I was talking to a client today, and she asked how long it took me to get to 120 degrees after my knee replacement. She’s sitting at 115 right now, feeling like she hit a wall, and I could hear that mix of frustration and fear in her voice.
It reminded me exactly what this part of recovery feels like.
So, I told her the same thing I want you to hear:
You’re not stuck.
You’re in a phase. I call it the learning phase.
Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I’ll never get better,” or “I’m always in pain”?
Yeah, I used to say that too—without realizing how much weight those words carried.
Here’s the truth: your words aren’t just sounds. They’re signals. And they’re either signaling healing or frustration. When you’re recovering from something as big as a knee replacement, every bit of your energy matters. What you say to yourself—out loud or in your head—sets the tone for how your body responds.
So today, I want to help you swap those “always” and “never” statements for words that actually move your healing forward.
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I am not kidding you when I say movement helps with swelling, improves circulation and keeps your muscles from tightening up. I know that sounds exactly like something. Your physical therapist would say, but after three joint replacements, I found this to be true. When you’re between one to two months post-op, these small, simple actions can make a big difference. Remember: this is about progress, 
Have you ever felt amazing one day after PT… and then totally paid for it the next?
Yeah, me too.
It’s like you finally start to feel like yourself again—you get up, do a few loads of laundry, run some errands, maybe even make dinner—and then bam. The next day your knee’s angry, your body’s wiped out, and you’re sitting there wondering what you did wrong.
Here’s the truth: you didn’t mess up. You’re healing.
And those moments that make you stop? They’re not punishments. They’re pivots.
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Back when I was still walking around on my bone-on-bone knee, I noticed something strange. Every time someone at work would ask, “How’s your knee?” and I answered, “It hurts,”… it got worse.
I know that sounds weird. I’m not saying I made it up or was pretending. The pain was real. But the moment I gave it voice? It almost felt like it doubled.
Eventually, I stopped saying “it hurts.”
Instead, I’d say, “I’m actually really looking forward to having it replaced.”
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