They say “hindsight is 20/20”, so we asked hundreds of real people “what they wish they knew” before their hip or knee replacement. Here are the top answers we received from joint replacement recipients.
What I Wish I Knew Before My Joint Replacement…
I wish I knew…
“That I should have gotten scripts filled a day before discharge.”
“That I needed to ask for supplies to be sent home with me (like dressing for my incision).”
“How much I would need a raised toilet seat!”
“To prepare at least 2 weeks worth of easy-to-warm meals.”
“How awesome the constant ice machine was!!!”
“To bring sweatpants and underwear that are 2 sizes larger to change into after surgery!”
“That fatigue would be as severe as it is…”
“How common insomnia really is.”
“That I would feel so run down for weeks after.”
“That I’d need help around-the-clock…When your undies fall to your ankles while on the potty and you forget your grabber, you know the struggle is real!
“That recovery is not fast like a rocket, but meanders through a maze.”
“That my replacement would mess with me mentally and I’d need a support group to deal with the mental issues that arise.”
“That I’d have bouts of depression and days that I’d cry.”
“That my stomach would be an unhappy bystander for weeks.”
“That I wouldn’t be able to reach my toenails for months.”
“How constipated I would be.”
“That the benefits still outweighed everything…”
“How good it would feel afterwards!”
“How quickly that awful, constant hip pain vanished and I felt like I was almost new again.”
“How pain-free I would be! If I knew, I would have done it sooner.”
“How positive the experience would be…the procedure has come a lonnnnng way.”
“How much PreHab before surgery would help with my recovery.”
“That having PeerWell was like having a physical therapist, nutritionist, occupational therapist and support group visit you everyday before and after surgery.”
Are you having a hip or knee replacement? Use PeerWell for a speedier, safer recovery.
