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[Vx88x]

Dear LL Forums,

After 2 decades of lurking on the number of phases that the LL forums went through, I finally decided to get my LL surgery. To all the people who have come and gone, I appreciate the bountiful amount of information everyone has provided. I will try and do the same in return.

I want to give a special thank you to HeightJourney as he has helped me at several different points during my decision-making process.

I also want to thank MadDogs as he is my guide for what I can possibly look forward to if I fast-forward a few months.

This won't exactly be a day-by-day diary of sorts but instead will be updated during what I feel are key points during the surgery. I will try to put in as much information as possible but not every detail will be included as some are redundant, unhelpful or I simply forgot.

Background:
I traveled and visited Dr. Guichet in 2014, Dr. Betz in 2016, Dr. Paley in 2018, Dr. Assayag in 2020, and Dr. Donghoon Lee in 2022.

This surgery was a careful and methodical decision, a decision I was not going to take lightly. I went through much contemplation. I thought about my future, my health, and my finances and attempted to cope without the surgery. But time and time again the inkling of the surgery would come back to me every 2-3 years.

My family had temporarily convinced me to get the surgery in Korea as I had an extensive network of family in Korea and Japan amongst other things. I had surgery scheduled with Dr. Donghoon Lee but backed out a week before it happened.

Something clicked in me that I did not want to do the surgery overseas although the support of my extended family was there. There was a few other reasons but ultimately, I just didn’t feel comfortable about it.

I immediately flew back home and scheduled surgery back in the United States with Dr. Assayag. He is the only other surgeon I would ever consider after meeting everyone else.

I am approximately about a month out of surgery at the moment. Lengthened around 18.50mm (1.85cm). I have Precice nails.

Starting Height: 170cm-171cm
Goal: 8cm
Weight: 145lbs
Nail: 50lbs Precice Nails

Picture of my ERC: https://imgur.com/a/yBd9mbX

[Vx88x]

Current Key Points:

Operation Day:
You will walk into the hospital on your own two feet but you won't be walking out on your own two feet. This day for me, was filled with psychological torment. Was this the right thing? Will I regret this? Is this finally happening? Do I back out while I still have the chance?

I had to bite the bullet and clear my head at each step before reaching the OR room. During registration, during pre-op check-ups, after gown changing, and before being rolled into the OR room. Each phase cycled those same questions again and again.

For anyone choking up before the operation or during operation day, expect these difficulties. Once I was in the OR, there was a serene peace, especially in the hands of Dr. Assayag. He is honestly a one-of-a-kind doctor and I appreciate him to the ends of the world. I drifted off listening to the voices of him and his OR team. And woke up in the recovery room.

Day 1-3:
Some people have intense pain during the first few days. I was not one of those people. I woke up with pain but it was not unbearable by any means.

While lying down and stationary, the pain never breached a 3-4. While using a walker it breached 4-5 with a sharp knee pain to 6 when i tried to turn the walker during one of my bathroom visits.

The hospital had me on a tight schedule of pain meds and it really wasn't a bad time. But this wasn't the hardest point in the operation for me…

I did not have a catheter when I woke up. I had some sort of spinal numbing during the operation. It made it very very difficult to pee… I had to continue to try or else they were going to put a catheter in. I was finally successful after 12hrs of trying to pee off and on. I was discharged on the third day shortly after I could use the bathroom.


Day 4-10:
These were the hardest days for me. Luckily, I had my beautiful girlfriend accompanying me and helping me during this whole operation. And without her help, there was no way I personally got through these next few days.

The first hardest task was transferring from my wheelchair into the car upon hospital discharge. It is painful. I think it was more painful for me cause I injured my knee/groin while using the walker to go to the bathroom. It took me 10 minutes to try and transfer into the car the first time. For everyone else considering this surgery, you may want to try and practice this if you have a wheelchair. Also, buy a transfer board.

The next hardest thing was transferring onto the beds at the Hackerman Patz house. This is specifically for Dr. Assayag's patients who may be using hospital accommodations. The bed’s height is not transfer friendly but it is do-able. Prepare your upper body diligently, especially tricep dips.

The toilet transfer. It will be very difficult and painful to transfer onto a hard porcelain seat with a hole in the middle. From the loss of my butt, I felt my femur bones just sitting on them and it was very uncomfortable. Expect fair difficulties using the bathroom. Invest in a bathroom chair.

