is destructive enough, let's add overly fast lengthening schedule, and there you have it, recipe for disaster.

So yes, our doctor could be a great surgeon, but truly lacking in morals.
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