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[cyborg4life]

Hey all!

I've been a member on this LL forum for just about a week now and have been reading so many stories from those who have had successful LL procedures. This community is awesome I wish I would've found it sooner as I got the surgery done in 2012 to fix a height discrepancy as part of the release study. I'm interested to see how many more people are considering the surgery vs. back then.

I've recently started Cyborg 4 Life as a social resource on leg lengthening topics. I created a website: www.cyborg4life.com and a YouTube channel to cover topics I get asked all the time to help answer questions you all may have about the surgery.

I'm always looking for more topics to cover if anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear?

Also started a podcast to hear stories of those interested in the surgery as well as those who had it done. I'd love to invite some of you guys on so you can share your story.

This surgery changed my life for the better and I feel hearing your stories on social platforms could be motivating for someone else who is considering the procedure.

Thanks!

[5cm Stryde]

Hi Cyborg4life, great video you made.

How your recovery has been ? Do you feel any difference, pain or limitation between both legs ?

One advise if I may regarding your video : you seems to promote a bit Cosmetic limb lengthening but I am sure you are aware that the process is risky and bad cases still happens. As you never talked about risk in your video, if you want to give a full picture, you should do so.

[cyborg4life]

Hey 5cm Stryde thanks for the feedback. You're right as much as I try not to be, I am slightly biased towards the surgery as it did help me so much in getting rid of my height imbalance and gain me near 2" as a result (after all you're only as tall as your shortest leg).

But I will take your advice and make a video topics discussing the risks and challenges because although things are great now, it was a very demanding process as I'm sure those of you who had it done can agree on.

As far as my recovery it has been amazing. I also do natural bodybuilding so I was able to use my knowledge of improving muscle strength, mass and recover faster than normal according to my doctor. I also make an effort to stretch after workouts and supplement with joint complexes etc.

Thanks again!

[cam007]

Hey 5cm Stryde thanks for the feedback. You're right as much as I try not to be, I am slightly biased towards the surgery as it did help me so much in getting rid of my height imbalance and gain me near 2" as a result (after all you're only as tall as your shortest leg).

But I will take your advice and make a video topics discussing the risks and challenges because although things are great now, it was a very demanding process as I'm sure those of you who had it done can agree on.

As far as my recovery it has been amazing. I also do natural bodybuilding so I was able to use my knowledge of improving muscle strength, mass and recover faster than normal according to my doctor. I also make an effort to stretch after workouts and supplement with joint complexes etc.

Thanks again!

Now this is a realistic type of post. No weird guy saying they’re putting 8cm on tibia and all this dumb crap. Or going for the longest amount just to be crippled smh.  But a person who got it done within the safe limits ( even if it’s b/c of discrepancy ) and your leg looks fully healthy and muscular etc.  I’m halfway saved and doing the process next year - most likely with parihar ( since he’s cheaper but trained with paley) .   

My question is Do you feel like that leg has lost any athletic ability or anything of the sort . And do you feel any knee pain from the reaming of rod.   ( and what supplements do you think helped healed you if not).

Also when you do plan on updating your forum. I’d be interested to see what to stock up on ( protein / vitamin wise - since technically I’d be leaving USA for at least 3-4months) as plan is to do 5.3cm on tibia as well.

[cyborg4life]

Thanks cam007 yeah so to be honest I can say within the first year, year and half or so I did feel the knee they reamed was not as stable due to some patellar tendon instability (as tendons take much longer to heal due to poor blood flow etc.)

But after consistent Astym from therapy, strengthening workouts and improving my flexibility, I noticed it much less. I'd say I barely thought of it after 2 years post op. The supplements I took to assist was type I, II & III collagen, vitamin C, bony matrix, joint complex with MSM, cissus quadrangularis, Fish Oil, etc. I could go on. I will try to make a longer post when I dig up my old notes on my rehab and recovery plan.

