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[Cooper]

Hey BD and hello,
I asked him about IT band and he performs this like dr. Paley. If you do not know dr. R was trained by dr. Paley in Maryland.

[BilateralDamage]

Thanks for finding that out Cooper!  I'm really curious if Hello had it done or not.  And any other sort of releases, since he's a muscular guy.  I'm having both my ITB and biceps femoris being released (a little intimidating, but I'm hoping I'll regain that strength).

[HelloThere]

@cooper

Thanks a lot for finding that out!

@bilateraldamage

I'm actually very interested in knowing whether this was done or not to me, as I read that some doctors believe it'll weaken the overall leg strength? I wonder under what circumstances the doctor would actually perform this surgery. They've measured how flexible I was on multiple occasions and they never once mentioned any sort of release surgeries to me. Thanks for bringing this to light BD!

These muscle aches/tightness are starting to really get to me, I believe it's due to the amount lengthened thus far... Which is a pitiful 1.5cm. I can only imagine how it'll feel when I hit the 6.5cm mark, but I am determined! I believe that being diligent about PT and stretching is a huge deal, so if possible, I would recommend doing a lot of it before your surgery and after. I'll be starting a yoga routine soon and keep track of my progress for each stretch. I'll keep you all updated!

[Cooper]

Thanks for finding that out Cooper!  I'm really curious if Hello had it done or not.  And any other sort of releases, since he's a muscular guy.  I'm having both my ITB and biceps femoris being released (a little intimidating, but I'm hoping I'll regain that strength).

Hey bd, do not worry. Dr. Paley do this for almost all patient. He said he did that for 50% for p1 patient and almost all on p2 cases. He does in way it will regenerate the soft tissues.

[HelloThere]

Hey bd, do not worry. Dr. Paley do this for almost all patient. He said he did that for 50% for p1 patient and almost all on p2 cases. He does in way it will regenerate the soft tissues.

Thanks for enlightening me about that, Cooper!

Ok, once again, I forgot to ask him about the ITB release. I haven't been myself lately. After my first check-up, I've been having a hard time sleeping at night, which causes me to sleep during the day or not being able to function properly. I received a prescription for more narcos today, which I'll be taking, though sparingly, from now on.

I had another check-up with Dr. Rozbruch today and everything is moving forward as planned. I'm currently around the 20mm mark (just 45mm more to go!) for each femur and I feel pretty ok. I'm stretching throughout the day, though a little less now due to the pain, and I plan on starting up again more vigorously now that I've got some pain killers to help me. I figured that even if I have to wean myself off of them later, I'll still have at least been able to stretch a lot more, leading to better recovery, and actually be able to get work done.

My legs have lost most of whatever muscle I had built up from lifting, but my upper body is pretty much the same as when I first got the surgery. I highly, highly recommend working on your upper body before going in for the surgery. It'll be a lot easier when you're able to support a good deal of your weight with just your arms.

There's nothing else, which is why I haven't been posting as much... but I wanted to update you all nonetheless. It gets frustrating sometimes and this is as much emotional as it is physical. There have been times when I wanted to give up because I hate that I have to depend on my brother and that doing things that I'm used to doing is causing me great pain. I really miss walking, but I know the day will come when I can walk normally again AND taller. Something that gave me great hope today was standing straight up with the help of a walker and seeing how close I was to being my brother's height.. which was about 3 or so inches taller than my original height.

Just gotta find those little things that keep you going. It's tough, but if you're truly willing to pay the price, the reward will be better than you've ever dreamed of. What's 3-4 months of pain for a lifetime of being happy and secure with yourself? It's but a small sacrifice to make.

[TRS]

It's good to hear from you after a long time It is great that your an inch taller now and finished 1/3 of your lengthening journey without any complications. When this is all done and achieve your goal you will not regret it! Keep it up buddy!!!

[HelloThere]

It's good to hear from you after a long time It is great that your an inch taller now and finished 1/3 of your lengthening journey without any complications. When this is all done and achieve your goal you will not regret it! Keep it up buddy!!!

Thanks for the kind words buddy! I read something in MDOW's diary... it was something along the lines of, "It will end." and that really gives me hope. When are you doing your operation? I'll be rooting for you

I woke up today after taking two painkillers last night and feel worse than when I took the Tylenol. I don't know what it is, but my muscles get very stiff and painful. I'm going to experiment between Tylenol and the narcos and figure out what the best combination of taking them would be.

