Hey DonBones,
Thank for the advice, I appreciate it. How is your journey so far with Betz? I have actually considered him some too in case Stryde takes too long to comeback. Only issue is I am in the US.
Hey,
so far so good. I am at 4.2cm at this point, meaning that I should be able to reach my lengthening goal next week if all goes well.
In my case everything went smoothly so far. The clicking was fairly easy from the start and got even better after about 3cm, so that now it's a matter of 5 minutes per day for both legs. The X-Ray was good, showing callus, a perfectly aligned nail and all screws tightly in place. My walk is slightly wide, but both Betz and Peter Woll, my physiotherapist, told me that considering I am at an advanced stage it's still very good.
So on the whole I can't complain, but I will reserve my final verdict until I am actually done
It's actually no problem that you're from the US. There were two patients from the US while I was there, and even someone from Nigeria. I'd recommend you stay in Germany for a few weeks after the hospital, however, to make sure you can click confidently and there are no problems that need immediate attention from Betz because once you're back in the US seeing Betz will be difficult.
I personally spent time at Elke's guesthouse before the hospital and then the Parkhotel Weiskirchen after the hospital and have to say the Parkhotel is better because they have a gym, a pool, a park where you can walk and a big facility where you can book a massage or a lymphatic drainage. It is also very close to Peter Woll who I strongly recommend you see before you go out into the wild because he is an
extremely experienced physiotherapist who has seen hundreds if not thousands of LL patients. He has a sharp eye for what you will have to focus on and advice on how to work on your weaknesses.
In case you are interested in the financial matters, it came to around 60000€ / $70000 for everything so far
Of course, also read all diaries of the current patients. It will give you a more well rounded view, particularly on topics like clicking, which can vary in terms of difficulty and pain. Perhaps I will also write my own diary or review at some point soon.
Good luck!