Welcome to Bonesmart. You are in the right place for emotional support and modern advice about knee replacement. I just had my right TKR 7wks ago and am 46. I will have the left knee done in a year or two. My recovery has had some complications, but I know it was the right decision. This was my 11th knee surgery (3 on the left, 8 on the right), after 20 yrs of strange knee problems.
I was also told I was too young at first. After being "sports-surgeoned to death" by my famous Midwestern sports surgeon, I had another specialist tell me I needed to move on and find a modern-minded TKR surgeon who had seen it all, especially all ages. My first question was "Will I be shown the door once he knows my age?" She was mortified and informed me how many all-out lies I'd been given by my famous sports surgeon during the last 5 yrs.
Lastly, I SHOULD have had it done 3 yrs ago but was talked into an ACI (autologous chondrocyte implantation) instead. I was told I was simply too young for TKR and didn't think the guy would actually lie!! That surgery failed in the end, but the surgery and recovery was
,resulting in 4 procedures in 5 months to walk/bend normally again. I learned later it could have
all been avoided if I'd done more research and gotten a few more opinions. My new surgeon is a reconstruction and revision specialist---not just any orthopedist, and he answered all 19 of my questions when I first met him. He reiterated some people need TKRs sooner, and our age should NOT be the deciding factor.
So I feel your pain and wish you the best in this journey but will spare your my recovery info.
I had a weird complication and don't want to taint the process. Plus, this knee had already been to he** and back, and no two knees are the same, thus it's impossible to compare.
One last thing as you prepare----many say we "young 'uns" heal faster because of our age. Others swear it was their pre-op fitness level that aided their recovery or slowed their recovery. The problem is you will find some older people healing much faster than younger people. You will also find many of us super-fit "younger" people did NOT have an easier recovery.
It's simply a complete gamble as to what will happen, and has A LOT to do with the skill of your surgeon.
All you can do is prepare the best you can and hang on for the ride. Your body will recover as it sees fit, and there is nothing you can do to speed things along.