Showering. Not possible for me without a shower seat. I purchased the Medline Shower Bench. My favorite thing.

All my post-operative sutures bothered me. I personally don't like having stuff in or on my skin, which includes lotions etc. This bothered me quite a bit. There wasn't any pain but it was very discomforting for me. I got to take the tegederm and gauze off after the first week-ish and finally the butterfly tapes after 2 weeks. Expect fishing line stuff sticking out of your skin. I cut mine off with scissors.

This week was when it finally dawned on me that I am wheelchair-bound for the next 4-5 months. It was a rollercoaster of emotions… but talking to a few other LLers here and having the support of my girlfriend and friends, helped immensely when getting through this.

My injury from Day 1 constantly was lingering during this range of days. It progressed to my groin somehow and it made things very very difficult. I went to the Dr for him to check out and there was no dire concern and told me it should go away soon. The knee and groin pain persisted through the pain medication regime I was on, which was 1000mg of Tylenol every 6hrs and Celebrex every 12hrs. I tried oxy once but the sharp pain still pushed through so I decided to just endure it without the oxy.

Physical therapy wasn't exactly possible due to the pain and I just relaxed and rested during this stint.

Full body aches are very noticeable during this time. I tested lowering to pain medication to nearly nothing just to see how much pain I was actually in. It isn't crazy but it's not an amount that you can comfortably function with on a daily basis.

Day 11:
This day was my first day of lengthening. I had so much knee and groin pain from injuring myself on Day 1, that I couldn’t lengthen on Day 5, which is the typical day to start. But I am not in a rush to finish lengthening.

 I waited til I could do some stretches on my own on Day 11 finally and decided to start lengthening. I decided to lengthen 1mm for 5 days and then .75mm for the rest of the way til 8cm.

Day 11-21:
The knee and groin pain finally subsided around week 3. I felt so relieved.

I created a strict stretching regime after every lengthening session. I lengthen every 6hrs, 3 times a day, and stretch for 45min after each session.

The ERC machine was very uncomfortable for me psychologically to use. Something just felt wrong about it. It's not painful or difficult at all but it just made me uncomfortable. It also started making grinding noises one day in my nail and it comes and goes.

Other than that, most of my full-body aches went away. And I lowered my pain meds to just 650mg of Tylenol every 6hrs around day 15.

Day 22-30:
I tried a new PT place and they were far too aggressive with my legs. I was in intense soreness and aches the night after PT. My knee pain was 80% back from the prior injury and I could not sleep and still can't still due to my knee aching. The soreness subsided after 3 days but the knee ache continues til today.

I had decreased my pain meds to 0 around day 22 but I am back on 1000mg every 6hrs. I can't sleep even til today.

I also got a hip infection around day 24. I am currently taking Keflex/Mupriocin prescribed by my primary care physician. Hoping that subsides soon.

My hips are still very sore and it is difficult to roll over easily. My knees make a weird popping noise here and there. And my nails make a light rattle when using my legs abruptly with sudden movements.

My stretches are very intense and it is absolutely exhausting. After doing 3 rounds of intense stretches, eating properly, and sneaking naps in here and there due to the lack of proper sleep, there isn't much time in my day for anything else.

This whole journey so far has been a test of mental fortitude. I have to keep reminding myself why I did this as it is difficult to keep that in focus right now. This isn't easy at all and I feel as though the most difficult parts have not even started yet...

[Siegfried]

Good luck, the worst part is behind you! You did your due diligence and decided to go with a reputable doctor. And better late than never. You will come out of this as a better person, with a (literally) totally new outlook on life.

[Yau]

Hope everything goes well!
I wonder why did your hip infect? Why did your knee injure? Are u living local(Baltimore)? Did u have PT sesssions with Dr Assayag’s team?
I am considering Dr Paley, Dr Assayag and Dr Donghoon Lee. After u have consulted with Dr Lee, how do u think about Dr Lee?(don’t have enough information in this forums)

Hope u reach your goal!

[Vx88x]

Good luck, the worst part is behind you! You did your due diligence and decided to go with a reputable doctor. And better late than never. You will come out of this as a better person, with a (literally) totally new outlook on life.

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words. Sometimes I lose sight of why I did this due to the exhaustion of being wheelchair bound and immobile.

[Vx88x]

Hope everything goes well!
I wonder why did your hip infect? Why did your knee injure? Are u living local(Baltimore)? Did u have PT sesssions with Dr Assayag’s team?
I am considering Dr Paley, Dr Assayag and Dr Donghoon Lee. After u have consulted with Dr Lee, how do u think about Dr Lee?(don’t have enough information in this forums)

Hope u reach your goal!

