Lee Tsouli 09/09/09 LC+ Dr. De Smet

I had my C+ device surgery done on 9-9-2009 by Dr De Smet. Reason for me started with restriction of movement, no being able to tie my shoelaces not being able to swim, not being able to stand up from the couch in the evenings and to quickly walk to the fridge, without being very stiff in the lower back. Just a couple of months before the surgery I could not sleep without a pillow between my legs. At one point my youngest kid (3yrs back then) pushed my knee inwards while I was watching television and it was as if someone pushed a knife in my groin area. PAINFULL!!!

Since I am also a 2nd Dan Kyokushinkai Karate(Full Contact) teacher I was trying to teach class and train myself but with the limited movement I had to use my students to show examples and was not able to fight(which is in our style an absolute must because it is FULL contact).

Still being 38 yrs last year I was in some doubt but with all the discomfort of the little things humans do while alive, I knew this was not something I would want to learn to live with.

I was not nervous for the surgery since I have tried to test/validate my pain and discomfort a couple of weeks before the surgery just to keep reminding my brains that it is NOT OK the way it is. What helped me A LOT was that I was in the middle of changing jobs, so the job process kept me so busy that the surgery was like planning a dentist visit. Of course while I was in the hospital I knew why I as there but felt pretty relaxed because I was being HELPED and the quality of my life being IMPROVED.

De Smet was very comfortable and it was like in the plane. When there is a lot of turbulence and the plane starts shaking, the first thing I look at is the expression on the face of the hostess. If they look relaxed I know there is nothing to worry about. This was the look on De Smet's face when he stepped into my room after the surgery.

Since I am a very active guy and wanted to work my way back to a healthy and normal life, I had put all my focus and energy on the PT trainings. EVERY day at home and 3x per week at the gym with the PT, putting on some ROCKY music I managed to walk properly after 4 weeks without crutches. After 8 weeks I was back teaching karate but with limited activity. I did not (and still) want to jeapordize the success of the surgery for something that is not extremely important.

4 Months later I was back 100% joining RPM/Spinning classes and the PT did not know what else to do. He said I was at the same point or even much higher than individuals without an implant. Most important was to repeat excercises so the brains and muscles learn to cooperate again and provide better stability.

Now 9 months later I can tie my shoe laces, swim like a dolphin and am teaching class in such a way that ALL my students are being challenged by a teacher with an artificial hip doing 500 kicks, backwards. 90% do not even do 250 kicks so everytime I see myself doing these crazy things I remember how it used to be and am VERY happy that the hip device techniques are so advanced that people do not even know I have (or better said: HAD) a hip "problem".

Lee