rsmith9915,
Welcome to the forum! There are a number of things to be considered regarding how you will move and perform post TKR. Are you having LTKR, RTKR, or BTKR?
Your body will retain the muscle memory for the movements for refereeing.
I had BTKR June 18, 2008. I was a PE teacher, Women's Varsity Basketball coach & Softball coach in my mid-late 20's. Two children later, I opened my own Family Child Care Business where I continue to care for up to 6 preschool age children between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM Monday - Friday.
As long as you have your upper body strength, and have exercised your quads prior to surgery, barring any unforeseen issues, you can be back refereeing by October.
My goal was to be able to stand, walk a distance longer than around the block, garden, and get back to downhill skiing.
I had 9 children in my home 12 days post op. I had a parent client working with me for 7 weeks last summer as I recuperated. I was on my own handling 6 children at week 9 post op. I was walking, standing, gardening, raking, last fall. I also started skiing again on February 1st of 2009. That was because the best snow is around in February, and this was the date the OS suggested..... I was 8 months post op.
I would suggest during your rehabilitation, you increase your walks to build up your stamina as well as your ROM.
The reason you hear of others going thru a set of knees quickly is they do not keep tabs on the spacer. I fully expect to keep these knee replacements for the rest of my life. I also fully expect to have the spacers replaced when they show wear and tear. My OS will take an x-ray at my 1 year appointment on 6/19/09 of both my knees. He will again take x-rays in 2011, 2013, 2015, etc (every 2 years) and when the wear on the spacer shows it need to be replaced, he will open the incision line, pop out the spacer and replace it with a new one. This way the metal implants do not become damaged. Who knows, my OS may decide I will need to have x-rays annually if it warrants it......
I wish you success, and longevity in refereeing with your new knee. My husband is a baseball umpire, assignor, and trainer here in NH. One of his fellow umpires had BTKR the year before I had mine, and he went right back to umpiring the following season! Recovery has lots to do with motivation, and physical fitness prior to surgery, IMO.
Best,