u/KemicalKittea

Switching to weeks now—it’s much easier to keep track!

I’m officially in week 2 of my total knee replacement recovery, and I’m making progress. Today I reached **117 degrees of bend**, and when I straighten my knee, I’m only **2 degrees away from completely flat**. I’m proud of those numbers!

Physical therapy should honestly be called *physical torture* sometimes 😂 But truly, I know my PT team is doing an amazing job helping me heal, regain strength, and prepare for the next surgery. My left leg needs to become strong enough to fully support me when it’s time to have my right knee done.

A special shout-out to Saul—thank you so much for the remote Reiki. Thank you, thank you! Saul is my Reiki teacher and master, and I truly appreciate the support. I’ve also practiced Reiki healing on myself, and it has been a meaningful part of my recovery.

Tomorrow is a big day: I see my surgeon for the first time since surgery. They’ll assess my left leg and change my dressing. Fingers crossed that everything is healing well! 🤞

Today I woke up naturally with no crazy pain- again, such a win.

I did my physical therapy exercises throughout the day, colored in my coloring book, and listened to more audiobooks. I also joined an online meditation event through my local Dhamakaya Meditation Center.

The best part of the day was spending time with friends! Cindy and Josh came over to visit me at my mom and dad’s. They brought these beautiful flowers, and I really needed the chance to hang out, relax, and just enjoy their company.

My husband also brought me my favorite: a Schlotzsky’s smoked turkey sandwich. 😊

I’m watching *The Boroughs*—pretty good so far! I’m still using the walker to get around, but the exercises are getting easier. My ankle started swelling today, so I’m keeping an eye on it. I’m also reducing the pain meds.

One day at a time, but today was a good day.

I woke up at 6 a.m. today with *no pain*—I just naturally woke up and got out of bed. That felt like such a huge win after the last couple of days.

I slowly got myself up, grabbed my walker, and made my way across the floor to join my parents for coffee in the living room. I’m still moving slowly, and I definitely can’t walk independently yet, but being able to get up without waking in sheer pain felt amazing.

I had physical therapy again today and worked on bending my knee. The PT gently moved my new kneecap around, which felt very strange—but I have feeling there, so I’ll take that as a good sign! I also practiced sliding my heel toward my butt to improve my bend. My goal was 90 degrees… and I made it to **97 degrees**. Apparently, I’m an overachiever. 😄

I also spent part of the day coloring more pictures and listening to audiobooks—two calm, comforting ways to rest and keep myself entertained while I recover.

Now it’s time to keep getting this leg strong, especially since the other knee will need its turn eventually. My big goal is to be walking well and climbing stairs before our trip to Japan.

Day 2 after surgery, and today was all about respecting my body’s limits.

I woke up with a very stiff knee and pain around an 8 out of 10 (with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest). I still did my prescribed exercises, but I did not push myself too hard. Today was not a “power through it” day.

I took things easier, colored a cat picture to pass the time, and after lunch I fell asleep for four hours. The exhaustion is real. Between surgery, healing, pain medication, interrupted sleep, and the work of doing exercises, my body feels completely wiped out.

Physical therapy is tomorrow, so today I focused on rest, pain management, icing, and doing what I could without overdoing it.

One honest takeaway so far: total knee replacement recovery is a long-haul process, not a quick fix. Some days may be about progress, and some days may simply be about getting through the day and allowing your body to heal. Both count.

Day 1 after surgery was a reality check—but still manageable with preparation, support, and staying on top of the plan.

My nerve block wore off around 2:00 p.m. For anyone unfamiliar, a nerve block is a targeted injection of numbing medication meant to reduce pain after surgery. It was helpful while it lasted, and I definitely noticed when it began to wear off.

Around the same time, I had physical therapy. I stayed on schedule with my prescribed pain medication, but even with that, my pain reached about a 7 out of 10 today. I don’t want to sugarcoat that part: it was painful and exhausting. But it was also temporary, and getting through the therapy and movement felt important.

I had exercises to do every hour, including ankle circles and leg lifts. Before surgery, these would have seemed incredibly simple. With a brand-new knee one day after surgery, though, every movement took effort. I completed all of my hourly exercises and did an extra set four different times. It took a lot out of me, but I’m proud that I did them.

I am especially grateful for my mom’s help today. She refilled my ice cooler to help control swelling, made me lunch and dinner, and kept me company. We played cards, watched the *NewsHour*, and even did an “apple meditation.”

One thing I am learning quickly is that mental health matters during recovery. When you are dealing with significant pain, it is easy for your thoughts to stay locked onto it. Meditation will not erase pain, but it gave my mind something else to focus on and helped me feel calmer and more positive. I would genuinely recommend trying some form of meditation, breathing exercise, music, a podcast, or another healthy distraction—especially during the harder moments.

**My honest Day 1 takeaway:** Pain can be intense once the nerve block wears off, and the exercises are much harder than they sound. But take the medication as directed, do the movements your care team gives you, use ice as instructed, accept help, and focus on one hour at a time.

I wanted to share my experience in real time for anyone preparing for a total knee replacement. Everyone’s situation and surgeon’s instructions are different, but I hope this helps reduce some anxiety without sugarcoating the process.

Today was surgery day.

I checked in at 10:00 a.m. Pre-op started with a visit from the anesthesiologist. He explained what would happen during surgery: I would receive a spinal/epidural, along with medication to keep me asleep during the procedure. He also mentioned that he would have the nurse give me calming medication through my IV before surgery. I’m guessing I looked as nervous as I felt.

Next, I met with my surgeon. He asked about my goals after surgery, and I shared them with him. He marked the correct knee, asked whether I had any questions, and took the time to answer the few I had. That conversation genuinely helped me feel more clear and settled.

After the surgeon left, the nurse gave me the calming medication through my IV. About an hour later, I was rolled back to the operating room.

One thing to be prepared for: it was **cold** in the operating room. Once there, I was moved onto the surgical table. The anesthesiologist cleaned my back, placed a sterile covering, and then gave medication through my IV. The next thing I remember was waking up after surgery.

I was very groggy but had no pain at that point. I received a nerve block that is expected to last around 12–16 hours, which has helped a lot so far.

Once I was more alert, I was moved to post-op. The nurses went over a lot of information, and my husband was there waiting. My advice: if you’re allowed to have someone with you, use them to take notes. You may be too groggy to remember everything clearly.

I was given the option to stay overnight or go home. I chose to go home because my mom, who is a retired nurse, offered to help care for me during the first two weeks. I know how fortunate I am to have that support, and I’m incredibly grateful.

Before I could leave, the hospital physical therapist worked with me on post-op exercises, walking with a walker, and handling stairs. I also had to eat something and successfully use the restroom before being cleared for discharge. Once I completed those final steps, I was able to go home.

When I got home, my mom had already created a medication log with the times for each medication and space for notes. She’s tracking my vitals and blood pressure, and she set up my ice machine/ice pack for swelling. Honestly, it is the best care I could ask for.

Right now, my pain is about a **2 out of 10**—with 1 being no pain and 10 being the worst imaginable pain. I know the nerve block is probably playing a big role in that, and I’m trying to stay realistic about the next few days.

So far, I’ve used my walker to get to the restroom and changed into pajamas on my own. I was told no baths until my first follow-up appointment and clearance from my doctor. I can shower because my wound dressing is water-resistant, but I’ll be following my surgeon’s instructions closely.

That’s it for Day 0/Surgery Day. So far, so good—but I’m aware the real recovery work is just beginning.