Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[OzBoy39]

Hey Speeddialer

I'm not too sure to be honest. If I understand correctly, you're trying to pull your knee to your chest while lying in bed right?

If so, you could try a different variation that still targets the hamstrings.
Basically just extend your legs completely straight on the bed and try to bend your upper body forward (maybe use a towel around the bed frame to help pull your upper body towards your feet). Try not to arch your back but instead keeping it straight and ... Gently Pull until you feel a bit of discomfort to your hammies.
This is probably gonna be very hard to do at the stage you're at but it's the only thing I can think of right now.

Or simply don't stress too much about it and wait for PT on monday. They'll be able to help out better than myself.

[SpeedDialer]

Hey Speeddialer

I'm not too sure to be honest. If I understand correctly, you're trying to pull your knee to your chest while lying in bed right?

If so, you could try a different variation that still targets the hamstrings.
Basically just extend your legs completely straight on the bed and try to bend your upper body forward (maybe use a towel around the bed frame to help pull your upper body towards your feet). Try not to arch your back but instead keeping it straight and ... Gently Pull until you feel a bit of discomfort to your hammies.
This is probably gonna be very hard to do at the stage you're at but it's the only thing I can think of right now.

Or simply don't stress too much about it and wait for PT on monday. They'll be able to help out better than myself.

Thanks!!!!

[SpeedDialer]

Hey Speeddialer

I'm not too sure to be honest. If I understand correctly, you're trying to pull your knee to your chest while lying in bed right?

If so, you could try a different variation that still targets the hamstrings.
Basically just extend your legs completely straight on the bed and try to bend your upper body forward (maybe use a towel around the bed frame to help pull your upper body towards your feet). Try not to arch your back but instead keeping it straight and ... Gently Pull until you feel a bit of discomfort to your hammies.
This is probably gonna be very hard to do at the stage you're at but it's the only thing I can think of right now.

Or simply don't stress too much about it and wait for PT on monday. They'll be able to help out better than myself.

Ya I'm finding myself first trying to build up to the stretches using smaller versions of the stretches assisting w/ pillows (pillow under knee to help me stretch quad, pillow under tibia to help stretch hamstring, then leaning forward to stretch the hamstring a bit more) and then finally building up to the stretches prescribed, not sure if I should be doing something else.

[SpeedDialer]

Did you ever get a slight burning sensation at some of your wound sites during the stretches? When this happens, I am not sure whether to ignore that very slight burning sensation at the wounds. I imagine it might result in very slight bleeding but on the other hand it feels like if I don't do the stretch I'll just lose range of motion

[OzBoy39]

Did you ever get a slight burning sensation at some of your wound sites during the stretches? When this happens, I am not sure whether to ignore that very slight burning sensation at the wounds. I imagine it might result in very slight bleeding but on the other hand it feels like if I don't do the stretch I'll just lose range of motion

Oh yeah... Not even slight, it felt like my skin was about to tear (which actually was). It happened to me at PT when doing the hamstring and hip flexor stretches (basically when they lift your leg up when you're laying on the bed and when they stretch it down for the hip flexors).

The first few days I stopped when I felt that because honestly it was too painful to push through it. Then it started getting better and better and after a week or so it disappeared.

But I have pains like this that come and go in different places pretty much everyday. It's a bloody mental battle against and with your body.

And ill venture myself predicting what the PT guys will tell you when you explain this to them....  "It's normal, everybody have these pains" .

[SpeedDialer]

Oh yeah... Not even slight, it felt like my skin was about to tear (which actually was). It happened to me at PT when doing the hamstring and hip flexor stretches (basically when they lift your leg up when you're laying on the bed and when they stretch it down for the hip flexors).