Thank you, I hope so too.

I injured my knee Day 1 as mentioned in the Day 1-3 section.

I am not exactly sure where the infection came from. I had hydrotherapy around Day 20 and had waterproof bandages on my sutures. This specific hip suture may have had a breach. But at the same time, suture abscess around day 30 aren't uncommon from some of the dissolvable sutures not dissolving all the way.

I stay mainly in Baltimore but go back and forth between States since my house is a few hour drive away.

I do PT at several places depending where I am at the time.

What do you want to know about Dr. Lee? To be honest you would have to go visit him yourself to get the best judgement.

[Yau]

Thank you, I hope so too.

I injured my knee Day 1 as mentioned in the Day 1-3 section.

I am not exactly sure where the infection came from. I had hydrotherapy around Day 20 and had waterproof bandages on my sutures. This specific hip suture may have had a breach. But at the same time, suture abscess around day 30 aren't uncommon from some of the dissolvable sutures not dissolving all the way.

I stay mainly in Baltimore but go back and forth between States since my house is a few hour drive away.

I do PT at several places depending where I am at the time.

What do you want to know about Dr. Lee? To be honest you would have to go visit him yourself to get the best judgement.

Do your PT have experiences with LL patients? I think about when I finish my lengthening and go back to home. It is difficult to find a PT have LL experiences.

What did Dr Assayag think about your hip infection? Hope your hip inflection goes away!

[informationispower]

What is your starting height btw? Good luck on your journey

[ThirdSpace]

Thank you for starting your diary!

I was wondering: How possible is it, given your experience, to work a remote tech job while lengthening? Is it plausible or ridiculous to expect to function at work after 2 weeks? It seems to me that if you "don't have time for anything else" after all your stretching that that includes work?

[Vx88x]

What is your starting height btw? Good luck on your journey

170cm-171cm

[Vx88x]

Thank you for starting your diary!

I was wondering: How possible is it, given your experience, to work a remote tech job while lengthening? Is it plausible or ridiculous to expect to function at work after 2 weeks? It seems to me that if you "don't have time for anything else" after all your stretching that that includes work?

It is more than possible but it depends on a couple of things.
1. Have you found your method of sleep management? The number one reason why my day is fragmented is due to my lack of sleep and therefore lack of energy throughout the day. Also falling asleep randomly throughout the day requires a lot of downtime from waking up and getting up to speed. Some LL'ers are taking Benedryl or Tylenol PM and some are taking cannabis/CBD. I will be trying that soon to see how it helps.

2. How much are you stretching? The more intensively you stretch the less time you will have but you can most certainly weave in stretches in between work.

I highly recommend taking the first 4 weeks off though. My pain overall wasnt super high aside from my injury but for some people it is  very difficult time. After the first 4 weeks, I'd say most people can definitely manage a remote job as long as its not an overwhelming amount of time/workload. There are a few LL'ers here doing remote work while lengthening.

[Vx88x]

Do your PT have experiences with LL patients? I think about when I finish my lengthening and go back to home. It is difficult to find a PT have LL experiences.

What did Dr Assayag think about your hip infection? Hope your hip inflection goes away!

The one that reinjured my knee did have experience but limited experience with LL patients. He was far too aggressive in the stretching.

Dr. Assayag put me on an antibiotic called doxy but I have a sensitive stomach so we decided to try Keflex first from my PCP. It seems to be responding but very slowly.

[Limbfan2020]

I also got a hip infection around day 24. I am currently taking Keflex/Mupriocin prescribed by my primary care physician. Hoping that subsides soon.

My hips are still very sore and it is difficult to roll over easily.

What exactly do you mean by "hip infection"? Is it a bone infection?

[hippo60]

I immediately flew back home and scheduled surgery back in the United States with Dr. Assayag. He is the only other surgeon I would ever consider after meeting everyone else.

Can you share why?

I decided to lengthen 1mm for 5 days and then .75mm for the rest of the way til 8cm.

This whole journey so far has been a test of mental fortitude. I have to keep reminding myself why I did this as it is difficult to keep that in focus right now. This isn't easy at all and I feel as though the most difficult parts have not even started yet...

