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[StrydeNailChallenge]

Congrats SNC! staying tuned to the post removal updates 

Thanks Movie.

Definitely. I continue to report daily till full recovery and then I will continue to post whenever I have any major updates.

[Serilium]

snc i think the lack of corrosion its 100% due to you early removal good to know you wont have elevated chromium levels and stuff

i am still in shock that you removed your nail in month 8. thats a world record, especially for 8 cm lengthening. it wasnt 5cm, or 6cm, no no, it was EIGHT!

cheers snc

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Thurs., April 1: Nail Removal Surgery Day also Day 252  (8 months and 9 days) Post-CLL Surgery

....

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Friday, April 2: Day 1 Post-Nail Removal - Day 253  (8 months and 10 days) Post-CLL Surgery....

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Sat., April 3: Day 2 Post-Nail Removal - Day 254  (8 months and 11 days) Post-CLL

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Sun., April 4: Day 3 Post-Nail Removal - Day 255  (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL - Marking the official end of my CLL Challenge

I felt the improvement was exponential today from morning to night. By the evening time, I felt very confident that there was no chance my femurs or old screw areas would fracture, while walking. That allowed me to bring my gait to a 100% and walk fast. I have recorded a video of the evening walk and I'll post it soon. I overall walked for 3.7 miles today. By evening, I felt like I was back to my normal me like in pre-NailRemoval, or Pre-CLL times. 

Per post-surgery instructions, I removed the bandages and took a shower for the first time since the surgery day. The cuts seem to have healed much faster this time (than post-CLL).

I believe for the next 3 months or so, I will use safe ways (walking, safe stretching exercises) to build strength while not pushing it too far. I should then be good to resume intense exercises I used to do (biking, swimming, etc.)

I am going to stop reporting daily. However I will post whenever I have some major updates. I believe the next one would be on the coming Friday, after I'll have met Dr. M. for my post-removal visit.

Ladies and Gentlemen!
This officially marks my end of the CLL challenge. I would like to thank everyone in this forum who have inspired and guided me throughout the journey.

Cheers,
SNC

[Dreamer57]

Man I'm so happy for you..

Can't wait for you to post that video!

Kind request....

Please dont stop reporting ever.....



Not daily, bt say weekly?


A video per week?

[Tartar]

....


Sun., April 4: Day 3 Post-Nail Removal - Day 255  (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL - Marking the official end of my CLL Challenge

I felt the improvement was exponential today from morning to night. By the evening time, I felt very confident that there was no chance my femurs or old screw areas would fracture, while walking. That allowed me to bring my gait to a 100% and walk fast. I have recorded a video of the evening walk and I'll post it soon. I overall walked for 3.7 miles today. By evening, I felt like I was back to my normal me like in pre-NailRemoval, or Pre-CLL times. 

Per post-surgery instructions, I removed the bandages and took a shower for the first time since the surgery day. The cuts seem to have healed much faster this time (than post-CLL).

I believe for the next 3 months or so, I will use safe ways (walking, safe stretching exercises) to build strength while not pushing it too far. I should then be good to resume intense exercises I used to do (biking, swimming, etc.)

I am going to stop reporting daily. However I will post whenever I have some major updates. I believe the next one would be on the coming Friday, after I'll have met Dr. M. for my post-removal visit.

Ladies and Gentlemen!
This officially marks my end of the CLL challenge. I would like to thank everyone in this forum who have inspired and guided me throughout the journey.

Cheers,
SNC

Never seen a recovery as fast as yours. You are a true wolverine.

[InFullStryde]

Congrats, SNC.  You conquered yet another challenge!

On to the Next!

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Man I'm so happy for you..

Thanks man!

Can't wait for you to post that video!

Sorry it has taken long. I typically pass the videos to a friend who takes care of covering/blurring my face, etc. for privacy reasons. That friend got busy I will post it as soon as I get the video.

Kind request....

Please dont stop reporting ever.....

Not daily, bt say weekly?

A video per week?

If I know frequent videos would help, then why not. I am not sure I have material for weekly videos though In any case I will continue to monitor this forum and try to help out as much as I can with any tips, videos, etc. that I can offer.

SNC

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Never seen a recovery as fast as yours. You are a true wolverine.

Thanks Tartar!  I owe it partly to you and also many others. You guys helped me a lot, especially during distraction, with advice on stretching, pain management, etc.

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Congrats, SNC.  You conquered yet another challenge!

On to the Next!

Thanks very much IFS!  On to the Next

Cheers!