Do the nurses/PT guys generally recommend continuing the stretch even in these situations? Unsure if it results in bleeding and if that's OK

I know you said they said its normal, but I just wonder if when I feel burning at the wound sites what to do if anything

[OzBoy39]

Do the nurses/PT guys generally recommend continuing the stretch even in these situations? Unsure if it results in bleeding and if that's OK

I know you said they said its normal, but I just wonder if when I feel burning at the wound sites what to do if anything

I definitely stopped the first maybe 3 or 4 days. Then at some point I felt like pushing through it and it subsided. Bu4 definitely stop thst specific stretch when you feel that and move onto another one

I'm sure you'll get the same advice (as I did before) from both nurses and PT people.

[SpeedDialer]

I definitely stopped the first maybe 3 or 4 days. Then at some point I felt like pushing through it and it subsided. Bu4 definitely stop thst specific stretch when you feel that and move onto another one

I'm sure you'll get the same advice (as I did before) from both nurses and PT people.

Thanks!!!!

My tight quads are still worrying me alot (it is so low range of motion couldn't do the cycling), current plan is to do alot of constant light quad stretching assisted with pillows to hold them in a slightly stretched position

[OzBoy39]

Yeah thar sounds quite rough.
Do you mind if I ask, did you actually do stretching before the surgery?

I mean serious stretching like the one we do at PT? I'm just curious to understand correlations between some of the difficulties that somebody have to potential causes.

I know with myself I haven't done much on my abductors before coming here and guess what? That's where it's killing me.

But still, it'll get better (not painless) but I'm sure by this time next week you'll be in a much better shape

[SpeedDialer]

Yeah thar sounds quite rough.
Do you mind if I ask, did you actually do stretching before the surgery?

I mean serious stretching like the one we do at PT? I'm just curious to understand correlations between some of the difficulties that somebody have to potential causes.

I know with myself I haven't done much on my abductors before coming here and guess what? That's where it's killing me.

But still, it'll get better (not painless) but I'm sure by this time next week you'll be in a much better shape

Before the surgery I did the stretches in the handout twice a week

This morning I'm noticing that my quads are much less stiff but still stiff. Its also alot easier to stand up now today but I get a burning sensation in the quads while I am standing up.

I'm noticing that sitting at the edge of the bed w/ legs hanging off feels like a mild quad stretch and I can lay my back against the bed->  feels like slightly more of a quad stretch. Did some quad stretches this way + practice transferring from bed to walker twice this morning

But overall today feels much better, my legs feel stronger than the past few days and I can move them much more easily in the bed. There is less of that "thigh feels like 1000 pounds feeling" but still some

[OzBoy39]

Yeah man, so good to hear that. It'll get better and better from here.
I do the same stretch now on the side of the bed for the quads. I like it and it'll be very useful when you start feeling the duckass sensation.

I do that now everytime when.ive been laying in bed for a while before standing up. It helps a lot to just release the hip flexors and quads to stand properly.

Anyway, see you later at PT

[OzBoy39]

Update at T28 post-op and 3cm lengthening

The journey is getting tough, but I already see a (small) difference in my height especially when I wear the shoes thst essentially give me another inch or so. The feeling is already amazing and I can't wait to get to my goal...it's gonna be be incredible.

The easiest part of ALL, as strange as it sounds, is the clicking. I think the position I showed in the videos from a few posts back is working great for me. I don't feel pain, stress  or anything else really.  Time to click is about 20 seconds each leg. Preparation with light warm-up and stretching in the bed it probably takes 10 minutes at most.

I'm doing 12 clicks per day since my first consultation with the doctor.  Thst maps to a 0.8mm per day. At this rate I will reach 8cm by the end of November and if I want to push further It'll probably go all the way to Christmas. Which sounds silly but I could decide to stop on the 25th as my biggest Christmas present ever.

Then, another good point is the fact that last week I started using the crutches and that made a world of difference in the day to day activities. With crutches you feel almost normal.

Also, having marked the wall with my previous height was a good thought. I can see the difference already and that is a HUUGE motivator.

