Stories - I decided to have my knee replaced when:

I am 61 years old, and have suffered from arthritis in both knees for years. I tried to correct this myself by losing weight (60 pounds), working with a personal trainer (2.5 years now), having cortisone injections multiple times, physical therapy, and a host of remedies that I had read about online. I saw one surgeon about 3 years ago who said I "qualified" in both knees for replacement, and to let him know when I was ready. But I was afraid and I also didn't feel a connection with this particular surgeon. The main effect on my knees involved standing for more than a minute or so, and intermittent walking, like shopping. Everywhere I went, I entered a room and looked for a place to sit down. I sing in the church choir, and by the end of a song, I was in agony. It began affecting what I could do with my 5-year-old granddaughter, and then I decided "enough was enough." I saw a different surgeon and asked him what my options were. He said, "You really don't have options, other than immobility." So I had TKR right knee on 6/6/19, and plan for the left one in November. Even though I am only 4 weeks from the surgery, I can already say I'm so glad I did! More to come in the "how my life changed" section.