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[BoneStretching]

Hello LLers,

So I wanted to jump on these boards, to share my experience, and also gain your feedback/support to get through this "journey".

I had my operation on August 15th, with Dr. Mahboubian, and I am on my third month of the distraction phase. I am currently at 5.5 CM. I will follow up this post with my first 2 months experience, but for now, I will pick up where I am at (Month 3).

My stats:

sxx: Male
Height: 5ft 1.25 inches
Goal Height: 5ft 4.25+
Career: Entrepreneur - Owner of a successful, self sustaining company, which allows me to take time off and get this done without skipping a beat.

LL Doctor: Dr. Mahboubian located in North Hollywood. I live about 1.5 hours away, so choosing this doctor allowed be to keep surgery and post care local. In addition, of the doctors I had researched on this board, and online, this surgeon seemed to render very successful results. Finally, his response times are same day over email, and text. That was an extremely important factor for me. I did not want to go through this process, without close care, step by step.

PT Plan:3 Times per week with a local Physical Therapy Office. Top reviews on YELP, very happy with these guys. All other days, I stretch all leg muscles 3 times per day, and walk every 30 minutes to an hour to keep legs loose as possible.

-----------------

Diary entry One:

As mentioned, I will start today's post with Month 3, but will take time to post the first 2 months in a follow up entry here soon.

I have currently reached 5.5CM, which means I am just about 1 inch+ away from my goal. This is a great mile stone. I completed, my most recent checkup yesterday, and my doctor found that all is going well with bone growth, and flexion. Recent bone images are linked below.

https://imgur.com/a/6USgcp7



Question LL Brothers and Sisters:

Even though I have reached this wonderful 2 inch milestone, I have to admit, I am tight and sore. I notice that as I crossed that 2 inch mark, I felt a bit of back sway, and my legs began to get sore/achy again. In fact, I find that in the morning, it seems my legs are so stiff and sore, I prefer using my walker for the first 30 minutes of the day to get them warmed up before I move to my cane, and/or unassisted "duck walking" throughout my apartment. My Questions is: Have any of you experienced this? If yes, I would be gracious to hear your experience about what I should expect as I creep up on the 7.5 to 8CM mark this month. As I am doing this alone in my apartment, any feedback/encouragement is appreciated greatly.

Thank you all, from this point I will begin reporting my daily "feels" and "routine" as we march to the end of distraction, and post recovery phase.

God Speed.

[Movie]

What's up bonestretching congrats on a successful journey so far, x rays look good bro nicely aligned bones, I also had my surgery with Mahboubian August 1st and I experienced the tightness and constar aches as if my muscles were super sore all the time at around 5 cms too. I'm at 6.6cms now I took a break yesterday I didn't lengthen at all and today I'm not either, I will resume tomorrow and it seems a day break did me a bit good, my right shin is starting to get numb and nerve pains when I stand for a long time or if I'm driving for more than 15 minutes, It's unbareable. I've just been pushing through bro, sleep is worse than it's ever been since 5.5cms I wake up in pain and have to take half a norco to go back to sleep, and just pushing through the pain bro, knowing pain is temporary but the 8cms will be forever. last stretch baby lets get it!

[BoneStretching]

Thank you Movie,

It is good to know that these symptoms are a common thing at this stage of the journey and it looks like you are nearing completion; Excellent job.
Today was a little better, I found that just staying consistent on getting up and walking around every 30mins to an hour, helped keep me legs warm, and suppressed a lot of the aches and pain. Also, being productive on my computer (paying bills, working on business things, educating myself on life, etc through articles, and youtube) helps me pass time, which is a big one for me as I am alone in my apartment doing this.

As for sleep, I am in the same boat. I literally get about 3 to 4 hours of sleep on a good night, and waking up is a bummer because you feel your wiry legs, tight and sore as you move them around. I can not sleep on my side yet, so repositioning is a no go. The one thing I am trying today, is to force myself to stay awake during the daytime, to maximize my night time sleepiness, we will see how that works out.

[Heightmare]

Why are your stats almost identical to InFullStryde?
Even your height is. Very odd...

[Ghostfish]

Hi BoneStretching
Congrats on your journey to being taller!  Yeah, what you have been experiencing is so common for every ller.  5cm is always the milestone. haha  The last inch is a tougher one.  There is no easy way to pass it through.  Stretching as much as you can and reducing lengthening rate will be only important factors to finish this journey.  So you can reduce the lengthening rate for a couple of days or even longer, if you feel really tight or painful.  Nerve pain in shin or knee is worse than tightness in muscle.  However, there is nothing much you can do about it.  Just stretch and slow down the rate.  You just have to tough it out. 

