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[RGKEY]

Ive been there man(( I totally know what you go through,    sucks!

[Disobedient]

Hopefully next month, I have xray next week and the doctor will decide))) wish me luck!!

Good luck, don't forget to post it , if u can ..

[Leonardo2013]

RGKey,

What's the recommended distraction rate during tibial lengthening and can you summarize yours? I'm a little confused about turnings. How many turns is how many mm? Thank you.

[RGKEY]

The maximun should be 1 mm a day. Some times i went down to half mm a day. This is the max becausr that is how babys grow. They grow 3cms a month maximun.

My lengthening, good point:

I started at 1mm a day which is 4 turns a day 90degrees 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm.
Because of pain, ballerina and knee contraction I stopped many times to fix it.  One time I stopped lengthening for 2 weeks.
When i got to 8cms i turn.only 2 times a day.

Keep this in mind. The amount of tuening is not always reflected on the final.height gain. I turned for 120 days but i only lengthened 9cm. The reason is pin bending.

[RGKEY]

Good luck, don't forget to post it , if u can ..

Thank u!!)) Yes i will try!

[thetallerman]

The maximun should be 1 mm a day. Some times i went down to half mm a day. This is the max becausr that is how babys grow. They grow 3cms a month maximun.

My lengthening, good point:

I started at 1mm a day which is 4 turns a day 90degrees 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm.
Because of pain, ballerina and knee contraction I stopped many times to fix it.  One time I stopped lengthening for 2 weeks.
When i got to 8cms i turn.only 2 times a day.

Keep this in mind. The amount of tuening is not always reflected on the final.height gain. I turned for 120 days but i only lengthened 9cm. The reason is pin bending.

So 120 days and achieved 9 cm. That's awesome! how much then do you estimate you lost from the pin bending?

[RGKEY]

@thetallman: 3cms (((

[ItsMyLife]

Can I ask: Do we have to stay in Russia for more than 3 months?

The limb extension phase starts from the day after the surgery, and proceeds until 3 months?? Or does it go further past the 3 month mark?

At how many months are the frames removed for the calves??

Sorry I'm a bit confused.

I would be going to Volograd in December!! I can't wait. 

[RGKEY]

Can I ask: Do we have to stay in Russia for more than 3 months?

The limb extension phase starts from the day after the surgery, and proceeds until 3 months?? Or does it go further past the 3 month mark?

At how many months are the frames removed for the calves??

Sorry I'm a bit confused.

I would be going to Volograd in December!! I can't wait. 

Distraction starts aprox after 1 week post op.
It all depends on many many factors))))
But if you lengthen 7cms it usually takes about 3 or 4 months.
Consolidation takes about another 3, 4, 5, 6, months or even a year for some people so it will all depend on how much you walk how well you eat, and your own body ability to absorb nutrients. December uh!?? Nice)) send me PM ill give u my skype so we can chat if u want. I have a lot of time now, so take aadvantage of me while im here and free))))

[Leonardo2013]

Rgkey,

You said that you turned 4xday (7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm). Does it really matter when to turn or does it have to be every certain time. For instance, the day has 24h, then can I turn every 6 hours (7am, 1pm, 7pm, 1am)? Another question, I read that a lot of time the X-rays don't reflect the exact amount that you lengthened and some times it is less. So, if for instance, I wanted 6cm, would I have to lengthen 6.2 or 6.3cm? Thank you.

[RGKEY]

Rgkey,

You said that you turned 4xday (7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm). Does it really matter when to turn or does it have to be every certain time. For instance, the day has 24h, then can I turn every 6 hours (7am, 1pm, 7pm, 1am)? Another question, I read that a lot of time the X-rays don't reflect the exact amount that you lengthened and some times it is less. So, if for instance, I wanted 6cm, would I have to lengthen 6.2 or 6.3cm? Thank you.