What is not going very well is the pain I feel during the day and during the night. Since last week I developed quite a strong nerve pain. The sciatic nerve of my right leg hurts badly throughout the back of my leg but mostly behind my knee.

On top of that, as I started walking with crutches and using the anti gravity treadmill,  my knees took a real beating and in the last 2 nights, in the hotel, I reverted to using the wheelchair and crutches because I couldn't literally stand for more than a couple of minutes.

The nerve pain is really strong, but fortunately it doesn't happen randomly, so I now exactly what movements I need to avoid. Unfortunately these movements are the ones you need to walk properly. PT said not to worry about it, because we're gonna work on that. And I also upped my intake of "Lyrica" medication against nerve pain. It does work and although it doesn't eliminate it, it makes it reduces the intensity.

The Bone pain in my knees grows together with the time I try to walk. So unfortunately it feels it's kinda hindering my training/recovery.

Muscles are normally getting tighter but the guys and girls at PT are doing an amazing job and I feel that I'm staying quite stable and relatively ok with my mobility. I obviously do steetching everyday by myself too, but nothing I do alone is as good as what I get at PT.

At night then, this pain becomes a sort of restlessness and my sleep is very fragmented.  I probably am able to get around d 5 or 6 shours overall but scattered in 3 or 4 sleeps.

In between these I'm reading a lot of older diaries that I hadn't read before and I found those to be very relatable to my experience and definitely found some useful information about pain management.

All these events above are taking a toll on my energy levels, mood and overall productivity during the day. I'm not doing much work at all and also I'm skipping the gym which i dont like. I'll try to push myself to be more disciplined.

Other than this, I'm loving the weather here in Athens and sunbathing it's a real healer. I think Greece in summer is an amazing place to do the lengthening.

That's pretty much it for the moment. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the clicks stay as they are now and that the nerve pain subside.

[thankscience]

Congrats on reaching the 3cm mark! Did Dr. G advise you to only lengthen 0.8mm per day or is that a personal choice?

Also, have you been out exploring in the city much or are you still mostly confined to your hotel?

[OzBoy39]

Thanks!

He advised me to go down to 0.8 after doing the check-up.

Unfortunately no, I haven't been able to. I was really planning to do that when I started using the crutches but then the nerve and knee pain kicked in and that is making it really hard to walk at all.

I hope it's just temporary . If that's gone, walking with crutches is a breeze.

[thankscience]

Did he give a reason for going down to 0.8mm (e.g. was bone healing slower than expected)?

[OzBoy39]

Yeah that was exactly it. Bone healing was slower than expected and I was tighter than expected too

[SpeedDialer]

Update at T28 post-op and 3cm lengthening

The journey is getting tough, but I already see a (small) difference in my height especially when I wear the shoes thst essentially give me another inch or so. The feeling is already amazing and I can't wait to get to my goal...it's gonna be be incredible.

The easiest part of ALL, as strange as it sounds, is the clicking. I think the position I showed in the videos from a few posts back is working great for me. I don't feel pain, stress  or anything else really.  Time to click is about 20 seconds each leg. Preparation with light warm-up and stretching in the bed it probably takes 10 minutes at most.

I'm doing 12 clicks per day since my first consultation with the doctor.  Thst maps to a 0.8mm per day. At this rate I will reach 8cm by the end of November and if I want to push further It'll probably go all the way to Christmas. Which sounds silly but I could decide to stop on the 25th as my biggest Christmas present ever.

Then, another good point is the fact that last week I started using the crutches and that made a world of difference in the day to day activities. With crutches you feel almost normal.

Also, having marked the wall with my previous height was a good thought. I can see the difference already and that is a HUUGE motivator.

What is not going very well is the pain I feel during the day and during the night. Since last week I developed quite a strong nerve pain. The sciatic nerve of my right leg hurts badly throughout the back of my leg but mostly behind my knee.

On top of that, as I started walking with crutches and using the anti gravity treadmill,  my knees took a real beating and in the last 2 nights, in the hotel, I reverted to using the wheelchair and crutches because I couldn't literally stand for more than a couple of minutes.

