The Night Before I Walk Again

Countless lessons I learned the hard way to calm your pre-surgery panic, get through hip or knee replacement, and finally trust your new joints again

“No one told me the truth about those first nights after surgery.”
This book does.

Lying awake replaying every horror story you’ve heard about hip or knee replacement?

Wondering how bad the pain will really be, how long you’ll need help in the bathroom, or if you’ll ever walk “normally” again?

Afraid of being a burden to your spouse or kids—but just as afraid of going into this without a real roadmap?

Most people go into joint replacement with a stack of cold hospital brochures and a head full of fear. Friends either brag about miracle recoveries (“I was fine in two weeks!”) or scare you to death. Almost no one explains what actually happens the night before, during those first wobbly steps, or at 3 a.m. when you’re home and thinking, “Did I make a mistake?”

The Night Before I Walk Again is the plain-English, human guide that fills that gap—written by recovery coach Reid Marcus Hayes, who’s been both the patient in the gown and the son helping his dad through hip replacement. This is not a dry medical manual. It’s a bedside companion that talks to you like a calm, experienced friend.

Here’s what you’ll find in this book:

✅ A clear explanation of what hip and knee replacements actually do in your body—without jargon or scare tactics.
✅ Down-to-earth guidance for nights, swelling, and pain: what’s usually normal, what usually isn’t, and how to tell the difference so you’re not panicking at every bruise.
✅ Simple checklists to get your home, bathroom, and “recovery nest” ready, so you’re not tripping over rugs, pets, or laundry when every step counts.
✅ A realistic six-week roadmap that takes you from fragile first days to steadier walking, with concrete milestones so you know if you’re on track.
✅ What good physical therapy should feel like, how hip and knee rehab differ, and what to do if a session leaves you in tears instead of hopeful.
✅ Short “Caregiver Corner” notes so spouses and adult children know how to help without smothering, arguing, or turning your recovery into a power struggle.

IMAGINE IF…
…instead of doom-scrolling horror stories the night before surgery, you could open a book that says, “Yes, you’re scared. Here’s what’s actually going to happen, step by step.”
Imagine knowing ahead of time how to get into bed without panic, how to survive the first bathroom trips with dignity, and how to answer that whisper, “What if I never walk normally again?”
Imagine your spouse or adult child finally understanding what you’re facing and how to support you—so you’re on the same team, not snapping from stress.

Worried this will be too technical? It isn’t. The language is simple and conversational, written for real people in their 60s and 70s, not for doctors. Afraid you’re “too old” or “too frail”? You’ll find specific, gentle guidance for seniors and fall-risk patients—without shame or fake promises.

You’re not asking for miracles. You’re asking for truth, clarity, and a way through. That’s exactly what this book was written to give you.

this book can be the turning point you and your family have been looking for.