Surgery preparation

It was only through my two knee replacements that I realized — my second time around, I was considerably calmer. And that's not to say I didn't have fear and anxiety. We're human, we process emotions. But I knew what surgery day would look like, and I also realized nobody really talks about the small stuff. So, I want to tell you about three things that actually caught me off guard both times and genuinely surprised me.Surprise #1: Prep Isn't About the Surgery. It's About Infection.My personality is pretty much “Perfect Patty”. So, when my facility handed me a list before surgery 

Three weeks before my first knee replacement, my husband proposed. I know that's not the opening you expected on a knee replacement blog. But stay with me, because that proposal ended up changing the entire way I approached my recovery, and it's the reason I want to share these three things with you today.Suddenly I wasn't just a woman getting a new knee. I was a bride-to-be picturing her wedding day, and I already knew exactly what I wanted to wear: 3 and a half inch heels. Which meant I already knew what my legs needed to be able to do. Strength training wasn't optional anymore. It had a purpose.

When I started prepping for my knee replacement, I did what everyone tells you to do. I went looking for the checklist. The list of gadgets, the list of must-haves, the list of "here's exactly what you need." The deeper I got into it, the more overwhelmed I felt, and the more I realized something wasn't sitting right with me.Those lists are built for a generic person. I'm not a generic person. I'm me, at my age, in my body, walking into my specific surgery. So instead of collecting more checklists, I stepped back and looked at the bigger picture instead of the small stuff.

Before my first knee replacement, I didn't prepare. I didn't plan. I just waited for the day to arrive, because by that point, my knee was so degraded that even stepping up a curb hurt. In all honesty, I just wanted to make it through the surgery and survive. I wasn’t thinking ahead. There were just over 3 years that passed between knee replacement #1 and knee replacement #2 and by my second knee replacement, I felt stronger and I recovered faster. And it came down to one thing I refused to skip the second time around.Knee Number One: Almost No Plan at All

Before my first knee replacement, I did what most people do. I started a list. Ice machine, grabber tool, wedge pillow, sock aid, all the gadgets that show up the second you search "knee replacement must haves." I thought these people must know because they’ve been through it. By my second knee replacement, my whole approach had changed. And it had nothing to do with what I could buy on Amazon.The Problem With "Buying" Your Way ReadyAfter two knee replacements, here's what I've come to believe. A checklist of products can make you feel prepared without actually preparing

Reflecting after both of my knee replacements, I can say that I was not the same person with number two that I was with number one. And because of that, my result was very different.My first one took the full six weeks to get my range of motion back. My second time, I had it back in a couple of weeks. Same body, same surgeon skill, so different outcomes. It took me a while to actually sit with why that was, and what I landed on was that it came down to what I did before I ever walked into the operating room.I get into all of it in this week's video — the three things I did the same both times, what I changed the second time, and the one thing I got wrong that I'd love for you to skip learning the hard way.

Nobody told me that the most important part of knee replacement recovery happens before you ever walk into the operating room. That surprised me too — because it wasn't about what surgeon I chose or which hospital I'd be at. The three decisions that changed everything for me had nothing to do with the surgery itself.Let me take you to Cabo.Decision One: The Moment I Couldn't Ignore AnymoreBefore that trip, I'd been living around my pain for so long it had become my normal. Every plan we made had a quiet asterisk attached to it — can Suzie walk that far, will Suzie's knees hold up, should we park closer for Suzie. I was 43 years old and I was editing my life down to what my knees would allow.

There are a few physical things you can do to support your body before knee replacement surgery — and one for your mind. There is actually a whole lot you can do for your mind, but today we are focusing on the physical and on calming your mind down a little before you get to surgery day.I want to share with you what I did before knee number two — because knee number one and knee number two were completely different experiences for me. Before knee number one I was in so much pain I just wanted to get to it and get through it. It was all mindset because I honestly didn't know what to do to support my body physically. Before knee number two I called the shots. I named when I wanted it done. My knee wasn't as degenerated and there was more, I could do to prepare. That's where I learned what actually makes a difference.Start With Prehab — Your Muscles Are the FoundationThe very first thing you want to do is some form of prehab to strengthen your quads, your glutes, and your hamstrings. The stronger those muscles are going into surgery the stronger they will be coming out. You see this with professional athletes all the time. 

The person helping you heal is carrying something too. This is for both of you.This one is for the person sitting next to you through your recovery. And it is for you too, because understanding what your caregiver is carrying will change how you move through this together.I was lucky. My husband was steady through both of my knee replacements. But steady does not mean unaffected.I remember the day Chris went back to work. I didn't expect what I felt. The house got quiet and I got weepy in a way I wasn't prepared for. His steady presence had been holding something in me together that I didn't even know needed holding.And looking back, I could have made things easier for him if I had understood what caregiving actually costs a person.What caregiving looks like from the inside

3 Uncommon but Crucial Things to Consider Before You Schedule That SurgeryYou've done your homework. You know about the surgery itself, the physical therapy, the ice machine, the walker. You've Googled "what to expect after knee replacement" more times than you can count.But there are a few things that almost never make the list — and they matter more than most people realize. Let's talk about three of them.1. Your Lifestyle — Can Your Daily Routine Actually Flex for Recovery?