The nerve pain is really strong, but fortunately it doesn't happen randomly, so I now exactly what movements I need to avoid. Unfortunately these movements are the ones you need to walk properly. PT said not to worry about it, because we're gonna work on that. And I also upped my intake of "Lyrica" medication against nerve pain. It does work and although it doesn't eliminate it, it makes it reduces the intensity.

The Bone pain in my knees grows together with the time I try to walk. So unfortunately it feels it's kinda hindering my training/recovery.

Muscles are normally getting tighter but the guys and girls at PT are doing an amazing job and I feel that I'm staying quite stable and relatively ok with my mobility. I obviously do steetching everyday by myself too, but nothing I do alone is as good as what I get at PT.

At night then, this pain becomes a sort of restlessness and my sleep is very fragmented.  I probably am able to get around d 5 or 6 shours overall but scattered in 3 or 4 sleeps.

In between these I'm reading a lot of older diaries that I hadn't read before and I found those to be very relatable to my experience and definitely found some useful information about pain management.

All these events above are taking a toll on my energy levels, mood and overall productivity during the day. I'm not doing much work at all and also I'm skipping the gym which i dont like. I'll try to push myself to be more disciplined.

Other than this, I'm loving the weather here in Athens and sunbathing it's a real healer. I think Greece in summer is an amazing place to do the lengthening.

That's pretty much it for the moment. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the clicks stay as they are now and that the nerve pain subside.

Great post!

[SpeedDialer]

Yeah that was exactly it. Bone healing was slower than expected and I was tighter than expected too

Hey Ozboy, Which stretches from the booklet the physical therapy center gave us have you found are too dangerous for us to do? I vaguely remember you mentioned that some of the stretches are not good for our case (femur lengthening)

Thanks

[OzBoy39]

I wasn't referring to the booklet when I said that. I was referring to he standard stretches that various trainers recommend to stretch quads, hip flexors and other muscles.

Looking at the booklet, I would only be wary of the stretch at the bottom of page 3 where it looks as if you could apply a bending  momentum to the quad. Said that though, check with the guys there at PT. They are definitely best placed to advise on the do's and don'ts at.this stage

Cheers

[thankscience]

I just had my hour long consultation with Dr G and he mentioned they have a brand new SUV to take patients to and from PT appointments at a competitive rate. Have you started using this?

[OzBoy39]

Not yet but I heard it in the last 2 weeks. The nurses had told me about it. Not sure when it'll be out into service though.

We'll see. That's definitely a good financial incentive considered that we have PT 4 days a week.

[SpeedDialer]

I just had my hour long consultation with Dr G and he mentioned they have a brand new SUV to take patients to and from PT appointments at a competitive rate. Have you started using this?

Yeah I heard a nurse mention this. Wonder how this work though since we go to PT at somewhat different times staggered throughout the afternoon, maybe it would just drive back and forth? Or we all go early? Not sure how this is gonna work

When are you coming to Athens Thankscience? I'll probably leave some time in early December

[SpeedDialer]

Think it is good to get sweat pants? Didn't occur to me, I did get some thin running pants but they're not soft or warm

It never occurred to me given how warm its been so far but I'm thinking maybe a very warm, loose pair of sweatpants could end up being useful this fall in Athens

[OzBoy39]

Yeah definitely. I got a few with me and they'll come in handy these next few days if the weather keeps cooling down.

[thankscience]

Yeah I heard a nurse mention this. Wonder how this work though since we go to PT at somewhat different times staggered throughout the afternoon, maybe it would just drive back and forth? Or we all go early? Not sure how this is gonna work

When are you coming to Athens Thankscience? I'll probably leave some time in early December

I have my surgery booked for February so looks like we'll miss each other  I still need to tie up some loose ends with work etc.

[Hatch]

Does Giotikas order blood thinners for the whole lenghtening period?