I also couldn't have a good sleep during lengthening.  Everyday I slept 2-4 hr at night and took a nap of 1-2 h.  I am actually not a good sleeper even before cll, so sleeping was a nightmare at that time.  But time just goes by everyday.  You will get there, bro!  Keep up the good work!   

[Movie]

I agree with ghostfish on that one! Nerve/soft tissue pain in the shin and nerves hits a lot lol, that's the only pain that has made me yell during this LL journey and I'm very pain tolerant

[Kenda]

check your messages .
and did you pick Dr M  cuz you live in LA?

[BoneStretching]

Thank you All,

I appreciate your feed back and encouragement here. I spent the whole night trying to figure out a way to sleep on my side. I failed, but A for effort I guess.
It is good to know this is common and I am not alone on this one. I will continue to stretch consistently, and go on my walks to keep myself limber as possible.
Yesterday I was able to manage a millimeter, and will go for .66 today.

[JsElysianEagle]

BoneStretching + Movie - at what distraction (how many cm) did you find your sleep was seriously impacted? Do you think if you stayed "ahead of the pain" by pre-emptively taking painkillers such as Norco, it would help a bit with sleeping through the night?

Thank you both and the other CLLers as well for sharing your journey throughout, it's super helpful!!

[BoneStretching]

Frankly, my sleep has been affected since day 1. The pain is tough for me most in the AM when my legs are tight, and I have to get moving around, however while in bed, what gets me is the sleep position. For some reason, my brain can not click into sleep mode when sleeping on my back. I dream of the day I can comfortably sleep on my side again  lol

[JsElysianEagle]

I see. Honestly the lack of sleep is what concerns me the most as my surgery is coming up soon as well. And without adequate sleep I'm a total mess during the day lol

How many hours of sleep a night have you been averaging recently, @BoneStretching?

[BoneStretching]

Man, I could not relate to you more. I am completely useless through the day without sleep and this is coming from a seasoned 10+ business owner.

Let me tell you this, what has helped me is not fighting it. Nights i can not sleep, I prop up my pillow, I smile, and i turn on some motivational audio books, soft music, this to relax me. Your body will go to sleep when it absolutely needs it. So you may find your self getting that 2 to 4 hours sleep, and through out the day you will nap. When you do nap during the day, dont feel bad, that is the mistake I made initially. Just relax find a play to rest, and give your body rest. When you wake up go at it again, and accept it 100%. once you get past the extraction, you should be heading back to a normal trend of sleeping.

[JsElysianEagle]

Thanks BoneStretching, that sounds like some good advice. But what about painkillers like Norco etc and sleep aids like Melatonin etc? Have you tried these and found them useless? Or are you deliberately trying to stay away from them entirely? What about CBD/MJ for sleep? Stuff like this, for example:

https://dosist.com/formula-detail/sleep

(Btw, they also have dosist pens specifically for pain relief with different ratios of THC:CBD than the pen for sleep)

[BoneStretching]

I think it is a great idea to find the right pain management plan with meds. I have not tried CBD, I have only used Norco and tramadol, which is effective. I switched from Norco to tramadol because tramadol seemed to have less dizziness/ daziness involved, and was still effective on pain.

I have not tried it, but melatonin actually sounds like a great idea to assist. I think half of the challenge is deactivating your thoughts, and melatonin can help with that naturally. I will email the doctor and ask if there are any objections to adding melatonin to the diet. Re: sleep aides like Zzquil etc... my only concern with those is they will make you extra groggy in the AM, and I just cant imagine adding any more mental side effects to this process.

[JsElysianEagle]

Thanks for your valuable feedback, BoneStretching. It's much appreciated!!

[TwinMusicom]

I think it is a great idea to find the right pain management plan with meds. I have not tried CBD, I have only used Norco and tramadol, which is effective. I switched from Norco to tramadol because tramadol seemed to have less dizziness/ daziness involved, and was still effective on pain.

I have not tried it, but melatonin actually sounds like a great idea to assist. I think half of the challenge is deactivating your thoughts, and melatonin can help with that naturally. I will email the doctor and ask if there are any objections to adding melatonin to the diet. Re: sleep aides like Zzquil etc... my only concern with those is they will make you extra groggy in the AM, and I just cant imagine adding any more mental side effects to this process.

