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[682]

[Update] 4cm

Massage
I've been going to sports massage lately to soften muscle around my thighs. This actually helped reduce the muscle pain in my sleep and finally I sleep rather restfully. I strongly recommend you to put massage into your LL regimen. I think 3 times a week seems great.

I completely agree. I've been reading some studies on the importance of flexibility and how stiff, tight muscle are detrimental to lengthening and can cause damage. Massage seems an excellent way of increasing blood flow, stretching the deeper muscular structures and relaxing stiff muscles - it's a great addition and I think it will make the world of difference.

[Rod Thick]

I'm sorry, but this patient experience is making Dr. Donghoon look bad when the patient doesn't even know the nail that's being used. I posted about this earlier when you first said you were lengthening with the Precice 2.1, then you changed it and said you are lengthening with the Precice 2.3.

For one last time.... THE PRECICE 2.3 DOES NOT EXIST. YOU ARE LENGTHENING WITH THE PRECICE 2.2 THAT WAS LAST UPDATED AND RELEASED IN MAY 2015.

Iamprepared, I hope you realize how bad this looks. Especially when you disregard what Dr. Paley is saying. Do you know that Dr. Paley is the co-creator of the Precice nail, do you know Dr. Paley has implanted more Precice nails than any other surgeon in the world, do you know that Dr. Paley is always the first surgeon in the world to implant a new Precice nail when it is updated and released?

So Dr. Paley is literally the best person in the world to contact and ask questions about any new Precice nails. He is always the first surgeon to know and the first surgeon to use the new technology. This is the reason why we all know about the upcoming Precice 3.0 that will be made with Cobalt Chromium and allow full weight bearing during lengthening. We know this information before the nail has even been released because of Dr. Paley.

[iamprepared]

are you wheelchair bound?

Yes I am. I find it much safer than taking risk with walker.

[iamprepared]

I completely agree. I've been reading some studies on the importance of flexibility and how stiff, tight muscle are detrimental to lengthening and can cause damage. Massage seems an excellent way of increasing blood flow, stretching the deeper muscular structures and relaxing stiff muscles - it's a great addition and I think it will make the world of difference.

Yes 682, massage has been really helpful. I strongly recommend it to everyone during the distraction phase.

[iamprepared]

For one last time.... THE PRECICE 2.3 DOES NOT EXIST. YOU ARE LENGTHENING WITH THE PRECICE 2.2 THAT WAS LAST UPDATED AND RELEASED IN MAY 2015.

Iamprepared, I hope you realize how bad this looks. Especially when you disregard what Dr. Paley is saying. Do you know that Dr. Paley is the co-creator of the Precice nail, do you know Dr. Paley has implanted more Precice nails than any other surgeon in the world, do you know that Dr. Paley is always the first surgeon in the world to implant a new Precice nail when it is updated and released?

Hey man, why are you always being so sarcastic in my journal? Do you realize I'm here to contribute to the community spending my own time?

Dr.Lee confirmed from NuVasive that the nail in my legs is Precise 2.3. During the consultation, I was initially told the nail was 2.1 but it was corrected to 2.3. Period.

I'm curious if you're capable of understanding basic English. I did not disregard Dr.Paley, but stated that he doesn't produce Precise devices himself. Before you making a baseless statement, why don't you just contact NuVasive that creates and distributes Precise devices?

[iamprepared]

[Update] 5cm

I've just passed 5cm. My proportion looks great, honestly my thighs look beautiful as I sit down on a chair (in comparison to what it was before). I think another cm would complete my satisfaction while being safe and proportional. I'm excited as the distraction is getting to the end and I'm now counting the final days. It feels like a bear about to finish its long sleep during the hibernation. It feels that long! It's possible I finish it in 10 days at 6cm or push another 5 days to reach 6.5cm. Either way is fine, I'll decide this once I reach 6cm.

5cm is the critical level where most of LLers seem to report a significant loss in flexibility and muscle mass. Fortunately, I haven't lost any muscle mass, they actually became harder and stronger. My flexibility has gone down slightly but it's not significant. The culprit is less frequent stretching sessions. Currently, doing stretching properly hurts and it takes a good amount of mental preparation. I've been doing it 1-2 times a day recently and I can see a clear difference from doing it 3 times a day. I'm going to have to try harder and add more sessions as things are getting to the end soon.

[Mdream]

Congratulations! Which were the worst moments in your opinion? Is there a relief after the surgery itself despite the pain? And what are you going to tell your friends?

