Hi kaye kaye, I am sorry your left knee was hurting so bad you had to have shot.
Hope right one doesn't start acting up.
As far as babying it, I really cant give you an honest answer, as I have one some meds for several months know and have def not been babying it, it doesn't seem worse for wear though, its enabled me along w/proper diet to lose over 70 lbs.
But it does hurt every evening by the end of the day, so i ice it every day. My tkrs is not in the foreseeable future for now, too many other issues to address before i can take on such a serious and difficult recovery at this point in time.
So I can only give you my experience as a pre-oper w/pain that is being masked, that working it has not mad it worse, honestly if anything it has made it stronger. But that's my experience. Everyone's different, no guarantees if you didn't baby it that it may not damage it more.
Lets see what other folks have to say about it.
One other thing I might add, is that if u do baby it too much it may cause the right knee to take on too much extra work, therefore shifting the pain to erupt in the right knee, that's just my opinion and experience.
Hope all goes well with you, sorry you now have to wait at least another 3 months for surgery, that kinda stinks, but you do have the tooth issue going on, so may be for the best. take care, and hang in there...Sheryl