I'm closing up shop. I might post in a few weeks to report on how my leg is feeling, but if this does turn out to be the last time I post, assume that all went well from here on out. Or that I'm dead. It'll be one of those two things.
If you were reading this blog because you were a friend and/or relative of mine blessed with two equal length legs, then thanks for your readership! I hope you found my months of agony entertaining.
If you came to this blog looking for information about leg lengthening, then I hope it's been helpful to you. Of course my experience was just that: my experience. Yours could be very different. That being said, on my final post, here's my list of 10 things I think would benefit anyone about to undergo leg lengthening:
1. Pick a good time to start the process. Really plan for the time off of work/school, and make sure that it's also a good time for anyone you might be needing to help you. Which leads me to...
2. You're going to need a caregiver. Someone falling into the "parent" or "person I'm married to" category would be preferable. Someone you are just dating might be a little iffy. Definitely don't think you can depend on a roommate to help you through it. Unless you feel comfortable asking your roommate to help you shower. Maybe you do.
3. Try to get as much help and support from your doctor as you can. I say "try" because it's not always possible with some doctors. Don't be afraid to call your doctor's answering service in the middle of the night.
4. Take all the pain medication that you need, but try not to take more than that. If you get addicted, you get addicted. Wean yourself off. Unless you have a problem with substance abuse, you will be able to regulate how much you need.
5. Pin site care. Your doctor will tell you one thing, you'll read many other things on the internet, but I found that the less I messed with them, the better. Just wash them in the shower with plain water, use sterile q-tips to dry them, and cover them with sterile gauze. And get yourself a shower seat. Trying to hose them down while standing up is not smart.
6. During the lengthening period, do your stretches. Everyday, all day. I know it hurts. But if you miss even one day you will feel it and it will only make things harder.
7. When you're on crutches, pad the tops of them with towels. Your armpits will still get sore, but not as bad. Being on crutches just sucks. Get off them as soon as you can.
8. You really can walk with the fixator without doing any damage to yourself. Walk as much as possible. Especially during the consolidation phase. Your bone will ache and you'll know it's growing.
9. Once the lengthening period is over, you won't be in pain at all. So go out and live your life. Just don't do anything stupid.
10. You're going to have bad days, and really bad days, and days where you want to shoot yourself in the head. You're also going to have good days. Just try to roll with it. It'll all be worth it in the end.
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2 comments:
NO!!! I want more bloggin'!
I'm so glad you made it out the other end of this ordeal better than you went in. I hope that I'll eventually have no lasting problems because of my break. Maybe my experiences are only relevant to my specific situation, but here are my comments on your already very good list.
1. I really got shafted because I (obviously) didn't choose the time period during which I was in my fixator. I didn't get a promotion at work because I was out for a critical two months, and I missed out on all outdoor activities this summer. Choose wisely, if you have the opportunity.
2. My girlfriend Meredith was my caregiver and she really came through for me, driving me all around and cleaning my pin sites daily (remember, I couldn't bend my knee). Make sure you have someone who knows what they're getting into.
3. My doctor was totally supportive while I was in the office, and mostly inaccessible out of the office. Because my injury was an accidental break and not a controlled break, she was extremely reluctant to set my expectations on a time period for my recovery, which sometimes felt like she was withholding. Every doctor is different though, so if you have the opportunity to choose a doctor for your operation, do so wisely.
4. I never became addicted to the Percocet I was on, but I can understand how taking Percocet after the pain is gone is attractive to some people; it can be euphoric. If you're worried about addiction, remember that these are prescription drugs, so unless you have contacts that can get you prescription grugs, you'll eventually end your addiction by default.
5. Between home health and Meredith, my pin sites were excellently taken care of. I had one minor infection at my uppermost pin site, but it was quickly knocked out. Showering did suck at first though, because I couldn't get my fixator wet. I had a garbage bag to contend with, which sucked big time. I don't know what determines whether or not you can get your fixator wet, but your life will definitely be easier without that restriction. I also had the benefit of a free shower seat that my brother no longer needed after his recuperation (this was a rough year for our mom). Showering would have been impossible without it- a must have.
6. I wholeheartedly agree with the bit about doing the stretches. At first, I was a little uneasy with the fact that my right leg was fixed at exactly 0°, but I later realized that it was a boon that I was basically permanently stretched while in the fixator. Stretching back to flexion is easier than stretching back to extension, I hear. The stretches that I didn't do at first were for my calf muscles. Even if you can't put weight on the leg, it's important to at least stretch all those muscles regularly. Do your stretches.
7. You know, I heard the same thing about padding the crutches. I found that when I was properly using the crutches with my weight almost entirely on my hands, my armpits didn't really get sore unless I was walking long distance trying to get some exercise or something. This may be a male-oriented upper body strength thing, though, so your mileagle may vary.
8. I was unable to put any weight on my fixator. This doesn't surprise me, as my fixator was for an entirely different purpose. My break line was also diagonal and not cut by a saw, so there were other forces at play that would have put my break out of alignment than a perfectly straight, horizontal cut. I felt my muscles ache as I started to walk again though. Feel the ache and work with it because you know it's part of the healing process.
9. My fixator has been off for about three months, now. I stopped going to physical therapy about a month ago, in favor of returning to my regular gym for the same exercises there. I still have pain when I walk (limp), and random stabs of debilitating pain when I put weight on my leg. But as my doctor pointed out, I'm not even six months out from one of the single worst breaks a human can have. So I still have hope that I'll eventually return to skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. Obviously, you have to be super careful for a few weeks right after the fixator comes off, as you basically have a scored bone, ready to break again.
10. Yeah, I have to agree completely with you there, Allison. Some days were decent, some less than tolerable, and some few made me wish unspeakable things on my own anatomy. But the bottom line is that the fixators help you get better, so it's all worth it in the end. :-)
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