As far as supplements I definitely recommend a protein shake for simple protein addition (easy cleanup not to mention need for added protein), the supplements I mentioned, multi vitamin, vitamin D3 5000-10,000iu, bioperine for enhanced absorption, and that's pretty much what I can remember off top of my head but I will plan to update.

Wish you the best on getting it done! Keep us updated!

[cam007]

Thanks cam007 yeah so to be honest I can say within the first year, year and half or so I did feel the knee they reamed was not as stable due to some patellar tendon instability (as tendons take much longer to heal due to poor blood flow etc.)

But after consistent Astym from therapy, strengthening workouts and improving my flexibility, I noticed it much less. I'd say I barely thought of it after 2 years post op. The supplements I took to assist was type I, II & III collagen, vitamin C, bony matrix, joint complex with MSM, cissus quadrangularis, Fish Oil, etc. I could go on. I will try to make a longer post when I dig up my old notes on my rehab and recovery plan.

As far as supplements I definitely recommend a protein shake for simple protein addition (easy cleanup not to mention need for added protein), the supplements I mentioned, multi vitamin, vitamin D3 5000-10,000iu, bioperine for enhanced absorption, and that's pretty much what I can remember off top of my head but I will plan to update.

Wish you the best on getting it done! Keep us updated!

Great info I wrote a list and most off that was on it before writing to you so that made me feel good about my research.
I also had “beef gelatin” since it’s good protein and gelatin is pretty much Collagen. Don’t know how much that’ll help lol.

 I know the  body will “feel it” since it’s been modified (I.e. I had bonding done on some teeth and for a month or two I kept feeling pulsing near where it was bonding and my chewing change during that time becuase I would subconsciously go near that area while eating).  With that said, the unstable feeling you had , was it pain, did it stop you from anything  or was it more of just somethings different?   And when did you feel comfortable or normal enough to do sports and get ya legs back to being muscular ?






Side note: I’m actually interested In your site and hopefully you get that forum up. Too many people advocating crazy amounts, or supporting dangerous lengths and many people talk without actually getting things done or placing facts on here . They just care about the height so much they don’t think of the risks that increase EXPONENTIALLY with each .5cm it seems. It’s a little disheartening becuase it’s extra research when reading peoples experiences to see what’s real and what makes sense.

So thanks for the tips and interesting videos.  As of now I’m targeting this winter 2020 or beginning 2021.  I’ve done consults/questioning with a few docs and Still seeing who else is respectable in my budget ~35k and if I can take enough time off prefer to externals to not deal with the % knee  pain if I can. But most likely it’s  looking like LoN

[cyborg4life]

Awesome man seems your research has served you well! Yeah beef gelatin pretty good bio-availability so that's a good one too...note taken.

Yeah so the unstable feeling was definitely a bit of pain at first but probably more so getting used to my lower leg being elevated and the left knee taking more force as it was equally distributed vs. before the torque from the height imbalance etc. But again, I expected some getting used to the new wheels and within 3 months post consolidation (7-8 months post op) I was fine squatting 315x8 times...(probably have the video somewhere because I remember I made it to show my doctor.)

Haha I know, if the risks and complications weren't an issue sure we could all be 6'5" (albeit with crappy proportions), but there are limitations and if people want to be taller and FUNCTIONAL it's important to respect those limits as you mentioned.

I have heard recently from an interested candidate that the surgeons have started implanting the nails subcapsularly for tibias (I haven't confirmed this yet) but if they do say, insert in lower quad fascia as it becomes patellar tendon that will get more blood flow, heal faster and avoids mid-knee instability as I had and potential tendonitis later on. Not sure yet but possibly?

Thanks for checking out the videos as I have more topics I want to cover and one of the big ones being getting athletic ability back and rebounding without complications as well as the before vs. after quality of life.

[TheAlchemist]

Cyborg4life great info brotha. I love that you are sharing tips on how to maximize recovery. A lot of people here become obsessed with getting pure height without weighing the risk factors and balancing out height gains and functionality. Looking forward to your content! 

