26 Things to Know If You’re Getting a Knee Replacement in 2026

The picture you’re looking at is me at home about five hours after my SECOND knee replacement. I remember the feeling that morning well. Honestly, I remember the entire week leading up to surgery vividly.

After three joint replacements, two knees and a hip, I’m very aware of what you may be feeling and what you may be processing right now. It’s my hope that these 26 things give you calm confidence as you move forward.

Meet Suzie Andrade

 
I was 41 when I was told I needed a knee replacement.
And that my other knee would likely follow.

That sentence alone changed how I moved through the world.

I stopped playing softball.
I stopped walking just to "walk".
I avoided stairs. Curbs. Parking far away for extra steps.
Even the small, normal things started to feel like obstacles.

One day, I was on the beach, walking through the sand and muttering under my breath with every painful step. I wanted to walk down to the water, but it felt too far. That was the day I drew a very real line in the sand and decided I couldn’t keep living this way.

I had my left knee replaced at 45, my right hip at 46 and my right knee at 48.

What I didn’t know then was that pain would shape my purpose.

Each surgery taught me more than how to heal a body. It taught me resilience, patience and how much faith we carry when we’re forced to slow down and keep going. It also showed me this: there are real gaps in the knee replacement "adventure".

Doctors and physical therapists do important work, but they don’t talk about everything — the fear, the frustration, the days when healing feels invisible. Not because they don’t care. Because they haven’t lived it. I have.

That’s why I created the Yetter Getter Mindset and why I show up as your Holistic Knee Replacement Coach — to fill in the spaces that get skipped so recovery feels doable, supported and human.

Welcome to my digital home.

A place for real guidance, real support and forward movement.

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© Suzie Andrade 2026. All Rights Reserved.