Update: Current pain level 
Surgery - My frame removal surgery was carried out August 24th (about one week ago). When I awoke from anesthesia I experienced moderate pain, and asked for a painkiller, which I was given. For some reason, my right thigh muscle was in a state of convulsion, and I was not able to relax it for nearly an hour. After the short observation period following the surgery, I was moved to my private room and I began to relax. Knowing ahead of time that the regular IV painkiller injections did not work for me, I had brought along some mild opiates, and took them at four hour intervals for the next 16 hours. In this way, I managed my pain and got some sleep. The next day, I felt much better and returned to the guest house.
IV troubles - I have very prominent and easy to find arteries, but the nurses had some trouble inserting my IV this time. It took them three tries to get the needle situated. I suspect that the final successful attempt was not situated properly, because when the anesthesia was injected it felt like my arteries were full of pressurized fire. I was writhing in pain, but only for a couple of seconds as the anesthesia is extremely fast acting. I was asleep in less than 10 seconds. The next day, many painless injections later, an injection hurt in the same way but worse. It was assumed that I had a blood clot, so a blood thinner was injected. The thinner hurt, but then the following antibiotic injection hurt worse than the first time. I had to yell at the nurse to make her stop injecting; I knew something was wrong. Why did I have to yell at the nurse? I suspect the reason is due to her miscalculating my pain tolerance and assuming that I was just whining. At any rate, she placed a new IV in my other arm and the rest of the injections were completely painless. Now, more than a week later, a 6 inch length of my artery (from the 1st IV) still gives me pain to the touch. The moral of this story is that painful IV injections mean the IV should be changed. The nurses say that it is normal for antibiotics to hurt, but it is not. Real pain means real problems in my experience.
Pain - After I returned to the guest house, I no longer needed opiates to handle the pain, and got a good amount of sleep using only muscle relaxers and NSAIDs. After about two or three nights, I no longer needed any drugs to deal with the pain or to sleep. I will no longer be posting regular pain updates in my diary, so just assume that aside from the physical therapy pain, that I am not in any notable pain unless otherwise mentioned.
Returning home - In 8 hours from the time of this posting I will be boarding a plane to London. From London I will travel to Arizona, and from Arizona I will be traveling home. The entire process will take 26 hours, and I am not looking forward to it. I will be taking aspirin to help prevent my feet from swelling due to being in a seated position for so long (as my legs are no longer accustomed to that situation). I will be taking some benzos to make the flights as pleasant as possible. As a side note, my research has yielded that this is the proper use of benzos; it can be dangerous to use them on a long-term basis, so don't do it.
Nightmares - This past week has given me a relentless amount of intense emotional nightmares. I'm not sure why this is happening. The nightmares will typically emphasize the things in life that I am most disturbed by, meaning that when I wake up there is no relieving realization that the dream was a complete illusion. I wish I never had to sleep.
This concludes the lengthening portion of my diary Ballerina foot (ankle range of motion) - After stretching, I have a little less than 2cm of ballerina. This is a pretty negligible amount, and I am not at all worried about it. I expect the ballerina to be eliminated within a month or so.
Leg straightening - Leg straightening is going to be the largest issue for me. I have about 35 degrees of bending that will not straighten. I am hoping to lower the amount of bending to at least 5 degrees in less than two months, but that may be too optimistic.
Testosterone - I will be increasing my testosterone when I return home, which should have the effect of increasing the speed of bone consolidation. Also, the increased testosterone will speed up the rate at which my leg muscles strengthen. Additionally, more testosterone means more estrogen, which has the effect of increasing soft tissue elasticity based on my research. I am hoping that higher estrogen levels will aid in my leg straightening. Raising ones testosterone can be done legally or illegally. Let's not talk about how to raise testosterone on this forum; just know that mine will be increased and it will likely have a minor to moderate effect on my recovery. If you choose to raise your testosterone as well, please be safe, use a PCT for methods that do not exclusively involve aromatase inhibitors, and research your path carefully (somewhere else).
Special Notes (about piss and poo): Proper pissing protocol - Of all the patients I have spent time with during this process, I would estimate that 95% of all urinations are done in "piss bottles" (pictured below). These piss bottles are emptied daily by Suitcase - a job he does admirably (I believe he has become immune to the smell). To piss, simply elevate your knees while laying down or sitting up in bed, and place your blanket over them. You will look like you are in labor to any onlookers, but in reality you are taking a piss. Next, place the urine bottle into position and flip the lid open. After you urinate, return the bottle to its place on the floor, and go back to what you were doing. If you notice your roommate urinating, it is considered respectful to look deeply into his eyes until he finishes.
Constipation - It is very important to not underestimate the bowel-slowing effect of opiate painkillers. This means that prior to surgery, after surgery, or when using opiate pills, it is crucial to drink a lot of water, eat high-fiber foods (prunes can be found at aaramshop), and take laxatives if needed. While most people do not have any serious issues, there are some (like myself) who develop painful persistent problems. Don't ask; the answer is worse than you want to hear. Just stay on the safe side and heed my warning.
Pissing difficulty - Another effect of opiates can be difficulty urinating. This can be alarming to someone not expecting this effect, but relax and realize that it is natural and it will pass. If this issue is plaguing you, then you will feel the urge to urinate, but it will simply not come out. It is as if you can not relax the muscles that hold your bladder shut. To combat this, I find that it helps to relax completely, gain privacy if possible, take as long as you need, and think of something funny enough to make you laugh (like urinating on a confused and frustrated Mickey Mouse). If the pressure builds in your bladder to the point of pain, and you are completely unable to urinate, then ask for a catheter. It will most likely not come to that point.
Hospital pictures:Waiting for surgery
A first person perspective of lengthening
Left leg
I appreciate the surgeries sirs
7.5cm pls + Happy pig (w/cock and balls)
A polite request to not be molested during the surgery
The ankle and heel pins always looked really gruesome, but they hurt the least and caused me no trouble
The closest thing to a proportion shot so far
The day after surgery - the white stuff is residue from the mold they placed on my legs to create my braces (more on the braces later)