[cobalt]

Congrats on a smooth journey so far. I have a few questions if you don't mind answering.

How close were you able to schedule an actual surgery date after the consultation? Do you feel renting your own place is a good arrangement based on your cab experience and difficulties getting around?

Did Dr. Lee require a ITB release for you(pass 5 cm ) or was it not necessary?

[assistdong]

I’m an assistant of Dr. Lee. I agree with all you said. As far as we know, the company’s policy is to use every new device in USA first and distribute abroad after they confirm it is safe. As you said Dr. Paley is the first surgeon in the world who uses every most updated PRECICE nail. So it is not possible to use it in Korea beforehand. The information about version we know is double checked by the company and we think it is the most updated version of PRECICE nail which is same as used in USA. But it seems that whether the nail is 2.1 or 2.3 is not that important matter at the moment, so we don’t think it is not necessary to confirm it again to the company. For your reference, we attach the email from the company about the version. Personal information is blotted out.

[doomsday]

unfortunately the image does not work

[iamprepared]

Congratulations! Which were the worst moments in your opinion? Is there a relief after the surgery itself despite the pain? And what are you going to tell your friends?

Thanks Mdream,

The worst moment I think is dealing with poo on your bed right after surgery. Within 3 days after the surgery, it is very difficult and more importantly not safe to get out of your bed. The hospital didn't have a good solution for me, so I had to find own ways to get it done and clean myself after. For the pain after surgery, you just need to constantly take strong pain killers to get the relief on the pain. This really helps.

[iamprepared]

Congrats on a smooth journey so far. I have a few questions if you don't mind answering.

How close were you able to schedule an actual surgery date after the consultation? Do you feel renting your own place is a good arrangement based on your cab experience and difficulties getting around?

Did Dr. Lee require a ITB release for you(pass 5 cm ) or was it not necessary?

Thanks Cobalt,

My surgery date was very close to the consultation date since I was already in the country and I was looking for the earliest option. I was lucky to do this way because Dr.Lee has a lot of surgeries booked in advance and usually 4-6 months after the consultation seem to be what's available. Renting own place comes with a lot of research as a foreigner and you gotta be prepared for a lot of isolation. I've resolved cab problem here by finding an app that's similar to Uber and I don't get around much at all. It has been a lonely journey for me but this suits me fine for now. I don't think patients should expect a social and bright time during the distraction phase. I can tell you that it is dark, lonely and painful. Dr.Lee seems to prefer doing ITB release on all patients as this makes stretching a lot easier when you start distracting.

-iamprepared

[iamprepared]

[Update] Complete at 6cm

Hey guys, I've finally finished the distraction at 6cm. One of debates I have had for myself for the entire distraction period was whether to finish at 6cm or do 5 more days to reach 6.5cm. Over the weekend, I finally concluded it would be BETTER to finish this at 6cm. Firstly, I'm overly satisfied with the current length of my femurs. I drew a red line of 6cm on my legs and I was amazed at how long that was. The part of my legs that didn't exist before appeared right there. They are mine. I can feel them and they look so natural. Essentially they come from my own bones, skins, blood, muscle and hard work. Secondly, the conventional wisdom in LL is the less you do, the better for your body, given that you are satisfied with the length. Thirdly, stretching has become a lot harder than at 4-5cm and I think I just reached the safe limit zone. I can still do all stretching moves at 6cm but I cannot foresee what will change at 6.5cm. Fourthly, my ratio looks beautiful right now. I had a through examination of my ratios and they look great. Adding extra length to my femurs could make my body look unnatural. Lastly, I'm ready to move on. According to Dr.Lee, 1cm extra after 6cm would take 1 month extra recovery time. Doing the math, 0.5cm is about 15 days more in wheelchair. I went out on the weekend and there was a bright sunshine for the first time since I came to this country. It was now Spring here. Colorful flowers were everywhere on the street and the warmth made me smile. I felt like I've just finished this long Winter odyssey and I was ready to live my life again, with more authenticity and confidence. This has been quite a journey. For over 2 months, I had to deal with pain, loss of sleep, loneliness. However, only a few days after the distraction phase, the pains are gone (except for the pain from stretching, which I plan to do regularly) and my sleep is great. Instead of loneliness, I now have this feeling of excitement of meeting people again very soon. So if you ask me if I would do the whole process again to achieve the same goal? My answer is, Definitely.

