@cindymattern Cindy, when you said "The triage nurse told me that my knee will hurt if I do too much and I should ice anytime I am sitting or at rest. Is that correct as I'd be icing 3-4 hours a day..." I chuckled. I was just about to respond "ICE! Ice! and ice some more." I use ice for a LONG time after any surgery or injury. My daughter had a complex wrist/arm fracture over 1 1/2 years ago, and she still ices when it aches or after therapy.

Some things to remember:
Your body is still healing from a tremendous assault. You were cut, sawed and hammered on, then sewn up. You blood vessels, nerves and muscles were all disturbed.
Now you are feeling better, but your body and mind are in different places. Your mind says, "Aah, 4 months, incision healed, all better!" Your body says, "Ouch, 4 months, just starting to heal, come on bone, finish grafting to this chunk of metal! Come on nerves, time to regenerate!"
So you keep on going and going and going --- until your body says "NO MORE! Stop!"

Some things to try:
Rest & Ice - for 15-20 minutes after the following: riding your bike, taking a walk, doing your therapy, going grocery shopping or vacuuming. This serves 2 purposes - it paces you, allowing your body a little time between activities.
Ice & Elevate - for 15-20 minutes at a time while watching TV or reading in the evening. Alternate with getting up and walking around for a few minutes to keep from getting stiff.
Ice when you go to bed - use a nice BIG ice pack that will stay cold for a while, then toss it back in the freezer in the morning.
If allowed, take Tylenol or an NSAID at bedtime to help keep you comfortable for sleep.

So, have you been doing what most of us do - going like the Energizer Bunny until your battery wears down? Do you think you can try pacing yourself a little?
Sue