What do you mean you decided to lower to .75mm? What did Assayag think? It's normal to lower but it's typically done later on. In some ways, the difficult parts are behind you, and you definitely "started" once you broke your legs. The first month is very different but you do get used to it (to a degree...) and it becomes somewhat of a routine you just go through.

Sometimes I lose sight of why I did this due to the exhaustion of being wheelchair bound and immobile.

This also becomes easier over time. Personally I thought I'll hate being in a wheelchair for so long, but honestly I don't think it's that bad. Just like everything else, you kinda get used to it. As long as you can mostly take care of yourself, and with help here and there (and you're lucky to have family/gf around you) - definitely doable!

Keep stretching a lot, that's so important! I was doing the exact same thing - stretching immediately after each lengthening session for 45-60 minutes. Made me feel so much better and I think it's really paying off now.

[Vx88x]

What exactly do you mean by "hip infection"? Is it a bone infection?

Suture abscesses on my hip sutures.

[Vx88x]

Can you share why?

What do you mean you decided to lower to .75mm? What did Assayag think? It's normal to lower but it's typically done later on. In some ways, the difficult parts are behind you, and you definitely "started" once you broke your legs. The first month is very different but you do get used to it (to a degree...) and it becomes somewhat of a routine you just go through.

This also becomes easier over time. Personally I thought I'll hate being in a wheelchair for so long, but honestly I don't think it's that bad. Just like everything else, you kinda get used to it. As long as you can mostly take care of yourself, and with help here and there (and you're lucky to have family/gf around you) - definitely doable!

Keep stretching a lot, that's so important! I was doing the exact same thing - stretching immediately after each lengthening session for 45-60 minutes. Made me feel so much better and I think it's really paying off now.

Which part? About why I chose Dr. Assayag or why I felt more comfortable in the United States?

Dr. Assayag has nothing bad to say about slowing down to .75mm. It is my preference to go slower for me to avoid more pain, complications, tightness, and any other issues that may arise. I may eventually drop to .50mm per day as I am in no rush to finish lengthening.

Yeah I am trying to get used to everything still.. I guess it'll take a bit more time. The wheelchair part just sucks when going out to places to eat etc... Are you currently lengthening right now too?

I appreciate the kind words and encouragement =]

Yeah, I think the stretching strategy is doing very well so far, I am constantly getting more and more flexible than I was pre-op, even though my legs are getting longer and longer.

[informationispower]

I believe he meant Assayag over all the others. Which I am also curious as to why

[hippo60]

Which part? About why I chose Dr. Assayag or why I felt more comfortable in the United States?

Dr. Assayag has nothing bad to say about slowing down to .75mm. It is my preference to go slower for me to avoid more pain, complications, tightness, and any other issues that may arise. I may eventually drop to .50mm per day as I am in no rush to finish lengthening.

Yeah I am trying to get used to everything still.. I guess it'll take a bit more time. The wheelchair part just sucks when going out to places to eat etc... Are you currently lengthening right now too?

I appreciate the kind words and encouragement =]

Yeah, I think the stretching strategy is doing very well so far, I am constantly getting more and more flexible than I was pre-op, even though my legs are getting longer and longer.

Why Assayag over Paley (and/or other US doctors).

As for slowing down, just for perspective - Rozbruch starts all his patients at .8mm (unless very young then he does 1mm), for similar reasons. People typically end up slowing more eventually either because of lower bone growth or pain. I think it's quite rare not to slow down at all. Another option is to alternate daily, like .75mm and .5mm. That helps as well.

Here is your problem - you're going out . Each to his own of course, but personally I avoid going out, unless I really need to. I don't have someone with me full time (or anywhere near that) so it's not convenient as you can imagine.

Technically I finished lengthening (reached 8cm on both legs) but because of lower bone growth in one leg I reversed a bit and now lengthening back to 8cm again (will finish soon).

Glad you're getting more flexible, just be prepared that it's going to change

[Vx88x]

Why Assayag over Paley (and/or other US doctors).

Ah okay.

Why Dr. Assayag?
My decision was both based subjectively and objectively but with less emphasis on the objective. I feel as though most the surgeons in the United States have a fairly solid base level of surgical knowledge and skill that keeps us patients safe. Their technique and skill are all above average. So the objective values are somewhat leveled on this side of the pond. Although with the help of a specialist colleague we did admire Dr. Assayag and Dr. Lee’s immaculate precision and details from previous patient’s x-rays that I spoke to. This was more a of in-the-industry geeky admiration thing.

