You got the surgery date. Here's everything they don't tell you, in the order you'll need it.

What's inside

• Why your shoulders will hurt, and why it has nothing to do with your shoulders.
• Why Gas-X can't reach this kind of gas.
• The blood test to ask for by name, weeks before surgery.
• What your surgeon may need to decide while you're asleep.
• The day 4–7 trap almost everyone falls into.
• An "is this normal?" list for 2am.

Plus printable pages: pre-op questions, a sheet for the person driving you home, and a 14-day recovery log.