In December 2023, I had my left ankle joint replaced after living with rheumatoid arthritis in that joint for 38.5 years. Ten years prior, I had the talonavicular joint in my left foot fused. What follows is my personal experience with the approach I took to making my recovery time as comfortable as possible. This approach was mostly informed by the poor experience I had after my last surgery since there had been little guidance about how to set myself up for success.