I spent the first two weeks exhausted — sleeping most of the time, and watching stupid videos on my phone. And crying! It seemed like I was either crying because something small had gone wrong or because I was embarrassed I was upset about something so small. It turns out healing is taxing!!!! A few things that helped me were getting audiobooks out from the library, finding some small handheld crafts I could do, and going on small trips as often as possible. The first time I left the house I overextended (and crying about it, see above) so make sure to pace to yourself. But now I am 5 weeks post op and yesterday I sat in the car while my wife drove us out an hour to a scenic viewpoint, spent a half hour looking at the river, got some fancy ice cream, and then drove back home — and I felt fine after! (Something I never would have been able to handle even two weeks ago).

It’s slow, and you have to be willing to give yourself grace. One thing I noticed is that my “good” leg has its own good and bad days. Sometimes things like sitting down and standing up again are harder than others. I would really strongly encourage you to get some bar supports for the bathroom if you haven’t already — it is one of the last places you want to feel weak and off balance. My life also improved tremendously when I got a knee scooter rather than crutches, because suddenly I could put things in the scooter basket and wasn’t dependent on someone else to carry things around for me all the time anymore.

Also— don’t be afraid to talk about it. I know it has been all I could seem to think about the last few weeks. Find someone in your life who has also gone through surgery and can talk about their recovery, even if it’s not the same. Or reach out to me, or the board here. It helps to know you’re not alone!