Day 307 (Day 149 Post clicking)
Almost three months since I've written an update, but the next few updates will be more frequent!
So let's start with the "not so" good, I still have duck ass - but I am getting closer and closer to resolving it every day! At this point my duck ass is basically only visible for me under the mirror as seen in the photo below. With clothes it is almost invisible.
https://freeimage.host/i/H9DlVpfNow for the good! My duck ass has been improving a lot lately, with great progress almost daily. So I genuinely think it will be 100% resolved in a month or two - I am feeling much more optimistic lately about it. In the past week or so I have managed to reduce it so much that there no longer is strain on my lower back and I can walk and stand for much longer periods.
Two and half months ago I stopped using crutches at home in the day time. Then after three or four weeks a stopped using them at night as well. Then I was able to walk from my car to my apartment (around 60 meters at a slight downward incline) without them, and after a few more weeks I could walk to my car without them (slight uphill). Then I started challenging myself the two flight of stairs to my apartment without crutches, and then eventually walking down the two flights without holding the rail.
Around two weeks ago I felt confident walking shorter distances outside without the crutches, and about a week ago I only used one crutch going outside when going to the mall for a few hours. But this week I have stopped using them altogether, and the past few days I haven't used them once. The issue up until recently was my lower back getting very tired while walking because of my duck ass. The past few days I have been able to stand so much upright that I don't have that stress on my lower back anymore and I now instead feel tired in my legs.
My physiotherapist says that I will see rapid progress now that I have stopped using the crutches all together. I still have some stiffness and my left hip is much more still than my right, so I do walk with a slight limp (I'll post a video soon). But again, just from yesterday to today I have seen improvement in my walk. If I keep improving at this rate, I will be walking normally in around a month or two.
My goal for normal walking is of course January 15, which would be exactly a year after I got this surgery. That would mean it took me 7 months to walk normally after finishing clicking, but again I did to an extreme lengthening at 11,5cm! For the past 4-5 months I have been positive, but have also been in kind of a zombie state where I just wanted to fast forward being recovered. Finally I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. And I am now done with the crutches which is a great milestone.
For anybody out there in the lengthening or recovery process, just remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. How ever much pain you may be in or how far recovery might seem - the pain will go away and you will recover. It will just take time, and the longer you lengthen, the longer the recovery.
Days after my last update I genuinely thought I would never walk again, but here I am two and half months later and I am walking and getting better every day.
Dr Becker told me something worth repeating. "Great, one year for 11,5cm - amazing what you body can handle. Imagine a child during growth phase would nee about double the time". When I step back and think about it, he is 100% correct, it is amazing if I can walk normally after only one year for growing 11,5cm!
Stay positive and keep pushing!