Introducing a new free booklet:

"Had I Known Then,” co-authored by Ellyn Spragins, features letters from joint replacement patients to their younger selves to provide encouragement and advice as they contemplate joint replacement surgery. One of the patients featured is Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, the 2008 and 2012 Coach of the U.S. Olympic Team for Men’s Basketball and Duke University basketball coach. The letters provide remarkable insight on the physical and emotional toll of osteoarthritis and the profound impact joint replacement has on a person’s health and enjoyment of life. To read a copy of the “Had I Known Then” booklet, including Coach K’s story to his younger self, please click below.
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People suffering from severe hip or knee pain due to osteoarthritis wait, on average, seven to 11 years before undergoing joint replacement surgery.ⁱ Many people delay hip or knee replacement surgery due to fear, misinformation or a lack of awareness about treatment options. That's why best-selling author Ellyn Spragins has teamed up with Dr. Steven Barnett, a board certified orthopaedic surgeon, to introduce the "Had I Known Then" booklet on joint health.

Ellyn Spragins is well known for her "Letters to My Younger Self®" book series and her work with hundreds of people, including Maya Angelou, Ann Curry, Suze Orman and Soledad O'Brien. In her latest project, Ellyn is inspiring those suffering from osteoarthritis to take action and talk to an orthopaedic surgeon about treatment options. In the "Had I Known Then" booklet, Ellyn delves into the hard-won wisdom of joint replacement patients in their journeys to recovery.

ⁱ DePuy Hip: A&U/Segmentation. Final Report January 2008. Data on file.

Ellyn Spragins
Author

"In writing this latest collection of letters, I discovered that few people have reflected on the impact their health has on their lives, and yet our physicality is intimately tied to our emotional well-being. When we are in pain, this not only takes a toll on our ability to do our jobs and pursue activities we love—it also erodes our happiness, relationships and, sometimes, our sense of who we are," says Ellyn.