[cyborg4life]

Cyborg4life great info brotha. I love that you are sharing tips on how to maximize recovery. A lot of people here become obsessed with getting pure height without weighing the risk factors and balancing out height gains and functionality. Looking forward to your content! 

Thanks my man! That's how I think of it, what's the point of buying a set of new wheels just for show without being able to take them for a spin.

In fact here's a video I did a 2.5 years after my procedure with PRECICE in 2012.



I'm glad see you had a great turnout with your Stryde LL procedure also.

[cam007]

Cyborg4life great info brotha. I love that you are sharing tips on how to maximize recovery. A lot of people here become obsessed with getting pure height without weighing the risk factors and balancing out height gains and functionality. Looking forward to your content!

Exactly!!!! Bro go read the section where they say full recovery and people start off by saying
“Full recovery varies by person and what they consider is full recovery”.

And I’m like wtf! No, full recovery means doing Pretty much ANYTHING you could’ve done had you not done the surgery.

Cyborgs video and a few others have shone when you stay within the “safer risk” zone by a reputable doctor , you are able to do pretty much anything you were doing before.

If you’re one of those max the cms per segment to get the most out of the surgery then No doesn’t look like you’re going to be okay lol.

Glad there’s still a few sane people on here. Lol.

[cam007]

Awesome man seems your research has served you well! Yeah beef gelatin pretty good bio-availability so that's a good one too...note taken.

Yeah so the unstable feeling was definitely a bit of pain at first but probably more so getting used to my lower leg being elevated and the left knee taking more force as it was equally distributed vs. before the torque from the height imbalance etc. But again, I expected some getting used to the new wheels and within 3 months post consolidation (7-8 months post op) I was fine squatting 315x8 times...(probably have the video somewhere because I remember I made it to show my doctor.)



Haha I know, if the risks and complications weren't an issue sure we could all be 6'5" (albeit with crappy proportions), but there are limitations and if people want to be taller and FUNCTIONAL it's important to respect those limits as you mentioned.

I have heard recently from an interested candidate that the surgeons have started implanting the nails subcapsularly for tibias (I haven't confirmed this yet) but if they do say, insert in lower quad fascia as it becomes patellar tendon that will get more blood flow, heal faster and avoids mid-knee instability as I had and potential tendonitis later on. Not sure yet but possibly?

Thanks for checking out the videos as I have more topics I want to cover and one of the big ones being getting athletic ability back and rebounding without complications as well as the before vs. after quality of life.

Man that’s dope to hear. Sounds like a real case of full recovery if you’re able to leg press over your body weight and move like that plus you have videos so no one can say this person didn’t heal/do it !
I’m going for the same amount 5cm-5.5cm.   I’m under 5’7 too. And as much as I’d love to stack on inches. Proportions and being able to enjoy the height with minimum pain/setbacks is definitely the goal. So hearing your story and seeing how my research is on the right track makes me feel a lot confident going Into this serious surgery

[Montreal172]

Its important to know the safe limit is not a number but a % of bone segment. 10% if optimal, 20% is upper limit.
So if you're tall at 5'8 chances are you can segment the same length as 5'2 guy much more easily.

[cam007]

Its important to know the safe limit is not a number but a % of bone segment. 10% if optimal, 20% is upper limit.
So if you're tall at 5'8 chances are you can segment the same length as 5'2 guy much more easily.

I believe the upper limit is 15-16% but yea technically you’re not wrong.
The reason informed people keep stating 5cm is becuase it’s really 4-6cm and the cosmetic surgery was usually Done for short stature . Which meant under 5’8.  So the average safe limit is 4-6cm on a 5’1-5’7 male.

That’s all I’ve see studies on so far.

[mangoman]

Hey Cyborg,

it would be interesting if you could talk about optimal nutrition for rehab and muscle protection during the required training break. Which calorie amounts? How much protein? Which supplements?

[cyborg4life]

Hey Cyborg,

it would be interesting if you could talk about optimal nutrition for rehab and muscle protection during the required training break. Which calorie amounts? How much protein? Which supplements?