The biggest difference for my choice was his care, attention, warmth, kindness, and genuinely active concern for his patients. And I put a big emphasis on active. This surgery, as we all know, is extremely difficult. And although there is a good bit of information with a straightforward process, there are some discomforts or unexpected experiences that happen along the way.

The unknown, for me, makes me feel uncertain and gives me some anxiety. I have never, in my career of being in a sector of the medical industry, have seen a doctor actively care for their patients in a way that Dr. Assayag did. He gives his patients/prospective patients his direct personal cell line. Even prior to surgery, after consultation, I asked him dozens and dozens of questions, without even having made a deposit yet. He was so friendly, answered everything, and never made an inkling of distain or arrogance.

In our rather fast paced world, the genuine soft paced care he gave stood out head and shoulders from the rest. Even after pausing my initial decision for a time being, Dr. Assayag reached out to make sure I was okay. If he cared that much before even receiving a deposit, it made me feel comfortable on how he could be after becoming one of his patients.

And now after surgery. Whenever I have an issue or question, he answers very quickly, anytime that he is not in surgery or having family time. When there is an issue, I always would wake up to a text message from him checking up on me and how I was doing. I appreciated it very much because I know he was actively finding time to do so between surgeries or appointments. And when the pain was high and/or morale was low and times were just tough, those little things really give a sense of comfort, that he was thinking about how I was doing.

If I ever felt uncomfortable or felt as though I needed slightly more attention, he would somehow squeeze me in same-day or next day even if the appointment list was full, to ease my concerns. I consider that above and beyond patient care.

So that is my personal reason for choosing Dr. Assayag. It is like a genuine mom and pop shop with simple love and care without the bureaucratic bull  or tape.

But I encourage everyone who is considering LL reading this, you have to go visit the doctor you are willing to consider. It made a huge difference and impact for me.

[Vx88x]

Glad you're getting more flexible, just be prepared that it's going to change

Yeah I am expecting to hit a wall soon. Did you gradually lose flexibility or did you one day wake up and a chunk of your flexibility was gone?

And woo! Very happy for you that you are almost done!! Im excited to hit 8cm if I can make it. Seems so far away haha.

[hippo60]

But I encourage everyone who is considering LL reading this, you have to go visit the doctor you are willing to consider. It made a huge difference and impact for me.

Thanks for sharing! This definitely matches other Assayag diaries when it comes to his amazing care. Very impressive and hard to put a monetary value on that peace of mind that you get.

Yeah I am expecting to hit a wall soon. Did you gradually lose flexibility or did you one day wake up and a chunk of your flexibility was gone?

And woo! Very happy for you that you are almost done!! Im excited to hit 8cm if I can make it. Seems so far away haha.

It's definitely gradually. You fool yourself to believe you can fight it but eventually you give up
You should still work hard on stretching, it'll also help recover faster afterwards.

It's hard to feel you're almost done when you can't walk . Happy to finish lengthening but I think it's important to remember the recovery is a very long process and be prepared for it as well. Personally I'm also thinking about tibias, so long way ahead.

Don't count days to 8cm or anything like that. Take it one day at a time and soon enough you'll see how it's adding up. Mentally I think the 2.5cm-4cm are the hardest, so prepare yourself

[Vx88x]

Thanks for sharing! This definitely matches other Assayag diaries when it comes to his amazing care. Very impressive and hard to put a monetary value on that peace of mind that you get.

It's definitely gradually. You fool yourself to believe you can fight it but eventually you give up
You should still work hard on stretching, it'll also help recover faster afterwards.

It's hard to feel you're almost done when you can't walk . Happy to finish lengthening but I think it's important to remember the recovery is a very long process and be prepared for it as well. Personally I'm also thinking about tibias, so long way ahead.

Don't count days to 8cm or anything like that. Take it one day at a time and soon enough you'll see how it's adding up. Mentally I think the 2.5cm-4cm are the hardest, so prepare yourself

No problem!

I am that fool right now haha. But I can tell I am going to start to slip away soon. Probably around 3cm or 4cm. When did you start to slip away? And I agree.. I’ve been mentally prepping myself for 3-6cm cause I feel as though those will be the hardest mentally.

What made 2.5cm to 4cm hardest for you? I appreciate the warning <3.

[hippo60]

I am that fool right now haha. But I can tell I am going to start to slip away soon. Probably around 3cm or 4cm. When did you start to slip away? And I agree.. I’ve been mentally prepping myself for 3-6cm cause I feel as though those will be the hardest mentally.

