Tried every possible alternative to surgery before giving in to the idea of cutting my left knee out of my body and replacing it with a mechanical one. I know thousands, maybe millions, of people have done this, but it was still my knee, and the idea of a replacement wasn't appealing. I steered clear of YouTube videos that show what the surgeon does, so I wouldn't be further put off by the idea. I listened to both my primary care doctor and the surgeon, Dr. Robert Goldman. However, I was still very worried about the required PT to get the knee back in shape. So, I went on a diet regimen and lost 40 pounds before day 1 in the hospital. Pretty sure this helped me recover as quickly as I did. Got home in the evening, same day surgery took place on Aug. 19, 2024, and I walked up a flight of stairs to my bedroom. Amazing! Had home PT for a few weeks and listened to every command I was given. It was difficult at first, but I did it. Then off to regular PT for several months. Again, I listened to everything I was asked to do and even did home PT in days I stayed home. I was worried that my leg wouldn't be straight and I would have a limp. All my worry and fear for naught. I was almost perfect at the 6-month mark, but it did take about a year before I stopped thinking about the knee. It works perfectly, and I would tell anyone on the fence to be brave and do it, but to stick to all instructions and make certain to keep the PT going until given the green light. I joined a gym after finishing PT and did almost the same exercises as PT for the next 8+ months. Very happy with the way I was treated by all medical professionals at Tri-County and Morristown Medical, as well as the Atlantic Health PT nurse and my regular PT guy who kept giving me helpful information along the way.