[thankscience]

He said he prescribes it for the full lengthening period only if you're using a non weight-bearing nail. If you have the g-nail then he prescribes it for 28 days, and also for your flight home.

[thankscience]

How are things going for you now OzBoy39?

[OzBoy39]

Hi Thankscience,

All is "relatively" good.
Yesterday had my second appointment with the Doc.  I wanted to ask/check a few things.

1- Condition of the nails.
2- Nerve pain
3- Shin numbness
4- Bone regeneration.
5- Overall condition

So, results are positive throughout the spectrum

1- Nail and screws are super straight and we'll fixed. I was a bit bit worried as in the last 2 weeks I kinda pushed it hard up and down the stairs, on rough terrain (beach) and also started pushing my legs from a bent position. Nothing wrong there.
Also distraction length kinda match the calculation of the clicks with  one leg at 33 and the other at 32mm. That's not a problem as there's tolerance of +/-1mm in the x-ray images so he said we're gonna even veruthing out at the end.

2- this is actually disappearing (I was given excercises and stretches for thw sciatic nerve by PT and now it's almost gone... No problem there anymore.

3- shin numbnees. He reviewed my legs in terms of sensation, feeling and other aspects and told me not to worry of things like blood clots. There's no major vein down the front of the lower.leg.
We decided to stay at 12clocks per day because that doesn't give me much tightness of muscles and I'm not in a rush either.

4- Bone regeneration is good. In my left leg I can clearly see the bone formation in all 4 segments. My right leg is a little slower. There's 3 good sections and 1 with less regeneration but nothing to be concerned of.
Giotikas asked me to start increasing my walking time and push myself a bit harder to stimulate the bone more.

5- flexibility of both legs is ok. We noticed the duckass but he told me that that'll stay until we stop distracting. PT is taking care of it together with myself doing hip flexor stretches. For the rest I still have my right quad a bit tighter so he'll give instruction to PT to work on that more.

Other notable thongs in the last two weeks.
I am feeling strength coming back to my legs. What I mean is that until now, it was almost impossible to hold any weight on them if I bent them more than...say 10 degrees. As of this morning I almost stood up from the toilet using my legs. I was so happy to feel that. It's such a life changer. And it gave me a good boat in my head.

Clicking has become super easy (I'm touching wood in the meantime).
It takes me about 20 second per leg to do them all.

Even just at 3.3mm I notice the difference talking with hotel staff (Im wearing a pair of Homs Bondi 8 shoes which are very plushy and comfy... But also a 3 to 4cm sole so essentially they make me 171 or 172cm ). I kid you not. I already feel ecstatic when I notice I'm at a quasi normal height. , And I still have about 5 or 6 cm to go.

I met with another new patient who already had his femur done and now going for Tibias.

He looks so good with the longer legs. I was really focused on his legs and when he walks or run (he showed me how he could sprint on a treadmill at full speed and he was great), and the longer legs makes him look even taller than he is and don't look weird at all. So I'm really relieved in terms of proportions and all that.

I'm taking some sleeping pill and I think it's helping . I managed to have one super amazing solid sleep last night.

The only bad point I have now is the knee pain that arise after walking for a bit. That's the limiting factor for my walking. When that kicks in... I'm done. But it goes away after a good night sleep so I hope it's just a matter of training my legs and getting over it.

Other things I can comment on is about Novotel. I really like it. I've been there for a month and fell in love with many hotel staff. So helpful and nice. They help me and another patient (on her wheel chair with precice) in all we need. Such good people.

One last point is on the x-rays. I apologise to all but they give us a CD with the x-rays and I don't have access to a laptop or computer with CD player (I mean...who does today.. )

I'll try and get them read by someone but I don't wanna bother the nurses as they're getting sooo busy with all new patients.

That's pretty much it. Big finger crossed that the clicks stay as is.