What made 2.5cm to 4cm hardest for you? I appreciate the warning <3.

We all are, part of the process

Not sure what you mean by slip away, and as I said it's gradually. It's not like I felt a noticeable difference every single day, but you just get tighter and tighter and it adds up. I expected things to get worse around 7-8cm, but honestly it wasn't much different compared to 5-6cm. It seems pretty individualistic as well so keep that in mind, but your best bet is to just keep stretching 3-4 hours a day.

Here is my breakdown on your way to 8cm. Up to 2-2.5cm you're still in the honeymoon phase. It's not all rainbows but it's new and exciting. Physically you also don't really feel any tightness till 2cm so it's pretty easy. Then it wears off and you're in that nowhere land (2.5-4cm), past honeymoon but nowhere near the end, and it's daunting. After 4cm you realize there is less ahead of you than behind you, and I think it's a great mental relief. At that time you also start to feel more tightness, but I think most people still don't find it too bad until they're getting closer to 5-6cm. After 6cm you start counting the days, that's just it

I'll add that you're in a great mindset for this, so keep it up! Complications aside (hopefully you don't experience any), staying busy and not stressing over the days or about finishing as soon as possible will make the process a lot easier mentally. It really helps if you don't have a specific date / deadline (typically work, but could be anything), and just go with the flow. It's not "fun" but it definitely doesn't have to be a nightmare.

Last tip - not sure if you have access to a pool but for me it was a game changer on multiple levels. Hydrotherapy is great as well, but being able to walk and swim in a larger pool when you can't really do anything else outside was pretty fun

[Vx88x]

We all are, part of the process

Not sure what you mean by slip away, and as I said it's gradually. It's not like I felt a noticeable difference every single day, but you just get tighter and tighter and it adds up. I expected things to get worse around 7-8cm, but honestly it wasn't much different compared to 5-6cm. It seems pretty individualistic as well so keep that in mind, but your best bet is to just keep stretching 3-4 hours a day.

Here is my breakdown on your way to 8cm. Up to 2-2.5cm you're still in the honeymoon phase. It's not all rainbows but it's new and exciting. Physically you also don't really feel any tightness till 2cm so it's pretty easy. Then it wears off and you're in that nowhere land (2.5-4cm), past honeymoon but nowhere near the end, and it's daunting. After 4cm you realize there is less ahead of you than behind you, and I think it's a great mental relief. At that time you also start to feel more tightness, but I think most people still don't find it too bad until they're getting closer to 5-6cm. After 6cm you start counting the days, that's just it

I'll add that you're in a great mindset for this, so keep it up! Complications aside (hopefully you don't experience any), staying busy and not stressing over the days or about finishing as soon as possible will make the process a lot easier mentally. It really helps if you don't have a specific date / deadline (typically work, but could be anything), and just go with the flow. It's not "fun" but it definitely doesn't have to be a nightmare.

Last tip - not sure if you have access to a pool but for me it was a game changer on multiple levels. Hydrotherapy is great as well, but being able to walk and swim in a larger pool when you can't really do anything else outside was pretty fun

Oh the slip away comment was for the gradual tightness. Right now I have toe touches as my hardest stretch and have set my baseline to be touching about an inch pass my toes as my best. But ever since hitting 2.2cm today, I cant pass it by an inch anymore without struggling. Starting to slip away 

Oh wow thank you so much for that expectation timeline, that helps immensely and gives me some comforting assurance! Mann, that 6cm must be a breath of fresh air. I wonder if ill stop there.

Thats reassuring to hear! Trying to keep a positive outlook as much as I can. The days are getting easier though and hopefully one day soon we can both look past these moments as a distant memory 

Yeah, I have been to my friends pool and it was amazing. Going to try and go more. Just being able to stand on my own was an amazing feeling.

[hippo60]

Oh the slip away comment was for the gradual tightness. Right now I have toe touches as my hardest stretch and have set my baseline to be touching about an inch pass my toes as my best. But ever since hitting 2.2cm today, I cant pass it by an inch anymore without struggling. Starting to slip away 

Oh wow thank you so much for that expectation timeline, that helps immensely and gives me some comforting assurance! Mann, that 6cm must be a breath of fresh air. I wonder if ill stop there.

