Hilltop - External Tibias - Dr. Amar Sarin - 2011 - Journey to a new beginning

[Wishtobe5ft9]

Hi Steve1987

1. Though I could walk without support after five months from surgery, my doctor asked me to stop walking because it his highly risky since the bone cannot bear you weight and there's a chance of screw bending/breaking. I would say one can walk after 7 months but it depends upon individual to individual.

All are from the date of surgery.

Walking with Support: 4.5 months(It took me)

Driving Car: 5 months(Thats when I started)

Walking without support: 7 months(It should be 7 months as a safety precaution for the bone, though I could walk after 5 months)

2.Hey buddy, I am not from U.S.

Thanks

Hilltop..

Hilltop, when you say walk without support within 4.5 months of surgery, does that mean walk with a normal gait or limp? no ballerina problems or anything to worry about at that point right?

Also, isnt the purpose of LON for full weight bearing? why cant one walk without support after lengthening and the rods inserted in? (as long as ballerina is not a problem)

If walking without support 7 months after surgery is what is recomended for lon, then it would be better probably to do pure externals with no LON. e.g 2.5 months for lengtheining, 5 months after for consolidation since bone will consolidate faster without the rod.

This is a question for everyone, I wish to do only 5.5 cm with Dr Sarin. I have only 6 months to take off. Can i do it and return to work with a normal gait?

[hotdawg]

Hope all is going well Hilltop

[crazy+6]

Hey all,

I got call from Hilltop yesterday. He is fine and back to his job. He is walking half a kilometer everyday which is great achievement in 6-7 months of time. He will update his diary once he get internet connection in his new work place. I wish him more speedy recovery.

God Bless
Crazy+6

[Arche]

Thanks for the update Crazy!

[cross0ver112]

As I was perusing through your diary I noticed that after I saw your x-rays posted on June 23, 2012 your fibula's in both legs look misaligned.  I was thinking this and immediately when I scrolled down OneSevenOne posted exactly what was on my mind.

OneSevenOne said: "So you got the op six months ago and stopped lengthening after about 2 months?  Is that correct?  I have no idea RE: consolidation, but your fibular looks a little misaligned or is that normal?"

Is that normal? I don't think so.  I have been on boards like this since 2000.  In 2001 I started saving up for surgery in 2004 in Chongqing, China at age 18.  When I arrived there I went from 99% certain that I would get the surgery to less than 25% that I would get the surgery.  I finally decided not to get it.  My main reasons were proportion and fear that my legs would have to get amputated due to infection or any other valid reason.  I was also worried that I would never be back to 100%.  By 100% I mean that my legs, my speed, movement and explosive first step will not be affected.

Also another thing that deterred me from getting the surgery in Chongqing in the People's 8th Hospital is because Dr.  Ruan Yude performed it under local anesthesia.  That means that one would be wide awake during the entire surgery and most likely still feel pain.  One would hear all of the hammering and everything else that happens.  During the day I would also hear one of the Doctors hammering and chipping away at metal in his workshop.  This creeped me out. . . this scared me is probably a better description.  By the way I chose Chongqing because they did the monorails.  I thought that this was a much better method.  Also it would not take me a crazy amount of time to raise the funds.

Since then the desire to be taller still has not gone away.  For over a year now a second attempt has been reawakened.  Internal tibia's with Dr.  Guichet sounded great, but I was more worried about internals because I was terrified about the inside of my bone getting infected and Guichet or some other doctor having to perform amputation.  I was worried that doctors could know for certain if there was something serious happening in there. . . like a serious infection that could turn into something serious such as amputation and death.  But after a while my confidence in the doctors and procedures has greatly improved, especially in not being so worried that my legs will get chopped off.

I have decided to go with Dr.  Guichet, but after so many failed attempts at trying to scrounge up $55,000 - $60,000 for tibia's and then another $60,000 for femurs a year later and then another $60,000 to do the humerus and then the radius and ulna (The upper and lower arms respectively).  This would come out to $240,000.  After so many failed attempts I came to the realization that if I went with the better method of internals it would most likely take me into my 40s from beginning to end (I am currently 27).  Barring any miraculous event that I am able to get hired as a Hedge Fund Analyst I would probably never be able to afford Guichet and my goals within a reasonable amount of time.

I was worried that the wires that piece through the legs went through the thick meaty muscle of the leg, but after I carefully looked at CoolguySam's, Crazy+6's, Hilltop's and Dryani's pictures I noticed that this was not the case.  Muscle piercing with very minimal if at all.  This procedure is very affordable.  I would probably go with the monorails.  I am worried that once the thick wires are pulled out dimple like indentations will be left where the wires once were.  By the way, does anyone have a few clear pictures of the scars and if they almost completely disappear?