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Sorry I have not posted them yet. Dr. M. said he would have them cleaned. When I got them, I saw some stuff close to the edges and I assumed corrosion. However when I got home, and double checked them, I found out they were my own bone marrow. I am trying to carefully clean it such that I remove the bone marrow parts, but do not remove any corroded parts and make a high quality picture, so we all get some good perspective of how much corrosion occurs month 8 post-op.

In any case, I trust Dr. M. that at least in my case, even if there were any corrosion, I would not have any long term impacts, considering how my body has responded so far.

I finally got a chance to make a video on the nails. The vide appears below.

After carefully checking the nails to make sure not much bone marrow is still on the nails, I don't see any sign of corrosion/rusting.

I see one of the Stryde nails as a few millimeters longer. That must be the one for my left femur. I had already noted in my diary that I went to max (of 8cm) on left, but 7.97 mm or so on the right; as my right femur was a bit longer than my left pre-op. The longer left Stryde seems to have a design pattern towards the end. In the video I point at it. That does not show on the right one, cause I did not max the right out, so it must be inside the nail.

Just because I don't see corrosion/rusting does not mean there cannot be.

Please check the pictures that Azman had provided on his corroded Stryde nails. In fact Dr. M. had also told me that they see rusting/corrosion, on Stryde nails when they remove the nails. I hope the recall finds any issues including rusting related and resolves them.

However rusting/corrosion must be a function of time, as well as some parameters related to the patient's body (chemical, etc.). It just happens that perhaps in my case there was no rusting/corrosion. 

Let me know if you have any comments, or questions.

My Final Visit with Dr. M. on Friday, April 9

Dear CLL'ers,

I had my final appointment (8 days after Nail-Removal on April 1st) today. Dr. M. said no x-ray was necessary, as he took some x-rays after the surgery and everything looked great. They removed the stitches.

I asked whether I could resume stretching sooner than 3 months, e.g., some right away. He said absolutely! He said I need to be careful with moves that put a lot of pressure on legs (such as intense running or jumping), but he said while being careful, I could resume jogging and stretching.

It was a short meeting, but towards the end Dr. M. asked whether I got the nails. I said I did. Then I told him that after carefully checking the nails, I found the minimal spots that we had thought to be corroded, were really bone marrow. However Dr. M., was certain they were NOT bone marrow, and they were indeed corrosion!!!   He said, his staff were careful in cleaning and what I saw, though minimal, was corrosion. He however repeated that I should not worry at all about that minimal corrosion, considering how my body has healed.


The few tiny spots I had cleaned were all at the edges where the nail lengthens. I used a wet napkin and my nails at times to remove those parts, assuming corroded parts cannot come off using a wet napkin and a push of my nail     I am very sorry for making that assumption and concluding my nails had no corrosion; and possibly giving some false hope to all of us that corrosion can be at zero, if someone removed their nails very early.

I hope this news does not scare any of those who still have the Stryde nails. I think we soon would get better information regarding the recall, and whether corrosion is a major concern (e.g., resulting in cancer), but I am very confident based on my discussions with Dr. M., and quickly checking a couple articles that we should not worry about the level of corrosion we may get if our CLL process went well, and we removed our nails within a few years,   

SNC

[itseasy]

The stryde nail is gonna be fine. I’m not so worried about my corrosion if it’s there. I do more damage to my body with McDonalds and Starbucks....trust me!!! Breathing the fresh smog in downtown LA is more dangerous...lol.

[StrydeNailChallenge]

The stryde nail is gonna be fine. I’m not so worried about my corrosion if it’s there. I do more damage to my body with McDonalds and Starbucks....trust me!!! Breathing the fresh smog in downtown LA is more dangerous...lol.

Hey itseasy,
Good to hear from you!  I am generally an optimistic and agree with you. Also Dr. M. has repeatedly tried to assure me that the risk (of corrosion or generally the recall findings) in my case is zero.

However I know some of us may wonder whether in the worst case there is a bit of corroded metal left inside bones, and then at some point that creates the body defense system to react and somehow enforce a surgery (for treatment), or even worse, to create cancer. Most likely the chance of both is zero, but I hope the recall findings shed some light on this.

All said, you are correct that the things we do on a daily basis (such as eating fast/restaurant food, drinking heavily, smoking stuff, breathing the city air, and long durations of sun exposure) result in serious issues in the long term.

SNC

[itseasy]

Im curious to know if the same surgical metal used Stryde is the same used in other rods used in typical treatments like the standard broken bones or hip or knee replacements. I even wonder if some of the cheaper Lizarov method external frames and rods made in other countries (where maybe they don’t have gnarly FDA rules) were manufactured from subpar materials. I would have thought that some bad effects would have been reported from those as well in regards to symptoms decades after use.