Yeah gotta say that a lot of people are so worried about the potential complications that can occur but fail to realize with optimizing nutrition etc. it significantly lowers the chances of that happening.

So mangoman, to answer your question....

I made sure that I followed some rules I set out for myself (being a competitive drug-free bodybuilder) to retain muscle etc.

Water: 1 to 1.5 gallons/day

Protein: 200g+/day over course of 5 meals… 200/5=40g+ per meal. (again based on weight. When I went down for the surgery I was 175ish so I usually go for about 1 to 1.2g per lb of body weight.

Calorie-wise I was taking in about 2000-2200 per day some days lighter others more like on physical therapy or my wheelchair workouts.

Limit carbs and fats. Carbs 80-120g daily. Fats are incorporated naturally via protein or added via all natural peanut butter when carbs are very low.

Regarding the supplements here's the one's I took and recommend. I'll list them below...

-water (I did at least 1 gallon/day and up to 1.5...b/c it's water and helps the most)

-whey protein (usually breakfast and night snack before bed to bolster protein intake for accelerated healing)

-multi-vitamin (tons of important micro-nutrients and minerals that assist with bone healing. I went with a whole food variation: "Alive"

-Vitamin-C (for immunity but secondary effect is for collagen synthesis as in bone, skin, tendons, etc. soft tissue)

-Vitamin-D3 (this pro-hormone is a major key player in regulating optimal calcium levels for excellent bone repair not to mention etc.)

-Bone Maximizer w/ Collagen (MRM makes this and it has my secret MCHC (microcrystalline hydroxyapatite) which I found helps tremendously for bone repair.

-Calcium orotate (I did research and although studies were eh, I found that it is absorbed way better than even citrate and definitely carbonate variation.)

-Animal Flex joint complex (I still use it to this day with my heavy training and lifting. It helps a ton with joint integrity and the powdered variation has added collagen-can't go wrong there- for incision sites, tendon strength, even bone healing.)

-Fish Oil (EPA & DPA are really important for reducing joint inflammation, skin healing and even heart & brain function. However doctors may tell you not to take it along with the blood thinner they prescribe in distraction phase as too thin of blood could be an issue. During consolidation phase perfectly fine to take and up to 6g per day maybe more as I did

That's the bulk of what I took besides eating whole food meals etc. If I remember more I'll be sure to post.

[cam007]

Yeah gotta say that a lot of people are so worried about the potential complications that can occur but fail to realize with optimizing nutrition etc. it significantly lowers the chances of that happening.

So mangoman, to answer your question....

I made sure that I followed some rules I set out for myself (being a competitive drug-free bodybuilder) to retain muscle etc.

Water: 1 to 1.5 gallons/day

Protein: 200g+/day over course of 5 meals… 200/5=40g+ per meal. (again based on weight. When I went down for the surgery I was 175ish so I usually go for about 1 to 1.2g per lb of body weight.

Calorie-wise I was taking in about 2000-2200 per day some days lighter others more like on physical therapy or my wheelchair workouts.

Limit carbs and fats. Carbs 80-120g daily. Fats are incorporated naturally via protein or added via all natural peanut butter when carbs are very low.

Regarding the supplements here's the one's I took and recommend. I'll list them below...

-water (I did at least 1 gallon/day and up to 1.5...b/c it's water and helps the most)

-whey protein (usually breakfast and night snack before bed to bolster protein intake for accelerated healing)

-multi-vitamin (tons of important micro-nutrients and minerals that assist with bone healing. I went with a whole food variation: "Alive"

-Vitamin-C (for immunity but secondary effect is for collagen synthesis as in bone, skin, tendons, etc. soft tissue)

-Vitamin-D3 (this pro-hormone is a major key player in regulating optimal calcium levels for excellent bone repair not to mention etc.)

-Bone Maximizer w/ Collagen (MRM makes this and it has my secret MCHC (microcrystalline hydroxyapatite) which I found helps tremendously for bone repair.