Thanks for making this diary!

1. If you were not from the area, where do you think you would stay if you wanted to factor in things like cost and safety? I am thinking of just losing 300-400$ extra to have a nice big 55 inch 4k tv to plus my laptop into to make the 90 days easier and then gifting the TV to someone if I'm unable to sell it in time.

2. Do you feel wheelchair accessible places / holding bars by the toilet/bathtub are needed throughout the process?

3. If you were not from LA, how much would you budget for the entire thing to do 8 cm STRYDE femurs with Mahoubian?

4. What times of the year would you recommended doing this? In the fall ? (October)? I heard LA is very hot and dry.

5. What are the biggest things/unexpected costs you wish you knew about before starting this?

Thanks!!!

[BoneStretching]

Thanks for making this diary!

1. If you were not from the area, where do you think you would stay if you wanted to factor in things like cost and safety? I am thinking of just losing 300-400$ extra to have a nice big 55 inch 4k tv to plus my laptop into to make the 90 days easier and then gifting the TV to someone if I'm unable to sell it in time.

2. Do you feel wheelchair accessible places / holding bars by the toilet/bathtub are needed throughout the process?

3. If you were not from LA, how much would you budget for the entire thing to do 8 cm STRYDE femurs with Mahoubian?

4. What times of the year would you recommended doing this? In the fall ? (October)? I heard LA is very hot and dry.

5. What are the biggest things/unexpected costs you wish you knew about before starting this?

Thanks!!!

Well, I guess a real inexpensive hotel, or a month to month studio apt rental would do. Make sure you have a good AC, so you can control temperatures during this process. You dont want to be uncomfortable.

Also the TV is a great idea - prepare some audio books, and meditation sounds. Use this time not to just grow taller, but also grow as a Man mentally, and spiritually.

Buy some small weights 10 to 15 pounds (light i know), but the idea is to keep your upper body from atrophy, so just simple reps. simple curls, tri extensions, curls etc. Create a schedule that works for you, you want to keep your mind occupied this whole time. Those moments you feel restless, meditate to some sounds in the head phones.

I believe 90 to 100K if i had to budget for living. You will want to make this work on paper first. Draw out the budget on Excel and stick to it.

Honestly California has the best weather in the world. It can get hot in the summer, but nothing a little AC cant fix. If you have the choice, Fall or Spring is ideal, cool and less rain.

What else you should have:

Be sure to buy pads for your toilet seat - Your will need them to go number 2. It will suppress the ache and pains of sitting.
Have a food plan, maybe a food delivery service, like Freshly.com to prep and deliver your meals. Also pack easy foods. Bread, P and J, beans and rice. Protein drinks and bars. Basically, protein and carbs you can whip up with no stress. 

Be sure to have some dulcolax handy, when you notice you have not went number 2 in your normal poo cycle, take 1 or 2, so you are not uncomfortable.  You will need a walker, some crutches, and a cane. You will start on a walker, when you feel you have enough strength move right away to crutches so you can work your legs.. once you are duck walking without assistance you can switch to a cane to work on your gait, and start walking normal again.

One thing about Dr. M, is if you look at his patient x rays, he is a perfectonist, so you are in good hands. The hard part will be the physical and mental factor. Prepare and think ahead and you will be fine.

[TwinMusicom]

Well, I guess a real inexpensive hotel, or a month to month studio apt rental would do. Make sure you have a good AC, so you can control temperatures during this process. You dont want to be uncomfortable.

Also the TV is a great idea - prepare some audio books, and meditation sounds. Use this time not to just grow taller, but also grow as a Man mentally, and spiritually.

Buy some small weights 10 to 15 pounds (light i know), but the idea is to keep your upper body from atrophy, so just simple reps. simple curls, tri extensions, curls etc. Create a schedule that works for you, you want to keep your mind occupied this whole time. Those moments you feel restless, meditate to some sounds in the head phones.

I believe 90 to 100K if i had to budget for living. You will want to make this work on paper first. Draw out the budget on Excel and stick to it.

Honestly California has the best weather in the world. It can get hot in the summer, but nothing a little AC cant fix. If you have the choice, Fall or Spring is ideal, cool and less rain.

