Scared of Knee Replacement Surgery? Why Fear Comes with You (And So Does Your Courage)
The comment I see more than any other on my social media?
"I'm scared."
"I'm terrified."
Same.
If you're scared of knee replacement surgery, you're in good company. I've read those words hundreds of times. Under videos. In messages. In the knee replacement groups. And every time, I recognize it, because I felt it too.
Is It Normal to Be Scared Before Knee Replacement Surgery?
Yes. It's one of the most common things I hear, and I felt it before both of my knee replacements.
There's a myth that we walk into surgery without fear. That somewhere between scheduling the date and pulling into the parking lot, calm just shows up.
I'm here to bust that myth wide open.
We're human beings having an emotional experience. Of course we're going to feel it.
Myth: You'll Walk into Surgery Day Without Fear
I kept the morning of surgery as normal as I could. Showered. I dried my hair. My husband played music while we got ready, like any other day. I made the bed. On the drive, I kept reminding myself to stay in the moment. I focused on the sunrise.
Then we pulled into the surgery center, walked to the door, and there it was.
I didn't know how I was supposed to feel. I'd never done this before. I knew how to live with a knee that was wearing out. I didn't know what came next.
Here's what I figured out: you don't get rid of the fear. You take it with you.
I put mine in my purse. Maybe yours goes in a backpack. Either way, it walks through the door with you.
And it doesn't walk in alone.
Right next to it sits the courage it takes to walk into that hospital or surgery center in the first place. Both make the trip. They coexist.
That duality shows up all over my own knee replacement adventure. Fear and courage in the same moment. Nervous and ready in the same breath.
Two More Surgery Day Myths That Feed the Fear
Myth: Surgery Day Will Be the Worst Day
I dreaded that date on the calendar, at first. I had my moments of spiraling into the worst-case scenario, because that's what our brains do. They try to protect us. And when I kept feeding that thought, my brain went looking for evidence to prove it. So, I got curious instead.
If I had decided in advance that surgery day would be the worst day, it would have been. So, I switched to wonder.
Once I did, I could let go of the dread of the day and start getting curious about what could be beyond it.
Myth: You Have to Hold It Together
If you believe you have to stay composed, every wave of emotion feels like proof you're not handling it right. My nurse noticed my nerves before I said a word. Turns out, they expect a human being to walk through that door with very HUMAN emotions.
In my YouTube video, I walk through both of these myths, including what I found once I stopped dreading the day and stopped trying to perform. I also share the one-word flip I used before surgery that changed how I talked about my knee, my surgery day and my whole recovery.
Anxiety Before Knee Replacement Surgery Means You're Learning
Surgery day is new. You're learning what the day looks like for you, what to pack, what sets off your anxiety, what questions you want to ask. None of that is known until you're in it.
So, if you're nervous right up until you walk through those doors, you don't have to get rid of it. Tell yourself: of course I'm anxious. I've never done this before. I'm learning.
Fear and Courage Walk into Surgery Together
Yes, you have fear. You also have courage.
It didn't show up out of nowhere. You built it through every tough season, every loss, every day you kept going on a knee that hurt.
You've survived 100% of it.
So put the fear in your purse. Let it sit right next to your courage. And walk in with both.
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:
I’m a proud affiliate for some of these tools and products that are suggested on this page and throughout my website. Meaning if you click on a product and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. My recommendations are based on knowledge and experience and I recommend them because they are genuinely useful and helpful, not because of the small commission that I may receive.
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