Also, wasn’t stryde used in cases for length discrepancies before cosmetic reasons? I wonder if there is additional data on that as well. In any case, I’m optimistic that it will be ok in the end. The cure of the night neurosis is pretty major from this procedure.

[6CMFemurs]

@ ItsEasy: I am sure STRYDE became the go-to for discrepancy cases once it hit the market, however, I am pretty sure it was primarily developed as a full weight-bearing competitor to the Betz and Albizza nail for cosmetic leg lengthening. The titanium Precice nails have a long track record of success and honestly, if you are only lengthening one leg for a discrepancy, the need for WB over 75 lbs is a lot less.

[StrydeNailChallenge]

My Final Visit with Dr. M. on Friday, April 9


....Today on April 8 (8 days Post-Nail-Removal which was on April 1st) I had my final appointment with Dr. M.
...

I had felt I was back to normal by Day 3 post-nail-removal, i.e., Day 255  (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL. However to be safe, I had decided to focus on walking only for 3 months and postpone jogging, stretching and other activities by 3 months. However Dr. M. gave me the green light on jogging and stretching, but he wanted me to not do any crazy stuff, e.g., no intense running for 3 months.

Having Dr. M.'s approval I resumed my stretching exercises today. I am glad I don't need to wait for 3 months on them!

I also walked for 6.4 miles today. which is close to my average daily walks (of 6.1 miles before the surgery).

I hope this helps.

[Serilium]

Hi SNC

you walk more than i have walked ever and i didnt even do LL yet 

glad you are approved to jog brotha

also i want to say it migth be a good idea to get an xray for fun, maybe possible unknown fracture. you did remove nail quite early perhaps world record so if it's not too costly to get an xray in a few months or get one with insurance (just call pcp and say you hurt ur femurs both of em, easy xray script thru online they dont care) and potentially that may see if your activity is still keeping femur safe

good job cheers

[Going-For-Three]

Im curious to know if the same surgical metal used Stryde is the same used in other rods used in typical treatments like the standard broken bones or hip or knee replacements.

I believe Debiparshad said that the material (Biodur 108 stainless steel) is used in multiple orthopedic devices, many of which are still on the market.

[itseasy]

I believe Debiparshad said that the material (Biodur 108 stainless steel) is used in multiple orthopedic devices, many of which are still on the market.

Ahh, that is good to know!!!

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Hi SNC

you walk more than i have walked ever and i didnt even do LL yet 

glad you are approved to jog brotha

also i want to say it migth be a good idea to get an xray for fun, maybe possible unknown fracture. you did remove nail quite early perhaps world record so if it's not too costly to get an xray in a few months or get one with insurance (just call pcp and say you hurt ur femurs both of em, easy xray script thru online they dont care) and potentially that may see if your activity is still keeping femur safe

good job cheers

Thanks very much Serilium for the kind words and also the x-ray suggestion.

I was planning to do an x-ray in a couple weeks, cause Dr. M. said the x-rays right after removal looked great, and I have not yet done anything crazy that could create a fracture. Now that I am back to normal in terms of walking and stretching exercises, I think x-rays in a couple weeks would show the impact. I am hopeful there would be no fracture, but I am curious whether the screw and nail spots would be filled up in a couple weeks. I will report the results as soon as I have the x-rays.

[Want-3-inches]

Do they protect your man parts with a shield during x-rays?

[FSchez]

Hi SNC!
I'm glad of your speedy recovery. I have some questions because I am in the process of distraction and I want to know if I am on the right track ...
Now I have 6 cm long and I want to reach 8 cm.
By the way, I'm also an athlete and I've lost all the muscle in my ass ... I think it's inevitable ...
The last few days I have started to feel discomfort in my knees and hips from trying to walk with my legs together and my back straight.
During the end of the distraction, could you walk with your back completely straight? I try to walk without putting my ass out, but it seems almost impossible to do so and if I try to walk with my back straight my legs separate and my lower back hurts ...
Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks!!

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Do they protect your man parts with a shield during x-rays?

  I remember in Dr. M.'s office for the front side x-ray of femur they covered my other leg and my General     However for the side view they said covering would not work!  I plan to call myself Anesthesia if my General drops or something

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Hi SNC!
I'm glad of your speedy recovery. I have some questions because I am in the process of distraction and I want to know if I am on the right track ...
Now I have 6 cm long and I want to reach 8 cm.
By the way, I'm also an athlete and I've lost all the muscle in my ass ... I think it's inevitable ...