What else you should have:

Be sure to buy pads for your toilet seat - Your will need them to go number 2. It will suppress the ache and pains of sitting.
Have a food plan, maybe a food delivery service, like Freshly.com to prep and deliver your meals. Also pack easy foods. Bread, P and J, beans and rice. Protein drinks and bars. Basically, protein and carbs you can whip up with no stress. 

Be sure to have some dulcolax handy, when you notice you have not went number 2 in your normal poo cycle, take 1 or 2, so you are not uncomfortable.  You will need a walker, some crutches, and a cane. You will start on a walker, when you feel you have enough strength move right away to crutches so you can work your legs.. once you are duck walking without assistance you can switch to a cane to work on your gait, and start walking normal again.

One thing about Dr. M, is if you look at his patient x rays, he is a perfectonist, so you are in good hands. The hard part will be the physical and mental factor. Prepare and think ahead and you will be fine.

"Be sure to have some dulcolax handy, when you notice you have not went number 2 in your normal poo cycle, take 1 or 2, so you are not uncomfortable"

Is constipation a common problem for people doing LL? I'm curious - like, is there something about this process that eating alot of fiber won't help with constipation?

Thanks!!!!!!!

[Movie]

this guy TwinMusicon sounds like that one kid CodyDog or something asking irrelevant questions to the actual CCL process

[BoneStretching]

It is common for pain meds (which you WILL need), to slow bowel movement and cause constipation.

With that said, you should be able to ween off pain meds over the weeks (gauge your self), and move to tyleno. Some however, need pain meds like norco, or tromodol, through out the process. Nothing wrong with this, but you will want to have something handy to help you stay consistent and comfortable. Better safe then sorry (and uncomfortable).

BUT to answer your question - its the pain meds that cause the issue.. fiber and right food will help though, and may alleviate the need for laxatives. Just have them handy just in case.

[BoneStretching]

Hello LL family,

Current status , almost 6CM

Legs are real tight, which i believe is the source of ache and pain when i walk. still going to PT and stretching 3 times per day. I think I am beginning to fight nature here.

i am starting to tilt forward, no bueno, but PT is working with me on mitigating the situation, and correcting it over time.

Shins are now in full burn, numbness, and ouchie mode. Basically at random times, especially at night, the shins will burn, and a crushing pain will ensue. Can anyone relate? It goes away after a few minutes, and may hit a few more times through the night and day.

[JsElysianEagle]

@BoneStretching - thanks for the continued updates!

I know it's easier said than done, but perhaps one way to look at it is the following: from 6 cm to 7 cm, assuming 1mm/day of lengthening, is just 10 days. That's barely more than a week! To 7.5 cm it's just 15 days - that's two weeks and change... if you've made it all the way here, perhaps you can slog it out for just a wee bit longer?

Some people also reduced the pace of lengthening, and even took breaks of 1-2 days to help with pain management during lengthening. Something to consider if you haven't already!

[BoneStretching]

Thank you JS, I am going for the gold on this one. 7.5 minimum, 8CM if it feels right.

Good, I am amazed by this burning and pain in the shin, came to be as a surprise. I will implement this strategy if it gets too rough. Thank you JS, I will keep the team updated.

[BoneStretching]

Legs tight and achie, sitting at my PC, searchin for meanin of life on google lol

2 more CM to go...

Someone drop me some workd of inspiration.

[Movie]

Inspiration: Pain you're my bitch!

2 more CMs to go and that's it baby let's gooo

[BoneStretching]

Thanks brother

[InFullStryde]

Bone Stretcher... It's the 4th quarter, the 9th inning, the 11th hour.  Finish strong.  Based on your current mobility and range of motion, your body was prepared to go the full 3 inches.   You've worked so hard these past few months and now its time to capitalize.  If I didn't know your current ROM and mobility, I wouldn't recommend that you push; but since I do know..I emphatically exclaim....KEEP GOING!!!!!!!!

[BoneStretching]

FullStryde aka - The CLL Legend has spoken ::walks off into Sunset::

I shall duck walk through the finish line, and stand tall again.

[InFullStryde]

FullStryde aka - The CLL Legend has spoken ::walks off into Sunset::

I shall duck walk through the finish line, and stand tall again.

[BoneStretching]

Team:

This AM woke up with burning pain on and under my knee (upper shin).

Pain killers do not seem to be helping. Just wondering if this is normal par for course for other CLLs?

I am a few days from 6CM.

[Movie]

Yup I had that too around that time, still do 7.5cms