It doesn't really matter about time as lon as you don't turn less than 4 hours each. The whole point is to feel pain the least possible by doing it gradually and give a full night rest to your muscles. The xrays there is usally 2mm difference to the actual length can be more or less. But 2mms is nothing thou)) no one will notice 2mms lol

[ItsMyLife]

Distraction starts aprox after 1 week post op.
It all depends on many many factors))))
But if you lengthen 7cms it usually takes about 3 or 4 months.
Consolidation takes about another 3, 4, 5, 6, months or even a year for some people so it will all depend on how much you walk how well you eat, and your own body ability to absorb nutrients. December uh!?? Nice)) send me PM ill give u my skype so we can chat if u want. I have a lot of time now, so take aadvantage of me while im here and free))))

Thanks RGKEY!

I'm in the midst of exams! Can I discuss with you further in Skype next month?

Just wondering how long we have those pesky frames? For me (7cm) would that be about 4 months? After that, can I remove the frame?

But bone consolidation, I can do that at home ( in my home country?)

Thanks much!!!

Also, is it painful? The spinal block. Irene says patients are sedated, so did you feel anything during surgery?

[RGKEY]

Thanks RGKEY!

I'm in the midst of exams! Can I discuss with you further in Skype next month?

Just wondering how long we have those pesky frames? For me (7cm) would that be about 4 months? After that, can I remove the frame?

But bone consolidation, I can do that at home ( in my home country?)

Thanks much!!!

Also, is it painful? The spinal block. Irene says patients are sedated, so did you feel anything during surgery?

yes sure, but i can not promise to answer to you fast, maybe i get my frames off next month so I will probably be away from internet for a awhile, will see thou. but for this coming weeks im all available! just send me a PM and i give u my Skype
4 months for lengthening maybe 3, and consolidation all depends on how u walk.

you will probably stay in frames about 7 to 10 months, maybe less maybe more...
the surgery?? painful? no man, not at all. yes they do and you don't feel anything from your hips down, dead.

bone consolidation, you could, but all will depend on how you feel.

[shawty]

yes sure, but i can not promise to answer to you fast, maybe i get my frames off next month so I will probably be away from internet for a awhile, will see thou. but for this coming weeks im all available! just send me a PM and i give u my Skype
4 months for lengthening maybe 3, and consolidation all depends on how u walk.

you will probably stay in frames about 7 to 10 months, maybe less maybe more...
the surgery?? painful? no man, not at all. yes they do and you don't feel anything from your hips down, dead.

bone consolidation, you could, but all will depend on how you feel.

Man, the idea of not being able to feel anything from the waist down scares me..more than the pain of lengthening itself. i know it's silly, but that's what scares me the most about CLL. Were you alone during the surgery? No family, or friends? Also, 4 months you're saying is for 7cm. Do you think 3 months to lengthen plus another 3 for consolidation is possible? I know it all depends on many factors, but a rough estimate for a healthy, young (under 35) individual.

[RGKEY]

Man, the idea of not being able to feel anything from the waist down scares me..more than the pain of lengthening itself. i know it's silly, but that's what scares me the most about CLL. Were you alone during the surgery? No family, or friends? Also, 4 months you're saying is for 7cm. Do you think 3 months to lengthen plus another 3 for consolidation is possible? I know it all depends on many factors, but a rough estimate for a healthy, young (under 35) individual.

yeah i got you, nothing to be scare about that thou, but it is better than putting you to sleep, as some people dont wake up from it haha, not many but there is a tiny risk. So i think not sleeping is maybe better, you can ask them to put you to sleep thou.

No i didnt have family, but i made many friends! since the day i arrived, im very friendly thou.
one guy did 7cms in 5 months (record)
i think if you walk 8 hours a day from day 2 to the end and eat a lot i think you have a good chance to finish very fast. but it is very difficult, since consolidation face ive walking about 6 hours a day and my bone consolidation is been much better than when i walk 3 hours a day. So yeah it is possible but i wouldnt count on it.

[Wannabegiant]

yeah i got you, nothing to be scare about that thou, but it is better than putting you to sleep, as some people dont wake up from it haha, not many but there is a tiny risk. So i think not sleeping is maybe better, you can ask them to put you to sleep thou.

