Well said Shandra. Thank you.

I'm 71 now and had both knees replaced in 2022, then my right hip and left shoulder this year. I'm running out of joints to replace....

As to why I needed these replacements - one word - osteoarthritis. This is hereditary. I got blue eyes from my mom, and osteoarthritis. Can't win em all!

When surgeons say it takes a year to fully recover from a joint replacement, they mean it. Functional recovery and pain reduction occur early, within a few months. But joint replacement surgery is a shock to the body, and one year sounds about right to adapt fully.

So my advice is to use caution while exercising once formal PT ends. For example, I'm waiting a full 6 months post-shoulder replacement (anatomical, thankfully) to go back to chest presses, overhead presses, and chin ups. These exercises put great stress on the shoulder. I might be able to handle it. But there's also a risk of injuring the shoulder, and after all the rehab, I don't want to go backwards.

Hope this helps someone! All the best.

Joe