Stories - I decided to have my knee replaced when:

Hello I am a 54 year old Male. I have worked on Ships, tug boats, and drilling rigs since I was 15 years old. I played sports in high school and rode Motorcycles when not working. yes I have had accidents and have had a couple of arthroscopic knee surgeries. The last 5 years have really taken a toll on my knees. where once my beautiful wife and I used to walk on a regular basis I can hardly walk 500 feet before the pain becomes so bad I cant stand it. At work I still do 11 to 15 flights of stairs a day and 10 miles a week while at work. the pain is so bad at times I cant sleep for hours. I have seen 3 orthopedic surgeons who were not interested in talking to me because I am overweight by normal standards. I have lost 110 lbs over the last 12 months and I have seen a orthopedic surgeon whom it took me 5 months to get an appointment with. he happily took me on as a patient. I am scheduled for the Left Knee TKR on Feb 7 2018, I am very nervous. My present condition is a known entity. the unknown scares me to death. I have saved my vacation time so I can have 3 months off to recover. Thank you all for sharing your stories on this site. Happy holidays to everyone.