Limb Lengthening, Weeks 2-4: Beginning the Lengthening
8/28/19
10:44
Summer is ending. My incisions are turning dark pink where the staples are placed because it’s been too long and they need to come out (Dad’s opinion). Flexion is good, pain is slowly getting better. I have lengthened 4.6 millimeters, almost half a centimeter. That’s only 9% of the way there. It’s already crazy to think that my leg has “grown” that much. Other than loose staples and minor pains and twitches here and there, everything seems to be going well. Already been two weeks since surgery. Having just started the lengthening process, I’m optimistic for the future and hope these next 7 ish weeks of lengthening go well.
21:08
Tomorrow is another checkup where I (hopefully) will have my staples removed. Hope staples feel fine getting removed. Skin is finally about to heal! Also, more x-rays will be taken. More cool pictures of leg trying to stitch itself back together.
8/29/19
14:29
Summer feels so far away already. Meeting today went well. Staples finally out. That was not the most comfortable staple-removing experience I’ve ever had, probably because was the ONLY staple-removing experience I’ve ever had. X-rays look kinda freaky. At this point, soft tissue is filling the gap in my femur. As the gap gets bigger, the soft tissue will continue to grow, thicken, and eventually, calcify. At that point, it becomes super-strong bone. I’d love to fast-forward to that moment, but that is physically impossible. Bummer.
8/30/19
12:39
First PT session today. It was interesting. Did some basic muscle-building exercises and started incorporating mobility moves as well. Current goal is stop muscle atrophy and encourage muscle engagement. Moving on, pain is getting better and I’ve now lengthened 7mm! AND I HAVE EXPLANATIONS FOR MY PREVIOUS PAINS!! Turns out, when the osteotomy was being performed, my femur fractured in a way it wasn’t supposed to. So that explains the weird pain I had been experiencing earlier. Lengthening doesn’t hurt when your femur isn't splitting (I would guess). So it’s kind of a blessing and a curse. It hurts more now, but later on, there will be more surface area for the bone to heal, and that could mean a faster recovery.
9/2/19
06:52
Feels surreal. First school day. Can’t believe that it’s finally here. I know I have supportive friends and family, so the whole leg situation doesn’t really bother me. I’m about to lengthen. Pain this morning is minimal. I might have slept a little funny on one of my hip scars. Also the underwear’s elastic band had slipped back on to the incision. Didn’t feel great, but wasn’t enough to cause me to wake up. I must have been tired.
15:48
School went well. I stepped on my leg accidentally and put maybe 15 lbs of pressure down. Oops. Hope it’s fine. I think it’s probably fine considering 15 lbs is 10% of the maximum weight tolerance of the stainless steel rod. I will lengthen soon. The current plan is to lengthen first thing in the morning, after school, and right before bed. Should work out to be okay. It’s not IDEAL, but the spacing is significant enough; roughly every 8-9 hours, depending on the day.
9/6/19
06:11
Crutched into hospital this morning before school and got x-rays. Still feel a little bit of shin splint pain in my hip/ top of my leg. I’m guessing that this pain comes from the semi-uncomfortable position I was in while taking the x-ray images. Fracture hurts a little. It’s gotten much better, though. I can now lift my leg with both arms without a lot of pain.
9/9/19
07:27
Surreal experience this morning waking up. Just felt oddly normal to go through the lengthening routine. Lengthening is getting so normal it’s relaxing. When I lengthen in the morning I’m always sort of half awake. Then when the motor stops I wake up and go downstairs. Currently waiting downstairs in a wheelchair for school. Leg feels fine. Lengthened 1.6 centimeters. Almost 1/2 an inch. No pain while lengthening, basically no pain at school. Recovery feels so much better now. Cheers to the future.
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