Below, I'd like to list 5 most important things in LL, for anyone who want to pursue their goal.

1.Safety: This is the most important thing. Do not try to weight bear with the technology that doesn't support yet. Listen to your doctor and stay in the wheelchair if you have to. I've seen other patients (not Dr.Lee's) having their nails bent, screw broken by using walker and crutches too early. Any accident will add a lot more extra time in your recovery.

2.Stretching: Do 3 times a day. Start this a few months before the surgery and make it a strong habit of yours. What I found is that during the distraction phase, if you reduce the number to 1-2 a day, it gets twice as harder tomorrow when you do another stretching. You'll eventually become scared to do any more stretching and you'll end up doing one stretching by force during PT session. The pain from stretching is a good pain, really good for your legs and body later, remember.

3.Exercise: From lifting legs to doing bike, make the muscle exercise your daily routine. Muscle damage from distraction is what's causing you to underperform in sports 1-2 year after the surgery. Keep your muscle strong during the distraction phase. This will help you walk faster as well.

4.Doctor: Choose the right doctor to perform the surgery. One must be skilled and precise in performing the surgery, and attentive and responsible to the patient. I made this No.4. I think the surgery is about 5% of this journey and the rest comes from your own efforts during the distraction and the recovery phase. For me, I made the right choice with Dr.Lee.

5.Food: Organize all the food deliveries. I have had almost all meals, fruits, snacks delivered to my place directly. I was never out of quality food that help heal my muscle and bone.

[TIBIKE200]

Congrats. Be sure to keep us updated on your recovery. You did right to stop at 6cm. With your starting height, being 178.5, its not worth the risk.

Good luck and I wish you  a swift recovery

[6FeetSoon]

Congrats. Be sure to keep us updated on your recovery. You did right to stop at 6cm. With your starting height, being 178.5, its not worth the risk.

Good luck and I wish you  a swift recovery

Think you may be mistaken here TIBIKE. His starting height was 166cm

About
Age: 20s
Gender: Male
Ethnicity & Nationality: N/A
Starting Height: 5'5'' 1/2 (166cm)
Goal Height: 5'8'' (172.5cm)
Weight: 145 Ibs (65kg)

Surgery
Doctor: Donghoon Lee
Operation: Femurs
Type: Precise 2.1
Planned Distraction: 6.5cm
Diameter: 10.7mm (This supports 50 Ibs per leg unlike 12.5mm that supports 75 Ibs. I'm guessing this would make it harder for me to use a walker)
Surgery Date: January 20, 2017

[TIBIKE200]

you are right. I was reading fast and thought his starting height was his goal height.

[assistdong]

I’m an assistant of Dr. Lee. I agree with all you said. As far as we know, the company’s policy is to use every new device in USA first and distribute abroad after they confirm it is safe. As you said Dr. Paley is the first surgeon in the world who uses every most updated PRECICE nail. So it is not possible to use it in Korea beforehand. The information about version we know is double checked by the company and we think it is the most updated version of PRECICE nail which is same as used in USA. But it seems that whether the nail is 2.1 or 2.3 is not that important matter at the moment, so we don’t think it is not necessary to confirm it again to the company. For your reference, we attach the email from the company about the version. Personal information is blotted out.

Here is the image. Sorry, I just found out that previeous image doesn't work.


free image hosting

 

[onemorefoot]

Hi Dr Donghoon asistant. If a patient is 180 lbs or heavier, would he need help for moving him from the bed to chair or he could do It alone?

[Blake56]

Thanks again for your advice. It's hard being short, seeing people treat you differently, and having the feeling that you were meant for more in this world than to be short. If possible do you mind writing about your experiences from time to time such as how people treat you differently, do family members or friends look at you different and your own personal thoughts now that you are taller? Thanks again for writing these posts as they really do help. Good luck in the future an congrats!

[want2btall]

Hi Iamprepared, how are you now? Is everything going fine?

[Deads]

What a great diary!

[noone]

any update

[Bosnian2018]

2 minutes of searching on google finds a study that claims there is a Precice 2.3

Some people in this forum are just paranoid and cant believe someone actually had a normal CLL procedure.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2017/8032510/

[TemakiSushi]

2 minutes of searching on google finds a study that claims there is a Precice 2.3

Some people in this forum are just paranoid and cant believe someone actually had a normal CLL procedure.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2017/8032510/

It’s mainly because Paley’s secretary never update the version number on their documents after 2.2.