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[Stryde2021]

Hi everyone,

I did stryde femurs last year with Dr. Conway in Baltimore.  For a while I did not have interest in writing a diary.  But there are no diaries for her on this forum, and that's a shame.  So i want to fix that.

I chose Dr. Conway because of a combination of several factors:
First, she is extremely experienced and has an army of knowledgeable PAs, residents, and fellows (not to mention Dr. Assayag, who is at the same hospital) to help you through this surgery.  I knew I was in very good hands, and that if for some reason I could not reach Dr. Conway, there would be many other people available to help me.
Second, it was very clear from the start what rate I would pay for this surgery (unlike with Rozbruch, for example), and the rate is on the affordable end of the U.S.-surgeon spectrum. 
Third, there is an outpatient physical therapy clinic in her hospital with many therapists who are highly knowledgeable about this procedure.  The facility also has many devices and other features that help greatly with LL rehab, but which you will not find at an ordinary physical therapy facility.  I cannot emphasize this factor enough.  It is almost impossible to find a physical therapist who is familiar with this procedure.  And even if they are given instructions by your doctor, it is very possible that they will serve you poorly.
Fourth, LL patients are able to stay at an apartment-building-like facility that is right on the hospital campus for an incredibly low nightly rate.  (there were 5 CLL patients there at one point in my jounney; some for Dr. Assayag and some for Conway).  This allows you to stay close to both Dr. Conway and also the fabulous outpatient PT facility for as long as you want, for only a tiny additional cost.
Fifth, although you can easily stay close for the duration of your lengthening, there is no requirement that you do so (unlike with Paley).

All of the surgery-related aspects of my procedure went very well.  I woke up with almost no pain, and there were no surgical complications.  I am also very content with the size of my scars.  In the first few weeks after my surgery, Dr. Conway and her team were extremely responsive to my questions and needs (including, for example, having to switch up my pain meds a few times to find something that worked well on a daily basis).  I am now well into recovery and never experienced any major complications, and my bone is healing as well as can be expected.

The other thing I would like to provide as a warning is that everyone's body responds differently to this procedure.  God unfortunately granted me a body that was very tightly wound and inflexible even before surgery.  And let me tell you--I experienced some NASTY tightness during my process.  I stopped at 5.5cm because of a combination of tightness and a need to get back to my daily life.  The tightness also prevented me from ever walking unassisted during my lengthening.   All things considered, I probably experienced worse tightness than any other stryde diary on this forum.  If you had told me before the procedure that I would go through all of the lengthening without being able to walk unassisted I would've said that's crazy because almost every stryde diary describes walking unassisted sometime in the middle of the lengthening process.  Movie was even going to clubs! And MyEvolution was hanging out on yachts!  But, as I discovered, that was all unthinkable for me.  For a stryde patient, I was extremely limited physically, even though I was very devoted to physical therapy.   If I could go back and do it all over I probably would've spent my entire days--literally, 10 or so hours at a time--with my body positioned in very specific positions that would give me a continuous, passive stretch. 

If you have any questions I am happy to answer.  My main intent with this thread is to let people know about a very good option for this surgery that seems to have flown under the radar. 

Cheers

[Bantem]

What was your starting height? Also what was the cost?

[Stryde2021]

I’d rather not disclose starting height, but let’s say a bit above average as a starting height for this forum. Cost approx 80k

[HeightGain]

Great to hear you have finished lengthening. Sorry to hear it was a difficult experience. Any passive stretches in particular that you recommend? Which muscles did you find were particularly tight?

[Stryde2021]

ALL of them!  Hah.  Hamstrings were the worst.

If I could go back in time with what I know now,  I’d lay supine on a bed or massage board for many hours at a time with my legs dangling off the end at the knee. You really feel this in the hamstrings, and as I understand it it’s helpful for hips too.

Sleeping positions is another place where you can really help yourself.  But I struggled with willpower to sacrifice sleep in order to get good (but uncomfortable) positioning

[VeteranLL]

How much did you lengthen?

[Bantem]

One more question, was the $80k just the surgery or did that include the cost of living as well?

[Stryde2021]

Surgery, initial hospital stay, and 1 or 2 other minor things

[Jamesy998]

How much did you lengthen?

Read his description, 5.5cm.

[Shadow91]

You point out something that people tend to not understand. Everyone's body react differently to this type of surgery. Some dont experience alot of tightness and slow bonegrowth for an example. But some do and that doesnt mean that you are in a worlds of problems now, you just have to work a little more than the rest. Guys/Girls if the operation went well and you have a good experienced doctor with a good team+stryde/precise implant and no complications, be grateful!

[Shadow91]

Btw ,Thank you for coming to the forum and sharing your story. 5,5 cm is still significant, good work and good luck to everything!

[Masteryourlife]

Any update ?
I'm a future stryde or nitinail (hopefully 9n 2023) patient and I rarely see 6 cm or less or lengthening.
All talk about 8cm and they prolonged recovery so wish I could get an idea of what it looks like at 5month post-OP for a Stryde patient with 5.5 cm .
At what time tou walk was normal ?

[Stryde2021]

Any update ?
I'm a future stryde or nitinail (hopefully 9n 2023) patient and I rarely see 6 cm or less or lengthening.
All talk about 8cm and they prolonged recovery so wish I could get an idea of what it looks like at 5month post-OP for a Stryde patient with 5.5 cm .
At what time tou walk was normal ?

It was probably more like 6cm (X-Rays at the end of lengthening/beginning of consolidation conflicted--but the last ones I got said 6).

Walk was largely unnoticeable about 6 months post-op.  For probably another 3 months, it was noticeable only if I was poorly rested/walking extended distances. 