[HelloThere]

I stopped taking the narcos altogether (7.5mg hydrocodone/325mg acetaminophen). I found that when I took them, my body would get really hot, and I'd end up feeling more sore and stiff than if I hadn't taken them, though they definitely helped with knocking me out. Lately I've just been taking two extra strength Tylenols (2x 500mg acetaminophen) for any sort of pain I have and it's working like a charm now, for some reason. I believe I was in so much pain before because I was being so aggressive with my stretching/PT. I would recommend gradually ramping up your stretching/strength building exercises for the sake of having your body getting used to it and not injuring yourself. The pain from overdoing something is unnecessary and I don't think it helps at all.

Another theory I have about why I was in so much pain before was because my muscles may not have been as used to the stretching from the lengthening (I did heavy weightlifting before and built up a good amount of muscle in my legs). I've lost A LOT of muscle since then and my two legs look like twigs, but a lot of my pain has gone away as well (after I healed from pulling my muscles from the aggressive stretching). The only time I'm feeling pain is when I'm laying in bed, about to sleep, or when I'm just waking up. Sitting up in a chair or being somewhat active helps relieve the pain a lot, since I think it loosens them up.

I forgot to mention that Dr. Rozbruch said that after the next check-up, if my bone healing rate is continuing like it is now, we can speed things up to 1.25mm per day, right now we're just still moving along at 1mm/day for the lengthening. The device I was given to speed up bone healing makes my legs tingle and hurt sometimes, but if it does it's job, then it'll be worth it.

I've also started a workout routine today, which I'll share, since I feel it'll help build the necessary muscles for functioning during a bilateral femur/tibia operation:

- 10 assisted dips, three sets
- Standing with the walker and a scale under my feet for 100 seconds, three sets
- 5 minutes on the stationary bike
- 10 leg extensions, three sets
- Hugging your knee, with your ankle touching your glute, and raising your toes 60 times. Repeat for other leg.

I do this every hour at the :45 mark.

It's a pretty simple workout plan, which I'm still adding to and refining, but I made it based on what I feel would help me the most in my current condition without risking any chance of bending the rods or injuring any muscles. I'm playing it safe now, especially after thinking that I bent my rods twice, and praying to God for a chance to just lengthen patiently.

I hope this helps somebody!

[Snivy]

It's been 10 days since the last update. How you doing OP?

Also, 24 and able to afford a $110k+ surgery. Would you happen to be an IM'er? 

[HelloThere]

It's been 10 days since the last update. How you doing OP?

Also, 24 and able to afford a $110k+ surgery. Would you happen to be an IM'er? 

Hi Snivy,

Thanks for checking in, I'm doing a lot better now. Still sore from biking and lengthening. I visited Dr. Rozbruch the other day and the great news is that I can now move forward at 4x .33mm per day, instead of just 3x .33mm per day. The reason for this is because my bones are consolidating quickly and he's afraid there may be problems if I don't increase the amount of distraction.

I credit my progress to the weight lifting from before (increased blood circulation in my legs?), as well as the exercise/stretching routine I'm doing right now (stationary bike and about 10-15 different leg/hip stretches), and my diet... which currently consists of steamed chicken with soy sauce and occasional "cheat meals" that are still high in protein. I'm also taking a plethora of vitamins: multi-vitamin, digestive supplement, calcium, vitamin D, GSM, and vitamin C.

^Hopefully this helps somebody!

I'd prefer to keep what I do private, but it is not this "IM" you speak of, sorry!

[HelloThere]

Brain dump:

My muscles are getting tighter and I'm starting to feel pain again in my legs ever since increasing to 1.32mm/day. I'm starting to take one narco every 4 hours as of last night. It helps me sleep and does a great job at killing the pain. I don't feel woozy or uncomfortable from taking them anymore, probably because I'm only taking one vs. the two I took before, so I'll continue to take one right before my lengthening sessions and before sleeping. I find that when I'm being wheeled around during the day I'm in a lot less pain, so being "active" helps with the pain a lot.

My pain is mainly around the knees; they feel rusty. From time to time I'll have a bit of pain in the front part of my calves and my thigh area just feels tight all the time, but it's manageable with Tylenol or the narcos, so it's really not a big issue. When I'm on painkillers, I find that it's a great time to stretch, since you can somewhat push yourself a bit and get a better stretch than you normally would.

I'm currently around the 35mm mark now, so over half way towards my goal! I'm excited to see how 2 1/2 inches will be affecting my life. I feel a little taller already with the inch and a half I've gained, so I can imagine another inch would be amazing.

In the beginning, I thought my femurs were getting way too long for my tibias, but that was due to them looking skinny as twigs from the muscle loss. As I've been exercising, my leg muscles have started coming back and now my legs look perfectly fine (or at least a lot less freakish), according to my opinion and my brother's. I don't think another inch would really affect proportions, as my femurs have always been somewhat shorter anyway.

I would like to stress that getting a big comfortable bed would be a very wise decision. This way you will be able to make the most out of your sleep, as well as have adequate room for stretching when you wake up or when you're laying in bed, which, for me, has been a good amount of hours per day.