Hi FSchez,
Thanks.  In my case, I got my ass back almost as quickly as I lost it!! and even better, thanks to the stretching and walking I believe my ass and legs are heavier and stronger    so no worries, you'll get it back soon during consolidation!

The last few days I have started to feel discomfort in my knees and hips from trying to walk with my legs together and my back straight.
During the end of the distraction, could you walk with your back completely straight? I try to walk without putting my ass out, but it seems almost impossible to do so and if I try to walk with my back straight my legs separate and my lower back hurts ...
Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks!!

I could always walk with my back straight, however overall the gait looked very strange. I don't think you should worry about it. As long as your doctor is okay with it, then just continue to do as much stretching as you can. There would be exponential improvement during consolidation.

[StrydeNailChallenge]

....

Sun., April 4: Day 3 Post-Nail Removal - Day 255  (8 months and 12 days) Post-CLL - Marking the official end of my CLL Challenge

I felt the improvement was exponential today from morning to night. By the evening time, I felt very confident that there was no chance my femurs or old screw areas would fracture, while walking. That allowed me to bring my gait to a 100% and walk fast. I have recorded a video of the evening walk and I'll post it soon. I overall walked for 3.7 miles today. By evening, I felt like I was back to my normal me like in pre-NailRemoval, or Pre-CLL times. 
Per post-surgery instructions, I removed the bandages and took a shower for the first time since the surgery day. The cuts seem to have healed much faster this time (than post-CLL).
....

Man I'm so happy for you..

Can't wait for you to post that video!

Kind request....

Please dont stop reporting ever.....



Not daily, bt say weekly?


A video per week?

This is the video of my Day 3 Post-Nail-Removal (also Day 255 Post-CLL). Sorry the quality of video is not that great, but I hope gait is visible enough:



Towards the end I show my daily walks. Day 3 post-removal: 3 miles (I ended up going 3.7 miles by the end of the day), Day 2: 1.8 miles, Day 1: 1.8, Stryde-Removal Day: 0.8 miles and a few before the  surgery which averaged in 2021 as 6.1 miles.

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Mon., April 12: Day 11 Post-Nail Removal - Day 263  (8 months and 20 days) Post-CLL

Per Dr. M.'s approval I have started soft jogging. This is a video of my slow jogging and walking, I took 11 days after Stryde removal:




I think the level (in terms of speed, strength and confidence) I am currently at, is similar to December 2020 times (Month 4 post-CLL). I hope to quickly get to my pre-stryde-removal time in March and hopefully better.

[Serilium]

This is the video of my Day 3 Post-Nail-Removal (also Day 255 Post-CLL). Sorry the quality of video is not that great, but I hope gait is visible enough:



Towards the end I show my daily walks. Day 3 post-removal: 3 miles (I ended up going 3.7 miles by the end of the day), Day 2: 1.8 miles, Day 1: 1.8, Stryde-Removal Day: 0.8 miles and a few before the  surgery which averaged in 2021 as 6.1 miles.

Walking with swagger I see. congrats

[FSchez]

Hi FSchez,
Thanks.  In my case, I got my ass back almost as quickly as I lost it!! and even better, thanks to the stretching and walking I believe my ass and legs are heavier and stronger    so no worries, you'll get it back soon during consolidation!


I could always walk with my back straight, however overall the gait looked very strange. I don't think you should worry about it. As long as your doctor is okay with it, then just continue to do as much stretching as you can. There would be exponential improvement during consolidation.

Thank you very much for responding so soon!!
I hope that one day soon I can regain my walking and my leg muscles. I would be very happy if I recover as fast as you, although I know that it is very difficult I will try, I also like challenges, I am quite competitive ...
By the way, it seems incredible that you had surgery less than a year ago after seeing the video running after the extraction of your nails ...
Good job my friend !!

[Movie]

Looking excellent for 11 day post removal! small swaying on hips with the jog but that's to be expected walk is good 100% though normal people probably wouldn't suspect a thing on your gait at this stage, incredible 

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Walking with swagger I see. congrats

Thanks very much Serilium!

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Thank you very much for responding so soon!!
I hope that one day soon I can regain my walking and my leg muscles. I would be very happy if I recover as fast as you, although I know that it is very difficult I will try, I also like challenges, I am quite competitive ...
By the way, it seems incredible that you had surgery less than a year ago after seeing the video running after the extraction of your nails ...
Good job my friend !!

You are welcome FSchez and thanks so much for the kind words.

[StrydeNailChallenge]

Looking excellent for 11 day post removal! small swaying on hips with the jog but that's to be expected walk is good 100% though normal people probably wouldn't suspect a thing on your gait at this stage, incredible 

Hi Movie,
Thanks a lot for stopping by and the kind words