No i didnt have family, but i made many friends! since the day i arrived, im very friendly thou.
one guy did 7cms in 5 months (record)
i think if you walk 8 hours a day from day 2 to the end and eat a lot i think you have a good chance to finish very fast. but it is very difficult, since consolidation face ive walking about 6 hours a day and my bone consolidation is been much better than when i walk 3 hours a day. So yeah it is possible but i wouldnt count on it.

I dont really understand what you mean by walking for 6+ hours a day? Do you walk outside with the crutches for long distances that take you several hours to reach?

it seems so excessive, Im slightly over 1 cm into lengthening phase and i have been walking with my "walker" through my hallway and back (which is about 40 metres including the way back) about 5 times a day. That doesnt even add up to 1 hour in total, i think it takes me about 5 minutes to go through the hallway and back. I dont put full weight on my legs either, so i get tired in my arms before my legs tire, trying to slightly increase the weight i put on the legs though.

But i dont think i could walk for that long (6+ hours) every day. I dont think my legs in their current condition could handle it, and also mentally i dont think i could spend so much time doing one thing 

[shawty]

Hey RG,

What made you choose this doctor? There isn't really much of a backstory. Why him? What research did you do? Did you do a consulation? How did you prepare mentally? ETC. Give us the juicy details brother.

[RGKEY]

Well, I found a list for doctors who do LL. A long list for most doctors all over the world. I knew my budget was no more than 25k USD. I made my researches about LL, like where it started, how it works, etc. I didnt come across this site or old forum , but I found a lot of information to educate my self. I knew my options were limited because of my budget. I really worked my ass off to save it up!! one full year and few months, I even sold my car hehe, I had to let my business in hands of one guy who works for me, etc. So well, I knew my best option was going to the source where all this started (Ilizarov technology) Other places looked tempting, like India, serbia, even ukraine and Armenia. But I knew that if this   was invented in Russia and I had a chance to actually go there I didnt think twice. Plus I always was very interested about russian culture, I love Russian women BTW, even before coming here lol
So, I contacted the center of Kurgan, the ilizarov center, and also this place in volgograd where I am. It all came down to these 2 places. I contacted Irene and chat for few weeks and I felt good talking to her. I also got a number of a guy from the US who did this surgery, I spoke to him and he made me feel good, he is all recovered 100%, I love this guy to dead!! he was my mentor if I can say so. During all this process he is always been there for me, giving me support and just great vibe!! So i decided to come here and have a consultation, even thou i already knew I was going to do it unless i saw some crazy   going on. So I had consultation, and I liked when Dr. Barinov told me: Our first priority is your health, making sure that i wouldnt have permanent problems, and second lengthening. So I really liked that, and he seem very calm young and I saw other patients, and everyone seemed to be doing well, girls were cute! people where friendly for the most part. So that is how I decided to do it here))) I hope that is enough))))

[RGKEY]

I dont really understand what you mean by walking for 6+ hours a day? Do you walk outside with the crutches for long distances that take you several hours to reach?

it seems so excessive, Im slightly over 1 cm into lengthening phase and i have been walking with my "walker" through my hallway and back (which is about 40 metres including the way back) about 5 times a day. That doesnt even add up to 1 hour in total, i think it takes me about 5 minutes to go through the hallway and back. I dont put full weight on my legs either, so i get tired in my arms before my legs tire, trying to slightly increase the weight i put on the legs though.