Right now, everything is going as planned, the last month has been a blur and I'm ready to just push through the lengthening process, so that I can start the recovery phase. My only regret is not getting a more comfortable wheelchair, as I'm starting to have strange pain in my right hip area. I think this is due to sitting in the chair so much and not having any sort of glutes to support my lower body. Other than that, if I had to start over again right now, I wouldn't change a thing.

[Blackhawk]

Halfway there!! 

Can you post some pics?

Thanks

[HelloThere]

Halfway there!! 

Can you post some pics?

Thanks

Hey Blackhawk,

Are there any specific pics you would like to see? I'll see if I can get some help taking some today.

[Blackhawk]

I think some pics showing the scars and your proportions would be great.  Maybe a front view pic from about 10 ft away without loose fitting clothes so we can see your proportions.

[HelloThere]

Will do - I'm actually 3 weeks away from finishing my lengthening, so I'll take pics then.

[HelloThere]

"Numbness"

Ever since increasing the lengthening to 1.32mm per day, I've started to experience numbness in my right knee. I would say I've lost about 80-90% of feeling in the front of that area, but I have full range of motion and there is no weakness in my leg... if anything, my legs both feel better than ever. I believe it's due to the increase in lengthening, but it could also be due to the fact that I've been sleeping a lot more and mainly on my right side.

The reason for my increase in sleep is because I've started taking the hydrocodone/acetaminophen again, not because of pain, but because I ran out of Tylenol. My brother has just come back from a trip, so he'll be going with me today to pick up some more.

Here is a picture of the nerve: http://bluestarr.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/common-peroneal-nerve-injury.jpg and the same exact area where I feel numbness.

I've spoken to Dr. Rozbruch and he suggested that I lower the amount of lengthening back down to 1mm per day, which I'll be doing, as well as sleeping a lot less and paying attention to my sleeping position. I'd be lying if this didn't worry me a bit, but I'll keep you all updated as to how I do. If everything goes as planned, the numbness should be going away by end of week.

[Prodigy]

Hey hello there! I am a long time lurker on this forum, I just wanted to check up on you HT, you seem like a bright young man, and honestly very courageous to be going through the entire process. I think by this time oyu should be done lengthening? How are you feeling? When will you be able to walk?
I hope for you the best of luck and pray for your recovery. I am considering the surgery as I think it'll make a big difference for me, however would love to hear what you would say having gone through the process.
You also document things in a very organized fashion, you can tell you are someone of higher education, may I ask your profession? I hear that people after LL presume to change their goals, please don't ever stop what you are doing and go for what you believe in!

[shortkid]

Hey man! So happy for you that you are more than half way! Hopefully that numbness goes away. I am surprised you were lengthening over 1mm each day. I thought 1mm was the max. I have a question if you dont mind answering. How was your confidence level before the surgery and now? I know you have only gained an inch and a half so far. I am also 5'4 and I want to do LL soon but I am nervous that even after I increase my height a couple inches that my confidence level will still be bad and my height dysphoria because I will still only be around 5'7. Thank you and good luck with the rest of your journey.

[KiloKAHN]

Stay positive, HelloThere! You're in good hands

[HelloThere]

@Prodigy

Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement! 

I'm actually done with my lengthening and started the recovery process roughly 3-4 weeks ago -- I stopped at 5.5cm, as I didn't feel a need to risk the health of my legs for another cm (I was experiencing severe pain at around the 5cm mark). I spoke to Dr. Rozbruch recently and my bones are now healed enough for me to bear full weight on them. I'm going to stop using my wheelchair 90% of the time and putting full weight on both my legs, while using my walker for guidance until I'm able to walk normally. My muscles are still weak from having not used them for so long, so I won't be able to walk normally for another 3-4 weeks according to the doctor.

Prodigy, if you are truly determined to become taller and won't let anything stand in your way, then I would highly recommend you go through with it! Having only gained two inches, I feel a whole lot taller than I did before (this is from standing with the walker and seeing people around me from my newfound height) and the excitement and joy it brings me is indescribable. I have a feeling you'll be able to enjoy the same happiness if height is what you're after.

I've been running my own business for a few years and I definitely don't consider myself organized. Possibly more organized than most, but I can definitely improve upon that skill.

Once again, thanks a ton for the kind words, they really do mean a lot, and I wish you luck on your lengthening journey as well! Don't hesitate to ask me any questions, either via PM or this thread.

@shortkid

Hey shortkid! Thanks a lot, I'm actually done with my lengthening now and I'm starting the recovery/rehabilitation process. I was able to lengthen more than 1mm/day for my femurs, but only intermittently... the reason for this was because I started experiencing numbness in my front right calf and knee pain on both legs. The doctor wanted me to lengthen more than 1mm/day because my bones were starting to consolidate very quickly and he didn't want the risk of me not being able to hit my goals.