Thats reassuring to hear! Trying to keep a positive outlook as much as I can. The days are getting easier though and hopefully one day soon we can both look past these moments as a distant memory 

Yeah, I have been to my friends pool and it was amazing. Going to try and go more. Just being able to stand on my own was an amazing feeling.

Are you doing toe touches without a band? That's pretty tough! Keep in mind people experience tightness differently (as in - different muscles), and it can also be different between your legs (my right leg was a real bitch compared to my left ) so don't worry if you experience that.

Why stop at 6cm? Nothing bad about it, and it's also helpful not to get overly obsessed with numbers (I trust that you aren't). Yeah, looking at LL as a distant memory is definitely a goal right now. We just want to get to the point where we enjoy our life, not bothered by our height anymore

Took me a while before I got into the pool. I was heavily encouraged by a friend and glad that I went. I lost a ton of muscle by then so definitely helped gain some muscle back. Obviously being able to walk the first time was like magic, I couldn't stop smiling the entire time. I think it also helped my tightness/muscles in general, as I was barely able to move my legs the first time when trying to swim, and it got increasingly better as I kept going (while also lengthening more!).

[Vx88x]

Are you doing toe touches without a band? That's pretty tough! Keep in mind people experience tightness differently (as in - different muscles), and it can also be different between your legs (my right leg was a real bitch compared to my left ) so don't worry if you experience that.

Why stop at 6cm? Nothing bad about it, and it's also helpful not to get overly obsessed with numbers (I trust that you aren't). Yeah, looking at LL as a distant memory is definitely a goal right now. We just want to get to the point where we enjoy our life, not bothered by our height anymore

Took me a while before I got into the pool. I was heavily encouraged by a friend and glad that I went. I lost a ton of muscle by then so definitely helped gain some muscle back. Obviously being able to walk the first time was like magic, I couldn't stop smiling the entire time. I think it also helped my tightness/muscles in general, as I was barely able to move my legs the first time when trying to swim, and it got increasingly better as I kept going (while also lengthening more!).

Yes no band so far, can touch my toes and can get 1inch past with some internal screaming. My left leg is a real bitch right now. It is very sensitive with how tight the IT band and knee cap react. My right leg has just chilled the entire time from surgery day til today…

If the IT band tightness is this bad at 2.2cm now, idk if I can handle it at 6cm+.

As soon as my infections clear, I am going back into the pool asap!!

[Vx88x]

Key Point

5/7/2023
@: 21.75mm
Strangely all pain has subsided. My IT Bands feel almost 85% back to normal. My legs don’t ache like crazy just a 1-2/10. My burning knee pain is gone. Knee tightness is at a 1/10. Knees still popping but not uncomfortable. Hamstrings are a tad tight. Temperature is around 74 degrees, in the house. Humidity 54% outside. Got 3hrs of sleep at night and another 2hr in afternoon. Drank 30oz of water in the last 6hrs.

Differences leading up to today:
- joint supplement 3rd day
- intensive focus on supine IT Band stretches 3rd day
- Hot tubbed last night at 106 degrees
- More water intake upped by additional 30oz
- Above avg sleep

None of this may last for even 6hrs longer but as of right now, things are at peace…

[Yau]

Key Point

5/7/2023
@: 21.75mm
Strangely all pain has subsided. My IT Bands feel almost 85% back to normal. My legs don’t ache like crazy just a 1-2/10. My burning knee pain is gone. Knee tightness is at a 1/10. Knees still popping but not uncomfortable. Hamstrings are a tad tight. Temperature is around 74 degrees, in the house. Humidity 54% outside. Got 3hrs of sleep at night and another 2hr in afternoon. Drank 30oz of water in the last 6hrs.

Differences leading up to today:
- joint supplement 3rd day
- intensive focus on supine IT Band stretches 3rd day
- Hot tubbed last night at 106 degrees
- More water intake upped by additional 30oz
- Above avg sleep

None of this may last for even 6hrs longer but as of right now, things are at peace…

I am curious what joint supplement do u take? 🙏

[youyin12]

Please tell me how to get in touch with dr.assayag before the surgery, I have some questions I want to consult, sent an email but still no reply. By the way how much will the surgery and accommodation cost?

[youyin12]

[quote author = Yau link = topic = 83619 . msg 262528 # msg 262528 date = 1683555146]我很好奇你服用什么联合补充剂？🙏n[/报价]
Are you from China? I PM you. Please check.

[youyin12]

I am curious what joint supplement do u take? 🙏

please pm me your whatsapp I will add you.