But i dont think i could walk for that long (6+ hours) every day. I dont think my legs in their current condition could handle it, and also mentally i dont think i could spend so much time doing one thing 

Dont worry in the beginning your arms will feel like that, you must drop the walker as soon as possible it's a bad habit to have, because your arms do most of the work and your legs practically just move in the air lol Yeah I go out side, then just walk through my hall which i measured it and is exactly 30 meters, then I talk to people, dance a little i just dont ever sit, so everything I do im always standing, thats how u do 6 hours)) i put my phone and time my self, so usually i do 2 hours or 3 in the morning then another hour in the afternoon then about 2 or 3 hours at night around 7 or 8 pm when everyone is gone, so thats how i do it my friend)) it is much easier when other patients come because i kinda forget about time and by the time they leave i already walked maybe 2 or 3 or sometimes 4 hours. so ill break it down. i wake up have breakfast. around 10am i start and walke until lunch comes arround 1 pm so that's 3 hours, then i take a big break and do another 1 or 2 hours around 3pm, then another break and again at 7 or 8pm another 2 or 3 hours. once i week i do 8 hours. Youll get there dont worry))))in the begining is very hard, at your stage i was doing about 3 hours thou.

[Wannabegiant]

Dont worry in the beginning your arms will feel like that, you must drop the walker as soon as possible it's a bad habit to have, because your arms do most of the work and your legs practically just move in the air lol Yeah I go out side, then just walk through my hall which i measured it and is exactly 30 meters, then I talk to people, dance a little i just dont ever sit, so everything I do im always standing, thats how u do 6 hours)) i put my phone and time my self, so usually i do 2 hours or 3 in the morning then another hour in the afternoon then about 2 or 3 hours at night around 7 or 8 pm when everyone is gone, so thats how i do it my friend)) it is much easier when other patients come because i kinda forget about time and by the time they leave i already walked maybe 2 or 3 or sometimes 4 hours. so ill break it down. i wake up have breakfast. around 10am i start and walke until lunch comes arround 1 pm so that's 3 hours, then i take a big break and do another 1 or 2 hours around 3pm, then another break and again at 7 or 8pm another 2 or 3 hours. once i week i do 8 hours. Youll get there dont worry))))in the begining is very hard, at your stage i was doing about 3 hours thou.

Okey gotcha! Sounds more reasonable when you put it like that 

Btw did your doctor give you those footholders you where talking about? i think i seriously need to start using something like that, but i didnt get any from my doctor. not really sure what type i should use, do you attach the hoops to the ilizarov rings or to the legs themselves? :p

[RGKEY]

Hey guys, a quick video of my walking, I think it's improving slowly while I have less discomfort when I make every step. I still have some pain when I walk maybe that is why I can't walk as I wish, but I have learned to go day by day, step by step))))

[thetallerman]

Hey guys, a quick video of my walking, I think it's improving slowly while I have less discomfort when I make every step. I still have some pain when I walk maybe that is why I can't walk as I wish, but I have learned to go day by day, step by step))))

Wow man looks great!! You're moving really fast and steady, the slight side to side motion looks more like a confident swagger now

[shawty]

Hey RG,

Why does the swaying happen when you walk? Is it from pain? not full consolidation? Weak muscles?

[RGKEY]

@Thetallerman: haha thanx!! im almost there but not yet, just a little more))) confident swagger!!?? haha nice!! If you put it that way, it is very welcome brother!! that makes me feel good))thank you!

@Shawty: most of it is now from pain on the pin sites, and also because Im kinda learning how to walk again, ive been walking with crutches for many months!! so it is natural to forget how to walk and especially been 9cms taller)) muscles are fine, bone is fine too and it doesn't matter because the frames are pretty much holding all my weight.

Im like a baby now learning how to walk again))

[shawty]

Hey RG,

Did you go from 220lbs to 160 while doing LL or did you lose it prior to?  I'm about 240lbs right now and am losing weight. I'd like to be at my goal weight of 165 before LL as it's less pressure on joints and legs. It's just going to stuck not being able to workout while doing LL. I'm sure people lose a lot of muscle mass. I wonder if you can at least do upper body workouts to preserve strength/muscle mass during LL

[Cooper]

You seem to be doing really well. Keep it up bro!