Something odd that happened at the end of my lengthening was, even though the Precice machine said I was lengthening 1mm, I was actually only getting about .5mm. This could have been due to my muscles resisting the amount of lengthening from loss of flexibility, reaching the limits of my legs being able to lengthen, or a number of other reasons. I just thought it was very interesting and was something to make note of.

If you're willing to go through a few months of discomfort, some pain, and not being able to function like you normally would, then I would highly recommend it. It's really not as bad as it sounds, and to be honest, the pain/discomfort wasn't the worst part of this whole journey for me; it was the loneliness and being unable to walk/function normally.

It's a little too early to be able to tell how confident I'll be with my new height, but I do have to say that I feel very good about being able to see things from a taller perspective. You'd be surprised at how much of a difference 2 inches makes! I'm very excited to heal properly and to get back to my life.

Thank you for the questions and the nice words, shortkid!

@Kilokahn

Thanks a lot Kilo, I wish you the best on your journey as well, my friend.

Hi everybody, I just wanted to say I'm not checking this forum as much as I used to and it was only chance that I stumbled back on here today. I think it's true when people say that journals/diaries are abandoned because the people who were writing them just want to get back on with their lives. I want to apologize to anyone who posts in my diary or tries to reach out to me via PM; my response time will be slow.

To anyone who wishes to proceed with LL, I have you in my prayers for a quick and speedy lengthening journey and hope that you find what you are looking for. These three months have been very eyeopening for me and I have a feeling I will look at life from a different perspective here on out. I can't wait to get back to my life and to work on improving myself in other ways, now that I feel my height isn't all that big of an issue anymore.

Good luck all and farewell, for now.

[TRS]

Thanks for the update HelloThere!
I'm happy that you have progressed so much since your first post several months ago.
You are a intelligent person and I respect you for listening to your body, hence avoiding potential complications and a longer recovery.
You did not get trapped into the numbers game. Future LL'ers should look up to you as a LL role model!
I wish you all the best in your recovery and success in life after consolidation

[goodlucktomylegs]

Hope you are fine
Any updates please

[HelloThere]

Thanks for the update HelloThere!
I'm happy that you have progressed so much since your first post several months ago.
You are a intelligent person and I respect you for listening to your body, hence avoiding potential complications and a longer recovery.
You did not get trapped into the numbers game. Future LL'ers should look up to you as a LL role model!
I wish you all the best in your recovery and success in life after consolidation

Thanks so much, TRS! I missed your kind words when you first posted them, so I wasn't able to thank you properly. I'm truly appreciative of what you've done for the community and continue to do to this day.

Thank you goodlucktomylegs, I'm doing well now!

Here's a quick update. I removed my rods last year and have been recovering quite swiftly. At first I was dreading the idea of it, since I didn't want to go under the knife again, but found that the rods and nails were hindering my body's healing process, so it had to be done. After removing them, I was able to regain most (I'd say I'm at 95%) of my flexibility and leg functionality after 6 months of embarrassingly light physical therapy (if you have the opportunity to allocate a lot of time towards PT you should do so! I wish I had, since I may have healed even sooner.)

To whomever (whoever?) is reading this... whether you're considering LL, currently going through it now, or recovering, I cannot stress enough the benefits of having a proper diet and getting consistent exercise. You have the chance to change your life here for the better... don't screw it up! It's not easy - rarely anything worthwhile in life ever is - but I can tell you it's been worth every moment of pain over the past 3 years (and then some).

[682]

Thank you for coming back to the forum and replying HelloThere. I was completely unaware there was another Rozbruch diary on here until you posted this reply. It's been almost 3 years since you stopped lengthening and began consolidation and recovery which means your information and experience is one of the most valuable to share as most stop posting on the forum after they have finished lengthening which means we have very little data or experience on the long term effects. If you don't mind answering, I would like to ask some questions;

Do you believe removing the rods had a major impact on your recovery and well being?

You say you have regained 95% of flexibility and functionality, by this do you mean in comparison to before or just in terms of walking and day to day activity?

You trained extensively prior to the procedure and appeared to be in good physical condition, how does your condition now compare to then? Do you still exercise/weight lift and how are you compared to previously? Do you believe you will be able to recover to a higher degree than now?

Do you have any lasting aches and pains? Is the drop in physical ability noticeable or present in day to day life?

If you could change anything, would you? Any advice to share?

It's great to see that it has benefited you so much, thanks for coming back with an update and congratulations on achieving what you set out to accomplish, I wish you a fantastic time from here on out.

[jojo]

did he use 6 month on recover or 3 years ?