Man, that's a lot
. Some answers inline
Congratulations. - Thanks!
You're about a year after surgery? - 16 months
Could you share some of your experience? - I wrote a diary, it's here somewhere. I stopped after a while, and just posted my end journey, but there's a lot of information there
You did precice on femurs I suppose... - Yes
You had a discrepancy of femurs that you fixed? - Yes
Your starting height was pretty tall, I wonder if it went that perfectly because you were already taller than average and 8 cm is relatively smaller amount for a 180cm person compared to a 160cm person... - The surgery went well because Dr. Rozbruch is a world class orthopedic surgeon. The recovery went well because I followed his protocols literally to the letter and invested in PT, great nutrition and sleep. Per. Dr. R, starting height isn't as much of a factor as the other things I listed
How was your recovery?
- Basically perfect. The first two weeks were very painful, which everyone knows and expects. It was smooth sailing after that. Nothing was unmanageable
How soon we're you discharged from hospital to your home(?).
- 4 days after initial surgery, same day after hardware removal
What was your timeline in terms of wheelchair to walker to crutches, etc?
- Wheelchair with no more than 200 load bearing steps per day during distraction, for 5 months, gradual progression from walker to crutches to one crutch to unassisted, starting 30 days into consolidation. Dr. Rozbruch is much more conservative, and for good reason
How long after surgery were you able to walk unassisted?
- 7-8 months to walk, 9-10 to run. Gait went back to normal very quickly, credit to extensive PT and hip flexor exercises
How did you manage to do the x-ray monitoring (monthly?) when youre away from the facility?
- There are lots of facilities in every city that do X-rays. Dr. Rozbruch would write a prescription, and I would go take them, then upload the images to the HSS portal, and telemed with Dr. Rozbruch. I also flew to NYC to see him in person if he wanted me to.
How did you manage in terms of pain, initially after surgery and afterwards... - Opioids for a month, Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen and muscle relaxers after, during distraction. Nothing needed during consolidation.
Very little needed with hardware removal as well. I walked out without crutches and the pain was very manageable. Just took Ibuprofen here and there
So you can run, that's amazing. Funny question - dyou think youll be able to play basketball or tennis or sports like these? - I started playing tennis a few weeks ago because my friends play. I'm back to rock climbing and boxing. Rock climbing is in some ways easier, due to an extra 3 inch reach. Boxing feels the same. Overall movement is literally the same as before, just bigger stride length. The only thing still missing is same height on vertical leap (which is improving every day).
You will have to work hard and be consistent to get your leg muscles back, but it's absolutely doable.
I should mention - the hardware removal is a huge unlock. I don't know the medical reason why. Dr. Rozbruch mentioned it, but I didn't go in depth. But he's right. My athletic ability soared after getting hardware removed and aside from still working on vertical leap, literally everything is normal or better
And how old are you? If it's ok sharing... - I'm over 30
Do you have any idea about pricing for discrepancy patients outside the usa? That's a reach...- No idea tbh. I know in the US, given that insurance pays a portion, it's very competitive, even compared to other US doctors
Thanks and best wishes - No worries, hope this helps you