[RGKEY]

Hey RG,

Did you go from 220lbs to 160 while doing LL or did you lose it prior to?  I'm about 240lbs right now and am losing weight. I'd like to be at my goal weight of 165 before LL as it's less pressure on joints and legs. It's just going to stuck not being able to workout while doing LL. I'm sure people lose a lot of muscle mass. I wonder if you can at least do upper body workouts to preserve strength/muscle mass during LL

i lost it before. u should lose weight before, and then stay in that weight at least for few months before LL. because you need to be completely healthy for LL, this is more important than weight. About working out, I was working out my upper body in the beginning but it is a bad IDEA!! because of it my bone regeneration was really bad!!! so do not work out other than your legs when lengthening. Actually being heavy is good for bone consolidation!! more weight for your legs it stimulates more the bone formation. That is why you see in my videos how i walk with 45 pounds gallon with water, because it is good for bone formation. During LL you should only focus on your legs and walking. I do now stretching for my upper body and sometimes some abs but nothing crazy like I used to.

[RGKEY]

You seem to be doing really well. Keep it up bro!

thanx Cooper!!)) Im getting there slowly))

[HelloThere]

My favorite LL post this far!!! Keep up the great work, RGKEY!

So it's about 6am, I woke up about an hour ago, now can't sleep. I was thinking of copying and posting my diary but I think ill just post  pictures and maybe a quick description of whats going on.


This was my first room and the shoes you see lifted me 6.5cms taller))



Meet Doctor victor, the oldest doctor here, funny dude.


parties


flexibility at 9cms!)) getting it back))


my present roommate, he lengthened 6.3cms


my man Anton from Ukraine


being playful)) never hurts))


a gift for christmas


this is when they had to relocate my ring because it went to high on my knee, they didnt have to but i asked for it)))


got watermelon?


meet Irina, she is in charge of the foreign patients! she saved my life during the first month post op! love her))


dude is always playing chess, didnt even realized i was taking a picture, he is an oldy))


working against knee contraction)))


girl leaving, one love out((((( she was my first kiss in Russia)


what can i say she gave me her best face))


leg is long!!


playing games at a party


my friend alexander, now we are the same height


another love))


going out to the store in the summer


how cute, another love))) i really loved this girl a lot!! she made me coffee every day, did my bed, did my laundry awww!!! i miss her so much!!! she came back and visited me too, so bad we live so far away from each other!!!


she is really a party type of girl but very sweet)))


any other way to eat an apple?


oh!! me standing with my lifts after lengthening, so technically i am about 178cm here!)) from 163 to 178 crazy)))


she is now one of my best friends!!! but she lives in China(((( english teacher))


lovo love love


this girl actually gave me pain killers shots for awhile because she is also a nurse)))


love, regular visits to the room))


my kitty cat!


going out with a friend


with a love in a restaurant, this is the girl that made me coffee, she came back to visit after 2 months.


my last x-ray left leg on 2/28/14


right leg 2/28/14


my protein powder


in a restaurant with a lovely girl))




this is me going from 220 pound to 160 pounds))))



wine)))




with my very good friend on my birthday)) i got super drunk very big mistake, i had a very bad reaction on my pins.






drunk


Meet doctor Barinov!! he is the one who make the magic happen around here)))


OK< SO THIS IS THE RESULT OF MY CELEBRATION: NEVER DRINK IF YOU HAVE ALREADY A PIN INFECTION, THIS WILL f**k YOU UP BIG TIME!!! LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!!


girls are crazy, they just found a nice kitty on the streets and adopted him lol, so many street cats in russia thou....


my best breakfast))




best kisser ever, unfortunately she is gone(((( she made me feel like I was 15 again!!!!


visiting friends


legs celebration, there frames were removed


ohh i love this man, my second roommate, he is super awesome!!!my brother))




this is what's up)) this is why I want to marry russian women!!!!


she is a natural 171cms and im a 163.5, but somehow our sitting height is around the same)) i think i have a long torso for my natural height.


walking along the river, very nice place, probably the only place I really like in this city




meet doctor Pabel


This will be the longest post i ever do))) now time to sleep I think))

[shawty]

The girl in the yellow cat dress seems really hott

[Disobedient]

How you doing REGKY

by any chance do you know if Dr. Barinov could  do nail or plate fixation for femur...?