A year+ out, my strength is very good, but my flexibility is still lagging.  Remember, though, I stopped at 5.5/6 because my flexibility was uniquely bad.  That's probably because i had too much leg muscle. Whatever the reason,  I'm probably not a good barometer for how most people would recover.

[Masteryourlife]

It was probably more like 6cm (X-Rays at the end of lengthening/beginning of consolidation conflicted--but the last ones I got said 6).

Walk was largely unnoticeable about 6 months post-op.  For probably another 3 months, it was noticeable only if I was poorly rested/walking extended distances. 

A year+ out, my strength is very good, but my flexibility is still lagging.  Remember, though, I stopped at 5.5/6 because my flexibility was uniquely bad.  That's probably because i had too much leg muscle. Whatever the reason,  I'm probably not a good barometer for how most people would recover.

Thank you for your answers,  what about 4 months post-OP?
Could you walk unassisted pain-free ?
Was it hard ?
Any limp that might be noticable to u but not much to others ?
I'm making all those questions because Hopefully there will be a new wb nail in 2023 but I have a really important event that year towards the end ,that I would love to enjoy and therefore do LL prior to it .
So to have an idea of the timeline for a normal and comfortable walk would help greatly .
It's more like...at 6 months you walked perfectly normal but what about 4 n 5 month post op?
Pain wise ?
Gait wise ?
Sorry for making too many questions ahah

[Stryde2021]

Everyone is different man.

There are people who did 8cm on Stryde who walked pretty cleanly at 4 months.  Plenty of those diaries, with videos, on these forums.  But for me the 4 month mark walking was not even close to clean.  I could do it, but it was obvious to everyone that something was wrong. 

Walking pain, on the other hand, was never significant after lengthening ended.  It was more like a strain, like a very repetitive light leg press that eventually wore you down. 

[Masteryourlife]

Everyone is different man.

There are people who did 8cm on Stryde who walked pretty cleanly at 4 months.  Plenty of those diaries, with videos, on these forums.  But for me the 4 month mark walking was not even close to clean.  I could do it, but it was obvious to everyone that something was wrong. 

Walking pain, on the other hand, was never significant after lengthening ended.  It was more like a strain, like a very repetitive light leg press that eventually wore you down.

Thank you for your clarification.

I know that everyone responds differently but we are a small community and we just read and read n read but we don't get an  actuall idea of what this surgery is .
When I think about it I imagine tremendous pain, me laying in bed all day sore and fatigued..bored,sometimes regretting it ,worried for eventual complications and with constant anxiety of when pain will kick .
On the other hand I remember that it's a sugery but I'm still a functional human being especially with stryde ,therefore first weeks ok I would be less mobile but all in all ,form might not be the best but in a relative quick period of time I will be able to stand , maybe go with crutches somewhere , watch a movie , chat , laugh , talk .
I try to be prepared mentally more then anything therefore I try to understand where were people who did something similar to my goal at different stages of the surgery a d how they felt .

Thanks for taking the time to answear

[Siegfried]

Thank you for your clarification.

I know that everyone responds differently but we are a small community and we just read and read n read but we don't get an  actuall idea of what this surgery is .
When I think about it I imagine tremendous pain, me laying in bed all day sore and fatigued..bored,sometimes regretting it ,worried for eventual complications and with constant anxiety of when pain will kick .
On the other hand I remember that it's a sugery but I'm still a functional human being especially with stryde ,therefore first weeks ok I would be less mobile but all in all ,form might not be the best but in a relative quick period of time I will be able to stand , maybe go with crutches somewhere , watch a movie , chat , laugh , talk .
I try to be prepared mentally more then anything therefore I try to understand where were people who did something similar to my goal at different stages of the surgery a d how they felt .

Thanks for taking the time to answer

Maybe my experience can calm your mind a little. I'm currently 2 months femur post op with precice 2 and was able to go off all pain medication 4 weeks after surgery. However Im not lengthening as much, as my goal is only 5cm - Im currently at 4.3cm.

From my experience and based on the diaries I read, pre surgery flexibility is the best indicator on how tight you will be during lengthening.

Only the first 2 weeks were very uncomfortable pain-wise, but very manageable with the right medication.

[Masteryourlife]

Maybe my experience can calm your mind a little. I'm currently 2 months femur post op with precice 2 and was able to go off all pain medication 4 weeks after surgery. However Im not lengthening as much, as my goal is only 5cm - Im currently at 4.3cm.

From my experience and based on the diaries I read, pre surgery flexibility is the best indicator on how tight you will be during lengthening.

Only the first 2 weeks were very uncomfortable pain-wise, but very manageable with the right medication.

My goal is 6 cm femurs so Its on the conservative side as well .
What would you consider a reasonable flexibility ?
I can touch the ground with my fingers but not palms or anything like that .
What are your thoughts ?

I read your diary as well btw and I plan to go with dr.Thaller which if I'm not mistaking you had a consolation with him too at first but then went with Kohne.

[Siegfried]

Let’s put it this way, I did yoga about 2-3 a week for a year before surgery, which helped a lot. Can’t stress enough how important pre surgery flexibility is. If you can put your palms on the ground that would be a good sign.

Thaller is a good guy, just not that interested in cosmetic surgeries and absolutely overbooked and hard to get in touch with.

[Masteryourlife]

Let’s put it this way, I did yoga about 2-3 a week for a year before surgery, which helped a lot. Can’t stress enough how important pre surgery flexibility is. If you can put your palms on the ground that would be a good sign.

Thaller is a good guy, just not that interested in cosmetic surgeries and absolutely overbooked and hard to get in touch with.

Ye I booked an online consultation with him but they are not responsive at emails.
I like that he is not intrested in CLL because I'm looking for a competent doctor ,not a business man .
I will probably struggle more with him in terms of contacting and booking but I believe it's worth it .
Thanks for sharing your experience/thoughts