I lived and worked with two destroyed knees for 8+ years. When the doctor opened up the first xrays, his comment was "yuck". I took Darvocet until they banned it for causing heart rhythm problems, which was something I was hospitalized for in 2005. Darvocet was removed from the market and then I used hydrocodone 7.5 mg. I finally had both knees replaced over the Summer of 2016. The PT was way painful, but I kept up with it at the therapist's and at home. It paid off as walking gives me very little pain now. I still have to take the pain pills, but this is now for my lower back which has little if any cartilage anymore. Give the therapy all you've got. It pays you back in spades.