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[Eye2eyepls]

It's hard to describe but now that I am 6 weeks post surgery, it sort of feels like constant discomfort in the form of sore legs rather than pain. There are times when I will have some sharp pain in a particular area of the leg that feels like a painful cramp or when the medication wears off, but for the most part after the surgical pains are gone, it's more so the constant discomfort that wears on you mentally. But there is rarely acute pain.

Thanks mate!

-Walking without crutches is doable but only for small distances due to a tight IT band and weak/atrophied glutes. I am going to work more on my unassisted walk when I am out of quarantine but right now it has sort of regressed and is still very penguin like so I use crutches majority of the time. I flew home and it was a very tough flight because of how far I had to fly home lol but I got there in the end.

-In Germany I did a combination of professional PT and my own PT. Now that I am home I plan to do professional PT 2/3 times per week and the rest on my own.

-I have just resumed working remotely again from quarantine. I work in business/sales for a large company and run my own business on the side. It's doable to work remotely but my focus has been really poor due to the medication and constant discomfort.

-There would be additional costs if the complication required additional surgery so barring an additional surgery everything is included in the original price.

Hey RB! I've been reading your story and I'm wondering how was your experience with Dr. Betz in general? Would you say he's actually that good as people say?

[maxheight35]

Thanks for the reply RB!

One more question: why are you only doing 3” instead of 4-5” as Betz allows each nail to go up to 4.92”. Do you think maybe you’ll change ur mind as you get closer to the original lengthening goal?

[RB]

Hey RB! I've been reading your story and I'm wondering how was your experience with Dr. Betz in general? Would you say he's actually that good as people say?

Hey mate,

My experience with Betz so far has been great. He's very thorough and is always available to answer questions via phone/WhatsApp now that I am back home. People on this forum have mixed opinions / experiences with Betz but for me so far he has been awesome. At the end of the day he is one of the most experienced LL surgeons in the world so you would be in good hands with him.

Thanks for the reply RB!

One more question: why are you only doing 3” instead of 4-5” as Betz allows each nail to go up to 4.92”. Do you think maybe you’ll change ur mind as you get closer to the original lengthening goal?

Doing 4-5" on one segment would simply be too risky in my opinion in terms of complications and would look a bit weird proportion wise. 3 inches is a huge visual gain so I hope I can even get to that. Even Betz advised not to exceed 9/10cm despite the nail being able to go to 12.5cm. At this stage, I won't go above 8cm.

[LLSouthAmerica]

Hi RB, good luck on your journey. Wish you the best. If possible, please look at your messages, I would like to ask you a few questions.

[chasing_higher_dream]

Hey RB.

    How's it going mate? Long time no update. Is everything okay?

     - Also, how is your pain and flexibility so far?
     - Do you do stretches on your own?
     - How many times in a day and for how long do you do the stretches?

     I presume you must be somewhere around 5 cm by now!
     Eagerly waiting for you progress update

[RB]

Hey RB.

    How's it going mate? Long time no update. Is everything okay?

     - Also, how is your pain and flexibility so far?
     - Do you do stretches on your own?
     - How many times in a day and for how long do you do the stretches?

     I presume you must be somewhere around 5 cm by now!
     Eagerly waiting for you progress update

Hey man,

I’m doing well! I’m at about 4.6cm as I slowed down clicking to 15 per day but I will provide an update at 5cm. Overall going well but been quite busy with work and lengthening that I haven’t updated.

-I don’t have much pain anymore apart from some slight nerve pain in the right shin which I am taking pregabalin for. It has helped slightly.

-I am doing stretches on my own but am starting PT again tomorrow for these last few cm’s.

-I stretch 3 times per day and do 2/3 stretches per muscles group each time, holding them for 30-40 seconds each and quite intense of a stretch.

Will provide another update in a few days

[RB]

62 days post-surgery - 5.05cm taller

Hey guys,

Apologies for the lack of an update, been so busy with lengthening and work and the days just sort of blend into one.

I have officially hit the 5cm mark! It took a while longer as I slowed down to 15 clicks per day (0.78mm) somewhere after 3.5cm but it turned out to be a great decision as I have less discomfort and tightness. It will take longer to reach my goal but I'm ok with that if it means an easier process.

Things have been more or less positive since my last update, especially since getting out of quarantine and clicking has now become totally painless to the point where I don't even have to warm up my muscles anymore. I prefer to do 7 clicks in the morning and 8 clicks in the afternoon as it results in less tightness and aching afterwards and the fact that it is now painless makes it easy to click at anytime without extensive muscle stretching and warming up.