-Calcium orotate (I did research and although studies were eh, I found that it is absorbed way better than even citrate and definitely carbonate variation.)

-Animal Flex joint complex (I still use it to this day with my heavy training and lifting. It helps a ton with joint integrity and the powdered variation has added collagen-can't go wrong there- for incision sites, tendon strength, even bone healing.)

-Fish Oil (EPA & DPA are really important for reducing joint inflammation, skin healing and even heart & brain function. However doctors may tell you not to take it along with the blood thinner they prescribe in distraction phase as too thin of blood could be an issue. During consolidation phase perfectly fine to take and up to 6g per day maybe more as I did

That's the bulk of what I took besides eating whole food meals etc. If I remember more I'll be sure to post.

This is some great advice
  Since I’m not a full time lurker anymore lol, Just replying to say appreciate the info cyborg.

[dreamingtall]

YO

Just wanted to let you guys know I am Matt from the podcast with Victor - I hope you know what I mean by this because it means you watched/explored the podcast he's trying to create. This isn't just blank noise...there are leaders in the industry who will be hearing about this so I would urge all of you to get online and share your story with victor. I just gave my first name.. Don't think you could identify me by that.
Can't stress this enough, bringing attention on his podcast isn't just about making pointless noise...this podcast will directly be shown to leaders in the medical industry.. leaders who don't have height nuerosis but are vigilant and aware of the disorder. I think possibly insurance benefits could come with making noise. Instead of all suffering in silence... we need to mobilize to bring costs down (which is the largest barrier)

[cyborg4life]

YO

Just wanted to let you guys know I am Matt from the podcast with Victor - I hope you know what I mean by this because it means you watched/explored the podcast he's trying to create. This isn't just blank noise...there are leaders in the industry who will be hearing about this so I would urge all of you to get online and share your story with victor. I just gave my first name.. Don't think you could identify me by that.
Can't stress this enough, bringing attention on his podcast isn't just about making pointless noise...this podcast will directly be shown to leaders in the medical industry.. leaders who don't have height nuerosis but are vigilant and aware of the disorder. I think possibly insurance benefits could come with making noise. Instead of all suffering in silence... we need to mobilize to bring costs down (which is the largest barrier)

Wasup Matt! Yeah guys, what I'm doing is sharing your stories via the Leg Lengthening Podcast (find it on Spotify) so that I can prove to other up and coming surgeons that this is a growing industry and hopefully lower a barrier of entry aka the costs in the US. Will it work, not sure, but I've made the podcast so your voices can go public bc although a forum like this is great for community and support, it can be hard for anyone on the "outside" to take you seriously.

For example, I've already touched base with Dr. M's staff and am planning on having him on in the coming weeks. (so feel free to post/send me questions, comments, topics you'd like me to voice)

I know it takes a ton of courage to come on to a podcast and share your story, trust me, (I still suck as a host -hoping to get better), but it really is the only way for people who don't have the financial means or mental readiness to undergo this rigorous yet life changing procedure.

Finally, I know a lot of people who get this LL surgery done will go on with their lives with no looking back, and they shouldn't, I can't foul them for it. But for me personally, I just couldn't walk away. This procedure literally changes my life daily because although it's nearly 8yrs later now, and even though I may not tell every stranger I see, I remember how painful it was (mentally & definitely physically) to walk around with that height imbalance and be only as tall as my shortest leg. Over the past 3 years ever since I went public with post about how LL helped me and Dr. M commented, I've decided to give back, share my story of how I went from Mr. Limp-in-his-walk to Mr. Crush-all-my goals-Confident including 2 world championship appearances in drug-free pro bodybuilding.

My point is, if you want to help me make a bigger change in the LL community, feel free to share your story whether you're in the camp of wanting to get LL surgery done or if you had it done and can shed some light for others vocally etc.

Rant over  lol

[cyborg4life]

This is some great advice
  Since I’m not a full time lurker anymore lol, Just replying to say appreciate the info cyborg.

Lol anytime my man!