[informationispower]

Sent you a pm

[thankscience]

Hi Thankscience,

All is "relatively" good.
Yesterday had my second appointment with the Doc.  I wanted to ask/check a few things.

1- Condition of the nails.
2- Nerve pain
3- Shin numbness
4- Bone regeneration.
5- Overall condition

So, results are positive throughout the spectrum

1- Nail and screws are super straight and we'll fixed. I was a bit bit worried as in the last 2 weeks I kinda pushed it hard up and down the stairs, on rough terrain (beach) and also started pushing my legs from a bent position. Nothing wrong there.
Also distraction length kinda match the calculation of the clicks with  one leg at 33 and the other at 32mm. That's not a problem as there's tolerance of +/-1mm in the x-ray images so he said we're gonna even veruthing out at the end.

2- this is actually disappearing (I was given excercises and stretches for thw sciatic nerve by PT and now it's almost gone... No problem there anymore.

3- shin numbnees. He reviewed my legs in terms of sensation, feeling and other aspects and told me not to worry of things like blood clots. There's no major vein down the front of the lower.leg.
We decided to stay at 12clocks per day because that doesn't give me much tightness of muscles and I'm not in a rush either.

4- Bone regeneration is good. In my left leg I can clearly see the bone formation in all 4 segments. My right leg is a little slower. There's 3 good sections and 1 with less regeneration but nothing to be concerned of.
Giotikas asked me to start increasing my walking time and push myself a bit harder to stimulate the bone more.

5- flexibility of both legs is ok. We noticed the duckass but he told me that that'll stay until we stop distracting. PT is taking care of it together with myself doing hip flexor stretches. For the rest I still have my right quad a bit tighter so he'll give instruction to PT to work on that more.

Other notable thongs in the last two weeks.
I am feeling strength coming back to my legs. What I mean is that until now, it was almost impossible to hold any weight on them if I bent them more than...say 10 degrees. As of this morning I almost stood up from the toilet using my legs. I was so happy to feel that. It's such a life changer. And it gave me a good boat in my head.

Clicking has become super easy (I'm touching wood in the meantime).
It takes me about 20 second per leg to do them all.

Even just at 3.3mm I notice the difference talking with hotel staff (Im wearing a pair of Homs Bondi 8 shoes which are very plushy and comfy... But also a 3 to 4cm sole so essentially they make me 171 or 172cm ). I kid you not. I already feel ecstatic when I notice I'm at a quasi normal height. , And I still have about 5 or 6 cm to go.

I met with another new patient who already had his femur done and now going for Tibias.

He looks so good with the longer legs. I was really focused on his legs and when he walks or run (he showed me how he could sprint on a treadmill at full speed and he was great), and the longer legs makes him look even taller than he is and don't look weird at all. So I'm really relieved in terms of proportions and all that.

I'm taking some sleeping pill and I think it's helping . I managed to have one super amazing solid sleep last night.

The only bad point I have now is the knee pain that arise after walking for a bit. That's the limiting factor for my walking. When that kicks in... I'm done. But it goes away after a good night sleep so I hope it's just a matter of training my legs and getting over it.

Other things I can comment on is about Novotel. I really like it. I've been there for a month and fell in love with many hotel staff. So helpful and nice. They help me and another patient (on her wheel chair with precice) in all we need. Such good people.

One last point is on the x-rays. I apologise to all but they give us a CD with the x-rays and I don't have access to a laptop or computer with CD player (I mean...who does today.. )

I'll try and get them read by someone but I don't wanna bother the nurses as they're getting sooo busy with all new patients.

That's pretty much it. Big finger crossed that the clicks stay as is.

I can't believe it's been more than a month already. Glad to hear everything is going well so far.

I'm kinda shocked you went to the beach already. Did you use the crutches walking on sand?

I'm still tossing up between Novotel and Montaza. I'm trying to work out which will end up being cheaper overall after factoring in travel costs but it's difficult without having much information yet on the (potential) new vehicle they will use to transport patients around.