The negatives: it hasn't all been smooth sailing and one of the more annoying issues I am dealing with is nerve pain/numbness in the right shin. It isn't all that bad yet but the numbness is quite annoying and I will occasionally get burning sensations/pains throughout the day/night. I have started taking pregabalin for it (generic version of Lyrica) and I'm not sure if it is working yet as they say it can take up to 2 weeks to take effect. The wide legs are still there but they have come in quite significantly when using the crutches. When walking unassisted they are still quite wide but since I was able to bring them in on the crutches, I am confident that the more I walk unassisted, the sooner they will close in. Unfortunately I have also developed slight duck ass due to tight hips and weak glutes. It isn't extreme or very noticeable yet but it's definitely there so I am working with my physio to combat that. Sleep is also slightly better but there are nights when I struggle to get more than 4-5 hours still.

Sometimes the mental side of things can get to you and you feel like stopping but whenever that happens I remember my struggles of being short and how much I hated it and it helps me push on. LL is such a tough, constantly changing process that you will have days where you feel great and can't believe you are getting taller and then you have days where you ask yourself why you are putting yourself through this which is why it is so important to keep visualising the end goal.

The good news is that apart from the nerve pains, I have no other pains and the only thing reminding me that I have done LL is the muscle weakness and tightness. I know that things will get tighter as I complete this next cm and reach 6 but I am excited to push on and hit my goal of 7. I am now really starting to notice the height increase as I am noticeably taller than my gf and dad (I was the same height as both prior to surgery) and I generally just feel taller when walking around. I am confident I will notice it even more when I resolve the wide legs and duck ass. At this point I am unsure if I will go past 7 as that will result in a quicker and better recovery than going to 8 but I will decide when I get there. 7cm still gets me to 170cm which is crazy to even think about. I can't believe in less than 2cm I will be 5'7. It truly is a lifetime dream coming true but I know I still have a lot of work to get there and in recovery.

Here is my x-ray from about 3.9/4cm. Dr. Betz said everything looks great and that bone formation is looking strong.

https://ibb.co/2SZMQ2M

As always, feel free to ask any questions!

[DonBones]

62 days post-surgery - 5.05cm taller

Hey guys,

Apologies for the lack of an update, been so busy with lengthening and work and the days just sort of blend into one.

I have officially hit the 5cm mark! It took a while longer as I slowed down to 15 clicks per day (0.78mm) somewhere after 3.5cm but it turned out to be a great decision as I have less discomfort and tightness. It will take longer to reach my goal but I'm ok with that if it means an easier process.

Things have been more or less positive since my last update, especially since getting out of quarantine and clicking has now become totally painless to the point where I don't even have to warm up my muscles anymore. I prefer to do 7 clicks in the morning and 8 clicks in the afternoon as it results in less tightness and aching afterwards and the fact that it is now painless makes it easy to click at anytime without extensive muscle stretching and warming up.

The negatives: it hasn't all been smooth sailing and one of the more annoying issues I am dealing with is nerve pain/numbness in the right shin. It isn't all that bad yet but the numbness is quite annoying and I will occasionally get burning sensations/pains throughout the day/night. I have started taking pregabalin for it (generic version of Lyrica) and I'm not sure if it is working yet as they say it can take up to 2 weeks to take effect. The wide legs are still there but they have come in quite significantly when using the crutches. When walking unassisted they are still quite wide but since I was able to bring them in on the crutches, I am confident that the more I walk unassisted, the sooner they will close in. Unfortunately I have also developed slight duck ass due to tight hips and weak glutes. It isn't extreme or very noticeable yet but it's definitely there so I am working with my physio to combat that. Sleep is also slightly better but there are nights when I struggle to get more than 4-5 hours still.

Sometimes the mental side of things can get to you and you feel like stopping but whenever that happens I remember my struggles of being short and how much I hated it and it helps me push on. LL is such a tough, constantly changing process that you will have days where you feel great and can't believe you are getting taller and then you have days where you ask yourself why you are putting yourself through this which is why it is so important to keep visualising the end goal.

The good news is that apart from the nerve pains, I have no other pains and the only thing reminding me that I have done LL is the muscle weakness and tightness. I know that things will get tighter as I complete this next cm and reach 6 but I am excited to push on and hit my goal of 7. I am now really starting to notice the height increase as I am noticeably taller than my gf and dad (I was the same height as both prior to surgery) and I generally just feel taller when walking around. I am confident I will notice it even more when I resolve the wide legs and duck ass. At this point I am unsure if I will go past 7 as that will result in a quicker and better recovery than going to 8 but I will decide when I get there. 7cm still gets me to 170cm which is crazy to even think about. I can't believe in less than 2cm I will be 5'7. It truly is a lifetime dream coming true but I know I still have a lot of work to get there and in recovery.

