I also worried I was jumping the gun, especially because of age (46). Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that one CAN wait too long......
I had major doubts when I first scheduled it----I
could still exercise "some", and I
could go for a walk maybe once a week....but things were getting worse by the month.
Then the bottom fell out!!!!
I postponed at the last minute when my mom became suddenly ill. She went to the ER Dec. 4, came home on hospice Dec. 15, we were told she had 2 months to live on Dec. 9, and she died on Dec. 17----- 1 day before my surgery. I'd already canceled a few days earlier once I knew she was terminal with only 2 months to live. I knew I'd be up/down the interstate for months and wanted to be there for her. Plus, I knew the estate stuff would all ave to be done by me in the months after her death. With all of that nightmare going on (her illness, death, funeral), by January my left ankle and back were severely affected by the way I was walking and compensating for the right knee. The ankle especially got to the point I could barely walk, as I was putting ALL my weight on that left leg.
It took 2 steroid injections and 2 months of PT to rehab that ankle and get it ready to handle the impending May TKR, as that was the GOOD leg!!! By the time my new surgical date of May 21 (2019) came around, I was ALL IN. Bring it on!!!! I finally knew it was the right decision because I spent all winter/spring dealing with the fallout of waiting too long and other joints getting damaged along the way. That ankle is just NOW back to normal, almost 11 months later.
The takeaway from my surgeon (Plus 20/20 Hindsight!!): Don't wait so long on the other knee. Do it while I still CAN walk on it, and the rest of my body will say Thank You.
The body can only compensate for so long before something else gives out.
He is honest after every set of x-rays and told me the left knee can probably wait 2-3 yrs (instead of 1-1.5 yrs like he originally said). It's MUCH happier since getting the right TKR, so that might buy me time. He never pressures me and admits I'll know when it's time. He's the sweetest man and just gives me that "I told you so" look. When he said I will know, he was right, because I've seen what can happen when I doubt myself.
Sorry for the novel----I just like to share how planning/doing it when you CAN is much better than when things get completely out of your control.
---Lisa