Sorry to hear about you knee being diagnosed as "kaput" R C, and the long wait for surgery.

One of my knees was giving me grief for about three months. It got so bad I could only take our dog Honey for very short walks under duress of pain, and it kept me awake at night. I had to put a pillow under it to get relief. I started wearing a knee brace when walking as well.

Someone suggested I start taking Glucosamine, which I thought worth a try. After two weeks all the pain had almost completely gone. Now I take it every morning with breakfast and I am pain free, and walking the dog 3 kilometres a day. It may not work for everyone but it did for me, and is available over the counter with no prescription, so worth a try.