Here is my x-ray from about 3.9/4cm. Dr. Betz said everything looks great and that bone formation is looking strong.

https://ibb.co/2SZMQ2M

As always, feel free to ask any questions!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Huge achievement, especially considering that you have travelled across the globe, spent two weeks quarantined and are working while going through this. Respect and well done!

Also, what you said above is so true, and not just for the lengthening process itself but for everything that comes before that as well, such as the periods when one has to save up for it, when loved ones question our intentions or when the fears begin to creep in before the surgery. It's always important to remember why we're doing this.

[las vegas baby]

betz makes the cleanest bone breaks. his xrays look ... NEAT. meant to be framed and displayed on the wall.

[hanshi]

betz makes the cleanest bone breaks. his xrays look ... NEAT. meant to be framed and displayed on the wall.

That's because he uses a saw. Most other surgeons use an osteotome. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages.

[chasing_higher_dream]

Congrats RB, you are almost there! All these pains and efforts will surely pay off.

Also, your x-rays look so clean. The callus formation is also very excellent. I am happy that your are progressing well.

[Future Skycraper]

Congrats!! Keep it up! You're brave!

[RB]

@DonBones

Thank you for the kind words! So true mate. It's crazy how much dedication this process requires before, during and after surgery. I can't think of any other surgery / enhancement that requires so much time, money and discipline even before the surgery actually takes place.

@las vegas baby

Yeah that it true, I've noticed from several Betz x-rays that the break tends to be very clean and the alignment of the nail is usually quite straight.

@chasing_higher_dream

Thanks man! I'm looking forward to following your journey soon as well!

@Future Skycraper

Thanks man appreciate it!

[Zatoichi]

Hi RB,

Great to read of your successful progress. It all looks fantastic - inspiring stuff!

In addition to stretches etc., are you using any other instruments as part of your process (e.g.; ESWT, TENS, ultrasound etc.)?

[RB]

Hi RB,

Great to read of your successful progress. It all looks fantastic - inspiring stuff!

In addition to stretches etc., are you using any other instruments as part of your process (e.g.; ESWT, TENS, ultrasound etc.)?

Thanks man!

I use a massage gun sometimes and my physio has used acupuncture to release tightness but haven’t used things like electric therapy etc it all looks very interesting though and I may ask my physio about using them.

[Serilium]

That's because he uses a saw. Most other surgeons use an osteotome. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages.

meanwhile Guichet uses his ffkin hands to karate chop the bone   

[RB]

meanwhile Guichet uses his ffkin hands to karate chop the bone   

I couldn't stop laughing when I first heard that he does that  I really want to see a surgery video of him performing the karate chop lol.

[Serilium]

I couldn't stop laughing when I first heard that he does that  I really want to see a surgery video of him performing the karate chop lol.

haha me too but it's been scrubbed from the webs sadly

[RealLostSoul]

Can't say anything bad about it as this cut, alignement / nail placement and most importantly callous growth looks like a text book ideal. This will definitely be a good outcome.

[RB]

Can't say anything bad about it as this cut, alignement / nail placement and most importantly callous growth looks like a text book ideal. This will definitely be a good outcome.

Thanks man!

[Want-3-inches]

Why didn't you stay in Germany RB? Do you feel safe being away from Betz? If you need him, are you planning to fly? How are you doing your biweekly consultations?

[RB]

Why didn't you stay in Germany RB? Do you feel safe being away from Betz? If you need him, are you planning to fly? How are you doing your biweekly consultations?

I stayed for 5 weeks as that period, the early weeks after surgery are the most critical in terms of something going seriously wrong. I didn’t stay because Betz gives the option of lengthening at home and didn’t want to be away from my gf and family for that long. There is a world renowned limb lengthening practice 5 minutes from my house in my home country so if anything went wrong to the point I needed surgery I have that as an option. I am also in contact with Betz regularly via WhatsApp and phone discussing my progress so I feel fine doing it that way.

[Want-3-inches]

I stayed for 5 weeks as that period, the early weeks after surgery are the most critical in terms of something going seriously wrong. I didn’t stay because Betz gives the option of lengthening at home and didn’t want to be away from my gf and family for that long. There is a world renowned limb lengthening practice 5 minutes from my house in my home country so if anything went wrong to the point I needed surgery I have that as an option. I am also in contact with Betz regularly via WhatsApp and phone discussing my progress so I feel fine doing it that way.

It's great that you have an LL surgeon near you. But unless you feel something wrong or xrays look wrong, you will not meet any doctor?

[RB]

It's great that you have an LL surgeon near you. But unless you feel something wrong or xrays look wrong, you will not meet any doctor?

Yeah basically I am lengthening based on X-ray progress and feedback from my PT based on function and also listening to my own body. Ideally it’s better to have in person check ups but a lot of people complete their lengthening phase without in person check ups provided they are using a weight bearing nail. I believe most of the stryde docs with the exception of Paley also let you fly home to lengthen and not all require in person check ups but if you can stay local while lengthening it’s definitely more ideal so I understand where you are coming from.

[maxheight35]

Does the acupuncture help at all? Have you thought about hiring a massage therapist who could just do your legs 1-2x per week?

[RB]

Does the acupuncture help at all? Have you thought about hiring a massage therapist who could just do your legs 1-2x per week?

It helped somewhat, but I've only done 2 sessions so maybe I need more to feel the full benefit. My PT does a regualr sports type massage 1-2x per week while I'm there which seems to help more than the acupuncture but I feel like he is a bit hesitant to massage too hard as probably thinks he will damage the leg/implant so I guess looking into a massage therapist and seeing how it is with them could be a good idea.

[maxheight35]

Yes you should definitely find a legit massage therapist, maybe Korean or Brazilian. One that can do a good deep tissue massage! This is my game plan for when I do the procedure. And maybe just don’t even tell them you have an implant as it’s in the bone anyways lol, just tell them you exercise your legs and your training for a sports thing. If you do this - let me know how it goes, I feel like this would help ease the pain/cramps/etc and maybe with nerves too. 🤞

[Bagga]

Did you go alone?
How did you go toilet after operation?

[pownzorgeek]

Hey there RB, one question about the IT band: Is it possible for someone to go and have their it band released a few days prior to the surgery?

Do you know if that's possible? Or if Betz can answer it?

[RB]

Did you go alone?
How did you go toilet after operation?

Yes I did this alone. I needed help from the nurses to do a number 2 for the first 2 days, however after that I was able to train my self on how to go from crutches to toilet seat.

Hey there RB, one question about the IT band: Is it possible for someone to go and have their it band released a few days prior to the surgery?

Do you know if that's possible? Or if Betz can answer it?

I guess it would be theoretically possible, however it might not be a good idea due to the extra surgery before the major surgery so there is an increased risk of infection plus more trauma to the body. The best thing to do would be to get an IT band release after lengthening if you did need one, however it seems majority of patients don't end up needing one. I feel that my duck ass and wide legs will improve shortly after lengthening as wide legs have already come in, however if it took months and months to resolve I would consider a release but only after lengthening.

[RB]

76 days post-surgery - 6.06cm taller

Hey guys,

I have crossed the 6cm mark so thought I would provide an update. Generally I am feeling ok, so I am confident I will be able to press on to my goal of 7cm, although things are getting much more difficult.

Improvements:

-My nerve pain is essentially gone. I attribute this to the pregabalin starting to take effect and clearly having a positive effect on supressing the nerve pain (burning sensation and shooting pains), although my right shin remains numb, it is no longer an issue due to the lack of nerve pain resulting from it.

-Wide legs continue to close in while using the crutches, so I assume walking as much as possible is the key to overcoming this issue. I expect to make even more progress with this when consolidation starts, particularly with my unassisted walk as the legs are still quite wide without crutches due to duck ass and needing additional balance without a walking aid.

-My legs now get less fatigued when walking long distances.

-Started hydrotherapy last week and this is great for practising your gait in the water without getting too fatigued and also helps strengthen all muscle groups in the legs due to the resistance of walking in the water. I also squat and do other water based exercises. I wish I had started this earlier in the process.

Obstacles:

-Duck ass has become slightly worse. It is more noticeable now and despite my best efforts to fight against it, it is a losing battle while I am still lengthening. The key is to stretch the hip flexors (which I have been doing a crapload of) and strengthen the glutes and abs. This will be my main focus during consolidation and there is no reason why I can't reduce the duck ass in a reasonable time frame by following a vigorous strengthening program.

-Tightness is increasing which makes sense as I cross the 6cm mark. I find that it is manageable by stretching 3/4 times per day and increasing the intensity of each stretch helps reduce tightness/stiffness. My PT also provides a deep tissue massage now which helps.

-Sleep has become challenging again due to the increased tightness. I still sleep but it is more challenging to get as much as sleep as I was getting in the 3-5cm period.

-Frustrated that my unassisted walk isn't where I want it to be yet. It is very wide with a lot of hip sway. Its frustrating but I know that consolidation will be where I make the greatest gains in this area.

Overall, I feel in good spirits and am pushing to my goal of 7cm (max goal of 7.5cm). I have less than 2 weeks of lengthening left and while I am so over the whole process, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and just need to dig deep to get there.

As always, feel free to ask any questions!